Joany and the Sunshine Garden

Joany and the Sunshine Garden by Written by Sarah Ouellette Illustrations by Jess Racklyeft | Make Your Own Book

Sarah O, a pal of mine, wanted to write a story about her cat for her xmas pressie to all the little uns in her life. So I did pictures... and it was fun!

It's Been Awhile...

Oh yes, a long while. There have been several (sometimes life changing) reasons for this...
1. I went to Malaysia for 2 weeks.
2. I'm turning 30... and party organisations have taken *some* time
3. I got a new job... after almost 5 years at the same place, I'm moving into a new role at a children's book publisher. Very exciting!
4. I've been travelling heaps - along with the above, my great friend Penny Lane WON SOYA - and I was lucky to join her at the event.
So it has been sort of troppo, but good. And a slowish Sat eve and Sunday have replenished my energy stocks and I'm ready for a good week ahead - including birthday meals at The Press Club and Cutler and Co, a party, and Monday Funday. Phew!

In the mean time, I thought I should share some pictures from a kids book I did with my friend Sarah. It was fun - and cute - to draw pictures about her cat exploring the garden.

Chrissie

I know it is too early... but for some reason I felt xmassy today.

Kids Book

A friend and I are doing a little kids book for xmas, about her cat Joany.

I started with watercolours, but then went back to computer filled colours and japanese paper... here are a couple of drafts! Do you have a favourite? I think I'm leaning towards the bottom one, with computer colours.

Jesses Mess

Jesses Mess, originally uploaded by pikaland.

I'm part of the Gocco package on the beautiful world of Pikaland. Beautiful Gocco art from some lovely people from around the world, go and check them out! and win some art!

Custom Portraits

Recently I've begun doing custom portraits, beginning with my friend Kerry who commissioned me to draw a family portrait of her sister, baby and hubby. Kerry is a star as she is always has faith in my work, and seems to be the first to invest in my work - whether it be for her website or family portrait! Thanks Kerry. :)

Anyway, since then I've had a few more a really loved to create them - it's really an honour to be asked. I thought I would share this recent one, given to a cat loving lass for her birthday.

Now offering through Etsy.

Crazy Pencil Zombie

Crazy Pencil Zombie, originally uploaded by Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

Entry to Burton Exhibition Gallery for ACMI Melbourne.

Little Japanesey Prints

Available on Etsy.

Ilustration Friday - Dessert

My housemate Trudy has an awesome dessert she regularly whips up. I know there are some secret ingredients, but the basics are:

Mix a tablespoon of nutella with a small amount of milk, and heat in the microwave. Pour on icecream, add some hundreds and thousands, and chow down... in a happy chocolate coma.

A Room Of One's Own

Winston modelling on the couch.

Big desk, and clothes line art hanger complete with pegs.

Cupboard of tools, gocco printer and other fun stuff.

I've always wanted to have an art space... rather than the kitchen table sprawl, the lost notebooks around the house, the ink spilled on carpet. Recently Matty kindly built himself a new music studio in our garage, allowing me to shift this art flotsam from around the house into one lovely little den (/guest room), take over the walls with art (rather than crushing them like I usually do) and put little trinkets from life on the shelves. It is currently messy and has lots of work to make it fully functional, but I now have an ART ROOM STUDIO! Woohoo!

I just also had my mum come and stay... Twas lovely to see her, and she left me with more childhood journals and books and a beautiful scarf she made.

Emerging Artist Exhibition

Oooh I am excited to be next week a finalist in the Emerging Artist Award and Exhibition, at the Walker Gallery in Dandenong.

I've just started putting my work "more out there", so it is very exciting to see progress... and I'm really looking forward to see some other work. Should be fun.

Embarrassingly, when I went to hand in my work, children's book illustrator Leigh Hobbs was there and I introduced myself with the babble that I hoped to be a kid's book illustrator one day. Fate or awkward!? :)

Byron Bay

Illustration Friday - Caged

“Much talking is the cause of danger. Silence is the means of avoiding misfortune. The talkative parrot is shut up in a cage. Other birds, without speech, fly freely about.” ~ Saskya Pandita

The Canvas Project

There are some clever chaps in NY who have set up "The Art House Co-op", bringing together whoever wants to contribute with cheap, fun international projects.

I'm going to participate in "the canvas project" - I was sent 3 mini canvasses with the words "SAVAGES", "KEMPT" and "PERSISTENT". Just for something different I've made them with oils and ink, however sort of forgotten how long damn oils take to dry... still wet a week later, so needing them to hurry on so I can mail them on their merry way back to the USA to join their exhibition in Brooklyn later this year. Dry oil dry!

Flying Bears

Illustration Friday - (double) bass

I also put this little fella up for sale on Etsy.

Trying to Slow

Usually I bang pictures together pretty quick, I sort of think its just the way I work, and the essence is lost for me when I spend too much time working on a line or shape.

But I am slowing down a bit now, with more time to spend on art, and drawing small details again and again. I'm enjoying taking this time out and making slow art.

Illustration Friday - Breakfast

Mmmmmmmmmmm nomnomnom

Sock Monkey Math

I'm joining the next PIKAPACKAGE with a Gocco inspired pack. Its a very awesome process - you put together 12 pieces of art and receive back a pack consisting of all the other's artworks who also contribute. Sweet! Anyway, here are some fun little cards I made whilst trying to have Winston model for me.

Winter Heater Wars... Molly vs Winston

Illustration Friday - Giant

Here is my giant - a sort of BFG meets Reservoir Dogs!

The Messy Card Series

Inspired by Mr Messy, what better way than spending your Sunday doing doodles on the computer and turning them into cards?! Available on Etsy. :)

Illustrator play with birds...

Illustration Friday - Ripple

A simple line drawing on moleskin notebook.

I do hate it how scans never look as good as the real thing.

But, its a lovely topic for this week with a great fundraiser attached at:
http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/ ... Check it.

x

Tarot Cards - The Fool!

Illustration Friday - Cocoon

Little Poppy Watercolours

It has been awhile....

Because Matty and I have been honey moonin in Tasmania. What a beautiful, quiet, green island. We had a couple of nights camping - one of them in the slightly spooky and isolated Mount William; and the rest in a range of hotels including a teepee! Recharged and calmed after the wedding mayhem. :)

Oh My Love - John Lennon

So beautiful.

1956 - Peter Racklyeft

1956, originally uploaded by simonrackleft.

From Simon/Dad, "The quiet inspiration....my father now 88. He was a WW2 spitfire pilot and test pilot.This photo taken of him in the fifties just surfaced.A quietly spoken and more honest man you could not meet . There has been and always will be a place for photography.Thanks dad for teaching by example."

Illustration Friday - Perspectives

Those strange, wise, very demanding creatures and their unique perspective. Usually a bossy one.

Draft for "7 sins comp"

A couple of starts on seven sins... wrath (I am a scorpio).

Tame a Lion by Megan Washington

Illo Friday - Focused