ERINN LOUISE

TEXTILES / GRAPHICS / PAINTING /PHOTOGRAPHY / SILLYNESS

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Wow! So amazing!!

[erinnlouise1]

Goodbye 2015!

Wow, the end of 2015 just whooshed past me, quite a bit has happened in the last 3 months! The first month back from the big trip was pretty slow freelance wise and I focused on figuring out my range and just having a play with techniques again, but then everything likes to happen at once, a per usual and a bunch of jobs came through!

While everything was still slow in October I thought it best to get a retail job so I knew for sure I could pay rent, both home and studio. Luckily Green Horse were kind enough to take me on board and it's been really fun getting to know everyone involved with the store and meeting the suppliers and customers who share their ethical, organic, sustainable way of living AND it's only a 10 minute walk from home! It has really made me take action with parts of my life and the way I consume. Meat was the first to go and it's been really good, I don't lament over not being able to have certain things on the menu and we have allowed ourselves (the bf and I) to have meat once a month if we really crave it. The other aspect is clothing, I absolutely love the brands that Green Horse has, we even ended up getting in some Tara Whalley who I featured in my first blog post! But at this stage in my 'career' there is no way I can afford these clothes, so it's recycled from op shops or make it myself and try not to get sick of what I have!

While I was getting a handle on Green Horse a friend recommended me for a job designing fabric for yoga mat bags and bolsters, at the same time Ziporah was keen to get started on their next towel range AND Little Linen needed a little help finalising a range under the pump! Luckily we didn't have any plans to go away over christmas or New Years but I was also being rostered on a lot to work extra hours at Green Horse too. I won't lie the stress did get to me and I was suffering extremely bad tension headaches from clenching my jaw in my sleep, blerg, BUT I managed to get everything done just before Christmas (well when I say everything I mean what needed to be done and some of it will be picked up again this year). Since then I have kind of been on an extended holiday since then...

I definitely am picking the date though. 1st of Feb I will be back in that studio full time, Woo!

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B&W Snakes ✍🏻🐍🏁 #erinnlouise

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🎨 having fun in the studio today! #erinnlouise #freelancelife #melbournelife

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Pea love!! 😁 #strayamate

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Feels so good. 🙏🏻

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Native flowers and rose for that homely camp feel. 🌺🌼⛺️

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Crossing Borders. One foot in SA the other in the NT 👍🏻 #aussiemate

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Having some jungle fun at the studio today! 🌿🍃🌍 #erinnlouise #Pantonemarkers #jungleboogy #textiledesign

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Beetle Bugs 🐛🐜🐝🐞

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Colour fun. 🍥

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Dinosaurs are for girls too!

I've been having a little fun with some Pantone markers. I love the colours, texture and the ability to blend together so well, they make it easy to get a watercolour-ish looking motif quickly without having to use paints.

Below doesn't feature any blending but does include some pretty cute dinosaurs!

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Rainforest Friends

As a kid I grew up spending a lot of time in our lagoon surrounded by native animals, birds, bugs, snakes and all! I learnt a lot about the native birdlife from my Dad and have always had an adoration for the feathered kind. When I was about 9 we went on a family holiday to visit my Nanna and Granddad (pictured below), they had bought land in Ravenshoe QLD and all the children and grandchildren visited at once. It was a very memorable time and I'm so glad we did it, many of the stories still come out today any time we have a family catch up and we reminisce about Granddad who passed away almost 10 years ago now.

During the trip Dad, Nanna and Granddad took us on many bush walks whether it was just on their property, around Lake Eacham (postcard below) or to The Daintree I fondly remember the lushes rainforest and brightly coloured birds and flowers.

Growing up and living in the tropics, has really influenced my love of colour and my Mum especially has always been very bold when it comes to clothing and decorating. So I think for one of my first designs in the new range I'd love to draw on the flora and fauna of QLD and my love for colour! The hard part is HOW do I want to execute?

Something I find that is really necessary but also frustrating is looking at other artists and designers. I get an overwhelming sense of 'ohhhhhh I wish I came up with that' or 'I wish I could be awesome like that'. But what it really comes down to is playing with your own skills and style and utelising your own strengths. I have a pretty naive drawing style which has taken me many years to feel happy about, I CAN do many styles of drawing so how do you choose which one to go with? I usually draw in illustrator, it's quick and easy and there is a command+Z to erase mistakes! But now that I'm working for myself and trying to enjoy the process of creating I think I owe it to myself and my skills to draw and paint and colour the proper way.

Here's a little Crested Pigeon guy, who is native and pretty much lives everywhere is Aus, I bet you've seen one! I think I'm happy with this style... hand drawn and dodgy, coloured in with Pantones markers.

But then here's a Kookaburra (not finished) drawn in illustrator... hmmm... maybe if I make it more paper cut out looking?

A lot of the hand-drawn detail may get lost on the product I plan to create, but there will be options I'm sure. So I think I will stick to the hand drawn style and enjoy drawing some delightful birds. I may be crazy, but I tend to make up little stories in my head about them and give them human names and characteristics while I do it. ;)

All the fun!

[erinnlouise1]

Story Time

I am a bit of a procrastinator and let's face it, I'm also pretty non-committal when it comes to creating designs/art for my own enjoyment (or business) which is pretty bizarre considering I have decided to work for myself (count down 6 weeks! GAH!) So I'm going to try a different process...

At university you have to have a reason for everything you do, colour, technique, style, you need to explain it's purpose and who would buy or enjoy what your creating. In contrast in a work environment, whether it's a large company and your just being handed a direct brief for a specific print needed, or in a smaller company where you may be part of the actual design development you still never have the luxury of time to formulate and resolve before you begin.

I've come to realise the one project at uni I enjoyed the most was when I took a fun experience - visiting the Melbourne Aquarium, where I took a million photos of fish and coral and sharks and stingrays (my favourite were the jellyfish) and used that as inspiration to create fishy characters in a weird mixed up Melbourne inspired world. Lets just say it's a bit dated and I was only 21, so don't laugh but here are some examples...

Ok so enough rambling...

THE PLAN - I'm going to base my ideas for designs from events, stories or memories (ESM). I'm hoping this way I will become more attached to the process and outcomes and actually follow through with them to a final product. This will then be a way to share the ESM with the others who were there, or anybody really! and hopefully if they learn the back story they feel embraced by it and the product too!

Oh, if your interested here is how 21 year old Erinn envisioned the above prints being utilised...

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#100sand1000scake #30thbirthdaycake 🍰👏🏻😜

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For those who have fallen

I'm not an exceptional green thumb, but what I lack in skill I think I make up for in enthusiasm. I am however rather skilled at murdering indoor plants, especially ferns. So here is a little guy who lived a little while, I painted him and then he was gone.

I'm sorry. I miss you little guy.

x

[erinnlouise1]

Playing with colours 🌈