Drawing nature

I love drawing nature. I enjoy looking at an object very closely that I found and then drawing all its little details often distorting them. Then I like to create new designs using those details. Here is an example of a day at Balmoral beach in Sydney, last year. These drawings lead to the lovely Chestnut Tree below. I really like it. Background colour added in Photoshop.

Free Girl

Hello.

I was up till late last night drawing. I am very happy with this picture of a girl that I created. I called her "Free Girl" because that is how I am feeling at the moment. Full of inner freedom. It feels great. I added the background colour in Photoshop.


When I went to bed, very late, and I closed my eyes I had a myriad of images flashing through my mind, as though projected onto the insides of my eyelids. I was seeing all the patterns that I drew that night but they were all mixing together. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope. It was a wonderful thing to fall asleep to. When I got up this morning I decided to make some more images using the designs from the "Free Girl" drawing. Photoshop is a wonderful thing :)

Once-A-Year Book in detail

The new books are looking fantastic. I have spent part of today taking some more photos for shops which stock them as well as my own online store. These images are details of the books if you'd like to see more that what is available in terms of photos in my online shop. The little girl in this book is my daughter Isabelle who turned 6 in january this year. I can't believe we already have 7 photos of her in our book!

BECOME A SUBSCRIBER TO

RECEIVE A SPECIAL OFFER

WITH YOUR PURCHASE OF

A ONCE-AYEAR BOOK.

EMAIL ME NOW TO SUBSCRIBE.

laikonik@optusnet.com.au

First page where you fill in your babies details...

Last page...

One of the pages close up...

New Once-A-Year Book designs!

The last time I designed new covers and bags for the Once-A-Year books was back in 2008. You can see some old designs here.

Towards the end of last year I set out to create some new ones again and they are finally available to buy from various retailers who stock my products as well as from my own online shop.

In case you aren't familiar with the Once-A-Year Books here is a description:

Chronicle your childs first 18 years in this beautiful and easy to keep book. Insert just one photo per year and add a brief description of that year on the corresponding page. Also included is a 'Chatter Book' which is a small notebook for keeping a record of the childs first words and funny sayings. Each Once-A-Year Book slips into a beautiful hemp bag which has been silk screen printed and features a Polish inspired folk-art motif. The books are hand made in Australia using eco-friendly materials and high quality acid free album pages

Yesterday the printed covers and the hemp bags arrived from the screen printer and I was delighted with the lot. I love the designs on the books and on the bags but I also love, love, love the new fabrics I am using.

Firstly I have started using hemp canvass for the bags. Hemp, for those who don't know, is an amazingly eco sustainable fibre. It can be grown with no pesticides or herbicides, uses much less water to grow than cotton and is four times stronger than cotton! On a yearly basis Hemp produces more pulp per acre than trees! If you'd like to read more about the amazing super-powers of hemp read here.

The book covers are covered with a fabric which is made using recycled plastic bottles. I was amazed to have found it. It feels like a strong muslin and has a beautiful texture to it. Here is a close up shot of a cover.

So today I am starting to fill all the orders I have been receiving for the Once-A-Year Books. If you'd like to order one please visit the Laikonik online shop at www.laikonik.bigcartel.com

The books are available in 4 designs

Red Horse

White Horse

Red Bird

White Bird

Till next time!