I first saw the work of Dard Hunter in the art gallery of Vancouver, Canada. His work comprises the elements of symmetry, line, balance and harmony, just as you’ll find in most Arts and Crafts pieces.
I love how these guys were all-round artists and crafts folk – illustrators, typeface creators, typesetters, printers, book binders.
Here is another artist/designer I find inspiring. I heard Beci speak at Semi Permanent in 2012 and found her very down-to-earth, just get on and be productive attitude stuck with me. I am in awe of these people who can raise a family whilst being creatively productive. It’s taken me till my children are young adults to find my creativity. Expressing it takes a dedication and discipline I’m training myself in…
I painted and drew this alphabet during the summer holidays, just for fun. Practising my flourishes!
Inspired by Jessica Hische’s Daily Drop Cap.
I find Seb Lester’s control so inspiring. I’ve been watching his work for some time now and can’t imagine how much time he has spent practising to become so skilled. It’s poetry in motion. Keep an eye out for his Break Bad News Gently (with calligraphy) series!
I really liked the idea of the brain as representative of or repository for memory, and there seemed a natural link between this and the life journey. The concept of a tree of life seemed relevant given its place in science, religion, philosophy and mythology. The tree of life alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet, and the tree of knowledge connects us to heaven, and the underworld. Brain scans reveal tree-like structures which I see as reaching up to the stars. The spherical nature of the skull provide suspended, circling planetary objects. We’re all really just dangling in space.
The finished artwork is an Ilustrator file at 300dpi, it’s a pretty big file due to the effects on the images. I took some photos of brain MRIs I happened to have in the cupboard!
I also wanted to explore this typographically as the seven movements in Holst’s The Planets each revealed such distinctive personalities (see earlier post).
Here’s one I DIDN’T enter in the Hallmark competition! Having seen the others in the competition, I’m glad I didn’t because photos and strong colours definitely don’t fit the brief of newborn baby stationery. The flowers are on gum trees in a nearby park, and the gumnut was found in the local area too. I was inspired to create something for an Australian baby, a gumnut baby in the style of May Gibbs.
I’m really looking forward to this workshop in May and am amassing pens and paper at a ridiculous rate! I know I need the push that an organised class and guidance from experts will provide. This image is theirs, not mine.
Welcome to my blog. Starting a blog is a course requirement as a third year student at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. I’m 50 years old and studying Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communication) and I’m majoring in Visual Communication Design. I did start a course like this when I was 17 but dropped out after 6 months after I’d discovered socialising and … life. I just wasn’t ready. Now I am.
mary-anne stuart - banksia imaginata 