Ashley Wood

WE'RE SUPPORTING

Just like myself, Courtney Reagor counts becoming a professional cupcake maker as one of her interests. She had me at ‘cupcake’, but easily held my interest with the predominantly hand-drawn illustrations on her site. She uses pen ink and humour to create illustrations for Time Out Chicago and CMYK, among other publications.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Skeletonbreath pound out some pretty raging post-punk anthems with a violin taking the lead rather than a vocalist. The trio can get surprisingly loud, despite frontman Robert Pycior’s classically trained virtuosity.

WE'RE THINKING

Greg Brotherton creates his sculptures by transforming such common-place objects as vacuum cleaners, mixers and cars, into fantastic interpretations of myth and imagination. With an innate sense of structure and balance, Brotherton crafts surprisingly organic shapes using steel, glass and wood. The strength and fluidity that dominates both his figurative and abstract work is dictated by the process and evolves from a subconscious mechanistic state. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

There’s a shop on Smith Street in Melbourne where all young designers go to live. In.cube8r supports all things craft and handmade in Melbourne, running like a long-term market, with the gallery divided into different areas that the artists lease for a tiny cost. There are more than 75 of Melbourne’s top crafters on show and the gallery is always looking for new designers.

This entertaining documentary follows a group of seemingly clichéd American teenagers in their last year of high school. Through a comprehensive recording of their lives it reminds us that, when examining anything in detail, there is no such thing as a cliché. The naivety and hope of each student shines through, providing a memorable and accurate portrait of a middle-American high school. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Threads or Dead is a new Australian-based online clothing store, based in Perth, and selling streetwear and contemporary fashion for both guys and girls. Says site founder Justin Greenwood: ‘As well as stocking some of the more well known brands, we also import a lot of labels exclusively from America, and produce a small range of our own clothing. We want to sell clothing that is unique and often has a story behind it. We don’t want to sell clothing that is available in your average High Street store’. Read more

WE'RE READING

Artist Bill Zeman has an ruthless, hard-nosed art director giving him orders — his four-year-old daughter. He posts the products of their stormy collaboration along with her devastating critiques on his blog, Tiny Art Director, where you can also purchase the book version. Read more