Anatomy of a Goldfish

Typography

Ahoy!

Totally just rediscovered some old typography exercises!

This was one of the first briefs I did in my course two years

ago... Hope you diggit. PS Shaun Of The Dead is (C) of it's

respective owners, not me (unfortunately).

PSS I love Simon Pegg.

Cheers,

Amz; x.

Sept-Oct Update!

Ahoy!

I've been busy, here's a quick update...

These two were unused art for a CCV brief. Cancer Council Vic was looking for a promotional

illustration for the awareness of Cervical Cancer and the Gardasil vaccine. I didn't get the gig, but

I'm still damn proud of what I did.

I've also done this:

A Black-Moor tattoo commission. Cute! I love goldfish.

Also, just completed another piece just an hour ago, first major

illustration in a while...

Mm, Salty!... Tangled in pretzels, just how babes should be.

In the last month I also attended a Dr. Sketchy event and drew the gorgeous Lux St Sin!

Whew, I've been busy! No time to caption all of this in detail, just enjoy the images.

Cheers,

Amz; x

Queens.

Roughs. 2b on 200gsm in my sketchbook.

Amz; x.

Pugsicle!

Amz; x

For The Love Of Goldfish

Ahoy!

T-shirt design. Available HERE for purchase.

I've been so busy, I moved into a studio, bought some amazing

boots and ran a couple competitions since my last post!

I'm busy busy busy so I don't have much time, but stayed tuned

for more goldfish art & some more wicked tees!

Cheers,

Amz; x

Show me the MUNNY!

Ahoy!

Quickly updating (I'm at work, oops...) on my project/completed piece
for the Villain munny comp!









That's all for now. Back to work!

Cheers.
Amz; x

Lazy Days.

Ahoy!

I've been super busy as of late (darn) as I'm now working full time in the CBD,

so there hasn't been much time for personal art. No fretting though, I've started to

paint a whole new piece and a large fashion collage, as well as three new tee designs!

It's all going quite slowly, but it is happening.

(I'm not dead!)

Speaking of the tee designs~ I am running a facebook competition to win

a RedBubble tee, of a theme of your choosing! Check out my page for more

details... Anywho, I've got to get to bed (Nana? Yes, yes I am) as I'm getting up

at six for work. u_____u'

Love~

Amz; x

I have a website!

I have a website!, a photo by Amz Kelso on Flickr.

Ahoy!

That's right, last night I launched www.amzkelso.com and frankly... I love it! I'm super pleased with the way it turned out, and now I don't have to stress about it anymore.

Here's a shot of my home page. I have neat little rollovers and links etc.

Hope you take a look and tell me what you think of it! I need feedback. :) Also tell me what you think of my portfolio arrangement & selection. Something missing that should've been there...?

Anyway, I'm off to do some work. Tc.
Cheers, Amz.

Monsteraca!

Hopefully showing this in a future show. Monsteracas by Amz!

This one is called 'Maracatfish of the Pink Lagoon'. I know I'm lame,

but at least I'm good at crafts. ;)

Cheers, Amz.

Candy Cattle

Candy Cattle, a photo by Amz Kelso on Flickr.

Ahoy!

Here's the latest piece, 'Candy Cattle', little darker than my usual work but I enjoy it. :)
It's also up on RedBubble for sale, so if you've been hankering for any of my prints (new or old) you'll be able to find them on my RB account here- http://www.redbubble.com/people/amzkelso

:D I've kind of dropped off the radar a little the last month, but everything's been a little crazy after All Aboard finished. We're planning our next exhibition and I've got a design client looking for a whole suite of work on a short deadline- crazy fun! So sorry about the dead blog. I swear I'm resurrecting it!

I've recently taken the time to photograph all my 3 dimensional art, so prepare for a flood of skateboards and musical instruments (by which I mean four, not a flood) haha. Stay tuned.

Lots of love, Amz; x

Latest and Greatest:

Ahoy!

Here's what I've been up to lately...

That was just a scribble.

This is, 'I Could Be Yours':

And I've also been painting that maraca, as shown in

my last post. He's going to look a little like this:

I fashioned his fins from Polymer clay, and am already hunting ebay

for spare maracas! 23cm long wooden ones. If you find some let me know,

I have about 5 planned for my next exhibition! Anyway, that's about all.

Love,

Amz; x.

Maracatfish of the Pink Lagoon WIP

Maracatfish of the Pink Lagoon WIP, a photo by Amz Kelso on Flickr.

Ahoy!

I’m painting a maraca monster-style!
I call him ‘Maracatfish of the Pink Lagoon’.
This is just a work in progress shot,
next I’ll be adding scales and eventually fins.
Q. Should I make a whole series
of monster maracas? I’m thinking yes.

Cheers,
Amz; x

Leo

Leo, a photo by Amz Kelso on Flickr.

Ahoy!

'Leo', photoshop/Wacom. Made the texture myself. Dig? This is the latest illustration I've created, and I'm doing another one right now...

I was going to put it in an astrology competition on RedBubble, but I feel it's not directly... 'astrology-y' enough, if that makes sense. They want the entires to be plastered with the Leo star symbol but that's not my style! :(

In other news I feel like my personal life is a burning wreck, so excuse me if the next few posts are of angry pictures. Well, less angry more sad. You get the gist.

Oh well. Feedback on Leo?

Lions and Lies,
Amz; x

Shwimpia & Saints

Saintly Sinner Sketch- just a scan. Lead, acrylic.

Shwimpi Silver Jewelry set- Pure silver & gemstone.

Earrings on sterling silver hooks. It looks a little tarnished here

but it’s just the lime sulfur I hadn’t wiped off yet- this was taken

minutes after finishing them! I’ve also done little cloud

earrings to match the Melbourne Rainy Clouds fimo pieces I did.

That's all! Just a quick update.

- Amz; x

'Queen Consort'

Mixed Media, Acrylics, Lead, Photoshop etc...

Dig it?

Amz; x

I'm in the Loop!

Are you?

To view my credz as an illustrator hit this link. If you've on The Loop

come follow me! If not, you should be.

Cheers,

Amz; x

Tumblr!

Ahoy!

I feel like I'm slowly infecting the internet

one site at a time. I am yet to have my own

website/domain name which I should really

get on... I just don't have any money or web

design skills. :)

So, for now:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY TUMBLR!

I am too tired to type anything more than this.

Cheers, Amz. x

Amz on Amitty!

Ahoy Crew,

Excited for Easter? You better be! I'm excited for yummy

breskva, (Slovenian peach-style biscuits... hard to explain), yay! I'm also

excited for my birthday just next week. In fact, I've already

got a present... a fancy new Canon camera! I love it. It's second hand

but it's in great nick. I am going to take photos all across the

Easter weekend... as soon as I get a CF card for him. That's

all I need to start shooting. Unfortunately when I went to

Ted's Camera house at highpoint, the guy at the counter had no

idea what he was doing and gave me the wrong card. Note to self,

next time go to the one in the city. They're better informed in the CBD.

Speaking of CBD- If you're in Melbourne, don't forget to pick up a copy

of Nubile Zine to read a classy interview with myself

and Kitty on our current show, All Aboard! It touches

on how this whole kerfuffle started, and how it's going

to continue. Quite an interesting read, if I do say so myself...

If you can't pick it up, you can hit it up online at some point

in May (I wish I knew, but Nubile is pretty chill and will

release it in their own time) at aprocessionofnubile.com,

just check on the zines link and find issue no.03! It's a pretty

neat publication, so beware as you'll probably get sidetracked

on their blog and spend your day going through their images...

I know I did.

In other news, Kitty and I have had a sit down and planned out

our next attack on the arts scene. All Aboard hasn't even been pulled

down yet and we're already beginning to organise the next one...

I swear, I'm such a lazy person when it comes to anything but illustration

and Amitty. I will work consistently and relentlessly to make sure I

have the perfect piece for a client or show, but when it comes to

tidying my room I am just godawful. I blame Kitty. Her work

ethic has rubbed off on me...

Don't forget to check out Amitty on Facebook, and

Amz Kelso on Facebook, I am holding another competition soon,

this time you will be able to win some custom jewellery I think!

(Make sure you're logged in to fb otherwise

you won't be able to check out the pages!)

The winner of the last comp, Dennis Ward, is having his Loveasaurus

print shipped on Tuesday/Wednesday. I am going to send it express...

that's right, regardless of cost, I ALWAYS POST EXPRESS! For some

reason I have never been able to send normal mail. It just never gets

to where it needs to be, it's ridiculous. I don't want my print crumpled

and discarded after travelling to the wrong home! The horror! I think I'm mail-lexic.

Anyway, I have fish to feed and a load of washing to put out.

Happy Easter by the way! Load up on lots of chocolate, and remember

to dance on Easter because you're not allowed to dance for four

days afterwards. It's Slovenian tradition.

Cheers;

Amz x

WIN! A hand-signed LOVEASAURUS print!

Ahoy!

I've started up a new competition, to win an 8"x 12" print

of my piece 'LOVEASAURUS' piece. Here's all you have to do to

go into the running...

Like and share the 'Amz Kelso' official facebook page

and comment on any competition-related status to go into the

running to win an 12" x 8" Gloss Print of LOVEASAURUS

signed by myself and sent straight to you.... express baby!

Alternately, if you don't have a facebook, you can just buy one of the

prints from my Etsy, here. I post express, so you don't have to fret- it

will show up within three days in perfect condition.

So, the link to my official facebook page is just there, and

it's also on the sidebar. Have fun in the competition, I hope you

take part in it. If not, have a lovely day anyway!

Good luck!

Amz; x

Like my art on FACEBOOK!

Ahoy!

Quick one, I have done some printing today and will be getting

more tomorrow- Tom Wilson's edited beautiful photo prints

for the All Aboard show in fact! I was the editor, he was the photographer

and together we made magical clay things happen.

(Yeahh, I still have stuffed toys. Ones Tom made me and

some Japanese UFO catcher toys. I'm addicted to them!)

On a more professional and important note, I

finally updated my ancient deviantart, it's now current:

http://caustic-stars.deviantart.com/

AND I have made myself an official facebook. Like the

page & follow my art. There is also an official facebook

page for Amitty Studios as well! Check out the sidebar, you'll

find a like button. Hit it and away we go!

That's all.

dA and digital prints~

Amz; x.

Busy Bees... or Fish.

Ahoy,

There hasn't been much time for my own work because I've

been editing my boyfriend's photography for the upcoming

ALL ABOARD show! Wheew! It's all looking fantastic

so far, you can check out his ideas and subject matter up on

the Amitty Studios Blog. I'm on my second board, and loving it.

Nothing better than a killer icecream. Also, here's a snap of my

new fish, Baby Fugu. He is a Panda Moor and is very happy in

his new tank... He lives with Hugo the Black Moor. Also, for the

hell of it, here's a cute snap of Hugo (pronounced Hoo-Go)

being... well, cute!

See? He's a little Panda!

"I LOOOVE YOUUU!"

I adore my goldfish. I know that's a funny thing to say, as they

don't really do much other than swim around and eat food. But,

I love watching them and making them happy with nibbles and

toys in their tank.

See you all in two weeks for ALL ABOARD!

Lots of love and bubbles;

Amz, Baby Fugu & Hugo. x

Super Quick Post!

WIP Shot 2: Board 2, a photo by Amz Kelso on Flickr.

Homicidal Mr. Whippy. Acrylic on wood... a skateboard in fact! My second piece for the ALL ABOARD exhibition in Melbourne this April.

More info @ amittystudios.blogspot.com

Lovelovelove!

Amz.

Sketches #1

Ahoy!

I am finally putting up a few sketches I've

been threatening to... well, since I started this

blog last yet. Eep! They're super old, I still have

all the originals... don't judge me.

Yep. Just a few of the oldies. The style is quite different

to a lot of my newer pieces, but it's not too bad.

ANYWAY, I need to go paint my front door. Long story.

Sketches and Scaffolds.

Amz; x

BITCH

I had a few titles for this. First it was 'electricity', then 'spark',

and then when genius struck me and I added the lips it turned into 'BITCH'...

Alternately titled, 'Lazer Nipples from Shiny Town'.

I'm not SUPER happy with the lineart but I enjoy the colouring & the

pink body's textures to upload it. Textures from Mayang's again.

Photoshop CS3, Wacom Intuos 4.

... I just tried uploading another piece I recently finished but it won't

let meee! T____T so instead, here is a scribbly, comic exert of my character Chester:

In other news, I was just attacked by a chess piece.

Chess pieces & Chesters,

Amz; x

WIP Skateboard:

WIP board 2 a photo by Amz Kelso on Flickr.

Heyo!

Here's a shot of my skateboard so far. If you haven't read already, I am creating and appearing in a brand new exhibition at Grumpy's Green (125 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne)! It's called 'ALL ABOARD' and is featuring a range of hand-painted skateboards from local artists and some wicked work also from local photographers. So yeah, here's my board so far. This is after six hours of painting in the sunshine on my veranda, being over seen by a small Maltese x Shitzu. My dog likes to feel involved and vicariously live through my jointed thumbs. I'll be posting more photos up soon, but if you'd like to see my process you can check me out painting on amittystudios.blogspot.com. For someone who hates painting because she ain't good at it, I did alright. Hahaha!

Until next time,

Brushes & Boards,

Amz. x

My alarm clock is broken.

Ahoy!

That's right, the clock broke.

Now usually that would mean more sleep time, unfortunately for me it's

broken in a way where even if you switch it off it'll continue to go off. I

fixed it up after bashing it a few times and fiddling with the switch. Haha.

Now I'm listening to Miami by Taking Back Sunday, after spending way

too much time pouring through old sketch books and finding the abandoned

comics that were so well formed, poingant and ridiculously worked-up...

I feel bad. Bad parent! All those ideas were never completed, regardless of

the fact I remember spending weeks and weeks completing character rotations,

redrawing them to perfection, putting them through panels and panels of

fully-formed work. My GOODNESS! I should go back to them.

On another note, I've finished one of the most incredible books I've

ever read. A change from my German crime fiction and classic Golding novels.

That's right, it has to be 'Things the Grandchildren Should Know'

an autobiographical novel by Mark Oliver Everett ('E' of the Eels).

(Photo found in the Flickr, from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benedikte/)

Regardless of the fact that E doesn't have any Grandkids, let alone Children,

(and makes a point of it) it's a very good read both my Dad and I were hooked on.

Now I already knew details of his life- very tragic and full of death,

but the depth of which you delve and the accounts of his life,

the way he survived being him, and became happy and succesful... Wow.

I know I'ev made it sound like some sort of garish book now, but it's not one

of those 'I DID THIS AND SURVIVED WOW LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME'

stories. It's just his life. Quietly inspirational, raw and beautiful.

He doesn't complain, he doesn't whine and talk about giving

up every thirty seconds. He takes you through his life as both a

musician and a child, growing up in a very disfunctional family with

a troubled-genius Father, depressed Mother

and suicidal alcoholic-drug-abusing Sister whom he loved dearly.

Here's an exert from the novel:

“To me, it wasn’t a record [Electro-Shock Blues] about death. That was missing the point.

It was about life. And death was a big part of life that tended to be ignored,

or denied. No one wanted to think there would be an end to themselves,

but I couldn’t ignore it, and I realized that if you treat it like the everyday

fact of life that it is, it becomes less scary. And also, by being more aware of death,

you gain a perspective on living and how you’d better

make it count, whatever that may mean to you.”

It's an incredibly easy read and is very touching. I think everyone can

benefit from reading it. Really, I do. DO IT. Go borrow it, and read it.

Trust me, you will not regret it's wit, intellect and poignancy.

As for the art side of things, a while back I drew this but never posted

it, so here's something I worked on recently. It's not done, but you know...

Thought you might enjoy having a squiz.

It was based on the back of a card, you dig?

Yup. Anyway, I've run out of things to say and a handsome blonde will

fast appear on my doorstep. So, off I go! Perhaps next post I'll show off

some of my old comic sketches? I feel like reviving them...

Cheers,

Amz.