Category Archives: snails

My first solo art exhibition

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My first solo art exhibition. It is small but it is all mine.L1100034

My local East Melbourne Library provides display cabinets for residents to book for a month at a time for exhibitions. With the encouragement of friends, I booked a space for August. Then, with the incredible guidance and assistance of my good friend Louise, (curator and exhibition designer) we planned and then set up my display.

THE PLANNING

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This took many hours and the time that we spent planning paid off.   I learnt that there is a lot involved in finding a theme, keeping focus and using the space of the  glass cubes that make up the cabinets. I cut 12 squares of 30 x 30 cm paper (the number and size of each shelf) and spread them out over the floor at home . I then decided what should be placed in each shelf. We took it all down to the library last Saturday, making slight alterations on the day .

All along, I had visualised how I wanted my feather and nests sketches to be exhibited, and the final display exceeded all of my expectations.

The theme of the exhibition was based around the drawings I have had printed as Greeting Cards and envelopes (which are available for sale on my Etsy site). They include feathers, nests, library books and ladders and snails.

BOOKS

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There is one display cabinet featuring library books and ladders.

I tried to add as many relevant sketchbooks as possible to the display as well as the finished drawings  on loose sheets of A4 paper as I am really a sketchbook artist.


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FEATHERS, NESTS AND SNAILS

I also wanted to include some of the original objects that the drawings were inspired by.

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I have already received some lovely feedback from the library staff.

I hope that you have enjoyed strolling through my first solo exhibition with me today. It is very big event for me and I very proud of my exhibition.

a snails journey to Uppercase

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My copy of the July edition Uppercase Magazine arrived in the mail this week. I knew that two  of my drawings had been accepted to be published in this “Stamp” issue and I had seen a low res online version. (Read about it here http://www.alissaduke.com/2015/06/my-snail-mail-in-uppercase-on-etsy.html from a few weeks ago.)

I watched over the past two weeks as people in various countries around the world received their copies. They tweeted, instagrammed and facebooked their joy and excitement. And now I can join in. I hold my copy of Uppercase in my hands and savour each wonderful article. (frequently flipping to pages 11 and 59 to look at my drawings and pinch myself that I am in this amazing magazine)

How did I get here?   snail5 Looking back  through my flickr photos I see my first snail drawing was in my first Moleskine Sketchbook in January 2009. (Flickr is a an online image sharing platform that I have been scanning and tagging my photos to since December 2008. I use it as a searchable database of my sketches.) I drew this shell for an Everyday Matters drawing challenge of “draw a shell”. It is drawn  with a lot less detail than I would do now, as I was only just new to watercolour pencils.  At the time I wrote, “I came across this shell in the garden. It was empty so I took it home an drew it. Snails can be really beautiful- well, their shells are!” snail I also drew some “snails in action” in the same year and my comment at the time was “he actually moved around quite a bit, and  I think we were both pleased when his modelling session was over”.

Then came my entry for the Toowoomba Mail Art Competition in 2011 featuring snails on envelopes. The photo below displays all the envelopes I drew on, pinned to a corkboard.

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These snails are the drawings that I have used for the Uppercase submission.  I then chose five of these drawings to print on my snail mail envelopes that are available for purchase on my Etsy site. https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AlissaDuke.

Of course, there were some printing blips along the way (below) as I figured out how to place the snail on the envelope.

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But I am so pleased with the result DSCF0931 The snail journey is not over yet. You will be seeing more snail adventures in the next few weeks as they venture out in Melbourne.

My snail mail in Uppercase & on Etsy

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I am absolutely over the moon to have two small art submissions published in the current JULY issue of one of my absolutely favourite publications, UPPERCASE: magazine for the creative and curious. I have admired and read this inspirational quarterly magazine for a few years. It is described as having “A playful exploration of creativity, an affinity for vintage ephemera, and a love of typography” And it is a PRINT magazine (although it is more like a book), with high production values, attention to detail and fascinating articles.

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Canadian creator, publisher, editor and designer Janine Vangool spoke recently in Melbourne and I heard the history of her creative journey.  I realised that she practically produces the magazine on her own, which makes it all the more amazing. http://uppercasemagazine.com/blog

So when I received emails from Uppercase that they were “happy to say that your work was selected for UPPERCASE issue 26, out in July! Congratulations and thank you for sending in such a fine submission” I could not believe it. I looked at my inbox again and again to see it was true. I am honored to be accepted in such fine company!  The drawings are only a small part of the issue, but they are all mine and I am so happy.

My submissions were for the STAMPS themed issue of Uppercase. Both submissions were inspired  by projects I did about three years ago for an art competition, but are deep rooted in my drawing style and interests.

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My first drawing project is on p 11 of Uppercase: SNAIL MAIL ENVELOPES

I played with the concept of “snail mail” and had a wonderful time drawing snails on envelopes and then posting one to Uppercase ! After submitting and being accepted by Uppercase I decided to share my snail mail art more widely. I have printed my drawings of snails on envelopes and they are now available on my Etsy shop. They are printed on standard C6 envelopes available in a set of five designs or individually . Have a look and you can purchase some to send your own snail mail.

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My second drawing project is on p 59 of Uppercase: MAIL PARCEL

Me and my air mail parcel. April 2012

Like many children I collected stamps. I also collected postage marks and airmail stamps, tearing them off the envelopes and putting them in my stamp album. I still have these and drew them all over a parcel with watercolour pencils (and white gel pen) and wrapped a box in it and tied it up with string. I am working on another similar project now (watch this space). I also would love to see it printed as wrapping paper one day.

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Now that I have tweaked your curiosity, you can buy Uppercase at these Stockists internationally or Subscribe to this amazing inspirational publication.

What are your memories of stamp collecting?