Archive for the ‘Sydney’ Category

• Mardi Gras (Sydney version), Fasching & Carnival

  Date: 2010.02.01 | Category: design, drawing, Sydney | Response: 0

  Happy February!

  As promised, here’s the free February wallpaper for download by clicking HERE (1024 x 768; 371 KB)* or HERE (1280 x 1024; 628 KB)*.

  This time I was inspired by Mardi Gras (the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, obviously); Fasching/Fastnacht (which I learnt about in German class) and the Rio Carnaval (because I had photos of costumes beside my bed when I was a child).

  I first went to Mardi Gras (Sydney version), when I was about 13, with Mum and Dad. Ages ago. At that stage I didn’t realise there were other, more religious, versions of Mardi Gras.

  Whatever, this image is still February for me. Note the milk crate. Shame fluoro pens are so hard to scan.

  *The wallpaper is for you to use on your computer desktop; I’m keeping all other rights/copyrights.

• Happy 2010: Bondi sunrise X Japanese woodblock

  Date: 2010.01.01 | Category: design, Sydney, Tokyo | Response: 0

  

  Happy 2010, everyone!

  This year, I’ll be sharing more of my love of pattern, colour and prints with you here (my love of fashion will soon be a separate blog). I’m planning a few downloads for you, like desktop wallpaper for each month, and perhaps a few other products, too.

  As a start, here’s the January 2010 wallpaper for you to download by clicking HERE (1024 x 768; 152 KB)*. I felt the sunrise and the circles were full of hope for the New Year. And you see how my time in Tokyo keeps on influencing me: it’s a Japanese woodblock version of Bondi beach!!

  Also, Melissa and Veronica, thanks so much for your comments

  *The wallpaper is for you to use on your computer desktop; I’m keeping all other rights/copyrights.

• Knitwear at the shops for a Sydney Autumn

  Date: 2009.05.08 | Category: knit, Sydney | Response: 4

  

  I went to the city (Sydney CBD) today, meaning to find some knitted inspiration. It’s Autumn here, and getting colder. Surely there should be something in the shops to inspire a handknitter who also likes fashion? Meh, not so much.

  This season’s colours are clearly grey and beige (and black, of course, I can’t imagine black ever going out of fashion here). I mean: purples, coral red, a little navy and misc. jewel tones are used in other clothing, just not much for knits. Knits get the boring colours. Great.

  By ‘knit’, I mean ones I could be inspired by. Sure, sure, I know fine jerseys, T-shirt fabrics and so on are knits, but they couldn’t reasonably be made by a hand. So I’m really talking knits made of laceweight or thicker yarn. Yes, I know that’s an odd classification, but I’m sticking to it, leastways until I get a knitting machine …

  Fair isle is out. Cables and textures, particularly chunky knit, are in. Garter, or at least reverse-stocking stitch, make an appearance (oh, and Country Road lined their knits for stability this year, much less sad and saggy!)

  Shapes, as bland as the colours. Plenty of fine gauge turtle-necks and V-necks that say: “Don’t look at me, I’m only for layering purposes!” Long loose cradigans, Starsky-style. Ponchos, kimono-sleeves, wraps galore. Curve-front boleroes, similar to Kate Gilbert’s famous Sunrise Circle Jacket. Or like the cover of the current Vogue Knitting. I guess I wanted something more … innovative? … novel? Not in a recession.

  But what about the photo, I hear you say. Interesting diagonal lacy panels. Texture (and, sure, beige). Well, I saw it a few weeks ago in Just Feathers boutique, King Street, Newtown. End of Summer stock, I assume. The label is SunnyGirl, it was the last one, I hadn’t the heart to ask the shop assistant to unpin it, take it off the dummy just so I could exmaine the knitting … pity …

• Fresh! New! Sydney street art …

  Date: 2009.04.30 | Category: street art & urban decay, Sydney | Response: 2

  Definitely new this week, wasn’t there when I walked past Sunday: there Monday. Really, really big, hard to miss. No, I’ve know idea what it means, what do you reckon?

  

  And round the corner, more! Different style, so maybe a different artist … or maybe not?

  

  And yes, I did enjoy the social commentary.

  

  Finally, my favourite: minimal, but cool.

  

  Haymarket, behind the ABC building, enjoy them before some punctilious person tears them down.

• Urban decay #001

  Date: 2009.04.25 | Category: street art & urban decay, Sydney | Response: 2

  

  What? A rotting fence; a man hole cover (ever used? unlikely…); pidgeon poo at the entrance to a park.

  

  Why? Because I look at these things; my eyes are drawn to them … since I was a child. Because I find them beautiful in their entropy, their brokeness, and the accidental patterns they make. Because if I don’t photograph them now, someone will tear them down, clean them up, take them away…

  And becuase they give me a sense of place, this is my Sydney … it takes time for your eyes to pick out these details, you don’t see them as a visitor, in a hurry: so if you’re not from here, I thought you might enjoy …

  

  Where? Back streets of Ultimo, NSW; along City Road, between Newtown and Broadway, N.S.W.

  When? I’m thinking an ongoing series … stay tuned

• Wow, so clever! (Scroll down to see how these wall hangings were made!) http://t.co/oh2Uuhci From Design*Sponge about 8 hours ago from TweetDeck
• Grey water RT @sarahfielke Colour of your pants + last thing you ate or drank = #yourbandname about 9 hours ago from TweetDeck
• This is what I miss about Japan: things that just fit back into their boxes, with no trouble, clear instructions which way up... *sigh* 07:55:05 am 04 February 2012 from TweetDeck
• #talknt Fabric travel is global warming worry, but Organic is still worthwhile > rivers, land near cotton fields not damaged by pesticide 02:24:45 am 01 February 2012 from TweetDeck
• Good question! RT @helishingly: why don't UFO's visit us now we all have camera phones? #AFPInvestigates 10:34:08 am 30 January 2012 from TweetDeck