Simple and Clever

Simple and very clever designs by Studio.la... the kind of thing I'm aiming for all time but is just so hard to achieve!

Perfect Palette.

I never fail to love the Marni label and the SS2010 collection is no different! Designer Consuelo Castiglioni always seems pick the perfect colour palette and this seasons softer cardboard hues against sumptuous reds and greens and an unexpected monochrome stripe somehow works really well. She brings a classic tom-boy look together with a hint of 1940s glamour.

Back in the Day...

I was searching through some old photos today and came across these little gems! When we were small 'our gang' constantly played between the neighbours gardens and as you can see from these photos our imaginations were never ending! One day I'd love to write a children's story about our adventures... these would be my starting point!

Passionate about Print...

I seem to have a bit of an obsession with printmakers at the moment. I spotted the work of Clare Curtis when I paid a visit to my local frame shop yesterday. I really love the combination of colours and layered imagery, but also the tactile effect created during the printing process.

Making a Start

Today Jess watched over me drawing and even tried to give me a helping hand!

Homing - Can Art Save Us?

Another installation from the Millennium Galleries exhibition. Georgina Bell was commissioned to make 100 felt and hand embroidered houses. They explored how our experiences of travel can affect and enrich our homes and communities when we return. I was away from home quite a lot last year and I realised that when I was in a new city I tried to explore every nook and cranny and ended up seeing more than some of the locals saw or even knew about. This started me thinking about how much of my home city I really know and has formed the starting point for my next project.

Morning Sunshine

The sunshine was delightful this morning and our much loved 17 year old cat, Jess, was enjoying basking in it, staying well away from the bitter temperatures outside!

Property - Can Art Save Us?

Hendrikje Kuehne and Beat Klein, Newsprint on card, 1998

This installation is made of tears from the Irish Times Property Supplement it created an urban environment which grew week by week and illustrated the number of property sales but also the impact of housing on the landscape.

Rediscovering my City

Making a start on my next project.

Can Art Save Us?

Today I managed to get out of the house and treck through the snow to do something cultural! I went to see an exhibition at Millennium Galleries in Sheffield called 'Can Art Save Us' - it was really thought provoking. The exhibition was separated into three sections: historic art, contemporary art and craft and John Ruskin's thoughts and ideas played an important part within it. 'Ruskin (1819-1900) believed art had the power to affect our thoughts and therefore actions'. He used his own art and writing to stimulate discussion within the art world and raised issues about sustainability that are more relevant than ever today. I will post more ideas from the exhibition in the next few days, but for now i will finish with this quote:

"The earth... belongs as much to those who follow us as it does to us, and we have no right by anything we do, to involve them in any unnecessary penalties, or deprive them of the benefit we have in our power to bequeath."

John Ruskin: The seven lamps of architecture, 1849