WANDERING: MELBOURNE TO BYRON

So I made another video... this one probably isn't as interesting as the last, and is a bit longer and even more self indulgent(!)... But if you were wondering what I was doing while I was away (road tripping from Melbourne to Byron Bay and then back to the farm), here it is. 

Yep, it's mostly a video of my dog (at 0:40 she realises she can't swim properly -- twice -- which is pretty funny). 

GREEN RIVER

 
 

Vintage shirt via eBay; Somedays Lovin' Shibori Kingswoods jeans; Spell Prism Bomb necklace and Spell crystal ring; Little Pieces of Hope antler necklace; all other jewellery vintage/markets.

Usually I don't mind leaving home-home and coming back to the city.
But this time, I've got the meanest case of homesickness I think I've ever had. I don't know if it's pure restlessness and discontent, or the fact that my sister has moved home and my whole family is now in the one place, or that Scotty and Humble are both up on the coast still... or even just the fact that Mercury is in retrograde, but damn, I just want to go home.
I'm just not sure at the moment about what is important -- is it being close to those you love, or setting up your life independent of them?
Anyway, that's all a bit heavy. Meanwhile, my mum can grow a gnarly moss garden and a crazy array of succulents, and I'm going to listen to Creedence, kick back and wait for everything to sort itself out.

AWFUL SWEET

Instead of my usual weekly sketchbook-peek photo essays, I thought I'd do a quick little film... In the weird blue shade at my parents' farm and, damn, I wish I'd tied my hair up before I started filming the flip-through.

I'd love to do another one of these soon, but it's a bit hard when I tend to draw on crazily different-sized pages all the time (and consequently lose them)... Travelling with one A5 sketchbook made me consistent, and my work a bit more journalised.

But anyway, while I was in Vimeo uploading the above video, I watched this again for the first time in ages... I really have to do another installment of this type of video soon. I can't believe how much my style has evolved over the past year (if not my attitude -- like the 'fucker' tattoo? Maybe still harbouring some NIN influences leftover from high school).

DIFFERENT MYSTIC

THE PURPLE DECADES

Windsor Smith Envy boots; Somedays Lovin jeans; Evil Twin Lizard Queen knit; Somedays Lovin Bless Texas bra; Spell and the Gypsy Collective Prism Bomb necklace; Little Pieces of Hope antler necklace; Spell and the Gypsy Collective rings; vintage glasses, ram skull and rings.

Today I'm flying back to Melbourne, and leaving the farm mentally kicking and screaming. It's been such a nice stay, which makes it doubly hard to leave my family and head back to the cold city. 

But, you can't sit in front of the fire and drink spiced rum and eat cake all day. Nor can you spend weeks on end wandering through succulent gardens and across paddocks and along near-deserted beaches. Or hours walking along country roads and collecting antiques and bones and feathers.

Or... maybe my parents are on to something. 

I always leave the farm wandering why I live in a city, but I guess there are reasons. 

I'll just have to think about it.

BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Images from here, here and here. 

LOVE THINGS: DIFFERENT MAGICS

1. Making a mess on creative Saturday mornings // Handmade pot, transplanted cactus and sketchbook.

2. I made some necklaces with my artwork on them -- pretty stoked -- and I also love these purple cabbage flowers that remind me of living with my sister // I've been working super hard on a whole bunch of different projects I can't wait to share. 

3. Playful flowery goodness.

4. Drawing gifts // Doors mantras.

5. Friday morning pre-work sketchbook // Somedays Lovin has an amazing denim line out.

6. I went to Tasmania and bought some rings at Salamanca Markets // Drank and drew in bars while waiting to come home. 

7. Joan Didion, watercolour, and giant sea urchins from Eden (thanks Reece and Lee!) // Pure blue, fine-and-22 in God's country.

8. Four of my favourite things: Harley boots; sketchbooks, DFW and rum; The Smiths; H-Bean (not pictured: Scotty, who is also my favourite thing) // Boat ramp oil slick and cold&flu drawings at the south coast.

9. H-Bean is getting big // So big I can hardly pic her up for flowery photo-ops while on a winter beach visit.

10. Supermarket flower-finding magic // Sketchbook magic.

11. Musing on shirt prints // Best way to start the day: green tea with pomegranate, SRC-783 and drawing.

12. More of the same...

NEBRASKA

Somedays Lovin shirt; Little Pieces of Hope antler necklace; Eye of Horus necklace from Spellbox, Melbourne; all others vintage.