Peter Tully, Shiftazine salutes you

The ‘shiftazine’ philosophy has been around long before shiftazine magazine every saw the light of day. 
I was lucky enough to be at the same art institution as one of Australia’s great creative energies, Peter Tully. 
His tribal wear was the stuff that inspired many of us and gave us the courage to shift our appreciation of all things in our mundane lives. 
I recently found myself in front of a wonderful Peter Tully piece that was dedicated to the King of Kitch, Liberace.
It was a delight to be once again in the presence of this artist’s energy, humor and eagle eye for all things delightful. 
Peter Tully Shiftazine salutes and thanks you. XXXXX

Shift Bag

My friend went to Thailand over Summer. He had fun.  He saw lots of interesting things. He bought a couple of things. And one of the things was put in this bag.  This bag is made from recycled newsprint.  This is a great shiftazine idea!

A Dash of Joy

On the 7th of February Shiftazine posted an article entitled ‘Every surface a canvas’. 
In it,I wrote “What does the word mutable really mean.  
Well, by the dictionary's definition it means 'to change', shifting, 
but it also means a sense of the fluid,ideas coming and going.”

The dear dog that was the inspiration for the drawing was a great dog called Dasher, 
and he brought joy to all the people who walked along Crown Street Surry Hills Sydney,
 for such a long time. 
Always there to greet you and give you a moment of his day.

He was hit by a car last week and died. 
Thank you Dasher for all those tiny moments of joy you gave so many people. 
Life is mutable. 
Joy is fleeting. 
Remember to celebrate the thing that brings you joy on JOYDAY, the 25th November each year.

Shiftazine Issue No.3 The 'DPS' Issue

Open publication - Free publishing - More blue

A bit of wear and tear

The Fridge Jury

I know a very clever young designer, who lives in Newcastle, Australia. 
 Her name is Fleur Bennett.  She is talented, down to earth and very witty. 
She sent me these drawings, now I am sending them to you. ENJOY!

"Dear Jack-Attack

This series is called 'Some People I've Met Lately' although there is one image of Bob Carr titled 

''Geez Bob, You're A Smug Fucker' (but I've never actually met him). 
Generally each character has his or her own title such as: 'I'm Just with him for his Brain.' 
or 'The Train from Gosford is Fraught with Danger and Bogans' and 'Getting my Hair Cut Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.'

I'm inspired to draw by people I meet or see in the street or even in the paper. 
I get very excited when I see one of those old men with the ears and nose that never stopped growing and a face full of character lines, 
I find RSL's are an excellent hunting ground for great faces. 
I just love the infinite possibilities of the human face...I mean we all have two eyes, 
a nose and a mouth, yet each of us is instantly recognisable as our own person.

Artworks are drawn using gouche and ink on canvas. Canvasses are 4x4 inches in size. Each image takes one to two minutes to draw - any longer and 
I find you get done for harrassment or worse... let's just say an old bloke with a 
skinful of shandies can be tough to shift. At the moment I seem to be going through a blue phase, i'm not sure how long this will last.

I like to stick my artworks to the fridge (on magnets) for a while 
before I group them because then every time I open the fridge (and lets face it - 
it's quite a bit) I can figure out what order they look best in and how I can improve future artworks."

White is not white necessarily

Nothing square about this

Grannie squares are so not hip, or cool, or designer.  
However, when you shift the places you expect them to be seen or how they are used, you have a grannie square of an entirely different colour.  
Found this very amusing and visually exciting animal head in the window of Garden Life which is on the corner of Cleveland and Young Streets, Surry Hills, 
Sydney, the other night. 
(On my way home from a very successful Mardi Gras) 
What a delight!  Get that wool and crochet nettles out. Get square.

Joy flutters around us

Another reminder of JoyDay.  
Chalk drawings, as you know I love, are a constant source of JOY.  
Don't just walk by them or on them without taking a note of them. 
Shift how you see the world.

Shiftazine Issue N0.2

Open publication - Free publishing - More green

THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE PAGE TURNING SHIFTAZINE IS OUT NOW. This month Martyn Thompson, a wonderful Australian photographer who lives a creative and crafted life in New York. Some of your favourite articles from the past are here for you to enjoy once more. Thank you for all your support and visits to the new format. Hope you enjoy it Issue No.2.

Inner City Community Gardens

This article appeared in the first page turning Shiftazine.  It is  such a cool topic that I thought I should run it here just in case you sadly missed Issue No.1.  When I first came across this particular garden I was so struck by the degree of the care and tremendous effort that had been invested in it.  Within days I found another garden and then another. And it is all the doing of the local people of the area,  no councils involvement, no big business, just individuals working for a greater good.  So now go find a local community garden, but better still, become a part of one or even better, start one! 

It's all mutable

What does the word mutable really mean.  
Well, by the dictionary's definition it means 'to change', shifting, but it also means a sense of the fluid, ideas coming and going. 
So that's a good thing, right, because there is always a new approach, a new response, 
a new thought, a new drawing...The street, whatever street you walk down, big or small,
 urban or suburban is full of art.  Someone has felt the need to express themselves.  To say 'I have something to say!' 
Every surface is a canvas.

Waste not, want not

There are all kinds of Shiftazine thinking. In the most unexpected place, 

Sydney's Country Trader in Redfern, I found a great piece of inventive design. 

 The old proverb is solid in its thinking, in its logic. 

Try some of this in your life when ever you can.  

Think before you throw away.  

Those scraps of fabric could be kept and used to make something unique, 

something beautiful. 

Or those left-overs could be a great late night supper. 

Think before you throw, shift your view about what a thing can be. 

Shiftazine Issue No.1

Open publication - Free publishing - More designasaw

Mapping a shift

The other day I came across a wide range of school maps, just hanging around a junk shop.  
Maps are not junk!  They excite, ignite and push us to wonder what else there is.  

The colours of the old school maps are so beautiful and it made me think that one of these hanging in one's space would encourage us to 
always think beyond our set borders.  
Just reminding us that there is always more to see and be apart of. 
Rescue an old map and give it the honour it deserves.

Some days are just full of delights

Some days you just keep finding wonderful examples of SHIFTAZINE thinking.  
In the upcoming first issue of SHIFTAZINE, the magazine, there are articles 
about the community gardens that are springing up all over 
the inner city of Sydney, as well as a profile on a great little shop of delights.

Just remember, its all out there in front of you, just look around and ENJOY!

Word on the street

Shiftazine is shifting

An exciting development in shiftazine's life begins this month.  From now on the main content of shiftazine will be more like a visual diary of images and ideas that are great examples of shiftazine thinking.  The multi-page articles that you have all come to enjoy will be viewed as an on-line magazine made up of about 24 pages per issue.  This magazine will be release every 2 months, but you never know, it might be every month.  The link to the magazine will be announced on shiftazine.com, so stay tuned, come visit us often.  You know there is always something here to interest and inspire you.  Oh boy, this year is going to be fun!

A shift in Christmas Tradition

Shift your thinking about what to give people for Christmas. 
Its not the stuff you give but the thought you invest in the gift that counts. 

[This is not my idea but an idea that was sent to me via the net. 
I have slightly edited the copy to be more general but overall it is a perfect 
SHIFTAZINE idea but I can not take credit for it.]

Shifting from 2011 to 2012

Inside and Outside_it works

I was at an auction house recently. 
 It was full of all sorts of stuff, filling the entire floor space and all the corners of the old warehouse. 
While wondering through the aisles of this space I came upon rows of suitcases, trunks, bags, stacked one upon
each other reaching to the pressed tin ceiling. 
It struck me that the use of old suitcases was a great storage idea that created a wonderful visual for an interior 
while suppling storage and allowing people to recycle and engage suitcases and old trunks.