PENNY BLACK PROJECT

Only 1 week to the Market

2012-02-19T15:29:00.000+10:00

Check out the Market look book (and the write up on the Penny Black Project) here.

Project 6 - Jillian Hodgson

2012-02-12T08:50:00.002+10:00

It was perfect that off cuts and 'rubbish' from house renovations could make this piece possible. Plus it wasn't hard to come by a cork to be the core of the tree. The background reminds me of candy and was the closest I could get to rose in my stockpile of paper. While the tree isn't colourful, I'm a fan of the timbre tendrils, perfect for the bulk of the 'leaves' for the tree.

Project 5 - Jillian Hodgson

2012-02-12T08:49:00.001+10:00

It would have been fun to get needle work happy, since (like all of these projects) I haven't done it since I was a kid, but my eyes locked onto the flowers and then I was keen to go all crazy garden with this project. Even though I used a little bit of quilling in earlier projects, here was an opportunity to go nuts and beyond paper curled into shape and stuck on paper. I also had fun attempting the roses (a nod to towards the Alice theme) and the lotus.

Project 4 - Jillian Hodgson

2012-02-12T08:48:00.000+10:00

As this stamp was pretty big news for Australia, I though I'd make it out of the news. Once I got my hands on articles about One Pound Jimmy and took on a childhood approach to staining the paper... yep, I used tea. I like the silhouette effect and hence re-used it in this piece.

Project 3 - Jillian Hodgson

2012-02-12T08:47:00.000+10:00

Yes a few CDs died in the name of 'art'. They were old and provided a great base for my 'half bike wheel'. Luckily I had the clear mock CD you get in a stack to top it off. The end result reminds me of a kaleidoscope that you'd used as a kid... back in my day... Is there an app for that now?

Project 2 - Jillian Hodgson

2012-02-12T08:45:00.000+10:00

I wanted to give origami a go and figured a dove would be easy enough. As meticulous as I was being with the folds, it still wasn't neat enough. There is certainly a skill to origami. Oh and I'm fond of Japanese paper, so it was a no brainer to use it with the dove. Initially the dove was going to be done with Japanese paper but it turned out too busy, but I'm happy with the plain dove.

Penny Black Project @ the Market

2012-02-09T10:43:00.002+10:00

Round 2 of the Penny Black Project will be making an appearance at the Market in Hobart, if you're in town make sure you drop by and say hi.

Sunday 26 February

10am to 3pm

masonic temple

3 Sandy Bay Road

Project 6 - Joanna Lam

2011-12-06T09:38:00.001+10:00

I couldn't have completed my classic video game inspired Penny Black Project series without including Space Invaders. Since the original's release in 1978, the game has spawned a number of remakes across a multitude of platforms. This is my nod to the game, the rose coloured brief and rocking the good ship the SS Awesome in your own unique way.

Project 6 - Matty Smith

2011-11-15T13:14:00.001+10:00

Project 5 - Matty Smith

2011-10-31T15:05:00.001+10:00

Project 6 - Tara Axford

2011-10-23T10:53:00.000+10:00

Well as much as i love a wood grain pattern, i began thinking trees. Then gum trees. Then upright trunks.

I dipped some card in paint and began 'stamping' verticals. I had a sweet little woodland scene.

Then i realised it was 'rose' so i digitally changed the colours.

I love Australian scribbly gum tree bark - so i had to add the scribbles!

Project 6 - Susan Bonaci

2011-10-21T11:17:00.001+10:00

For my final stamp I returned to a favourite motif - acorns - that made an appearance in my first stamp.

Collage created using brown card, ink, textured paper cuttings and tracing paper.

My stamps centred around the theme of 'home', represented in symbolic and literal forms. Acorns are a motif from my childhood. Even though you grow and change, you always have a connection to your beginnings. So it seemed fitting to have my stamp collection come full circle.

Project 6 - Heather Matthew

2011-10-09T17:36:00.003+10:00

This is my second small wood engraving I did at a workshop many years ago which was incredibly intricate yet very satisfying. I dusted it off and reprinted it in a luxurious rose colour on handmade rice paper. I wanted to keep the printing from nature theme, so this is a wood engraving of a rose with Helvetica type as reference to the Swiss connection.

Round 1 Now on Issuu

2011-09-27T16:08:00.001+10:00

Project 5 - Tara Axford

2011-09-12T14:49:00.001+10:00

This project was the perfect excuse to experiment with some 'random' machine stitching.

I also raided my stash for some. hand dyed fabric - which worked well. Mauve made me think of the bluish butterflies of my English childhood.

Project 5 - Joanna Lam

2011-09-12T14:46:00.001+10:00

Let's face it, there are very few popular characters that wear mauve as it simply isn't a threatening colour. Those that do, tend to be a little pansy like Barney, Grimace, the Phantom (the man who wears his underpants on the outside) and Tinky-Winky from Teletubbies. It took me a while to focus but I eventually settled on Pokemon, the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own Mario. Pokemon has a number of purple characters including Espeon. For those who aren't massive Nerd Burgers, Espeon is one of the many Eevee evolutions and has a forked tail to help it foresee possible futures. It enjoys basking in full sunlight and they are extremely loyal towards their trainers.

Project 5 - Isis St Pierre

2011-09-11T15:41:00.000+10:00

PROJECT 6

2011-09-09T12:51:00.001+10:00

On 7 September 2004, Swiss Post issued the first wooden stamp.With a face value of 5 Swiss francs, the "Swiss wood - naturally" stamp is made of high-quality fir and is 0.7 mmthick. Designed by Swiss Post graphic artist Thomas Rathgeb, the structure of the wood creates a different picture on each stamp, making each stamp unique.

On 26 November 2007, Portugal Post issued the first cork stamp. With a face value of 1 Euro the stamp is printed on cork 0.35 mm thick. Designed by the Portuguese engraver JoaoMachado the stamp depicts a cork-tree on a hill. Portugal is the world's biggest producer of cork, with 737,000 hectaresof cork-trees. Due to the cellular nature of cork each stamp is also unique.

Project 6

Denomination: 7
Feature colour: Rose
Size: 47mmW x 36mmH or 1.3:1
Due: 21 October

Project 5 - Heather Matthew

2011-09-07T12:39:00.001+10:00

Project 5 Stitched

Embroidery is considered women's work and as such is not really deemed 'art'. Good embroidery is also judged by the neatness of the stitches, with the back of the work just as tidy as the front. In this artwork I wanted to show the loose threads, the messiness of stitching, celebrating all those unknown women through the ages who have suffered for their own form of art.

Project 4 - Heather Matthew

2011-09-07T12:37:00.000+10:00

Project 4 - Black History

In my stamp collection I have a book of first day covers. When I saw this project I wanted to reference the First Day Cover of the 200th anniversary of "Captain Cook's discovery of Australia". In my primary school years, this is in fact what we were taught, based on the Terra Nullis principle that Australia was 'discoverable'. The stamps were 
issued in 1988 - and the Australian government was still twenty years away from saying sorry to Australia's original Indigenous peoples. When I read that Gwoya Jungarai was the father of Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, I also wanted to include a stamp by him in my artwork (the top right hand one).

Project 5 - Susan Bonaci

2011-09-03T16:05:00.000+10:00

Project 4 - Manuela Dobelin

2011-08-09T08:21:00.000+10:00

The sepia coloured stamp of course had to be an octopus what else could it be.

Project 4 - Joanna Lam

2011-08-01T07:55:00.001+10:00

Video games are designed to stimulate your senses and as a result sepia is an uncommon colour. So after some consideration I decided to settle on Harvest Moon. Before it was all the rage to play Farmville, the original Harvest Moon was launched on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1996 and encouraged children to plant, care and raise animals, make home improvements and build relationships. This piece uses 27 colours and whole stitches.

Project 4 - Tara Axford

2011-08-01T07:51:00.001+10:00

When thinking of an idea for this stamp I thought it would be good to stay with the Aboriginal theme.

I love the shapes in indigenous artist, Rover Thomas’s work.. But I thought how can I give the shapes meaning? Then I thought more about the idea of ‘walkabout’. These days we often google map everything... So that’s what I did! This stamp is my ‘block’ the A is the google reference to my house.

It is acrylic on wood, then assembled digitally.

PROJECT 5

2011-07-29T18:36:00.003+10:00

Swiss Post issued the worlds first embroidered stamp on 21 June, 2000. The limited edition 5 franc stamps were issued to celebrate the embroidery of St. Gallen, a canton of Switzerland that established itself in the 15th century as a center for textiles and became the de facto home of embroidery after the first automated embroidery machines were invented there in the early 19th century. The stamps were embroidered on high quality polyester and used thread that was custom-dyed in two tones specifically for the St Gallen Stamps. Other countries to release embroidered stamps include Italy, Gambia, Grenada, Martinque, St Vincent, Sierra Leone and Austria (below).

Project 5

Denomination: 2
Feature colour: Mauve
Size: 25mmW x 32mmH or 1:1.28
Due: 9 September

Project 4 - Matty Smith

2011-07-29T18:14:00.004+10:00

one designer who i can strongly relate to is mr Carlo Mollino. architect and furniture designer: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm. racer: all other times [day or night]. having put himself in hospital on more than a few occasions [the result of aggressively pursuing the goal of becoming a champion car racer], Mollino’s racing career overlap’s a time when my dad was racing motorcycles and cars [and visiting hospitals]. so next time you see a limping designer type wearing one of those deus shirts, ask him how many bones he’s broken in his 20 year pursuit of racing motorcycles, if the answer is 'do you really want to know' or 'how much time do you have', then you might just be talking to me.

Project 4 - Susan Bonaci

2011-07-29T12:48:00.000+10:00

An ink sketch, inspired by my favourite photo of my Mum and I, and including her country of birth.

Project 4 - Betty Nikia

2011-07-29T12:45:00.001+10:00

Project 4 - Natasha Lewis

2011-07-25T11:05:00.000+10:00

I wanted to work with and retain the original intent or character of the Gwoya Jungarai, known as One Pound Jimmy, stamp design while working with my own painting and drawing style.

Project 3 - Matty Smith

2011-06-24T14:37:00.003+10:00

Alvar Aalto can best be described as one of the most influential architects and designers of the modern era. At a time when the rectilinear forms of the functionalist Bauhaus ruled the design world, Aalto put forward a more ‘human’ strategy with designs giving identity to place and people [something that was missing from the international modernist style]. Not only has he been featured on stamps, but he can also be seen on the 50 mark banknote.

http://www.alvaraalto.fi/index_en.htm

Project 3 - Isis St Pierre

2011-06-21T10:22:00.000+10:00

Project 3 - Betty Nikia

2011-06-21T10:19:00.000+10:00

I was having a difficult time doing what I wanted to do by hand, so I resorted to Adobe. Basically, when I thought of this yellow idea, Sagmeister's Blue project came to mind. I wanted to make a sun that turned yellow if you stared at it long enough and then looked away. It's a silly little thing, but I thought it would be fun to make it interactive.

PROJECT 4

2011-06-18T11:31:00.001+10:00

Gwoya Jungarai, known as One Pound Jimmy, of the Wailbri people of central Australia was the first named Aboriginal person to appear on an Australian stamp. Two stamps were issued in 1950 and 1952 with his picture - an 8½ pence stamp and a 2 shillings and 6 pence (half crown) stamp - based on a photograph taken by Roy Dunstan in 1935 for Australian Geographic which appeared on the cover of Walkabout magazine in 1936. The stamps sold over a million copies and were re-released as one of Australia's favourite stamps in 2009 to mark the 200 year anniversary of Australia Post. Gwoya Jungarai also inspired the design of the Australian 2 dollar coin and was the father of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri.

Project 4

Denomination: 9
Feature colour: Sepia
Size: 45mmW x 45mmH or 1:1
Due: 29 July

Project 3 - Tara Axford

2011-06-16T10:51:00.000+10:00

I know it’s kind of obvious but when I think yellow, I think: Van Gogh’s sunflowers.

I also liked the idea of the other colours failing to print, as mentioned with the Treskilling Yellow of Sweden. So with this in mind I striped out all the other colours. I sketched the sunflower with a fine- liner then overlay 2 flowers (digitally) to imitate print misregistration. Since the space is so small, having more than one seemed tricky, as sunflowers are big! I thought having a classification using the scientific name for sunflower gave it a sort of botanical collection feel.

The use of fabric + broken lines are a reference in style to my other stamps.

Project 3 - Joanna Lam

2011-06-13T13:36:00.001+10:00

Give a group of kids a colouring book and you will find some pages will look like vomited rainbow while others colour meticulously within the predetermined spaces. I was the latter, so really struggled when I knew I couldn't deliver a piece within the 5mm wide by 28mm high dimensions. But I have managed to deliver on the yellow theme with the 80s icon, Pacman! This piece was designed in Adobe Photoshop, features whole stitches, five thread colours and was inspired by the four dot colour proofs that you occasionally find attached to traditional stamp sheets.

Project 3 - Jennie Hinchcliff

2011-06-12T15:12:00.000+10:00

As a collector of all types and kinds of things, I am especially fascinated by the process of organizing and archiving one's collections. Each collector's criteria is unique to them: should one sort by color? Shape? Size? Postage stamps bring up a different range of collecting questions: country? Value? Decade?

This particular project brings together two things that I find constantly inspiring: postage stamps and entomology -- specifically, the way in which insects are displayed. Using tools that entomologists employ everyday ("ento" pins, glass boxes for display, a series of forms and notations for cataloguing), I have "pinned down" a variety of different postage stamps in a way that is reminiscent of rare butterflies or exotic beetles, in much the same way that an amateur collector would. The vaguely bureaucratic form that each stamp is pinned to has a genus and place for description of the specimen; I have devised a system for recording and categorizing each stamp, and notes have been made on the attached form. The collection as a whole is placed inside a box with a glass top -- someone looking at the specimens on display can see everything at a glance, and marvel at the curiosity cabinet-like feel of the postage stamps trapped inside.

Project 3 - Natasha Lewis

2011-06-12T15:00:00.000+10:00

This design features a circle motif, derived from the wheel design featured heavily in the cycling stamps. Reflecting on what the colour yellow represents, I wanted to design something a bit whimsical, and add a splash of summer.

Project 3 - Heather Matthew

2011-05-30T13:24:00.000+10:00

I come from a long line of stamp collectors and have my grandfather's, father's and mother's stamp collections as well as my own. One thing I loved to do as a child was read the stamp catalogues, especially the Stanley Gibbons. This stamp was inspired by my own stamp collections and features a screen printed page from an Australian stamp collecting catalogue.

Project 2 - Heather Matthew

2011-05-30T13:21:00.001+10:00

I took this photograph of doves some years ago in Queenstown, Tasmania. They've just been sitting in my photo file waiting for for the right moment to appear again - on a stamp! The postage writing at the bottom of the stamp comes from a King George 6 1/2d stamp I had which I screen printed together with an image from a beach scene. The blue is a restive colour, doves always remind me of peace.

Project 3 - Susan Bonaci

2011-05-26T12:27:00.001+10:00

This project got me thinking about the things I collect. Of all the little treasures I collect, my largest collection would have to be my books! So for this project I designed a stamp combining motifs from my favourite books. I then applied the design to cream felt using Scandinavian needlecraft techniques (from another favourite book!).

Project 2 - Dan Kershaw

2011-05-19T08:50:00.000+10:00

Project 2 - Melanie Kershaw

2011-05-19T08:48:00.000+10:00

Project 2 - Joanna Lam

2011-05-11T15:28:00.001+10:00

Developed by Nintendo in 1984, Duck Hunter is a classic shooting game that inspired a whole generation of children to pick up their fluro orange pistols and shoot at a cathode ray television. How the dog managed to pick up your killings without opposable thumbs still remains a mystery to me. Designed in Adobe Photoshop, this pieces uses whole stitches and nine thread colours. Work was also completed while simultaneously working out on a tread mill and flirting with some random Canadian guy.

Project 2 - Natasha Lewis

2011-05-10T12:24:00.005+10:00

As soon as I saw the doves on the Basel Dove stamp I was reminded of this photograph I took while in Vietnam.

Project 2 - Matty Smith

2011-05-09T20:02:00.002+10:00

Hans J Wegner, was an Danish master cabinetmaker and architect. He became famous in the design world when in 1950 one of his chairs graced to cover of the American magazine interiors with the head line ‘the world’s most beautiful chair’. Ten years later ‘The Chair’ was chosen as the seating for the TV debates between presidential candidates John f Kennedy and Richard Nixon. As a little side note, JFK was known for having back problems and it was vital that he remained comfortable during the TV broadcast, and so ‘The Chair’ was selected. I particularly enjoy looking at Wegner’s hand sketches, technical drawings [the back ground of my stamp] and models for they are very inspiring on dark, cold Tasmanian nights.

Project 2 - Betty Nikia

2011-05-09T12:42:00.002+10:00

PROJECT 3

2011-05-08T09:26:00.002+10:00

Stamp collecting is one of the world's most popular hobbies, with the number of collectors estimated to be around 200 million. Many collectors limit their collecting to particular countries, certain time periods or particular subjects or "topicals" such as birds, aircraft or cycling. The collection of the French/Austrian aristocrat Philipp von Ferrary (1850–1917) is widely considered to be the most complete stamp collection ever formed. The collection consisted of several hundred albums and included the unique Treskilling Yellow of Sweden, a letter with the rare Mauritius One Penny Red and Two Pence Blue (also known as the "the greatest item in all philately") and the only unused copy of the Two Cent Hawaii Missionary of 1851, for which its owner, Gaston Leroux had been murdered by a fellow collector. After Ferrary's death the French government confiscated the collection, claiming it as a war reparation. The massive assemblage was auctioned off between 1921 and 1926, in 14 separate sales, raising some 30 million francs.

Other stamp collectors include Freddie Mercury of Queen, whose stamp album is in the collection of the British Postal Museum & Archive, and John Lennon of The Beatles whose stamp album is held by the National Postal Museum.

Project 3

Denomination: 5c
Feature colour: Yellow
Size: 50mmW x 28mmH or 16:9
Due: 17 June

Cycling stamp collection from here.

Project 2 - Susan Bonaci

2011-04-26T13:52:00.002+10:00

Project 2 - Tara Axford

2011-04-23T13:50:00.001+10:00

My Concept: I guess I couldn’t get the idea of the dove carrying a letter out of my head. I thought of ‘light’ line works along the lines of Picasso’s beautifully drawn dove. But then I found myself sticking down tiny bits of tissue paper – which I seemed like letters floating through the sky! I couldn’t resist stamping ‘to’ and ‘from’ over the body... I stitched the outline to at least have some sort of lighter line work – but also so it had a bit of synergy with my Penny Red.

Project 2 - Mandy Beaumont

2011-04-16T08:17:00.001+10:00

Project 1 - Mandy Beaumont

2011-04-16T08:13:00.000+10:00

PROJECT 2

2011-04-02T17:20:00.002+10:00

The Basel Dove stamp, printed in black, crimson and blue was the world's first tri-coloured stamp. It was issued on 1 July 1845 by the Swiss canton of Basel with a value of 2½-rappen. The stamp was designed by architect Melchior Berri and featured a white embossed dove carrying a letter in its beak. The stamp was valid for use until 30 September 1854, by which time 41,480 stamps had been printed. The stamp today is considered to be extremely rare, with the number still to be in existence unknown.

Project 2

Denomination: 6c
Feature colour: Blue
Size: 40mmW x 30mmH or 4:3
Due: 08 May

Project 1 - Joanna Lam

2011-03-26T16:18:00.001+10:00

My inspiration for this series is retro video games and undoubtedly one of the world's most famous characters is Mario. But the truth is I've never liked Mario as he is a bully, going through the various levels pillaging and thumping "enemies." Who needs more attention? How about those adorable little trouble makers, the Shy Guys? Since their original introduction in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, these little guys have appeared in a whole range of snazzy costumes and weapons ranging from camouflage gear, propellers and tribal costumes. I designed these Jungle Guys in Adobe Photoshop, before using 22 thread colours and whole stitches to complete the piece.

Project 1 - Betty Nikia

2011-03-26T16:15:00.003+10:00

Project 1 - Jennie Hinchcliff

2011-03-26T16:10:00.000+10:00

"I spent time researching the history of the penny black stamp, in preparation for Joanna's "Penny Black Project". I discovered that the penny black was the first postage stamp used in a public postal system, as well as the first adhesive stamp. These significant facts got me thinking; I realized that, in a way, the penny black is the "mother" of all postage stamps, a stamp that all other postage springs from.

With that in mind, I carefully combed through my collection of canceled postage, searching out different denominations and countries. I had a few criteria: selected stamps had to be square in shape, red in color, and preferably depict a person. I wanted certain design elements to be consistent since stamps overall present such a huge variety in design.

I printed out a large size image of the original penny black stamp, which serves as the main background (on top of the gridded paper). On top of this, I arranged a grid of twentieth century stamps, placing each one in such a way that it would highlight aspects like cancellation or postal markings. Once I'd made these design decisions, I went ahead and assembled everything! The final touches (denomination, "penny black" label, Japanese cancellation mark) were added at the very end and left to dry.

I like the way this piece came together; it's as if all of those generals and kings are sitting for some sort of philatelic family portrait, harkening back to the original Queen Victoria penny black. There's an incredibly rich history behind the penny black in general, and it's something I hope to explore for future PBP projects."

Project 1 - Matty Smith

2011-03-26T15:54:00.005+10:00

Being that furniture design is something I’m heavily involved in at the moment [it’s what I’m studying at Uni], it made perfect sense for me to overlap the two. And so my take on the PBP is to construct a range of stamps highlighting the many great designers that I find inspiring. First designer of the rack is Mr. Stig Lindberg. Stig is one of Sweden’s best known mid-century modern designers whose portfolio covers everything from ceramics to textiles to furniture. He even created illustrations for children’s books! The fact that he has a killer lab coat and glasses was justification enough for me to bring him on board for Penny Black [project]. Keeping design fun.

Project 1 - Dan Kershaw

2011-03-26T15:50:00.001+10:00

Project 1 - Isis St Pierre

2011-03-26T15:46:00.004+10:00

I decided to create a stamp with an event that i was interested in from the time the Penny Red was in circulation. In 1859 Charles Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species which was the first to present the theory of natural selection and suggested that humans could have evolved from apes. Of course, this stamp would never have existed because at the time Darwin's work was met with much outrage from the general public and particularly the church.

Project 1 - Jillian Hodgson

2011-03-25T21:09:00.000+10:00

I couldn't help but go with the Alice in wonderland theme... the colour red, perforation and a Queen's head. Plus is was a bit of fun doing a diorama, haven't done one since primary school... so many moons ago.

Project 1 Manuela Dobelin

2011-03-25T08:27:00.002+10:00

Project 1 - Meagan Streader

2011-03-25T08:10:00.000+10:00

I have experimented with red lighting and shadows to bring out the patterns and texture of the work, and to create the shadow of the 2c denomination on the wall behind.

Project 1 - Natasha Lewis

2011-03-20T11:22:00.003+10:00

I went with a lotus flower inspired design. I did use an original painting but then collaged it digitally.

Project 1 - Heather Matthew

2011-03-20T11:16:00.001+10:00

A little about the stamp...

I use postage stamps and images from the postal system in many of my art works. The Royal Red is a combination of screen printed and digital images which reference the Australian "Queen' series of stamps, nineteenth century printing machinery and medieval 'mummer' plays which was commemorated in a 25p English stamp. The ghostly writing from an airmail envelope pays tribute to the rapidly disappearing art of letter writing and the postal system which saw personal letters delivered around the world.

Project 1 - Tara Axford

2011-03-20T11:12:00.000+10:00

My concept:I was thinking about how using what you had was a way of life in the past. That popping out to the shops for supplies was not the first option available to most. With this in mind I made a paper collage from vintage storybooks, collected papers and then altered other pages to fit my colour scheme.

I liked the idea of using stitching to reinforce the domestic/handmade – also for the way it connects the pieces together. The patchwork feel reminds me of an aerial street view..
I loved working with red – it oozes depth and feeling!
All that for 2 cents – wow.

Project 1 - Melanie Kershaw

2011-03-14T17:04:00.000+10:00

Project 1 - Susan Bonaci

2011-03-14T12:19:00.000+10:00

The concept for my postage stamp is inspired by vintage children’s book imagery and traditional printing methods. Using the colour of the Penny Red stamp and the dimensions and denomination specified, I hand cut a lino print of a squirrel and acorn from a 1961 Lucie Attwell Annual. The acorn image is a theme I carry through my work, inspired by the oak trees in my Nan’s front yard, that grew from tiny acorns my Grandad bought back from his homeland; England. They’re a reminder that even the tiniest of things has the potential to grow.

PROJECT 1

2011-02-12T07:31:00.002+10:00

The 1854 Penny Red was the first officially perforated stamp. Prior to this stamps were individually hand cut or torn. In 1850 a period of trial and error began when various methods were being devised to make stamp separation more efficient. Henry Archer’s perforating machine was purchased by the UK postal authorities who in 1854 started to continuously issue perforated postage stamps in the Penny Red and all subsequent designs. The Penny Red was the UK’s longest running stamp, from February 1841 to the end of November 1879. It was used for the standard letter postage rate of 1 penny and approximately 21 billion were issued. The 1 Penny Red was a development on the Penny Black with the change in colour from black to red to ensure that the cancellation mark could be clearly seen and stamps could no longer be reused.

Project 1
Denomination: 2c
Feature colour: Red
Size: 42mmW x 50mmH or 0.85:1
Due: 25 March

PBP2 Participant - Jillian Hodgson

2011-02-11T20:13:00.000+10:00

BIO: I’m a budding writer, fresh out of corporate land and keen to stretch the creative muscles that have shrunk from doing too little for too long. Thank you Penny Black Project for assisting in the muscle redevelopment!

PBP2 Participant - Natasha Lewis Honeyman

2011-02-11T20:01:00.000+10:00

Natasha Lewis Honeyman is a visual artist and student of Museum Studies at the University of Queensland. She has exhibited her paintings at various Brisbane art gallery spaces and her works feature in a number of private collections. Natasha also curated and coordinated the Young Brisbane Artists exhibition project from 2005 to 2007. Her website is www.natasha-lewis.com.au.

http://www.natasha-lewis.com.au/

PBP2 Participant - Dan Kershaw

2011-02-11T18:47:00.000+10:00

Bio: I'm into sculpture and science. I like wood carving, blacksmithing, painting and drawing. I like to make my own tools. I used to be a painter exclusively until I realised that sculpture was an option and since then this has been my primary pursuit.

PBP2 Participant- Isis St Pierre

2011-02-07T10:52:00.000+10:00

BIO: I'm a 20-something creative living on 'the apple isle', exploring the grey area between art, craft & design, and trying to lead a simple life. I'm all about vintage, nana naps, sewing, bushwalking, meeting people from foreign lands (hopefully in foreign land), music festivals and all things indie.

http://isismade.blogspot.com/

PBP2 Participant- Tara Axford

2011-02-06T11:42:00.014+10:00

BIO: I love to create. I don't like to ask why. I have a short attention span. My day job is graphic design...

http://www.dudleyredhead.blogspot.com

PBP2 Participant- Melanie Kershaw

2011-01-27T15:43:00.000+10:00

BIO: I try to do lots of creative stuff, and am always surrounded by creative types. My current obsession is crochet. Can't get enough.

PBP2 Participant- Susan Bonaci

2011-01-26T10:29:00.003+10:00

Bio: Mostly I write. Creatively and commercially. But lately I've been dabbling in multi-media art and zine making just because I love it.

www.findingacorns.com

PBP2 Participant- Jennie Hinchcliff

2011-01-20T11:03:00.000+10:00

I make things with my hands; it keeps me into the kind of trouble and with the right kinds of company. I send things through the mail -- lots and lots of things. Then I do it all over again.

http://redletterdayzine.wordpress.com/

PBP2 Participant - Matty C Smith

2011-01-14T17:08:00.006+10:00

Bio: having been formally trained in the making of architectural joinery, i am currently undertaking a BA in environmental design, majoring in furniture so that I can combine my making trade with a design trade. deep down I just like making things… things that hopefully make our lives function better.

mattycsmith.blogspot.com

PBP2 Participant- E J Zyla

2011-01-11T17:03:00.008+10:00

Bio: E J Zyla is a self taught artist who writes, illustrates, and creates artists books, zines, and works on paper She is writing and illustrating a series of children’s books for adults that lean towards graphic novels more than a traditional story book. A bit of a ‘late bloomer’, she is found ‘scribbling’ and ‘making’ well into the dark of night where she cocoons herself in worlds of her making. She is influenced by concept and character design, as well as computer gaming art.

torntranslations.com.au/

readpalered.blogspot.com/

PBP2 Participant- Meagan Streader

2011-01-10T16:27:00.002+10:00

Bio: I am a Brisbane emerging artist who has just completed Bachelor of Fine Arts/Visual Arts at (QUT 2010) exploring a variety of media to create work.

www.meaganstreader.blogspot.com

www.meaganstreader.com

PBP2 Participant- Heather Matthew

2011-01-10T16:25:00.001+10:00

Bio: I work in a number of mediums using the detritus of everyday life like train tickets, stamps, and letters to create collages and artist books.

http://www.heathermatthew.com.au/

http://bboxproductions.blogspot.com/

PBP2 Participant- Manuela Dobelin

2011-01-06T16:20:00.014+10:00

Bio: Manu Dobelin was born and raised in Germany and recently moved to Sydney. She is an architect by trade with a passion for illustrating, designing and crafting.

threelinesandafold.blogspot.com

www.etsy.com/shop/rubyrocket

PBP2 Participant- Mandy Beaumont

2011-01-05T16:14:00.003+10:00

Bio: Mandy Beaumont is a poet and artist. She is featured in the 2009 ‘Best Australian Poems’, is published in lots of books, journals and papers, been in lots of gallery shows, had lots of public art commisioned and been a guest at lots of writers festivals. She’s won a few awards and was highly commended in the Val Vallis Award for poetry, the NSW Writers Centre best self published book and the PressPress Chapbook Award. She also ran things like the Queensland Poetry Festival and the Brisbane Writers Festival Poetry events.

www.furiousverse.blogspot.com

www.mandybeaumont.com

2011-01-03T15:40:00.006+10:00

BIO: Joanna Lam was diagnosed as an unco by the Australian Institute of Sport in 1997. Despite this, she enjoys cross stitching, cooking, horse riding and chasing her delinquent Border Collie, Baci.

http://cloudrat.deviantart.com/

http://eatsfoodhatesyou.blogspot.com/

PBP2 Participant- Kate Moore

2011-01-02T16:13:00.000+10:00

Bio: Kate, of katiecrackernuts, is a frustrated artist/writer/creative type who, by day, spends her time working to gruelling online news deadlines. Kate contributed to the inaugural Penny Black project in 2010.

http://katiecrackernuts.blogspot.com/

PBP2 Participant- Helen Nehill

2011-01-02T16:08:00.004+10:00

Bio: I'm an artist and illustrator with a passion for drawing and printmaking. My drawings explore the back streets and neglected places of the urban environment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/giant_bee/

http://corposant.tumblr.com/

PBP2 Participant- Betty Nikia

2011-01-02T16:06:00.002+10:00

BIO: I write things. I design things. I photograph things. Occasionally, all at the same time.

http://bettybetizzle.tumblr.com/

Round 2 Call Out!

2011-01-01T20:41:00.001+10:00

Do you want to be more creative but find you’re short on time? Start small by registering for ROUND 2 of the PENNY BLACK PROJECT. Six projects, six weeks apart. Create a series of postage stamps as art.

For each project brief you will be sent;
• Denomination
• Feature colour
• Size/Proportions

You can follow the brief as closely as you want, or not at all - make this project what YOU want.

Submissions will be published at PENNYBLACKPROJECT.BLOGSPOT.COM and be compiled into a zine at project end. ROUND 1 also turned into an exhibition, who knows what the New Year will bring.

Interested? Register by sending to LITTLEZINE@HOTMAIL.COM;
• Photo/avatar (for blog)
• 25 word (or less) bio
• Website/Blog (to plug)

Registration closes FEBRUARY 11

Penny Black Project Exhibition

2010-12-05T20:14:00.000+10:00

Myrtle Street Studio, Brisbane.

The gallery specialises in artworks on paper.

& also has some impressive printing machines on display.

Stamps by Vanessa Berry & Simon Yates

Stamps by Jay Dee Dearness

Stamps by Manuela Dobelin

Stamps by Georgi Lewis

Stamps by Kate Moore

Stamps by Joy Serwylo

Stamps by Michelle Vandermeer

Stamps by E J Zyla

Project write up by Joanna Coltman

Zines & artworks for sale.

Penny Black Project Zine

2010-12-04T20:10:00.002+10:00

Exhibition + zine launch

2010-11-21T14:09:00.004+10:00

you are invited to...

Project 6 - Michelle Vandermeer

2010-11-21T14:05:00.001+10:00

Project 6 - E J Zyla

2010-11-21T14:03:00.002+10:00

Project 6 - Georgi Lewis

2010-11-21T14:02:00.003+10:00

Project 6 - Kate

2010-10-05T10:54:00.000+10:00

Project 6 - Jay Dee Dearness

2010-09-16T12:29:00.003+10:00

Project 6 - Mauela Dobelin

2010-08-09T08:37:00.001+10:00

Penny Black Project on the web

2010-08-03T15:19:00.001+10:00

Check out the interveiw with Jay Dee Dearness of Myrtle Street Studio on KT Doyle's site. The exciting upcoming Penny Black Project exhibiton is mentioned...

Project 6 - Vanessa Berry + Simon Yates

2010-06-24T17:31:00.003+10:00

Project 6 - Joy Serwylo

2010-06-17T08:51:00.002+10:00

PROJECT 6

2010-05-14T17:38:00.000+10:00

A cinderella stamp is "virtually anything resembling a postage stamp, but not issued for postal purposes by a government postal administration"*. There are many different types including poster stamps, propaganda labels, commemorative stickers, stamps issued by non-recognised countries or governments, court fee stamps, charity labels like Christmas seals and Easter seals, telegraph stamps, railway stamps, local stamps (like the Russian Zemstvo stamp above) and decorative stamps.

The design of cinderella stamps generally follows the principles of postage stamp design, but typically lacks a country name, often replaced by an organisation or cause being promoted, or a denomination. Sometimes a fictitious country or denomination may be present.

There is cinderella stamp club in Australia which accepts members worldwide.

Project 6
Denomination: 55c
Feature colour: Orange (because it's my favourite colour)
Size: 30mmWx36mmH or 1:1.2
Due: 25 June

*Mackay, James. Philatelic Terms Illustrated. 4th edition. London: Stanley Gibbons, 2003, p.27. ISBN 0852595573.

Project 5 - Vanessa + Simon

2010-05-14T17:13:00.000+10:00