Straya!

Each year, our rad mates from Brisbane throw a backyard party on Aussie Day. The party changes as the tribe grows but the essentials are all there, like goon-inspired punch, snags on the barbie, bogan inspired costumes, and the Triple J Hottest 100 on the stezza. Since everyday is a good day for a paint, Sauce contributed to the party vibes and smashed out this chrome-effect filled piece. Mad props to our Brisbane friends who know how to throw a party!

And I don’t want to get too political, but Sauce and myself would like to pay tribute to the First Peoples who walked this country. Australia was colonised, not settled and was indeed inhabited for thousands of years before Captain Cook made it to our shores. When are we going to get a new flag?

We're Moving

After much consideration and thought, Sauce and myself have decided to close the doors of the studio and begin a new chapter. Sauce will still be creating his amazing murals and painting up a storm, all over the countryside, however we cannot justify keeping the studio open. Since Sauce spends most of his time outside Murwillumbah and my study workload is ever increasing, we needed to make the practical and realistic decision to run the business from the mountains in the Tweed Valley rather than have a space open to the public. 

Last year, Sauce travelled to Central Queensland three times, he visited the Sunny Coast, Coulstan Lakes and made countless trips to Brisbane. Not to mention the local work he managed to squeeze into his schedule. In other words, Sauce painted more murals than you had hot meals last year and it looks like this year will be just as busy, so the added pressure of keeping the studio open is something which is unfeasible. 

Our time in Murwillumbah has been a roller coaster of adventure. We’ve met some lovely locals, and we’re amazed by the support we’ve received from unlikely backers. After holding fourexhibitions and various other curated tidbits, we have by far, exceeded our own expectations for the studio and as creative practitioners, we are stronger for it. However, our time in Murwillumbah hasn’t always been the best of times. Watching the Tweed Regional Art Gallery shuttle all the official dignitaries and guests past our doors on big air-conditioned busses to the opening of the Margaret Olley Art Centre which we weren’t allowed to go to, was definitely a low point. As was spending days and weeks tied up in bureaucracy with the local council, only to not get a project off the ground. But that is all in the past, and we’re ready to make 2015 our own with new projects, new murals and more surprises.  Fortune favours the brave!

So thanks once again for your unwavering support and well wishes. We wouldn’t be here without you. Whether you’ve commissioned a mural, bought a shirt, picked up a post card or just said hello, we’re grateful for the positive energy. If you’ve always been meaning to pop by the studio for a shirt or canvas, you’ve got until the 22nd of January.  So get in quick! And make sure you call first, as we’re in-between offices. 

Cabarita Community Noticeboard

This mural took some time to complete as it was finalised over the holiday season. The fine folk from Caba Creative and You and Bamboo wanted an illusion style mural (trompe l’oeil) and felt the plain wall needed some artwork which suited the area and included the local flora and fauna. Sauce used paint-brush for the black cockatoos and aerosol for some other the other features like the skateboard. It was an usual mural, as there were many different items to work around, including the ATM, the bird features were incorporated to work around these objects and I think it creates a sense of scale and proportion. 

Some Like it Hot

If you’ve been to Central Queensland during summer you would know the meaning of hot. Sauce tells me it was a real scorcher, as in “f*&%ing hot”. But, there is no rest for the wicked, so Sauce made the best use of time and painted like there was no tomorrow on his day off out West. 

December Trip to Emerald

During December Sauce hit the road again, and headed back out to Central Queensland for the third time this year. Working with the Emerald team at Anglicare CQ, Sauce, as usual smashed out murals, signage and workshops for the wider community. Since coming back home, we’ve received some more enquiries from Emerald so I’m sure it’s only a mater of time before he returns again.

Emmanuel College

A few weeks ago, we were contacted by Emmanuel College on the Gold Coast, with a brief to add some colour to the new extensions at the college. The school had recently upgraded the technology block and they decided a mural would be a great way to make the school more inviting. The college already had an industrial theme chosen as it was in the technology area. This made it easy to create the designs and the artwork (sometimes simple is best!). The theme also allowed Sauce to create artwork which is within his area of interest which is always a bonus. 

The Modern Grocer

When a local Murwillumbah delicatessen, The Modern Grocer asked Sauce to whip up a quick sign to advertise their latest specials, he was happy to oblige. Sauce has begun to expand his lettering, sign-writing and typography skill lately and this chalk board was a simple example of his letting abilities. If you’re a local business in Murwillumbah and looking to update your signage, feel free to drop by the studio on Proudfoots Lane. We’d love to help you out. 

Five Letters

Five Letters was a solo retrospective for aerosol artist, Sauce. Sauce started sketching and painting the back of factory walls in 1994 and his back catalogue is filled with images which represent graffiti lettering and hand-style tags. Five Letters was not about showcasing gentrified graffiti, rather it was a celebration of Sauce’s roots and the ‘good old days’ when painting was about riding the lines and using whatever paints you could get your hands on. 

Loganlea Dance Studio

We were recently contacted by Loganlea State High to add some colour to their dance studio. It was a small and simple mural to create as like the other recent studio mural Sauce created, it was painted off-site on MDF ply and then attached to the wall. This process allowed Sauce to create the mural while juggling other work commitments, and since this mural was for the interior of the dance studio, there were no interruptions with lessons. It also made perfect sense to create an aerosol art backdrop for the dance studio since graffiti and breakdancing are all a part of the hip hop culture.

If your studio needs a backdrop, give us a call. It’s easier than you think. 

Five Letters