E-Newsletter Edition VIII: The Underwater Post Office // Hello from Bristol

Hello lovely art friends,

   Wherever you are in the world and wherever you're up to with your important things, I hope this blog finds you well. I'm finally settled enough to check in with an update for you! This of course is long overdue; McAllister has been frowning out at me from under his bushy white eyebrows week after week and making little grumbly noises that are just about audible but not decipherable. You know the kind. 

   Anyway! McAllister and Lucie (the cat) and I are happy and snug in Bristol, where I have kept to my promise and been working on my big encyclopedia - the Erlenmeyer Almanac. To do this I am creating a prototype book to help me plan (complete with contents page!), and a sketchbook for drafts and ideas and notes, and am slowly but surely making my way through the list of drawings that each chapter requires. It is an immense project but it feels so wonderful to be delving deeper into the world. Alongside this I have also started practicing my life drawing, but mostly by drawing live band and musicians as the animal versions of themselves haha! Above is an example from Edinburgh in Scotland, where I visited last month :)

   Some of you may remember that one of the biggest projects I am working on for Erlenmeyer is the series of Headquarters for each of the leader animals...well good news, my dear Reader Monkeys: I have just finished the second one ~ The Underwater Post Office:

   For all you Sydneysiders, this one might be recognisable to you, or if not you can go and visit the location this summer! The Underwater Post Office is set partially submerged upon the cliffside of Rocky Point Island at Balmoral Beach. This is my childhood beach, it is sheltered by the natural harbour of land formed around it so it is a very peaceful place for a swim and a sunbathe.

   In the future Sydney is simply known as The Land of Stars and the city in general is looked after by a sea turtle called Consul Iluka {Their Turtleness}. He lives and works at the Underwater Post Office, where he collaborates with a wise old octopus, a gentle sunny orangutan and a no-funny-business koala to keep things moving along nicely. There are 90 characters drawn into this illustration! It brought me immense joy to draw because it reminded me of home. 

   I have just added this print to the collection and it is in stock both in Australia and in the UK! Australian/world-wide art friends you can see the listing here. Alternatively if you'd like to see my range in person you can find most of it at Artisans' Nest shop in Newtown which has recently reopened! Please shop local this Christmas and support your handmade community :)

   For my UK/European art friends you can see it here :) however if you want to see my range or meet me in person I will also be attending a sprinkling of Christmas markets across the next few weeks! On Sunday 14th Nov find me at Estate of the Arts Winter Market in south Bristol, or for the weekend of 4th/5th December find me at the Made in Bristol Gift Fair! It's always so nice to chat about the animal kingdom in person and you are bound to find wonderful things at these events. I will be selling greeting cards, zines, vinyl stickers, playing cards, art prints and some originals too!

   Sending lots of love from Bristol (well actually below is from Scotland but this is the smile I would give each of you if I was with you at market, or in the shop, or wherever we've encountered each other before),
Stephie Avi xxx

p.s. please feel welcome to leave a comment (it makes me melt to read them)