Playing Favorites

Question- what's a birds favourite dessert?

Answer- A frog in a pond!

(Ha, I feel like I should point out that a 'frog in a pond' is a chocolate frog in jelly, just incase you didn't get that toad-ally awesome joke.)
Speaking of hungry birds, here's a drawing I did of a seagull.

And in super egg-citing news, my drawing is on the latest cover of The Monthly!

It's so fun seeing posters of the seagull perched around the city, popping up all over the place like actual seagulls.

And this morning I went to the library and it was so surreal to see my little seagull hanging out with all these iconic covers.

Big thanks to Erik Jenson for this amazing op-bird-tunity!

In other Monthly news, the brilliant writer Helen Garner has just released a book of essays, many of which were first published in The Monthly, and earlier this month I made a ceramic sculpture of it.

Recently, after attending a talk by Helen Garner I had the honour of getting to show her my sculpture and she even autographed it for me!

Big thanks to Text Publishing for this amazing op-book-tunity!

While I'm thanking people, a huge thanks to everyone who saw my work in the most recent exhibition, Dream Theory No. 2 at Pompom Gallery in Sydney.

Here's a photo of one of my new ceramic works in the show called Chicken Salt, Salt Lamp, Chicken Salt Lamp.

Chicken Salt, Salt Lamp, Chicken Salt Lamp
Acrylic on ceramic. Photo by @culturescouts. 2018

Another really nice thing that happened this month is The Art Life published their first annual Art Life awards I was the joint winner, along with Sydney artist Sara Morawetz, of their emerging artist award! Huge thanks to The Art Life!

At the time I found out I'd been picked for this award I was on my lunch break working at the supermarket, during a 9 hour shift of pushing trolleys and wearing antlers.

Oh deer

I actually recieved two awards that day- the Art Life emerging artist one, and also the supermarket awarded me a box of Cadbury Favorites. Big thanks to the supermarket!

I like to think the supermarket gave me the Favorites as a way of saying I'm their Favorite trolley pusher. And sure, technically they gave every trolley pusher a box of favorites but that's only because they didn't wanna be accused of Favorites-tism.

Anyway when I got home I put the Favorites to good use and turned them into frogs in ponds.

All croaks aside though this time of year can often be really difficult and I hope you're well and enjoying some unfrogettable nice times with your friends and family.

Later this week I'm heading to Tasmania to do some paintings for Mona Foma. If you're down that way come say hi!Thanks so much for reading. Wishing you a nice and happy hop into 2019.

Sweet dreams are made of Z's

Every night I lie in bed and dream. And by that I mean I hide under the covers and eat a block of this.

Acrylic on ceramic. 21.5 x 9 x 1.5cm. 2018

This dreamy new ceramic sculpture is available at the c3 Contemporary Art Space fundraiser exhibition, opening tomorrow night and on until December 9th. 

For more info please click here!

The show's choc full of great work, it'd be a dream to see you there!

Waffle they dream up next

Hey if you're in Sydney sometime this month come see a group show opening tonight at Pompom Gallery in Chippendale!

Chippendale the suburb that is, not to be confused with these cheeky chipmunks, Chip 'n' Dale. 

Chip'n'Dale in Chippendale. Acrylic marker on paper.  21 x 29.5cm. 2018

Curated by George Adams, the exhibition's titled Dream Theory #2 and features this dreamy line-up of artists- Polly Borland, Matthew Harris, Drew Connor Holland, Laura Moore, Nova Milne, Emily Parsons-lord and Philjames.

Dream Theory #2 opens tonight 6-8pm and is up until December 9. Hopefully see you there, it'd be a dream come true!

Anyway I won't waffle on about it too much but here's a photo of me installing one of my new ceramic works in the show, titled Waffle On.

If you wallaby my lover, you gotta get with my fur-ends

Hello, here's seven new drawings of animals from the newspapers this week.

On Monday we met Zeus the Goat, Melbourne's newest yoga instructor who really puts the ram in bikram.

On Tuesday this drunk pigeon won New Zealand's Bird Of The Year.

Wednesday was huge for Ruby the Koala, who hosted an important meeting in her tree with Meghan and Harry. 

I honestly can't believe how cool Ruby played it considering what a big fan of the Royals she is!

On Thursday it was good news for Bob Irwin who received a Highly Commended Award in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Not so good news for the dessert tree frog though, who very embarrassingly was photographed while being mauled by a huntsman.

On Friday a mother sloth bear told a tiger "Don't talk to me or my sons ever again".
Yesterday a dog got a pat whilst posing in this credit card ad.

And finally, today we met Louie the rescued Koala.


Louie might not have had a fancy meeting with the royals like certain other koalas this week, but even better than that, Louie got to have a big cuddle with Josh the Wallaby.

And that's this weeks animals in the newspaper. (More like, zoospaper!)

Squawk to you again soon, and in the meantime remember to beak kind to each other and to yourself, it's a jungle out there.

Pickle on someone your own size

Hi, here's a new ceramic piece called "I'm not a picky eater, but I'm also not a pickle eater".

This work is on display until the end of the week in the exhibition 'CERAMICS (now)', curated by Mark Hetherington at the Adelaide Perry gallery in Sydney.

In other news, if you're free tomorrow evening (Thursday September 27) come join a table at this trivia night fundraiser, from 7pm at the Handsome Her cafe on Sydney Road in Brunswick. Shout out to my housemate Jodie for being one of the organisers of the event.

All funds raised on the night go towards the upcoming Reclaim the Night event. For more info here's a link to the event website. 

As well as trivia there's also a silent auction on the night, here's a ceramic sculpture I donated of a Rainbow Paddlepop. 

Rainbow Paddlepop. 26 x 24 x 2cm. Acrylic on ceramic. 2018

And speaking of fundraiser news, here's a wonderful photo I was sent by Lynda, taken with my ceramic Bitten Bubble'O Bill hanging in their kitchen after she scored it at last weeks RMIT fundraiser exhibition. 

Loved seeing this photo and was so happy to see that Bubble'O has hit the jackpot in finding a good home.

Speaking of hitting the jackpot, in football news, you might not have heard that the Collingwood Magpies are in the grand final this Saturday. I'm so excited for the game I've snuck in early to get a good seat.

In the meantime though thanks heaps for reading. Hope you're having a nice week. And just incase the Collingwood players need a little more inspiration to score some goals, here's a quick vid I just recorded of me in the backyard scoring one in the netball ring.

And no, this video definitely didn't take a million attempts, I don't know what you're talking about.

Who wants to be a Bubble'O Billionare?

Hi, here's a set of new ceramic sculptures called "My ideal Friday Night in", consisting of a banana Big M, a supermarket chocolate cake and Missy Higgins first album.

These works will be on display in a group show called Ceramics (now), curated by Mark Hetherington, opening tomorrow night at the Adelaide Perry gallery in Sydney. If you're in the area come say hello! 

In other news, this Thursday (September 20) the RMIT 3rd year artists are having a fundraiser exhibition. I donated this ceramic sculpture that I made back when I was at art school of a bitten Bubble'O Bill.

Bitten Bubble'O Bill. 12.5 x 6.5 x 2cm. Acrylic and wood on ceramic. 2013

100% of the money raised go towards the RMIT's upcoming Grad Show exhibition. If you're around Melbourne this Thursday evening come have a drink and pick up a bargain, (or if you're feeling generous, feel free to spend a bubble'o billion dollars!)

For more info click here!

In other news, the travelling exhibition I'm in Self Made: Artist books and zines, first shown last year at the State Library of Victoria, has just opened at the Murray Bridge Regional Gallery.

The show's on until October 21 and so if you're in Regional South Australia between now and then definitely check it out! I

Also in South Australia, the group exhibition 'Word' is still on until October 13 at Hugo Michell gallery.

Hugo Michell gallery is of course named after its wonderful gallery director Hugo Michell. Ha, not to be confused with Hugo and Michelle, as seen on the table reservation after the exhibition opening.

(This photo was taken by Jon + Campbell)

And lastly for today, the Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award is still on until October 19. 

Here's a photo of me with my sculpture 'Golden Gaytime', which I'm super stoked and proud to have selected as a finalist.

Photo credit- Emmy Clifton

Thanks heaps for reading, hope you're having a nice day and I'll leave you with some classic Missy.

Taking the weisy way out

Hi, here's a new ceramic sculpture I made for the upcoming fundraiser exhibition at Firstdraft gallery. After all, it's the Weist I can do.

The Firstdraft fundraiser is a great way to support this fantastic Sydney gallery, as well as the wider emerging arts community that it nurtures. The fundraiser exhibition is happening next Friday August 31, for more info click here.

In other exciting news, I'm thrilled to be taking some new work over to Adelaide next week for an upcoming group show at Hugo Michell Gallery.

The exhibition's called Word, and here's the full list of superstar artists I'm honoured to be exhibiting alongside;

Here's one of the new ceramic works I made for the show, titled Sulky-Boy. 

"Word" opens at Hugo Michell Gallery next Thursday August 30 and runs until October 13. For more info click here.

And in other exciting news, I'm extremely proud to share that my sculpture Golden Gaytime has been selected as a finalist in the upcoming Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award, open from September 5th to October 19.

The exhibition opening of the Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award is from 6-8pm on Tuesday September 4th. For more info click here.

And so yeah, hopefully see you at one of those exhibitions!

In the meantime though thanks so much for reading and I hope you've been having both a nice week, and a slice week. Here's a new ceramic sculpture I'm currently making of a vanilla slice.

At a floss for words

Hey, here's a new ceramic sculpture I made of the kids book, Tales from a Tall Forest, by the brilliant Australian comedian Shaun Micallef.

Acrylic on kiln fired ceramic. 20 x 21 x 25cm

I took the sculpture along to the book launch at the Sun bookshop in Yarraville where Micallef was kind enough to autograph it.

But what I liked even more than getting the sculpture signed was getting the chance to tell Micallef how much I love his tv show, Micallef Tonight, and that when I was in year 9 my best friend and I would always race home to watch it. 

Micallef replied quick as a beat, "Oh so you're the two people who watched the show", (referring to the fact that sadly the show was cancelled after just 13 episodes due to mysteriously poor ratings).

But it didn't matter because much like his fairy tale, Shaun's gone on to live happily ever after.

Photo by Claire Sullivan

And a little congrats is in order for Micallef's book, as last month it won an Australian Book Design Association award for Best Designed Children's Fiction Book.

And a worthy winner it is; as it's very beautifully designed, both to look at, but also to hold on long walks up a mountain.

What I mean by that is yesterday some friends and I did the Thousand Steps walking trail out in the Dandenong Ranges. Now sometimes when people do the Thousand Steps they carry weights with them for the extra challenge, but I decided to bring the sculpture.

Photo by Emmy Clifton

Micallef's fairy tale deals with some pretty heavy themes, but it's not just the themes that are heavy, the sculpture is too!

Nevertheless I made it to the top, and so here's a photo of the Tall Forest, pictured amongst a tall forest.

And so segueing nicely from fairy tales to fairy floss, here's a photo taken in front of my new mural, (aka. my newral).

Photo by Emmy Clifton

The photo just shows a tiny part of the mural though, come see the whole thing at Realm Artspace in Ringwood, alongside the 3 person exhibition I'm in with Carly Fisher and Nathan Taylor, on now until July 15. 

Click here for an article with more info on that.

Photo by Emily Jones

And in other exhibition news, I've got a couple of new pieces in a fun upcoming group show called Soft Toy City, opening this Wednesday night, June 13th, at Rubicon Gallery just up from the Queen Vic Market.

The show's curated by Melbourne based artist Tegan Iversen and features a huge lineup of artists, a few of them whose work I already know and love, such as Tai Snaith and Cat Rabbit, but also a lot of artists whose work I'm not yet familiar with which is really cool and exciting too!

Here's the flyer for the exhibition.

And so yeah, hopefully see you there, and in the meantime I hope you have a fairy nice long weekend!

Photo by Emmy Clifton