Remembering Chubby Bunny

Fifteen years ago, my sister and I walked into the Cat Haven in Shenton Park, Perth. I was in my final year of university and was looking for my first cat as an adult. Unable to make a decision, Kerriann made one for me. She chose a two-year-old tabby-and-white male with beautiful green, kohl-lined eyes — like an Egyptian god.

Abused and with spine-damage from a hefty kick, Chubby Bunny was understandably timid. In fact, he spent his first week hiding in the cupboard under the laundry tub. Four months later, he let me touch him for the first time.

With time and patience, Chubby Bunny changed. At first, we developed an “understanding” — we could sit in the same room as long as I didn’t try to get cuddly. Then he started sitting close enough to casually make sure a single paw touched me. In his last few years, he chirruped “hello” every morning, loved having his back and ears scratched, and started showing affection by pressing his forehead against mine.

Chubby Bunny was certainly not a “normal” cat. I like to think of him as an olive. By itself, an olive is hard and bitter. But with careful preparation and marinating, it’s delectable.

When Chubby Bunny died gracefully of old age a few months ago, Justin and I thought we’d never find anyone sassy and demanding enough to replace him. That was before we met a little blue banshee named Violet….

Betty and Bob Swing It

Betty Swings It

Bob Swings It

After late nights and plenty of stress, here they are: Betty and Bob swing dancing their way through 1950s gender roles.

I started work on this duo with little idea of how they would visually pull together — I simply had the original photos, which I took at a swing dancing display last year, and a pile of vintage ephemera.

So, after much experimentation, here's what I did....

Betty Swings It
Sandpaper and photos ... sigh, what a blissful combination. I love the mix of sepia, age and focus this technique gives. I used a book-making awl to scratch outlines of the windows and shoes (that's the yellow you can just see ... obviously, the detail is much clearer in the 50.8cm x 29.51cm prints) and added a few coloured highlights with Sakura's soufflé pens. I actually only just discovered these pens while working on this project — they adhere perfectly to photos.

I did quite a bit of research into 1950s motifs, colours and "things". For instance, Betty follows trends with a flower in her hair, coloured and diamonte-studded glasses, and cherries on her shoes.

I scanned this handiwork and added the cover from a 1955 cooking calendar, a cat from a vintage button packet, a princess from a vintage book of fairy tales and few words about Betty, including that she bakes chiffon cake. Did you know this cake was big in the 1950s? It uses whipped egg whites and oil for a light, moist result. Even better, it doesn't dry out as fast as other cakes and retains it's fluffy texture when refridgerated.

Bob Swings It
I altered Bob's image using similar techniques to Betty's. However, instead of sanding, I experimented for the first time with a 50/50 solution of bleach and water. It looks like he's on fire!

Finding vintage ephemera related to men was much harder. Fortunately, I found a copy of The Motor magazine from 1956 at the last moment and picked up a pulp cowboy book (which I'm now reading!). I also called my dad and discovered beagles were a common motif. Note that Bob smokes Chesterfields like Cary Grant — so many movies stars advertised cigarettes in the 1950s that I had my pick of famous names. Naturally, I picked my personal favourite.

So here they are. After way too much hard work, I look forward to having a glass of champage with Betty and Bob at the exhibition opening on Thursday.

Body Moves: I'm Invited

How exciting ... I've just received the invitation to the opening of the "Body Moves" exhibition and it features one of my pictures!

I'll post both images for real tomorrow. I have to dash now as I've got a Valentine's Day date with Justin, two brother-in-laws and an almost sister-in-law. Not the most romantic of outings, I know, but Justin bought me two plush pink pigs, which makes up for it. He knows I'd love real pigs one day — in the meantime, "Pinky" and "Perky" (named after the pigs in The Good Life) can live on our bed, safe in the knowledge they'll never end up at the butcher!

Sweet Pineapple Buttons

Gasp! This junk store-obsessed soul actually bought something new.

I found these darling pineapple buttons at Spotlight last week and have already used one in a collage. They make me think of summer holidays at the beach and fruity cocktails.

Long live maker Beutron, which obviously has a sense of whimsy, humour and kitsch.

More Moving Bodies

Original Image

I’m exhausted after staying up until 3am to finish the final of two photomontages to be exhibited in New Works’ “Body Moves” show. After a cloudless day, I finished up to the patter of rain on the concrete path outside my study window. How beautiful — I wonder if anyone else in Yass was awake.

The night may have been long, but it was also fun. I gave vintage sports cars fairy floss colours (mint, pink and yellow), made music notes look like they’re on fire, and experimented with painting a photo with bleach.

Both works are due at the gallery on Friday. Justin is picking them up from the lab in his lunch break today and taking them to be framed. As usual, I’m running right down to the wire!

Anyway, here’s another preview….

After

Cool Cat Buttons

Like so many junk store fans, I can't resist a good fossick through a pile of buttons. Last week, however, I found the packaging more interesting than the baubles.

This cute cat on a flamingo pink background comes from Korbond's self-cover buttons (the company still makes haberdashery today). She looks like quite the vixen and I love the leopard-style detail on the right. I used a palette knife to coat her with a mix of gesso and moulding paste for a little something extra.

I've already used a scan of her in a digital photomontage and am sure she'll enjoy many more lives in my artwork. As for the buttons, I'm tempted to cover them in vintage fabric and attach to hair clips.

Snippets of Moving Bodies

Original Image

One of my (few) goals this year is to propel my artistic development by exhibiting more. Well, I'm off to an excellent start with my first group exhibition of 2008 at New Works — Canberra's latest contemporary art gallery — opening on Thursday 21 February.

"Body Moves" is about human physicality, including dance, exercise and sport. I'm contributing two digital photomontages that mix recent images of swing dancing with vintage 1950s ephemera. The end result is a bright and quirky comment on male and female roles in the past.

I haven't finished the works, but can't resist sharing a sneak peek. Inspired by Karen Michel's techniques in the off-beat The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery, I've whipped out the sandpaper and soufflé markers and had a good scribble and gouge over photographs I took at a swing dance demonstration late last year. I've overlaid these in Photoshop with some fun printed material, including a cooking calendar from 1955 (featuring the most sumptuous-looking cup cakes) and illustrations from an old book of fairy tales.

After Hours of Work!

I must confess that I'm not sure how visually appealing I find the results, but the process was certainly enjoyable. I'll post the final images when they're finished.