Archive for the ‘Zines’ Category

13 Month Project

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

A few weeks ago, I received my 13 month project subscription in the mail! YAY! They are the prettiest most eclectic zines I have encountered in a long while!

As you can probably guess, there is a new zine each month, for 13 months: December 2009 – December 2010. It features art, writing and thoughts from artists all over the place! I received the my first zine (May) in a Grab Bag from Bird in the Hand Zine Shop. I loved it so much, and saw that “Anyone can submit!”

So, I did.

Here are the zines I received, I’ve got two copies of May, but I’ll let you see the different covers (the insides are the same!)

WARNING. This post is IMAGE HEAVY.

(I have no January)

May number 2.

June was one of my favourites, here is my favourite snippet of June.

Pretty cool huh? This is written by Phoebe Macdonald. She has exactly the same kind of synesthesia as me!

I am also a big fan of August, here is one of my favourite bits.

This is by Mark Whittaker

Here is September, and here is my painting inside:

Here is  my painting inside:

Sweet!

In my next post, I’ll include all the other goodies I received in the package!

Love and stardust!

Blanket!

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Well, lovely news lovelies!

It seems I’ve had three paintings published in Blanket Magazine which is a rad online PDF magazine featuring emerging artist from all around the world!

Blanket Magazine Issue 24

The cover art is lovely no?

Anyway, I’ve had three paintings published Little Sister, Bang Bang and The Singer which I probably consider to be some of my best work.

If you are so inclined, you can buy the issue here. It’s all online, so it saves trees (yay!) and only costs $2 (whoa cheap!). My paintings are on page 42!

Some actual art tomorrow (yay doodles!)

Love, Love, Love and Crayons!

Za za zines – Reviews!

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

I am posting this with cling wrap on my head.

No I’m not even kidding. I’m dyeing my hair with henna as we … speak, and I shall document the results soon! Just so you know, it’s really hard to scratch your head through a layer of plastic, then a layer of wet goopy hair.

In the mean time, here are some zine reviews! YAY! I ordered another grab pack from Bird in the Hand Zine shop again! And BOY did I snag a good hawl this time!

Here are some of my favourites!

This first one is by someone who identifies herself only as Mechelle B.

Bearded Chaps Mechelle B

This little zine is just what you’d expect it to be.

Bearded Chaps Mechelle B

Aren’t they just darling?

Bearded Chaps Mechelle B

My favourite part however, is that it almost isn’t a book at all.

Bearded Chaps Mechelle B

See how it all folds out? This is SO beautifully present, but still has that gorgeous hand made feel, I just can’t stop looking at them. I think Mechelle’s illustration style is really darling, and it seriously inspires me!

Next on the agenda!

Digits Elke O'Connor

This one is by Elke O’Connor, in this batch of zines I got around four of hers, and this is definitely my favourite! Beautiful black and white photography coupled by brief beautiful narrative poems.

Digits Elke O'ConnorThis is my favourite in the book, and honestly it was hard to choose.

Digits Elke O'ConnorDoesn’t it just make you shiver? I wish I was so clever!

This next one is just as brief and just as delicious.

Wheel House Chloe Siobhan

This is a little series of zines called Wheelhouse. I ordered the first four chapters, mainly because they are only 10c each. (BARGAIN!)

Each one contains a tiny chapter, each one more lovely than the last. :)

You Luke

Now this one is very enigmatic indeed, just a piece of recycled paper, with a letter from someone called Luke.

You Luke

Don’t worry. It’s someone where I will read it a lot.

Next I also ordered some zine packs. I’ve never done this before, but it was really fun (and surprising!)

Crehatetivity

Crehatetivity was fun, it had inside all sorts of little tid bits.

crehatetivity

It was a zine, and little pieces of art tied up with string! Does it get any better?

Reverse Cymbal Press

This one was done by the Reverse Cymbal Press, who make it their job to publish the work of emerging artists. I’m definitely going to get in contact with them.

Look at all the things that came inside this envelope!

Reverse Cymbal PressA booklet made with an ultra sound of someone’s kidney.

Reverse Cymbal Press

This one I think may have been bound around the wrong way, because I can see what looks like poetry inside the pages, but I can’t bring myself to unbind it and read it.

Reverse Cymbal PressI also got this little red envelope, and guess what was inside?

Reverse Cymbal PressYay! Six dollars! I’m going to buy a copy of the Big Issue with this. :)

Reverse CYmbal Press

Another sweet afirmation.

reverse cymabl press

Reverse Cymbal Press

Also in the pack was the Reverse Cymbal Press Monthly zine, which I am definitely thinking of getting a subscription to. I’m also thinking of submitting some artworks. It features some great illustrations, and some really lovely (and thought provoking) writings. If you can snag a copy, they’re cheap cheap!

Reverse Cymabl Press

Lastly. My favourite item that came in the pack was this. I dont’ know who it was by, but it’s an altered book.

Reverse Cymbal Press

As you can see it’s The Whispering Land by Gerald Durrell, but the artist, has painted the cover black so it looks like this.

Reverse Cymbal Press

And on each page, they’ve written a word. So it’s like a story within a story. It’s just DEVINE. It is literally now one of my prized possessions. Here are the first few pages.

ThisIsNotAnArtprankNo indeed, it is not.

Whoever these Reverse Cymbal Pressians art, I am a big fan.

(Almost) all images have been linked back to where you can purchase them at the Bird in the Hand Zine Shop. Check them out, they’re all marvelous reads.

Speaking of zines, my lovely friend Ryan and I have finally gotten our act together and are starting a zine collaboratively. His words my art. Fun no?! We’ll talk more about it soon.

Now, it’s perfect timing for me to go take this gunk out of my hair and admire my new glossy locks!

More updates soon chickens!

Zines, zines, zines!

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Well on Tuesday night I got a package! A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a $20 grab pack from The Bird in the Hand Zine store.

If you are wondering:

zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine, or magazine; pronounced /ˈziːn/ “zeen”) is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier on a variety of colored paper stock.

I love you wikipedia.

ANYWAY! I’ve never order zines online before, and this was a big adventure because I had NO IDEA what was going to be arriving in the mail, and let me tell you. I WAS NOT dissapointed!

On Tuesday night, I kitted myself out in pajamas and a torch and huddled under the covers to read my new haul.

So, in honour of my new zines, here are some short reviews of some of the ones I received in the mail, and a few of my old favourites.

As you can see, this first piece of deliciousness is called All In a Days Worth and it’s by Dawn Tan. I got this one at the Sticky Institute in Melbourne. This is a little book dedicated to a whole day in Dawns life, where she illustrates EVERYTHING she eats or uses.

It is seriously just the loveliest thing. Her illustrations are so gorgeous. It really opened my eyes to just how much stuff we use on a day to day basis. You should definitely check out her blog here: Hand Made Love because it is full of other loveliness.

NEXT on the agenda is one of my recent purchases.

This one is by a girl known only as Amanda. Similarly to all in a days worth, this zine is focus all on the  25th of July. It includes writing and little excerpts from her diaries entries on previous July 25ths.

This was created specifically for the 24 Hour Zine Thing which is a zine challenge that “asks zinesters to create a 24-page zine from conception to final product in 24 hours straight”. I think it’s really lovely that Amanda’s 24 zine is just about 24 hours.

This next zine is called Fives and Even Numbers : Short Fiction.

Seriously, how gorgeous is this cover pattern? It’s by Jennie Knight and is a series of (very) short stories.

To me, this is exactly what short fiction should be. Just a little snippet of someone’s life, they don’t really have beginning or ends, but your imagination creates the remainder of the story. I love it.

This one is compiled  Michelle Vandermeer (who did all the illustrations) with words by a host of writers. All of the works are focuses around the Laundromat. I think the design of this one is really amazing. For a zine, it is seriously sharp and professional.

Forgive my terrible photo, it doesn’t do it justice.

I’ve only been to a laundromat once, when I was holidaying. And I just loved it. I really  loved the mundane-ness of it all, almost as if my life could be defined by the pieces of clothing swirling around in there.

If someone found my wet clothes, who would they think I was? The thought intrigues me. You should check out Michelle’s blog Shelbyville, she makes beautiful handmade accessories as well as zines!

As you can seen, this zine of mine is a bit ratty. Mainly because it’s been in my possession for a few months now, and I carried it around in my bag for a good bit of that time.

This is a full fledged novel, by an anonymous author. I love love love this zine. It’s written by type writer and bound with duct tape and string, and man is is thought provoking.

I don’t know if this is truth or fiction, part of me hope’s it’s a true story part of me really hopes it’s just fiction, but the main character is so truthful. I just ache for him. If you can somehow get a hold of a copy, snatch it up.

My last zine is by someone known only as Anney B. Apparently it’s called Little House (I got this info from the Bird in the Hand Zine Shop Website) and it’s so lovely. No words need. Just beautiful pictures.

Something about turning these soft textured paper, to find another little blue house on the next page really touched something inside me. It made me so nostalgic for my childhood. I keep going back to it, and turning each page, even thought I’ve seen them so many times all ready. You can read Anney’s Blog Here: Anney B.

One day soon, I’m going to get my act together and finish my own zine and get it out there!

If you’d like to order zines from the Bird in the Hand Zine Shop.

Here is their shop. Here is their website. And here is their facebook page!

I hope you discover zines, because they hold ALL sorts of magic in their hand printed pages.

xo Love and art!


Etsy Feature

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Well! I just got a lovely message from Sharon (etsy user KnotOriginal). She’s featured my print September Boy – Close up in her latest September treasury! Which I think is part of the Artisan Gallery!

Here is the print itself.

And here he is featured along with all sorts of other lovely etsy finds! Ones that you should definitely check out!

What a delightful surprise.

I also just got a message saying that a package has arrived! I’ve ordered a whole lot of things, but I’m hoping it’s a box of zines from Bird in the Hand zine shop!

I’ll let you know when I get home!! :)

First Zine shots

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Well, here are the first photos of the main character of my first zine.

She doesn’t have a name. But the most important thing to know about her, is that she is born with pencils instead of hands. The zine is a story about her life, and overcoming her … disability.

The zine will be simply called “The Girl who had Pencils Instead of Hands” by Carla Thursday.

Then at the bottom it will say “An Artisjustfrozenmusic Publication” which makes me squee.

It’s going to be set out similarly to a children’s story book. With a picture at the top, in a lacey ye-olde border (I’m going to buy some wavy scissors) with the text pasted at the bottom.

I stayed up last night trying to find her face. I’ve been trying to find an … original style for this one, I tried all sorts of different things, and I think I finally found her. I’m going to try and draw the boy in the story next. It’ll be in black and white (because I don’t want to pay for colour photocopying, when I can get it for free at Copy and Destroy in the valley) so painting in just black watercolour was a seriously different experience for me. It was a fun challenge.

 

What do you think of her?

EDIT:

Here is the other character in the story. I only just created him, so his still a bit wet. :P

I love his sad mouth. What do you think?