How super pretty are these hot air balloons made from old light bulbs? Unfortunately the link doesn't work anymore so I don't know where they came from

While I was playing around with maps a few months back I came up with a really beautiful idea to put the vintage maps I've collected inside bird shiouettes. I thought I'd start with US states and match the state birds to the maps!
Here are the first few now available in my etsy shop.

I came across a beautiful etching in a little gallery in Darwin today by artist Jorg Schmeisser. I love the layers of drawing and the mix of notes and sketches, a bit like a travel diary. I think it would be a great starting point to remember each trip just making notes, drawings, studies of flowers and building etc all on one big sheet. Could also add in photos, prints and maps. His work reminds me a lot of Horst Jansseen and a little of Joshua Yeldham.

The picture just doesn't do it justice, a beautiful work by Joshua Yeldham, my favourite at the Archibald and Wynne Prize this year. Stunning blues, purples and pinks.

Love these photos by fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø, they remind me of a piece I did back in uni which I really must make again.

So Im not exactly sure where I took this photo, except that it was near Tekapo. This is the start of a work where I'm going to experiment with mixed media on a photo. I've started by printing it out large format onto some lovely 100% post consumer recycled paper that I have. Masked of the sides and painted in most of the water.

Loving the work of Kathe Fraga. Her work resembles aged decorative fresco panels, adorned with birds flowers, vines and leaves in a modern Chinoiserie style.

Tidy up the edges and it's finished. Sticking all the layers down was the tricky bit, making sure they were done in the right order and getting everything to line up across three panels. But pretty happy with the end result. What's missing from the pic is all the different textures in the paper which looks really nice.

A few things I learnt from this one.

• To get a really smooth glossy finish for the sky I'll probably need to sand the board a few times first. It's a little too rough at the moment.
• Thick paper layers with thin layers over the top need to run the full length of the piece or be added to with paper of equal thickness. Otherwise the thin paper folds over the thick and you can see too much of a line.
• Damar varnish takes a really long time to dry! Don't pick it up too soon. 

via pinterest

Pam Toll

It was suggested that I take a look at the work of Imants Tillers who produces large landscapes made of of small square pieces.

After blending the photos together in photoshop using layers I've printed that image out and cut it up. Next I've used similar shapes cut from old gift cards, white gel pen on black paper and magazine print glued to card. A few snaps of it in progress: