Whats your story - Nicole Reece?

Artistic medium:  Graphic Design

Where in the virtual world can we find you and/or your work? (websites, blogs etc.) 
www.wix.com/nicolereece/website
facebook: 1200 design - Nicole Reece
http://nicreecedesign.blogspot.com/

Where do you hail from? 
Dunedin, New Zealand

Describe yourself in a couple of punchy words? 
Passionate and Original

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing? 
After graphic design my passions have always been for Astronomy, Archeology and Biology.

What’s the subject matter of your current collection?
Currently I am doing a series of band posters based around the designs on 1960 and 1970 posters, they are hand drawn with bright clashing colours and morphed typography.

If you could meet anyone (dead or alive) who would it be? 
Hunter s. Thomson
Courtney Love

Are you currently exhibiting or do you plan on doing so in the future?
I have always thought It would be great to do a colaborative exhibition showcasing band poster design, so hopefully that is something I will get the chance to do some time in the future.

What inspires your work the most out of everything in this world?
I am greatly inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs aswell as old Japanese and Chinese artworks. And recently I have been looking at Russian propoganda poster designs.

Could you give us a hint of what your next collection might entail?
I get inspired by the bands and businesses that I do work for, so unfortunatly I have no idea in what direction my next works will take me.

Throw us a few names of some influential artists you may drool over?
Hector Guirmard (recently got to see some of his architecture in person and its so beautiful and unique)
Alphonse Mucha
Gustav Klimt
Katsushika Hokusai

If you were sent to an abandoned Caribbean Island and could only bring 5 items, what would you bring?
Apart from all my Bear Grills survival crap I suppose it would have to be:
paper and an assortment of pens
generator to power my ipod
ipod
and a big fluffy lovely dog to keep me company

What was the last song you played on your Ipod?
It sounds lame and that im plugging my friends band, but it ACTUALLY was ‘Soulseller’ from Dunedin. Song ‘Year of the Dog’. They are amazing lovely boys that have talent far to big for little old Dunedin.

Is there anything burning inside you right now that you want to share with us?
Just spent 2 weeks in Paris and the best day by far was the day i spent in Montmarte at Sacre Coeur. Everyone who goes to Paris cannot miss this amazing church with its view of all of Paris. Grab a croissant and coffee and go up there and spend the day looking at the church and sitting on the steps looking out over Paris and watching the amazing buskers.
Even though there are tourists everywhere it’s so peacefull and inspiring. Just watch out for the creepy men.

A fellow blogger you just HAVE to start following

Coco, meet Shonel is inspired by all things beautiful.. a realist..in love with a man..creative..a tea drinker..a roller derby gal..obsessed with anything unique..a lady..a little in love with vampires..not a bad cook..a fan of winter..a romantic..a blogger..


and I'm just a tad obsessed... so click here and start following!

What's Your story Jack Kronborg?

Name: Jack Kronborg

Artistic medium:

Photography

Where in the virtual world can we find you and/or your work?

www.jackkronborg.co

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkronborg/

Where do you hail from?

Point Lonsdale

Describe yourself in a couple of punchy words?

Observant, well-mannered, smartass

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?

Travelling the world

What’s the subject matter of your current collection?

People, Nature and Landscapes

If you could meet anyone (dead or alive) who would it be?

Hunter S. Thompson

Are you currently exhibiting or do you plan on doing so in the future?

My work along with lots of other student photographers is being shown at Brunswick Street Gallery in Fitzroy for the next two weeks! I’m planning a solo exhibition but have alot of work to do before that happens.

What inspires your work the most out of everything in this world?

Nature.

Could you give us a hint of what your next collection might entail?

Roughly 20 hand printed black and white photographs done the old fashioned way.

Throw us a few names of some influential artists you may drool over?

Ansel Adams, David Bailey, Andy Warhol

If you were sent to an abandoned Caribbean Island and could only bring 5 items, what would you bring?

My Hasselblad, iPod, Hunting knife, Sea Plane and my dog

What was the last song you played on your Ipod?

Magic Arrow - Timber Timbre

Is there anything burning inside you right now that you want to share with us?

CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL!

What's your story Morgan Connoley?

Name - Morgan

Artistic medium: 
I'm a designer by trade so initially I'd say my mac, but along with my mac comes pen, water colour, texta, ink, paint, fabrics, papers, pencil, grey lead... anything I can get my hands on really

Where in the virtual world can we find you and/or your work? (websites, blogs etc.)

My professional work can be found on our work website www.pkdesigntoprint.com.au

My illustrations can be found on www.hindsightandnostalgia.blogspot.com

And my work for purchase can be found on my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/hindsightnnostalgia?ref=pr_shop

Ballyhoo Art, Ryrie Street Geelong
McQueens on Pako, Pakington Street Geelong (coming soon!)

Where do you hail from? 
Geelong

Describe yourself in a couple of punchy words? 
creative, restless & easily bored

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing? 
Marketing or curating

What’s the subject matter of your current collection?
Females, shoes and LOTS of them.

If you could meet anyone who would it be?

Too many to name... but Fafi, Freddy Mercury, Andy Warhol, Patricia Piccinnini, Kim Kardashian (!) & Bethany from Best Coast just to name a few...

Are you currently exhibiting or do you plan on doing so in the future?
Not at present, I'm happy getting my work out there via my blog and etsy for the time being. If a revolutionary concept hits me for an exhibition then yeah, I'll have another one.

What inspires your work the most out of everything in this world? Women, especially models, clothing, patterns, fabric, colour, colour palette websites, fashion blogs & websites, old photos of the beautiful models, the real models, magazines... you get the picture.

Could you give us a hint of what your next collection might entail? 
See above!

Throw us a few names of some influential artists you may drool over? 
Are you ready...
Fafi, Caitlin Shearer, Rebecca Wetzler, Laine Fraser, Natayan, Emma Leonard, Sarah (www.sarahlovesdrawing.blogspot.com), Joseph Szabo, Thomas Campbell, Kelly Smith (www.birdyandme.com.au) and many, many more

If you were sent to an abandoned Caribbean Island and could only bring 5 items, what would you bring?
My camera, my medication, pen & sketchpad(that's 1 not 2...), my mac & my ipod

What was the last song you played on your Ipod?
Sleighbells - Tell 'em

Is there anything burning inside you right now that you want to share with us? 
Nope :)

Don’t judge a book by its cover unless the bookstore is closing down

1. Books By Their Covers

Recently, I was one of the fossickers of a bookstore’s Closing Down sale. Always so sad, isn’t it? A shop drifts by on less than efficient KPI budgets until UNTIL it goes bust. Shuts down. Liquidates. Then, don’t the plastic-card armed shoppers walk in? Yes, they certainly do. And buy a lot of stuff they don’t need.

What’s all this got to do with not judging a book by its cover? Well, please remain with me further, patient reader, and you’ll see.

So, books. There were books everywhere. Well, over a few shelves anyway.

Somehow, the fruits of this once expansive and diverse bookshop had been condensed to only a few shelves (the shelves being for sale too: “Won’t last long. Make an offer.”) 

Room was scarce, shoppers were plentiful and optimism was high.

Time, however, was poor. I was on a “work” break and didn’t have luxury to discern through an avalanche of 90% off books,

I had to do the unthinkable but also the quite convenient: judge a book by its cover. 

2. Words of wisdom

“You can learn so much if you look past the exterior. It’s like, if you’re judging them – it’s not them whose missing out, it’s you.” says Michelle, an interviewee who happens to be my room mate.

3. Let me tell you a story.

The other day I was at Myer. The stock take sales were on, it was my pay day and I was a woman. Skincare was calling, something was calling: time for to get that periodic high from making a luxury purchase. To some, maybe it’s a video game. To others, it’s probably a 10cm cylinder containing lipstick with font in French. That was me.

So here I was, suddenly feeling – not exactly comfortable. In the land of perfectly groomed make up faces, where a stray eyelash was simply not acceptable and the deceit of “perfection” was something genuinely strived for, according to marketing packages, suddenly I was swimming in deep water. Not really but I felt like my no-make up, messy hair and opp-shop get-up suddenly made me vulnerable. Or invisible.

Then I saw a friend. Well, a posh lady who’s always been nice to me. (A lady who had coiffed hair and wore neck-scarves and probably used a lipstick mirror.)
And she helped me – fussed about like a protective kangaroo to a joey, that sort of thing. 

As I walked away with my very cheap but lovely purchases, I thanked her. I explained that, because I wasn’t wearing make up or dressed particularly “well” – I just didn’t feel as “nice” there. Girls, ladies, you know what I mean! That feeling when you walk into a cocktail party wearing jeans and a t-shirt, that sort of thing…

But guess what, this lady knew exactly what I meant. She nodded: firmly, secretly. Then she told me that just yesterday she met a lady who was ignored by other nearby staff. Staff who didn’t offer her any help, though her presence was obvious: they preferred internal chats instead.

Then this lady found my hospitable friend, who took her under her perfumed wing and was nice her. Sold her a lot too, but that’s not the point.

In the world of tightening KPIs and customer service standards, what had made these first two shopkeepers deny this lady customer service? Sad as it was – superficial as it was, my knowledgeable friend told me her suspected reason for this lack of hospitality.

“She was wearing trackies.”

My kind advisor then told me what’s relevant to this article, relevant to me and relevant to you.

“Who knows who could be walking around in tracksuit pants? Who knows who you could be serving,” she mused.
Or not serving, I thought. 

Would the girls have served this customer if she was accompanied by pack of well-groomed dalmatians, nibbling caviar like a Le Snack and struggling to stand upright because diamond earrings the size of golf balls were competing with her ears for space?

Or what if the same person was wearing hand-me downs from seven generations ago, hands stuffed with food vouchers and smelling less than a lavender garden?

But what if, this second customer was really just an eccentric billionaire, hiding their platinum credit card inside a forest of dreadlocks? And the former subject was actually an actor – someone who plays the part of a millionaire for three hours before returning to a candle-light bedsit?

These are just hypothetical, ideas but they are certainly not fairytales. 

4. Chuck their shoes on and go for a walk

When I was in year ten, I read a book for English which I didn’t realise was so significant until years later, even now as I muse on the topic of not judging a book by its cover.
The honourable lawyer Atticus Finch told his curious daughter Scout something.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.”

I work at a soup kitchen sometimes: it’s actually serving a barbeque but let’s say soup kitchen because that better paints a picture.

One of the clients there is a guy named Matthew*
Matthew wears the same clothes every day, has long white hair, a beard and sometimes pours through bins, pulling out other’s wasted half-lunches. 
He seems a bit mad but at the same time comfortable in his space.
He is very humble and speaks with the articulate edge that very educated people like professors and doctors can’t hide. Turns out Matthew is a doctor – or was.
He was a doctor, lived in a classy part of town and would have been considered “rich.” Maybe he still is. 

However, when his wife died he flipped out: went crazy. I don’t know the story but somehow he’s on the streets. 

I’m telling you this because a lot of people look at homeless people or people in extreme need and catergose: “Alcoholic. Drug addict. Etc. etc.”

What about: “Heartbroken, striken by grief?”
But does it really matter? The point is we can’t judge and certainly would be mistaken if we assumed anything.

5. Pride and Prejudice but for the purposes of this article, let’s talk more about prejudice

Have you read the book Pride and Prejudice? Before my male readers dash away, already feeling awkward by the fear that I’ll be talking about Colin Firth in his white thermals swimming in the lake, I just want to talk about that. Not that, but the concepts of the book (SPOILER WARNING!)

So, Lizzy and Darcy meet at a party. Doesn’t go so well. Skip to the last page and you’ll find out they actually got married, (ended up having the 2.5 kids and happy dog probably) and it all ended well.

However, the reason Lizzy wasn’t interested in him was because of her prejudice. She assumed things about him, false things. As she got to know him better, she soon discovered her preconceived ideas were false and – they subsequently got together. 

Yet, isn’t that interesting? A destiny of love almost didn’t come together because Lizzy judged on face value only. How much we miss out on when we do this.

Every person on this planet has a story, has more than a cover.

An 89 year old lady is really still a little girl inside. 
Is that smooth talking guy in the suit really someone to trust? 
Why is your neighbour crying?

I’ll leave you with a thought.

A friend gave me a I LOVE NEW YORK t-shirt, those famous ones tourists wear. I wear it as pajamas. 

Someone sees me wearing it and assumes I’ve been to New York and savour the t-shirt as a kind of memento. 

Actually, that’s not the case. A friend was cleaning out a whole heap of clothes and I snapped up the ubiquitous item. 

If you see me wearing it and assume I’ve been to New York, that’s actually a lie. 

Yet, that’s what we all do – make assumptions which are actually lies – when we size up a person according to how they look or “face value.”

*Name changed to protect his privacy



annakosmanovski.wordpress.com
storiesofgeelong.wordpress.com

What's Your Story: Daniel B Kirby?

Name?  

Daniel B Kirby

Age? 

49 Years Old

Occupation?  

Hairdresser/Make-up artist/ stylist!

Why did you choose to be Hairdresser/Make-up artist/ stylist? 

Hairdressing chose me!

Tell me about your favourite item of clothing? be it designer, bargain, vintage or hand me down?

I have a hand tailored blazer from Gucci in chocolate with muted violet pinstripes 1960's velvet! Given to me by my uncle who loves me but had also gotten too fat for it! lol!
 

Where did you grow up?

Grew up in Geelong, as you are no doubt aware?!
 

Did this influence your lifestyle today?

I couldn't say the geographic location had any major impact other than the divine family that surrounded me were there!  

Who's your muse? Who influences you?Annelise Magee my ex girlfriend I would have to call my Muse! Hers is Dita Von Tease & Audrey Hepburn etc!

Who can't you stop listening to this week?

I'm loving Jennifer Holiday singing-I"M STAYING-before Jen Hudson & better! Look her up on youtube!
 

What was the last exhibition you went to? Bill Henson!

What's in your handbag/man bag that you can't leave home without? 

I simply couldn't leave home without my Iphone! The opposite of my ability to return home WITH it! Lol 

Lots of love & white light! Mwah! Dxxoo 

Whats Your Story Yahav?

Name – Yahav Ron,

Paris ‘99

Paris ‘99

4/6 Ormond Rd Elwood 3184 (Call as strictly by appointment only)

Yahav Ron 0424 583 409

www.paris99.net

Artistic medium:

Fashion daahling! I have long been possessed by the art of fabric manipulation and construction.

My two current projects feed off each other. As a Fashion Design graduate from RMIT I am enjoying working on one off commissions and little collections, and at the same time I have Paris ’99, Melbourne’s most exclusive and best kept secret designer resale salon in my lovely space in Elwood. Here I source (always internationally) amazing pieces from the highest end labels from all over the world and share these with friends of the salon to incorporate into their wardrobes. My work feeds how I choose pieces, and the pieces I bring help to inspire and shape my work!

Where in the virtual world can we find you and/or your work?  

The website is http://www.paris99.net/ , however it’s in infancy stage and a big overhaul is coming. I’m also currently working on Twitter, Facebook and a blog which will all surface soon too. The best place is find it is really at the salon itself as I’m a great believer in the sensual nature of fashion; touch, and how the fabric feels, to me is really the most important sense before other things come along too.

Where do you hail from?

I was born in the world’s holiest city, Jerusalem; migrated to Melbourne at the tender age of 6 and since then have spent long periods of time in Amsterdam and Antwerp (I’m a bit of a Belgaphile). Just last week I moved the salon into the most gorgeous space in Elwood, overlooking the main roundabout with all the cafes and a stone’s throw from the beach.

Describe yourself in a couple of punchy words?

Creative obsessee!

If you weren’t a fashionisto, what would you be doing?

That’s a very hard question to answer; I honestly hadn’t given it much thought. For as long as I can remember I’ve shaped my life to include, much more than what is healthy, fashion.

What’s the subject matter of your current collection?

Within my work I explore the juxtaposition of tailoring and drape, I guess it’s a soft tailoring, where the fabric drapes but is given anchor points to refer it back to the body. I like big shapes that are made from large pieces of fabric that use folding to create shape. For Paris ’99 I really buy piece by piece, whatever catches my eye, be it the fabric, a single detail such as an amazing button, a great print or wonderful pattern design. Living in Europe gave me great opportunity to circulate amongst people with great wardrobes and too much money! They have access to such amazing clothes and most of what I get comes from them.

If you could meet anyone who would it be?

Im bad at this question. I’d love to meet Cameron Silver from Decades and pick his brain about vintage fashion, he’s very good at it of course. I’d like to meet Dries Van Noten as well, but I literally rubbed shoulders with him at a party in Antwerp so I’m not sure if that counts?

Are you currently exhibiting or do you plan on doing so in the future?

I am always exhibiting at Paris ’99 Elwood, I intermix my work within the other designers’ clothes and play with things on the mannequins. And the whole way the space is run means that everything is continually curated; sometimes by colour, by mood, by how one would organise a wardrobe, it’s always changing.

What inspires your work the most out of everything in this world?

Like I said I’m a Belgaphile, so that deconstructed aesthetic really speaks to me. However a lot of my work is physically found in nature, the stain on a rock, the decay in a leaf. I take these non fashion related occurrences and place them into a fashion context, by a cut, a print, a particular technique which emulates the feeling behind the inspiration.

Could you give us a hint of what your next collection might entail?

A bit more of the same, I’m always reworking my methods but instead of folding being the main mechanism it might be wrapping. I’m liking triangles at the moment, in all scales all over the body.

Throw us a few names of some influential designer you may drool over?

Olivier Theyskens (own work as well as Rochas and Nina Ricci), Azzedine Alaia, Gianni Versace, Tom Ford, Iris Van Herpen, Jean Paul Gaultier, all designers who have a real signature to their work, and work within their established vision, but make a new thing of it with every collection.

If you were sent to an abandoned Caribbean Island and could only bring 5 items, what would you bring?

My speedo boardies, they’re very comfy.

Everlasting sunscreen, as I burn far too easily (Polish heritage…)

A lifetime subscription to Vogue, to stay abreast of fashion even though I’d have no use for it.

This is too hard, I’d probably try to build a raft to get back to civilisation!

What was the last song you played on your Ipod?

That would be PJ Harvey’s Electric Light, a bass heavy haunting cut from her often overlooked 1998 album ‘Is This Desire’.

Is there anything burning inside you right now that you want to share with us?

Tomorrow night I’m putting on a Soiree at Paris ’99 with champagne, pate, Paris toasts and cheeses, not to mention fabulous fashion finds with donations to Cervical cancer research, I wish you could all come! There’s always the next one of course…

What's Your Story: Anna?

What's your story Elise?

Elise Renzenbrink

Artistic medium: I like to dabble with everything from paints and ink to clay and leaves.. but one of my favourite things of late is the trusted old fine liner. With all my travels of late, as long as i have my pad and my pen, I can do art anywhere!

Where in the virtual world can we find you and/or your work?  My work can be found on my face book page www.facebook.com/pages/Elise-Renzenbrink-Art, also on my blog sugarpillowdinosaur.blogspot.com.

Where do you hail from?

Ocean Grove, Victoria. I have recently moved home from the Sunshine Coast Queensland. I spent the last two years up there and it was an amazing place..especially the beaches!  But home was calling me and I'm glad to be back in familiar territory.

Describe yourself in a couple of punchy words?

Calm, nature lover, playful and a tad weird

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?

I would probably have more money and travelling the world haha. I would love to be in the field of  health and nutrition.

What’s the subject matter of your current collection?

My latest collection focused on the detail found in nature. I focused on how the microscopic elements of our environment form the world around us. This was an amazing project as it fuelled my obsession with detail and pattern!

If you could meet anyone who would it be?

Jesus and Paul Walker

Are you currently exhibiting or do you plan on doing so in the future?

Not at the moment. Right now I’m gathering inspiration from the city of Melbourne and the amazing coast line. It’s really special having this time to take everything in and watch what flows from it. I would love to try something new and different to my previous works. Who knows, sometime in the future it may become a collection. My ultimate would be to exhibit in a quirky gallery in Melbourne.

What inspires your work the most out of everything in this world?

God’s creation. I am fascinated by natural forms – particularly the colours lines and shapes found in flowers and shells.

Could you give us a hint of what your next collection might entail?

No idea. Something ridiculously awesome hopefully.

Throw us a few names of some influential artists you may drool over?

ZSO. (AKA Sara Blake), del kathryn Barton, Bec Winnel, Rob Ryan

If you were sent to an abandoned Caribbean Island and could only bring 5 items, what would you bring?

My camera, Chocolate, Bikinis, a bed and my sketch book!

What was the last song you played on your Ipod?

Adele - Rolling in the deep

Is there anything burning inside you right now that you want to share with us?

Your blog is rad. Thats all : )