Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Wikkid Wednesday

Started today with a Photoshop lesson which was kind of slow, but understandably so because most of us had never used it before so the teacher had to take us through step by step. I ran out halfway through the lesson and nabbed myself a "Photoshop for Dummies" and am going to teach myself to use it at home so that I can just work independently in class, as I know the current pace will drive me nuts quick smart.




Yesterday I spent a full day in the shop, which was lovely. The new shop sign, as with everything else at Emerald Arts, was done on a shoestring budget.... or more specifically, with a posca ;)

I wrote out the letters on my drawing paper and then taped that to the other side of the glass so I could trace it with the big green posca I found at Eckersleys. Thank goodness there is an awning over the shop cos those things sure aint waterproof.


Ah yes, the sign without it's backing. I'm actually quite pleased with the way it turned out. I thought it was going to be a bit dodge, but yeah... pretty good.


Thought that I had better take the Valentine hearts down and create a new display... this is a placeholder until I have time to design my new one, which is going to be a sort of half-underwater billabong type thing... you'll see soon...
The pink zine you can see sitting on the easel is the newest addition to Emerald Arts. It's called "Fairytales in the Supermarket" and is an A-Z of working in retail. Well written easygoing storytelling that I (with nine years retail experience myself) could easily empathise with. Can't tell you how many of the tales had me nodding my head.. "yep, that happened", "oooh I HATED those customers". I loaned my copy to my friend from All Bar One (restaurant) but there are five more in store.




Experimenting with paints, mixing different colours, sooo much fun, seriously, as much if not MORE fun than fingerpainting.



Check out my new awning... how good are GPT! Before it was open and pidgeons were roosting on the rafters, kind of have a feeling the builders left the nest in there which is very disturbing...
A few of us from the Renew Newcastle had our pictures taken for the Newcastle Herald today, so keep your eyes out on Saturday (H2 section). I'm heading back in tonight to have a shot taken of me with my easel out in the mall. Vogue baby.
Saturday is the progressive launch for everybody, then that night starting at 7pm is the Emerald Arts official launch... Dj Smem will be playing and Mum is making horses doovers... VERY excited :)
-Emmeline


4 comments:

Renee said...

Emmeline it is so exciting. The store looks fantastic and your name on it looks wicked.

So excited.

Love Renee

Chrisy said...

Oh it looks fabulous! So good to see councils doing themselves a favour by filling up those stores with lucscious shops...best of luck with the opening and ongoing success!

Emerald Arts said...

Hi Renee :)

Yeah it's pretty damn exciting. I mean, I've always been a bit of an egotist, but seeing my name up there on a building is a hell of a feeling. Oh cool, I just blasphemed twice in that sentence.

Emerald Arts said...

Hi Chrisy,

Thanks so much for your good wishes :) The project (Renew Newcastle) doesn't actually have anything to do with the council. It's a community based thing that Marcus Westbury started on FaceBook that sort of gained it's own momentum. No funding or formal structure at the moment, just kind of winging it which is awesome.