Sunday, December 19, 2010

Funny Farm

Foodie feature turned out noice...There are 4 spreads for FuckFood magazine (yep that's what the mag is called - so I'm thinking it's no Junior MasterChef Spinoff)  Um. So - I'll just give you a teaser. Here's the cover.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Food For Thought

Here are some process drawings for a Farmers Markets feature, to be published in a new underground food magazine. The Art Director gave me some yummy photos to montage and illustrate - and a totally open brief. Yee-Ha Cowboy!




Thursday, December 2, 2010

Thanks Mr. Walker

Previous New Media winner Rob Walker has just uploaded his Judges notes for the Newcastle Poetry Prize in New Media to his web site . This is what he had to say.

This truly is mixed media. Like watching a close-up of hand-made Chinese paper on an old projector with the new millennium bonus of interactivity. Transparent water colours on a tactile surface; interesting use of textures and choice of typography. Some of the text animation is perhaps a little contrived, but transitions between screens and animated graphic elements are technically slick and aesthetically beautiful.
The counterpoint of Chinese characters and an Australian environment, the visual construction and deconstruction of the landscape and the effective and well executed soundscape add other layers to the meaning of the poem itself – a poem which could stand alone on its own merits but now has other strata of sumptuous complexity.
Sudden rain is much more substantial and polished than its rivals. It’s clear that much more work has gone into this than the alternate entries.
It has the best use of illustration, sound, texture, animation, transitions and layout and is the most successful in pulling all of these aspects together to create an immersive experience.
I especially appreciate that there are conflicting elements which don’t attempt to reach a conclusion – richly varied, complex and contradictory – much like Life.
Rob Walker
www.robwalkerpoet.com
NPP New Media Winner 2009 and 2007

Monday, November 29, 2010

We Won!

The prestigious Newcastle Poetry Prize  New Media Award is a recent initiative to foster new directions in Australian Poetry. This year, poet James Stuart and I picked up the The New Media Award, which carries a $2000 first prize. James approached me to work on this interactive flash experience, based on a poem he penned on a family holiday. Themes of cross cultural ways of viewing landscape were explored, and was fun to animate for more esoteric ends. You can view our poem by clicking here.



Sunday, November 21, 2010

For Meg's Benefit

As those close to me may know, my sister Meg has been in an accident, sustaining serious brain injury. Enter epic Fundraiser. Hosted by Julia Zemiro, Megs Benefit Comedy Night was a huge success with 400 in attendance, featuring top international comedy acts. This piece of mine went up for auction. Was nice to work big and metres high, and the themes of female collaboration and optimism were apt for the night!


Friday, November 12, 2010

Taurus

Have started a set of horoscope illustrations. The set will be restricted to female faces/hands to depict some of the elements of each respective star sign. First up - Taurus. One down...11 to go!


...and process...always drawing first...

Monday, November 1, 2010

Roar Art

Just adding the finishing touches to a personal work. It combines my two favourite things - the circus and the tarot. I have always used the 'Strength' tarot card as my own personal talisman; the woman is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength.






Relax

Have been experimenting with some of my old doodles today. Using elements of mono-prints as texture was really effective  -  thank you for this tutorial tip by Santiago Uceda.




Sunday, October 24, 2010

New Website

Have just finished the redesign of my website. Any feedback regarding user-ability will be very welcome. Click here to have a squiz.

http://www.laurajane.com.au

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Canvases, Crooners & Coriander

So I asked my partner to build an illustration workplace for me. What a sweety! This beautiful sunlit warehouse studio in Footscray is the perfect place to make pictures. No excuses now! Thanks Leon.




Monday, October 11, 2010

In the Jam - Arup Conference

So when my agent described a 'live drawing gig' I was quite thrilled.  The brief was to produce 20 minute drawings in synthesis with a soundscape, based on the wonderful Melbourne spaces my client Arup have been involved with. These engineering/architectural feats included AAMI Park, North Melbourne station, Icehouse Skating Rink, and of course the stunning Melbourne Recital Centre where the event was held. I loved the ballsy challenge that this illustration job required - so thank-you Melbourne and thank-you Arup.


Saturday, October 2, 2010

Sketches: North Melbourne Station

Gotta exciting 'live illustration' project coming up... but in prep it requires practicing sketching some of the spaces within Melbourne....under 15 minutes...stay tuned...

Reiki Drawings: Head Space

Since coming back to Australia, life feels like I've been put in the emotional tumble dryer. I've been staying with my older sister in the ICU;  my sis came off her bicycle and sustained serious head injuries. How do you tell someone in a deep coma how much you love them?  How much you want them to wake up?  I feel hopeless, useless - so I've begun doing these sort of 'reiki' drawings for her - called 'head space'.

Sis - I love you.

Untold Stories: 9x5 Exhibition

Called the "9x5" in reference to an Australian Impressionists exhibition in 1889, the good people at Illustrators Australia have just held a very successful show in Melbourne. Held annually, this years theme was 'Untold Stories', and now makes its way up to Brisbane for the first time in October, opening on 6pm Monday the 11th @ Design College Australia, 200 Barry Pde, Brisbane.

This year my work 'Blossoming' depicts the untold secrets of a young girls growth to womanhood. Looks like she will remain a virgin too, with no 'sale' like all other years. Oh well...cheer up little lass...there's plenty of time.



Burmese Days

So before a few months ago I'd never really been overseas. I know - pathetic. I think task-master Saturn in my Virgo for so many years has had something to do with my unwillingness to actually take *gosh* a holiday. I have certainly made up for it, experiencing the ultimate exotic odysee to Burma. It was truly life changing. There were many beautiful stories from Myanmar, so I will keep it thematically painterly...this monk is preparing some party streamers for tomorrows full moon. The monks in the isolated northern Shan areas don't meditate - they just paint and play music to find their higher self.

Amen to that.

Process of a Lil' Minx

This Lil' minx was completed a while ago, and was entered in 3x3 as part of a series. Ideas of Goddess mythology and how these female archetypes are embodied within modern contexts interest me. 'Lilith' - the bad girl of biblical mythology who would not 'lie under any man' has been documented from process to finish. I was particularly inspired by the palette and other edgy gothic elements of Olaf Hajek's portrait of Fiona Apple.

Re process images: Have to make a mental note not to show process pictures, as the roughs are often open to weird critiques that really throw me - eg:
Brother-in-law: "Hey Laura, I like the picture of the sexy chic on the hot-dog"
Me: "It's not a hot-dog. It's a saddle"
Brother-in-law: "OK. I really think you should change it to a hot dog"