CWC Member Feature - Jenny Pemberton-Webb
By Roslyn Russell
Today's featured member is Jenny Pemberton-Webb who is the creative force behind boutique homewares label Ivy and Lil (Diane visited her studio a few months ago!). With a work history rich in creative endeavours, Jenny's passion for art and making has led to her establishing Iv
y & Lil in 2010.
What do you create? I have established a boutique home wares label and hand screen print and hand make a selected range of products including tea-towels, cushions, greeting and decorative artworks. I love the rustic look and feel of linen so use this as my base and add a blast of colour through my designs. This is my recent passion but builds on more than 25 years of being an artist and printmaker.
Have you done training in your creative field or has it come about informally?
I went to Melbourne University and studied to be a secondary school art teacher, majoring in printmaking and sculpture. I was always good on the administrative and organising side of this too so was a natural at arranging exhibitions.
My first job after uni was at Sothebys fine art auctioneers in Armadale working alongside Lesley Always (who went onto Artbank, Arts Victoria and AsiaLink) and from there I was offered a job as the co-ordinator of the Walker Street Gallery in Dandenong. I gained an amazing amount of experience working on exhibitions, public art programs and events and moved through a variety of roles as arts officer and cultural planner to what I’m doing now which is working as a place manager for a major revitalisation project.
A few years back I did a Masters of Art of Public Spaces at RMIT and put this to good practice working with some amazing artists like Robbie Rowlands, Rowena Martinich, Cameron Robbins and design and fabrication company Big Fish.
I’ve always continued painting and working in my studio predominantly for my own pleasure. In 2010 my hubby and I took a 6 month break and hit the road to travel around Australia. It was during this time I realised I needed to put art making at the centre of my life and decided to establish Ivy & Lil.
How do you balance your creative projects with the administration aspect of creative work? I make sure that all my studio work happens in the daylight when I have natural light and I can see the impact of light on my colour combinations and for mixing inks. I’m very lucky to have the ideal studio space at the rear of our house and it’s a space my hubby renovated for me in an old 1940’s era barn. I’m always reading about how people are trying to squeeze their lives in and around all the competing tasks. What works for me is doing administrative work, manage my on line stores, update my blog and face book in the evenings during the week. I have some basic but sound systems in place so I’m tracking sales, enquiries and building mail lists week to week. I read blogs and google topics of interest at random times during the day when I have a spare moment and on my lunch breaks.
Keeping up with social media is a big challenge I am constantly trying to embrace, it seems just as I master one new platform another one appears!
What do you do when you experience a creative block?
Well luckily it’s not something that happens too often as I usually have more ideas and plans than there are days in the week to realise them! But I certainly don’t beat myself up. Instead I’ll clean up the studio and get organised again or take time to reflect on what I’ve recently achieved. I also love to go out and see what other artists and designers are doing and making.
I find that I get inspired by all sorts of things like looking at furniture and salvaged industrial items or checking out second hand shop, galleries and reading magazines and blogs. Everywhere you go there are patterns and colour so I’m constantly looking at this every day. A bit of gardening is always a great circuit breaker too! What future goals do you have for your creative pursuits? I’m really keen to get my current range of work into as many places as possible and am constantly seeking out the places and ways to do this. I enjoy the all forms of contact with people who make and love hand made products so I’m learning all the time about the industry, trends and what others are doing. I’m totally enjoying the range I am working on at the moment and plan to continue developing new designs, colours and products. I’d also like to spend some time on my one of pieces and keep connected to painting as this is what has sustained me over the years. I guess its really about planning to a certain extent but also being ready to get swept up in the journey and see where things might lead.
Thanks so much Jenny for sharing your creativity!
To find out more about Jenny and her label Ivy and Lil, you can find here here: website, facebook, , made it, blue caravan.
Roslyn Russell is a sewist, blogger and teacher. Her blog, Sew Delicious, is where she showcases her latest projects, designs and sewing tutorials. Roslyn also enjoys cake baking and decorating, exploring Melbourne cafes and restaurants, and hunting through op-shops for vintage sewing and kitchen treasures.
Organise Me: Desk Space
By Andrea McArthur
It seems we all need a little help when it comes to creating our perfect desk space. In order to create a functioning work space here are a few great tips from Renée Rogers and Jess Hyde to keep your desks looking as welcoming as theirs.
Tip #1: Keep your reference files at hands reach.
Above: Renée's Desk
Renée Rogers is a Graphic Design Lecturer at Shillington College with a secret love of English Monarchy promotional ceramics. As a teacher Renée needs to be thoroughly organised to ensure her days are stress free and running smoothly. Her number one tip for being organised is to be prepared. All of Renée's past notes and timetables are filed close by her desk for easy reference between courses.
In the photo of Renée's desk it is set up in preparation for week one of her new course. Renee stays organised by having every lecture, day plan and brief printed and ready to deliver for the first week of class, hence the piles of paper. To do lists are also a must, but what Renee can't face is prepping for class without a cup of tea.
Tip #2: Clean up and finish your tasks, everything has a place.
Above: Jess's Desk
Jess Hyde is a multi-talented Graphic Designer and Illustrator, she is the founder of truth.be.told stationery which began in 2007. Jess has recently given her studio a huge overhaul and it's looking like a comfortable and functioning work area.
We asked Jess what her secret is to staying organised in the office and her work life. It's so simple: "just 'clean up' before starting the next task," Jess says. "When I finish a task, be it packaging an order or designing a concept, I always do my filing and put away any active work in its job tray before moving on to the next task. It means that my space is neat and I clear my head before starting the next thing on the list."
Tip #3: Work with the correct tools around you.
Above: Andy's Desk
Last week I purchased David Allen's book called Getting Things Done, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. The book sounds great and it's sitting on my desk ready to be thumbed through. In the book David writes about setting up your workspace. In addition to a desktop work space the basic processing tools you will need are: 3 x paper-holding trays, ream of A4 paper, a pen, post-it notes, paper clips, binder clips, a stapler, sticky tape, rubber bands, a labeller, file folders, a calendar and a bin.
My tip to create a functioning working environment for yourself would be to bring some personality to your space, open a window and let some light in, or create an inspiration board with things to motivate you. Then with the right tools, stationery, desk space and ergonomic chair you'll love working at your desk.
Andrea McArthur has a passion for all things visual and a soft spot for organisation. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. Andrea works as a freelance graphic designer in Brisbane by day and lectures in graphic design by night. You will find her sharing design related goodness via @andyjane_mc www.andyjane.com
Book Review: My So-Called Freelance Life by Michelle Goodman
By Jodi Wiley
Looking to strike out on your own or maybe you’ve already taken the freelance plunge? You could do worse than to consult this very readable guide on ‘how to survive and thrive as a creative professional for hire’ by Michelle Goodman.
My So-Called Freelance Life contains all the topics you’d expect to find in a guide to running your own show (setting goals, creating a portfolio, acquiring quality clients and time management) with the added entertainment of Goodman’s irreverent writing voice. She is funny, chatty and informative. It’s like sitting down for a coffee with a really fun buddy who’s full of excellent advice and smart quips. Far from being a dry instructional tome, this book is full of spirited enthusiasm and humour. And it’s infectious. After reading this it’s hard not to begin hatching grand freelance plans.
I particularly like Goodman’s advice about acquiring freelance projects which pay the bills while also making room for the dream projects that might not pay so well. She firmly believes in making time for those projects (after all, isn’t that why you wanted to freelance in the first place?) but also acknowledges the reality of doing bread-and-butter work.
She’s also full of great organisational ideas: how to manage your invoicing, client expectations and how to avoid frittering away your time on social media. Like other creative biz guides out of North America, much of the tax and legal business advice is specific to that country, but this information can always be researched locally and doesn’t take up too much space between the covers. On the whole, this book is a useful and motivational tool for anyone toying with the idea of going solo, or for seasoned freelancers wanting ‘to pick up some tips and tricks’.
Although Goodman’s professional experience is in freelance writing she is careful to make the information relevant to those in other creative fields. My So-Called Freelance Life is general enough to be useful to all creative professionals while still giving specific advice. And a big motivational push too. ‘What matters,’ Goodman concludes, ‘is that I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since I was an eight-year-old in pigtails writing essays about Pocahontas and gluing together dioramas of dinosaurs - I’m making a living making stuff.’
My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive as a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman is published by Seal Press.
Jodi Wiley is an artist, writer, teacher and blogger. She has written freelance articles and book reviews for magazines and newspapers, as well as education curriculum. She has won awards for her artwork and been a finalist for several art and illustration prizes. Visit Jodi’s blog: artbywiley.com
Women from History: Grace Cossington Smith
By Julia Ritson Sydney born Grace Cossington Smith painted this work in 1915 and lucky for us Daniel Thomas convinced the Art Gallery of NSW to add it to their collection in 1960. It was from one of her first exhibitions. She was 23 years old.
The sock knitter, 1915
A painting of a good middle class daughter knitting socks for the men at war in 1915. That's it. But we are forced to look at the way the painting is made. It isn't really about Grace's sister Madge knitting socks. It's about painting and what the sitter feels.
The figure is pressed forward onto the picture plane. Tightly constructed. The creamy impasto paint of the backgrounds holds the picture together. The sitter then holds the background together. Like a jigsaw. She is the pattern maker. There are echoing triangles everywhere.
The walls are bare and overbearing. Probably how Madge was feeling. The dutiful daughter burden. She shows no emotion.
Smith loved patterns and colour. The artist said "my early paintings were much more of a pattern like... The sock knitter... In those days I felt everything was a pattern. It wasn't a forced thing at all."
Every thing a pattern. You can imagine her living in the one house for 60 years and continuing to find inspiration in all sorts of places. Her later work was almost all patterned.
Including this lovely mosaic-like patterned self portrait Grace painted in 1948.
Love Grace again.
Julia Ritson is a Melbourne artist. Her paintings investigate colour, abstraction and a long-standing fascination with the grid. Julia has enriched and extended her studio practice with a series of limited edition art scarves. She also produces an online journal dedicated to art and scarves and architecture.
Tools of the Trade: Melanie Stapleton & Cecilia Fox
By Brianna Read
When I meet Melanie Stapleton she was hard at work putting the finishing touches on the brand new premises of Cecilia Fox. I know a little about florists, they work harder than most people imagine! The common perception of florist as a romantic career path filled with fragrance and beauty simply doesn’t cover it – there are early hours, really long days, hard physical labour and perishable produce. The reason I point this out is that Melanie sits opposite me in a café neighbouring her new shop, days from opening, nine months pregnant patiently waiting for my questions and not once do I sense an air of stress. This is one creative woman who has mastered the art of juggling – she looked serene!
I admit I was quite familiar with Melanie’s work before we met – I have long admired her work, documented beautifully on her blog. I was very curious to hear about how she arrived at her particular design sensibilities, I always like to ask if the tools used by a creative have any particular history. When I point out that there have been no great advancements made in the tools used in floristry Melanie chuckles and replies ‘No, just a pair of scissors really!’.
Melanie has been running Cecilia Fox from a Brunswick workshop for over five years. Prior to going out on her own she spent years in Auckland, Sydney, London and finally Melbourne learning from others in the industry. She cites London as a turning point for her, here she discovered what floristry could be like. ‘I learnt that it was ok to specialise,’ She says ‘not in an exclusive sense, just that it was good practice to do what you do well rather than do many half-heartedly.’
This particular quality is reflected so well in the lovely photographs of her designs. There is a distinct Cecilia Fox floral stamp and many other creative have recognised this. Since going out on her own Melanie has had a number of clients she lists as inspiring – all of which have recognised her keen design sensibility and asked her to bring a little into their worlds. Cecilia Fox was responsible for the floral designs in Husk for a number of years, she regularly works with the event coordinators Georgous and also works with Kuwaii for their eye catching window displays.
The new shopfront for Cecilia Fox can be found nestled between New Day Rising and Triple R headquarters on the thoroughfare from Brunswick to Northcote and is sure to attract many folk overjoyed with a lovely splash of colour and perfume in the neighbourhood.
Melanie described the ethos of her approach as one driven by bringing beauty, understanding the client’s needs even when they are unsure. Most importantly, what I took from this inspiring interview was that when you remain true to your creative sense you will attract projects and clients which inspire and add fuel to the fire you laboured to build. 
Cecilia Fox - Out of the Woods can be found at 221b Blyth St Brunswick. Melanie and her wonderful staff are instore from Thursday through Sunday with the following hours: Thu 9-6, Fri 7-7, Sat 8-4, Sun 10-2
Brianna Read is a designer/maker based in Melbourne. Her knitwear label Jack of Diamonds employs traditional hand-made techniques in combination with machine knit technologies. Brianna’s multi-faceted creative practice encompasses design, production, works for exhibition and machine knitting workshops.
Our first Sydney CWC: tickets on sale now!
Today is a very special day, because I can finally announce the details of our very first CWC event in Sydney!
..................................................................................................................... Date: Saturday 27 October, 2012 Time: 2-4pm (1.45pm for 2pm start) Location: 107 Projects, 107 Redfern St, Redfern, Sydney NSW We encourage the use of public transport to our events - catch the bus 305/308/309/310 or the train to Redfern Station. Cost: $11.00 CWC Full Members / $16.50 Subscribers & Non-members Tickets available here A portion of all ticket sales will go to support the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, for which Julie has just become an ambassador. .....................................................................................................................
Our guest speaker at this event is Julie Paterson of Cloth.
Julie is a painter, printmaker, designer and owner of cloth, a small & friendly fabric company she set up 17 years ago. Julie designs, and with the help of a small team, produces textiles locally by hand for the home and boutique commercial interiors. Her distinct design style (inspired by the Australian landscape) has seen her develop a large range of interior products, and collaborate with Designer Rugs and Porters Paints.
Cloth have recently opened a new shop and showroom in Surry Hills (we highly recommend a visit!) and the Cloth range now includes bed linen, art, upholstered furniture, clay pieces and much more.
At this first Sydney CWC, Julie will share with us the story of cloth - from its humble beginnings, through to working with a team to grow her vision and business, and insights into her collaborations, love of sustainable materials and practices, marketing and social media use.
After Julie's presentation, join us for afternoon tea.
Seating is limited so be sure to book your tickets early... and Melbourne folk, you are of course invited to come along. I'm sure it will be well worth the trip! :)
Scenes From Sydney: In Pursuit of Happiness
By Jaclyn Carlson As the weather warms up I’ve been noticing a trend around the blogosphere lately – spring cleaning. It’s everywhere. People are scrubbing, cleaning and de-cluttering their workspaces, homes and well let’s face it…their lives in general. Just this past weekend I spent the afternoon trying to organise and turn our mess of a spare room into something bearable. After hours of cleaning away clutter I felt amazing, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and suddenly I could walk into that room and breath a bit easier. Hopefully I’m not the only one who gets a bit of rush from a seeing the final product after a cleaning frenzy??
So while Sydney has been buzzing lately with creative events, (I’m sure you’ve all seen the amazing pics of the 18th Biennale of Sydney) I figured this month I’d dedicate my column to the very on-trend topic of spring cleaning and discuss a book that I’ve been reading that is both timely and the center of many creative discussions – The Happiness Project.
This book isn’t new (in fact the author, Gretchen Rubin, has just released her second book and already it’s a bestseller) but I thought it’s the perfect spring time reading for those wanting to head into summer embracing a positive, happy outlook. In summary the book follows the author on a 12 month, DIY project on happiness. She praises the benefits of more sleep and de-cluttering as 2 key factors to happiness (I’m tackling both!) and I’ve found the reading to be both inspirational and just the push I need to get back on the creative track in time for summer. I’ve spoken to lots of women about this book over the past few weeks and much like Eat,PrayLove, they seem to fall into 2 categories – you either love it or hate.
So as you begin your own spring cleaning adventure (at home, work or on your to-do list) I'd love to know if you've read The Happiness Project and what your throughts were? Did you love it or hate it?
Tess' edit: There will be a another VERY Sydney-themed post on the blog later today (I bet you can guess what it is about). Stay tuned!
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.