∞

I am struggling to comprehend how I haven't written on my little nook of the internet in over two months! Time has just escaped me once again as I am in the final semester of my degree and the year, so understandably this has been my top priority, unfortunately. But it wont be like this forever, promise! ∞

I'm still under pressure even though I am on my 2 week mid-semester break (break, what break?!) so this post will just consist of my Instagram updates and some inspo to carry you through the rest of the week.

1. Illustrating flower blooming stages for a project.
2. Post workout brekky consisting of yummy Greek yoghurt, muesli, fruits and nuts. The only way I can get through my workout is if I know I'm gonna be eating this afterwards!
3. Illustrating.
4. Project progress for a made-up organic dried fruit company I am currently designing packaging for as part of a uni project.
5. Some more work on my organic dried fruit company's branding.
6. Illustrating creepy weird little insects (something new for me!) and working on some handmade typography for a collaborative project.

My inspo of late has consisted of largely Spring/Summer vibes, as here in Australia we are currently in the midst of Spring and the heat is slowly coming back into the air. My mind has been all over the place as I struggle to keep a float of my projects for uni, which I think is reflected back into my bipolar, justaposed inspo of these past two months.

Until next time! x

○

Not been feeling inspired, so I've just got a small instagram-based update to post. It has been a hectic week and I've had a lot of work to do in a short space of time, so I haven't really had much time to just stop and smell the roses, just lull about and not think about uni work 24/7. I have become a collaborator of Kanon's blog which you can check out here - I've written an article about Frida Kahlo and her connection to flowers as my first contribution here!

My week in pictures

1. Leather and faux fur = a good combination.
2. Some flower illustrations for a collaborative project I was working on during the week.
3. "I was sad, but then I bought something online. I feel better now." - This statement sums me up in a nutshell.
4. Lovely leaves at the Botanic Gardens last weekend.
5. The rose garden is so wonderful at this time of year - the smell from all the blooming flowers creates this amazing perfume, plus some of the roses are as big as my head and I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland for a while.

Until next time! x

The Sweet Life

I've been super busy this week and honestly can't believe it is Saturday again. Anyway, this has been the first week of the supposed "break" but it hasn't been a break at all for me - I've been working on uni work all week! At least I am being kept busy, but that's really the only positive thing I can say about being overloaded with things to do! I haven't been much inspired to blog this week, so I'm just going to keep this update short 'n sweet.

I've completed a new illustration this week, the mini GIF version is down below and you can find the static image/s in my portfolio page. I watched a documentary about Helen of Troy earlier in the week by Bettany Hughes, who I think is brilliant because she presents with so much passion and enthusiasm about the subject. I have always been fascinated by intriguing women in history and Helen of Troy is one such enigmatic figure, so I decided to commemorate this illustration to her legend, drawing inspiration from antiquity and nature. Plus, it features leaves! I love leaves, much like David Attenborough (please refer to related GIF).

My week in pictures

1. Finished illustration - a good way to procrastinate!
2. Early progress shot of the illustration in the works.
3. Illustration for a Medieval themed poster design I had been working on diligently throughout the week.
4. Starting to read The Man Repeller book by Leandra Medine, who is pretty much one of my top style icons.

This week's inspiration mood board has consisted of the following - I'm still really inspired by Dolce and Gabbana's Fall/Winter 2014 Byzantine Collection, especially after watching lots of history documentaries focusing on the Byzantine Empire.

Until next time! x

Coney Island Queen

Hi people of the blogosphere! I'm just going to make this a really quick little post as I have a lot of things I need to work on for uni, so I don't want to procrastinate too much!

This is a little animation I made of one of my illustrations this week:

My week in pictures

1. Procrastinating by making ink drawings of Frida Kahlo.
2. Reveling in and paying homage to Gustav Klimt's wondrous paintings.
3. Bought some zines at this new pop-up shop in the city - I'm so happy to have found a place that distributes zines and keeps the printed zine culture alive here in little ol' Adelaide!
4. Everytime I cut bok choy, I find the stems reminiscent to lovely roses - maybe this is just me?

I have been drawn to finding inspiration from nature lately and relating it back to the human world. And although Winter is slowly descending upon us here, I still find myself being drawn to Summer-inspired things, in any attempt to hold onto the few remaining strands of Summer's basking glow. In saying this, I do love Winter's frost-bitten temperatures as it will give me an opportunity to break out my suede boots and shag jackets!

Until next time! x

☯

Oh my god, I am honestly just so amazed and scared at how the time files once I get into the uni week! Seriously, how can it be Saturday again so fast?! I've been busy working hard at all my uni projects so I've really not had any time to myself (except to eat, exercise, sleep and all that important jazz) - it's pretty much a full-time career for me. I shouldn't even really be making a post right now because I feel swamped under all my workload, but I wanted to keep my internal promise to myself to try and post once a week. It never sounds like much but when you realise how fast those weeks fly by, it really takes up a good chunk of time!

I've been really getting into making short little GIF animations of my illustrations, just making the subjects in my work come to life through blinking or lip movements. It's a great way for me to practice my animation making abilities, although I really want to get into developing my skills with After Effects more as I've only had a little animation experience with that program and I'm quite terrible at it!

Here's my week:

1. Outfit details - the cuff is by the label From St Xavier and i love the blue stone in it so much!
2. These shorts are actually amazing. They are by Cameo the Label and they feature a chili print!
3. I have become obsessed with kale recently, I know I know...I don't want to be one of those pretentious health food people but I genuinely love the taste of it in a salad or wrap.
4. Finally bought the coveted Alexa Chung book, IT. I haven't read it yet but I've had a flick through and it looks like a professionally diary/sketchbook format, featuring set typography and collaged images and sketches.
5. A recently finished illustration featuring mushrooms! I love a good ol' 'shroom, my favourite fungi.

This week I have been inspired by blush tones and gold. as well as combining these tones and shades with black leather-look items, such as skirts, pants and shorts. I also love holographic items - a clutch or a pair of shoes is an amazing statement to any simple outfit. I also have been incredibly inspired through my research for a project focusing on medieval and historical maps - some of the examples such as the Hereford Mappamundi are so amazingly detailed, complex and mythical. I'm just so fascinated by these artefacts of history.

Until next time! x

Auras

Another Saturday, another week gone by. Next week will be Week 5 of my semester, I honestly can't quite get my head around that fact. It seems like I've only just started by really I've been working away for weeks now! I feel I have a better grip on my time management this year though, after last years debacles which I do not want to return to! But procrastination still gets the better of me sometimes!

This week I have been designing ideas for a poster that focuses on the topic of peace. Since this is also a poster that is to be designed with the intention of being exhibited by the client as a celebration of their 25 years in operation, I'e decided to take the approach that focuses on their legacy and input into the community by creating an illustration of their key figure - Graham F. Smith. The little sketch I've done as a starting point is below.

Here's my week:

1. Beginning a sketch of a beautiful photo of a model whose name I do not know, but she has the loveliest freckles ever!
2. Progress + milky cups of tea, a typical afternoon of yours truly.
3. Finally decided to get my mitts on this little book with some birthday money I had stashed. I think it doesn't even need introducing, the cover is already so iconic I think! Anyways, I've had a brief flick through it and so far I am excited to read it.

For my inspiration this week, I've really been digging simple palettes of black and white with a dash of bright or neon colour thrown into the mix. I used to love constant colour, but right now I've just been looking at more tailored and simple approaches to my personal style. I'm still obsessed with photographic prints, mirror prints and florals, don't think i'm ever going to get over them - they are the only statement item you'll need when you're wearing them. Green is also not a colour I'm greatly fond of, but recently I've been loving a nice palette of fresh green hues to get me dreaming of tropical rainforests and exploring jungles.

Until next time! x

center>

○

Whew! Let me take a moment to catch my breath, this week has gone by so fast! Where did all the days go?! I'm only making a quick post this week because I am super inundated with uni stress right now (r.e. THESIS!) so I need to get back to that, stat! Maybe next week I will have something more interesting to share with you all.

Here's my week:

1. Obsessing over this flowerbomb print by Cameo the Label. Their clothes are all so amazing that I am always left in utter awe with each new collection released!
2. Wearing all Cameo the Label in a recent outfit (yes I know, I am a tad partial!) + this female symbol silver ring I found in Diva for only a dollar, so I couldn't resist! Appropriate for my thesis, maybe it will become a good luck charm!
3. Finders Keepers the Label photographic "Lake Tahoe" printed shirt, so comfy and easy to dress up and down for uni days when I need to look a bit more than casual.
4. Ya slack moll! Just read the original Puberty Blues, it was a perfect snapshot into the lifestyle and cultural practices of that time in that part of Australia, I felt like I was living vicariously in 70's Australia through the lives of Debbie Vickers and Sue Knight. Its a good quick read, perfect for a Sunday arvo.

Sorry this post has been quick uninspiring - until next time! x

Floreali

I've been re-adjusting my life routines to fit around uni work after the first week has been complete (and soon to the the second week completed). It's always a bit hard in the first few weeks to get used to the daily tasks that kept me focused and working. But I think that I am settling back into the flow of things!

I've been keeping myself constantly creative by working on personal projects, as well as keeping myself inspired for my thesis writing by researching heavily on my chosen subject area, which as I previously mentioned here, is on zines vs. mainstream magazines and their connection with the female experience, drawing on their role in the "Riot Grrrl" third-wave feminism movement of the late 80's/90's. It's a topic I'm passionate about and find deeply interesting, so I'm happy that I've chosen a topic that is going to keep me interested so I don't wind up in a rut of complete boredom and regret!

Studio work has recently ramped up, meaning that I'm going to be inundated with projects for the rest of the semester, which is good because I like keeping busy ad I know that taking on more work will enable me to keep pushing myself to produce the best work that I possibly can.

This past week in images:

1. Reading a biography of Frida Kahlo, who is without a doubt one of my favourite female artists - she is iconic and her story is such an inspiration. What she did with her short life is admirable.
2. An illustration featuring model Soo Joo I completed recently, which can be viewed in its entirety under the Portfolio link.
3. Flat-lay of a recent outfit I wore this week, featuring boyfriend jeans from Dotti, leopard tank from Cotton On, shoes from Catwalk by Innui and a book about Egypt I received for my 21st birthday.
4. Mango season! Yum!
5. Kate Moss illusration finito!
6. I succumbed to the ugly Birkenstock shoe trend, but I am not ashamed of that fact as they are soo comfortable!

I've made a mix which I will probably be regularly using whilst I write my thesis - its due on the 25th of June and I am quite stressed about that! I want to make it the best I can, so hopefully the songs included in the mix will help me to stop procrastinating and work on it!

❀ Grrrls Thesis Mix ☾ from bambisvalentine on 8tracks Radio.

Until next time! x

Flux and Flow

Well it's university time again, and that means less posting! I want to try and keep up with it more this year though and continue to upload a post a week, even if it is just something really small or a quick update, it is better than nothing!

For the past two weeks I have been settling back into my city lifestyle after coming back from my holidays in the outback. Now that I've finally unpacked and gotten ready for my final year at uni, I have been striving to keep my regular plans in place, in regards to diet, exercise and study. I hope that I can continue to keep up my routines so that I can be as organised as possible, but we all say that at the beginning of a New Year, only to start to fall into bad habits as the year pans out! I'm going to try my very best not to get into my procrastinating habits though!

This week I'll just update you about my past week/s through my instagram images:

1. Eating fruit platters in the Summer.
2. Leopard + black never fails in an outfit.
3. Received this beautiful Cameo Hillstomp dress on Valentine's Day - who needs a Valentine's when you've got the postman!
4. Work in progress.
5. Finished my illustration of Melusina, available to purchase here
6. Miranda Kerr illustration progress.
7. Miranda Kerr illustration completed, available to purchase here.
8. Cameo's new collection is killing it - such a cute Bambi print!
9. At one with nature in the Botanic Gardens.
10. Magdalena Frackowiak progress.
11. Finished illustration of Magdalena Frackowiak, available to purchase here.
12. Love these mirror floral print shorts I picked up at Ally fashion - such good quality for this store!
13. Purchased these holographic chunky sandals from Betts recently for the steal print of $20 - I can't help but feel like a space ranger wearing these!
14. I'm going to miss all the Summer berries when they're not in season anymore - strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are my favourite things.
15. Working on a Kate Moss illustration - Moss is boss.

Until next time! x