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• InternetLove or 'How we learned that you're the best community we could have hoped for, Anne van Alkemade in particular'
  by RedBubble

  2.14pm – Wednesday afternoon The keys on this plastic alphabet are sticky. The seat has no back and the minutes are expensive. The sub…

  2.14pm – Wednesday afternoon The keys on this plastic alphabet are sticky. The seat has no back and the minutes are expensive. The sub audible hum of ten thousand anxious people reverberate through the terminal floor. The timeless neon glow of Gates 31-40, Baggage Claim, Toilets and a Foodcourt burn into my pores. A voice informs me that Mr Nigel Sankey should really hurry along to Gate 36, because all the people already wedged onto the plane are getting seriously annoyed. In another life our original flight had not suffered the generic ‘engineering difficulties’ and we were already home, but in this life we were destined to spend half a day in Sydney airport at an internet cafe, so still in this life I wrench the keyboard from a neighbouring computer and walk resolutely towards the mannequins at the Virgin Service Desk, a blank look in my eye. / How did it come to this? 7.55am – Earlier that same day El Presidente and I burst into the breakfast room of the Shangri La hotel in Sydney, where NetGuide are holding the ceremony of their yearly internet awards. The room goes slightly quiet, the dog in the corner ceases playing the piano, and the 100% suited and booted occupants turn to look at these last minute arrivals, one in a vibrant red limited edition RedBubble tee, the other in a faux-Napoleonic military jacket. I wave my cane in the direction of some empty seats and we take our place between the MD of eBay and a man from the Bureau of Meteorology. A general air that we may be ‘chancers’ prevails. The ceremony begins, and decorum is held in fine corporate silence, broken by an intermittent golf clap as another nervous individual waddles up to claim their glass shard. The 14th prize is for Best New Site, and it is won by a company called Web Menu, but also has a Highly Commended Category, which RedBubble wins. None of the other categories really have second place awards, and so we still appear like we are here for the free breakfast. The final two awards, however, are a little more prestigious, and they begin with the ‘People’s Choice’ which NetGuide are very proud of, and after building it up to unprecendented heights they announce that RedBubble has conquered it without question. You can hear the room inhale in unison, then vigourously clap. Afterwards everyone was very friendly, coming over to congratulate and talk details, I was even accosted by one man in the gents but I requested he wait until I finish, I think he had something to do with the ceremony. We hand out some t-shirts and greetings cards and even some bubbles, which could be seen floating around the room towards the end of the event. 9.45am After a suitably cheesy photoshoot, we jump into a taxi and head for the airport and hopefully, a quick flight home. —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—— I’d just like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the whole team, to thank all of you, and not just all of you who managed to read this whole post, or even all of you who voted for us, but ALL of you. Because you really do make this site as vibrant as it is, without you we’re nothing, well, not nothing, we’d be a bunch of nerds in a room with some flashy computers and an endless biscuit supply, but I don’t think there’s an award for that. / So thanks and don’t stop now, we’re just getting warmed up. onetonshadow, and everybody else Oh and big up to NetGuide for the whole event, bacon and free mousemats, here’s what they have to say about it Addendum / I’d also like to thank the mighty Anne van Alkemade for stumbling across the competition in the first place and alerting our eager community. May your days be filled with fine wines and tasty cakes.

• Milestone
  by RedBubble

  We’ve just broken the 80,000 members mark. So if the average weight of an adult human brain is 1350g and we assume that we’re only creati…

  We’ve just broken the 80,000 members mark. So if the average weight of an adult human brain is 1350g and we assume that we’re only creative with the right half of said brain, that means there’s currently 54 tonnes of pulsating grey matter putting out all of this incredible art. You should be proud to be part of it. We’re certainly proud to have you here. Oh, and I found this advert in a magazine this morning. You can get his champion tee here but I have no idea where you can get trousers like that. Bye

• Is It Thursday Again?
  by RedBubble

  What’s that? White ink? On colours? More colours? And it’s only October. “Stitched Issue 3 – Where all the cool kids go for words abou…

  What’s that? White ink? On colours? More colours? And it’s only October. Stitched Issue 3 – Where all the cool kids go for words about shirts onetonshadow

• 3D Artist Interview - Lyndseyh
  by Damian

  From a childhood love of fairy tales to her present dark and stylish digital art, welcome to the world of Lyndsey Hayes (Lyndseyh), co-mo…

  From a childhood love of fairy tales to her present dark and stylish digital art, welcome to the world of Lyndsey Hayes (Lyndseyh), co-moderator of the RedBubble group ‘The Art of 3D’. Lyndsey works full-time as a computer programmer in the UK, but has always had a need to create artistically, ‘it’s an itch I have to scratch.’ She was inspired early by the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites, and is a huge fan of Salvador Dali and fantasy art. For her, one of her most enjoyable aspects of art is the unexpected results, and ‘how with minor changes, you can make an average image shine – I love those moments.’ While not having studied art formally, she has been through many ‘arty phases’. These have involved pencil and charcoal portraits of friends and family, as well as a few commissions, and fantasy art using traditional acrylic painting. Lyndsey first ventured into digital art through photo manipulation in Photoshop. ‘When I first got my camera, I bought a premier issue of a photographic magazine on the way back from London to read on the train, and it had a load of tutorials on photo manipulation in Photoshop 7.0. I promptly became obsessed with manipulating and creating art from photographs.’ From there, she evolved into 3D art, which she has been doing for about two years now, using ‘Poser, Photoshop and Painter mostly – I also use other 3D programs like Bryce, Vue and Carrara occasionally. Typically, I will create several scenes in Poser, which I then merge together to make one image for manipulation in Photoshop. I’m pretty heavy on the post work so I typically do all the lighting and most of the background stuff in Photoshop. I will then switch to Painter to work on the skin and hair.’ For Lyndsey, the appeal of 3D art is the photo-realistic effects that are possible, and the speed in which you can get great results. Her drawings and paintings would take a long time to complete, so when she started her own business, she had little time for art. She says that 3D art is ‘ideal for people who have time restrictions,’ and that, ‘typically I will spend about 6-8 hours on one image. The longest time I spent on one image is Necromancy which took me about 15 hours in all.’ The quickest image had taken her about 2 hours. Lyndsey’s love of fairy tales is evident in her fantasy-filled gallery, and she says she keeps coming back to mystical, magical sorceresses. She says she has ‘always been fascinated with people’s faces, which is why so many of my images are portraits. I think women are more interesting to draw and paint than men and fantasy art is so wonderful because by definition there are no boundaries to it – you can draw or paint whatever you like. My images are very organic and have a bit of a life of their own. They often don’t evolve as I expect them to. I try to keep an open mind and go with the flow so they end up how they end up.’ When asked about her favourite image, Lyndsey said, ‘It’s probably necromancy because I love the implication that something really powerful and unexpected is going to happen.’ / Necromancy Lyndsey’s 3D art has been very successful, getting ‘Image of the day’ on ImagineFX’s (a UK fantasy art magazine) website with ‘Only Ask if You Want To Know’, plus images published on the DVD with an issue of their magazine. / Only Ask if You Want To Know When DAZ3D re-launched their website last year, the image ‘Temptress’ was used on their home page for a number of months, as well as being published in ‘Exotique 3’ by Ballistic Publishing last year. / Temptress She currently has her gallery featured on Artzone, which has helped enormously to raise her profile. In closing, Lyndsey has offered this great advice for people interested in 3D art- / (1) Practice makes perfect – my very first Poser render (which is indescribably dreadful) is enough to inspire confidence in anyone interested in Digital Art :) / (2) Paint what you’re passionate about – it will give your images life and make them particularly interesting. / (3) Realistic expressions are what make a character (whatever the genre) relatable, so spend as much time as is necessary on them.

• anne van alkemade
  by gaypony

  a highly talented artist with an eye for detail. / this is how i would discribe Anne Van Alkelade. / living in Darley, Australia, this lady…

  a highly talented artist with an eye for detail. / this is how i would discribe Anne Van Alkelade. / living in Darley, Australia, this lady has captured / the imagination of many with her talent. / having a good eye for detail, she has captured the full essence and life / of the land with wonderful contrast and colour in her landscapes. / she has a wonderful eye for capturing colour and light in her work, which / makes you want to reach out and touch it. / when you look at her sunsets, you can imagine you are there. / clearly an animal lover, anne brings out the full sense of being with her animal pictures. you can clearly see the love and happiness here. / this lady shows true soul and feeling in her artwork and deserves high credit / for what she has produced. / a true friend with a sense of humour to match, with a warm heart. / a lady who deserves true recognition. someone who we can look to for inspiration.

• 3D Artist Interview - F.M. Gore-Kelly
  by Damian

  Aiko Serendipity Fleur Kelly (F.M. Gore-Kelly) got started with 3D art through a fortuitous meeting with a model – a 3D model! A sea…

  Aiko Serendipity Fleur Kelly (F.M. Gore-Kelly) got started with 3D art through a fortuitous meeting with a model – a 3D model! A search for the Japanese Kanji for ‘Aiko’ (Little Loved One) instead uncovered Aiko 3.0 at DAZ3D. Downloading the free DAZ/Studio and free content led to an addiction with the art form! A full-time student, Fleur is studying a Diploma of Graphic Design, and hoping to follow it on to University to do a Bachelor of Interactive Gaming Design. Starting out as a self taught artist has helped with her current studies, particularly in the 3D area. She says she is inspired by colours, “certain colour combinations really inspire me. I find when colours are used extremely well I’m drawn in to them. They make me think of distant places I would love to visit one day.” And she creates because she loves to. “Art is a way for people to express their emotions without having to say a single word.” “I want to create something different. Something Unusual, that when people see my art they don’t say ‘Oh man… I’ve seen something like that 100 times today already’. Making sure you are different from everyone else can be extremely difficult at times. I don’t want to get onto a band wagon.” Her focus on uniqueness, and passion for cultural diversity drive her art. “I think all Ethnic groups are amazing and beautiful. It makes me seriously cry when I think of how much racism there is in the world. It’s the differences in each other that should draw us together and love each other.” Her love of period themes also comes through in her artwork, and she says “I love the 1910’s and 20’s (I really want to get my butt into gear and do more stuff based on that period in time).” From the human form to imaginative fantasy, her portfolio is wide ranging. She is not afraid to tackle sensuality and nudity, saying that for her the human body is an extremely beautiful thing in all shapes and sizes. And while she has a love of fantasy art, for her it still needs to be based in reality; to look like it could be real. The freedom of 3D art provides the appeal for Fleur, “Freedom to just try new things. If they don’t work I can easily just start over again without thinking ‘Oh man! I just wasted 30 dollars worth of paint’” When not using the computer she creates with ink, pencils, charcoal, oil and acrylic paint, as well as photography and creative writing. On the computer, the range of software used includes POSER 7, DAZ/Studio, Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Illustrator, and 3DS MAX (rarely to make accessories and props). Her temperament at the time of creating influences how long it takes to create a completed work, “It could take 30 minutes or it could take me 5 weeks.” Her personal favourite images are ‘Black Pearls’ and ‘Wild’, both of which started as completely different ideas. She says ‘Black Pearls’ “started out as a project to do something for the my Star sign Aries. But half way through I thought to myself ‘Wait! She looks beautiful without the Ram horms’ So I took off the horns and I went from there.” / Black Pearls “And as for ‘Wild’ it was originally inspired by the Roxie from the musical ‘Chicago’ But as I was going along, something wasn’t right. It wasn’t fitting, meshing. Then I heard the song ‘A Wild, Wild Party’ and it totally hit me! And I went off in a different direction again. Check out The Wild Party “ / Wild Her parting advice for other 3D artists is “It’s not the equipment that you’ve got; it’s how you use it. I started with a free program and free content and I built up my collection from there. We all have to start somewhere. Practice really does help develop perfection. Aim to be different. And be colourful!”

• The road ahead for Joe Mortelliti
  by Darren Stones

  By Darren Stones Our friend Joe Mortelliti...

  By Darren Stones Our friend Joe Mortelliti is scheduled to be admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on Monday 22 October 2007 for two rounds of chemotherapy treatment in readiness for a bone marrow transplant. On Tuesday 30 October 2007, Joe is scheduled for a bone marrow transplant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Joe’s bone marrow donor is his brother. Joe Mortelliti – August 2007 Many of you are aware of Joe’s battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia during 2007, and it’s reached a point where his doctors have strongly recommended he undergo further treatment to help secure his long-term health. Early this week, Joe had two days of tests on his vital organs, blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy. Joe will be in hospital for approximately five weeks and isolated due to a risk of infection. He will then be moved into units located near the hospital provided by the Leukaemia Foundation where Marion and he can stay together. Approximately every two days, Joe will undergo further tests, monitoring and be given support for a few hours. This will continue until February 2008, when he is due to return home to Geelong. Bone marrow transplants are generally not offered to people over 55 due to the severity of the treatment on ageing bodies. Joe has recently turned 57, so he acknowledges he’s been given a special opportunity. Joe informs that a bone marrow transplant has risks, but provides a cure from leukaemia. Joe has remained positive throughout and retained his sense of humour in such trying times. He has proudly continued to support and encourage his peers. He was recently invited by fellow RedBubble and PassionForPixels member Mark Ingram to supply photographs to his specialist stock library. Joe has more outback roads to travel and numerous photographs to take. He and his wife Marion are determined to live their lives together to the full. Joe and Marion would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has expressed wonderful support via e-mail throughout their first journey. As Joe and Marion prepare for their second journey, it’s their precious children, family and friends, and friends they have not yet met who help them to go ahead one small step at a time, one day at a time. Joe’s extensive portfolio of images can be viewed and purchased at RedBubble.com http://www.redbubble.com/people/mortelliti I’d like you to join me in expressing best wishes to Joe and Marion, and the Mortelliti family. Thank you.

• Joe Mortelliti - the state of play
  by Darren Stones

  Folks, I’ve had a phone call from Joe Mortelliti’s wife, Marion Mortelliti, and she’s informed me of Joe’s current health situation. F…

  Folks, I’ve had a phone call from Joe Mortelliti’s wife, Marion Mortelliti, and she’s informed me of Joe’s current health situation. For those who don’t know, Joe Mortelliti is a RedBubble member whom was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in March 2007. He underwent chemotherapy during 2007 which was reasonably successful, but his road to recovery has had its speed humps. Joe hasn’t t been firing on all cylinders of late. Marion informs he’s been diagnosed a diabetic, and is extremely likely to undergo a bone marrow transplant in the near future. His bone marrow donor is his brother. Unfortunately, Joe is coming out of remission and the need to tackle the situation head-on now presents itself. I’ve sent Joe a personal email wishing he and his family all the best for what lie directly ahead. I’ve sprinkled the message with a little humour, and made mention of babes (nurses) to him. :) You’re invited to add your best wishes here, and I’ll forward this journal to Joe’s personal email. Joe Mortelliti – August 2007 Previous writings by me about Joe during 2007; Please note: Not everything went according to script for Joe, and changes to his treatment were made by his doctors. Hence, some writing may conflict, but it was accurate at time of reporting. Joe Mortelliti – on track to recovery and bubbling along / It’s Friday and tomorrow is a big day. I’m coming Joe / The road ahead for Joe Mortelliti You’re invited to add your best wishes here, and I’ll forward this journal to Joe’s personal email.

• Make your fellow bubblers famous
  by Xavier Russo

  We’ve been bouncing around an idea to raise the profile of interesting artists and members, help writers get some spending money, and bui…

  We’ve been bouncing around an idea to raise the profile of interesting artists and members, help writers get some spending money, and build awareness for RedBubble: How about people write articles about other RedBubble members or collaborations? RedBubble could select the very best, and pay the writer in return for letting the articles be published on the PR newswires So, let’s talk specifics and see if there’s any interest: / 1. Write a newspaper-style human interest article of 500 words or less, about a member, collaboration, or activity on RedBubble. Contact the person(s) directly to get their input and make sure they’re OK with it. / 2. Post your article in your journal. Add tags relating to the content, and also tag it with rbnews / 3. I’ll periodically search for articles tagged with rbnews and select some for broader distribution via PRWeb or similar services / 4. If we decide to use your article, we’ll give you $150 in RedBubble credit by emailing you a checkout code. Not a perfect system, but hopefully a reasonable start. Any interest?

• Google Loves Us
  by Jo O'Brien

  I opened my email to find 22 emails from models wanting to shoot with me. (which is more than I get in a week some weeks) This seemed ve…

  I opened my email to find 22 emails from models wanting to shoot with me. (which is more than I get in a week some weeks) This seemed very very strange until I thought to do a few quick Google searches. I think Google and RedBubble were separated at birth. They love each other so much and I love them both :) Now I’ve got enough work to fill me up until July at least. Yay.

• Jo O'Brien - the singing parrot
  by Darren Stones

  By Darren Stones – Freelance Photojournalist / Subscribe via RSS/Atom...

  By Darren Stones – Freelance Photojournalist / Subscribe via RSS/Atom Singing like a parrot whilst wearing a gold dress in the shower, may be the road to super-stardom for zany RedBubble member, Jo O’Brien. DS. Is that your real hair colour? JO’B. Yes, it absolutely is. When I was in Year 9 (and I had coloured my hair to death), I shaved it all off No. 1 style and started to grow it all back. Since then, I have learned to leave my hair alone. DS. What shampoo do you use? JO’B. I get different shampoo all the time based on what is on special (oh the bargain hunter emerges!) At the moment it’s… um…. a purple bottle of some variety. DS. Does your bathroom have an IXL Tastic 3-In-1 light? JO’B. No. I jump out shivering in the cold air. I don’t even have a heater in my bathroom. It’s getting a bit desperate. DS. Do you wash the dishes in the shower? JO’B. I have occasionally washed my coffee cup in there when the kitchen sink looked like a five-armed monster. I was too scared of what I might find in there if I started moving dishes to make room. But not as a regular thing. I should probably start doing this as a water saving effort. DS. Are you a ‘Wally with water’, or do you shower in less than three minutes? JO’B. I’m generally good, but you may have noticed I have a hell of a lot of hair so occasionally I slip up. I do also have a tendency to have baths, because they are so relaxing and I’m a work-a-holic stress head. DS. Does your bathroom sink tap drip at a rate of one litre per hour? JO’B. Thankfully no, I turn it off nice and tight. Dripping taps drive me insane. DS. Does your bathroom window sill have 12 bottles of perfume on it? JO’B. I have two bottles of perfume, one inherited and one was a present. I love perfume, but it’s not the kind of thing I’d go out and buy myself. Actually, my window sill has nothing on it at the moment – I had a party here recently and therefore cleaned up. DS. Do you think this photograph will catapult you to national stardom? JO’B. I am certain it will. I’ve already doubled the locks on my house for when the media starts hounding me, and never leave the house without giant celebrity style sunglasses. I’m still working on losing 75% of my body weight though. DS. Are you a better singer than Australia’s singing budgie Kylie Minogue? JO’B. I go for more of a ‘parrot’ sound in my singing. Kylie does the ‘budgie’ thing. It’s really like comparing apples to oranges. We’re both good at our chosen style. DS. Do you watch Big Brother? JO’B. Yes. Now just pretend you didn’t hear that and move on.

• Into the mind of a few ‘In the Moment’ winners
  by Damian

  Thousands of RedBubble members now watch the countdown to the ‘In the Moment’ publication release, assuring us that there will be some …

  Thousands of RedBubble members now watch the countdown to the ‘In the Moment’ publication release, assuring us that there will be some pushing and shoving to acquire a copy! Since all of the work to be published has now been revealed, and the faint rumblings about the selections die down, it’s time it was revealed what those selected think. Not all wish to share, of course, but a number have allowed us access to their thoughts. Rose Moxon (3D art), Alice McMahon White (pastel painting), LittleHelen (writing), Melissa Vowell (writing), bellmusker (writing), and panda65/Paul (writing) are six of the many who will have a work published. The obvious question is, how are you feeling about being selected? / Rose: “…i think i was in shock for a whole day… then naturally i jumped all over the place and my head exploded…” / Alice: “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be included in this publication. It looks very high quality to me from the previews…” / Helen: “You know something…I can’t believe it…I’m still waiting for someone to turn around and say…’It was a mistake, we picked yours when we shouldn’t have’ :| Hahaha! I am so happy…made my year so far :)” / Melissa: “I was completely surprised when I found out I had a spot. I got some messages on Facebook from some RedBubble people saying “congratulations mel” then came here and had bubblemails congratulating me and the first thing I thought was… what? Am I pregnant? Because I was sure if that was the case I’d have known! But alas, I had landed a spot in ITM and I was and still am… pretty much ecstatic.” / Bell: “…well, I was pretty bloody thrilled, of course! Didn’t quite believe it, had to read through everything a few times to make sure. I’ve recently had other stories accepted for publication, and so am experiencing the utter delight and bliss that comes from seeing your ambitions realised.” / Paul: “It’s a great boost, an encouragement to keep going. …As a Panda on the edge of town, skirting the overlooking hillsides, I wasn’t expecting to suddenly transpire in the middle of the publication!” What do you think of your company? / Rose: “I agree its an interesting mix.” / Alice: “I’m in excellent company as well…I found some really great new artists on the bubble looking at the finalists, might not have found them otherwise…” / Helen: “Awesome company! Some I know, others I don’t. I am so happy for them. These artists and writers have put their hearts and souls into their pieces…and have been rewarded. There is nothing better :)” / Melissa: “I love the mix of writing and images I think everything selected is really well deserving of being included and the different mix makes it interesting! I’m happy as anything to be included in something alongside people with so much talent.” / Bell: “I’m honoured to be included amongst such wonderful artists. Definitely time for champagne!!” / Paul: “I think the other inclusions are excellent, and I’m very proud to be among them. I understand why some people say the theme is a puzzle, but to me that’s the whole point. It’s a stimulus, and I tried to give my take on it.” What are your favourites of the winners? / Rose: “…i think my favourite written work is He Comes Slowly by StacyLee. Favourite picture is Cello by johdie… wow what a talent.” / Alice: “I only found out I was in the book a couple of hours ago, so will peruse the writing at length later. One favorite painting is “Cello”, amazing work! And the photo of the baby by Philip, just great, brings back memories of my own kids “In the Moment”!” / Helen: “The Hissing of the Hungry-bellmusker in written / And ‘Contemplating the Carnage’-leepee in visual” / Melissa: “My favourite writing piece is of course “Anger Is An Energy” by Sherriff. I love everything he writes. He made me want to write again. He rips open my chest, extracts my heart and places it on the table in front of me and lets me watch it beat, so much do I get from his words. My favourite image is “I Left Before She Woke” by Michael Alesich. I love the mood surrounding and it’s almost as if I can feel the emotions of the characters…” / Bell: “On the writing front, I’ve long been a fan of Jessica Tremp, Sherriff, Melissa Vowell and Pauldrobertson, so their being included didn’t surprise me at all. But going through the other writing, I was impressed by “Melancholia….” by clarity. It’s so lovely and fresh, a really engaging style and turn of phrase. I wanted to read more. / I have absolutely no photographic expertise, I’m afraid, but that said, several pieces drew me in immediately. “Orsay Windows” by SRaphael is just gorgeous; I can’t stop looking at it. Also, I’m a huge fan of Flamejob, have been ever since I joined this site almost a year ago, and his “Greeves St” fascinates me, constantly drawing me in, making me wonder what kind of stories lurk beneath the surface.” / Paul: “My overall favourite has to be the Geneva Lake Divers – the tumbling boys look like thoughts or memories of the figure in the foreground. The light and colours are also interesting – we know that blue skies and diving mean heat, but blue also looks cold. With the prompt of the splashes on the near figure’s back we get the perfect sense of an outdoor swimming pool in a temperate climate – hot and cold together. It was a worthy winner. / From the writing I particularly liked Kansas, 1934, and A Glimpse. In the former, the images are well chosen and there’s a considered, literate sense to it. It’s sort of elegantly phrased and structured. As to the latter, the rhythm works well, tying it together, and it’s tightly written. As a result, we have a picture of a (more or less) chaotic situation but with a sense of a focused consciousness in the midst of it.” The complete list of works to be published can be seen here. And the works of the six interviewed here can be found below- Rose / Helen / Alice / Melissa / Bell / Paul Thanks Rose, Helen, Alice, Melissa, Bell and Paul for your thoughts. Congratulations on your win, and I hope 2008 continues to provide success for you all!

• RBNews: First story published
  by Xavier Russo

  Thanks to Darren Stones for contributing a sensitive and well-written story about “Joe Mortell…

  Thanks to Darren Stones for contributing a sensitive and well-written story about Joe Mortelliti / / http://www.redbubble.com/people/dgstones/journal/show/71755 This is the first story we’ve selected to publish under our RBNews program. As a thankyou for his efforts, Darren gets $150 to spend on RedBubble. The story has been added to Digg.com and will also be published on the newswire. If you’d like to help out, please “digg it” (i.e. vote for it) at / http://digg.com/offbeat_news/Photographer_beats_leukaemia_now_bubbling_along

• [Book review] In The Moment
  by Darren Stones

  By Darren Stones It has been a highly anticipated publication by the RedBubble community, b…

  By Darren Stones It has been a highly anticipated publication by the RedBubble community, but it is surprising to note that my copy is No. 304 of a limited edition of 1000. Suppose not everyone is willing to climb high barbed wire fences and submit their credit card number via that big black hole that is cyber space. Is it an act of retaliation by artists towards the highly esteemed RedBubble Gods who couldn’t fit over 5000 submissions into 76 pages? Artists can be a tight arse bunch of nerds, so I’m told. The cover of the book reminds me of snakes and ladders. It’s been about three-and-a-half decades since I played that game, so thinking back to the 1970s is something I can still do. Thank you RedBubble, I’ll make the most of that opportunity before I’m gripped by Alzheimer’s disease. After reading through the soft-cover book in one sitting, I’m confronted with thoughts of jazz music. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a book that plays music when you open the cover, but it’s all over the shop. In many ways it reminds me of an artist’s studio – untidy, but productive. Nevertheless, the book will get you thinking of your loins. Yes, some of the writing is provocative and may remind you of your first sexual encounter. Surely some of you remember the Holden Sandman? No? Well, you must have done it elsewhere. The F bomb is noticeable in various writings, but honestly who gives a @$x%x. Artists are creative people, and I suspect there’s at least one currently on Earth expressing that word at the top of their lungs whilst in pursuit of perfection. Jake Easley’s self portrait Joy Ride makes me ponder if Jake is a fruitcake. Mind you, he has excellent teeth and his image is the in-your-face type. An excellent piece of work deserving of being published. Pussy cats you ask? RedBubble members have not been backward in their thoughts about images of the family feline being uploaded as pieces of art. Huh, this book contains pussy and an excellent example of such. I bet you can’t do this … by Flibble is my favourite image in the book. I’m biased – I love pussy cats. Some of the writing is not what I’m accustomed to. 60 Seconds by LittleHelen is what I call a bite-sized piece. However, it’s man-size if you get my gist. LittleHelen has commented ‘Yes! Off with all cocks!’ If I ever find myself in a confined space with LittleHelen, I’ll be well protected. Martin Hosking and Fran Lefroy from RedBubble state in the book ‘The theme of “In the Moment” has been chosen as a nexus between art and the artist. ‘The works that you find here speak of lust, passion, loss and absorption. In each work the artist discovers the essence of a single instance and, with fiery intent, then shares it with us.’ In The Moment is a good read. It’s one out of the box. 9/10.

• slightly wicked wednesday
  by Empress

  Yes, the third installment in Wolf Hollow is only a matter of hours away but right…

  Yes, the third installment in Wolf Hollow is only a matter of hours away but right now, you can catch Jason Jeffrey’s interpretation of Scarlet fever… Thank you, J.

• Braving The Cold To Meet Red Bubbles In Melbourne
  by davoid

  It’s Friday the 13th of July and I’m off to a Red Bubble Melbourne Meet Up at the Marquis of Lorne; a pub in the back streets of Fitzroy….

  It’s Friday the 13th of July and I’m off to a Red Bubble Melbourne Meet Up at the Marquis of Lorne; a pub in the back streets of Fitzroy. Its cold, drizzling and dark outside and I have to get from Ascot Vale in the inner North West to Fitzroy on the Northern outskirts of the Melbourne city centre. I could drive my old Nissan 25 minutes across town but I’m worried I won’t find a parking spot nearby. So I trudge off to the local train station to head into the city. I am wearing so many layers of clothing I feel like the Michelin Man, but oh so toasty. I want to wear something red for the ‘blind date’ but it has to be an outer layer. I remember I have a reversible shiny red jacket with polar fleece on the other side, so I wear that under my other jacket. The walk to the station takes 7 minutes but the train is late so I jump up and down and do all sorts of stupid movements to keep warm while I wait. The train arrives and I’m so happy to get out of the cold. I grab a discarded MX newspaper so I can avoid the blank stare so familiar on Melbourne’s public transport. I skim through it for a stop or two but decide I’ll continue a drawing in my sketchbook. I want to connect to a tram that will take me near the Marquis of Lorne so I decide to go through the loop to Parliament Station. I don’t know if it’s the cold or my nerves but I can’t remember which tram stop I should be at and walk to the wrong one. I walk back to the right one but in the meantime I miss the ‘every 20 minutes’ tram to Fitzroy. Being the philosophical chap that I am I decide it’s a good excuse for a walk to warm me up. So I head off toward Fitzroy at a brisk pace. I walk quickly for a couple of minutes. But what’s that up ahead?! The tram to Fitzroy! I bolt across the street and make it just before it pulls away. “Nice night for a walk” indeed! The tram is fairly full as its only a quarter to eight but I get a seat and plonk myself down with satisfaction. Now I can sit back and relax as the tram takes a right down Gertrude St and a left into Smith St. The Marquis of Lorne is just a block in from Smith St so it’s a sweet ride. I decide to take a photo of the original meeting place: “Montie’s”, where the instigator of the Meet Up; Jo, has put up a red balloon and a little sign redirecting any uninformed Red Bubblers. Then its ‘round the corner to the pub. But before I head inside I take a photo for posterity. I wonder how many people will turn up? In I go.