Experiments

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Some experiments I've been working on/mulling over this week. I can't seem to stop myself when it comes to adding detail. I did promise myself that I'd try to stop for the experiment but it seems (with this Wagashi series at least) that adding detail for the sake of detail can't be stopped!

The W logo I made (for a future print series) in 20 minutes from fresh herbs/sweet pea leaves in our garden. Not sure which one I prefer yet!

After having fun cutting, pasting, and layering I'm starting to believe that every day should be an experiment. :}

Will post more experiments next week...

And reading for this week...
Designing Type by Karen Cheng
Euro Deco by Steven Heller and Louise Fili
Typology: Type Design from the Victorian Era to the Digital Age by Steven Heller and Louise Fili

Pondering...

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Polas I took at the Blue Lotus Water Garden, unfortunately there were no Lotuses (they bloom in December) only Water Lilies but still well worth the drive!

It was all so inspiring, I wanted to stare for hours and hours looking at all the strange alien shapes and insects (maybe ghosts?) skipping and gliding across the surface of the lake. You can see more pictures here...

Lately I've been making notes/thinking about different ways to create images, and experimenting. Putting restrictions (I don't know if that's the right word?) on the material I use to make things. Maybe experiment with tactility, thread, toothpicks, leaves, pins. I think the trip yesterday spurred these thoughts on even more, and while I'm typing this I have a little box of things next to my laptop I've collected and want to experiment with. It will mean sticky fingers by the end of the day. I hope to make prints to share with you all, I hope you will like them. Most of all I hope the experiments will work out, but you never know until you try.

Is there a word to describe feeling excitement and fright all at once? I've never been good with words but I feel just like that...

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An interesting short interview with Yohji Yamamoto's daughter Limi, who is also head designer of her own label Limi Feu. I'm still pondering over her view on the male designer's 'fashion reality' versus a female designer's personal perspective on body and proportion...

Phenomenal prints at Jean-Pierre Braganza.

Random and Weird

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We went to the Lotus Garden, but I'll share more photos tomorrow when I get them all uploaded!

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I was tagged by Bibbi yesterday and will follow these rules...

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well
as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Hehe ok... so 5 facts...

1. I work better at night and during winter. Night, because it's darker and I'm easily distracted by things in my peripheral vision during the day. Winter, because I don't feel like a sweaty pile of goop. And I like the sensation of drawing with frosty finger tips and socks on my feet.

2. 98% of the time I draw/design on the floor, not sitting at a table.

3. Pet peeve: When I hear/see people complaining about global warming while nursing a cigarette between their fingers. I know, it's not cool to get all preachy. But c'mon smokers, cigarettes don't pop out of nowhere. How do you think they get rolled and packaged? And don't get me started on people who flick their butts on the sidewalk... anyway moving on...

4. I could happily watch episodes of Iron Chef (Japan) and So You Think You Can Dance all day.

5. I obsessively collect images of Wagashi from the net.

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Jenny, Ah-Yi, Rirry san, Catherine the Goof, Kat... tag, you're it!

Nitin Sawhney - 'Koyal (Songbird)'

From a few days ago...

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Her name is Allopine...

Ossum Possum!

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I sent these three to Save By Art's Exhibition/Silent Online Auction 'Wild Things', part of the proceeds from each piece will go to Friends of the Earth Australia.

Also... last night I saw three Possums hanging out on the clothes line in our backyard. I really think the neighbourhood Possums have made our clothes line their official meeting place every summer because I always see them loitering/gossiping there. I wonder what they talk about and what they think of our clothes? But most of all I wonder if any of them can tell me if Koala's are related to Satan...

Click here to hear a Koala grunt...

For fans of Mina Perhonen...

A Japanese interview with fashion/textile designer Akira Minagawa. Enjoy!

Willy Willow

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My mum adores anything and everything Blue Willow... so much so that I think if her blood was magnified there would be little floating platelets covered in their designs. She made a little squeaking sound when she saw these prints I made, so I guess she liked them. :}

It's bday time today but we're going to the Blue Lotus Water Garden for a belated celebration drive, just thinking about it is making me squeak! I'm 23. I still get a weird/unbalanced feeling typing that number. I miss 22... heck I miss 11!

Judging by its cover...

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Japanese books I'm curious to see the inside of. Too bad Melbourne doesn't have a Kinokuniya!

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NOV 8, 2007

Wildflower Garden, by Kazuko Aoki

Graphic Design in Japan 2006, ed by JAGDA

Handmade bookmaking, by Yo Yamazaki

Pattern Magic, by 中道 友子

Between Water and Sky, by Naho Iino

Art Nouveau, by NHK「美の壷」制作班

朝ごはんの空気を見つけにいく, by 堀井 和子 (著)

美しいもの (単行本), by 赤木 明登 (著)

星栞(ほしおり)—2007年下半期の星占い (yukarimansion (4)) (単行本), by 石井 ゆかり (著), うえだ 幸平

ロシアのかわいいデザインたち (単行本（ソフトカバー）), by 井岡 美保 (著), 小我野 明子 (著)

ボタンマニア—ボタンを集める、ボタンで作る (単行本), by 文化出版局 (編集)

わたしのマトカ (単行本), by 片桐 はいり (著)

ミナを着て旅に出よう (仕事と生活ライブラリー) (新書), by 皆川 明 (著), 松浦 弥太郎

和の菓子 (ペーパーバック), by 高岡 一弥, 高橋 睦郎, 与田 弘志, 宮下 惠美子, リー・ガーガ

縷縷日記 (単行本), by 市川 実和子 (著), eri (著), 東野 翠れん (著)

ひらがな暦 三六六日の絵ことば歳時記 (単行本), by おーなり 由子 (著)

おうちで楽しむ にほんの行事 (単行本（ソフトカバー）), by 広田 千悦子 (著)

能 (ペーパーバック), by 高橋 睦郎, 高岡 一弥, 森田 拾史郎, 宮下 惠美子, David Cobb

ものにまつわる日々のこと—自分サイズのここちよい暮らし (単行本), by 平澤 まりこ (著)

粒子, by 粒子展実行委員会

皆川明の旅のかけら (単行本), by 皆川 明 (著)

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MAR 24, 2008

Paper×Paper―uiの紙工作 (単行本), by 中林 うい

手づくりする手紙 (単行本) , by 木下 綾乃

フリペの楽しみ―とっておきのフリーペーパーのつくりかた (単行本), by 柳沢 小実

おじいちゃんの封筒―紙の仕事 (単行本), by 藤井 咲子

雲の上からの手紙 (単行本), by 沼田 元気

北欧デザイン手帖, by 長嶺 輝明, レスパース

北欧のなつかしいモノ暮らしーー白夜の季節のスウェーデンから, by 道田 聖子

北欧スウェーデンのかわいいモノたち, by 山本 由香

北欧の切り紙―デンマークのかわいいモビール, by Jens Funder Nielsen & Tomoko Tajiri

オリガミ雑貨Book―楽しい、かわいい、折って使える雑貨たち, by 小林 一夫

すてきなあなたに, by 大橋 鎮子

すてきなあなたに <4>, by 大橋 鎭子

風花空心, by 湯川 潮音 & 東野 翠れん

Cui Cui, by 川内 倫子

ハッセルブラッドの時間, by 藤田 一咲

花火, by 川内 倫子

鳥を見る―野口里佳作品集, by 野口 里佳

苔のむすまで, by 杉本 博司

マッチで旅するヨーロッパ, by 松本 貢実子

やがて目覚めない朝が来る, by 大島 真寿美

ワタシは最高にツイている, by 小林 聡美

プロのためのわかりやすい和菓子, by 仲 實

きょうは和菓子の気分です。, by 松井 ミチル

電子レンジとフードプロセッサーで和菓子ができる―まったく新しい作り方でできる77品の季節のスイート (講談社のお料理BOOK), by 金塚 晴子

型(パウンド)はひとつ!大好きな焼き菓子―パウンド型だけで51のバリエーション (Gakken hit mook), by 大森 いく子

暮らしの折り紙雑貨―折る・使う・贈る・飾る, by 山口 真

イニシャル&モノグラムの刺繍―ヨーロッパ 文字の手仕事, by ユキ・パリス

Embroidery Book―リネンに刺繍, by 森 れいこ

レース大好き。ボタン大好き。―シンプルなスタイルに甘さをプラス。服と小物。, by 渡部 サト

陶芸の文様―Pattern of Ceramic Art, by 高田 透

女の子の大好きなお弁当―母もらくちん娘も作れる簡単レシピ, by 藤野 嘉子

きもの手帖―アンティーク着物を自分らしく着こなす, by fussa

ハイカラ手ぬぐい案内, by 君野 倫子

きもの熱, by 清野 恵里子 & 浅井 佳代子

日本の伝統色 (Graphic Design), by 今すぐどうぞ。