Auction Rooms North Melbourne

Auction Rooms exterior in North Melbourne - love that aged, blue paintjob!

Finally got over to North Melbourne last week to check out the new(ish) Auction Rooms cafe in Errol st, which opened a few months ago.. maybe in July?

The most striking feature is the eclectic, low-tech fitout... bearing all the hallmarks of famed Melbourne architects Six Degrees - the stained glass detailing, the pendant lamps made from PVC pipes (also used at Riverland in the city) and a generally industrial aesthetic incorporating recycled timber and of course, formply! (that's the low-cost, black coated ply-wood used in many of Six Degrees commercial fitouts).

The fit-out makes use of a large amount of recycled materials from the (now closed) Public Office bar interior in West Melbourne, which was, fortuitously, due for demolition at exactly the right time! (you may recognise the counter at The Auction Rooms which was once the bar at Public Office...!)

Anyway... its a great space and well worth a visit if you're in the area! Reminds me of South Melbourne's St. Ali - mainly because of the great old coffee grinder and generally industrial feel. A more food-oriented review (and more photos) can be found at the Melbourne Gastronome blog (recent discovery - now bookmarked!)

Auction Rooms design elements - top image - great pitched roof, sandblasted bricks, PVC pipe pendant lamps and recycled timber fittings. bottom image - succulents in mismatched glass containers and sugar in vintage Heinz soup cans...!?

the counter (ex- Public Office) features recycled school lockers in the front

slightly better view of the interior and industrial coffee grinder

Auction Rooms Cafe
103 - 107 Errol st
North Melbourne

Open Tues - Sunday
daytime only (til 4pm)

Interview - Neryl Walker

Bloom girls

CD cover design for Melbourne band The Breadmakers

Schurman fine papers

Most Australian girls (and perhaps even international readers) would be familiar with the sassy, stylised girls who adorn the packaging of Bloom cosmetics. But what you mightn't know is that Melbourne illustrator Neryl Walker is the creator of these cute characters, and has been working with Bloom ever since the business was first launched over 10 years ago.

In addition to working with local brands, Neryl has worked with many international companies and publications, including Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido, Nippon Vogue, Korean Vogue, Glamour Germany, New York Magazine, New Woman UK, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Harper Collins, Penguin, and recently Coca Cola. Her cutsie characters inspired by vintage pin-up girls are universal in their appeal - making Ms Walker a very busy lady!

When she's not illustrating, Neryl might be working on paintings for an exhibition, avidly op-shopping, or playing rock 'n roll with one of her two bands! Now that's multi-tasking :)

A big thankyou to Neryl for her time with this interview and for sharing a photo of her beautiful bright workspace with us snoopers! :) Be sure to check out her website, blog, and her agent's website for more of her work!

Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

I studied a BA Design degree, minoring in illustration. When I graduated there was a recession and no design jobs. I got a couple of freelance illustrations jobs, liked the work, built an illustration folio and here I am.

You’ve worked for some amazing clients and overseas publications – what have been some of your favourite projects/clients?

I’ve been working for Bloom Cosmetics for over 10 years now so that has been fun watching Miss Bloom develop and grow. Currently, I am adding to the Buxom Lips range, for a US cosmetic brand Bare Escentuals. It’s a lot of vintage style ladies in burlesque outfits, right up my alley! I have designed some t shirts for a Coca Cola/Beijing Olympics promotion in Japan and most recently designed a CD for the Breadmakers, a local band.

Illustration for Japanese Coca-Cola/Beijing Olympics promotion

How would you describe your artistic style?
Stylised, vintage inspired ladies. Someone (Paisley St Claire) recently described my drawings as ‘mainly hot, sexy women with hardly any clothes on which remind me of a 1960s Carry On film’.



Are you based at home or do you have a studio? Do you struggle with the solitary nature of your work – or do you have other likeminded creatives, friends and family to bounce your ideas off?

I have a studio workspace at home. I’ve always worked on my own so I’m quite used to my own company but sometimes I can get cabin fever! My partner is creative so I can bounce ideas off him. I talk to people on the phone and I tend to go out a lot on the weekend. The blog world is great for connecting and getting inspiration but on the down side it means more time indoors.

Neryl's home studio

How do potential clients/customers find you? Do you ‘market’ yourself or do you have an agent?

I have a website www.neryl.com (in dire need of updating!) and a new blog, nerylwalker.blogspot.com, plus work on an American illustration site www.ispot.com. I also have an American and Japanese agent where I get most of my work.

Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by?

I love illustrators and designers from the 60’s- Paul Rand, Olle Eksell, Villemot, Rene Gruau. Artists - Rauschenberg, Rosalie Gascoigne, Margaret Kilgallen, and pop art in general.

Where else do you find inspiration – ie books, magazines, your environment, travel, your family and friends?

I love to travel. I’m also an avid op shopper and find many sources of inspirations here- old magazines, books, records, packaging, fabrics, and stuff.


What does a typical day at work involve for you?

I am fairly disciplined. I check my emails first thing due to the US time difference and I’m usually at my desk round 9am. I lunch for an hour and work till 5 or 6pm (with a bit of internet browsing and walking down to the shops along the way!). If I am quiet with illustration work, I am normally out op shopping or painting.

What are you most proud of professionally?

The fact that I have built a career out of illustration.

What's the best thing about your job?

I get to draw for a living! Variation and freedom. I love working for myself. No office politics, and you can sleep in if you need to!

And the worst?

Isolation. Design by committee. Clients with too many restrictions, over worked and literal briefs.

What would be your dream project?

I’d love to design a bar or restaurant interior. Creative control of any project from start to finish, maybe a book or a product.

What are you looking forward to – professionally or personally?

More personal painting and exhibitions.


Melbourne Questions –

Best gallery to see the work of artists/illustrators like yourself in Melbourne?

Outre, Until Never, Painting- HelenGory Galerie

Where do you shop for the tools of your trade in Melbourne?

Eckersleys, Paint Spot, op shops

What/where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

I had a recent splurge at Pearl and Movida is great.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Check emails then a sleep in! I play in a band so after a night out I need my beauty sleep.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

Lost and Found - a market full of secondhand goods.

Georgia Russell

Just discovered the incredible work of Scottish artist Georgia Russell via Jason Thompson's recent guest post on Decor8. Jason is a bookbinder in Rhode Island, USA, and recently shared with Decor8 readers five artists he admires who use altered books as their medium of choice.
(No Nicholas Jones amongst them though... !)

I particularly love the suspended books in glass specimen cases... they take on an almost ghostly character when encased in this way... beautiful work.

The Mandate Press

Mandate Press business card

Other custom cards by Mandate Press

Mandate Press' own promo pop-up Christmas Card - beautiful!

The Mandate Press is a custom letterpress shop in Salt Lake City, USA. They offer a variety of letterpress print services, ranging from small runs of invitations and business cards to high volume commercial work.

Mandate Press contacted me recently to let me know about their new personalised business/calling cards, which can be ordered through their online shop at the very reasonable price of US$95 for 250 cards! (This is super-good value for custom letterpressing!) In addition to this, they've kindly offered The Design Files readers a US$10 discount on any order! Just enter 'designfiles' at the checkout to receive this saving :) Thanks guys!

They seem like very friendly folk so I'm sure they'd be happy to discuss any inquiries if you shoot them an email.... and of course they ship to Australia! :)

Examples of personalised calling cards

I also had some fun browsing their Flickr to see shots of their work and their studio... I love the shots of their equipment and brand new workspace when they moved premises back in May!

Moving premises in May - big job!

Check out their website and Flickr for more!

Ellka summer range

Ellka summer scarves - from left, George Scarf in antique white, striped Madeleine Scarf and George Scarf in blush

Gabrielle Camisole in antique white (also available in fuschia and beige)

Gabrielle Dress in black with George Stripe Scarf in beige hangs above a Kena print cushion and Tallin knit cushion

Danielle Sanders of Melbourne knitwear label Ellka kindly sent me through some shots of her beautiful new summer range last week... I am so in love with those lightweight scarves - especially the Madeleine Striped Scarf in the centre... gorgeous! The Gabrielle Camisole is also such a perfect summer party top - love that delicate crochet around the neck...

The Ellka website isn't yet updated with the Summer range, but it should be up in the next week or so - until then, for all inquiries please contact Danielle direct - danielle@ellka.com.au

Ellka's stall at the Life in Style trade event last month

Ellka products at Life in Style

House of Orange Sale

House of Orange - Kings Way Arcade, Armadale

I received an email last week from Hans at House of Orange (Amsterdam design warehouse) in Armadale... he was letting me know that they are currently having a massive sale... 50% off all floorstock and 25% off all furniture! Jeepers.

The sale is for one week only - ends Sept 7th.

For a little more about House of Orange and their fantastic range of Dutch homewares, read my previous post here or visit their website.

House of Orange
2 Kings Way
Armadale
Vic

Nicholas Building Open House

Cathedral Arcade on the ground floor of the Nicholas Building, Cnr Flinders Lane and Swanston st, Melbourne

The building's interior lightwell - a glimpse into the private studios leased by this diverse group of local artisans

The delicate work of jeweller Rhiannon Smith, who has a studio on the 9th floor (more shots below)

Last Friday at 5.30pm I was absent-mindedly browsing the net... and I found myself wandering over to the very lovely Craft Victoria Blog... and this is what I stumbled across:

"Open Studios at the Nicholas Building continues on its merry way tonight: Friday 29th August 5pm-9pm"

Agghhh! It took a few moments for my dopey Friday-night brain to realise that this meant the Nicholas Building Open House event was taking place right at that very moment(!)... so when the penny dropped, I grabbed my camera and wasted no time rushing out to the tram stop!

I must admit that shamefully, until last week I have never actually been inside the famed Nicholas Building in Melbourne's CBD. This stunning art deco building is a unique creative hub with a long tradition. It's one of the few remaining buildings in the CBD dedicated to the arts - it houses studios and exhibition space for artists, jewellers, writers and artisans of all kinds. The Flinders Lane area used to be home to many similar buildings leased primarily as artists studios, however most of these have sadly since been redeveloped and turned into apartments. Sad but inevitable I guess.

The Open House event last week saw a selection of studios on each floor of the Nicholas Building open to the public - visitors had the opportunity to see these incredible workspaces first-hand, and to chat to the artists about their work. What an inspiring place! There is just so much incredible, diverse creative work being produced within these walls. In addition, the views of Melbourne from each floor are amazing - check out the glimpse of Flinders St Station through Tim Fleming's windows on the 7th floor! Now that's a million dollar view :)

My favourite finds included Rhiannon Smith's stunning delicate jewellery and paper sculptures, Tim Flemings well-known 'flatland' figurines, and the beautiful letterpress studio of Carolyn Fraser... as well as many others... lots of photos below...

Visitors admire the beautiful work of jewellers Rhiannon Smith and Amina McPhee - *amendment - I must apologise I originally credited the beautiful silver flower pendant in the top image incorrectly - it is in fact the work of Rhiannon's studio partner Amina McPhee! My apologies!

Top - visitors get a closer look at the work of Rhiannon Smith. Bottom - delicately folded paper 'necklaces' are created from recycled envelopes for Rhiannon's upcoming exhibition 'Return to Sender' at Off The Kerb gallery in Collingwood. The exhibition runs from Sept 12 - Oct 8.

Tim Fleming's 'flatland' cut-out shapes line the shelves of his studio. How about that view!

Top - Tim Fleming chats to visitors about his work. Bottom - Tim's workspace. I always love a messy desk!

Printmaker Carolyn Fraser demonstrates her letterpress techniques to a crowd of curious visitors. Her space was stunning - a much bigger studio than many of the others, and filled with the most beautiful antique printmaking and letterpress equipment.

Top - some of Carolyn Fraser's work. Bottom - letterpress tools beautifully organised

The large studio space shared by painter/illustrator Tai Snaith, designer Nadine Treister, Jeweller Jasmina Krupic, Artist Emma Grace and photographer Jo Duck was very popular!

Tai Snaith's kooky illustrations and paintings

Tai Snaith - a little indecisive with her wardrobe choice for the evening :) cute!

Tai Snaith's colourful workspace

Top - the busy desk of jeweller Matt Vellacott. Bottom - simple, beautiful shapes in silver and ceramic by Matt Vellacott