Merry Xmas folks!

It's that time of year when it gets a little crazy. Presents to buy, work to do, your kid gets sick and your printer decides to die. (There goes printing out last minute Xmas cards). Anyway I had fun making this Christmas card and even more fun making these cards below with Ivy. I seriously wanted to keep them all. Kids drawings are the best.

Here's cheers to a smashing Christmas and a stonkin good New Year!

giveaway!

A lot has been going on here and I just haven't had the time to post. A family fun trip to Bali, a sojourn to Sydney with my sister (more fun), lots of arts and crafts at home with the littlun plus work thrown in for good measure.

But it's nearing Xmas and it's giveaway time. Like my Facebook page and share the giveaway post and you'll be in the running for two separate prizes. Click to enlarge.

First name drawn - an A3 limited edition signed giclee print, 'Spring Fling' taken from 'The Fashionable Cocktail' (value $100).
Second name drawn -a copy of the book, written by Jane Rocca, published by Hardie Grant and illustrated by moi (value $29.95). Heck I'll even sign it.

Christmas presses for you or a friend's pressie sorted!

Entries will close on Wednesday 11th December at 5pm AEST. I'll randomly choose a winner and announce it here and on my www.facebook.com/neryl.art  I will post the items free of charge worldwide. Good luck!!

The winners have been announced!

Prize 1 - A3 'Spring Fling' print - Kat Kalindi Cameron
Prize 2 - 'The Fashionable Cocktail' book - Sonja Boom Freeman-Dick

Your prizes have been posted in the mail. Merry Xmas!!

Thank you to everyone who entered. It's come to my attention that some people are not on Facebook so the next giveaway will be active on the blog too. Sorry to those who missed out this time!

Happy holidays!

Papyrus Cocktail boxed set of cards

It was by strange coincidence that I illustrated this Cocktail boxed set of cards for Papyrus right before I started working on the Fashionable Cocktail Book. The universe is telling me to drink up!

The cocktail themed notecards come in 4 designs with printed envelopes. Sold in a boxed set of 5 cards each online here. Unfortunately shipping only to the US and Canada. I will find out if there are any stockists in Australia.

The Fashionable Cocktail A3 prints available for sale

9 x  giclee prints available for sale. Taken from The Fashionable Cocktail book. 

A3 Supersize - 330mm x 482mm with plenty of white surround.

Professionally printed on 300gsm natural Cotton Rag Art Paper using quality archival inks and hand signed.

AUD$100 each.

Can be picked up from East St Kilda or $13 registered postage anywhere in Australia.

$22 registered postage to the US. 

Print will be gently rolled in a postal tube to ensure safe arrival.

Please email me at neryl@neryl.com with enquiries

Martini Time

Spring Fling

Pineapple Mary

Haute Couture

Debutante

Citrus Fizz

Black Russian

Black Blazer

TNT

The Fashionable Cocktail officially launched!

'The Fashionable Cocktail' book has officially launched. It was celebrated with a delicious cocktail (or two) from the book. Clink, clink! I can highly recommend the Debutante and the Turkish Delight Martini. The book features the lovely Jane Rocca's fashion take on cocktails. It's a super nicely designed package on matte stock with lovely details, thanks to designer Heather Menzies from Hardie Grant. It should be in a bookstore near you soon! Try Readers Feast in Melbourne city and Readings for a start.

Here's just a few of my favourite illustrations and spreads.

Debutante

Black Russian

This event was unfortunately invite only but there are still some tickets left for this Tuesday night's event (mentioned in my post below). I will be selling some limited edition prints on the night too.

The Fashionable Cocktail

The book that consumed my life for a few months this year (and late last year), 'The Fashionable Cocktail' is finally launching at the end of August/early September. Written by Jane Rocca, published by Hardie Grant, and illustrated by moi. I did have a different cover but this is the final design by Michelle Mackintosh. The book is jam packed full of pretty awesome cocktail recipes and illustrations (150 or so but who's counting!)

The launch is in partnership with Melbourne Spring Fashion Week at Touche Hombre. Tix include Mexican canapes, cocktails, a signed book, goodie bags plus it will be launched by the ever hilarious Helen Razor. Wanna come clink glasses? Details below.

zipper pouch design

Week 5 and the final week of the course. It has been crazy busy but great. The last assignment was to create a zipper pouch design (cosmetic bag, pencil case, etc) in a hyper lush style. We had draw from one of our own collections. I had too many to choose from (there are those hoard-ish tendencies again) but went with my vintage pin up card collection. Look how cute those teeny cards are. So this was my final design, as someone mentioned naughty but nice.

abstract collage

It's Week 4 in the course and it covers Wall Art. The brief is to create an abstract collage. Get outside your comfort zone and do something different. Colours are limited to your star sign colours (mine is Aries - red and yellow). Plus we must add a floral and typographic element. Now I'm not really a florally kinda girl so set forth to abstract it down in some way.

First up we are asked to collect collage materials in your colour way. Luckily my hoard-ish tendencies paid off. No problem here. See pic above.

Then experiment and paint time (see thumbnail pics for paint studies). I go a bit frantic here with a few different ideas on the go but I am finding the 3-4 day deadline too restrictive to resolve my paintings so go purely into collage land. My first attempt below.

Then finally a breakthrough of a more abstracted version in petal shapes (yes the obtuse floral reference) which is what I went with. What do you think?

'Petals'

children's book cover

It's week three of the course and we had to illustrate a children's book cover for Hans Christian Andersen's, 'The Snail and The Rose Tree'. A rather odd tale written in 1872 about a particularly grumpy snail and you guessed it, a rose tree. The very crude rough below was my first idea before we got to read the story and then it just didn't suit. I've gone for a vintage vibe. I'm sure it's inspiration from osmosis -reading vintage kids books to my 3 year old every day.

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back to school

'Kitchenette'

I am currently half way through a 5 week e-course, 'Make Art that Sells'. I know it kinda sounds like a TV infomercial (free set of steak knives!) but it's about creating art and licensing in different markets. Who knew going back to school could be so much fun (if not a tad busy).

Each week we have an assignment in one category with a brief to follow. I'll post my work along the way.  All ready for licensing people!

First week, Bolt Fabric - retro kitchen fabric plus co-ordinates (above).

Second week, Home Decor (plate design) - using pods and/or succulents. I went with an Australian theme.

Botanica

A0 print

I recently had an order for an A0 print of 'Peacock Envy' for a customer. I was going for a vintage French poster vibe, ala Bernard Villemot's Bally posters. There are some fine examples of vintage posters to lust upon at Gallerie Montmarte and Vintage Posters. I was super stoked with the print quality. Thanks Lantern Printing, it looks amazing.

mid year catch up!

Well where has this year gone? I have just finished two major jobs back to back. First an illustrated cocktail recipe book, 'The Fashionable Cocktail' written by Jane Rocca and published by Hardie Grant. It was massive, involving about 150 illustrations and a whole lotta late nights. I'll be super excited when it launches in September, cocktail in hand. A sneak peek of the cover found here.

Then it was straight into 28 new Buxom Lips illustrations for Bare Escentuals. I've had a brief hiatus from working on this brand while the company swapped hands (now owned by Shiseido!) but I am back in full swing. Will upload the new girls when they launch.

Also my Australian agent Jacky Winter has just relaunched their website. 

hello new year!

Xmas and the New Year came and went without a mention so hope yours was swell. It will be Halloween before I get my act together so here's a real quick post before January slips away too.

I am currently working on about 100 illustrations for a book written by the lovely Jane Rocca. It's a great job with plenty of creative freedom but deadline is tight. Thus means my summer has been spent mostly indoors drawing away and staring at the computer.

I can't reveal the work just yet so thought I'd leave you with some pinterest inspiration.