Now/Here

Photography: Bryan Rodner Carr and Francis Kmiecik
Models: Kylie Cusick and Caroline Pires
Makeup: Deb Chung
Hair: Traci Trace Henningsen
Styling: Kayti O'Connell and Kelsey Tudor

Out here on the perimeter there are no stars 

Out here we is stoned, immaculate.

 Capturing the desolate, menacing beauty of the desert -- and looking to me like a line straight out of Jim Morrison's own notebook -- Mate Vintage's highly-anticipated Now/Here lookbook has wrangled together some of the best independent designers... The ones who are truly nailing it. 
Think the likes of Ax and Apple, Spell and the Gypsy Collective, Sugarhigh+Lovestoned, Spanish Moss and, of course, the girls behind Mate Vintage as well.
I've been ebaying and googling like mad for a 'large crescent moon necklace' (or variations on that search term) to no avail... and yet, here it is. The exact thing I was after. Thanks Kayti and Kelsey for bringing that one to light!  
Definite style standouts: doubling up on the crescent Nyx Necklaces, suede bras and suede-fringed shorts, vintage tees with wings or wolves, Spanish Moss bells and Sugarhigh+Lovestoned's Be Here Now top. 

Also, there's a little bit of my logo-design handiwork on that last image, and over on Mate Vintage's site...

Wild minds

All those things our hands are capable of. The wonders.

Visions at the Chelsea

Photography: Amanda Leigh Smith

Model: Skye Sengelmann

Stylist: Tami Snodgrass

Imagine slipping into the lobby of the old Chelsea Hotel, leaning up against a peeling, smoke-stained wall clutching your chai tea and watching as the wandering, sexy, wild+eyed musicians walk past you in their dusty desert jackets, slung-back guitars, messy hair, and dirty jeans. You stare right into their wild eyes as they flash you a big bright, crazy, toothy smile that you will keep with you for the rest of your life. You are the girl they see out of the corner of their eye......I think it might of been the velvet, but then again, no one knows for sure...

via Sugarhigh+Lovestoned blog

Talk about the dream team. Another velvet-mystic-shimmering-drifter-groupie vision realised by the Sugarhigh+Lovestoned ladies for their winter collection launch. And what's more -- and I know I've explained my feelings about velvet in no uncertain terms -- there is so much velvet. And rings and sparkling things and those platform boots... It's just another, beautiful time. 

Anyway, this shoot is accompanying their winter collection launch party in Portland and which, if I lived in America, I would be driving a long way to be at...

The wilds

Photography: Jenifer Fairchild
Models: Paris Gerrard of Charcoal Alley, Zoe Gerrard and Sabina Formanek

I've been meaning to post these lovely, eerie photographs shot by Jenifer Fairchild for some time...
A little bit - at least - of wilderness magic does everybody good. 

What's not to love?

Things to love at the moment:

1. Joan Didion - Slouching Towards Bethlehem and those awful pink hundreds-and-thousands biscuits // Drying roses.

2. Spell and the Gypsy Collective's Desert Sunset ring and trying to salvage my cactus garden // Cactus portraits.

3.The amazing support you guys have shown by voting me on to the leaderboard here, with my work Bad Moon Rising (Thank you and keep it up! Vote here) // Vintage motorcycle shirts like this one.

4. Tattoos for friends // Surefire hangover cure -- buttery Vegemite toast on grain bread and sweet tea.

5. Inappropriate fishing outfits one and two. 

6. More creativity.

WANDERING: ST LEONARDS

Carboot-sale vintage jacket, vintage glasses, vintage Thunderbird necklace via ebay, sample shirt, Harley Davidson boots via ebay and Simon Camille moonbag via Spanish Moss.

Lately, we've been thinking that there simply is no aquatic life in Victoria. We're far from home and are not even really sure what the locals fish for down here. So it was a major triumph for Scotty to land some squid down at St Leonards. Also kind of gross, but they're thoroughly amazing animals too. 

Meanwhile, I wandered around the pier in the sunshine... and as always, was wearing a highly inappropriate-for-fishing outfit.

Dusty boots and clean whiskey

Images via Who the fuck is Mick Jagger tumblr, Sugarhigh and Lovestoned's instagram

and Mate Vintage's instagram.  

Imaginary beings

Lenni Vintage's Spring 2012 lookbook.

To me, It looks like a Fleetwood Mac song.

Share the love

Hey guys, I know I'm totally bugging everyone about this, but it just takes one second. Please jump on a computer and just head here *click* and swing me a vote.
Done!
Also, if you're feeling the love and feeling generous, feel free to share and promote my Bad Moon Rising piece -- just-get-it-out-there in the world and spread the love (and voting action).
Thanks so much for your ongoing support everyone!

WANDERING: LORNE

Bay and I travelled down to Lorne recently, just to have a go at the Great Ocean Road, and to check out the Cumberland River, which runs into the ocean in such a weird, beautiful spot. It's hard to come to grips with how diverse Australia's landscapes are... and I'm still having problems getting over these lawn daisies that grow everywhere in the south of the continent.

And that velvet and gold skirt is just beyond anything... Photos don't do it justice, but it has been proudly placed alongside those boots and that hat as my favourite things. 

Bad Moon Rising

So this little piece is my entry in Market HQ's 'Design a Tote' competition... If you're into, please vote here and it might end up on a tote bag. Personally, I'm pretty stoked with how it came out, especially considering the two attempts I had to make at it -- I'm usually of the belief that if the mojo isn't happening, you've got to let it go. 

But also thank you so much for your ongoing love and encouragement, and taking an interest in what I do!... 

Dig xo

Workdays

Two little sketchbook outtakes... These are just pre-work sketches (with a little pit of after-the-fact Photoshop play) that burn up a bit of creative energy before I sit down to a day in the office... Wish I had more hours in more days. 

Cool things are coming though, stay tuned.

Dig xo

Ornament and others

Ok, I'm going to stop bothering you with this soon, but I'm still pretty excited about having actual, physical prints on professional, heavyweight paper hanging around in my house, ready to head out into the world.

The three prints pictured above -- Ornament, Moran and Bleach II -- have just gone up on my online store here.

I guess the next step is finding a printer for shirts...

But in the meantime, thank you so much for all your support and kind words, and keeping me motivated to do scary stuff like go to the printshop. 

Dig x

 

Brimbank

Edge of Urge Junkie leggings

Own illustrations.

This is my beautiful sister Nadine and her funny dog Shadow -- and I promise I'm not going to start making this whole blog about Shadow, he's just had a good run in the photo stakes lately.

Any positive changes in the Melbourne weather have got to be celebrated by trying to soak up as much sun as possible... I'm hoping these beautiful days are going to be more consistent from now on...

On the road...

The second installment from Spell amd the Gypsy Collective's Spring Summer 12/13
Photography: Johnny Abegg
Model: Matilda Price @ Priscillas
Art direction: Isabella and Lizzy of Spell
Hair and make up: Luciana Rose

So it's that Arizona Trading Post shirt and that printed dress... that are going on the long list of things I'm buying myself for Christmas. Then me and my baby are going to pack up the car, drive the coast road from Melbourne to Eden, blast some southern rock and drink some whiskey. 

Swift and a huntress

"...he reached to hold what cannot be held, what already ran among the mountains at once terrible and of great beauty, like flowers that feed on flesh. What blood and bone are made of but can themselves not make on any altar nor by any wound of war. What we may well believe has power to cut and shape and hollow out the dark form of the world surely if wind can, if rain can. But which cannot be held never be held and is no flower but is swift and a huntress and the wind itself is in terror of it and the world cannot lose it."
- The Crossing, Cormac McCarthy

Second Priestess

The Second Priestess is still one of my all time favourite pieces I've created -- I took a trip to the US between starting and finishing her, so it's truly lucky that I finished her at all. She's the 'second' in that there are a first and third rattling around in my archives somewhere. This piece was also probably the most labour-intensive work I've done, and holds a lot of significance in terms of my personal symbolism and the motifs that reappear throughout my work. 

So, my homeless-person-casual outfit notwithstanding, these posters are available here.

Loose ends...

Bits and pieces from my sketchbook, from projects I've been working on, of pieces and ideas that will never be finished nor see the light of day...

All the pretty horses

Op shop Akubra hat; Something Else shirt; Dr Denim jeans; concho belt via Ebay; Thunderbird necklace via Ebay; market/pawnshop rings.

Own illustration.

A new favourite shirt... It fits so perfectly into my wardrobe (consistent with dressing like a sartorial interpretation of a Cormac McCarthy novel) and just fits perfectly. 

And an old favourite puppy... He didn't want his photo taken at all.

Pagan sparks

Laced with Romance // Winter Lookbook

Photographer: Davis Ayer

Model: Lauryn Holmquist

Stylist: Stephanie Fellabaum + Summer Lawson

Hair and make-up: Sara Cummings

Jewellery: Rima Hyena / Vintage

Pants: John Renaud

via born to be wild

We can always do with a little extra magic.