journal
interviews with our Australian makers & latest handmade news
A big hat-tipping nod goes to instagram for the discovery of yet another talented creative . . . this time around it was a native-moth illustration that led me to emerging-artist Jamii Brown. Three months & several emails later, six original variations of the illustration that I first fell head-over-heels for - Bogongs over the Milky Way - are now available. Read on for the interview . . .
tell us about your creative background & studies
I spent all my time drawing as a kid. Even when I injured my index finger, I just learned to hold my pencil a different way! I studied art at school and am oh-so-close to finishing my Bachelor of Communication Design at Swinburne University.
how did your craft begin and how has it evolved to this day?
Coloured pencil has always been my weapon of choice and more recently I’ve been experimenting with watercolour and paper illustration. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so when I was younger I would destroy all my previous work every time I improved. It’s a bit disappointing as it would be interesting to look back over it now and see how my style has changed.
how do you approach your work?
I daydream a lot and come up with random thoughts and ideas which I write down in long lists all over the place. I’m never sure if anything will come of them. I hope they’ll all have their time eventually. I do a lot of planning, sketching out a composition and agonising over colours until I realise I’ve drunk all the tea and it’s three in the morning.
is there anything or anyone that inspires you or your work // where do you look for inspiration or does inspiration find you?
Mostly I wander around in a daze and inspiration finds me! In saying that, my absolute favourite illustrator is Shaun Tan who is a magical human and his book, The Arrival, is one of my favourite things in the world. I also really love the work of Nicomi Nix Turner and Courtney Brims.
what has your creative journey been like so far?
Exhausting, confusing and rewarding.
what’s one of the most important things you’ve learnt about being an artist?
Don’t waste time wondering if it’s an unrealistic ambition . . . if you want to be an artist, just go for it!
do you have any insight or advice you’d like to share with aspiring artists?
Have confidence in your ability and don’t compare yourself to other artists. You might think other people are better than you but I think it’s more that everyone has a different style and possibly a different audience.
is there anything you hope your artwork brings into people’s live or gives to the world?
I’m interested in imagination and interpreting real experiences into a sort of surreal scenario so I suppose I’d like to bring people into a different world which sparks their own imagination.
what do you love most about Australia?
The crazy awesome animals. Swooping magpies, spotted quolls, red-bellied black snakes, flying foxes and the rest. They’re all great.
Thanks for sharing with us, Jamii !
Jamii's Bogongs are now available instore
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another batch of reclaimed-timber servingware from Elk Craft is now in store . . .
all handcarved in Melbourne from local birch, applewood & spotted gum
birch & spotted-gum butter dishes
extra-large birch spatulas
beautiful grain in these applewood spoons
Elk Craft make very small quantities . . .
each piece is handcarved from select timber and no two are alike.
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emerging artist & recent VCA graduate, Hayley Martin,
creates her nature-inspired artworks with pen, ink, gouache, tape & metal-leaf
layered on watercolour paper . . .
read on to discover more about this young Australian artist
tell us about your creative background & studies
Last year I graduated from the VCA with a bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual art.
how did your craft begin and how has it evolved to this day?
I grew up in the country surrounded by nature and my parents' wonderful garden - a little oasis off the beaten track. My siblings and I would fill our days with various creative projects; painting, drawing, sewing and playing in the garden. I definitely think this upbringing has had a huge influence on the love I developed for art and creativity. I don't think those close to me were surprised when I decided to study visual art at a tertiary level.
is there anything or anyone that inspires you or your work . . . where do you look for inspiration, or does inspiration find you?
Absolutely! I have scraps of paper filled with scribbled notes that I have jotted down at a gallery, come across in a book, or just discovered or thought of at a certain moment . . . wherever I may be, whatever I may be doing. I came across a famous quote by Picasso a few years ago and it has stuck with me - 'inspiration exists but it has to find you working' . . . I think there is a lot of truth in it! My main source of inspiration is definitely nature - the magical colours, organic shapes and various textures that appear.
' the beauty of the landscape continually inspires me '
what’s one of the most important things you’ve learnt about being an artist?
Believe in yourself!
is there anything you hope your artwork brings into people’s live or gives to the world?
Happiness. I hope the calm and organic nature of my work brings joy to people.
what’s one of the most exciting things to happen in your creative career so far?
I had my first solo show in Melbourne earlier this year - that was pretty exciting! But even more so is when someone tells me the joy they get from my work - for me, it doesn't get any better than that!
what do you love most about Australia?
I think Australia is a wonderful place for so many reasons! It is the beauty of the landscape that continually inspires me.
visit Hayley's maker's page
to find a hand-picked selection of her original artwork
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Peta Armstrong's earthly ceramics are brought to life in her backyard studio,
in surfie-burb Torquay . . . read on to learn more about this super-creative dreamer & maker.
tell us about your creative background & studies
I completed a Diploma of Fine Arts in Ceramics at the end of 1997. I then deferred my assessment and stayed on for another year so I could continue working on my technique. I then went on to co-create a small venture with some of my fellow graduates - a shop front with studio space that also offered pottery classes. I found at that stage of my life I was lacking in all types of other life skills required to have the focus I needed.
Completing Graphic Art & Design studies in 2006 lead me to a position as a pre-press graphic artist and designer for a screenprinting company. I loved this job as it required massive problem-solving skills. I also got on the screen printing tools when required and played a large role in general production management.
'never compare yourself to anyone else or what they are doing . . .'
In 2014 I joined my partner at his surfboard factory and started surfboard repairs and sprays. I still do his surfboard sprays and administration. Unbelievably, this had a huge influence on me returning to ceramics.
how did your craft begin and how has it evolved to this day?
I was in my early 20’s and knew I wanted to be passionate about something so I enrolled in a few short courses - pattern making, creative writing, ceramics, etc - and ceramics stuck so I went for it.
After my initial business venture I kept my hand at, but only just, making a few things here and there. I stopped completely around 2004 and it's the best thing I ever did for my creativity. I STARTED AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR (when my son started school) . . . YIPPEE!!!
is there anything or anyone that inspires you or your work?
Inspiration for me is everywhere. It can be a good documentary or reading about someone amazing - a creative or just a human that possesses true grit. N A T U R E. Music inspires me to no end. Painting and all other art forms. A good drive in the car works wonders. Anything that allows me to daydream, like exercise.
'Accept your limitations so you can smash through them . . . and then exceed them'
My partner is a huge inspiration to me! He works hard and takes risks. Someone, with a lot of clout in the industry, once told him that he was 'fearless' in his work . . . I have not been able to shake that. I want to be fearless!
what has your creative journey been like so far?
A M A Z I N G. I enjoy it and am exhausted by it, totally consumed.
what’s one of the most important things you’ve learnt about being an artist?
Never compare yourself to anyone else or what they are doing - this is good for life in general. Your space is sacred.
'I let myself make whatever I want and never question it . . . I just 'do'
and I never let thinking get in the way of an idea.'
is there anything you hope your artwork brings into people's lives?
I hope they enjoy using them and that they are involved in daily use to the point that they are almost forgotten, but sorely missed if lost!
what’s one of the most exciting things to happen in your creative career so far?
Every time I make is the most exciting thing to happen.
what do you love most about Australia?
The diverse landscape. The flora and fauna is out-of-control beautiful. The multiculturalism. The opportunity. The artists that are uniquely Australian.
. . . . .
Peta is the latest maker to join the store . . . visit the collection on her maker's page
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Potter, Lisa Peri, grew up on a farm in rural Victoria and spent most of her childhood playing with dirt and mud. After two decades working in Children's Services she has returned to her creative roots, & her love of mud, & now makes a beautiful range of stoneware.
tell us about your creative background & studies . . .
I enjoyed studying art in high school. My family painted and I grew up surrounded by creative makers. I would have loved to study art after high school, but was encouraged to seek qualifications in a field which provided job security. I worked in Children’s Services for over twenty years, the last six years primarily with refugee and migrant families. My first formal introduction to ceramics was in 2011. I joined a ceramics class at the Daylesford community house & joined Clay Space - a co-op supporting local ceramic artists. I then enrolled at Ballarat University and completed my Diploma of Ceramics in 2013.
how did your craft begin and how has it evolved to this day?
I instantly felt a connection to clay . . . however, I became completely addicted the first moment I sat at the wheel in February 2012. I felt an immediate sense of peace and excitement. Creating with clay makes me feel grounded, calm and peaceful. My response when creating is visceral. I have been planning, making, firing or glazing every day since.
'I have learnt that this wonderful journey I am on is never ending . . . '
is there anything you’d like to share about your creative process?
I remember being very frustrated in the beginning, my ideas and plans far exceeded my ability. Neville French, my teacher, was so calm and supportive and would say, 'just keep going - you learn by doing, practising and making mistakes'. You need to learn how far you can push the clay and discover the clays limits. My creative practise has continued to evolve by ‘doing’. I am constantly thinking and dreaming about my work. I always have a note book by my bed so I can record thoughts and dreams.
is there anything or anyone that inspires you or your work . . . where do you look for inspiration, or does inspiration find you?
My work with refugee families has positively affected every aspect of my life. Each family’s resilience, connection and hope is such an inspiration. My local community and diversity in culture and food also influence my work. I also find inspiration in my garden . . . the process of growing, nurturing, harvesting and cooking connects me to the changing seasons. I find inspiration in my relationships and my connections to people. An emotion-evoking memory of my nana or a past conversation also motivates my work.
'My creative practise has continued to evolve by ‘doing’'
what has your creative journey been like so far?
Initially making required me to be patient, determined and to focus on the actual ‘building’ of each object. As I begin to develop confidence and skills, my focus has now shifted to expressing ideas and thoughts through my work. My work is more reflective of me. I am now producing work that I feel connected to and I believe to be more resolved. I am making for me, not for what others find pleasing, I make from my heart now, not my head.
what’s one of the most important things you’ve learnt about being an artist?
I have learnt that this wonderful journey I am on is never ending, evolving, challenging, exhilarating and heart breaking. I understand that I will, and must, move along the journey, celebrate the wins, learn from the lows and keep being brave.
'I don't think anyone should be excluded from feeling the delightful pleasure
of holding a handmade cup while drinking their tea'
do you have any insight or advice you’d like to share with inspiring artists?
Keep working, keep working, and keep working. Experience life, travel, visit exhibitions, see live music, eat out, find like-minded people and be true to yourself.
is there anything you hope your artwork brings into people’s live or gives to the world?
I like to think I am making pieces with love, for a wide range of my community. My inspiration comes from days gone by, when we all would have had relationships with our butcher, baker, etc. I am the village potter, who provides handmade ceramics for my community at affordable prices. I don’t think anyone should be excluded from feeling the delightful pleasure of holding a handmade cup while drinking their tea.
what’s one of the most exciting things to happen in your creative career so far?
Everything is exciting! I have had many great opportunities to work with inspiring people. Each little step I take in my career is so satisfying and encouraging. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to live my life doing what I love. Everything that happens after that is such a bonus.
'I live a simple life in Blackwood, surrounded by the Wombat and Lerderberg State forests. My partner and I have four wonderful children who bring joy to our lives by spending time together.'
what do you love most about Australia?
I love Australia for the opportunities it provides my family and I. I love the stability, the safety and peacefulness. I love my local community, the sense of connection, support and belonging. My natural environment is beautiful. I love the flora and fauna and living in the bush. I love that I live one hour from Melbourne and, as I write, two kangaroos jump past my window and kookaburras sing - blissful.
visit Lisa's makers page to see her range of stoneware
It's great to know you better, Lisa, & thank you for sharing with us!
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