Photos: Greg Straight (pimp leather jacket) being interviewed by Elliot in the studio library.

How and when did you become interested in art?

From year dot really. I can’t remember not drawing! I’d spend hours sketching space ships and army soldiers, monsters and cars. It was like a bit of an obsession, a healthy one and I just had to fill every sheet of paper in the house with some crazy scribble.

My father was a graphic designer so there was always access to different pens, brushes, art books and paper stocks. Growing up I loved spending time in the art room, my only other passion at school was surfing Takapuna stormies and rolling around the bright lights of Glenfield on my Edwards Samurai skateboard!

Yeah nothing beats a Taka stormy, is it true you did some work for Huffer, how did that come about?

I was always a big Huffer fan so when I came back from living in London (about 5 years ago) I thought I’d get in touch and submit some graphics. Dan really liked my style of illustration and they used about 8 or 9 across a couple of seasons. They were super clean, quite hard edged images, bright, colourful and simple. I did the record with the hand, the grizzly bear face, the magpies and the spag bol logo ones and was asked to draw up some artwork to use on their ‘Made from New Zealand’ campaign thingy that went to L.A.

Can you pass on any advice for others pursuing a similar career?

I don’t really feel I’m at that stage yet, I think I’m about half way there.  Saying that it does feel like my career has started to take off, so I’m heading in the right direction. I still have a full time job but there are some really exciting projects in the pipeline. I have started thinking BIG!

What I would say is keep doing it. Don’t stop and work hard. Someone once said if you want to be the best, work 3 times harder than anyone else and I think that’s true. It’s easy to make excuses. I have 2 kids Chloe 4 and Leo who is 9 months, so I’m busy with the family in the morning and at night, during the day I am at work and after 8 I work on new illustrations and freelance work. Pretty much all the work on my website (www.gregstraight.com) has been produced after normal working hours. I could easily watch TV after a day in the office but I’m feeling focused, I want to turn all my rough sketches into completed artworks.

When it comes to advice everyone’s got some, some good and some bad, you need to listen to the right people and make up your own mind. Drawing is key, never stop jotting down ideas and try and stay as original as possible.

Oh and never trust a skinny designer!

Who are your favourite artists and designers?

There quite a few. Recently I started a Cargocollective website and started following some other illustrators, not in a creepy I’m going through your garbage late at night, stalking you on facebook sort of way more a mutual respect like what you are doing sort of way. Fernando Volken Togni, Mauro Gatti and Malika Favre all do mind blowing work, lots of it and its outstanding.

I’ve been a big fan of Mike Perry for a while now, since his book ‘Hand Job, A Catalog of Type’ came out. The mans a creative god. He produces so much work its enough to make you faint. I recently bought a small limited edition screen print from him and a couple of his Zines. Pretty bloody cool.

Another designer/illustrator who I have a lot of respect for and recent met is  Eleanor Grosch. Her site is super slick and her nature inspired prints are both minimal and beautiful. I have 3 of her screen prints on my wall, my favourite is a Cobra in gold ink on a black base. Rock n Roll.

Last year when I produced the downloadable desktops for Microsoft I started looking at other artists working in a similar way or on a similar theme, this is when  I was first indroduced to the granddaddy of illustration Charley Harper. I have his book Charley Harper An Illustrated Life, it’s a big book and totally inspiring. The dude was producing modernist artworks back in the late 40s that would look fresh produced today. Check his work out its damn good.

NZ wise I like what Cut Collective and Flox are doing and I’m always interested in what Dick Frizzell and Paul Hartigan are working on, both make great work.

What are you currently working on? Anything exciting you’d like to share?

I’ve just completed 4 illustrations for Auckland Zoo raising awareness about Palm Oil, a repeat print for Adidas for the rugby World Cup, a series of mobile phone and laptop skins for Fuji (you can check them out at www.wrappz.co.nz) these are currently sold online but will soon go into stores nationwide and then be available internationally.

Westpac have just released a new Eftpos card with my Tui at dusk on the front, I am stoked because it has my website on the back,  over 1 million will be made over 5 years. AirNZ have just featured me in their June edition of KiaOra magazine with a 3 page article and my Neon Tiki on the cover.

Last week I got some more retailers for my artwork Auckland Airport (Artport), Hamilton, New Plymouth, Nelson and Queenstown have now come onboard and Repetitive Beats is available from Conch records in Ponsonby Road. I have been asked to have 3 new exhibitions in the next 6 months.

I have a meeting with 2Degrees this Friday with Fuji about creating a custom image for their stores and have been put forward for the cover of an international fashion magazine, fingers crossed because if that one comes through the milky bars are on me!

So busy times for sure. I am also just about to develop a bunch of New Zealand inspired screen prints and bring to life some crazy characters as large digital prints and stickers.

So not much then, next question… What are your 10 favourite things?

1 – My wife Hannah, daughter Chloe and son Leo (is that 3?)
2 – Friends
3 – My Mike Perry screen print
4 – Clean white paper and nice black pens
5 – Surfing in good waves
6 – www.ffffound.com
7 – Art & Design books/magazine
8 – Chilly flakes and any kind of curry
9 – The Mighty Boosh & The Office
10 – Coffee

Thanks Greg, been a pleasure talking to you as always. I bet our readers will really dig getting to hear what its like pursuing a creative career in Aotearoa, from the horses mouth. We will have to catch up again in a few months to see how your going with all those projects. Check out Greg Straights limited edition prints.

Photo: Some past, recent and new work…

Photo: Repetitive Beats, Limited Edition of 100, signed and numbered.

Below are two initiatives that really impressed us, both are created entirely by volunteered time and sponsorship plus both commit to giving the maximum amount possible to CHCH.

1 –  United We Stand Poster – by Ratio (95% of proceeds to CHCH)

2 –  Christchurch Earthquake Necklace by Aroha Silhouettes (100% of proceeds to CHCH)

Best news all day. The Best Awards, for those of you who don’t know, are New Zealand’s annual design awards. From product design to student design to web design, this event celebrates the best work from New Zealand design companies.

But what makes the event so worth blogging about is Nuzilla is a finalist in the sustainable product category and endemicworld.com is a finalist in the web design category

WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

So BIG UPS to Nuzilla, go here to check out why they rule. And another BIG UPS to Studio Alexander for designing such a cool site for endemicworld.com

Kate Alexander, our designer, was last night accepted as a Fellow member of the Designers Institute of New Zealand.

There are only 32 Fellow members across New Zealand (from a total membership of 946).
Fellows cannot nominate themselves. They are selected by the membership for their special service to the Institute and the design profession. The Designers Institute represents professional designers in New Zealand.

You can see Kate speak about the ‘democratisation of ideas’ at the inaugural Design Assembly conversation evening on August the 27th.

Big ups Kate, now you can put FDINZ after your name!

We ‘casually’ interviewed Guy Bellerby from Bellerby Clothing in the weekend. Thanks for having us Guy. Can’t wait to see the new range out on the people.

Don’t laugh at the production of our first designer interview… but do please share it, blog it, watch it, join us in spreading the word about New Zealand Designers and in the meantime we will practise our editing skills.

Let us know who you want interviewed… or just leave cheeky comments for Guy and the producer.

In the video Guy wears a new Rob Tucker Crew from his new 2008 range coming soon.

When you shop for great design products from New Zealand you can now meet the wonderful people behind the brands and discover their stories. What inspires them, likes and dislikes, how their brand and products came to life and links to thier own myspace and other community pages.

You can view all of the designer profiles here. Get to know the designers behind your favourite brands.

We will be featuring a New Zealand designer everyday on the homepage.

Studio Alexander went bowling last weekend and sent us some pictures of their hero performance. Thats right, designers by day, extreme bowlers by night. Ed poses for the neon shot of glory.

Next time your choosing a team building or staff bonding session, drop the high ropes and go dress up bowling. Neon poses and kissing pink ten pins will keep your workers happy…see! Its essential design career stuff.

Threaded Magazine launched Issue 5 last night. Thanks to Threaded for the Red Bull, wine and friendly atmosphere. This issue is themed “For the Love of it”. Threaded says “Hey, if you’re not doing it for the love of it, what on earth are you doing it for?” We couldn’t agree more. 12 hour days in front of your macbook would suck without love involved.

Once again its packed full of humming local talent. Art, Graphic Design, Fashion, Illustration…. you know the deal. Get one today…. and be cool.

Rachel Young has brought ancient origami and modern materials together to create Fold. Each product she hand-folds herself. A level of hands on skill that makes us all jealous. It also shows you can make wonderful products without laser cutting.

Her creations include bright coloured, strong, light-weight bowls and lamp shades. We are excited about having Fold as a new supplier at endemicworld.com and look forward to seeing what other origami inspired creations she designs in the future.

Meet Rachel and view her profile.

Check out her amazing origami bowls.

Leave a comment and tell Fold what you would like to see created using Origami folding techniques.