New work and a cause


Like most people who viewed the documentary on Australia's live exports to Indonesia that aired on the ABC this week, I was saddened beyond words. The footage was utterly disturbing and exposed a truth we haven't been privy to until now. I urge you to make yourself aware of this issue, you can watch the story here. Please be aware the content of this documentary is graphic and disturbing, yet all too real, and too important to ignore. WSPA has set up an excellent website to help you write a letter to your local member of Parliament if you wish to express your concerns. You can access it by clicking here. WSPA do an incredible job of assisting animals who are suffering at the hand of humans and I urge you to become aware of what they do. I donate to them regularly as the work they do on behalf of all of us is just incredible.
SO... this topic really got me down in the dumps, not a place I like to dwell! I have been waiting for an opportunity to make some new artwork for our house, so I decided to take this moment between jobs to create a new artwork, something to cheer me up. Here it is, it's going in my hallway when it's back from the framers, and will be available as a giclee print for purchase from my soon to be launched print shop! xxx

Walt Peregoy VINTAGE DISNEY SERIES 1950


Walt Peregoy
Disney Animator 1950's-60's

"My style was unusual for Walt Disney, but he tolerated me," Peregoy says. Although, since he was "tolerated" for 14 years, the artist sheepishly admits, "I had to be doing something right."



Born in Los Angeles in 1925, Walt Peregoy spent his early childhood on a small island in San Francisco Bay. He was nine years old when he began his formal art training, attending Saturday classes at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley. When he was 12 years old, Peregoy's family returned to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in Chouinard Art Institute's life drawing classes. At age 17, he dropped out of high school and went to work for Disney as an in-betweener.




In 1951, with a young family in tow, Peregoy returned to the United States, and resumed his career with The Walt Disney Studios. Initially, he served as a designer and animator on Peter Pan (1952) and Lady and the Tramp (1955).



"To this day, Walt Peregoy's color styling in 101 Dalmatians (1961) remains a fine example of how color can be used creatively in animation while serving more than a merely decorative function," says modern animation authority Amid Amidi.





Peregoy continued at Disney on the features The Sword in the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), and The Jungle Book (1967) Peregoy's unique style meshed well with that of his contemporary, stylist Eyvind Earle, and their work on the Academy Award®-nominated short Paul Bunyan (1958) was a departure for Disney.


Special Thank you to the talented Michael Humpries for visiting + inspiring us here in Cleveland. He shared wonderful stories about his days at Disney. Here's one of the DISNEY GREATS he spoke of.

The Design Files article


I woke up this morning to find my illustrated map for the NGV 150 sitting front and centre on the amazing design blog The Design Files in their latest feature. What a great start to the day! You should definitely head over to the blog to not only read the article but take a wander through their content, a feast for lovers of all things visual xxx

It's PARTY time at the NGV!


The NGV is celebrating it's 150th birthday this weekend! Be sure to get down to the Melbourne Arts Precinct and pick up one of the maps that I illustrated that will guide you through the trail of festivities. The map will be available FREE as a liftout in the Age newspaper on Friday, so pick one up and join in the fun! The map will also be available at the event, and you can also download it here from the NGV website. So stoked to have worked on such a major event in Melbourne's calendar, I'll be there partying on so come down and say hello! xxx

eyvind earle VINTAGE DISNEY SERIES 1950


Eyvind Earle
DISNEY ANIMATOR
b1916-2000

Born in New York in 1916, Eyvind Earle began his prolific career at the age of ten when his father, Ferdinand Earle, gave him a challenging choice: read 50 pages of a book or paint a picture every day. Earle choose both.

Special Thank you to the talented Michael Humpries for visiting + inspiring us here in Cleveland. He shared wonderful stories about his days at Disney. Here's one of the DISNEY GREATS he spoke of.

At the age of 21, Earle bicycled across country from Hollywood to New York, paying his way by painting 42 watercolors. Earle by the age of 21, came into his own unique style. His oeuvre is characterized by a simplicity, directness and surety of handling.


In 1951 Earle joined Walt Disney studios as an assistant background painter. Earle intrigued Disney in 1953 when he created the look of “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom” an animated short that won an Academy Award and a Cannes Film Festival Award. Disney kept the artist busy for the rest of decade, painting the settings for such stories as “Peter Pan”, “For Whom the Bulls Toil”, “Working for Peanuts”, “Pigs is Pigs”, “Paul Bunyan” and “Lady and the Tramp”.



Earle was responsible for the styling, background and colors for the highly acclaimed movie “Sleeping Beauty” and gave the movie its magical, medieval look. He also painted the dioramas for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. He worked at the Disney studios of 15 years until 1966.





Earle holding an animation cell from Sleeping Beauty
















Mi Casa










I woke up unusually early today and decided to make the most of the extra hours by putting together this post about where I live. I bought this little place in Kensington, just north of Melbourne's CBD last year and have loved really making it my own. Kensington is a fucking cool suburb, and I managed to get a place smack bang in the middle of it. I collect artworks by my favourite artists, and have pieces around the house by: Amy Dover, Michael Sieben, Donna Wilson, Alexander Girard, Marilyn Neuhart, Kozyndan, Junzo Terada, Megan Whitemarsh (I wallpapered my kitchen cupboard with one of her prints!) and lots more..(including some of my own stuff!) Here's a few snaps of some of my favourite parts of the place I call home. xxx