The Colour Box Studio Pop Up Shop is showcasing some fantastic work by Melbourne’s most creative artists and craftspeople. The loverly Anna from Able & Game will be running a ‘Beautiful Wrapping Paper Workshop‘ on Sat 17 November to share some of her skills in a fun Crafternoon Session. We recently asked her a series of questions about her life as a crafty lass and being involved in the Pop Up Shop:
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your project/ arts practice?
My name is Anna and I work as a greeting card designer at Able and Game (www.ableandgame.com). I live in Brunswick and come from a Fine Arts Background and also did a short stint as a high school arts teacher. At the moment I’m drawing lots of fun, dorky and interesting people for our cards.
What inspires you, and how do you go about creating your pieces?
Lots of things inspire me but I think looking at the everyday things in life, the things that often get overlooked is a huge inspiration. I love looking at things a lot of people think of as boring and thinking about them being the most interesting and amazing things. I think this thought process comes across in our cards and is something people are also really welcome to celebrating.
What’s your favorite piece of work that you have created?
At the moment I think our Don’t Dry This At Home tea towel is something I really like. It was a total collaboration between Gareth and I. He came up with the whole concept and I just had to draw it and I love how the drawing turned out.
What’s your favorite part about being involved in the Melbourne art scene?
We are really lucky that Melbourne has such a strong support for all areas of the arts. I love seeing different people’s work around the place and then creating some kind of connection with them. It’s like celebrity spotting but more fun. You might meet someone who’s work you have admired for years, or spot the work of someone you just met in a shop window. It’s a nice feeling.
Who are some of your favorite Melbourne artists or craftspeople?
Turd Circus is one of my favourites. I have a bowl of his and it makes me smile every time I use it. I also love the work of Hannakin, (a fellow Colour Box Studio Pop Up Shop Seller) and have been admiring it for years at Rose Street Market.
What projects are you working on now?
At the moment it is all about Christmas. We just finished our Calendars and Diary and I need to make some new Christmas cards designs.
Do you have any tips for aspiring artists/craftspeople?
Just get started and keep going. You have the world as an audience due to the internet and so will find some amazing connections with people.
How do you feel about being a part of the Colour Box Studio Pop Up Shop?
It’s a great idea and a good chance for us to head over to Footscray. The opening night was loads of fun as well.
Tell us about your up coming workshop at Colour Box Studio and what people can expect.
The class is going to cover a few bases, starting with some drawing techniques to help people learn how to see things differently to help his or her technique. I think it is really important to start with some solid groundwork in any arts practice. I plan on using fresh flowers as the objects we will draw using a variety of different mediums including pencil, textas, watercolours and fineliners. From there we will learn how to create a repeating pattern from our drawings of the flowers and use it to then create some wrapping paper. There will also be some lovely afternoon tea because tea and cake go hand in hand with drawing I think. People can expect to learn some great techniques that will be useful for both beginners and people who have already started drawing, create some beautiful wrapping paper perfect for that super special gift and look and draw some lovely flowers.
See this link to book for the ‘Beautiful Wrapping Paper Workshop‘. Able and Game is socked in the Colour Box Studio Pop Up Shop.
