Interview with Illustrator and Graphic Designer of 'Pack of Heroes' John D-C

What Is Pack Heroes? How have you been involved?

Pack of Heroes is an up-and-coming, action packed card game where players control a team of comic book superheroes and battle it out in a quest to gain control of Power City.

A little over a year ago my good friend and game designer Phil Walker-Harding from Adventureland games asked me whether I wanted to help him illustrate and work on the graphic design for his latest game, a superhero card game. This was pretty much my dream job. Phil really understood what he wanted the game to be and we were definitely on the same page about creating a fun group of brand new superheroes for the game. Phil set the scene with a few ideas for characters but was happy to let my imagination run wild.

Describe your illustration style and influences?

My illustrations are based around the many characters I create, they include the ever romantic Dorothy Dish and Edward Spoon, the hip shakin’ chain rattling Frankie, a pink fluffy monster with a sweet tooth for vinyl records, an attacking race of pizza slice aliens and now a pack of 30 brand new superheroes.

I have my own particular style of illustration, where I use a mix of traditional hand generated techniques as well as digital processes to achieve a 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s commercial illustrative feel. I like to fill my work with colourful pop culture references from comic books to album covers and movie posters to animation. 

I have been reading and collecting comic books for the past 25 years, it is one of my favorite hobbies. From the beginning of the Pack of Heroes project it was clear that we were looking for a fun and offbeat group of Superheroes to make the game enjoyable and accessible to a wide audience of people of all ages who aren't necessarily comic book fans. Here I decided to look back to the silver-age of comic book production for a little inspiration.

For a little bit of background, the silver-age of comic books spanned from about the mid 1950's until the 1970's. It left behind a lot of the gritty realism and propaganda seen in comic books of the World War II era (think of the early gangster crime and detective world of Batman, or the War efforts of Captain America) in exchange for more fun science fiction based story lines. This period saw the creative talent of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby help Marvel Comics take the spotlight with the creation of characters such as The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Ironman, Spider-Man and the X-Men, characters who were fun, new, exciting and well and truly fictional.

When it came to illustrating the game, I looked to the dynamic, poses and bold costumes created by illustrators such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Buscema, Sal Buscema and Herb Trimpe. Within the game each character is only shown once and the illustration had to clearly represent what the character is all about while also show off their powers at a glance.

What are some challenges you faced while working on 'Pack of Heroes'?

By far the biggest challenge I faced was the scope of this project, conceptualizing, sketching, refining and creating finished art for 30 new heroes is no mean feat and while I lost track of the actual time I spent on this project many times, I reckon It was somewhere around the 300 hour mark. A further challenge was really keeping continuity in the illustrations, how could a Humanoid Unicorn in a pair of rainbow metallic shorts and a Blind Female Superhero Judge carrying a giant gavel exist within the one game? It was all down to the illustration. I had to make sure each character worked on their own and together as part of the whole project, ensuring that my Illustration style didn’t change as the project moved forward. I overcame this challenge by making sure that my sketches were well and truly locked in before I began working on the finished artwork.

A further challenge was treading, a sometimes very fine line between referencing, acknowledging and parodying existing superheroes and popular culture to create something new, exciting and fun which appeals to a broad audience.

Illustrating a game is one thing but working on the graphic design for it is another thing entirely. It is quite tricky with usability and continuity definitely being the most important factors to consider. While working on the graphic design for the game I also really wanted to fill it with references to superhero comic book design, be it through layout, typography and logo or icon design.

What can people expect to see at the exhibition 'Pack of Heroes'?

The Exhibition is really the first public outing for Pack of Heroes as it now moves from its play-testing phase into its production stage. It will unveil the 30 brand new superhero characters that John D-C has illustrated for the game as well as featuring a behind the scenes look into the development process of the game.

The exhibition will allow you to meet the creators of the game and even have a play of it before its release!  It will also feature a few things created to help advertise Pack of Heroes, such as a promotional-viral video and a series of one-off action figures created by John D-C

Interview with creator of 'Creature Cravings' Julie Holmes

What is the concept behind your show?

There is something particularly special about glimpsing a bird of prey on the horizon or catching a rustling of leaves in the nearby bushes. 
I am a fauna fanatic and I know that not everyone would feel a sense of rapture like I do when I capture a glimpse of creature in my nearby vicinity.
 BUT they are there! Even if you don't know they are or choose to ignore them. 
In Janine Bourke's book 'Nest' she says "We tend to take birds for granted, in the landscape or in our neighbourhoods. The presence of birds communicates the health of a place. When they're gone, it's as though there's a hole in the sky, in the air, an absence of beauty and grace, and vivid chatter or haunting cries are replaced with eerie silence."
This is just a reminder, a gentle prod and peck….. You might even make a new friend of two…

What can people expect to see in your exhibition?

Prints, prints, PRINTS! 
Creature Cravings is a collection of Linocuts and Etchings with a little bit of Screen Printing, Bunting and Collage thrown in.

What inspires your work?

Anything from the natural world. Give me a cup of tea and a David Attenborough doco and I'm one contented little bird.
I live on the South Coast so walks on the beach are a good way to get out and have a break. There are a pair of White Bellied Sea Eagles that live nearby and no matter how lost or frustrated I feel with some work I'm doing they always make me feel better.

Looking at other artists' work always helps to think in a different way too. 
At the moment I've been looking at David Hockney's landscapes, Sally Mann's 'Deep South' photos and Ben Quilty's new paintings. But there are too many to name! 
For printmaking inspiration there is always Kiki Smith or William Kentridge and for drawing ideas there's Aida Tomescu, Anselm Keifer, Mike Parr…….the list goes on!

I read A LOT. Sometimes I read when I should be doing other things. I'm particularly good at procrastinating…….
I love Kids books from authors like Oliver Jeffers, Emily Gravett and Tove Jansson's Moomin books. They have a sense of humour and the drawings are fantastic. 
Fiction is important too. Sometimes a sentence or phrase can pop up that magically fits with what I'm thinking about in my work. Angela Carter, Gerald Durrell and Yann Martell are just a few names in a big pond!

Can you tell us a bit about the artistic processes you use to create your work?

I approach making an image in a very experimental way. I like to play with different materials and compositions as I put the plates down on the press just before printing. Sometimes I'll bolt out the door at the last minute to grab some gum leaves or plant matter to emboss or do a rubbing to collage on. I can get quite impatient so things happen very quickly and spontaneously. 
I am a bookish person (possibly an understatement….) and have a large collection of animal and bird books that I take images from for prints. I like cropping the creatures back so they are almost ambiguous, a peep hole into another world.

We realise that you have a fondness for animals, what draws you to capture them in art form... And do you give them names like pets?

I love animals. There are so many varied and wild creatures out there that sometimes we can find it hard to imagine they even exist. 
They teach us things about the world around us and are indications of how much things are changing in our environment. 
I use them as metaphors for the human condition, as reminders of the fragility and beauty of life.

I don't think of my creatures as pets, they are characters in their own right and naming them is the best part! Charles Dickens is always in the back of my mind - now there's a man who could name his characters! Polly Toodle, Pumblechook, Uriah Heep….They roll off your tongue. I always have to say them aloud to decide which name is best….Ms. Drusilla Duck, Mr. Eustace Hare, Mr. Reginald Badger, Miss Matilda Tawny Frog Mouth….
I'm interested in how we anthropomorphise animals, giving them human qualities and characteristics to understand and empathise with them. Language is the thing that separates us.

An exhibition celebrating Print Gocco, featuring many Australian artists who use the Gocco to create their work. 

What is Gocco?

A self-contained compact color printing system invented in 1977 by Noboru Hayama. It’s similar to screen printing, but in a mini form.

When: Saturday 23rd March – 16th April

Time: Official exhibition opening at 2pm, Saturday 23rd March

Location: Shop 4, 58-60 Carlton Crescent, Summer Hill NSW (Just opposite Summer Hill Station)

Demo: Print gocco demo 1.30pm, Saturday 6th April 

GOCCO ARTISTS 

Benconservato (NSW) is the alias of Emma Kidd an artist / illustrator. She has traveled and lived in Europe and a land of mythical animals. Her heart is still in both, despite loving being back in Australia. She encourages you to find your inner monster.

"I like the fact Gocco is accessible, compact and a little lo-fi, even if the later can drive you crazy if you had something else in mind."

Bubala (Jo Everett, NSW) Following a career in Graphic Design, and at home looking after her small children, Jo had extremely itchy feet for some hands-on creativity and starting creating personal and household items. This indulged her love of fabric, sewing and printmaking and also followed her philosophy that to live every day with things you love is good for the soul.

“Coming to Gocco after block and screen printing, I found it quite an unusual process but fun and inspiring. Gocco allows me to play with the precision of a computer generated design but with the feel of a hand made print, each one being slightly different - I love the fact that the Gocco process itself adds a little something of its own to your design: another dimension.  Added to that is the fact that you can print multiple copies really quickly and easily. Fantastic!”

Cat Rabbit (VIC) is a textile artist who predominantly creates anthropomorphised plush animals while imagining the worlds they might live in. Cat's practice is centred around the idea of making extraordinary objects out of humble materials. Working with soft sculpture and embroidery techniques, Cat creates one of a kind pieces for exhibitions, her online store and selected markets and retailers. 

Cat has created Owl Know How, a book for Children, with Isobel Knowles as well as being featured in many publications such as Frankie, Peppermint and Yen.

-- Gocco forever!

Do A bit (Lamina Godman, NSW) lives in lovely sunny Sydney, where she  indulges her passion (obsession) for screen printing textiles, sewing and her love for making beautiful handmade items. She believes there is nothing better than handmade and to "do a bit” creatively… everyday makes her one very happy lady!

"I love the rustic and slight imperfections that Gocco printing achieves, it's such a fun and inspiring way to print!"

Emma Simmons (Emmajane illustration, NSW) is an illustrator and graphic designer. As a compulsive collector of shapes, textures, patterns and fabrics, she has a huge source of inspiration to draw from, but she needs a bigger cupboard. Much of her work is collage based, she relishes getting away from the computer and doing things by hand. Interests and influences include: Art Deco, Nouveau, Monet, block printing, Poster art from the 20's through to the 50's.

"Gocco is an fun way to create on a small scale. It's a self contained mini form of screen printing, that will fit on your kitchen table. You can get some great and surprising effects by manipulating your paint colours and density." 

Ghost Patrol Works and lives in Melbourne Australia. A self taught artist, Ghostpatrol has moved from the field of stencil art to exhibit his drawing based creations worldwide. He currently resides in Melbourne at his ‘Mitten Fortress’ studio. His work ranges form fine ink drawing, street-art, commissioned murals and soft sculpture.

Ghostpatrol creates worlds. His ongoing exploration of hybrid animals and forests travels across mediums; from pasted posters to soft sculpture, watercolours and printmaking. His work often references childhood nostalgia and pop culture, with often quite sinister and playful undertones. From beginnings in stencil and street art, his current practice focuses on ambitious installation and painting projects.

John D-C (NSW) is a Graphic Artist and his creative projects are heavily influenced by his  many interests and hobbies. These usually include a healthy combination of Brick-A-Brack, Screen Printing, Rock & Roll Dancing, Blues Piano, Velvet Dinner Jackets, Art Deco Theatres, Record Shopping, The Creations Of Jim Henson, Ten Pin Bowling, The Hohner Harmonica, 1979 Bedford Short Wheel Based Vans, Print Gocco, Vintage Comic Books, White Elephant Stalls, Animation, Drive-in Movies and Cuba. 

"I first became aware of the Gocco via the failed Save Gocco campaign, and It was love at first sight. I couldn't believe such a wonderfully amazing machine actually existed and had existed since the 1970's in Japan. Gocco has quickly become my favorite creative medium and I tend to plan most of my illustrations around its low-fi idiosyncrasies. I love gocco prints, they are instantly recognisable and I feel that they have a beautiful old world charm about them, which is impossible to re-create in photoshop." 

Magic Jelly is South Australian artist and illustrator Karena Colquhoun. Both nostalgic and modern, her work mixes collage, printmaking, pencil and paint, with good old-fashioned digital technique. You will find her most days in her small home studio, listening to vintage radio plays and bebop, whilst playing with paper and ink.

"Those intriguing little ads in the back of comic books were an early obsession (I really wanted one of those coffin-shaped money boxes where a skeletal hand raked in your 10c pieces!). I loved the way ink & paper interacted - the way the ink bled & mingled with the cheap pulpy paper, the off-registration, the halftones - & that love of print stayed with me into adulthood, & made its way into my digital artwork, where I enjoy emulating print effects & textures. When I first set eyes on the Print Gocco in 2005 I couldn't believe that such a fantastic contraption actually existed - I couldn't wait to get my hands on one! I ended up buying four different models, my favourite being the classic light blue B6.

I love the fact that the Gocco was originally sold as a toy & has been appropriated by artists (like me) who love its low-tech charm. I love the fact that it makes small format prints & captures such fine detail. I love the unique quality of the prints themselves, kind of a cross between a screen print & a relief print. I love that fact that gocco is so accessible to anyone who wants to give printmaking a try - no need for a huge print shop (the kitchen table will do nicely!) or masses of cash. Most of all, I love the gocco's frustrating little idiosyncrasies that teach you to embrace imperfections as happy little accidents."




Meredith Walker-Harding is a part time puppeteer, tour organiser & ukelele player; full time tea drinker, pineapple enthusiast, crafter and sweet treat baker for Sprout & Bean catering.

Only a cute little japanese machine like the Gocco could turn my scratchy little sketch into a lovely, character-filled print! 



The Seven Seas is a multi disciplinary artist working with sculpture, illustration, installation and rap drawings. He spends the majority of his time cultivating his facial hair while watching cartoons and dreaming about expeditions through forests in far away lands in search of unknown creatures.

I hope Gocco will have a second wind and live a prosperous eternal life.

MOST 2013 - Artist Talk with Beth Taylor

Sweets Workshop is talking part in MOST 2013 (Marrickville Open Arts Trail), which is on this weekend, 9th - 10th March. 

This Saturday the MOST Artcycle is on, starting at Hollis Park and finishing in Summer Hill. We will be here at Sweets Workshop to greet all the cycling art lovers at the end of their tour with fabulous pieces by local and Australian artists. More information can be seen on the MOST Artcycle events here

On Sunday 10th March we will be presenting a special talk with Beth Taylor, the creator of 'Home' – an installation all about finding beauty in daily life. Beth will talk about the origin of her idea, why it's important to make art and how she fits it into her daily life as well as why she wanted to have a multimedia component to her show. www.home.wizzybliss.com

We will be open from 10am - 5.30pm on Saturday and 11am -4pm on Sunday, as part of the MOST 2013. We hope to see you over the weekend! 

Interview with Beth Taylor about her upcoming exhibition 'Home'

What's the concept behind your exhibition 'Home' 

It's a celebration of the comfort, inspiration, frustration, mess and happiness of home life. Like everything I do, it's about the beauty of the every day.

What can people expect to find in your show?

• A huge photo collage made up of about 1,000 photos taken over the past year in and around our house.
• Images of homing pigeons in flight around the room. (See below for the story behind this).
• A website with 'home' themed content made by myself and other artists and writers. There will be audio, video, photography and writing on there: home.wizzybliss.com

This video (below) shows a small sample of the photographs used in the exhibition. http://youtu.be/gSdA6sjpUyc

What inspired you to document home life?
The project started with a fortuitous meeting with some pigeons actually! I have always had a fascination with homing pigeons and there are quite a lot in the Inner West. I love watching them fly up and down in formation. One day I was out taking photos around our area and saw some pigeons flying around. A guy came up to me and asked me why I was photographing them. I said that I thought they were beautiful and he proudly told me they were his birds and asked me back to his place to take a closer look. While I was there he did another run of the birds and I was amazed at their grace and skill. They all moved as one, doing cool tricks in the air and then swooping back to earth. That morning I had been grumpy that it was an overcast day, meaning that the light was quite flat for photos, but the cloudcover made a huge light-box in the sky! I was so excited when I looked at the photos back at home. The pigeons (below) were luminous and inspiring.

I started thinking how I could turn these photos into an exhibition. I decided that a whole exhibition of pigeons wouldn't work, but what stuck with me was the way that even though the pigeons are free to leave, they always choose to go home. I found that really poignant, and I could identify with it. This inspired me to document my life in our home. A place I choose to return to again and again.

Up until having a child, home was a place I slept in and sometimes entertained in, but I didn't spend very much time there. I was either out working or socialising. But that's totally changed now - I rarely go out at night, and on the days I'm not working I spend a big chunk at home with Leo. It took me a long time to adjust to that life and enjoy it.



Photography had to be the medium because it's so fast and it's something my son lets me do while I'm with him. We both enjoy ourselves because taking photos makes me happy, and he loves to see them after I take them.

I've always been interested in the beauty of everyday things, and I find Leo's interest and enthusiasm for the world very inspiring. He is alive to the simplest beauty - whether it be a flash of light or a chalk mark on a brick wall. We enjoy doing craft together and that's often a process I photograph too.

I am a bit of a hoarder and I love making lists and categorising things, so documenting our lives really appealed to me.

I would be so happy if people who come to the exhibition went home and looked at some of the items they've seen a million times - like tangled cords and washing on the line - in a different way.


Did you learn anything about home life that took you by surprise?
I have learned:
I've grown up a lot but I'm still a big kid! When I was a teenager I used to cover my walls in images I liked (bands and singers, actors, pictures of animals and landscapes, tickets to concerts – pictured below), and this is actually turning out to be a lot like that. The big difference is that I've taken the images myself. 

I'm naturally messy but I don't like other people's mess - which is very unfair of me! As a mum it's expected that you keep your house clean and tidy and I have times where I freak out about the state of the house with a pre-schooler effortlessly wrecking the joint. I used these photographs as a way of reminding myself that good enough is good enough and perfection is not only empty but unattainable. A couple of times I moved something to try and get a better photo, or wiped away some dust, and I just couldn't use those photos in the end because they didn't ring true.

We have a lot of cords! Rechargers, power cords, earphones and file transfer cables - you name it. They are everywhere, and people usually hide that sort of thing when they take photographs of their homes. I'm embracing them as beautiful objects.

I really love colour and pattern and light and flowers and my loved one's faces.They put a song in my heart.

You have created a multimedia exhibition, can you tell us about the different approaches you have taken and why? (Photography, collage, digital)
My last exhibition at Sweets was a sculptural interpretation of the solar system made out of melted breadtags. Where do you go from there?!

Growing up, photography was the first art practice that totally made sense to me. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a documentary photographer, and then I discovered documentary film at uni and was convinced that was my calling. But after following my dream for a while, I ended up coming back to photography, which was a much more inexpensive medium, and something I could do on my own with what little spare time I had. Its immediacy is incredible.

This exhibition combines all my interests: documentary photography, collecting and classifying things, installation work (which I find more submersive for an audience), writing, audio and video production and multimedia and web design (I work in multimedia), and collage (much like with the breadtags - the process is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle - it's quite meditative). Appropriately enough, creating this work has been like coming home.

Christmas Market

We've got that Christmassy feeling, the tree is up and we have loads of gift ideas in stock for Christmas. 

More works from artists such as:

John D-C, Emma Simmons, Emma Kidd, Herbert & Friends, Meredith Walker-Harding, Melissa Hartley, Jo Everett, Me & Tex and Do A Bit.

At Sweets Workshop we've had a busy few months producing our new Food Fight calendar for 2013, launched a new range of Christmas card designs and (a shop favourite) the Summer Hill map tote bag. Also new to Sweets Workshop are men's and women's T-shirts, designed by John D-C, made and screen printed in Australia. 

Sweets is introducing new frames for our artwork which are carbon neutral and produced by Corban & Blair up the road in Lewisham. 

Snack Attack Artists & Writers Announced!

John D-C 

John Debono-Cullen is a graphic artist & his creative projects are heavily influenced by his many interests & hobbies. These usually include a healthy combination of bric-a-brac, screen printing, rock & roll dancing, blues piano, velvet dinner jackets, art deco theatres, record shopping, the creations of Jim Henson, ten pin bowling, the hohner harmonica, 1979 bedford short wheel based vans, print gocco, vintage comic books, white elephant stalls, animation, drive-in movies & Cuba.

Emmajane illustration 

Emma Simmons is an illustrator & graphic designer. As a compulsive collector of shapes, textures, patterns & fabrics, I have a huge source of inspiration to draw from – but I need a bigger cupboard. Much of my work is collage based, I relish getting away from the computer and doing things by hand. 

Amanda Kelshaw

Happiest when trawling through mint condition, vintage magazine finds and serendipitously stumbling upon the twee, the typographical and other word meets design jackpots from original sources. This fine tooth comb is Robert Rauschenberg meets Nigella Lawson at a mid-century soirée.

Anais Taylor 

Anais Taylor is a designer & illustrator inspired by nature and her local farmers markets. She aims to create art to inspire people to live more seasonally and sustainably. 

Benconservato 

Emma Kidd works in a room of black painted paper, paint, metal brads & disjointed limbs. Full pieces of paper & scraps litter most surfaces in her flat (she even finds paper pieces in bed). She carefully creates each body, feather & expression, then pieces them together to create creatures that wriggle & dance.  

Bev Malzard 

Bev Malzard is a woman of significant age. For decades, even before the new millennium, she has worked as a journo, mainly in travel writing. In her journeys she has always been on the lookout for great food. She eats it, photographs it and writes about it. Sweet and savoury: but sweet wins her heart every time – she thinks there should be a little sugar in everyone’s life. 

Bonnie Boogaard 

I see that different foods like different people each have their own personality. I like to create situations involving these food characters that are humorous and relatable. I have been working with food in my art for the last 3 years in both watercolour & sculpture. Food is a great passion of mine, as well as an easily relatable subject for the public. 

Carmen Hui
Carmen Hui is an illustrator/graphic designer from Sydney's Inner West. With a compulsive obsession to document and illustrate everything around her, Carmen attempts to shine a new light on what most people over look and consider ordinary.

Dawn Tan 

With an immense love for food, Melbourne artist & illustrator Dawn Tan creates art inspired by all things delicious. Her work has been featured in magazines & publications such as Frankie Magazine, Yen Magazine and InsideOut and on notable blogs such as The Design Files, Finders Keepers Blog and Desktop Magazine. Ranging from giant food sculptures, to meaty pillowcases, ice cream softies, recipe paintings & even melamine wares; Dawn is unstoppable when it comes to dreaming & whipping up food inspired art! 

Fiona Roderick 

I am a printmaker, usually creating prints of the harbour & flora and fauna, but have been drawn to collage recently; strangely as much as I am drawn to dark chocolate. So a collage using chocolate wrappers was the perfect combination. 

Genevieve Carr & David Graham 

David Graham & Genevieve Carr are a Newcastle and Summer Hill based couple. Their work is a collaboration between David’s writing and Genevieve’s visual art which capture an absurd & surreal vision of the world. Currently completing an honours in Arts & Fine Art respectively they intend to continue working together in 2013 in a series of different formats. 

Herbert & Friends 

Herbert & Friends is a Sydney based softie label created by artist Torunn Higgins. Combining her love of nature, fabric and design, Torunn’s creations take on a life of their own. Her range of softies brings together an odd collection of friends, from turtles to alpacas & anteaters. These quirky characters get up to all kinds of mischief & each one comes with a little account of their latest adventure. The creatures are handmade using recycled felt, up-cycled & new cotton fabrics.

Kate Allan

Vegetarian. Cat lover. Baker. Sewer. When she’s not being Mrs Sprout of Sprout & Bean catering, Kate is looking after her handyman husband & several furry & feathered kids in a rust coloured cottage on top of a mountain. If she’s not busy in the garden growing beans, she’s wielding a knife in the kitchen murdering carrots. 

Lily Edelstein

I’m a 16 year old living in Haberfield, gradually filling my family home with zombies, vampires & morbid imagery. I have a tendency to describe skulls & bats as adorable, & to give impromptu lectures on issues surrounding gender. Teenage goth I may be, using my interests to represent themes I have opinions on: inequality, ignorance, selfishness and materialism frequent my creations. 

Mahani Del Borrello 

With a background in graphic design & photography, Mahani is used to creating artwork with the aid of machines. Feeling nostalgic for a simpler life & with a desire to add more hand-crafted elements to her work, Mahani has begun experimenting with illustration and various printing techniques. Mahani is currently studying printmaking at COFA & aims to incorporate her love of design & photography into her prints. 

Meredith Walker-Harding
Part time puppeteer, tour organiser & ukelele player; full time tea drinker, pineapple enthusiast, crafter & sweet treat baker for Sprout & Bean catering.

Narelle Adair Coxhead

I’m a freelance designer and illustrator who lives in the Inner West. I like working both by hand and with my trusty old Mac. For some years I've participated in print portfolio exchanges and group exhibitions with digital works, but this year I’ve done some workshops in traditional printmaking and hope to build on these skills. I’ve worked as a graphic artist/illustrator and studied both visual arts and textile design. My current interests include retro fabrics, 1950’s design; the Paisley motif and the textural possibilities of monotypes. A fan of the still-life genre, I’m fascinated by the strange Dutch Vanitas paintings of the 17^th century. 

Nia May

My papercuts illustrate a curious, two-dimensional world foxes, teapots, skeletons, birds & little girls lost. There are no brushstrokes or subtle distinctions of tone & shade in this place – only the edge the scalpel creates – evoking a benign kind of humour & wistfulness for the folly and fantasy of childhood. I make them by using a sharp knife while drinking lots of tea; and my house is often filled with confetti.

Sheree Evelina 
Sheree Evelina is a brand designer and illustrator with a passion for drawing black & white pencil sketches: while sitting in her sunny room in the attic beside her monkey toy; chatting with people in the park/café and munching on her favourite snack, muesli with yogurt. She feels happiest when creating illustrations that tell stories and make people smile.

Shiztastic
I am Katy Dee and I'm a human magpie, if I were a bird I would live in a nest the size of the moon. I love to collect, stamp, mix, stick and sew to create handmade eclectic shiz. I love nothing more than to rummage in an op-shop to find old and special things to make into something new. I wish they could tell us their story, where they have been and what they have seen. Using a mixture of new and found things I mix it all up to make a shiztastical item...whether it be jewellery, homeware or a soft furnishing.

Why Not James
The story of Why Not James is true in my mind, I remember being told many years ago that my naming was left right up to when the last minute was called. I imagine this, the moment my parents said Why not James? Why Not James, for everyone deserves their 15 minutes of fame.