Hello dear reader,
My husband Jon called upstairs to me: “You have to see this!”
I raced down, thinking maybe Kitty (the neighbourhood cat, unoriginally named) had come to see her adopted mama (me, who feeds her ham - she likes it).
But it wasn’t Kitty.
It was the most beautiful crescent moon — just the tiniest slither.
Huge, glowing, set against soft pink clouds and a smoky blue sky. And there was Jon looking back at me from the yard, his hand outstretched waiting to take mine 🥰
“Is it waxing or waning?”I asked. Jon wasn’t sure. The sky darkened quickly as the bats flew overhead. I soaked up the magic and peace. Back inside, a quick google search told me it was waxing. I’d just missed the new moon. My first thought?
It’s never too late to set an intention.
Which got me thinking: it’s never too late to wish you a happy new year! It’s also officially Autumn here in Australia and it’s my favourite season!
As usual, Brisbane has yet to notice but last night as I stood outside to watch the pretty pink and blue sunset, I FINALLY FELT A CHILL IN THE AIR and my whole body lit up in response.
Speaking of crescent moons and Autumn air, one of my favourite places to go for that colourful crunch beneath your feet is New Zealand.
Nothing beats the mountains and lakes of Queenstown, Arrowtown and the Otago.
I am excited to share a very special travel and art inspired story with you — our dream mountain wedding.
As we approach our two year anniversary, I’ve created a video of our special day — from our arrival into Queenstown and checking in to our luxury rental property, to our mini honeymoon in the adorable Alpine Cubes cabin where Twizel’s night sky takes your breath away.
There is no light pollution in the Mackenzie dark sky reserve, so you’ll never see more stars than this! We sat in the warm water of the outdoor bath for hours soaking up sunset and the stars.
I highly recommend both properties:
You’ll also see a snippet of our wedding invitation, which went to our parents. We planned to elope by ourselves, but the last minute decision to invite them is one we cherish every day.
Our parents have become dear friends. We are now in our early 40’s and spending time with them in such a special place and dining at beautiful venues like Ayrburn (you must go!) and Cardrona Hotel leaves me teary to remember.
And stationery for a small party of 6? Why not!
The very best part of eloping was we got to create a wedding that was PERFECT for us. And as an artist and designer, creating the illustrated wedding invitation was very special experience for me.
I was excited to create a client folder with my own name on it!! I treated it like a commissioned project and poured all my love into the illustrations.
You’ll notice the crescent moon, Cecil Peak mountain and Lake Wakatipu. This is the view from where we married. The landscape that captured our hearts.
Forgive me for not being in your inbox yet this year.
What have I been up to? I’m grateful to say I’ve been flat out with commissioned art projects —
Art direction for an entire building — a two storey early learning centre, complete with 4 indoor murals and 1 outdoor mural
A bespoke map of a city in Japan for a special couple and their anniversary (I can’t wait to share this art and story with you soon)
Collaborating with a New Zealand wallpaper company — the Aspiring Walls x Tiny Giraffe wallpaper mural collection has arrived and will evolve (see hand-drawn and hand-painted New Zealand city map murals!).
Slowly adding to my ‘Australian Natives’ wallpaper collection (more to come).
A design workshop for a past client on his upcoming book — discussing all things art, pattern, graphic design, typography and illustrations. If this comes to life the way I imagine it, I’ll be so proud!
Site visit consultations and preparing quotes for brand storytelling murals.
Learning to apply gold leaf for the first time to a custom city map artwork for a wedding gift! I now have the urge to create a gold leaf mural but the mess of fiddly flakes it left on the floor makes me reconsider.
What have you been up to? And where do you love to experience Autumn most? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Love,
Kylie + Mr G x
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.