Figure Ground Journal

Simon O'Carrigan, artist and illustrator, discusses his illustration process for 'The Bill Dup', a picture book written by Zewlan Moor and published by Windy Hollow Bookes.

Never_Forget-Cover_Shine-3_sec_loop from Simon O'Carrigan on Vimeo.

Never_Forget-StopMo_Promo-10_sec_loop from Simon O'Carrigan on Vimeo.

Simon O'Carrigan painting ink on paper animation cels for The Mighty Apollo (Plot Media, 2017) from Simon O'Carrigan on Vimeo.

I’m currently working on the winter cocktail illustrations for Caffé Bartolo - but here is one from the Autumn list that you better get in quick to try. It’s inspired by foggy days and tastes amazing and the skeleton leaf garnish is even more incredible in real life. But here it’s ink, paper, and some digital meddling (muddling? 🍸 😉) • • • @caffebartolo #caffebartolo cocktail designed by @graziadifranco #caffebartolococktails #art #drawing #cocktail #cocktails #cocktailmenu #drinksmenu #creative #flavour #sydney #illustration #illo #artwork #artistsoninstagram #sydneybars #surryhills #surryhillsbar #drinks #bar #bartender #cocktailhour #autumncocktails #pensive #mood (at Caffè Bartolo) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxtsiQ7lpqJ/?igshid=8qwl53sni1yy

Thanks everyone who came along to ‘Play It Again’ on Friday night. I treated myself to a very lazy post-exhibition weekend! Here’s the appropriate “Netflix and pancakes” cocktail I illustrated for Caffé Bartolo. Ink, pencil and digital. 👍 • • • @caffebartolo #caffebartolo @graziadifranco #caffebartolococktails #art #drawing #cocktail #cocktails #cocktailmenu #drinksmenu #creative #flavour #sydney #illustration #illo #artwork #artistsoninstagram #sydneybars #surryhills #surryhillsbar #sydneynightlife #drinkstagram #drinks #bar #bartender #cocktailhour #autumncocktails (at Caffè Bartolo) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxEpwMUleuB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=h8f2x6i29jfy

Opening drinks tonight from 6pm is “Play It Again”, an exhibition by @m_wallus01 and myself, at @five_walls - please come! For my part of the show I have made 18 oil paintings inspired by/sampling/remixing/covering the album cover of Alan Gardiner Accordion Bands 1968 masterpiece “Play It Again”. • • • Pictured: Simon O’Carrigan ‘Play It Again’ Oil on board 12x12 inches (31x31cm) 2019 $275 • • • My catalogue of works is available now through my online shop for sneaky peaks and sales (link in bio) • • • #PlayItAgain #exhibition #art #gallery #openingnight #galleryopening #oilpainting #recordCollector #artcollector #alangardineraccordionband #contemporaryart #remix #sample #cover #collaboration #experimental #nonobjectiveart #stilllife #abstraction #readymadeAbstraction #recordShelf #footscray #footscraytodo #melbournetodo #homedecor #smallpaintings #contemporarypainting #simonocarrigan (at Five Walls) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw-ahHdFXVS/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=q3pumvxnm50g

“Play It Again” opens this Fri 6-8pm - please come 🙏 😘 (also open to the public from today). • • • I collected a large number of the same LP and then asked @m_wallus01 to help me make visual art covers of the cover of this album of accordion covers of popular music. It’s been fun. He cut up a bunch and stuck them back together. I made paintings ‘sampling’ the cover. There will be a short sound art performance early on during the opening for early birds. • • • You may be subjected to a degree of nonsense. You may or may not extrapolate interesting thoughts regarding commercial music, mass market design, changes in value over time, capitalism and cultural production, the true meaning of yellow submarine as revealed via instrumental piano accordion cover versions...in any case all are welcome and we hope to see you there. 🎈 🎉 • • • “It’s not a party unless each and every one of you makes it a party.” -Grandmaster Flash • • • @m_wallus01 @simonocarrigan @five_walls #footscray #exhibition #art #artist #melbourne #remix #sample #collage #remake #cover #LP #album #record #alangardiner #alangardineraccordionband #playitagain #contemporaryart #experimentalart #artcollector #recordcollector #yellow #colour #color #colourful #60s #loop #gif (at Five Walls) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5d3v8lBOW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1t86d3tpj8thd

Monday 2:30itis. • • • Back in the studio after a week away, and kinda wish I was still in Sydney sampling cocktails at Caffé Bartolo... • • • @caffebartolo #caffebartolo @graziadifranco #caffebartolococktails #art #drawing #cocktail #cocktails #cocktailmenu #drinksmenu #creative #flavour #sydney #illustration #illo #artwork #artistsoninstagram #sydneybars #surryhills #surryhillsbar #sydneynightlife #drinkstagram #drinks #bar #bartender #cocktailhour #autumncocktails https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw03nJGlT5w/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e9ckgctkqx2e

☕️ + 🍸 = 🤤 • • • @caffebartolo #caffebartolo cocktqil designed by @graziadifranco #caffebartolococktails #art #drawing #cocktail #cocktails #cocktailmenu #drinksmenu #creative #flavour #sydney #illustration #illo #artwork #artistsoninstagram #sydneybars #surryhills #surryhillsbar #alldaybarcafé #drinkstagram #drinks #bar #bartender #cocktailhour #autumncocktails (at Caffè Bartolo) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwiR35jF9DQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=108ssww6sgv3b

Detail of a finished illustration for Playground Circus (my debut picture book - more info at link in my bio). Watercolour, ink and digital tomfoolery.⠀ •⠀ •⠀ •⠀ #PlaygroundCircus #SimonOCarrigan @simonocarrigan #ChrissyByers @books_by_chrissy_byers #fordstreetpublishing @fordstreetpublishing #kidlit #kidlitart #bookstagram #kidsbookstagram #illustration #process #wip #picturebook #picturebooks #childrensbooks #kidsbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv5Waoilut3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wjr93calyiee

"[…]"⠀ "Uh huh"⠀ • • • (Early rejected character design of the mum in my book Playground Circus). #colerase #palomino #blackwing #roughs #playgroundcircus #kidlit #picturebooks #character #smartphone https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvw9z-HF6wu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10ly2n06oduvn

A rework of a cocktail for Caffé Bartolo’s Autumn drinks menu. Look forward to sharing the new illos I have made for them, once the menu launches - very soon! 🚀 Original cocktail designed by Grazia Di Franco. 👌 • • • #cocktail #illustration #drawing #ink #pencil #digital #handdrawndrinks #foodstagram #drinkstagram @graziadifranco @caffebartolo (at Caffè Bartolo) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvqBjP5FKI8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1g2ao3x9q1qoi

@m_wallus01 and I are working on ”Play It Again”, a show for @five_walls gallery coming up soon. This is the first layer of oil on board, 12x12”. Hope for it to be an experiment in painting CMYK separations by hand. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvm56qxlF-G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1itcamw7wglkz

Had fun drawing many of the scenes in Playground Circus from the point of view a kid would have, being shorter than the table. Swipe for the pencil version of this detail from Playground Circus. Link in bio for more info about my debut picture book. ⠀ 🙏 •⠀ •⠀ •⠀ #PlaygroundCircus #SimonOCarrigan @simonocarrigan #ChrissyByers @books_by_chrissy_byers #fordstreetpublishing @fordstreetpublishing #kidlit #kidlitart #bookstagram #kidsbookstagram #illustration #process #wip #picturebook #picturebooks #childrensbooks #kidsbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/BvVDghQFNO-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=u1ojugyo8axs

A quick watercolour sketch I made last week, of one of my green studio friends, for a friend. #brightenthecorners https://www.instagram.com/p/BvIfOfPFjvC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1a1x7e8k7kpl2

Aaaaand we’re off!!! I would like to thank all the lovely folks who joined me for the launch of Playground Circus at Readings Kids today. Leanne Hall and Sue deGennaro just about made me tear up with their kind words. What a thrill to have a book in the front window! What a fun day! 🙏 📚 🎉 (A stack of signed copies are in store at Readings Kids). • • • @lilymandarin (👈 that’s Leanne) @suedegennaro @readingsbooks @fordstreetpublishing @books_by_chrissy_byers #booklaunched #thankyou #grateful #playgroundcircus (at Readings Kids Bookshop) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvDypIUFW6N/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1j7o9wf75x8hs