Beck Wheeler
Posted by Amy on Thursday September 2, 2010
From Kate McCarthy I stumbled on the work of Beck Wheeler — an artist who is living in New Zealand. She combines toy making, textile and woodworking techniques to produce sculptures and her work has been exhibited in Melbourne, Spain, UK, USA and Canada.
She is continually inspired by the tradition of folklores and since her move back to New Zealand from Melbourne, Australia – she is inspired by patterns and textures found in nature. She’s also experimenting with digital media and will bring painting, sculpture and digital media together through installation which will culminate in an exhibition entitled The Swanndries Guys, which will be held at High Seas Gallery in Auckland starting 22nd October 2010.
Kate McCarthy
Posted by Amy on Wednesday September 1, 2010
Ever looked at child-inspired art that’s well, grown up?
Take a look at Kate McCarthy’s work and you’ll see what I mean. Inspired by early childhood memory of pure shape, color and intent, Kathy’s managed to dissect the colorful (and sometimes fleeting) world of play into a 2D interpretation mixed media work with a spot of humor thrown in.
I could detect a hint of innocence in her works, and also a sense of wonder as she wields her brush – I love the playfulness that shines through!
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Special giveaway: A spot in our class!
Posted by Amy on Saturday August 28, 2010
I think a lot of people are already informed about the Pikaland Artist Bootcamp — Fall classes will be in session in little over a week and we’re getting ourselves ready for the mind-blowing sessions ahead!
For those who are new though, the Pikaland Artist Bootcamp will enable artists to cement their personal style and also help them thrive and have fun as an artist online – with weekly exercises and personalized, constructive, one-on-one critiques to help emerging artists find their footing and ways to set themselves apart from others in the vast online world. No matter if you’re just starting out, or have been doing this for a long time, all are welcome!
Since we’re going to be running three classes in the span of more than two months, we’d like to offer ONE reader a very special chance of winning a spot in the class of their choice (see the full listings here)!
All you have to do, is to head to the Pikaland Facebook page and comment over on this post!
For more chances of winning a spot, you can retweet this Twitter status as well: I want to go to Pikaland’s Artist Bootcamp! http://tinyurl.com/29rs7l8 #pikabootcamp — we’re going to pick a winner on Wednesday, 1st September Thursday, 2nd September — call for entries will close at 12am PST Thursday!
Have a lovely weekend and I’ll see you back next week!
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Artist interview: Laura McKellar
Posted by Melanie Maddison on Wednesday August 25, 2010
This week’s interview is with Laura McKellar, an artist living in Melbourne who has an amazing series of work – digital prints on fabric, which she then hand-embroiders. There’s more to this crafty lady than meets the eye, so read more about her in this interview with Melanie Maddison, our chief interviewer on Pikaland!
Website: lauramckellar.com
Blog: lauramckellar.blogspot.com/
Online Shop: www.lauramckellar.bigcartel.com/
Zine: iloveokay.com/
Zine blog: www.iloveokay.blogspot.com/
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/sirseven
Hi Laura, could you tell us a little about yourself, and what are you currently working on?
I am a freelance graphic designer living in Melbourne, Australia. I’m currently working on artwork for exhibitions, album artwork, illustrated ceramic brooches, some logos and thinking about my next issue of my zine Okay.
How long have you been creating art, embracing your creativity, and working towards developing your current style and output?
As a little girl I was encouraged to be creative. My sisters and I would spend a lot of time drawing and painting and using mum’s Derwents.
My uncle and grandfather were both photographers and I was influenced at an early age by them. I collect film cameras and use my photographs with illustrations. I am drawn to images I find in old 50s & 60s pattern books and have collected many which have had a significant effect on my work.
I studied graphic design for 5 years at college but I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. Learning to use design programs on the computer has definitely influenced how I design my artwork.
How did you first learn to access your creative and artistic talents, and gain the confidence to make art your career?
I grew up in a very creative environment. My aunt is a professional illustrator so from a very early age I learned with a lot of hard work and dedication that it is possible to make art your career. I also learned at school that I could make a living from being creative and have since pursued it!
CLICK HERE to read the entire interview!
Kristin Nohe
Posted by Amy on Tuesday August 24, 2010
Kristin Nohe is a junior Illustration Major/Book Arts Concentrator at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and I’m amazed at what she has come up with so far. Though she has a website, her blog serves as a portfolio-in-progress and it’s where you can find lots of new, fun work. Things like sketchbook spreads from her trip to California (can you imagine if she had gone for a trip around the world?) and also her fun, random hand-letterings has earned her a bookmark on my Google reader.
Though she has confessed to struggling with shifting her work from traditional methods (like painting) to digital techniques, watching her progress is truly inspiring. Her future is indeed shining bright!
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Review: Different – Escaping the Competitive Herd
Posted by Amy on Saturday August 21, 2010
I picked up Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd after browsing the shelves at my local Kinokuniya bookstore. The title itself is interesting — the promise, even more so. How can one be different among a sea of competition? How can your product, your work stand out among so many others? How can someone succeed in a world where conformity reigns and exceptions rule?
Title: Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd
Hardcover: 288 pages
From the start, reviewers have warned me about not expecting this book to be a hands-on business book. That’s fine. I don’t need another book screaming out to me “How to get that sale, STAT!” (or something along those lines — you get my drift). Differentiating opinions had me highly intrigued, and I figured with a subject that I really loved reading about I went for it and read it with no expectations whatsoever.
By the end of the book, I think I have a definition of what this book is.
It’s a lecture. A long, and very enlightening one.
And with all good lectures, the teacher doesn’t tell you exactly how to solve your problems. They merely share with you their views, tips and years of experience – a glance through their eyes of the subject matter at hand, and this is what Different is about. There’s no step by step on how to conquer your market; because each business is different (or at least, they should be!) You won’t find nifty little sidebar packed with information or links to this or that. What you’ll find is a good, solid lecture about brands and business evolutions as seen through the eyes of a mother, a lecturer, and a woman.
CLICK HERE to read the entire review!
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Mayuko Fujino
Posted by Amy on Friday August 20, 2010
Beautiful collage work by Mayuko Fujino, a paper cutout artist currently residing in Tokyo. All of her works are created with an X-Acto knife, paper of Washi (Japanese handmade paper), and magazine papers. Through years of experimentation, she has arrived at her current style that marries collage and paper cutouts. Her portfolio is amazing, and is a must see for papercraft artists and lovers.
Her solo exhibition entitled Arikui Abduction (images above are from the series) have just ended but original pieces can be purchased from Megumi Ogita Gallery. And she also has an Etsy shop!
Denise Gallagher
Posted by Amy on Wednesday August 18, 2010
Loving the fun illustrations of Denise Gallagher. Her work has a predominantly muted palette of green, browns and grey; with a lot of textures and fine line work. What I love most is her ability to express the many facets of her characters through the rendering of their facial expression — now that’s a skill I’d kill for! Also worth a read: her About page with one of the loveliest bios I’ve ever read.
See her BigCartel shop for prints you can purchase!
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Review: Creative Inc.
Posted by Amy on Friday August 13, 2010
I’m a freelancer for more than two years now, and July marks the second anniversary of me striking out on my own. Prior to this I was a regional architecture and design magazine editor (and helped start the magazine, no less). I had a steady paycheck, a platform where I was rather established and also fun colleagues who were fun to work with.
I started Pikaland two years ago after I found that I loved illustration more than architecture. I traded in concrete and steel for ink and paper, and have never looked back since. Starting the journey into freelancing was terrifying, although it was personally satisfying. Not only was I running Pikaland, but I was also a freelance writer, juggling stories and features with magazines and newspapers to make ends meet, with the odd copywriting job in between.
I read (actually, devoured) a lot of books that helped me out when I was starting out. Books like My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman, and Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco tuned me into how I can actually pull the whole thing off. Of both books, I found that Michelle Goodman’s book was more relevant (only because Craft Inc. didn’t really apply to what I was doing — I was offering a service rather than a finished product). Goodman’s book was my bible – dog eared and worn, I still flip through it to find nuggets of information that’s useful.
Title: Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business
Paperback: 184 pages
I found that more and more illustration commissions have come my way instead of writing assignments; which led me to order a copy of Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business, the latest book from Meg Mateo Ilasco in collaboration with Joy Deangdeelert Cho (of Oh Joy!)
CLICK HERE to read the full review!
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Siri Illustratie
Posted by Amy on Friday August 13, 2010
I’m admiring the playful quality of Siri Hol’s illustrations for children. She’s an artist based in Netherlands (Breda, to be specific) where she does lots of drawings and also small personal projects like the Faces Series. Love the imagination that she brings to each project!
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