I’m an artist, i draw and paint and build things. I work in my studio in Melbourne everyday and think about deep space.

Who has had an adverse affect on your style and the way you work? Where do you look for inspiration?

that changes for me over time. When I started i was influenced by 70/80s french and japanese animation, children’s book illustration and street art.

now i’m more focused on non-art based influences; curiosity based science, the Large Hadron Collider and the voyager space missions.

Describe your workspace:

old building in centre of Melbourne, nice big light space for drawing and a balcony for dreaming. I spend most of my time there.

Do you prefer street or sketchbook for your art?

sketchbook easily, I love my sketchbook

i don’t really do street art anymore

What is your all time favourite artwork you have done?

it’s usually the work i’m currently doing

i’m really enjoying large linen at the moment

If you weren’t doing this as your career, what would you be doing?

cosmologist

What are your tools of the trade? (favourites, brands, recommendations)

gouache, acrylic, water colour an ink and a special collection of brushes

What have you been reading, listening to and watching lately?

i watch a lot of TED talks while im working.

www.ted.com

If I stole your ipod, what would be playing if I pressed play?

Alemayehu Eshete and Boris

Where can people follow what you’re up to and view your work?

www.ghostpatrol.net

W: It’s pretty crazy and busy but I love it. Windfall has taken on some really cool projects and custom orders leading up to Christmas and I’m really flattered people are giving Windfall to their loved ones.

I’m not really sure where to start… I have always worked in fashion but always loved accessories and jewellery over apparel. I have always wanted to create my own clothing label but never really had the passion to design clothes. And I think its just an amalgamation of all of those things. My husband and I went to India and it was a real eye opener and made me realise I’m wasting a really cool opportunity living in Australia, to do what I want to do. And one day I just thought, fuck it; lets do this.

The journey has been amazing. It’s been so much fun and has forced me into taking some leaps I normally wouldn’t have dared do before and I’m so siked about it all.

How about the the idea for the name ‘Windfall’?

I love all things nautical so it was only fitting that my label had a nautical term.WINDFALL means: An unexpected stroke of good luck.
“A sudden unexpected rush of wind from a mountainous shore which allowed a ship more leeway.  Some English landowners were prevented to either fall or sell timber as this was reserved for building ships for the Royal Navy. However, this did not apply to trees which were blown down. Hence, a windfall became a financial blessing”

Many of the pieces look like they would have been very fiddly and quite complex – do you have any particular metal-work skills or is it just pure talent?

Yeah some are pretty difficult , fiddly is the perfect word! I have done courses in Silver-smithing but I like to think it comes down to just pure natural talent haha.

How long does an average piece take to create from the initial idea to the final product?

It depends on the complexity. People have asked me this a few times and I really don’t know how to answer it because I have never really started one project from start to finish without having a few others on the go at the same time. I like to have a big work load at all times!

I find your tagline ‘Uptown elegance with a downtown edge’ really interesting and based on the collections; appropriate.. Do you draw inspiration from any specific areas or does it just come fluidly?

I don’t think there is anything specific that I get inspiration from, its just everything around my life I suppose. Melbourne is a pretty rad place to keep your creative juices flowing. But I suppose the meaning behind that tagline is pretty self explanatory, I like creating high quality jewellery with a street feel to it.

Do you have any particular marketing methods or do you just rely on your own steam?

I have no marketing methods haha. I haven’t invested any money into marketing, everything has just happened from me pushing my brand and how passionate I am about it. I have made the brand come this far because I love it not because I have put money into marketing. Having said that, 2012 is going to be a big year for Windfall and I am probably going to have to develop a marketing strategy. Maybe.

What tools are required for creating a piece/What does your work desk look like?

Tools: I couldn’t live without  my craft knife, drill and sand paper!

My desks look like: One wooden drawing desk, one long, wooden trestle work bench and one wooden pedestal table

What is in store next for Windfall?

We are shooting a fashion shoot for the Rattlebones Collection and we will drop our 2nd collection in early 2012. It’s going to be a rad year for Windfall.

And a couple of not-so-formal questions…

Which celebrity/icon’s style do you really appreciate and why?

None. I don’t really follow that stuff.

What was the last book you purchased?

Life by Keith Richards

Where is the last place you traveled and what for?

Malaysia, India and Thailand in April. For fun.

What does an average day entail for Lani Williams?

Hang out in my studio. Walk my bulldogs. Hang out with my husband. In that order.

What are the last five web pages in your browser history?

Facebook, Google: Dog Breeds, Dogue de Bordeaux, Facebook, Wikipedia. How boring.

Solid Tooth Pendant or the PMA Ring.

See you in 2012.

Pieces featured from the top: Positive Mental Attitude Ring with packaging, Riblet Pendant, Rams Head Street Range, Scrap Metal Rings.

See more of the collections and the upcoming range on Windfall Jewellery’s Facebook, Big Cartel and Etsy. You can also see it in store at Designers Boutique, 416 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney.

So this is my first interview here on This Life and I couldn’t be happier to have done this with Melbourne based Photographer Kane Hibberd, a pretty big inspiration of mine, I hope to be doing more interviews for This Life down the track so keep your eyes peeled!

First up, thanks for your time, what’s been happening?

Hi there, I’m just finishing up my first solo exhibition of music photography in Melbourne entitled, “Searching with my good eye open” It was the first time I had done anything like that so it was a nerve racking learning experience that was definitely worth it. I had 80 images in it so that has been my focus for the past few months. Other than that I’m just winding down from festival season (which seems to get longer every year) and starting to work on some creative for up coming shoots.

For those who are unfamiliar with you and what you do, can you tell us a bit about yourself and walk us through your typical day?

I’m a freelance photographer shooting music and portraiture. There isn’t really such a thing as a normal day. It all depends on what is happening. If I’m shooting I might be on location or in the studio so I’ll be doing my thing. If I’m not shooting then I might be in the office processing images or doing post production. I could be preparing for a shoot, prepping equipment, doing pre production. Location searching, prop searching, visual research. There is never nothing to do.

Who has had an adverse affect on your style and the way you work? Where do you look for inspiration?

I’m more influenced and inspired by cinema, design and illustrative artists with my creative ideas than particular photographers. I do really like the work of Gregory Crewdson, Danny Clinch and Mark Seliger.

What is the best bit about your job?

Definitely the variety and I can choose my hours. If I’m not tied down to a particular time I can choose when I work as long as I get it done.

How long have you been doing photography and what influenced you to be a music photographer?

I’ve only been shooting music since 2005, from there I went back to study photography at RMIT, graduated in 2008 and here I am. I’m not really sure how it happened, it sort of just happened. When I went back to study, I didn’t actually set out to shoot music, it was just a passion. I originally wanted to do more travel and documentary work. I was also really interested in shooting interiors. It was weird, I never used to really like shooting people but my lecturers encouraged me as they thought I was good at it and thought I was really bad at shooting interiors.

What has been your favourite moment in music to photograph?

I don’t know if I have a favourite moment but some highlights would be meeting Dave Grohl, (legend), meeting Jimmy Eat World last year (more legends) Metallica at SXSW 2009 with 2000 other people and hanging Haydn from Calling All Cars upside down from a tree.

What is the best gig you have been to?

Again I don’t think I have a favourite but stand outs would be, Offspring back in 95, Birds Of Tokyo show last year at festival hall in Melbourne (one of the best shows I’ve ever seen them play), every Bodyjar show I’ve ever been too.

what do you prefer to shoot? Live or promo’s?

I don’t really have a preference. Both are two completely different things and each lets me explore different things. If I had to do just one I would get bored so the bonus is I get a variety of different things to shoot.

Did you ever come across a time where you felt like chucking it in? (being a hard industry to stand out in)

Definitely. Like any creative industry it’s hard work and there are plenty of obstacles but luckily the wins at the moment are out numbering the losses. Running any sort of business is hard enough but when you have to do all the business side of things as well as be creative, it takes a lot of time and can be frustrating. It’s all part of the package though so you just have to run with it.

I noticed you do a bit of editing with your band shots which I think is pretty rad and different is there any reason you choose to do that for some of your photos, and some just straight photography?

The post production I do on my images is always for a reason. From the pre production stages of an image I’ll have an end result in mind and the post production is the final stage in realising that finished image. Even images that look unedited have some sort of post production done to them to give them a look.

What gear do you use when you’re working? Is it different than what you would take if you just went out to take a few photos for yourself?

I shoot with digital Canon bodies and a variety of different lens. Most of my work is shot with a mixture of ambient and artificial lighting and for that I use elinchrom flash gear. I very rarely take photos for myself, I never travel with a camera outside of work so if I take a pic of something it’s with my trusty old iphone 3.

What’s in your pockets right now?

Studio keys and some crusty ear plugs, ewwww.

What have you been reading, listening to and watching lately?

I haven’t really been reading all that much lately, but I’ve started watching the series Sons Of Anarchy and Dead Wood. Also into HBO’s new series Game of Thrones. The last 3 things I listened to on my itunes is
Manchestor Orchestra : Simple Maths
Offspring : Smash
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows : D.R.U.G.S

Do you have any other hobbies and interests you like to keep up with?

I don’t really have a lot of time outside of work. I have a ps3 which I would love to play but never get any time. Sleep really interests me too!

Anything coming up that we should know about?

I’m looking at showing my exhibition in Sydney so I’m sure when I get that all confirmed you’ll see me spaming facebook pages. Other than that I’m working on creative for some up coming shoots and everything else is still under wraps.

Do you have any advice for people that are looking to become photographers, or more specifically, music photographers?

Don’t do it! Ha Um you need to be realistic about what you want to achieve and realise it won’t happen over night. Be prepared for a lifelong journey. We have a very small music industry here so almost immediately you are up against the fact that there is only a certain number of jobs around. You also need to think differently and spread your income over different channels. I have a few different ways I support myself within the industry so I’m not just relying on one source of income.

Where can people follow what you’re up to and view your work?

www.theartofcapture.com
http://kanyelens.wordpress.com
www.twitter.com/kanye_lens

Word association, you know the deal, say whatever comes to your mind when you read the word.

Australia – Confused

Internet – Procrastinate

Party – Hard

Tattoo – Sore

Religion – Cringe

Time – Poor

Wish – Hope

Fun – Time

Greed – Sad

Humanity – Lost

Peace – Forgotten

Freedom – Speech

Art – Love

Photography – Painstaking

Life – Living

Happiness – Life

Anything you want to say?

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my work.

Steen Jones is a name that you’ll be seeing a lot more from here at This Life, after lurking his blog for a good minute, i caught up with him and his girl Melissa on afternoon and Melbourne and asked them if they wanted to join the This Life Family, as you’ll soon see – They said yes.

All the photo’s used in this interview are the works of Melissa Findley, this girl’s got skills!

First up, thanks for your time man, what’s been happening?

No way, thank-you man! Ahhh shit.. A lot for my books. I’ve just started a commissioned piece for a Kindergarten here in Fitzroy, still have the Melbourne Chess Club Sailor Jerry tribute wall to do, and as of last night i’m going to be painting some cool traditional shit inside a pub, I also got some commissioned canvas’ and watercolour shit that I haven’t even thought about yet and right now trying to scratch a rough for a wall that I would really love to do here in Fitzroy in the next few and all that’s on top of my day job. Soooo shit’s feeling heavy, haha.

For those who are unfamiliar with you and what you do, can you tell us a bit about yourself and walk us through your typical day?

My name is Steen Jones, i’m a 24 year old from Brisbane now residing in Melbourne. I Wake up and drink a strong coffee, then swing a hammer for 8 hours then come home and draw and paint till dinner then hang with my girlfriend and cat till i fall asleep.

What initially got you involved in art, and how did that lead you in to persuing tattooing?

To hit the nail on the head.. living with an up and coming, talented artist/tattooer and getting tattooed. It’s a good fun life.

Do you remember your first time you saw a tattoo? Is it something that from your initial encounter that you were drawn to?

I can’t remember exactly but it would have had to have been my Grandads Popeye tattoo or my uncles FTW tattoo. I remember as kids his reply to our questions would be ‘Free The Whales’ haha

You began your Tattoo apprenticeship, how was the over all experience? With so many would be tattooers these days was it something that you found hard to get yourself in to and earn enough respect so that someone would want to teach you?

Life changing. Originally I was asked to work the counter on weekends which was great and really fun and after a while of that I ended up breaking my hand which put me out of action in the Construction industry for a while. This then turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it got me working full time in the shop which would then turn into having the opportunity to throw down some tattoos. I feel I was very lucky and fortunate for what I had but In saying this I definitely put in the hard yards to get as far as I did I think.

Who taught you to tattoo, and how have they influenced your style today?

I owe it all to the legend Rick Nash of Valley Mall Tattoo and Ben Rorke (formerly Valley Mall Tattoo) now at Westside Tattoo.

Who or what else has had an adverse affect on your style and the way you work? Where do you look for inspiration?

Ben’s influenced me the most as a single person because i’ve literally lived, breathed and worn his stuff for a very long time but I tend to withdraw influence and inspiration from anyone that’s got something that catches my eye and the internets great for this.

It was refreshing to speak to you about art and tattooing and realise that you actually care and give a fuck about what you are doing, in a world where everyone is a would be tattooer/artist/whatever it’s definitely cool to see someone so dedicated to a craft and in it for the right reasons.

From your perspective as an apprentice, how do you feel about all the Slicers and Kitchen Wizards? 

Haha I haven’t heard that term before! If they’re undercutting and taking food off hard working tattooers tables then it angers me, but at the same time if people are stupid enough to be giving or receiving them.. Then they’ll come undone one way or another.

I guess you could say Tattoo’s have become accepted in today’s society, possibly even expected, obviously there being more people to tattoo is a good thing, but do you think there is a downside to it? 

None for me.

What was your first tattoo, and who did it? 

Webbed elbow by Ben Rorke.

Who do you think is really pushing the envelope when it comes to tattooing, Both in Australia and abroad? Where do you see tattooing going?

Forward and fast. I think every single hardworking tattooer in the world is contributing a part in raising the bar as far as the quality and expectations of tattoos these days. I also feel that the internets done wonders and giving artists the opportunity to not only network and work with/alongside other artists all over the world but to feed off each other and push even harder again. Everyday that I’m not in a shop, the harder I feel it’s going to be to get back into one especially down here in Melbourne because there’s so many great shops and artists.

You’ve been playing around a little bit with aerosols, your work has a fairly distinct Traditional Tattoo approach or influence, and for someone who’s only done a handful of pieces you seem to be nailing it. Did you find painting a wall with a can hard to get used to? What made you pick up a can in the first place?

Thanks! To be honest i’ve never really had much interest in say, traditional graffiti or whatever you would call it until moving down to Melbourne 6 or 7 months ago. My girlfriend Melissa and I moved straight into Fitzroy and if you know Fitzroy, it’s impossible not to get flooded by all kinds of cool and crazy shit everywhere you look so I suppose curiosity got the better of me and here I am. As for my ‘style’ there’s no denying that it’s tattoo affiliated and based but thats the way I like it. As for doing it… I find it hard and frustrating at times but more so fun. I generally go with Melissa, a stereo and cider so it’s pretty hard not to enjoy it.

How close is the relationship between Aerosol art and tattooing or tattoo influenced art with you? As i just mentioned, the pieces you’ve done have a strong tattoo vibe to them, do the two overlap and compliment each other?

At the end of the day they’re all similar-ish despite the scale and mediums used, but they’re all totally different as far as methods used.

Do you put any thought in to trying to achieve a particular reaction from people when they see your work?

Yes and No, I enjoy strong bold simple designs the most so my stuff isn’t crazy technical but I’m feeling that it’s still effective and doing what i intend for it to do at this point.

What’s in your pockets right now?

I’m wearing basketball shorts so I dont have any.

What have you been reading, listening to and watching lately?

I don’t have time to read, Weezy and The Ghost Inside are generally always on rotation but as of late I have been bumping Rittz’s new mixtape so much it’s probably gay. As for TV, I’m hanging out for the new Sons Of Anarchy and True Blood cause i’ve just finished the latest season of Californication.

What are five things that you always pack with you on your travels? 

Girlfriend, Toothbrush, Jeans, Phone and Wallet

We live in turbulent times, what are your views on the world and society today?

Saddened by all the natural disasters as of late and i don’t do politics.

Advice to anyone wanting to cut their teeth in the Tattoo industry? 

Get tattooed.

Anything coming up that we should know about?

Melissa’s video that she’s currently editing of our Sydney trip last month and some sheets of flash that i’m currently doing with my boys Mitch13 and Jelle Nelemans!

Word association, you know the deal, say whatever comes to your mind when you read the word.

Australia – Home

Julia Gillard – Red

America – Fat

Obama – Black

England – Cricket

The Queen – Old

The Internet – Facebook

Party – Fun

Tattoo – Fun

Religion – Not fun

Time – Flies

Fun – Party

Greed – Pigs

Humanity – Needs to change

Peace – High

Freedom – Furniture store

Art – Fun

Life – Is Good

Happiness – Life

Where can people follow what you’re up to and view your work?

www.steenjones.tumblr.com

and www.melissafindley.tumblr.com

Steen Says:

This weeks feature artist is Herl of Sydney/LA based Fresh Force crew.

Firstly, thank you for your time, what’s been happening?

Work, paint, work, paint, work.

For those who are unfamiliar with you and what you do, can you tell us a bit about yourself and walk us through your typical day?

How did you initially get involved with graffiti?

Do you think where you grew up has had an effect on your style today?

Do you put any thought in to trying to achieve a particular reaction from people when they view your work?

You’re an amazing writer, does your talent spread in to any other mediums?

What difference to you between someone who is known as a street artist, opposed to someone else who is known as to be a writer?

I guess the aim of the game when it comes to graffiti is to get up and be the biggest, in turn crushing other writers, and battling it out with the can, did it ever go past fighting with paint for you?

Why’d you start writing Herl?

Herlyguts.

What inspires you to go out and paint?

Do you think that graffiti will go down the same path as tattooing, from a frowned upon (at least in the last 100 years) underground scene to a mainstream movement?And what are your thoughts on that happening?

Just turn one city into a free for all. muahahha Dunno, Hopefully not

Alright, lets talk about the net, I know a lot of the older crew of writers/artists hate on the net a bit, and it’s always a bit of “In my day man, we had none of that shit” – What do you think about it? Positive or negative effect on graffiti as a whole?

It’s bad in more ways than its good. I think it’s had a negative effect on graff. It’s too accessible now.

But I cant say im doing anything to stop it. This is an email interview for a blog.

What’s in your pockets right now?

Nothing, actually nothing.

What have you been reading, listening to and watching lately?

Reading – Firestarter by Steven King. Listening to a whole bunch of shit, getting back in to Rage, Metallica, (cos I cant afford the concert) Quasimoto, all kinds I cant list.

To the general public and authorities, there is a very fine line between what is considered art and what is considered vandalism and/or crime, Victoria has introduced some straight Nazi style Anti-Graffiti laws, what are your thoughts on that?

What are five things that you always pack with you on your travels?

We live in turbulent times, what are your views on the world and society today?

Aus is cool, we just chill down here in the corner while the rest of the world fight it out.

Advice to up and coming artists?

Word association, you know the deal, say whatever comes to your mind when you read the word.

Australia- Underground
Julia Gillard- Will have to do for now
America-Land of lost
Obama- Show
England- Good music
The Queen- s of the stone-age
Legal- Riot
Illegal- Leg-it
Religion- No
Time- No
Greed- No
Humanity- Needs practice
Peace- Flowers in soldiers guns
Freedom – Fighters
Art- Attack
Graffiti- Lurks
Life- Happiness
Happiness- Life

Where can people follow what you’re up to and view your work?