Monster Children Issue 25#

The new issue of Monster Children is out now. Flick to the contents to see the double page illustration made by me. Chris was awesome to work with on this special artwork and I'm so happy to be a part of this amazing publication. Will post a photo of this spread when I get back home, I'm still on holidays....

PS: Did I mention I got a new job?

I'm now a Graphic Artist with The Just Group....syyyyked!! Still doing the freelance thing, but totally happy to be in this amazing creative role as a 9-5'er with one of the nicest group of people I have ever come across in my whole life. Definitely happy!!

Today I became the happy owner of this amazing Marilyn Neuhart Benny Casa Doll....


"When Ray Eames sent one of Marilyn Neuhart’s Mexican cotton dolls to Alexander Girard in 1959, Mrs. Eames probably didn’t predict the decades-long working relationship that would result. The organic quaintness of the Neuhart dolls mixed perfectly with Girard’s folk art sensibilities, making them the impetus of a successful creative partnership......" as reads the Alexander Girard website House Industries.

I am an Alexander Girard NUT... and even though this isn't made by him...the fact the he had one too is enough to get me all excited. (I got it as a print too...and his book.... I'm obsessed.) It's a long way from Denmark, so here's wishing you a safe travels in the post little dude!!

Hospital visits and new work...


So I wake up 3.30am Sunday night with a tummy ache... struggle through work the next day and in the afternoon it's all too much so I head to the GP, who sends me to the Emergency Ward at Cabrini Hospital, where the nurses fill me up with morphine and remove my appendix before I have time to blink. It was all very quick and blurry thanks to the drugs and now I'm a prisoner at home waiting to get better so I can start doing normal things again...like drive.

So rather than wither away my downtime, I've been keeping myself busy making some new work, the VOILA! poster you see here is one of my favourites to come out of this post-op studio session. I've never produced anything while on morphine before, so this has been an interesting time.

Once I'm back on my feet I will be out shooting some of the SMIGGLE stores, as my illustration for their Christmas promo is now going into stores, yay!!

TATTOOOOS

So I was in Queensland and my girl Krissy and I were chatting about my pencil I was having tattood on me that afternoon... then a bird mysteriously came into the equation... and Krissy decided the bird should be perched on the pencil. So after two hours under the spell of the lovely Diego Wernicke at Borderline tattoo in Broadbeach, I now have this little fellow added to my arm. Sitting right above the remnants of my 'drunken home tattoo' phase.
My friend Hannah (who is on the verge of popping out what is surely to be the most divine baby alive!!) asked for a post, so this is for Hannah xxxx (please excuse me while I look utterly dishevelled, I am busy as shit.)

Soft Cuts opening and Workshop at 19KAREN

Some pictures from my solo show opening party and the workshop that followed. I put some pics up of some of the work produced from the workshop, such amazing people!! xxx





Mini update

The Soft Cuts opening was amazing! So many people came along and it was the best atmosphere. The crowd were lovely and people stayed waaay past galleries closing time which must have meant they were having a good time! I sold some work and had my GC family and friends there which was such a treat. Dave came up from Melbourne and as always was an angel.
We stayed with Krissy and Rol at Palm Beach, went for bike rides, ate tacos at Wahoo's and even got a new tattoo by the lovely Diego over at Borderline tattoo.
I held a talk and workshop the day after the opening (I can't believe people paid to come and listen to me talk!! Crazy!) and the most delightful group of people attended. They were all so talented and produced some beautiful works. The workshop was unreal and I made some lovely acquaintences.
I cut my trip short and came home early as I have lots of illustration work on, including a really cool brief from Monster Children magazine, which I am totally syked to be working with.
Also working on a big job for a paper company, I can't wait to post about it :)

My solo show SOFT CUTS opens this weekend



It's been almost a year in the making, and finally I am about to leave on a jet plane for lovely Queensland. My to-do list is long and jam packed with fun stuff like opening parties, artist talks and workshops (which I'm presenting as part of the ARC Biennial), installing the show (always my favourite part of the process, really!) and catching up with friends and family who live up north. Dave is coming up Friday to be there for the show which is awesome. I imagine there'll be a butterfly or two in my tummy on opening night so it will be nice to have a hand to squeeze.

Above is the invitation for the show, feel free to come along to the opening or pop in later as the show runs until November 20, 2009.

xxx

Me in THE AGE!

See the article about me and my Grace Drayton paper doll collection written up in THE AGE this week here

Soft Cuts sneak peek....


I haven't posted anything in ages as I have been buried in my own little world pulling together all the last minute things in preparation for my upcoming solo show at 19KAREN. I have had some great sponsors jump on board, including The Pepin Press - who make some of my favourite design books ever, Frankie Magazine - always lovely, and Yabby Lake Vineyard - who make some of my favourite wines ever, so I'm chuffed that they are behind me :)
Above is a snap from my studio of some skulls I have been painting, kindly taken by Dave. I leave for QLD to set up on the 21st October, and I am soooo excited!! xxx

The National


Hailing from NYC, The National are hands down one of my favourite bands in the world. I'm not even going to try to explain what they sound like, you just need to listen to them.
When I found out that the yellow bird project have released a tee design by the band, I raced to check it out. Here she is in all her circular symmetrical beauty...
xxxx

Illustre Awards 2009


It's been a big week, preparing for the opening of the Illustre show in Prahran, putting together work for my solo show in October, creating new designs for my lovely clients (I can't wait to post what I have been working on!!) and all the other craziness that fills my days.

The biggest news this week is that I won an award! The Illustre show opening was also an awards night (I had no idea they would be giving awards! I just thought it was a party...) Anyway, I was very excited to win the

Illustrators Australia Overall Consistency Award


The main prize for this award was to be granted membership to Illustrators Australia, which I am really excited to be a part of, they have so many good Illustrators on their books!!

You can see my new profile with IA here

Hooray!
xxx

I ♥ Justin Blyth

My friend Angel Zaragoza from LA has introduced me to the most amazing blog, that belonging to designer Justin Blyth. I don't know alot about him but I have been pouring over his blog all morning...it's the most unreal collection and composition of images I've seen in a while. He's also a designer and has his folio up at jblyth.com which I'll check out after I've picked my jaw up off the floor from looking at his blog. Below is one of the many images from his gallery that I love. Do yourself a favour and see his blog here


ALSO... after my crazy week last week, the last five working days have been so much fun. I have a new freelance project for a certain stationary brand (one of my favourites) and I got my first pair of glasses. The daily 4pm computer headache was getting the better of me. Secretly I really dig wearing them. I don't know why but I feel alot smarter when I put them on.

I have dinner at Mr.Wolf tonight which I'm really excited for and then back to the mac...

I love books!!



The outcome of an afternoon in my studio - two new book covers. I really, really like them!

Sunday rain = leaf pictures

The rain thumped down once again today, I love it. Outside our pond is fullest it's ever been, complete with a posse of wood ducks!! I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will bring about some ducklings once spring hits. For now I'm enjoying the cherry blossoms being in full bloom and the grass being super green, as opposed to the dry straw-like stuff we have been living with for over a year before the rain started.
With our land looking so gorgeous at the moment, I was inspired to make a series of leaf artworks, above is one of the three I completed today. They are not inside my normal realm of image making, but I like the colour scheme and the prospect of applications a design such as this could be used for. I especially had fun making the patterns, I eyeballed all the placements so I am pretty pleased with the result xxx

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket...

Tuesday night, same - but different, to any other night. I took a walk out into our back yard and found myself craning my neck until the back of my head hit the back of spine to allow all the stars to fit into my peripheral. I found myself thinking about my Dad, and some strange hippie moment overcame me and in my mind I whispered for him to make a star shoot. Nothing happened for a long time. Even just waiting for something to happen, I started to feel like one of those hilbillies that call radio American stations to report a UFO they had seen.
I bent my head back and twisted around trying to see all the stars at once, but I now know this can't happen. A little dancing twinkle caught my eye and I tried to stay very still to determine if it was the star moving or if it was me.
I called my sister to say, with some embarrassment, that I'd 'asked' Dad for a shooting star, and got a dancing one instead - I was pretty stoked with this astronomical response.
She asked me if I had been drinking and as I replied 'a couple of glasses', right aside the dancing star a shooting star whizzed by. As quickly as it appeared it had dissapeared.
Floored, and torn between the likelihood of a coincidence and my wish for it to be a split second of contact with my Dad, I stared at the dark empty space left where the shooting star had dissolved.
I belive in nothing and everything at once, all I know is I was left grinning from ear to ear, and still am.
I miss you Dad.
This photo was taken at my 6th birthday party in Sydney.

I should be in bed...


..instead I stayed up painting this fox delivering apples from his pretend car...

I ♥ Berlin

Above is a new illustration I began and completed this afternoon. Tiny was being extremely annoying and has almost chewed my mouse cord in half, so I am lucky to have finished this before he stopped me from being able to use my mouse. I am currently investigating how to get him to come with me to QLD for my exhibition opening, my research so far tells me that Jetstar won't carry him. For those of you who don't know who Tiny is:
xxx

Tour

I'd forgotten that my little digi cam had come with us on our recent adventure and taken the odd snap.
Here's a glimpse at some of the cute things we saw and a mini percentage of the fun things we did...


An old, old illustration


I had a rummage around in a box I found full of old bits and pieces that hadn't been given much attention since we moved house over eight years ago. Inside was lots of cute little bits and pieces from our family's past... I even found a story folder full of stories I must have dictated to some very patient person before I could write, and then I've taken the typed story back to my desk and illustrated it.
This space story is from Grade 1 at Red Hill Primary School. I'm thinking of doing a grown up version of this illustration... I'll ad that to my giant to-do list!

A new site is coming...

My old website has retreated back to the external hard drive and a beautiful new site is currently under construction for www.fleurharris.com
In the mean time, I have posted links to my agent and my gallery and this little blog on the main page. I have a show at 19KAREN opening on the 24th of October this year, so until then I will be working flat stick on what is certain to be my biggest show to date. I will try to post as many updates as possible in the meantime!

In other exciting news, the work from my series Something Wicked This Way Comes is currently being featured in my favourite design magazine, IDN. This magazine has provided me with years of good reading and is a great source of inspiration to me and lots of my fellow design-heads, so I am thrilled to be worthy of inclusion in it's pages.

For any queries regarding my past, present or future work, hit me up at hello@fleurharris.com
xxx

FRAU TULPE

I must make mention of the AMAZING fabric store I fell in love with in Berlin, FRAU TULPE.
Allured by it's divine window display, I walked into what is without doubt the best fabric store in the world as I know it.
Sorry for the cliche`- but like a kid in a candy store - I trowled through rolls and rolls of patterns printed onto beautiful linens and cottons with absolute glee, and while the fabrics aren't on the cheap side (and why should they be?), it was the best Euro I have ever spent. It was very hard to leave this place knowing that it will be a while before I can return, so luckily they have an online store (website experienced definitely enhanced if you speak German)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FRAU TULPE ONLINE STORE

HOME SWEET HOME

I am home this week from Berlin, Hong Kong etc. It was a whirlwind trip that included highs such as swimming in the crystal waters of the Adriatic and visiting the beautiful folk at IDN Magazine HQ in Hong Kong, and lows such as not having a tummy big enough to stomach as much yum cha as I would have liked to consume!
I have a pile of work to get on with so for now, I've posted a picture of the gorgeous Klaus Haapaiemi Mug that I picked up whilst in Helsinki... it's helping me get through the day by filling it with lots of coffee to make the jet lag go away....

Jacky Winter

I have been so excited this year to be amongst the kids invited to join the new division of The amazing Jacky Winter Group... The Hatch. I have loved Jacky Winter long time, so I am really happy to be affiliated with them, and Jeremy is sooooo nice. See here for my JW folio, lots of new work going up as quickly as I can make it!

Click here for my JW page

Meanwhile I am working hard creating pieces for my show at 19KAREN in October, working on a collaboration with designer Su Wen Yeong, marking exams and writing reports, still teaching, renovating our house, and getting everything else done that needs to be done before I head to Europe in a tiny amount of days. I can't wait to sit my tired ass down on one of the beds on the beach on Hava Island and smooch Mr.Howard and fall asleep in the sun.

Books Books Books



I took myself for a much needed venture through the thrift stores in our town, and to my suprise some new ones have popped up since my last day of solitary fossicking a few months back. The focus of today's hunt was for books with lovely illustrations to ad to my collection. As always I aimed for the childrens section first, and I was rewarded. I came home with a sweet stack of mostly vintage books and once I have boiled the kettle I will have my afternoon activities sorted. The two books pictured in this post are two of my favourite book covers from my recent purchases. The one on the left has been illustrated by Roberta McDonald. I love the monochromatic cover with the splashes of vibrant red and yellow. The red and black sections are also embossed, so this book cover is a lovely one to hold. The book on the right is a little notebook I bought myself recently, created by o-check press. I am obsessed with this cover, it is a beautiful illustration. This notebook sits on my desk and I still havent written in it, I just love looking at it. It's an absolute fucking delight to own it.

DEAR SANTA...


I loved LEGO as a kid and I am now in love with it even more since discovering that not only are LEGO releasing an Architecture series, but that this series will include miniature build-your-own LEGO versions of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and the Guggenheim in NYC. Rather than rant on about how excited I am about this new series, I will simply post the link to the site which has more info, including the official press release from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation:

http://www.prairiemod.com/prairiemod/2009/05/frank-lloyd-wright-lego-sets.html

La Dolce Vita


When an invitation to attend a friends wedding in Germany arrived a little while back, Dave and I grabbed the nearest Atlas and began mapping out a little European holiday for ourselves to coincide.
We have both been to Europe individually, so we created a journey that would see us experiencing places that were new to both of us. I have marked out our route on the little map here, it's going to be three weeks of deliciousness, as we work our way from Italy, to the island of Hava (off Croatia) then to Stuttgart for the wedding and then to the place I am most excited for, Berlin.
We'll be spending two nights in Honk Kong so I can go and meet the lovely people at IDN magazine (the June / July 09 issue of IDN will have an article about me in it YAY! ) and get a hurried fix of their amazing food and culture. We leave in three weeks, I cannot wait to to step off the plane and into the European sunshine with my gorgeous Mr. Howard....

Planes, trains and automobiles...


I have made this little 50's illustration inspired image tonight for the Bespoke Letterpress. I love playing around with colours and angles and type so this was fun. In the last couple of days despite my best efforts to stay healthy, I have come down with a cold and my eyes have had enough of staring at things for hours on end so it's time to call it a day.
Darling Dave and I are to celebrate our one year anniversary this weekend...we are unsure of what the date actually is, but he asked me to set aside this weekend because he has a suprise in store, so I am very excited for the weekend to arrive and also doing my best to get better!
The back end of my tattoo gun fell out. My brother who is responsible for the breakage is also an electrical apprentice and has duck taped it back together. It doesn't work and the picture of the taped together machine is too stupid looking to post :(

Sanna Annukka


I found the work of this beautiful artist while scouring the web today. Lovely lovely lovely. www.sanna-annukka.com

Soft Cuts

The image to the left is a detail of one of my new artworks for a show I am currently preparing, titled Soft Cuts. I am so lucky to have been invited to show these works at 19KAREN Contemporary art space in QLD, as it is a beautiful gallery, and run my some seriously lovely people http://www.19karen.com.au
The show will open on the 24th of October 2009 and run until the 21st of November 2008. If you are in town make sure you come along.



A case of pins and needles

Hello Monday. Good morning my little workspace.

Now onto explaining the title of this post....
I was reshuffling the top shelves of my wardrobe last night, and found a small case filled with old sets of pins and needles. I know the house my Dad cleared out a few years ago belonged to an old lady who had been the owner of a habedashery store. I guess these were part of her left over stock. I particularly like the pink LONDON casing.

NEIL

MY li

My sister Gertie acquired an 8 week old canine treasure this week. He will probably turn into a giant-turd producing ball eater in a matter of months, but for now, 'Neil' looks like he should still be in the womb and behaves accordingly. So dumb and floppy and sporting a fine coat of indescribably soft baby hair ... consequently DIVINE. Funny how everything turns peaceful with such a beautiful dependant creature in your company.

The lost Parisian postcards...

My mother has completely lost her marbles. El Frutus Cake-us.

In other news, I had a memory jump up and bite me in the ass earlier in the week. I remember flicking through a set of postcards in the bottom drawer of my parents room when I was a kid. I remembered them being of slightly framed ladies with big patterned dresses on. I remembered I used to sit on the floor and look at them for ages. This memory is easily 20 years old. Haven't thought of it in all that time. We still have the drawers so I curiously opened the bottom drawer to see if my memory was serving me correctly. I sifted around for a while and there they were...

This one I have cleverly named Snow Lady and she is one of my favourites.

Opening this bottom drawer turned out to be a pandoras box of pictures I had not seen before. Seeing pictures of myself as a little girl made me ache to be tiny again, and brought on a strong realisation that time waits for no one. Now every second that ticks on my annoyingly-loud-but-beautiful SWATCH watch reminds me that my life is another second closer to ending.

Dad

Today we buried my fathers ashes under the Japanese maple in the island of our pond. A year ago he died of a brain tumor which he had become aware of three weeks prior.
I have had a good year despite missing my father like crazy, but today was the toughest day so far. It was like having him die all over again, flowers arriving, an abundance of family and friends popping in to offer their condolences. It's nice to know how many people keep us in their thoughts as I've been overwhelmed at the amount of people who have let me and my family know that they are thinking of us today because they remember today was the day that we lost the most magnificant man we have known.

Out to lunch...

I am still diorama crazy, hence, I do not have time to blog. Glue guns are way more fun.

My bird Tiny is so addicted to sparkles that he jumped from my shoulder into the diorama I was working on and began to eat it...
I am so into these old sewing tags from Poland. Lovely lovely lovely colour arrangements and very clever use of the tricky space that lies within the oval...






Amongst other things, I drew / painted / stitched / etc this picture. I've got alot of questions but none I feel important enough to ask.
I am completely exhausted.

My cockatiel Tiny has developed a thing for launching himself from me onto my wine glass. I really like to drink wine. I really don't want to drink wine that my cute little bird has frolicked in. This is officially my biggest problem in life to date.
Book Cover Illustration by STAFFAN WIREN shows blue and yellow don't have to look awful together.