Ali J Art & Illustration

Animal Index Cards for your bookcase

When looking up silhouette inspirations I came across these amazing items.  They are animal index cards to help sort your bookcase!

Made by the japanese designer Hiroshi Sasagawa.  Buy them here.

Inspiring Students

For some reason my work seems to catch the attention of a great deal of students studying.  Over the past few years I've contributed to interviews, opinions, surveys, masters papers and so much more.  Sometimes one student is studying my work, in another case four of them.  I'm just so honoured that I can inspire others to create and learn!

Most of the time my participation is quite simple by replying to a few questions based around a certain subject.  I really enjoy interacting with students in this way as it helps me gain a bit more of an understanding about what I do.  Quite often I'll respond and then hear nothing more from students, but occasionally I get a surprise when I'm shown the final project.

Nathan Heagney is one of these wonderful students.  He is currently studying graphic design at the University of Canberra and their class was required to create a work based on an illustrator they admired.  To my surprise he picked me!  Thankyou Nathan!  He used my work as inspiration as well as Florence Broadhurst to create his final piece and the following picture is the work he created - great huh?  I just love how he mixed a variety of styles together but still came up with a work of his own style.


"Red" by Nathan Heagney

Alice In Wonderland Trailer

Incase you didn't hear about it already, Alice in Wonderland is becoming a movie by Tim Burton.  Today the trailer was leaked onto the internet, and boy is it good!!

You just have to check this search engine out

I use the internet all the time.  It is where I do the majority of my research, and I can spend hours sifting through websites, blogs and images finding an assortment of things that will inspire me.  A look of the eyes, a colour, the way the light shines, a word.  it is quite amazing what triggers the thoughts inside my mind, but I can never plan what will do it.

Today I came across the most amazing search engine I've ever seen.  Now, usually I find searching to be a tedious process.  I'll think of a word, type it in and then follow a path somewhere.  It may be onto a website, that takes me onto a blog, and then another, back to another website.... etc.  I do that for hours and hours and hours.  However this search engine has made things cooler.  It searches for everything in the same place - blogs, websites, images etc.  You can also search up, or down, or across.  And when you want to check something out more, whatever you click on opens in a new window.  So you can check it out, but still have your original search on hand.

Go and play with it, but I warn you it is addictive.  It is called Spezify.

The September Issue

Documentary.  Fashion.  Vogue. 

Makes me week at the knees.....

Hoedown from Rodeo

I can't wait to start some animations sometime soon.  Funny thing is, I don't really have the time to learn just yet, but I keep coming across soooo many animations these days that totally blow me away.

This is my latest love.

Hoedown from Rodeo from Eleanor Stewart on Vimeo.

Inspiration : Thomas Doyle

I have a little obsession with miniatures.  So when I came across Thomas Doyle, my heart skipped a beat.  His works are not just miniature, they tell a story and have a darker undertone.  I think they are great.

Inspiration : Swoon

I am constantly researching anything to do with art & illustration, so I always know the trends before they go full force.  Swoon is an american graffiti artist who hits the current trend right on the nail.  She creates cut out people whom she pastes up all over the place.  She's been doing it for years, but it is only now that we are seeing these cut out people everywhere.  She's a highly influential street artist, I mean you know she's big when she even has a page about her on wikipedia.



Think the image is just of a girl?  Stop, go back and look again.  You'll see it is far more complex then that.



More recently she's had a solo show, but for this instead of pasting them up on the walls she has created an installation with the aim to bring her characters to life.  That is, 3D.  Pretty impressive stuff.

Here is a video of a preview of her solo show.

Inspiration : Tony Matelli

Who would have thought that this little weed is actually painted bronze!

Tony Matelli has a lot of talent, and is helping me to like sculpture that little bit more.  (hard to believe but sculpture is my least liked form of art)

Inspiration : Neglected Children

Sometimes you come across a powerful image.   Sometimes you are just lost for words. 



But who would have thought it would be street art.  As seen on Wooster Collective.

Lego and Star Wars just rocks

Sometimes inspiration can come from the weirdest sources.  I'm currently drawing portraits of childhood objects/toys onto books for my Fine Art studies, including lego men.  So when I came across these images, I was in awe.





Go and check out more of Mike Stimpsons photographs here.

Inspiration : David Herbert

One day I want my artwork to be as magical as these works by David Herbert. I want to live in that castle!  (His only downfall - His website is terrible and does no justice to his work.  But I would definitely love to see some of his peices in real life one day!)

V-Raw is now bigger and better then ever

A few years back (2007) I was involved with V-Raw for a few bits and peices, and think they totally rock.  Anyway, when they sent me an e-mail about their new site, asking to put the word out, I just had to say yes.

V-Raw gives out opportunities for creative types to break into the coolest and biggest industries.  Every week on the website they'll release a new job you can apply for across industries including music, design, fashion, gaming & TV/film.  Companies already secured with positions include Universal Music, Channel V, Frost Design, VICE and Modular Records.  There is even going to be an international role coming up.

Personally, I want to go work at a magazine for a month.  That would be so much fun.  Anyway, go and check out the site, see the jobs they have on offer and checkout all the latest news.  You never know, you could find your dream job!

Inspiration : August Bradley

How does one stay inspired?  By researching, looking and experiencing.  Sometimes I go outside and sketch/photograph, other times I visit exhibitions, other times I surf the internet.  Whatever way I do it, it springs new ideas and thoughts to the mind, keeping things fresh.

My current captivation is with these amazing portraits by the photographer August Bradley.

Inspiration: Sculptures by Michael T Rea

I follow a lot of blogs, and read them everyday so it just happens that sometimes I come across the most amazing things (because I will admit that there are a lot of the 'same' blogs out there.)  These sculptures by Michael T Rea are incredible, I found out about them from Trend.Land

He carves space shuttles, time machines and machine guns from timber.  Not only that but he uses nothing for reference - no photos or models.

Now this would be a job that just totally rocked.  I want one of these sculptures for my front yard.





Whoops I forgot that my dad reads this.  I promise Dad that I won't get one for this house.  :)