I won the Mary Katrantzou Illustration Competition (a while ago...)

 What a whirlwind year it has been! I love my blog but have kinda become a bit obsessed with my Facebook page of late :/ So thought I'd try and fit the last 6 months into the next month while I have a break in commissions and I'm away at MBFWA in Sydney! Again! 

So First: Exactly to the day six months ago, I was lying in bed reading a magazine with the cat and the boyfriend when I found out I won the Mary Katrantzou illustration competition! The prize? Tickets to her S/S 13 show in London as part of Fashion Week! So we booked flights first thing that Monday and flew out 3 weeks later (I held an exhibition in-between too but more on that later). It was incredible, beyond any fashion show I had ever experienced and I got to meet Mary (who was so lovely!) and her super clever team. Oh and got to go to the after party:) I will be be forever grateful for the opportunity, Mary's support and encouragement of creatives is wonderful and I will never ever forget that experience. Thankyou Mary and thankyou to everybody who voted for me!!!

'A is for Arizona'

My poor little under loved blog:( 

It's been all about my Facebook artist page lately! 

So I'll get everyone up to speed...I had an exhibition! "A is for Arizona" was an illustration exhibition featuring 'A-Z' of my favorite local and international runway and photographic models, some of them included Daga Ziober, Nimue Smit, Ruby-Jean Wilson and Zuzanna Bijoch. The exhibition opened on the 21st of June in the beautiful heritage buildings of 140 in the city. All works were 700mm x 1000mm and done in a mix of acrylic, charcoal, paint-pens and spray-paint on canvas. The amazing thing is that it was a sell out! The pieces went to some beautiful homes and I cant wait to see photos of where they live now:)

'A is for Arizona'

'D is for Daga'

'Ni s for Nimue'

'O is for Olga'

The Vogue Project pg 26-27

pages 26 & 27 (Undated again! Def 2008)

Burberry again! This one is a little more complicated than the last one, lots of detail and the pink paint scrapings only add to that I think! I love that nearly everyone is gazing at Kate or trying hard not to.

So it's been a month since I have posted anything! How naughty! Let me explain, I have 2 very big things coming up: My first solo exhibition of original fashion illustrations set to open on the 31st of May (more on that next week) and I also am of to Sydney tomorrow for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to attend as many shows as possible and draw my little heart out backstage, from the shows and from the streets. The lovely Style Voyeur has asked me to be the stand-in official blogger for Burberry's launch of it's new eyewear collection on the 4th, see keep a look out on her blog for my illustrated coverage!

To keep up with photos, illustrations and general fainting-over-fashion-celebrity sightings follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

The Vogue Project pg 24-25

pages 24 and 25 (undated! 2008 I think)

This one was when I had had enough of colour and painting but still wanted to do something colourful and painterly (go figure) so I went with my comfortable fall back: Lead pencil!

Adore kate in this campaign, well in anything really. She will always be my favorite. Which leads me to...Did you see my big announcement on my Facebook page?! I'm having an exhibition in two months! Head there now to read about it and see a tiny preview of whats to come.

 And stay tuned this week to see a big blog post about it!

The Vogue Project pages 22 & 23

page 22 and 23 (14/10/08)

The following page to Dolce & Gabbana. Sorry this one is a bit late, crazy deadlines this week! Cant wait to show you guys! But back to this, I think I prefer this weeks one from last weeks one. It's a bit of a challenge painting blurry shaking figures, and also painting men! The last man I painted was this one and the one before is probs from this ad which I had forgotten about!

And for those of you wondering how the project is progressing I have posted a lil update on my Facebook page:)

The Vogue Project pages 20 & 21

page 20 and 21 (08/10/08)

Wow, this one feels like aggggeeesssss ago! And there was a year gap between Chanel and this!

 Dolce & Gabbana's african inspired collection.

This was the first time I had used acrylics since high school/early art school. I remember it being a challenge. I tried so hard not to make it look like a high school art piece. The lettering was done with grease-proof kitchen paper cut out with a scalpel.

It's another 4 page spread so watch out for next Mondays installment!

Hop over to COLOSOUL for a lil interview with me;)

Louisa

                          Photo by Adam Borrello

Last month I got commissioned by a lovely lady who I had never met before to do a canvass of whatever I wanted in my style. So yeah, that's basically the best thing you can say to an artist as many of you would know. Complete freedom leads to 100% positive creativity. I wish I had her Bum!

Oh and check out this interview I did with the lovely Annette from Wellness WA on my beauty and wellness routine, you may even see a pic of me;)

Vogue Project page 6

 Page 6 Lancome

Page six out of the 332 pages! Drew Barrymore for Lancome. I did a better job on the left page (the one above) of the two page spread so I'm not showing you guys the other one! Cheeky!
BUT you can see the original image here if you are curious.
In other news I have had a week without internet, oh the pain!
That's why Facebook for mobile exists I suppose.

CQ Lines of Style Exhibition

This month I was asked to exhibit at Claremont Quarter in conjunction with Perth Fashion Festival alongside artist and close friend Anya Brock. We both have the same subject matter so the process was a quick but easy one. Organised in 3 weeks I had six 71 cm x 101 cm canvasses to order, paint and deliver! There was a small AM opening for press, CQ and PFF staff and they are up and for sale until Oct 6th. I'm equally obsessed with Daphne Groeneveld and Frida Gustavsson (top left & right).

And dont forget to visit my new catwalk illustration blog Sketch Show! And please FOLLOW! xpip

Louis Baxters

PHOTO: Andrew Baker
I had the fabulous opportunity of creating a mural for the opening of Subiaco cafe Louis Baxters last month. The cafe is owned by Eamon Sullivan and Laki Baker, Eamon had previously invested in some of my artwork and wanted me to create a unique artwork with a street feel, recognise the girl? I go there all the time now (is that narcissistic?) the coffee is amaze and the food just as good, try the lambwitch ;)

UPDATE: View an article/interview featuring more pics of the mural on The Velvet Bow.

Perth Fashion Festival

Wow, what a week! Perth Fashion Festival was amazing this year, well done to all involved. I was commissioned to do a mural on a big blank temporary (yep, it will be painted over) wall at the GPO where the free to the public parades were held. I was told the wall was 3.6m x 12 m, HUGE. So I did no planning and within 4 hours, multiple bottles of spray paint and no projector Nicole Trunfio was done!

Bjork

Ohhhh, ten days into the month and I'm only now doing my first post! Whoops! This is a commission I just finished for my lovely friend Adam. He wanted Bjork and was there anyother image to choose from really? I love this dress so much and while I was completing it found out she was dropping gold eggs on the red carpet, fabulous! Thanks Adam!

ELLERY Perth Trunk Show

Two whole months ago I was invited to do a mural for the ELLERY trunk show in Perth and just now I am posting, tsk tsk. I had the lovely Cheyne Tiller-Daly photograph it for me (now you all know what I look like too, eeek). Easily one of the best jobs (and nights!) I have had and so flattered Kym likes my work as much as I like hers. I drew three of my favorites from the night. See more photos from the event here and here.

399 Portraits #2

This is the second from the 399 Bar portraits. This is my favorite one because it has a darker more mysterious feel to it. It hasn't sold yet! Acrylic and paint pens on canvass.

399 Portraits

I was recently asked by 399 Bar, a lovely little place just down the street from me, to contribute four pieces to their walls. This one sold yesterday:) Definitely going to do some more like this! Acrylic, paint pens and spray paint on canvass, 61cm x 76cm

Isabeli Fontana

What to do for an old friend who recently moved into his very own bachelor pad and wants a piece for his wall? Super hot Isabeli Fontana of course! (with exaggerated 'boobage', his words, not mine). 1.6 x1.5M acrylic, paint pen and spray paint on canvass.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2010

Of the 16 pieces that were shown this was my favorite. The last pieces he ever laid hands on. Fortunately the label lives on. A gift for fabulous fashion writer Pip Christmass.
Iris Strubegger in Alexander McQueen, RTW Fall 2010, acrylic, pencil and pen on card.