| Photo crazy |

I made a packed with myself earlier in the year, that this summer I’d take more photographs. I’ve always loved the idea of taking up photography as a hobby but, I’ve always found it quite intimidating and it’s certainly not as easy as it looks, which has also been a massive deterrent. But, in the last months I’ve found time and mustered up some unexpected confidence to snap a few things. I even ordered a toy camera from ebay it’s a Holga 135BC. It’s cheap, plasticy and reminds my of something you’d get in a show bag – it even rattles, I’m pretty sure it’s not suppose to. Yesterday, I got film for my new camera. Now I’m all set for the summer fun times and if all goes well, the next purchase will be a Olympus Trip 35 and then a real camera for my birthday.

Above is the beginnings of a small personal project. Basically, the idea is to snap pics of the local friendly cats I pass on my way home or to my studio – pretty simple. I thought it best to start small. Although, the first image I can’t really count as that’s my cat. But I just think it’s the best picture I’ve taken all year.

Tom, myself and the rest of the family went away last weekend for my sisters wedding. The wedding was held at Tarraleah lodge – which is about a 2 hour drive north – west of Hobart. We stayed at the logde for 2 nights which was amazing. The day of the wedding we went for a short walk in the wilderness. These are the snaps I took while we were walking. I hope to share some of the photographers pics (the lovely Sean Fennessy, snaps) of the ceremony once my sister receives them.

| Other News |

I’m excited to share that, I now have A3 size prints in my etsy store. At the moment there are selected open edition prints, I will be expanding on the range in the not so distant year of 2012. If there is a particular birdie you’d like at a larger size please feel free to contact me at  – hello[at]beth-emily.com
please remember to replace the [at] with the standard @
*The birdies look amazing at this size.

Click here to go to my etsy shop!

I’ve also veeerrryyy slowly been rebranding. I feel my illustrations have out grown my previous brand. So it’s time to shed the old and bring in the new. My website at this stage has only received a minor makeover – new images and new works have been uploaded to share with the world.
See for yourself. It’s all a bit of a WIP at the moment. There will be more to show in the early months of next year. Stay tuned.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend – mine was spent pulling out weeds of your garden, I’ve got now got matching cuts and blisters. I also got the opportunity to play in the sun with fellow talented creative, Megan Perkins.

x BE

Thank you to everyone that came by my stall at the October Bowerbird Bazaar Markets. It was a super great market and I met some really great people even if it was a brief introduction, Megan Dell and Dawn Tan were among a few of the happy faces I met.

Jim Darling – Amazing art works.

Bears!

The most important thing ‘Do what you love doing‘

Starry Night Sky.

Don’t stare at it for to long.

Admiring the craftsmanship in this here hair – so intricate!

| Visions of Earth |

National Geographic

Each month for the past 6 years National Geographic magazine has featured the most amazing photographs, in their magazine and on their website. The photos are apart of a series, Visions of Earth. Here are some of my favourites from the series that have been taken over the years. I’ve also included the original words, as they help with the storytelling of the image. – AMAZING!!!

Tanzania—After two weeks of in-mouth incubation, a school of perhaps 200 cichlid fry—each less than half an inch long—swim free of their mother, searching for a plankton meal in the cerulean waters of Lake Tanganyika.

Belarus—Naked on an 18°F day, Valentsin Tolkachev clears an icy canal for swimming. The 69-year-old started the Optimalists—a Minsk-based club with 200-some members—in 1989 to promote hale activities in rural settings.

Indonesia—See dusk in the Dampier Strait through a half-submerged lens and glimpse two distinct worlds. Under a cloud-slung sky, fishermen work on wooden boats. Beneath a mirror-calm surface, waters flash with baitfish.

Zambia—A lone bull elephant breakfasts at first light near the precipice of Victoria Falls. With the Zambezi River near its seasonal ebb, once submerged walkways—and fresh foraging possibilities—present themselves.

Kenya—Aimed skyward from photos atop a train, the eyes of women pierce a rooftop landscape in Nairobi’s Kibera slum. The display, part of a global art project, paid tribute to women from Africa, Brazil, India, and Cambodia.

United States—Seen from a satellite, the 2,600-acre “boneyard”—a 64-year-old depot at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, in Tucson, Arizona—looks like parchment lined with toy planes. The site stores some 4,000 aircraft.

United States—Like a glass sculpture forged in the Pacific’s eternal churn, a four-foot-tall backwash splash—the result of two waves colliding in the shallows near Kaena Point on Oahu, Hawaii—refracts the saturated glow of dawn.

South Africa—Green tree pythons coil when comfortable. Though this snake is a pet in Pretoria, the species is native to northern Australia and New Guinea. In the wild its coloration lends cover for a life spent mostly in trees.

New York City—Secret prize on the urban game board, a miniature garden brightens a Rockefeller Center rooftop seven stories above midtown traffic. Four gardeners labor eight hours a week to keep its lawn and hedges trim.

Weslaco, Texas—Ruffled, tiaraed, and manicured, twins Vanessa and Veronica Del Toro wait to leave for their quinceañera reception—the 15th-birthday party that, in Latino culture, marks their coming of age.

Magical ride

This pic makes me miss the ocean.

Balancing act!  It’s exactly how I feel at the moment. I’m feeling the pressure of looming deadlines, while trying to juggle new projects. All while, attempting to create new directions and inspiration for my own personal works. It’s been a challenging few months. But, as challenging as I have found this last month, I’m feeling a little sparkle slowly return and I’m itching to find the right balance between commission work and creative personal work.

Because, I thought I did such a good job of surviving last month. I decided to treat myself and buy some second hand leather goodies. These two skirts are new additions to my wardrobe. I’m not sold that I can pull off a long leather skirt, but you only live once.

| Keeping  inspired |

Colourful mountain scape.

Amazing gold hairdo.

Something (very) old something new – Found here.

I want to draw this – Found here.

Some of the things I have been working on for clients over the last month… Many more to come!

Looking forward to sharing what there for very soon!

Lately, I’ve been trying to clear my mind to allow room for new direction for my illustration work.
Here’s some images I found on my journey.

found here

Geometic mountains

found here

Roooaaarrr!

Sleepy Servals
Exactly how I feel today.

| Pretty Things |

found here

found here

found here

found here

| Sublime Nature |

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

found here

sublime – of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe.

It’s SPRING yay!
| Inspiration |

Kingfisher image found here.
How amazing is this photo! It takes my breath away every time I look at it.

Image found here.

Image found here.

| Ninny & Theo |

Ninny is my cat, she’s the one on the left.
Theo is my partners sisters cat and obviously the cat on the right.
They’ve been friends lately which, is a nice change from them trying to claw each other.
I found them earlier this week talking to each other through the window. I think this means there official friends or something like that.

| New Illustration |

I finished this image last month and thought that I should at least show it to the world.
I’m hoping to use this little illo for something later on down the line,
but it’s a bit of a secret at the moment and very much a work in progress so watch this space.

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with embroidery and thought it was about time that I gave it a go.
They’re so much fun to do but I think it’s very much a hobby for me.

| Exciting Things |

You can’t imagine how excited I was to see one of my birdies in the September/October 2011 issue of Inside Out Mag.
The talented Glen Proebstel (Styling) & Sharyn Cairns (Photography) teamed up to do the photoshoot and styling for the fearture.
You should definitely take the time to have a look at both of their websites, they have some very impressive works which are very inspiring!

If your in Melbourne and you have some spare time come and see my store at the Design Made Trade market. The ‘trade’ side of the market is happening right now and finishes tomorrow. So if your an design entrepreneur come and see the wonderful wares on display. Otherwise it’s open to everyone from Saturday to Sunday 10am-5pm.

I was lucky enough to sneak away and have a look around this morning – Wow! there are some talented people out there. Here are some of my favourites just from my quick look around:

Right next door to my stall is the lovely Jessie Fairweather of Foundry. Her work is superb!

The wonderful Ink & Spindle who I met at Bowerbird earlier this year. Love their beautiful textiles!

Tom & I spent a little time over talking and being entertained by the troops at Shillington College. They even got us to confront our inner typeface by scrawling on an awesome carrier satchel – we got to keep it :)

I’m fortunate enough to look at Ari Prasetya’s inspirational reclaimed and rebuilt furniture from behind my storefront. Such beautiful work.

I loved Mrs Fairweather’s submission in the Treadlie bicycle exhibition. Look at those custom mud guards – epic!

Come and enjoy the market. Hope to see you there (here)! x