Everything

Walk

2012-01-19T17:56:00.002-05:00

Back from the walk. I will get Tim to upload his photographs this weekend to show you. Making travel plans for this year/next year and they are fun and exciting.

Soon

2011-12-11T17:15:00.004-05:00

At the end of the week I am going on my long walk for a month. If you want anything from my shop, then please make your order before the 14th of December. If you put the word "GOODBYE" in the code part with your order I'll let you have 10% off also.

Hello hello!

2011-12-04T19:40:00.002-05:00

Thought I would do a bit of a shop-related post as it is coming up to holiday gift-giving season. Ok, so, I've got some new things in the shop, and some things on special. Let me begin...

Two new hand-knit pairs of mittens for you cold hands...

Purple mittens HERE

These ones HERE

Finally a NEW ISSUE of my zine (gotta take some better photos this week too! HERE

New postcard, featuring my galah ("New Years Eve and an Awkward Kiss") drawing. $4 HERE

I've put this print on sale for the next few weeks, I am selling two of these cotton circle scarves, newly listed drawings, plus heaps of other things.

Right now Tim and I are working on the plans for our big walk in two weeks. We are starting at Cape Reinga (the very tip of New Zealand, where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea meet, then walking as far as we can in 3-4 weeks. Going to be so so much fun, I love walking.

p.s. if you are in Auckland and want to hang out I'll be there maybe around the 10th of January. We can drink tea and coffees and beers and eat snacks.

Drawing

2011-11-23T18:05:00.000-05:00

Wellington! Zines!

2011-11-18T05:31:00.003-05:00

Hi! It's a long time between posts these days (I've kinda switched to my tumblr account and have been working a lot on commissions lately) but heres a blog post to tell you Wellington people that I'll be at the zine fair tomorrow. It's at Mighty Mighty, from 12pm - 5pm, come and hang out and read zines. Here's the flyer if you want to see it:

Booklet

2011-10-27T22:21:00.002-04:00

If you are in Tokyo sometime between the 8th and 13th of November, this looks like a show worth checking out. Lots of zines and publications from around the world (including a few of mine) from the library that Booklet Press has been putting together.

Dialogue

2011-10-02T16:03:00.003-04:00

Everything you create, whether it exists as visual art, a passage of writing, or something different, becomes part of a dialogue as soon as someone else other than yourself sees it. This is absolutely unavoidable, and sometimes I think people don't really understand this, or maybe they don't want to or they struggle with the idea and fight against it.

Having an intelligent discussion (about art, life, or whatever) where two sides have opposing views can be very enlightening and interesting. If each party has the ability to weigh up the evidence provided to them, and change their point of view based on the evidence, then the world can be like some kind of giant cultural open source project where things slowly get better.

Sometimes it is not possible to have an intelligent conversation (for example a normal person trying to have an evenly weighed argument with a racist or hateful person, or between an atheist and religious person, or with someone who adamantly believes that fairies exist) but generally, in the context of art, writing, etc, it is possible to talk things through and come up with some kind of conclusion (whether that means one of the parties agreeing with the other or not).

If you are not willing to become part of the dialogue you have created, or you are a viewer and just want to add "your two cents" without continuing the conversation, then you should probably seriously consider why you don't want to hear what the answer is going to be.

In other words, please don't leave anonymous comments on my blog and then delete them so I have no way of replying to you. Jerk.

Drawing, painting.

2011-09-14T21:15:00.003-04:00

Terrible Things are Possible.

A large drawing from 2010, finally edited all the scans together to make one image.

So Awake

2011-08-24T19:25:00.007-04:00

Two new Kickstarter projects that seem cool...

Comics in Cambodia

and

Albuquerque Zine Fest

Print/Blanket Magazine/Criminals

2011-08-24T18:48:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, Lizzy Stewart, Paul X. Johnson, and I were part of a project where were were given descriptions of female criminals from Australia (from 1915 to 1930), and based on the written descriptions alone, we created illustrations of what we thought they would look like.

Now the project has been collated, the illustrations and actual photos of the criminals have been put side by side, and you can see the results in the new (and first ever print issue!) Blanket Magazine.

2011-08-14T00:26:00.002-04:00

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Tim emailed me this and I watched it just now and it makes everything less confusing.

Better

2011-08-03T03:50:00.003-04:00

Today/yesterday have been the absolute best days ever... I started sewing my new (and first) quilt, finally got to eat a macaron for the first time, and I resolved my issues that I was having with someone recently without confronting them (confronting people about things is something I absolutely try to avoid at all costs, although I guess I can do it if I have to).

I really wish I could find the camera battery so I could take photos of my new projects... I'll have to look really hard in the next few days.

Other things...

Here are some really good Kickstarter projects you might be interested in:

Roman Muradov Comics

Tween Dreams 2

Craphound 8

I'm planning my trip to Sydney (in a few weeks) and I am excited. If you have suggestions of fun things I can do there from the 18th of August - 5th of September then please tell me!

Tasmanian

2011-07-27T22:46:00.004-04:00

I've been in Tasmania for a while... I found out the reason (I think it was the reason, it was at least one of the reasons if not the main reason) that I was really tired and ill all the time (since February) was that I had really low levels of vitamin D. I'm feeling a bit less tired now that I'm sorting that out (still a little ill though) and I just wanted to put an update of sorts on my blog in case you wanted one....

1. If you have commissions that I have been working on, they are now speeding up and should be ready real soon (I'll email you about it also).

2. I have made some really nice sewing and knitting projects I want to share. Gotta find camera batteries.

3. I'll be in Sydney from about the 18th of August until about 3 weeks after that. I may be going to Melbourne for a few days beforehand, maybe not as I do have a lot of work to do before then. But if you are my friend and in Sydney, send me an email and we can maybe meet up.

4. I completed the new game "Avadon: The Black Fortress" from Spiderweb Software while I have been home. A good game.

5. To all the people who have done something that has upset me and I have been avoiding while I've been sick and not really wanting to deal with it, prepare for confrontation soon. Not that I should be warning you, but maybe I should just tell you to think about it.

6. On a lighter note... It has been so great being home and getting healthy for the past month and a half. I've read a lot of books and feel like I've renewed my interest in a lot of things like art and nice food and films and such. A little more inspired perhaps. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year and hopefully this year there will be a warm summer!

Marcel Dzama

2011-06-13T22:10:00.002-04:00

More inspiration for drawing.

(via Astulabee)

Days of Heaven

2011-06-13T18:29:00.006-04:00

This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. You really get a sense of the atmosphere of the place, and the narrative feels more true to life, a lot of things are implied rather than spelled out. I also love the costumes. Any of the trailers for this film that you will see do not do it justice (I was a little put off by the fact that Richard Gere was in it), you just have to watch it.

IMDB link

Why I live Here

2011-06-07T18:01:00.003-04:00

Sometimes we go to volcano lands and see Emerald Lakes and such. I went here in the Summer time, Tim went back a few weeks ago (that's why there is snow in his picture).

Some shows... (Portland and Berlin)

2011-06-03T02:37:00.007-04:00

If you are in Portland (Oregon) or in Berlin, I have some things in some shows at the moment.

Details?

In Berlin there is a cool group show called "The Wunderkabinet/Reading Raum 3", featuring zines and small objects. I didn't realise it, but the show is at Etsy Labs, which is nice. More details about that show here: thewunderkabinet.wordpress.com

In Portland, I have sent a whole lot of drawings and prints for a show at Lille Boutique. It opens on Friday the 3rd of June (a.k.a. TOMORROW, 6-9pm) if you would like to go to the opening. I think there will also be a launch of some fancy lingerie there then too. The address is: 1007 E Burnside, Portland, Oregon.

Hope you can make it to the shows if you live in either of those places :)

My zines on display at The Wunderkabinet.

I am trying to say something but no one is listening...

2011-05-26T22:29:00.006-04:00

Most of you who read this blog are also people who spent heaps of time on social media, so you probably already know about this situation.

Basically, Urban Outfitters, a large chain store in the US, Canada, and I think the UK (is it anywhere else? Online too I guess) has once again copied and mass produced an artist's handmade design.

The obvious response from Urban Outfitters, after receiving negative feedback from all over the internet, is that they have stopped selling the product on their website. They have pretty much said "Oops, sorry about that."

An apology is just not good enough. If you continue to buy products from unethical stores, like Urban Outfitters (or American Apparel for that matter) then they will continue to steal designs and make money from them. They are only making products that they think that they can sell. If their (copied, sweatshop made, sexually exploitative etc) products do not sell, they will not sell them next time. They will either go out of business, or come up with new ideas and things will get better.

In a broader sense, why don't you just think about everything you purchase. Research and understand what is advertising jargon designed to make you feel better about buying something. Buzzwords like 'organic', 'handmade', 'GM free', 'all natural' etc can mean a lot of different things, and do not immediately mean something is better or more ethically produced. Don't just take things at face value, even if they are pretty and shiny. An example of something which frustrates me to no end is when people buy fake designer furniture... if the original, beautiful wooden lounge chair is specially made by craftspeople and out of your range monetarily, getting a factory made copy is exactly the same as buying an Urban Outfitters version of a handmade necklace.

Being an intelligent, informed person is fun and rewarding (if a little disheartening sometimes), but I definitely recommend it if you want to live the best life you can (eudaimonia, man).

Watch this ok

2011-05-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

Scuba

2011-05-20T23:35:00.006-04:00

Scuba are an amazing art team who make paintings that I really like. Most of the paintings are really little, which I also like, because I have a tiny house and not very much wall space.

They currently have a show, titles "How Did I Get Here" at Together Gallery in Portland. All the work (well the work that is not already sold that is) is available online. This is also excellent news.

"Growing a Little Every Day" 10.5" x 8"

"Pool House" 7" x 6"

"Mountain Home" 6" x 5"

comics news

2011-05-19T18:44:00.002-04:00

I am excited about this.

Kramers Ergot #8: The Trailer from Dan Nadel on Vimeo.

Sort of a journal entry...

2011-05-08T21:47:00.002-04:00

Stuff happening lately:

It is getting really wintery at the moment. I love living in a warm and not damp apartment, don't know how people cope with living in regular houses sometimes.

Have been sick-ish for like four months. Not really really sick, just medium sick, but I have not idea what it is so that makes it so frustrating.

Working hard on doing lots of work so I can save up to move somewhere (most likely America or England). Although I wish that I had a good group of easy going friends and things to do here, then I would not want to leave at all, it is nice and the air is clear (this paragraph is just me saying what I think please do not comment about it).

Stood up for myself on the phone when someone called and asked if the could speak to my parent or caregiver (happens all the time, I don't even really think I have a very child-like voice)...

"Hi, actually I am 24 and find it very disrespectful and judgmental for you to immediately assume that by the sound of my voice I am a child. I'm going to hang up now, goodbye."

I am fairly bad at being assertive/sticking up for myself most of the time so for me it is a big deal.

A girl was wearing a real, non-vintage fur jacket at a crowded bar on Saturday night... hardly thinking about it, I shoved her so hard she spilled her drink on her jacket/friends. Not that shoving someone is a good solution to any problem, but I was heading out the door and it was the first thing that came to my mind in the .3 of a second I had to think about it. I am so sick of people thinking that it is fine to wear fur as a fashion item and not caring at all.

Didn't come last in Risk last night.

Organised to take care of someone's kitten in a few weeks.

One of my favourite people from Melbourne will be in town at the end of this week.

Finally got a new shipment of my stickers, and put an animal sticker set into my shop.

Working on an exciting, semi-secret poster project. It's bigger in scale than my usual work and has taken absolutely ages for me to do the shading since it is mostly all in pencil, but more on this soon.

Bought a funny shirt.

Watching way too much of The Simpsons. Last night I saw the "That 90's Show" episode, from season 19, I love how all the characters are the same age as they were when I was watching it as a child, so now Homer and Marge have to have grown up in the 90's. Seasons 20-22 seem to be much better written than some of the previous seasons in the 00's though, I wonder if they got new writers or something, or if they just decided to try harder.

Putting the finishing touches on the third issue of my zine.

Sorta kinda thinking of cutting my hair short again. It looks better/prettier long, but I have the most brittle/dry hair ever (I don't dye it or blow dry it at all and use ridiculously expensive shampoos and conditioners to try and help to no avail) and it gets so frizzy and broken. Also, for other people with long hair: Does your hair moult everywhere? I have no idea how so much of it can fall out everywhere and yet I still have giant hair. It gets in/on everything no matter what. Still only just thinking about this at the moment though, it's taken so much effort to grow out from when it was short last time.

Going home to Australia in a month and a half. I am really looking forward to seeing my family (except for Steven I haven't seen any of them in a year or more). Also it will be nice to visit some of my friends and go to cafés to discuss what's been happening and so on.

I have a show coming up in Portland in July... (once again, more soon).

Maybe there are other things but that's all I can think of right now. Oh, I bought a copy of "The Little Prince" that I'm going to read tonight :)

Nice video of a studio visit with Misaki Kawai

2011-04-25T21:38:00.007-04:00

A great video to help inspire me to make art today.

Quinoa

2011-04-24T07:07:00.003-04:00

My New Roots - How to Cook Quinoa from My New Roots on Vimeo.

Saw this here. Such a sweet video, had to share (both here and on tumblr too, covering bases).

Honest Ed's

2011-04-17T00:15:00.000-04:00

The old days.

Interview...

2011-04-15T18:31:00.004-04:00

I did an interview for the blog Studio Sweet Studio and little while ago and it is now been posted.

This is me in my studio. I am looking serious. Really I am not though.

Repairs

2011-04-13T00:51:00.013-04:00

Mended Sweater Sleeves from/by Sweetie Pie Press

I have been repairing a lot of things lately (notice my new blog layout? still not completely done with that though). I have discovered the wonders of resoling shoes, made a bicycle from a pile of old bike parts, and most recently, I have learnt how to darn holes in clothing (and I am ridiculously excited about it, photos soon, but must tidy house first).

It is hard to express this in words (I have been trying to write this current sentence for the past 40 minutes) but right now mending things feels important. I have never really been one for adding too much sentimental value to objects, preferring the simple, useful object to one overly adorned and less functional, and not caring that much if something breaks and has to be thrown away. As I grow older, my views are changing a little. First of all, my idea of what if means for something to be useful have become more in line with what I do as an artist, which is create art and objects where the only purpose is to be something to look at, and to maybe make someone think about something other than usual as a result. Thus I have more pretty necklaces and dresses.

Secondly, as my career/life continues, I can finally afford to buy some nice things. Unlike a cheap, pilling old cardigan like I used to wear (which could also be easily and cheaply replaced once it passed it's use by date), now it would be a shame to throw my nice woolen cardies because of a hole or two. A lot more costly to replace too.

Finally, and despite my unwillingness to want to admit this to too many people in real life, I am sort of putting more sentimental value on the items I have. Maybe this is because of the two reasons above, or perhaps because I am a bit nostalgic and missing the "old days". Maybe because pretty much everything I have these days comes with a story that relates to an adventure I have been on. I don't know. Anyway, no matter what the reason is for me wanting to keep my things, mending and fixing is fun and good to do.

Here are some interesting repair-related resources to help to inspire you to mend things too...

Love and Thrift: Focussing on sustainability and textiles. Both good things.

Repaired Things: All sorts of different things, repaired.

Karen Barbé's Blog (mentioned below): here is another really interesting repair post from her.

Sweetie Pie Press: Becky keeps her favourite items of clothing forever and continues to repair them (as documented on her blog). She is a big inspiration to me for many reasons, but in the context of this blog post, especially her mending (also, if you haven't already, please pledge money to her Kickstarter project!)

Corky Saint Clair: Chris reviews an interesting product for fixing sweaters. In a kind of unrelated note to mending, he has also just updated his online shop this weekend, so you should look at that too.

In general, the internet is a fantastic resource for finding out how to fix something... if you are someone who has to see something being done to understand it (rather than just follow written instructions, this is how I am quite a lot of the time), there are so many videos on Youtube these days which are really helpful. Oh, and don't forget Instructables either.

This is what I am trying to say when I meet someone talking about spiritual energy or whatever at a party...

2011-04-11T19:19:00.002-04:00

2011-04-10T04:09:00.006-04:00

An illustration for the food column "Eatiquette" . This one is about seeing someone at the supermarket and waving to them/saying hello and them not noticing (perhaps on purpose, perhaps not).

Brrrr Wellington is getting closer to winter every day, and I am definitely feeling it! I have lots of warm clothes though, and am looking forward to wearing many layers (I think I have been looking at too many fashion blogs lately!) so that's ok with me.

Hetterson

2011-04-09T22:55:00.005-04:00

Beautiful, handcrafted clothing from Hetterson (photographed by Anja Verdugo).

2011-04-06T02:25:00.001-04:00

Imaginary Larry (Animated) from Riki Lindhome on Vimeo.

I am so late to this I imagine. Sort of maybe it was something you told me about at a party and I said I would look it up but I forgot about it.

Sweetie Pie

2011-04-03T17:25:00.003-04:00

Ok, so, if you know me in real life, you have most likely heard me speak of my friend Becky and how she is an amazing crafter adventurer explorer person who drives around North America every year, visiting all sorts of people and places on her travels. This year she is fundraising for her upcoming summer tour on Kickstarter. If you can, help out... there are all kinds of different crafted items that she will make for you depending on how much money you want to give her. If I had $5000 I would choose that option and make her come to New Zealand and set up art on my wall :).

Link to Becky's Kickstarter project HERE

How to make perfect brown rice...

2011-03-27T20:00:00.003-04:00

Just learned this on the weekend (sorry for all the posts with no pictures recently!)

What you need: (makes enough for 2-3 people)

1 cup medium grain brown rice

1 1/2 cups of cold water

Instructions:

Put rice and cold water in a saucepan. Heat on high until the water in boiling, stirring about 2 times.

Put a lid on the pot, turn the heat down to a low simmer, and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, put about 1-2 tablespoons of water over the rice, turn off the heat, and wait another ten minutes.

Semi-open again for business...

2011-03-27T19:15:00.005-04:00

I have decided that I sort of want to have another month off from my etsy shop, but as I said I would open it again for April, I have re-opened my shop with limited selection of items. I might have to completely close my shop again during April if I find things are getting way to busy again, but for now, sorta kinda open for business :)

How to make perfect popcorn

2011-03-25T23:32:00.005-04:00

I used to always burn it and have lots of unpopped corns left over at the end. Now I do not...

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan (with a lid), heat up 2 tablespoons of canola oil, along with 3 corn kernels, on medium-high.

When you hear that the 3 kernels have popped, add more kernels to the hot pan, (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Shuffle them around so they are all coated in oil, and shake them occasionally as they are heating to make sure the heat is distributed evenly.

When the corn begins to pop, put the lid on the saucepan and continue to shake it occasionally.

You might want to take the pan off the heat halfway through to put some of the popcorn into a bowl, that way you can see how many are still unpopped.

Soon they will all be popped and you will have a snack.

The most important part of this recipe is in the beginning, to wait until the oil/pan is at the right temperature before putting in all of your corns.

2011-03-23T16:43:00.006-04:00

Seagull - 'Company' Music Video from Dylan Wiehahn on Vimeo.

This is what it feels like in Tasmania most of the time.

(via Maddie Kelly's blog, Haberdash'n)

Show!

2011-03-17T17:46:00.003-04:00

I have a drawing in this show in Melbourne which coincides with the Finders Keepers art market (26-27th March).

Each artist got a photograph from the Melbourne Fashion Festival archives to use as inspiration. It was a really interesting project to do (I love putting the details into patterns on fabric, plus I enjoyed changing the image from a straight runway shot to something more interesting by bringing it into a different sort of context).

I wish I could go to Melbourne next week and see the show myself! (plus go to the markets!)

Like mittens...

2011-03-08T16:33:00.003-05:00

It is already getting rather cold here in Wellington. Almost time to bring out the mittens.

I saw these ones on someone's blog, (I can't remember whose, tell me if it is you) from Lazy Oaf, and they look quite perfect.

"Vacation" is going well, I have almost caught up on all my sleep now and am enjoying a break from wrapping, glueing, stamping and putting things in a red box.

From Sarah

Last Day...

2011-02-23T23:02:00.003-05:00

It's the last day of my sale today. After that I'll be closing my shop until the end of March so to give me time to work on art projects. I'm sending a lot of the stock I have off to various stores as well, so many of my prints will not be for sale from my shop again.

From Sarah

Julianna has new prints...

2011-02-16T15:23:00.009-05:00

Love these! Julianna Swaney (a.k.a Oh My Cavalier) has some really lovely prints now available in her shop. My favourites are....

"Wondering Stars"

and...

"Forest Sofa"

She also has heaps of other really nice new paintings that you should check out (like this one!) so have a look at her work on Flickr also.

Sale

2011-02-14T17:21:00.003-05:00

For those of you who do not follow me on Twitter/other social networking site I am on, I would like to announce that I am currently having a sale in my etsy shop. I will be closing my shop in March while I concentrate on working on some new projects and art things. So I'm having a big sale on everything (from the 10th - 24th of February) before this happens.

I have listed lots of new things (also on sale), some brooches, and some things that will only be available for the duration of my sale.

From Sarah.

Another Happy Thing

2011-02-07T22:49:00.004-05:00

This is just silly, but if you know me you will understand my feelings towards watermelon season. It's a melon a day habit right now...

Always Stay Positive and Make Good Art

2011-02-06T19:30:00.007-05:00

Brooches

2011-02-05T21:35:00.004-05:00

There are a few of the bird brooches I used to make flying about in various stores, and as I am having a bit of a clear out of stock at the moment to make way for new things in the month to come, I thought I would put them all on sale. So, if you would like one, they are now only about $10 (down from $18-$20) from most of the places that still sell them (for Australia that's here and here, and New Zealand here).

Things

2011-02-03T01:38:00.005-05:00

My brother has been visiting this week... It is so nice to have someone around during the day, I feel like I'm somehow getting a lot more done that usual. Work and life related.

We went to the "Laneway Festival" in Wellington (although it was not in a laneway, actually was in the town hall). It was really great to see some nice bands play here, the band I liked the most played first which was good in a weird way, since only about a third of the people going to the festival had arrived. Luckily "Ladyhawke " and "Yeasayer" were the last two bands to play, so my brother and I could go home at a sensible hour (we stayed for one Ladyhawke song, and were very confused as to whether it might be a joke band or something, apparently not).

We also did lots of making/building things and as always lots of café adventures. I wish my brother never had to go back to real life and could just live in Wellington, it would be fun.

I have to get back to work now.

Blogging

2011-01-31T03:13:00.002-05:00

I have been tumbling far too much and harding posting on my blog at all. I will work hard to remedy this.

And in other Mel Stringer related news...

2011-01-31T03:09:00.004-05:00

She is making some really beautiful pencil drawings for her pencil portraits project. You should get a portrait of yourself or a friend made by her, (here!).

Here is one of me and my delicious watermelon..

Oooh

2011-01-28T07:44:00.002-05:00

Saw this on Mel's blog...

Yay!

Postcards

2011-01-27T00:06:00.002-05:00

I do rather enjoy drawing these animals and branches. I guess there isn't really much of a deep meaning or art kind of thing behind them, but I really like trees and animals and drawing them.

Right now I am deciding on which two of these four that I want to make into postcards, if you have suggestions, leave a comment and let me know! Also, if you think of any other animals/branches you would like me to draw, you should also leave and comment and tell me so!

Auctions up!

2011-01-22T20:33:00.003-05:00

The second round of Art 4 Heart auctions for flood relief in Australia are now up!

Below is the print which I have given for the auction, and HERE is the link to bid :)

Art for Heart

2011-01-17T19:18:00.005-05:00

As a way to help raise money for flood relief in Australia, Beth-Emily and Kelly Smith have organised an art auction, called "Art 4 Heart". There are more than twenty great artists who are donating work to be auctioned on the Art 4 Heart website. Please check it out and bid to a good cause!

I'm donating one of my "Lavender Falcon and Pony Hair" prints (bidding will begin on January 23rd), with an initial bidding price of only $45. I'll do another blog post about that just before bidding starts, but for now, have a look and bid bid bid on the current auctions.

update

2011-01-06T22:05:00.002-05:00

Some things which have been happening over the holidays...

Drew this:

Looked after a nice cat.

Made a tumblr account. (Tim made one too)

Ate lots of food.

Watched movies.

More drawing.

Met nice people.

Pretty outfits.

Sunny days.

Other things.

More soon,

Sarah.

p.s. This is pretty.

I have some work in this show...

2010-12-22T02:40:00.002-05:00

Hi! I have some paintings in this show at Narwhal if you want to see them. I wish I was in Toronto for a few days so I could go to this show, there are many good people in it. Probably wish I was in Toronto for only a few days though, as I am still getting over how cold it is in winter there!

Cut outs

2010-12-17T04:46:00.003-05:00

I am sorta terrible at getting my drawings centre-aligned, so I always make the elements of drawings into cut-outs first (after initial sketches) and then place them/trace them. Much less erasing is necessary. I started putting my pet sketches up on my wall, I like them there.

New. Pretty.

2010-12-12T15:49:00.003-05:00

Some new things I have drawn, and new things in my shop.

"Lavender Falcon and Pony Hair" Limited edition giclee print.

"New Years Eve and an Awkward Kiss" Gouache and pencil on paper.

STICKERS!!!!

At the mouth of the internet...

2010-12-10T22:46:00.002-05:00

Photo by Kyle, from Devon's travel pics.

Kyle's Show!

2010-12-07T18:10:00.003-05:00

Last month, Devon and I had the great pleasure of meeting/hanging out with/drawing with/staying with Kyle Pellet, who is a very excellent artist. We got a sneaky preview of his upcoming show (by way of asking "PLEASE SHOW US ALL OF YOUR PAINTINGS!!" and looking at them spread out on the floor and gasping at the goodness) but sadly left the country before the opening.

Do not make the mistake, like we did, of leaving the country before Kyle's show opens. Go to Empire Seven Studios (525 N. 7th Street, San Jose, California) at 8pm, on the 10th of December for the opening party.

Art/Hubert Duprat

2010-12-07T01:39:00.005-05:00

Caddis fly larvae, gold, jewels. Maybe I made a blog post about Hubert Duprat previously, but these tiny golden and jeweled cases are one of the best things I have seen.

There will be blog posts coming about my recent adventures, not quite yet though, I have a lot of work to catch up on first!

Only a few days left...

2010-10-20T17:14:00.002-04:00

...until Devon and I head overseas for our big adventure! I am so excited for it (so excited in fact I just spilled coffee all over my computer and will now be traveling without one! ) I'm going to get back to work at organising things, but thought I would give a quick update...

Everything is ready for the show. It's opening on the 5th of November at Rare Device, SF, 7pm - 9pm and running until the 30th. Be there if you possibly can.
We are still looking for places to stay for a day or two in San Francisco if you could possibly take us...
Thinking of maybe traveling to somewhere in Texas and then to New Orleans if you have any suggestions or possible accommodations on this matter.
No idea where to stay in Portland yet...
Otherwise, entirely organised and ready.

Now, where is my mini flashlight and travel towel?

300

2010-10-16T00:36:00.004-04:00

Oh my. Only four more sales in my shop until I reach 300!

As always when sales in my shop are close to a hundred, there will be special presents given out with orders. This time, if you are the purchaser of the 298th, 300th or 302nd sale you will receive a nice surprise present with your order.

ZINE!!!

2010-10-15T02:15:00.006-04:00

It's the first issue of Borrowed Suitcase, featuring illustrations and artwork from the following artists:

Audrey Malo
Devon Smith
Me!!!
Vanessa Davis
Ben Constantine
Ramon Sierra
Clara Miao
Paola Gaviria
Lamar Abrams
Luke Pearson
Philip Dearest
Sam McKenzie
Tom Haubrick
Angelica Victoria
Sonni
Mel Ralph
Maddy Young
Maren Karlson
Karl Kwasny
Amber Ambird Seegemiller
moosekleenex
Kelly Walton
Caitlin Shearer
Chelsey Barnes
Puppe
flossy-p

Thats lots. It has been curated by Mel Stringer (perhaps I have mentioned previously how excellent and skilled she is at most everything?) and you can get a copy of it HERE.

The flyer for my show!

2010-10-06T02:37:00.006-04:00

Just finished making this flyer...

Those details again...

The show is called "Eighteen Twenty Three"

It will open on the 5th of November, with a reception on the 5th, (which I will be at so we should meet and talk about art stuff!! at 7pm - 9pm). The show runs until the 30th if you can't make it to the opening.

It's at Rare Device in San Francisco (1845 Market Street, more info HERE)

We are Adventurers!

2010-09-30T01:45:00.002-04:00

Devon Smith and I are going to San Francisco for my art show (opening November 5th) next month.

We are arriving on the 27th of October, and we are looking for people to stay with who can show us around and have fun with us! (And even if you don't have space for us to stay and want to maybe make art with us and hang out that would be cool too!)

After San Francisco, we are heading up to Portland, so if you live in Portland or along the way and can host two happy artists (or, as I said before, want to hang out) , please send me an email too!

Any travel suggestions or tips for the West Coast?

Trade Secrets

2010-09-28T20:32:00.003-04:00

How do I get poses/expressions right for drawings you might ask? Well, my computer has "Photobooth" on it... I have hundreds of these kind of images. Anyone looking through my computer might think I was really into pictures of myself with strange arm gestures, but no, just drawing reference.

(the last photo is from when I was living in Montreal and may have gone a little "nuts")

I used to also use this program when I had no mirrors in my house (some strange project I guess) for some months to take a photo of the back of my hair when I was cutting it to make sure it was even. So useful.

Tape and other things...

2010-09-27T01:29:00.003-04:00

Really into this washi tape. Everything in my house is getting taped. Especially things which need tape but also things which don't.

Tim's busy working tonight (I am too, but from home, so yeah), I bought a ridiculous feast for myself of lime and pepper macadamia nuts, hummus and multigrain bread, cactus, apple and lime juice, and feijoa smoothie. I am so full and happy. Daylight savings helps too a bit, it's 6:32pm at the moment and still lovely and bright outside. Looking forward to barbecue and garden parties which will be happening in the following months.

Slice Magazine

2010-09-27T01:21:00.004-04:00

The newest issue of Slice Magazine is out now, with some great stories, articles, interviews and illustrations.
(this is the illustration that I did for the issue, illustrating the short story "Ah Nuts, I'm in Love" by Michael Hemery)

Eating Fish?

2010-09-23T04:00:00.004-04:00

After being vegetarian for a few years, I made the decision to begin eating fish again, as science has overwhelmingly told me to do so in order to lead a healthier life. My problem is that fisheries are possibly the most unsustainable resources on the earth (a huge reason why I am/was vegetarian in the first place is because I hate how unsustainable meat production is). Anyway, I just wanted to say to you that I think it is very important that you read up on what you are consuming. Most countries have a guide (NZ one is below, and more information for NZ is HERE) that you can take with you in your wallet to help you know what to buy, and it is not very difficult to choose a more sustainable choice when faced with the option at a supermarket or restaurant if you have an idea of what the better choice is.

There is also a "red list" of fish which you should try not to eat under any circumstances (because of rapid depletion of the species, destructive fishing practices etc), and that is HERE.

Just to make it easier for you in other countries, I've found your guides, links to them are here:
Australia
Canada
USA (heaps of info here)
UK
Europe/Asia/Africa (various guides from World Wildlife Fund)

One last thing... recently I've found it quite difficult to know what to say on my blog, as I've become increasingly aware of having opinions (that I would like to share) on things which are really important to me, (such as the topic above, subjects relating to rational thinking, and other such slightly more volatile topics than the usual "I made a pretty thing" posts) and I'm not sure if I should include them or not. Maybe it's just that I feel like finally, after 23 years I can come out of my shell a bit more and add to conversation instead of my usual sit back and listen, but this may not be the right forum for it. I guess I'm just trailing off now, but let me think about this and get back to you.

Stickers!

2010-09-22T01:02:00.006-04:00

I designed some pretty stickers. They are made by the art team called Café Con Leche, who also sell stickers by such other fantastic artists as Aidan Koch, Gemma Correll, Mel Stringer, and Michael Deforge, as well as producing their own art and zines too (so many things).
I think my favourite is the skunk.

That link again for pretty stickers, here.

Adventure!

2010-09-16T18:12:00.002-04:00

Going away this weekend for a quick adventure to a place which has dolphins and birds and swimming and breakfast in bed. I am very excited. Hope you are going to have a fun adventure weekend too!

Kittens!

2010-09-14T22:33:00.005-04:00

Hmmm, I really need a kitten in my life. Maybe if I make sure it is always clean and if I hang around it every day and not touch my eyes then I won't get allergies anymore? I don't know, I don't think I used to get cat allergies when I was 10. Does anyone know the rules of bringing a cat overseas as well, or how much it costs? (for later when I go somewhere else and don't want to leave my kitty behind).

Sally Cruikshank

2010-09-14T03:15:00.004-04:00

She is cool.

Then you will look up her other cartoons, then old Sesame Street animations, then kittens.

Video

2010-09-12T21:29:00.001-04:00

Photos/Shop Update/News

2010-09-08T01:29:00.003-04:00

...for anyone in Wellington who wants come to the Secret Drawing Club meeting tomorrow, it's at Mighty Mighty at 5:30pm. Everyone is invited, bring some pens, pencils and paper and we will draw things secretly. Email me/comment if you want any more info than that.

Just did a little bit of a shop update today with some things I made recently. Handmade notebooks, cards, and a new pair of mittens, plus a print which I found hidden away.

Drawing drawing...

2010-09-06T04:34:00.003-04:00

I haven't put many of my drawings on the internets for a while since I started getting into putting together the work for my show, so I thought the above drawing (a practice for some finer detail points of a larger work) might be appreciated. I've been thinking about maybe making a book with all of my animal portraits in this series (with branches) in colour, but I'm not sure exactly who to go to to ask if they could publish it; (if you know of anyone who might be interested and could recommend them or ask them for me that would be really useful!).

It's beginning to get a little warmer here in Wellington (not that I've had much time to go outside), but I guess the more interesting/pertinent news is about the earthquake in Christchurh on the weekend. It is so good that no one died (except for a lemur at the zoo who drowned :( and hopefully the guy who had a chimney fall on him is OK. Tim and I awoke during the night to the earthquake, even though here we are fairly far away, so I can imagine that it must have been quite scary for the people where it hit. I'm a little upset at the poor quality of journalism which has been surrounding the event, but I guess that's true whenever anything dramatic happens.

Time for green tea.

from Sarah

2010-09-02T02:13:00.002-04:00

I will never understand why people like Blythe dolls, or actually most any kind of dolls, but I kind of get Sylvanian Families. They are little cute animals, precious secret toys that can be hidden in boxes and I like them.

Wellington fun times...

2010-09-01T04:27:00.003-04:00

Devon and I will be having a table at the Mighty Mighty Market this Saturday, the 4th of September if you happen to be in Wellington and want to visit us and look at/purchase some of the things we make. The market hours are 1pm - 5pm this time, and it's the 3rd anniversary of the markets, so lots of fun times to be had.

Suit Totes

2010-08-30T21:04:00.003-04:00

Recycled suit totes by Eco Party Mearry. Made from donated suits and reclaimed sofa leather, they are available from Poketo. All profits from sales of these totes go towards eco-awareness programs in Korea and the world, so that's cool too.

(top image is the "Richard" tote, lower image is the "Jude")

Sweet Little Felt

2010-08-29T20:04:00.006-04:00

Sweet Little Felt, hand felted toys by Mel Stringer. Have I mentioned everything she makes is amazing and fantastic? I may have. I will mention it again. Everything that Mel makes is amazing and fantastic.

Sweet Little Felt Shop HERE
Mel Stringer's blog HERE
...and her other shop for more loveliness HERE

...what's going on in the background while I'm drawing today

2010-08-29T17:49:00.000-04:00

Don't copy other peoples things.

2010-08-27T19:57:00.006-04:00

Last night I wrote a long essay on the topic of today's discussion, but then I thought, as it is so obvious, all I really have to do is show the pictures.

This is a well recognised design by Verity Keniger, a screen printer/illustrator/artist from Edinburgh:
And this is the copied "design" by Kelly Hyatt, of a company called "Lagom", used on greeting cards sold online in their store and various retailers:
The company/designer has done things like this before, and are refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing, using an aggressive defensive strategy which has involved sending threatening emails to Verity and to other people who have commented on her blog post about the matter (myself included). They are not even taking the product down from sale.

I would like to highlight this issue and to ask you, as a consumer, not to purchase products produced by unscrupulous companies who think that it is perfectly fine to profit from the work of artists without their permission, pay them nothing, and threaten them when they find out about it.

Social media is a powerful tool in getting the word out about pretty much anything, so please re-blog this, or send a kindly worded email to Lagom asking them to remove the design from sale, and if you would like to see my original essay (it's a fair bit longer than this, going into detail of exactly what has been said and done in this instance) send me an email and I'll let you read it.

UPDATE: The greeting card has been removed from the Lagom online shop, but they are still refusing to admit responsibility, instead, have chosen to threaten legal action against Verity. Weird, since it was something that they did in the first place.

The Cabinet of D. Vader

2010-08-26T02:29:00.005-04:00

Sick Day

2010-08-24T22:48:00.003-04:00

Knitting, new IT crowd episodes, invented the best ever tea to have on a sick day.

Best Sick Day Tea Recipe*

Ingredients:
1/4 of a beetroot, peeled and finely grated
1 bag of green tea
1 1/2 teaspoons of honey
1 juiced lime
hot water

Mix together the honey, lime and beetroot in a glass, adding about half a cup of hot water, let it sit for 5 minutes. Fill a mug up halfway with hot water and brew the green tea. When the tea is ready, stir the beetroot/lime/honey mixture, and strain it into the mug. Done.

*My disclaimer is that I don't actually believe that taking vitamins actually helps to recover from a cold, but it is nice to have a tasty drink.

A sidenote...

2010-08-21T07:13:00.005-04:00

On a "I've just had one and a half glasses of wine and am putting off finishing a drawing" side-note, I just wanted to start a little discussion on a topic which I interests me.

I have noticed sometimes that people put huge scary watermarks on their drawings on the internet, or get mad if their image is re-blogged without recognition (like on tumblr or their items are put onto Polyvore).

My opinion on my work is that I like to make images that are clear for everyone to see and enjoy, to use as their backgrounds on their computers or phones or whatever if they so feel like it, and, if they can't afford my prints, they can print out the lower res images and put them on their walls. Without a big name and copyright symbol scrawled over the image.

In the end, an image/artwork should be created to be enjoyed/considered by others. To be inspiring. I make my living from my art, so I don't believe in giving my hard work away for free (I am very much opposed to "free art" shows, where people make "art" and other people can just take it for free from the walls), but I think it is more than just a commodity. As long as people recognise that a lot of hard work goes into everything that I do, and they don't copy things that I do for money, then, whatever.

Thoughts?

So on and So Forth

2010-08-21T01:23:00.004-04:00

Just discovered this blog... http://soon-soforth.blogspot.com/ Really, really good. Plus a lovely header.

I'm working on re-designing my blog header sometime in the near future, but not quite sure what I want to do with it yet.

The work weekend is going a little slower paced than I thought it would. I think this may have something to do with the fact that I watched videos about monkeys being friends with dogs on youtube until 4am last night. However, I have just eaten a lot of chocolate and consumed a very strong coffee, have heaps of reference images and am about to embark on a new painting tonight, so hopefully that will help to move things along.

Banana Split Party

2010-08-18T19:22:00.003-04:00

When it is summer again can we have a banana split party please? I don't know if I can really eat that much ice cream and banana and cream and sauce but we can go halves if you want to.

So silly.

Photos (from top to bottom) from Tom Spalding, tree_climber and Muy Yum on Flickr

Kittens

2010-08-18T18:12:00.004-04:00

Since I have somehow suddenly become ridiculously allergic to kitties, I have to decided to live my dream of adopting a kitten vicariously through Anabela. Recently she found the most lovey kitten in the world who was living in her garden, her name is Pony and I would like to pet her.

Photos by Anabela. More lovely photos of Pony and other things that she does can be found here and here.

Weekend

2010-08-17T04:44:00.003-04:00

Even though it is a few days away, I will say that my weekend is going to be an extra long work weekend beginning tomorrow! And so, this is what I hope to achieve. Will all these things happen? Only time will tell...

Make at least two drawings for my show. Very Important.
At least five sketches for new drawings.
Get all stock together for sending to shops.
Make mozzarella cheese.
Take some pretty photographs.
Read a book.
Finish up at least five of those little projects which I've almost but not quite done.
Buy new sneakers.
Get tickets for San Francisco (why is this all the way at the bottom of the list?)
Work more on illustration projects.

Not an unreasonable list. To work! (well actually to making dinner...)

Envelop

2010-08-17T04:28:00.004-04:00

So I have finally gotten around to designing a tote bag for my Envelop shop (it's a company which makes print on demand textile products, they use water based inks and like the environment).

I used my pastel quilt illustration as the design, and I think it looks rather nice as a tote bag. I will most likely get one for myself!

This week...

2010-08-16T01:35:00.004-04:00

This week will involve cooking pumpkin, carrot and coriander soup. All of the spinach I bought from the markets, buying tickets for journeys and getting as much work done as possible. So many other things too. Hopefully more pictures and photos soon too.

Another List...

2010-08-16T00:54:00.003-04:00

As it seemed that people rather enjoyed my list of blogs which are nice, I thought you might appreciate a list of podcasts which I enjoy listening to. I think I may have done a blog entry like this a while ago, but I'm thinking it was either a few years ago or it was a list I emailed to someone and didn't blog post about it.

So, (once again in alphabetical order) a list of interesting podcasts (available from iTunes or from the links I've provided):

1. Are We Alone
Podcast from SETI, funny little segments and jokes too.

2. Astronomy Cast
Awesome space news and discussion.

3. Naked Archeology
Along the same lines as "Naked Scientists" but archeology. Only once a month though which is annoying!

4. Naked Scientists
Weekly science news, easily understood. Questions and answers, and a "Kitchen Science" segment with experiments you can try.

5. Science in Action
"Where we science everyday"

6. Starstuff
More excellent space news. Also good to hear an Australian accent.

7. Stuff Mom Never Told You
Twice weekly girl talk on topics like the history of foot-binding, discussions on societal differences between genders, and whether or not to get married. I hope I explained that ok.

8. Stuff You Should Know
Twice weekly podcast, the presenters have the most amazing rapport, it's like listening to your most favourite best friends.

9. The Skeptics Guide to the Universe
A weekly podcast with a lot of interesting ideas and discussions. A great way to get in touch with reality if you are (like me) inclined to get worried about things which are not real.

10. Useless Information Podcast
Kind of silly, anecdotes and stories which are interesting but of almost entirely no consequence.

They are pretty much all science related. I could recommend Radiolab and This American Life too but you probably already subscribe to those.

Big Shop Update!

2010-08-14T22:37:00.004-04:00

Just put a whole lot of new things in my shop, including...
Chinchilla Postcard
Pretty Pastel Quilt Notecard

...and a few other things (original paintings, mittens, more cards...)!

P-p-p-paneer

2010-08-12T19:40:00.007-04:00

Last night, in an effort to add to our cooking repertoires, Devon and I tried cheese making. Well, paneer. It's much easier than regular cheese, as it doesn't need to be fermented or anything, and all you need is milk and some lemon juice.

We only took photos at this stage (notice the gingham cheese cloth. Gingham makes things taste better) but after this then we added some salt and flattened it out into a container with a weight on top.

More info on how to make paneer (step by step instructions) HERE.

Next on the list, cottage cheese, yoghurt, real cheese. Tim's off for a little adventure next weekend, so that might be a good opportunity for trying to make real cheese then (when it'll only be me at home to care that there is warm milk sitting on the stovetop for a few days!)

I had better get back to work, my art show date is fast approaching!

Secret Club

2010-08-12T06:28:00.001-04:00

We started a secret club, you can join if you want... http://secretdrawingclub.blogspot.com/

Yayoi Kusama

2010-08-10T19:33:00.005-04:00

I saw this trailer on Angela's blog and just had to post it here. Sadly the film is not finished yet! Kusama had a show in Wellington earlier this year/late last year and it was fantastic, there were dots all over the outside of the gallery.

Blogs

2010-08-10T05:17:00.006-04:00

Apparently I follow 213 blogs. So I thought that maybe I would pick out a few (that you may or may not have heard of) and perhaps will enjoy. So, in alphabetical order, ten blogs which are interesting:

1. Dane Martin
Life and comics.

2. Delicate Diaries
Pretty things, soft fabrics, photography and thoughts .

3. Dreamcats
Dreamy photographs of cats.

4. I Want To Touch Your Face
Sort of like a secret art school diary. A great source of interesting images, thoughts, alcohol drinking, drugs taking and silliness. Please don't hold me responsible for what you may see if you click the link though!

5. Jack Hudson
He has sweet skills. Illustration and painting skills that is.

6. Misako Mimoko
The blog of Eva Monleon, a toy maker and artist.

7. Science Based Medicine
"Exploring issues and controversies in the relationship between science and medicine". Very important stuff. A bit dense at times, but useful things to know.

8. Slow Education (from Robert Sergel)
Just discovered this blog last weekend. Very well drawn and interesting comic strips, as well as fortnightly lists of interesting things which Robert has been into. The kind of blog that you read through until the beginning.

9. The Bride Striped Bare By Her Bachelor
Leo Greenfield takes photos of peoples outfits on the street and in cafes (with his mind) then draws them in washes of paint, pencil, and ink. He's got a show coming up this week in Melbourne... check the blog for more details on that.

10. This Never Happened to Pablo Picasso
Music, thoughts, images, political musings (Australian) and general bloggy goodness.

11. Too Much Too Young*
Lots of fantastic photography, fashion, music and art reviews.

*I was going to have a list of only 10 favourite blogs, but, I couldn't decide out of these 11 which to cut so they are all there!

So lovely

2010-08-08T17:05:00.006-04:00

I've loved this photo for ages, and I bought a print of it a few weeks ago when I found that it was for sale. I hardly ever buy anything that isn't food or comics, but sometimes it is great to have pretty inspiration around my desk.

My First Attempt...

2010-08-02T21:07:00.008-04:00

Bagels are expensive in NZ ($2-3 each if you buy them from the bakery, not much less if you want the gross supermarket ones that taste wrong) plus I like my baked goods to be of the super wholemeal kind, so today I made my first attempt at cooking bagels.

I got my original recipe here, but changed it a little, so I'll write it down here too:

4 cups of wholemeal flour
1 heaped tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of canola or rice bran oil
1 packet (about 2 teaspoons) of dry instant yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water

extra flour
seeds for the toppings, such as:
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
poppy seeds
sunflower seeds
...or any other kind of small edible seeds you may have

I read that it is also good to put sugar in the water, and either baking soda or even lye (?!) to help the sugars form on the outside of the bagel, making it chewy and delicious on the outside. So to the boiling water I added one heaped teaspoon of brown sugar and two teaspoons of baking soda.

Recipe:
To make the dough, mixed all the dough ingredients together, knead for 10 minutes, then cut the dough into 12 little buns and let them sit for about half an hour until they are doubled. After that time, roll them out and made them into loops, then let them sit for another 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210ºC. Boil a big pot of water, with baking soda and sugar in it (not sure if these things did anything to help the bagels, but I don't think they hurt them any!) And let each bagel cook for 2 minutes in the boiling water, then flip them over and cook for another minute on the other side.

Remove from the water, cover in seeds, bake for 10 minutes each side on a floured baking tray or rack, wait a while for them to cool, then eat!

More useful info on bagel cooking is available here.

2010-08-02T20:56:00.003-04:00

Drawing again. Just in case you are in Melbourne and we were going to hang out and drink tea with me in October... kinda bad news. The gallery has decided to close until next year, so the show with Amy has been postponed (I believe this is the 5th postponement?) until next year. I guess news on the exact date will be later. If you want you can come over to New Zealand and we can go camping though.

The Kaipo Wall

2010-08-02T00:13:00.015-04:00

So it has been scientifically proven that Edmund Hillary was probably the most awesome dad in existence.

The rest of "The Kaipo Wall", and hundreds of other NZ films, documentaries and shows are available to watch for at nzonscreen.com

Something to do of an evening for the next few weeks at least!

Foxes!

2010-07-31T23:13:00.004-04:00

Here are a few of my favourite picks from the new online boutique Foxes. Foxes showcases work from a select group of NZ based designers and artists. The launch party for the site was in Auckland on the same day as the craft fair so it was great that a lot of us could meet and have wines together.

(Things in the above picture as follows...)

a. Park Bench Lovers Ring by Chasing Rabbit
b. Oh La La Rosette by Dear Colleen
c. Royal Albert Soy Candle by Ethel and Harriet
d. Photo Album by Frankie Magazine
e. Possum Tote by 326

P.S Foxes will be getting in the latest issues of Frankie magazine when they are published, not a month later like the at regular newsagents and stores in NZ, so yay for that too.

P.P.S. Not sure why I made the logo in this image green. Usually it is black. I think it might have something to do with hanging out with Devon a lot, as she is always stressing the importance of the range of hues between the above green and slightly more yellow sap green.