Shiftazine is about celebrating what is out there, already in your life, right in front of you. The idea behind Shiftazine is to give some useful insights, to pose some questions, make you look and hopefully help shift the contemporary perception of beauty and aesthetics.

May 2026

Red. The oximoron of colours.

The May post looks at how one can create new visual and layout conversations by assembling disparate images whose key colour element or theme is red. The colour of passion, of danger, of love, of life, of blood, of speed, of stop. It is a primary colour in both the additive (RBG) and subtractive primaries (RBY).

Again, these are all images that I have collected for many years from many different publications, and there maybe a difference of several decades between the two or three images placed together on an individual spread. But beautiful imagery never dates and can be successfully engaged in a different context from its original purpose or place.

Legendary photographers such as Avedon, Bailey, Earl Carter, Elgort, Fredricks, Fulcher, Walker, Gili, Lindberg, Jeff Lund, and Mandleburg, among others are responsible for the some of these wonderful images. Shiftazine is responsible for recognising the potential conversations the combination of the images could generate. Enjoy.

BTW, the type face use in the title page is called FORMA and it was designed by Shiftazine.

April 2026

An Anthropological Exercise

Markets are a reflection of a city’s life and everyday habits. Each market or ‘agora’ or ‘mercato centrali’ or ‘souk’ reveals to the first time visitor what the populous of the area eats, drinks, and wears and fancies.

The last surviving 19th century market within the CBD of Melbourne, Australia, the Queen Victoria Market is one such place. Melbourne is a place of fare delights. And ground zero for all of the food ‘gleeness’ is the Lower Market (Deli Hall, Meat and Fish Hall, and the ‘H&I’ Sheds.

It was originally set aside in 19857 for a fruit and vehetable market due to over-crowding and congestion at the Eastern Market. However the location was unpopular with market gardeners who refused to use the space.

April 2026

Orange. The colour of courage and harmony … and we all need a lot of that right now.

Orange…wow what a wonderful, diverse colour. From the deep red hues through to the delicate yellow base, the colour orange always speaks of a visual impression that can only be made if there is a sense of self presence.

Orange is historically known as the colour of courage and was utilised within the decorative and symbolic graphics found on the shields of 14th century jousting knights. It is also the colour of harmony, but I wont get into that now.

Made up of red and yellow, the subtractive primaries, it is referred to as a secondary colour and is the visual opposite of the primary colour of blue.

Once again, these are disparate images I have collected over decades and have assembled into Double PageSpreads (DPS) to create new visual conversations. We thank the photographers and the art directors for their good eye and good taste.

Enjoy this wonderful, secondary colour by watching out for the orange in your surroundings, your life and enjoy it to its fullest.

March 2026

Armchair Traveller. Memories of Berlin.

I created this series of double page spreads focusing on the colours of Berlin directly after I visited Berlin for the first time.

It is such as wonderful city. And on reflection, for a place that was once so full of destruction, despair, lost in the rumble, not so long ago (1940s and 50s), it has risen like a phoenix from the ashes to once again be a place of life, energy, and possibilities.

So what is the point of this personal observation? I guess it is to say that while we are currently viewing so much pointless, unnecessary destruction. ..such despicable , vicious acts on a global scale on ancient and vital cities, there will be a renaissance for these cities to come (and I ain’t talkin’ about some vulgar real estate development). I talking about the spirit of the inhabitants and their cultures that will resurface, regroup, and be reborn.

With all that said, that is why Berlin was such a delight at every turn for me. There was a lot of the ‘new’ everywhere, but it was the ‘survivors of history’ that were more of interest. The walls that were still standing; the train stations that have witness so much, still doing what they were meant to do; the foods and sweet delights that have always been made and still consumed by Berliners; and the everyday objects that managed to survive and still be a source of delight and use, despite everything.

There is always a need to see the possibilities. There is always a need to see that change and cycle are the only constants in this universe. So enjoy what is around you, everyday. Find and appreciate the beauty in and of the ‘old’.

Peace.

March 2026

Freedom, Women, Life. International Women’s Day 2026.

And here we are again…

International Women’s Day. International Men’s Year.

In the Western world (speaking in socio-economic culture terms) women have STILL NOT achieved salary equity, but at least we do not get killed for not covering our heads and faces.

With all that is going on in the world and particularly in the Arab states and nations, I reflected on the incident that occurred a few years ago, of a young woman who was killed in Iran because of her choice not to cover her head the way the men of that culture insist on.

It is difficult to really have a genuine insight into the mechanics of a culture if you are not a part of it, but the freedom to wear what you want to is a basic human right.

So I worked on a couple of typographic designs that echoed the powerful chant the women of Iran courageously yelled out after that sad and pointless death of that lovely young woman…FREEDOM, WOMEN, LIFE. The colours represent courage and harmony through the use of orange, and the colours of the Suffragettes.

Are we there yet sisters?…I think not, but onwards and upwards. Respect is the key. Respect of and for each other, and respect for our differences, almost all of them. Balance, empathy and respect and peace.

March 2026

Life is not so rosie, so lets rosie it up a little.

Pink is such an interesting colour. It has calming effects, even on the most angry of beings. It is seen as a feminine colour in the Western culture but that is only a 20th century concept. It was blue for girls, all the way up till the end of the 19th century, as blue was a semiotic device for the Virgin Mary and pink was a pale red which represented hunting red jackets and thus was seen as a colour for male babies.

Things and meanings change slowly, and sometimes not so slowly, but the colour pink continues to create a trigger for delight. Girls and women look great in pink. Men look even better! Lets face it, who doesn’t think a man wearing pink is confident within themselves….and that is HOT!!

Quotes about pink have been included on page 2 of this post. Have a read as they are all charming.

There are more articles and observations about colour in the ‘Colour Books’ folder that you will find in the index at the top right hand corner. Enjoy and try and see a little bit of a rosie glow in some part of your life.

Peace.

February 2026

The future is green or not at all

Green is such a positive colour. It is a universal sign of growth, of life springing anew. Of possibilities. And at the this point of time, we all need some new possibilities, some semiotic indicators of positivity, of life, of growth.

This month Shiftazine brings a green collection from the ‘ScrapArtProject’ : Of beautiful photographs, beautifully curated, beautifully art directed by others, and then lovingly assembled by Shiftazine.

Again, we have to thank photographers such as Newton, Penn, Ritts and Snowdon, Vang, Tinsley, Thompson and Walker, for using their beautiful ‘eye’, so we can see what they saw.

Green, while a blend of yellow and blue, can wander the green meadow from blue based green through to yellow based green and always be delicious. Enjoy and remember the honour our beautiful planet where ever and when ever you can.

Peace.

January 2026

Decayed Beauty

Gertrude Street, in inner city Melbourne, is a kaleidoscope of engaging and exciting retail stores. This area, for Shiftazine, stands alone in its sense of style and curation. And one store stood head and shoulders above the rest. Tarlo and Graham sat closer to Smith Street than Brunswick Street in the Fitzroy area.  It occupied a fine Victorian building, which had seen better days, but still generated a sense of grandeur.

Behind the counter of this wonderful store was a delightful rosy haired woman, called Rosie. It was her eye and deft touch that took these disparate pieces from past times, and created the ever-changing landscape of this establishment that excited and inspired, combining them into a tableau of the contemporary.

Objects of faded beauty, all with their own history, their own unique tale to tell, were waiting to be discovered. Just waiting to fill your life and home.

Flaws, wear and tear, and the progress of time are all the ingredients for creating true character, hence beauty. So the expression ‘the beauty of a decaying object’, a seemingly oxymoron, applies to most of the objects, stuff, pieces found within.  A sense of the unique, of being special, a one off…something to be respected, honoured even, could have been applied to the wares within Tarlo & Graham but for me it was an apt description of the establishment itself. It is missed.

For more articles and observations about ‘Shift how we see’ go to the menu at top of page to visit the ‘Shift’ folder.

January 2026

I never get tired of the colour blue

The December post looked at how one can create new visual and layout conversations by assembling disparate black and white images. This January post continues that theme, but this time investigating the visual possibilities utilising imagery that is predominately influenced by the colour blue, in its many tones and hues.

Again, these are images that I have collected for many years and there maybe a difference of several decades between the two or three images placed together on an individual spread. But beautiful imagery never dates and can be successfully engaged in a different context from its original purpose or place.

Legendary photographers such as Avedon, Bailey, Earl Carter, Elgort, Fredricks, Fulcher, Walker, Gili, Lindberg, Jeff Lund, and Mandleburg, among others are responsible for the some of these wonderful images. Shiftazine is responsible for recognising the potential conversations the combination of the images could generate. Enjoy.

BTW, the type face use in the title page is called FORMA and it was designed by Shiftazine.

December 2025

Rolling into 2026

2025 is almost over (thank heavens). 2026 looms fast on the horizon. Take aim and summon all the courage, resilience, empathy and energy you possess, and roll bravely into the future. Together we can get through it and maybe shift this global crisis into an opportunity to change and improve.

December 2025

JoyDay…better late than never

JoyDay, 25th November, has been and gone, this year. We were busy and the day slipped away unnoticed. But there was joy in that day, as there always is. Maybe it was in the gin and tonic sipped at sunset that day. Or maybe is was the early morning dip in the Coral Sea.

So, here we are, a week or so late, but the joy in those days were not lost.

Remember that there is joy in every day, even if it’s just a small moment. Like enjoying a piece of butter soaked toast, or hearing a bird song, just out of the blue, while you are waiting for the bus.

Too late to celebrate JoyDay on the 25th November this year, but there are twelve ’25th’ in a year, so celebrate joy in your life on the next ’25th’ or the one after that and the one after that.

For more articles and observations about ‘JoyDay’ go to the menu at top of page to visit the ‘JoyDay’ folder.

November 2025

The Joy of Black & White imagery found within the pages of magazines.

I loved magazines. I have always loved what was to be found within. With the turning of each page, to be exposed to the beauty, whether photographic or typographic, that had been created by such talented individuals such as Grace Coddington, Alex Brodoritch and Fabien Baron.

Beautifully designed, just waiting to be devoured by the viewer, waiting to inspire. 

The following double page spreads have been created by Shiftazine from a collection of images that have been saved over the past decades, from many different titles. Each image is beautiful in its own way, but assembled into DPSs, they become something else…a beautiful conversation, where balance and flow and layout is compelling.

My visual sensibilities have been greatly and indelibly influenced by all of these images. I could never bring myself to part with them, so I keep them safe and close at hand. Enjoy them, drink them in and reflect on the conversation that these disparate images create together, as it is always about flow and balance.

Enjoy.

August 2024

Brown

Brown. Such a beautiful colour. So rich. So complex.

“Brown suffers in part because it is not a hue, but a shade. It is not found in a rainbow or on a simple colour wheel. There is no bright, or luminous brown. But they were one of the first pigments used by humankind.”
(The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair, 2016)

Take a moment to read all the captions connected to the different shades of brown on Page 3. They are break downs of the particular brown and also gives a little the background for its origin image which is found on Page 2.

For more articles and observations about shifting how we view the world go to the menu at top of page to visit ‘Colour’ folder.

March 2024

International Women’s Day 2024

Its that time of year again when all the good women of the world get to have a whole day that is dedicated to them! Although there are some real advancements in recognising the true importance of women and women’s contribution to this world, there are some truely sinister energies that are emerging and threatening our right, as women, to be equal.

Domestic violence towards women have reached terrifying new statistics. Social influencers are poisoning the minds and hearts of our young males. We have a real problem on our hands and we need to take whatever action we can to squash this toxic attitude and behaviour before it is too late.

Do not be shy in calling out chauvinist or misogynistic behaviour. It does not have to be a big deal, but a gentle suggestion that people need to be respectful is always a good thing to do.

Anyway, another year, another wish for true equality to be hoped for.

Feburary 2024

Digging up the Past

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful trove of delightful old and faded treasures found on the Sydney street called Burke. It was an old warehouse bursting with possibilities. One could and would get lost in there and it was almost impossible to leave without buying something that you did not know existed before you entered and simply could not live without it after you discovered it.

Sadly, like almost every other fabulous trove of ‘this and that’, ‘Doug Up on Burke’ is now but a hole in the ground, waiting for yet another 20 storey apartment block to be built, full of tiny apartments that no one can truely be happy living in but then again, no one could afford anyway.

If you find one of these last remaining stores of STUFF, such as Lunantiques in Mascot, dive head long into them. Here you will still be able to find an object, big or small, that will delight you, engage you and be with you for a long time. Great value, great aesthics, great ideas abide within.

Read through the notes and observations I have made of the objects found within the above images. They may give you some ideas. They inspire you. They may shift the way you look at old stuff.

For more articles and observations about shifting how we view the world go to the menu at top of page to visit ‘Interiors’ folder.

December 2023

Art + Booze: An archetypal combination

Which came first, Booze or Art?

Both are linked to uninhibited behaviour and actions.
Both can be life changing. About ten years ago the inner city neighbourhood of Redfern in Sydney, Australia, experienced a shift in its identity.

It began to be a more cosmopolitan culture. That of art and diversity and experimentation. It began to evolve into a place, an interesting place, where difference was an asset, not an issue.
We are all richer for this shift. Bearded Tit was one of these change makers.

For more articles and observations about shifting how we view the world go to the menu at top of page to visit ‘Interesting Places’ and ‘Art’ folders.

September 2023

Nothing Wasted

I have become more and more aware of how much plastic is in our lives.
The fact we can not escape plastic, and it’s by-products, completely is a reality we all have to accept, grudgingly, but the notion and action of waste and wasting is something we can actually change.

I found these fantastic plant holders in a cafe / bar in Redfern, Sydney, a while ago and instantly loved them.

They are the plastic pots that plants from nurseries use to sell and move the new plants in. And sadly, we often never get around to taking the plants out of those plastic pot that they came home in.

So this idea solves multiple problems in one go: just paint the plastic pot the plant came in instead.

This means you do not have to disturb its tender, young roots; you have created a pot you like; you have taken a single use plastic and made it repurposed; and you have saved money by not buying some pot that you wind up throwing later anyway.

Cool, huh?

For more articles and observations about shifting how we view the world go to the menu to visit
‘Shift how we see’ folder.

June 2023

JoyDay_Baggage

A friend of mine, now gone to heaven, once said to me “you pack your issues in your suitcase”. I guess that is why they call it “baggage”.

Our baggage can be filled with issues of a negative tilt, but it can also be full of the things that bring us joy. The things that have define us from a positive aspect: the love, and comfort, and loving connection and memories that we have accumulated over our time travelling through life on this moral coil.

A word association I played with for this article went like this.

SUITCASE: bag, travel, clothes, heavy, leather, wheels, lock, airport, school books, travel tag, full, movement, set, combination, open up, ownership, stuff (personal), needed, required, useful, all I need, caring, pulling, holding, keep close, essentials. 

CHERISHED: toys, pets, soft, old, comfort, attached, kisses, hugs, needed, all I need, keep close, full of love, full, holding, carrying, essentials.

So it seems to me that the key word is essential.
Reflect on what is essential to you and you will find that its the things that bring you JOY.

For more articles and observations about shifting how we view the world go to the menu to visit ‘JoyDay’ folder

March 2023

Dancing with our Shadows

Another International Women’s Day. Another token gesture, I am afraid. Every day is Women’s Day, as every day is Men’s Day and Animals’ Day, and Planet Day, etc etc.

A great idea to start with but we should be beyond this tokenism by now.

Respect and admiration for the living spirit within every thing that inhabits the planet is the most important thing we all must learn. And self respect is the first thing to learn for humanity.

So with all that said…Happy Women’s Day, my dear sisters and brothers.

Peace and love and respect.xx

January 2023

It’s all connected

Almost everything we observe, everything we feel, affects everything we do and make.

The ceramics and painting in the above image are connected by the sharing of a palette of adventurous, unexpected colours.

Yet the ceramics were created in the 1960s by Martin Boyd and the painting is by Ross Laurie created in the 2010s. Both are Australian, both are important contributors to the Australian culture.

Everything is connected.

For more articles and observations about shifting how we view the world go to the menu to visit ‘Art’ folder

International Day of Girl 2022

Today is International Day of Girl 2022. Well I guess that is good, but at the same time it is sad. Sad because we really all should be a lot further down the road to gender equality than we are. Can you imagine if we had an International Day of Boy? Many would and could argue that occurs every other day of the year.

In light of the seminal misogyny speech delivered by Julia Gillard in 2012, we as a species should be closer to the goal of allowing every human to fulfil their potential, regardless of their gender: male, female or non binary. Their talent, vision, and possibilities are lost to all of us, forever, and that is a crying shame.

Hopefully we will not need to have this International Day for that much longer, although I lament that my hope might be just a wish and not a reality for some time to come.

Courage sisters, but let’s not be that much more patient. I grow tired of the wait.

April 2021

Earth Day 2021

Today, the 24th of April is Earth Day. Every year the notion of being more conscious of Earth Day gains importance. It is almost beyond Shiftazine to understand why we, the affluent populous of this planet, this tiny, blue, fragile sphere, simply do not get how important the symboloism of this day is.

As I wrote in 2020, we sink or survive together. And that is all of us, which means all sentient beings, all life (well maybe not cockroaches), is in danger of ceasing to exist in a not too distant future.

Please be kind to our beautiful home. Please be thoughtful of what you use and how you use it. Please be respectful of other beings’ habitat. Love our blue planet like you should love yourself, as we are all one in the same.

November 2020

JoyDay is here.

‘JoyDay’ came about because I adopted my first rescue dog, Jack, on the 25th November 2001. He soon become known as Jack the Bear. He was the best person I had ever meet and my life had a love come into it that had never been there before. So then we got him a dog of his own, as I was concerned that he was lonely sometimes. Her name was Maggie Mo and he never liked her, but I loved her and she me. Ironically Maggie died on 25th November 2010. My heart was broken and still has a small chip in it because of her passing. We have just sent our last dog to heaven, Mandy the Pup. A loving girl who was not too bright but sweeter than sweet.

Bottom line, they were all wonderful and the constant bringers of joy. So turn your steely gaze around your life today and see what little, or big, thing that delivers you a smile and a moment of delight and celebrate it. For more examples of joyful things go to the JoyDay folder in the menu. xx

September 2020

Its only junk if its not useful

When I was a little girl, my mother did not have much money, so we use to shop at second hand stores and Tempe Tip. My childhood was full of old stuff. Stuff that someone else had once owned. But this stuff was beautiful. It was usually antique or of a quality that we could never have afforded as new. There was little money but there was an abundance of elegance and style.

That style is getting harder to find now as people, sadly not all, but some, have worked out that second hand does not equate to second rate. Go treat yourself to some old school style and elegance. Good design from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s is just waiting for you at a market, a Vinnies, or a second hand store somewhere close or far away.

For more insights about Upcycling, Recycling or just being inventive, go to the ‘shift how we see‘ and ‘enjoy‘ folders in the menu (top right hand corner of home page).

August 2020

Living outside the Big Smoke

In Australia, we are finally looking at opening up. Spreading our very dusty wings. Seeing how the other side lives. And living outside the Big Smoke is looking very attractive.

To start with, in this time of physical distancing, the notion of having fewer people to rub up against is in itself a strong selling point. But there is also less traffic, fewer hassles, more space. You can find a parking space almost everytime. People tend to remember your face and say ‘hello’ often.

Go have a look at the regions, outside your Big Smoke. Shift your perspective about what you want in the area you call home. Small is good…simpler and little more chilled.

June 2020

Snapshots of Greece

Australians are well known for being great travellers. We love seeing new places, trying new foods, meeting new people. We love seeing how the rest of the world does things. But for the longest while we have been stuck here. Within our island home.

Here is a series of snap shots of Greece that I thought might be of interest. These are not typical snap shots but every little observation of a culture gives us a deeper insight into what makes us different and what makes us the same.

To see the rest of the spreads of Greece, go to ‘Interesting Places’ in the menu (top of the page, in right hand corner)

May 2020

To be or not to be?

A rugged individual is someone I have always been attracted to. But at this moment, this strange moment in time, I feel that it is way more attractive to be a part of the community. To identify with the group and think about the greater good rather than standing out and ‘being an individual’.

Wearing a mask whenever you are outside of your home, whenever you may be around people, thinking about everyone other than yourself is far more attractive in 2020. Stay safe and well and be a citizen of your community rather than a rugged individual for just this little while.

March 2020

A pink reflection

The colour pink is so complex. Most people think of it as ‘girly’ or ‘too young’. But this hue is an amazing spectrum of colours.
The pink clouds of sunset in Hawaii. The pink of the inside of a shell. The pink of fairy floss. The pink of a new born baby panda.

This typographic exercise is my ode to a wonderful poem dedicated to pink.
Written by Claudia Krizay, it is a beautifully crafted reflection.
To see the complete poem and the rest of the typographic exercise go to ‘Art’ folder in the menu.

Hip Bars of Athens: No. 4: Barrett

Hip Bars of Athens No.4: Barrett is found at Protogenous 11, Athens 105, 54 Greece. For an expanded insight into this engaging bar go to ‘Interesting Places’ in the menu.

The Butterfly Effect: Strolling in Brisbane

This ‘Wallism’ is opposite the Green Beacon Brewing Co in Helen Street, Teneriffe, Brisbane.
The amount of beautiful care and detail invested in this ‘Wallism’ is inspiring and highly admirable. Love street art as it is such a generous act.

This particular area of Brisbane is full of wonderful, micro boutique breweries.
Each one of these establishments has its their own personality and clientel.

Here is a list of ‘must visit’ breweries:

Green Beacon Brewing Co, Helen St Teneriffe

Stone and Wood Brewery, Bridge St, Fortitude Valley

Felons Brewing Co., Boundary St, Brisbane

Range Brewing, Byres St, Newstead

Soapbox Beer, Gipps St, Fortitude Valley

The Sun’s circle: Japan

The use of red in Japan is as skilfully applied as their use of orange or navy blue.
This is a culture that understands colour and respects it greatly.
But that does not mean they are conservative or fearful of colour.
On the contrary, they engage it as if it was a prayer being offered to the gods in the strongest and clearest voice. To see more observations about Japan go to the folders ‘Interesting Places’ and ‘Colour’ in the menu.

The violets prattle and titter,

JoyDay: I love Hot Pink

And people stayed at home

This is a poem, a commentary, written in 1869. That is about one hundred and fifty years ago. The world was an entirely different place, a different planet from now. And yet, these words and sentiment could have tripped from someone’s lips yesterday. Things change but they stay the same it seems when it comes to the way humanity behaves. Lessons can be learnt. Shift your perspective about this crisis and see it as a gift of change.

July’s Wallism:

Fashion Slut

Tokyo, France

ChalkTalk: