Creative collaborations: Trish Chong and Rhonda Mason from Life:Captured Workshops
By Christina Atherton
Through their Life:Captured workshops, Sydney-based creative duo Trish Chong and Rhonda (Ronnie) Mason hope to equip others with the skills and resources to document their lives in beautiful and creative ways. They teach both the technical and emotional aspects of documentary photography right through to editing and workflow, photo book design and layout, journalling, memory keeping systems, life albums, and general organisation of photos and memorabilia. Today I ask Ronnie and Trish about the paths that led them to this point.
How did you meet? We met many moons ago at a mutual friend’s baby shower, and then on occasion at weddings in the years that followed. But we never really connected until the beginning of last year when our blogs led us to catch up with each other over coffee, and talk of family photography and memory-keeping workshops began. We were drawn to each other’s drive and passion for what we loved, and found the opportunities we had in front of us allowed us to work together in a fun and creative environment.
What are your creative backgrounds? Trish: I’ve honestly never thought of myself as all too creative. In high school I enjoyed turning up the radio and figuring out maths and chemistry problems, and ended up choosing a combined law and finance degree because I had no idea what I wanted to do. Through university there came an opportunity to backpack around the world with friends and I brought an old film camera with me, a gift from my uncle who no longer had a use for it. Through those experiences, I developed a love for the medium of film and the joy of capturing people and places which has stuck with me ever since.
Ronnie: My story is a little similar to Trish's. I grew up thinking I would become a commercial accountant working for a big firm, and therefore ended up studying a combined law and accounting degree. From there I enrolled myself into a marketing graduate diploma and when I finished my studies, I worked from the ground up in a small marketing department for a large international organisation. As I took on more branding and creative responsibilities, I soon realised that my passion lay in graphic design. Through a number of intensive training courses, I learnt to use the Adobe Creative Suite design software pretty quickly and I was soon creating all our marketing materials in-house. When I quit work a couple of years later, I started up my own commercial design studio and ran that for seven years. Even though I no longer work for commercial clients, my love for graphic design remains and has carried over into my blogging and my memory-keeping endeavours.
How did your collaboration on Life:Captured come about? As mothers, both of us realised how much each passing moment leaves behind as we travel through this world at the speed we now do. We were passionate about memory-keeping for ourselves, but also wanted to share this with others who may not have the same skills and experience as we do to make the whole journey enjoyable and easy to do. We both had a love for the tangible and wanted to teach others that it wasn’t really too hard to make beautiful keepsakes for themselves that they, and their loved ones, would treasure dearly now and in the years to come. It seemed only fitting that our combined skills of photography, organisation, and memory-keeping would be able to fill a niche that was not readily available in the current creative market.
What roles do you each play in the business? Trish: Ronnie is definitely the organised one in the partnership and she handles most of the paperwork and record-keeping. We share the communication and correspondence and keep to our strengths through the teaching elements. My aim is to simplify the elements of manual photography, breaking down both technical and emotional components and putting it all into practice, with a live shoot of a family during the workshop itself. We later teach our participants how to edit these same images using Adobe Lightroom software and reference them again whilst mocking up an album or layout. Following the workshop, I try and have images ready for both our blogs as well as for our sponsors to use to say thank you for their generous contributions.
Ronnie: Trish does a lot more than she's giving herself credit for! She's been liaising with most of our sponsors, and it was through her network and contacts that we were able to lock in RAW Space as the venue for our first two workshops. She also does all the photography work while I'm the one who works on the design of our marketing materials. Honestly, I love working with Trish's images. I think her photography and my design style are a good match. At the workshops, I teach an intensive crash course in photo organisation using Adobe Lightroom; my goal is always to equip our attendees with the ability to catalogue their entire personal photo library - both past and present. I also give a talk about memory keeping outlining methods of memory keeping that I find to be meaningful and effective to give our attendees ideas to develop their own framework for memory keeping. To wrap up the day, I also run through my fundamental principles for graphic design in the context of creating photo books, and I teach a mini session in learning the basics of Adobe InDesign.
Trish and Ronnie have recently launched their online portal, where they offer online classes to complement their Sydney-based workshops. See more at lifecapturedinc.com
{Photos by Trish Chong}
Interview – Samantha Dunne of Dunne With Style
By Andrea McArthur
A creative that does it with style and a smile. Dunne with Style is the culmination of Samantha Dunne’s creative ventures. When asked to describe her blog and business Samantha says that some days it’s decor making, some days it's event styling and some days designing projects.
Tell us about your creative journey so far.
Dunne with Style started as a small side project, a little Etsy store selling cupcake toppers after my daughters first birthday. It soon grew to include an ever-changing range of handmade event décor including cake toppers, backdrops, fabric ‘poms’ and paper flowers.
The past 12 months has seen Dunne with Style grow a few branches and expand to include creative collaborations and projects such as The Creative Exchange (a creative mail swap) and Create (a subscription based box of creative inspiration).
My love for detail and décor has led to numerous event collaborations with the talented cake artist Debbi of Studio Cake and we have just launched our collective event design and styling company Ivy & Oak.
What lead you to starting Dunne with Style?
Dunne with Style came to life just after my little girl turned one. The first 12 months as ‘new mum’ was a whirlwind for me, my life had catapulted from a self-confessed organised control freak exercise physiologist to a stay at home mum with a baby who rarely slept and took away my ability to control everything. I spent my time wondering if I was ever going to feel like I’d achieved something in the day and how I could balance my new life at home with my innate desire to be connected. Connected in the way that I had a place, a venture and a passion. Being creative gave me a sense of accomplishment and then the feedback I received through social media to my initial products was so supportive that I finally felt a sense of pride and purpose again.
Has your blog influenced your entrepreneurial spirit?
My blog has given me a platform to share and interact with like minded creatives and its led to me feeling connected to a community of people I’ve never met. It’s this community that’s inspired me to start turning a few crazy little ideas I had into realities. I knew that if I could bring to life projects like The Creative Exchange I could connect this community that existed in the online world on a deeper level and hoped that I could enrich their lives through creativity as mine had been.
Congratulations on one of your latest projects, Create, I saw that box one is already sold out. Please tell us more about this venture, how it started, how you choose your creative curators and how we can participate in creating with Create.
Create is a quarterly subscription box for creative inspiration curated by leading Australian creatives. The ‘Create’ box is the culmination of two elements, a selection of creative supplies chosen by the box curator – items to inspire a creative project or a little workshop in a box, and a limited edition piece of work from the curator.
Create grew from a desire to be able to connect creative artists and the audience that not only loves their work but is inspired by their entire style and ethos. I wanted give people the opportunity to not only be inspired by the work of our creative idols but to receive a tactile box of products selectively curated to inspire you to get creating.
The first two artists to come to Create were simple choices for me. Laura Blythman was the curator of Create box #1 and Gemma Patford is currently curating box #2 (on sale until the end of September). Laura & Gemma are both artists whose work I love, but who I’m inspired by for their willingness to connect to their creative community. They both have a knack of sharing not only their work as a finished product on the shelves but through social media share a snapshot into the creative process, a look at the creative mess on their bench, the cuttings, the paint splatters and its these insights into their days that I find really inspiring.
Do you have a favourite project that you have worked on with Dunne with Style?
I’m terrible at choosing favourites! The Creative Exchange has probably been the most rewarding project to be a part of and I’m continually humbled by it when people comment on the ‘community’ that I have connected and created.
The Creative Exchange began in January 2014 as a little idea that I initially flagged as ‘crazy’. I wanted a way to take the Instagram ‘family’ of creatives that I had met and connect through more than just inspiring images. I wanted to be able to share tactile creative inspiration and thought what a better way to do so than through the gift of giving. So I set up a creative mail swap, where people were allocated a fellow creative to ‘Insta-stalk’, as we call it, (in a completely positive stalking fashion!!) and put together a ‘creative exchange’ gift, items to inspire them to get creative.
When I launched the idea I was petrified no one would be interested and had everything possible crossed just to get 20 people to participate. In the first 2 days I had 30 people sign up and by the end of the two weeks sign up period I had a list of 70 people who joined the exchange. I was blown away. As we started to share the project on Instagram, I was flooded with enquiries of running a second exchange and expanding it to include overseas countries as well. In April I ran the second Creative Exchange and connected 140 people from Australia, NZ, UK and the USA.
To watch a community develop, grow and interact in the way it has and to hear from people who have made connections and friendships, learnt new skills, picked up old pastimes has been so rewarding and exactly what I wanted to achieve with the exchange, except it's on a scale that I truly never imagined.
How has your digital voice grown and changed since you first started blogging?
I feel my digital voice has changed a lot since I first started blogging which has led to a very recent revamp of my website and blog to allow me a fresh platform to share what I now feel is an authentic and valid voice. I think I’ve always thought I had a story to tell but it’s only of late that I feel that I have a valid voice and I’m really looking forward to having a concise platform to share my dialogue.
Any advice for others considering a creative business?
Just start.
There is so much information out there about what to do and what not to do, but I think you can get caught up in all of the ‘advice’ and spend way too much time (and often money) planning for something that you need to approach as more of a journey. Start small and stay authentic, do what’s close to your heart and what you truly feel passionate about: honesty radiates.
You can't keep a good woman down! Thinking out loud, what would be your dream project with Dunne with Style?
I’m such a dreamer, so I could almost write a list here! My big dream is to be able to take the next step in connecting the creative communities in more face to face settings. I would love to be able to facilitate Creative Exchange participants to be able to meet the exchange-ee’s they have connected with. I would love to spend more time creating amongst like minded people in inspiring settings and am always dreaming of my next collaboration.
How do you fit everything in to your week, with a blog, business, kids, husband and still be smiling in every photo?
If you truly love what you do then the smiling part is a given. I think a lot of the ‘juggle’ is about mindset, I frequently say everything that needs to get done will get done and for everything else there’s always tomorrow. Each day I prioritise all of the non-negotiables - the things that must get done - and then I’m realistic that everything else will have to wait. I don’t really define my work hours from my family hours and whilst plenty of people tell me that I should, I started Dunne with Style to be able to stay at home and look after my kids and I love that it has stayed that way. When I’m creating products in my studio there’s always little fingers dabbling in my ‘scraps’ under the desk and when I’m on a styling job I often have a mini assistants attached to my hip or following me around like a shadow. I’m blessed to have a supportive family who are always there to help with the juggle but I really want to show people that you can be a stay at home mum and live out your dream... the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
You are an inspiration for fulfilling your ideas. What inspires you? Please tell us about some of your creative resources (or passions).
I read, I watch, I listen.
I find the written word alluring and powerful and I love to hear people’s stories. I can generally be found looking for reassurance, grounding and inspiration from some of my favourite bloggers such as Teacups Too.
I’m also a really visual person, and whilst a lot of people talk about finding social media quite uninspiring I am a self confessed Instagram and Pinterest addict, simply because I’m forever blown away by the beauty that can be captured in a single square frame. I love the diversity that I can flick through in 30 seconds and that it can be something as far removed from my own craft or skill set but I’m still inspired by their choice of colour, texture or shape.
I think musicians are amongst the most passionate people about their craft and whilst my musical skills might have a lot to answer for I find most creative blocks and staleness can be cured by a good playlist.
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Thank you Samantha for your participation and words of inspiration. If you would like to find out more about Create or Dunne with Style view Samantha's blog at www.dunnewithstyle.com. You can also see Samantha's styling treats on Instagram (@dunnewithstyle).
Andrea McArthur (www.andyjane.com) has a passion for all things visual and works as a Senior Graphic Designer in Dubai. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. You’ll find her sharing image musings on Instagram @andyjanemc.
Interview – Amanda Henderson of Gloss Creative
By Andrea McArthur
CWC Member Amanda Henderson is the Founder and Creative Director of Gloss Creative (Melbourne), one of Australia’s leading visual houses specialising in three-dimensional design and custom made brand environments. Everyday Gloss Creative forges the path for the cross over of Visual Merchandising and Design.
Gloss Creative’s client list is impressive and spans many of Australia’s most style conscious companies in the fashion, luxury and travel industries. Their portfolio includes designs commissioned for brand marquees at the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, runways, set and event designs for Myer, Penfolds and Omega as well as fashion window concepts and installations for Kookai, Sportsgirl and Emporium.
Simply put, Amanda and the Gloss Creative Team create environments that dreams are made of, and worlds that envelope you in total sensory experiences.
Thank you Amanda for your time and sharing your story with the Creative Womens Circle. There are so many pieces of wisdom in your writing.
Tell us about your background.
I think my story might be typical of many creative people of my generation. I got through my schooling by connecting with all the ‘extra curricular’ activities our school had to offer – I hung out in the drama group and the art room at a time when they were not considered to be ‘real subjects’ or at least not the beginnings of any kind of sustainable career path. I was lucky enough to have forward thinking parents and teachers that validated and encouraged my interests and was I was free to explore the possibilities that might lie ahead.
After a very short year doing drama and economics subjects at uni, I realized that the working world would provide me with a better structure for learning and experimentation than a university.
I had been working at Sportsgirl while I was at school giving out fitting room discs on the weekends, and it was there tht I had wide exposure to complete retail marketing wizardry and creative growth. It wasn’t long before I had entrenched myself in the creativity that visual merchandising provided.
The process of team-based ideas generation and concept development was a critical learning for me at that time and still is the basis on which my team and I design today.
After the birth our two children I returned to work and held National Visual Merchandising Manager positions and Creative Development roles at Sportsgirl and Country Road.
In 2001 I started my best role to date – Founder and Creative Director of Gloss Creative.
Have you always wanted to be a creative business owner?
Not initially. I could say I was looking for a platform where experimentation and collaboration was the everyday. I also was looking for individual recognition for my work – large companies are amazing to be apart of, but sometimes it’s hard to get credit for what you’ve achieved.
As Gloss Creative grew I realized I enjoyed both the creative and business challenges of a small business. We are proof that high quality small design business can successfully work with large organisations.
My business allows me to immerse myself in all aspects of our projects, designing and working with our team. The freedom in the way we work has meant we have been able to work across many different disciplines.
How do you balance your creative projects with the administration / organisation / planning aspect of creative work?
Luckily, Visual Merchandisers have combined skill sets of creativity and practicality - I think this is because we have to deliver dreams into reality. Planning and organisation come naturally as a part of our process.
I’d like to debunk the often misguided theory that “creative types” can not also have business skill sets. Some of the most visionary professionals I know are brilliant business people!
Our team are highly diverse creative people - no one person can have all the attributes to complete a business. It’s the combined headset that makes the magic.
What have been some of the challenges or blessings of keeping Gloss Creative running since 2001? And how has your business focus changed since the beginning?
Honestly, I can only think of blessings. I’ve been able to run a high quality small business together with an amazing team of people and suppliers who have loved creating installations for all some incredible brands. We have had so much fun while we have worked over the last 14 years.
I guess the only continuing challenge is that you’re only ever as good as your last project. Despite our significant body of work we need to prove ourselves for every project, maybe this is why we put so much into each project, so we keep on our toes, we constantly try to bring newness into our work, we love trying new things on every project, its not always comfortable but it can be rewarding!
Our business focus has always been constant: we create ‘Grand Simplicity'. We create emotion with sophisticated visual impact.
How has your employee base grown or have you chosen to keep creative control of your business?
When I started it was only myself and my niece Kimberley Moore. On any Thursday now you’ll find seven people working in our studio. We are still small enough to act like a tribe, so creative control is no problem within our team.
Creative control beyond you team depends on the brands you are working for and the skill level and stakeholder interest for a particular project. You will have radar for this as you grow in experience. Always trust your gut instinct.
You need enough creative control to ensure that your idea remains strong, some times collaborators influence can make things even better! You don’t have to be a control freak but you do need to stick with your creative intent.
What has been you main form of business marketing to date?
Early on I decided that taking high quality photographs of our work by architectural photographers was useful as a record of our work.
I began by sending these images to the design press and they published them. We have always just ‘put our work out there’. Dianna Snape, Marcel Aucar and Rocket Mattler have been constantly photographing our work over the last decade.
We’ve had a website since 2006 and blog since 2010. We are really enjoying the community that Instagram has created!
Gloss Creative is diverse in its scope of work. Has there been a major project that you are particularly proud to share with us?
Mostly I’m proud that each project our team works on is considered with intelligence that each brand deserves. Diversity has provided us with long term inspiration and has meant we haven’t been type cast - every day is interesting.
There are some projects that stay with you as ‘milestone’ projects, the ones that take you to another level of believing in yourself.
Winning a 2013 Australian Interior Design Award for Installation Design for Myer's ‘Shadowlands' was pretty special. I loved that design for its visual emotion and simplicity, and for visual merchandisers to be considered a part of the design industry was a milestone for us. We are proud that maybe in some way we have widened the scope of Visual Merchandising over the last decade, pushing into design markets normally handled by interior designers or architects.
What advice do you have for others who might be considering a jump into a creative business?
You will know when the time is right - a wave of confidence and momentum will over take you and the fear of not following your dream will become bigger than the doubts you may have.
On a more practical level: get a bookkeeper, and hone your craft. Make relationships with people you trust and have fun with.
Always be close to your client. The further away from your client you are the more risk you take on.
What passions keep you creative?
I’m inspired by originality. I’m inspired by anyone who’s creating beauty. Both locally and globally I love theatre, ballet, set design, art, craft, fashion, accessories, store design, illustration, music, should I go on?
What is a typical day for you at Gloss Creative?
Our day starts with coffee and post Offspring analysis usually – no seriously we talk a lot in our studio! Then we get down to it. We talk about designs, we draw and plan, we come up with some bad ideas then work on them until we love them. Steff Dalberto and I might meet with suppliers, present to clients or install our projects. We spend quite a bit of time going up and back to Sydney.
I’m always on the phone talking about our ideas. It’s my role to manage expectations, which is time consuming and often challenging in an environment where creativity and financial management are both important. We love clients that are strategic thinkers, the results are magic if your clients are collaborators !
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Make sure to check out Gloss Creative’s posts on the studio blog and all of their sneak peeks on Instagram (@theglossarium).
Andrea McArthur (www.andyjane.com) has a passion for all things visual and works as a Senior Graphic Designer in Dubai. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. You’ll find her sharing design related musings on Instagram @andyjanemc.
Interview: Leanne Clancey, food writer
By Tess McCabe
Tell us about your background. What have you studied, where, and how did you come to specialise in writing about food and lifestyle matters for publications such as Epicure, Gourmet Traveller and Broadsheet?
Because I come from a really ‘foodie’ family (which includes several chefs, a winemaker, a butcher, growers, bakers and fishermen), the food thing was always there but I didn’t really consciously pursue it as a career path in the early days.
During high school I was obsessed with music. I hosted my own radio shows, ran club nights and all-ages shows, DJed, published little ‘zines, interviewed touring bands – all that stuff. Looking back, I guess I was quite entrepreneurial and courageous from a young age. After VCE, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (Social Science) at Deakin University in my hometown of Warrnambool, but after the second year I had really itchy feet to get to the big smoke, so I quit uni and enrolled in an Audio Engineering course in Melbourne. That took me into the worlds of film, TV and studio recording, which I loved.
Like a lot of university students, I started working in restaurants to pay the rent. My first real hospitality job in Melbourne was at O’Connell’s Hotel in South Melbourne, where I worked alongside chef, Greg Malouf for almost five years. It was here that my real food and wine education started. I really lucked it – the place was iconic and influenced a lot of young chefs at the time. I worked with so many seriously talented and passionate people during those years and I was a total sponge for it all. What I lacked in age and experience (I was 20 when I started there) I made up for with enthusiasm; I was forever asking questions, so I learnt a lot.
Later, I spent three years travelling around Europe. While my friends were more interested in getting drunk and pashing boys, I voraciously chased down wine and food experiences like drinking Soave in Soave and sherry in Jerez and WWOOFing(working on organic farms) in Umbria. My whole world opened up. I was in my element and it inspired me like nothing else.
Back in Melbourne, I worked in a handful of high-end restaurants as well as helping manage a really great little 2 Chefs Hat restaurant in Port Fairy owned my two brothers, Shane and Andrew. It was a great time for us – three passionate siblings with our own areas of expertise (Andrew is a chef, Shane’s a wine maker, I was the front of house doyenne). The place had a real buzz and the customers loved it. We worked hard and had a ball.
In 2005 I started teaching hospitality, wine knowledge and barista courses at William Angliss College. This experience taught me good skills in observation, assessment and critiquing – which now informs my work as a restaurant critic.
The food writing thing came out of a gnawing, long-term passion that I just couldn’t ignore any more. I did a couple of short courses on food writing and travel writing and editing in 2009, and later started a blog. I then took my mentor, John Weldon’s advice and started approaching some editors about doing proper, published work. I started writing for The Age Good Food Guide, The Age Cheap Eats Guide and Broadsheet in early 2011 and that’s when it all started taking off.
How did the opportunity to write An Appetite for Melbourne come about - did you approach the publisher or did they approach you?
They approached me, though it all came about quite serendipitously, actually. I had been aware of the Herb Lester guides for some time, after reading about them in Monocle magazine and then seeing them in bookshops like Hill of Content and Third Drawer Down. I was a big fan and was really drawn to their excellent design, unique themes and snappy copy.
In early 2013 I caught up with an old school friend,Caz and her author husband, Paul who were out visiting from London. As it turns out, Paul had written a guide for Herb Lester the year before, called The Look of London. After finding out more about me, my work, and my crazypassion for all things food and MelbournePaul later recommended me to the publishers to write a Melbourne guide. I was very flattered to be commissioned for this project and the finished product makes me really proud of my city. Melbourne’s dining scene really is world class.
What was the process for putting the guide together, and how long did it take? Did you suggest the content or was it a collaborative process with the publisher and editor?
The process took me a few months, as I had to juggle my other work around it. Plus Ideliberated for some time over who to include and how to squeeze Melbourne’s best stuff into just 40 listings. It was also a challengeto get the right mix of places that I thought would appeal to Herb Lester’s predominantly international audience.
The Herb Lester guides often like to uncover nostalgic gems and aren’t so interested in what’s new or hot or cool. This meant really taking a step back from my usual work of chasing the new/hot/cool, and instead looking at some of Melbourne’s more enduring classics with new eyes.
I also get that if you’re coming to Melbourne from London, Paris or New York City that you don’t necessarily want a ‘European’ experience (which Melbourne does so well) but rather, you’d want to get to the heart of what’s unique about the city and its culture.
My London editor, Ben steered the broad themes quite loosely so really, curating the guide was all up to me. This side of things was both liberating and scary; I was pretty concerned about how many industry friends I’d lose via the whittling down process!
What makes this guide special in comparison to other Melbourne guides, for the local and the tourist?
I think the guide’s most obvious charm is its beautiful design and the sense that you’re really getting off the beaten track with a savvy local’s insider tips. There are hidden gems and character-filled places that locals might’ve forgotten about. For a tourist, it’s a little peephole into the bits of Melbourne that I love and chance to live like a local, even if they’re just visiting for a few days.
What other projects are you working on now?
As well as my regular editorial work for The Age Epicure and Broadsheet I also contribute restaurant reviews for The Age Good Food Guide and Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. This kind of work keeps me busy and means that I get to eat out a lot and meet some great people. I love it.
Right now, I’m working on some pieces for SBS Feast Magazine, as well as another travel guide (as yet under wraps). There’s a book in the works too; something I’ve been chipping away at for a while now. Hopefully this year will be the year to get it over the line.
I do a bunch of copywriting, ghost blogging and social media for other people – like wine makers, designers, chefs and producers - too. It’s fun, and I love getting the opportunity to help people with their business in this way.
Recent highlights? Spending almost a month in California ‘on the job’ with my favourite photographer, Peter Tarasiuk for some editorial work.
I also had great fun doing a guest spot on radio recently; it took me back to my teenage days of community radio and has prompted some other media opportunities too, which is exciting.
Another big one this year was being invited to appear at the Melbourne Writers Festival. I’ll be speaking at two events in late August where I’ll be chairing panel discussions with some industry heavyweights on themes around food ethics. It’s a huge honour and I can’t wait.
Where can people get the guide and how much is it? Also how do we follow you for more Melbourne tips?
The guides are available from a number of local retailers including Shelley Panton Store, Books for Cooks, Third Drawer Down, Hams & Bacon, The Lark Store, and Hill of Content. You can also purchase them online via the Herb Lester website. They retail at around $12 each.
Catch up with what Leanne is doing/writing/eating via her Instagram (@clance), Twitter (@tourdeclance) and her blog.
Interview – Tina van den Broek, illustrator and artist
By Andrea McArthur
'Doing what you love' is paramount to artist and CWC Member Tina van den Broek, who also goes by the pseudonym The Food Artist. Tina creates tasty illustrations for businesses, products and services that are looking to spice things up. It's a new and unique industry niche she calls 'Food Communication'!
Tell us about your background. What has led you to starting The Food Artist?
I have a background in visual arts. I did a fine arts degree in Auckland, New Zealand, majoring in sculpture, with minors in printmaking and fibre arts. I also have a keen passion for making food. While studying I worked part time in a restaurant and worked in southern France for six months where I would cook, clean and entertain guests. I gained advertising and marketing skills while working for a boutique agency in New Zealand, and also larger companies like gumtree.com in London. In the last few years I have been working in online marketing.
I decided I wanted to pursue my creative interests by creating a business and life that I loved. Something I did because I enjoyed it, which was extremely specific and told a story. In order to articulate what it is that I do and can offer people, I had to think long and hard about my core values, beliefs and passions.
All my life I have loved food. I enjoy freestyle cooking where I whip something up based on the ingredients at hand. I can cook for hours and be in that same ‘happy place’ I go to when I am making art. Previous to this I was working under the name The Visual Citizen doing illustration, visual arts and face painting, which I still do. It made sense to bring my two passions together: food & illustration. Which is how The Food Artist was born.
What skills have you brought into starting The Food Artist and what business skills are you developing?
I bring with me a lifetime of customer service skills. From the age of nine I worked weekends or after school hours in my parents' milk bar and bulk food store serving customers. I have a love of travel, meeting new people and learning about their life and experiences. I like to use my artistic and creative skills to help people and continue to refine and grow these skills. The Food Artist is quite new actually - I started the business in February 2014 and I am currently trying to develop my business and financial skills.
What mediums do you work in?
I like working in black ink pens, fine-liners, watercolour paints and pencils, metallic pens and coloured pencils.
Who are your main clients at the moment?
My main clients are independent food producers, life coaching mentors, health & wellness bloggers/practitioners, chefs and caterers. I look forward to adding many more in the future.
Tell us about a favourite project that you have worked on.
A favourite project of mine would have been creating illustrations for a forthcoming eats, treats and edible beauty recipe book. I was lucky enough to taste a lot of the recipes and I believe that helped me draw them! I also got to try the edible beauty treatments, which blew me away with their tasty ingredients that I just wanted to eat. I learnt a lot about ingredients from this job as the author has food intolerances.
Do you have a favourite restaurant that you frequent or a favourite recipe that you cook?
I’m more of a 'whip something up at home' kind of girl and I enjoy cooking ratatouille, home made banana ice cream, or kitty cat pikelets (which are pikelets made in the shape of a cat).
What advice do you have for others who might be considering a jump into a creative business?
My advice would be that you can’t do everything yourself so get help – a business mentor/coach, have people you can rely on for support and outsource what you can. There is always something you can work on so accept it and set yourself tasks rather than working yourself into the ground in a never-ending attempt to finish just one more thing. Last but not least, believe in yourself and never give up, sometimes things just don’t work so you learn from your mistakes and try another approach.
What future goals do you have for your creative pursuits?
My future goals are to illustrate a colouring in book and children’s book. To take my illustrations from 2D to 3D and do visual merchandising, styling, installations, collaborate with set designers or prop makers on TV, film or music videos. I would also like to license my artworks for use on products.
Thank you Tina for your time and sharing your story with us! Follow The Food Artist adventures on Instagram @thefoodartist and Facebook /TheFoodArtist or for more foodie goodness and to see Tina's work, visit www.thefoodartist.com.au.
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Andrea McArthur (www.andyjane.com) has a passion for all things visual and works as a Senior Graphic Designer in Dubai. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. You’ll find her sharing design related musings on Instagram @andyjanemc.
Creative collaborations: Natalie Hayllar and Lisa Madigan
By Christina Atherton
The power of collaboration is becoming more evident as creatives around Australia team up to produce unique and sometimes one off events and experiences. Joining forces with a fellow creative provides endless possibilities as well as a platform for bringing together ideas and utilising each one another’s skills.
Today we chat to two Sydney creatives, blogger Natalie Hayllar of eat, read, love and artist Lisa Madigan about their recent collaborations and why two heads are better than one...
What are your creative backgrounds?
Lisa: I've been working as a professional artist for over a decade but there are many more strings to my bow. Styling, floristry, food, entertaining, events, travel and interiors are all passions of mine andare a natural complement to working as a fine artist. I'm a beauty seeker, an atmosphere creator, an experience cultivator, with the eye, hand and heart of an artist.
We all know that as a creative, you need to be able to adapt whilst staying true to who you are and your own unique story. I think we're both very much about enhancing the experience of the good things in life and celebrating the things we love.
Natalie: I have no formal creative training. I always wanted to do graphic design but ended up studying Psychology and a Masters of Science in Nutrition at University. I went on to become a dietician and later studied marketing. A corporate communications and marketing career followed but Ihave always preferred the more creative aspects of marketing.
After I had my first son, I bought myself a digital camera and taught myself photography, at the same time starting my eat read love blog. Initially this was a creative outlet just for me, a stress reliever and a place for me and my friends to connect on simple pleasures. But then the inspiration I found online and the subsequent connections with wonderful creative people opened my eyes to a whole new world and Icontinued blogging and taking photos. For me it's great to have found 'my tribe' and to connect with people that have shared passions. Social media and attending creative courses has definitely helped build those lovely connections.
How did you meet?
Lisa: A couple of years ago I had a store and gallery in Berry which Natalie discovered thanks to her love of the South Coast. A few regular visits and great chats later, it was my delight to work on the branding of Natalie’s blog eat read love and watch it blossom. We struck up a friendship and the rest, as they say, is history.
Natalie: I spend a lot of time on the NSW South Coast and stumbled upon some of Lisa's work in a South Coast magazine. After popping into her gallery and store in Berry to say hi I just knew Lisa would be the right person to help me design my branding. Many champagnes and 'anchor' coffees later, a great friendship has formed.
How did your collaboration on the eat read love pop up dinner series and Kinfolk events come about?
Natalie: I wanted to try something new for eat read loveso started a series of intimate pop up dinners in Sydney last year. I asked Lisa to be my special guest artist and help me style the first pop up event. It was so much fun and we worked really well together as a team so I asked Lisa to co-host the launch of The Kinfolk Table cookbook with me late last year. The long table lunch in the country at Lisa's cottage worked really well, so when I was asked to be the Kinfolk Sydney representative, Lisa was one of the first people I called. I realise my creative and styling limits so it’s always great to bring in the experts and let people do what they do best rather than trying to do it all yourself. Lisa has done an amazing job with all of the event styling and the Kinfolk L'esprit de la Mer event in Lisa's home town was really special for both of us.
What roles do you each play in these collaborations?
Lisa: My role is the creative eye, the environment shaper, the stylist, the florist, the designer and occasional co-host.It's my delight to conceptualise, create and set the perfect scene. I make gorgeous early morning market trips and spend hours bundling up blooms. I create floor plans and source props, I work on little details and special touches, I design and produce printed materials then whip it all into beautiful shape for the event. For me, putting together aesthetic cohesion is so much more than just making things look good, it's about making things feel good and threading a story throughout the experiences we're creating, seamlessly and it's my role to make them shine.
We both wear a lot of hats, such is the nature of collaborating, there's fluidity and an enjoyment and flexibility in each of our skill sets.We both do whatever we need to do to ensure the magic happens.
Natalie: As a host I bring together the team of people, partners and sponsors, promotion of the events, managing the invitees and venue requirements, working to just make it happen and ensure everyone is having fun along the way. I am used to working on deadlines and just do what is needed to get it done. While I always have a vision for how I want the event to look, I realise my styling limitations and therefore trust Lisa wholeheartedly to work her magic with the table settings, flowers and design elements. We work really well as a team and it helps that we have a similar aesthetic. Regardless, Lisa will always surprise me with an amazing element of the styling that I just go wow, I would never have thought of that but it looks fabulous!
It’s now time to startplanning for our tropical pop up in Bali in August and the next Kinfolk event in October. I can't wait to do something completely different again in a new location and with a new theme.
What's the best thing about collaborating with each other?
Lisa: Trust, friendship, synergy and fun! We each know that we're both passionate about creating beautiful and memorable occasions in every way and trust each other completely to do what has to get done, there's a great synergy in the way we both work.
We both spend a lot of time in preparation and that process is always an exciting one where we both bring our ideas and prowess to the table, we're both quite detail oriented and organised, so there's an enjoyable ease to it all, we're also lucky to have one another to sound board off.When it comes to pulling it all together, everything flows so well, there's great respect for what we each do and we love what we do!
Natalie: Ditto. It is always great to have a sounding board and bounce ideas off each other too. I remember the night before the most recent Kinfolk dinner in Avalon neither of us had had much sleep the week prior: we were both exhausted and were ready to make it all happen. We just sat peacefully in a little wine bar and said ‘ok, let’s do this, we will sleep tomorrow!’ On the day we’re often just buzzing with adrenaline as its go, go, go but to sit and enjoy a meal once it’s all set up, and to see the end result in the photographs and video footage is always exciting.
What future collaborations do you have planned?
Lisa: I think we're both still swooning from our last Kinfolk dinner, but there's absolutely more to come! We’re excited to be heading to the beautiful Villa Sungaiin Bali this August for another eat read love pop up so stay tuned for the visual feast that is to come on that front. I’ve just had an exhibition in Adelaide collaborating with Poet's Ode and while I don't want to give too many secrets away there'll also be something exciting happening at my Kangaroo Valley cottage later in the year too.Always new and exciting things on the horizon so stay tuned!
Natalie: After many years attempting to juggle my career, motherhood and eat read love as well as all of the Kinfolk and pop up dinner events I realised I am no longer able to do it all and still sleep. So I have just taken the plunge and started a yearlong 'career break' so I now have time to focus on following my creative heart. I hope to sign up to some more courses, travel a lot more and learn some new photography skills along the way. I am also going to be writing a lot more for some new and exciting publications and planning an extra special milestone birthday to NYC. The eat read love pop up dinner series will continue this year with our first international pop up dinner in Bali in August. Who knows, it could be a Paris pop up next…!
On a quest to live a more creative life, Christina Atherton loves any type of crafty projects and has tried everything from watercolours and flower arranging to paper craft and calligraphy. She has an unhealthy obsession with Instagram and when not working in PR for one of Australia’s leading tourism organisations, spends her time as a mama, wannabe photographer and magazine junkie.
Interview – Kelly Holcroft of That Vintage Caravan
By Andrea McArthur
Kelly Holcroft’s path to owning and operating Sydney’s first caravan bar, ‘That Vintage Caravan’, is one of passion, a desire to put heart and soul into doing what you love and an unplanned business. After falling for a caravan intended solely to store the remaining items from her "vintage extravaganza" wedding, Kelly's first caravan "Sweet Jane" was converted into a pink Travelling Teahouse, never actually to be used as storage. From that time ‘That Vintage Caravan’ was born and Kelly has been adding to her family of travelling caravan's with the recent addition of "Spencer" (a more masculine character!).
Usually a creator of experiences for her guests, today Kelly shares some of her own experiences on her ‘That Vintage Caravan’ journey with us!
Kelly, please describe the concept of ‘That Vintage Caravan’.
Our set up is perfect for those looking to create a memorable experience for their guests – one that is talked about for years to come!
Available for hire our beautiful vans are stylish, charming and offer a unique service. They’re perfect for a wedding, engagement party, bucks or hen’s day, kitchen tea, bridal shower, birthday corporate gig, product launch, Christmas gathering – any occasion really! From our handsome vintage mobile bar (Spencer) and delightful travelling teahouse (Sweet Jane) we offer a range of catering options to suit all tastes and budgets - including a simple drinks package morning or afternoon nibbles or a full morning High Tea experience. We’re on wheels so can bring our old world style to you at any place or time. ‘That Vintage Caravan’ is also available to attend fairs, festivals, fetes and as well as private photo shoots.
Can you share your vision of a great event or gathering?
A fabulous party always has a theme or includes an element of surprise (like a vintage caravan bar)! It also involves great company, great music, great food (and wine) and gives people a reason to unite and celebrate in the name of FUN!
Have you always had a passion for vintage?
I love collecting things with a history or a story. It makes them more interesting and precious. I also love a bit of up-cycling. There’s nothing better than giving old stuff a new life. As a child I was constantly crafting so I think it is just a natural progression. I got a new sander for mother’s day last year – it was the best present ever! What led you to making the leap from events to ‘That Vintage Caravan’ business owner? I have worked in finance for the last 7 years and that’s the main reason I started this business. I needed something else in my life other than numbers… a creative outlet and a project that I was passionate about.
The leap wasn’t planned. Things slowly came together after my hubby and I got married. The wedding was a vintage extravaganza. Following the big day I found it hard to part with my special treasures. My collection in fact continued to grow. With our little house bursting at the seams we (my hubby) decided I needed more space and suggested a caravan would be a good space to store my bits and pieces. And it just went from there!
The first van was purchased from the Southern Highlands (it was never used as storage). Sweet Jane is a Travelling Teahouse. She took about 9 months to convert. My handsome Spencer (a mobile bar) followed about 9 months later. He’s the new man in my life!
What skills have you brought over from your previous career experiences into ‘That Vintage Caravan’?
I have been in communications, events and marketing for last 20 years so I guess I bring all of those skills with me. I’ve worked across a variety of fields including the not for profit sector, financial services and local Government. In what seems like a lifetime ago I was also a teacher.
How did you devise the caravan's personalities, Spencer and Ms Sweet Jane?
The personality for each van came easy. Spencer is named after the Charlie Chaplin (aka Sir Charles Spencer). He was a strong, iconic character who made people feel happy… and that’s what I want my business to do. Jane gets her identity from Jane Austen one of my all time favourite authors.
What are your favourite events to work on?
Hard to say really, I love all of the parties that I do for different reasons. We’ve helped celebrate weddings, engagements, Christmas parties, baby showers and hen’s days. Actually I did a 100th birthday not so long ago. That was pretty spesh! Not many get the chance to be involved in such a significant event. It was a really beautiful day, filled with love and joy.
What does a typical day at work involve for you?
I am a bit of a night owl and do my best work late in the evening. My biz is a one lady show so I do it all. I still work 3 days a week (in finance) so I just try to fit things in where I can. There is no routine. I am very lucky to have a supportive partner and a great family who help me – which makes things so much easier.
Where to from here with That Vintage Caravan?
I’d love a fleet of vintage caravans. That’d make me a happy little camper!
What advice do you have for others who might be considering a jump into a small business?
An old boss once told me ‘fake it till you make it’ nobody really knows what they’re doing so smile, be confident and just keep going! And you know what? It’s true!
I use this saying when I start to feel lost or insecure things about how ‘wonderful’ everybody is. Creating a business is daunting. There are so many things to learn and just when you think you’ve got it under control something else pops up. You need to be true to yourself, trust your instincts and work hard!
Thank you Kelly for your time and sharing your story with us! For more vintage goodness follow That Vintage Caravans' adventures on Instagram instagram.com/thatvintagecaravan and to find out more details about Kelly's unique setup go to www.thatvintagecaravan.com.au. _
Andrea McArthur (www.andyjane.com) has a passion for all things visual and works as a Senior Graphic Designer at StartJG Middle East – Dubai. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. You’ll find her sharing design related musings via Twitter and Instagram @andyjanemc.