Wolf and Willow - Designing a Super Natural Life

Peachy Prints: Fox in the Woods

Oh my darlings, I've been neglecting you again! My naughty day job has been demanding all of my time and attention, and I must confess I've hardly had a spare moment to scout out any pretties for you this week! I've also been typing this post for oh, about four days! Anyhoo, I've found these sweet little prints from Eek Design to brighten your day. Here's hoping that a couple of cosy, sleepy bunnies and a cute cherry red bathing cap will help you forgive me for my absence. It's like a big, visual hug for you!

Field Journal: An Australian Art Mystery Solved

Like a real-life Nancy Drew adventure, the mystery of Rupert Bunny's stolen painting, the Girl in the Sunlight, has finally been solved - right here in my hometown! Unsolved for over twenty years, the case was cracked just a few days ago, after a recent exhibition inspired a secret tip-off. Painted during the Belle Epoque, Girl in the Sunlight depicts a woman reading in a garden under a white parasol. The original owners are delighted to have found her again. Known for his beautiful impressionist scenes of ladies at leisure and nymphs at play in the Australian landscape, Bunny is one of my favourite Australian artists. Here are two of his best, A Summer Morning and Pastoral.

Peachy Prints: Sunshowers for Yuki

It's hard to know what to say about Yuki Kitazumi, other than how beautiful her artwork is, as I'm afraid I can't read about her in Japanese. All I can say is that I just love her sweet illustrations! The soft brush strokes and cheerful palette remind me of rainbow Paddle Pops, sunshowers and childhood fantasies. From the little pieces I can glean from her blog and Flickr page, I gather Yuki is from Tokyo and loves all things girly, which is just fine by me.

Peachy Prints: Kareena Zerefos

My love affair with the whimsical world of make believe continues, with the artwork of Sydney-sider Kareena Zerefos. She uses pencil, gouache, tea and ink to create sweet, storybook narratives where friendly animals and curious children play.

Peachy Prints: Del Kathryn Barton

Archibald Prize winner Del Kathryn Barton fascinates me. I've certainly found it difficult to drag myself away from any gallery where I've been lucky enough to see her work in "real life". The colours just seem to twinkle and shimmer, it's really quite magical. Claire Armstrong, from Art and Australia Magazine, put it best when she wrote that Del's paintings 'encapsulate the exciting crossovers between traditional techniques and contemporary design and illustration', something she remarked is a hallmark of much emerging Australian art. Still, I'm yet to find another artist who does it quite so well.

Beautiful Blogs: So Not a Princess

Have you had the pleasure of meeting my sweet friend and fashionista, her highness, Princess Tatiana? If not, you are in for a real treat! Tatiana's beautiful blog is a delicious resource for the fashion obsessed and style ensnared. As you'll soon discover,
a visit to So Not a Princess takes you to a wonderland of inspiration and whimsy, fantasy and frivolity. All this without ever having to place a single bejeweled tippy-toe out of one's walk-in wardrobe!

Peachy Prints: Slow Down Kirra Jamison

My love affair with Melbourne's artists continues this week with Kirra Jamison, whose work I saw late last year at Sophie Gannon Gallery. These images from the exhibition, Slow Down You Move too Fast, show an almost psychadelic mix of earthy and celestial, fantasy and folk elements that I just couldn't resist posting. Those pop raccoons look as though they are climbing over slices of rainbow-coloured agate... so delightfully weird!

Peachy Prints: So Serene, Irena

It seems like the perfect moment for sharing these beautiful, peaceful scenes by Irena Sophia, don't you think? All of Irena's drawings possess a calm, quiet magic but I love these two the best. You may remember how my recent Field Journal assignment inspired a little jaunt down memory lane? This reminded of my dear childhood friends, my imaginary animals. I quite fancy these illustrations are of just that - me and my imaginary friends. Plus, the quirky little budgerigar is my favourite Australian bird!

Field Journal: Falling in Love with Creating

To answer the question, how I fell in love with creating, I had to think back to how I fell in love with using my imagination... The earliest memory I have is of playing with my imaginary friends (a wolf, a tiger and a unicorn) in my parents' little rock garden at our home in Frenchs Forest when I was four. Inspired by an Irish folk song my father used to sing to me and the marvelous books my mother read to me each night (Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli and Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn)) I fell hopelessly in love with creating things in my mind, long before I learnt to create them with my hands.

"A long time ago, when the Earth was green,
there were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen,
they'd run around free while the Earth was born,
and the loveliest of all was the unicorn..."
- Irish folk song

Etsy Love: A Locket full of Dreams

The latest addition to my handmade wish list is this neat little dream locket. What a nice place to keep one's own dreams tucked away until they come true! The result of a collaboration between Polarity and This Years Girl, two talented Etsy artisans, the locket itself comes from a recycled auto part and features a selection of three equally lovely lids. How ever would I choose?

Project Pretty House: Are you following me, Nina?

Have you ever had the feeling that an idea is following you? You begin to daydream about something - a colour, a theme - and then it just pops up everywhere? Well, this week, I just can't get these charming teapots and saucers and sugar bowls out of my head! It seems like everywhere I go, I see Nina's bright confetti-coloured bunting and sweet china blue birdies peeking out at me as if to say, "Hello Nancy, take us home!".

Peachy Prints: Mermaids & Matchbox Cars

Aren't these retro-inspired block prints by Seattle illustrator Amanda Kindregan simply charming? They remind me of dusty little golden books, old Hanna Barbera cartoons and children's annuals from the fifties. The idea of a mermaid with freckles makes me giggle. Tee hee!

Field Journal: Nancy's Magic Sketchbook

My latest homework assignment was to post about an obstacle I've overcome in learning my craft. And so, here is a fairytale about a little girl who lost her way... Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Nancy. Nancy was rarely seen without a book or a paintbrush in her hand. She wrote marvellous stories of imaginary worlds and drew beautiful things and dreamed of being an artist.

One day, Nancy found herself all grown up and lost in the Land of Pinstriped Ogres. She could barely imagine holding a brush again and dreaded that when she did, it would be a disaster. Alas, in order to escape, she'd need the best creative presentation in all the land! Ignoring her fears, she waved goodbye to the ogres and set about her task. But Nancy was rusty. Really rusty. She was mortified. She'd lost her touch! What ever would she do?

Lovely Library: Artists' Books

I've been marveling at the surreal style of Melbourne duo Gracia & Louise ever since I stumbled upon their mysterious twin blogs last year. It's easy to find yourself lost in their curious, topsy-turvy world. With a veritable pirate's cave of fantastical imagery, Gracia & Louise are a rich source of inspiration and a truly splendid treat for one's imagination. For now, here's a little taste of their handmade artist's books. Aren't they just deliciously unusual?

Etsy Love: Jackie Peppermint

Well, look who popped up on The Storque this morning! Lucky for me, it's sweetie pie Jackie Peppermint, with a shop full of handmade paper goods and sewn pretties. I especially like her plushie jewelry and ultra-groovy zines. She confesses to enjoying magic, myths and minty tea - sounds like my kinda girl!

Peachy Prints: Kaleidoscopes & Cardboard Cities

Wouldn't it be nice to live inside a kaleidoscope for a day? Well, here at the very magical Cardboard Cities you can do just that. I really, really love narwhals. I mean, they are the unicorns of the sea! Especially bedazzled, Fauve-esque ones with rainbow disco bears for friends. Which means these dandy new prismatic prints have made it to the top of my wish list. Yay!

Field Journal: W&W Mission Statement

Wolf and Willow is a designer's daily journal, an online visual diary, documenting my inspirations, passions and sometimes frivolous fancies as I attempt to live a beautiful, meaningful and creative life. As an exhaustingly creative person, there's not much I don't love learning, making, designing or doing! And it is my mission to share it all with you, the reader.

This blog is my show and tell. From sewing soft toys to decorating my home, baking kitschy cupcakes to illustrating children's books; to follow this blog is to join me on my creative adventures and discover who and what inspires me!

Wolf and Willow is the blog that inspires, uplifts and delights daily. It is the blog that encourages you to be good to your imagination, daydream along with me, and discover curious and wonderful things along the way.

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?'. But I dream things that never were;
and I say, 'Why not?'" - George Bernard Shaw

Childhood Memories: Pearl Pinkie & Sea Greenie

You'll never guess what my gorgeous mum discovered yesterday in a dusty old box of lost childhood toys and broken this'n'that? Why yes, it's another delightful Australian fairy book! Published in 1935, Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie (a tale of two rock sprites) was illustrated by Pixie O'Harris. You can find these gems and more in my Flickr storybooks collection. Enjoy!

Peachy Prints: Imaginary Worlds

There's something deeply enchanting and curious in these illustrations, don't you think? I recently learnt of studies that prove we are all born creative, but sadly, we unlearn it over time. The key is to hold onto your childlike imagination for as long as you can. I quite fancy Julie Morstad knows this secret, and oh, what a beautiful imagination she has!

Peachy Prints: Smile! It's Saturday!

Smile! It's Saturday and it's summer (at least in sunny Melbourne!). Just went for a nice run, and am about to spend a lazy afternoon sewing, cooking and playing with my camera. Which leads me to this groovy illustration... friends, say hello to Hello Marine! I'm digging the retro vibe and fun typography. This is for my friend Jaime and her polaroid camera, Polly.