LAVENDER



"The voice of forest water in the night, a woman's laughter in the dark, the clean, hard rattle of raked gravel, the cricketing stitch of midday in hot meadows, the delicate web of children's voices in bright air -- these things will never change.

The glitter of sunlight on roughened water, the glory of the stars, the innocence of morning, the smell of the sea in harbors, the feathery blur and smoky buddings of young boughs, and something there that comes and goes and never can be captured, the thorn of spring, the sharp and tongueless cry -- these things will always be the same.

All things belonging to the earth will never change -- the leaf, the blade, the flower, the wind that cries and sleeps and wakes again, the trees whose stiff arms clash and tremble in the dark, and the dust of lovers long since buried in the earth -- all things proceeding from the earth to seasons, all things that lapse and change and come again upon the earth -- these things will always be the same, for they come up from the earth that never changes, they go back into the earth that lasts forever. Only the earth endures, but it endures forever.

The tarantula, the adder, and the asp will also never change. Pain and death will always be the same. But under the pavements trembling like a pulse, under the buildings trembling like a cry, under the waste of time, under the hoof of the beast above the broken bones of cities, there will be something growing like a flower, something bursting from the earth again, forever deathless, faithful, coming into life again like April.”

-- Thomas Wolfe

...Just a little thought magic on a Wednesday morning...

LA LUNE


La Lune shirt by Mate Vintage; boyfriend's Volcom shirt; Spell and the Gypsy Collective brass rings and Prism Bomb necklace; all other jewellery and sunglasses vintage/markets.

Once a project finally comes to completion, it always feels like a lifetime ago that I worked on it... I pulled together a couple of designs for Mate Vintage's first line of shirts and, although it does feel like it was forever ago, I'm still so excited to see them out in the world -- circulating, travelling, setting off little sparks in eyes and minds that see them. 

And I guess that's what it's all about, creating and sharing artwork: contributing to our universal experience in a small way, creating a little background noise that -- even if it's only for a second -- can distract someone or spark a daydream. 

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


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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).

THE PURPLE DECADES


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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.


LOVE THINGS: DIFFERENT MAGICS


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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...



☽ PARADISE LOST ☾


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Images via Lenni, the amazing pinterest boards of Amanda Smith, Melacine Moon, Eileen Lofgren and Sugarhigh + Lovestoned, journal pages, and Gemma Booth.

This evening, Scotty and I are going to head east out of the city, drive until we hit the coast, and then follow the line of ocean-meets-land until we head north, north, north. 
We'll be stopping in at least four of our favourite 'God's countries' that are dotted along Australia's eastern seaboard -- starting with Eden (which I've talked about fanatically here and here). It really is a god's-own playground for wild adults who are also kinda pure at heart -- there's amazing, pristine beaches and oceans, waterfalls, farmland, a big history connected to the sea, and few enough people that residents still treat each other like humans. Anyway, it's the closest we come to home in the southern parts of Australia. 
We're also stopping in at Gerringong, a bit further north, which is a similarly small and undeveloped coastal town where Scotty lived for a lot of his life. Its a bit less remote, and with fewer wildmen making a hard living off the sea, it loses a bit of that frontier kinda feel. 
Next, we'll head to my homeland, the mid north coast of NSW, to visit my parents' farm in, again, a place that I believe is the most beautiful place on earth. The mid north coast is cut in on one side by the ocean, and a whole lot of undeveloped coastal bushland and banana farms, and on the other side by the Great Dividing Range, which squeezes up close to the coast at that point. The foothills of the range are coated in rainforests and waterfalls, it's incredible. 
And finally, we'll head to Ballina, where Scotty grew up and my eldest sister lives. It's just a little bit south of Byron Bay and is full of lots of friends, family and secret cool places to hang out. 
And we're taking Humble with us too. 
Anyway, it's safe to say I'm looking foward to this like crazy... And I'll take lots of photos (I'll be updating on instagram @raychponygold) and I'll see you all in a week...

☽ ...::: paradise lost // paradise found :::... ☾ 


VERDANT


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Sportsgirl sunglasses; eBay concho bely; Dr Denim jeans; Nasty Gal moto jacket; all necklaces vintage/DIY; all rings market/vintage.

If I could, I'd probably wear the same thing everyday, really. 
Black jeans, Harley boots, a plain shirt... then let my accessories and jacket choice do the talking. 
It's true, the above is an almost totally-accurate representation of my day-to-day... except the days when I dress exclusively in my boyfriend's hoodies and shirts, but I try not to go outside on those days. 
And anyway, I guess there's no fun in wearing the same thing every day...

But what is fun, however, is revisiting my favourite place in my neighbourhood... a hidden cactus garden, where, by the looks of things, suburban burnouts go to drink whiskey and I go to soak up sun and check out the prickly pears. 

Whiskey visions

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Sunday morning whiskey visions 2013.
Ideas-fun and plunge-taking and mind-stretching and birthdays and road trips.... 
If I'm dropping in and out of this blog a bit lately, it's only because real life is solidly engaging and busy at the moment, and I keep forgetting to charge my camera battery.
And good things are on the way, as always. 
Raych x

Lilac wine


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Images from here, here, Jason Lee Parry for Trend mag (full ed here), Sayaka Maruyama, here and here.

I can't wait to drive with my baby, up the coast road, watching towns slide past, singing songs and taking photos, and showing Humble more of our world, especially at home. Lots of family and friends are waiting for us, as well as beaches without pollution, bushland with wildlife and nature-treasures, skies that are crisp and untarnished by city lights, hidden skateparks in paddocks, and cheese platters and crazy mixed drinks at my parents', overlooking the farm.  
Counting the days.


June winter solstice


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It's nearly the winter solstice -- longer (and colder, apparently) days are their way.
As well as my boy's birthday (21st), and mine (29th).
There are some good weeks ahead. 

So also, I'm thinking about what would be the all-time best killer graphic to put on a shirt? 

I'm thinking about this mostly because, shit, if some babe in Argentina can be printing my work on shirts -- for which I am most definitely not being compensated, and about which I am at least mildly pissed -- then maybe I should be printing my work on shirts. 

So do you guys have any favourites you'd like to wear emblazoned across your collective chests?

I'm no good at decisions and I have questionable taste. But If you want me to produce a whole line of Guns 'N' Roses graphic rip-off tees, go right ahead and hold your peace. Otherwise... let me know what your bright minds are thinking.
xx

Blue jean


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Harley boots via eBay; op-shop flask, Levi jacket, and glasses; markets hat, and crystal and copper necklace; Pony Gold ceramic necklace; boyfriend's Doors shirt; vintage jewellery and jewellery dish; handmade ceramic eye pot; and Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone

I've been making tiny ceramic things... Not really sure where I'm going with them, but it's such a strange brain-relief to work with something I don't know how to control properly. 
Granted, I'm still clearing up the communication lines between my hands and my mind when I draw, but most of the time I can push my pen into creating something kinda in sync with my mind. 
With clay, on the other had, it's an unholy mess that challenges me to think harder, persevere, be uncomfortable and just really kind of suck at something. 
Which makes it a whole lot more rewarding.
I'm really looking forward to just this little bit more spare time to experiment and grow with my weirder creativity.