A Milk Bottle Lamp Tutorial for all those missing out on the Swapping Mall action this weekend :)

More of my swapping mall accessories :) modelled by my sisty

A sneak peak at the milk bottle lamps and goodies i will be showcasing/making at The Swapping Mall this weekend

So as you all know, this weekend is the Capitec Swapping Mall initiative (yay)! and I was asked to run a small workshop/ tutorial on how to create lamps out of plastic milk bottles. I will also throw in a few how-to's when it comes to hair accessories, broaches and rings :) 

ToiToy Custom Toy Update

yay! ToiToy has uploaded a sneak peak of my Senor Bird Belly Labbit check it out here: Labbit sneak peak
ToiToy are also going to have a custom exhibition starting from 28th July and going on sale via their website only on the 4th August 2011 at 12H00 sharp.  :)

Wanna Swap??

Capitec Bank has launched a fantastic initiative called, The Swapping Mall. The aim is to save money and not spend a cent. This is how it's going down: You put aside some of your items that you don't need but that are still in good nik. Bring 5 items or less to Atlas Studios in Braamfontein on the 30th and 31st of July and drop them off at the Swapper Drop Off. Your items will be graded and you will be given some tokens with which you can exchange other goods that are up for swapping! This way there will be no buyers remourse! What a fantastic idea!!! You can get more info by checking out their facebook page!

Anyway, i was asked to run a workshop at the event (yes, ME!!)  where i will be showcasing my milk bottle lamps and making some mini lamps and milk bottle goodies! There will be a few amazing workshops running like, upcycling jewelery which will be run by my good friend Indianna Harris, you can check out her stuff here!

Cant wait!!!

ToiToy Custom Designed Labbit by ME ! Meet Señor DeMario!!

I was recently asked to design a Kidrobot Vinyl toy by toy-enthusiast Angel-on-film for a custom toy show in Cape town at a vinyl toy store called ToiToy.   These vinyl toys come in various shapes and sizes, the one i was asked to design is a 10 inch bunny shaped toy called a Labbit. I was greatly pleased to be given this opportunity as it is something so new and different to anything else i have ever done. This was my very first time designing a vinyl toy and i must say; as fun as it is, it is also quite tricky and requires a great deal of patience and time. If you're in the cape at the end of July please feel free to catch the show at Toitoy on 49 Kloof street. I am sure there will be amazing South African talent on display!! :)

Hair Heads

I absolutely LOVE drawing hair and different hairstyles! I did these with a fineliner.

Heart tripping

Me and my Special went on a road trip to a our treehouse and I took some heart photographs.

Firefly Lamp

This is a lamp design I've had in mind for quite some time but been working on it bit by bit due to my crazy busy life at the moment :) I created this for my friend Brett who is an awesome friend and fantastic photographer! If you don't believe me you can check out his stuff HERE! :) I am an avid recycler thats why i made this lamp with a glass jar and used fairy-lights which I painstakingly took apart and insulated each working globe to the other to form a circuit of 60 globes so that the globes (together) could hold the current. Brett is going to recieve this lamp this weekend, so i hope he doesnt check my blog before then! I was just too excited not to post it!  he he

Foxy love

Illustrated vintage frames are rad! who knew!

Experimenting with Typography

Sweet beard

disco

About today

Whatever

Lazer cut Humming bird design

I designed this patterned humming bird for Green Grass Design in Parkhurst. GreenGrass Design is a lazer cutting design studio and shop. They create the most beautiful and intricate art i have ever seen! Go check it out. <3 

Yummy marker art!

I drew this in a copic marker workshop i attended today. yum yum yum!! i love the marker effect, i will definately turn to marker rendering when scamping more often xxx

Kate Blanchette

I stumbled upon a photograph of Kate looking absolutely beautiful in yellow with a turquoise background. I am in love with these two colours together. So i decided to digitally illustrate her. Mac to PC really compromises my work's colour quality, especially when it comes to turquoise. arg. But here you go :)

Her French elegance

Hello friends

In the swing of things

So i've been playing a lot of golf lately and i am really addicted to it, not even kidding. Theres just something so satisfying about connecting a ball with a wedge. Going to play some mashi with my matty tomorrow! Got so excited thinking bout it, i illustrated me in my happy place :)

Potato Stamps!

Today I had the urge to create (as usual) ! Specifically something to do with typography so i created these potato stamps after having a flash back of my childhood! :)

B is for Beach

Little Miss

When you work in the industry you rarely get to show your own personal style and creativity. So it is very important to design in your own time just to keep your creativity alive :)

Life has a very cruel sense of humour :)

                     

This illustration shows something that im sure all induviduals on this earth go through 

and it is called the irony of life

A dog called Friday

Friday is Kirsten's pointer. He always carries a long face, especially when he is away from

his mommy. He is something else!

Digital Illustration & Concept Art

I have always been really interested in digital illusration, particularly illustrations for pixar animation. So much, in fact that I explored the Pixar website and decided then and there that Pixar California is going to be where i work one day. ah, a girl can but dream! I am not amazing at freehand illustration but i understand a thing or two about texture, highlights and shading which is why i was pleasantly surprised when i discovered that there is such a thing as a shading technician. The shading technician basically recieves 3D shots of the characters and then goes out and finds the textures of various materials needed for reference. Then shades the characters to make the characters' textures authentic looking. what a rad job!

Anyway.. as my interest in digital art grew, i found an array of talented digital artists which were all inspirations to me, however, one artist's work stood out neck and shoulders from the rest. I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her out whenever i had a Photoshop question. When the work of UK based concept artist Charlie Bowater caught my attention I instantly decided that  i wanted to be a concept artist. So, i tried my hand at creating some Concept illustrations of my own... (dont judge)

Birdies

As you might have figured out, I love detail, bits and buttons that make up a unified whole. These are birds Iillustrated with shapes, vines, patterns.