Happy Friday and long weekend to Australian readers. What are you doing to celebrate the Australia Day Holiday? We will be hanging out at home, listening to the Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown as is my tradition as a long time devotee of Triple J Radio. We are also hoping for some family time to explore some more of our fabulous coast on the weekend.
This week it is my great pleasure to introduce to you a new Friday Friend, meet the sweetest artist - Fruzsi from peachpatrol.
Fruzsi creates beautiful art and I simply love the delicious assortment of goodies that she creates - like this "Strange Friends Sticker Set - 4 Extra-Large Handcut Stickers - instant graffiti"
and the gorgeous Limited Edition Large Illustrated Pocket Mirrors
not to mention this sublime artwork, New Woman For the New Century, a OOAK Original artwork in wooden frame original collage and illustration which is stunning just on its own or available to purchase as part of a set of three original artworks that were created for an 80's exhibition.
Dear readers, I will leave you now to familiarise yourselves with The Fabulous Factsheet on Fruzsi + peachpatrol. Have a fantastic weekend xo
The Fabulous Factsheet on Fruzsi + peachpatrol
Fruzsi is an Adelaide (South Australia) based illustrator with a cat called Jessie and an Etsy shop called peachpatrol designs. She creates lovingly handpainted illustration goods, selling prints, artist books, zines, pocket mirrors and other sweet goodies in her Etsy store. In her free time she enjoys tending her garden, reading in her hammock and going for long bushwalks. She is also often found making cheeky sketches of people in cafes, and on trams, and riding her beloved bicycle Fuji to the local Sunday markets.
Fruzsi
(pronounced froo-shee) was born in Hungary and has since lived in Germany, the
Netherlands and Australia. Being a storyteller, traveler and curious fan of the
unusual and strange, themes of peculiarity continue to seep into her
illustrations. She is best known for her lady portraits on wood which have been
described as 'dream-like' and at times surreal. Most often the ladies feature
peculiar expressions, frizzy buns and cups of tea, and weave intimate tales of
love and longing. In addition, they remind the viewer to embrace their own
quirkiness and the child within.
How and When did your artistic journey begin ?
My artistic journey began very early on, in fact my first ever exhibition occurred at the age of four, when my mum told me I could draw on the living-room wall because we were getting the house painted. This was probably the happiest day of my life, and I spent many hours working on my masterpiece. the end result was a smutty little girl with a very proud expression, standing before a white wall with a storm of colourful concentric circles. And I haven't stopped drawing ever since!
What inspires you ?
I derive inspiration from many different avenues. Cinema, history, folklore, my Hungarian culture and through looking at the work of other artists in different mediums like photography, sculpture and textiles. There's also funny interactions made in the everyday, and spontaneous observations that make me giggle which later inspire little drawings like 'The Strange Encounter'.
In addition and perhaps most importantly, I draw on aspects of nature for inclusion in my paintings. People often comment on how many plants, birds and flowers they observe in my paintings. One of my newest works is entitled Amy Joy - Friend of Fruit and Fowl.
I just can't help it! In all aspects of my life I strive to be close to nature - through buying organic/local produce and being vegetarian to tending my own garden of goodies, to walking, cycling or catching transport everywhere. In addition, all of my prints are on 100% recycled eco-linen stock, and my wares ship in recycled wrapping or recycled paper coats. How we live as community and society really matters to me, and all I can do is do my best to treat Mother Earth right and encourage others to do the same.
What mediums do you
work with - do you have a favourite ?
In my painting practice I work
primarily with watercolour, ink and gouache on wood. The wood lends the
paintings a beautiful natural element as well as the gorgeous brown undertone,
once again underpinning my closeness to nature. The materials allow me to build
up colour and create different washes which result in dreamy and at times quite
psychedelic artworks.
The scale of my works has also increased over the last couple of years, making my use of materials evolve accordingly. I moved up from small watercolour sketches in Moleskine journals to now creating large 60 cm x 60cm boxed up paintings on wood. I think the scale of works is integral to the way the viewer interacts with the work, which is something I enjoy playing with.
For example, with a small artist book the viewer comes up close, cradles it and turns the pages by hand. There's intimate contact between the viewer and the object. My large portraits sit on a wall, and are viewed from a greater distance. Yet they also confront in the way that they challenge the viewer's gaze by returning it. These portraits are hung head height, in essence creating a little staring competition between the painting and the viewer.
What kind of things do you make and create ?
I create quirky lady portraits on wood in addition to smaller items such as prints, artist books, zines, pocket mirrors and badges, all featuring my illustrations. There are lots of goodies to be found at peachpatrol.etsy.com!
Do you have a favourite piece
that you have created ?
I have a shortlist of favourite works that I
have made, which mean something to me or represent a particular chapter of my
life, however I could not pick a single favourite. That is like asking a parent
to choose a favourite child! What I can say for now, is that I am really excited
by my newest large-scale series, and the direction that my practice is taking.
I'm a happy chappy.
What are your future plans/dreams/aspirations
?
This year's mission is to pat more cats, travel to Indonesia in January and
finish my Masters in Art History by the end of the year. For the long run I just
hope to be happy and healthy, and granted the opportunity to keep creating art
and do what I love!
Dear readers want to see more ? Here is how you can connect :
