ALICE LINDSTROM

pull your head in

I chose to draw the phrase ‘pull your head in’. Autumn in Melbourne marks the beginning of many frosty mornings and cold days – this piece of slang immediately spoke to me, because on particularly icy days I have been literally pulling my head in to my scarf or jumper and pulling my beanie down to block out the cold. It feels like a very Australian kind of phrase and sentiment to me – the idea of not drawing much attention to yourself, minding your own business, making sure you don’t stand out and cause a scene. It seems to sit alongside the phrase ‘tall poppy syndrome’ and go hand in hand with the Australian urge to ‘not get too big for your boots’ (to use another saying we’re pretty fond of). I loved creating all the pattern and colour in this woman’s outfit. I want that coat for myself! I also liked the idea of depicting a strong and bold female figure who looks like she would never ‘pull her head in’ in the slang sense, only the literal one. My favourite piece of Aussie slang would be ‘bangin’ like a dunny door in a thunderstorm’ because it’s about as poetically Australian as it gets. If I had to make up my own, it would be ‘one smashed avo short of a housing deposit’. Translation: you’re almost there (kind of).