Case Study

 I bought this suitcase from a charity shop recently.  I haven't fallen for those styled stacks you see as I always thought it would be annoying to have to keep unstacking them every time you were looking for something. I just liked this object. I think I'll keep fabric in it.

It has some really nice labels on it and a tartan type paper lining. I always found those authentic travel labels so lovely, though Waterloo to Staines is not that exotic! You used to see suitcases like that in old films that they never show on TV anymore, why don't they show Jean Harlow or Marx Brothers movies?, I love the dresses from the 30's best - such lovely draping and fabrics. Ever seen anyone pack a case properly in the movies? No it's practically non-existent, they throw things in all crumpled in a frenzy then squash the lid down with a tail hanging out.

I'd like to know this case's stories; it seems to be hiding the fact it's been to Singapore. When I was a teenager I bought the tin below in a junk shop.

And more recently I couldn't resist this little one, it's a money box for skinny coins.

I love the colours and graphics on this and the little key works.

 I bought it at Spitalfields Antique Market ( see 2 posts ago) for £10.

And here's Otis with suitcase all ready for social cleansing (!) before eviction day last year.

Featured!

My copy of Upcyclist arrived today - I am so proud to be included in this beautiful book. It really is gorgeous and full of great artists and photographs - no dabblers here - this is seriously good design only.

And perhaps most importantly.....Otis made the edit....in what is perhaps his best portrait to date.

Handsome and well dressed.

Merry, Merry, Merry

Merry Festivities Blogland Folk!

Studio Change

Before

After

I left Carlton Mansions after 30 years - all my adult life really - because Lambeth evicted our 35 year old co-op. My work was born and nurtured here and I see how the decaying grandeur of my all time favourite building (and Will Self's!) influenced my work. When I moved in in 1984 Brixton was a very different place; some places were called 'no go areas' and some flats and houses 'hard to let' Imagine that!

Packing was a complete nightmare - there was no motivation as I didn't want to leave. Circumstances meant that I'd be taking half my stuff to Devon to be near my mum in her old age and half my stuff to a London studio which I finally found after months on waiting lists, so every item needed a decision of which of the 2 places to go to and you can imagine how much stuff I have as a salvage artist who hates waste!

So, moving forward I find myself beyond Bow in east London with a whole new area to explore; already got lost cycling but autumn has been so sunny and my favourite season for cycling in London that it's been a pleasure. I love my new studio, am gradually making it mine and have started to meet my customers there. It's probably a good thing to be in a completely new neighbourhood as leaving the glorious Mansions was so painful - I hate to think of it standing there empty without our 16 households keeping it warm and I think of the foxes who would prowl our stairwells at night - I hope they and the squirrels and wrens and tits who all nested there have all taken it over completely.

I love old industrial buildings and it's very hard to find a nice, affordable studio in London these days so all in all I'm very lucky. Most importantly Otis has made the transition well too - I am so proud of him. Here he is resting in the bubble wrap box in between explorations in his new country garden.

Assistant

My assistant joins me at teatime and as usual places himself at the hub of things.

Merry

I hear there is a raging debate in the States as to whether Santa Claus was black or white, well maybe he was black AND white.....
Merry Festivities Blogland folk, have a fabulous 2014, whatever you celebrate the light will start to return after tomorrow.

Perfection

He turned 7 years old on the summer solstice. He really is the bizness. He does these apparently lazy seductions that are very effective. He knows all the important things before you do. He takes the hard edges off the day better than a glass of wine can. I love him so much my heart could explode.

The Bright Stuff

I love the reflected light you get from snow. Today was the first time it's been bright since it's snowed and the light has doubled, it must be my favourite kind of light.

I love the quietness of it too......

.....and the perfect souffles....

....and the way it outlines things.

Do you remember when we were desperately collecting water for the garden? - then it rained forever and the storage filled completely and water seemed like something we'd never be short of, well here's a funnel I cut from and empty plastic water bottle to channel rainwater into containers - now all overflowing with snow. You can shovel snow but some poor folk are still flooded with nowhere for water to drain to.

There's not much of a downside to cold weather for Otis because he loves languishing by the fire all day - I put my gloves by the fire to warm up and he looked so sweet when he decided to try one on.

Broken China

Over at My Friends House blog they're offering crockery therapy for the china you're annoyed at having broken. If you send your photo to them they will blog it and you'll receive sympathy to help you get over the loss. Well I knew the feeling and sent them my broken plate photo.  Being thrifty - of course the obvious thing to do is collect it all and then have a bash at mosaic. I don't like things too twee and saccharine so that's always the challenge with these things.

I hope I avoided that in my first attempt in the urban 'yarden'. I think the block of green squares helps to vary the scale and not be too busy with tiny pieces. None of these glazes would have been frost proof, so amazingly it's lasted well outdoors. I still have a box of broken pieces so I might have another go sometime. And since we're in the garden lets have a photo of the urban garden cat: Otis.

Olympic Round Up

Well it was fantastic! - and to think how many of us Londoners were dreading the invasion and congestion of our city - it was great to see supporters everywhere. I've been trying to work out why the Olympics is SO moving, apart from the athletes giving it their all. I think it's the coming together of all the different countries with a common language that unites everyone and transcends other differences. Really everyone was supporting everyone not just their country's athletes.

Men's swimming marathon in the Serpentine

There's not an awful lot to see in the marathon swimming but I hope the children I went with will remember the atmosphere in years to come and that they did see some of the 2012 Olympics live.
Speaking of marathons......

........here is the Mo Farah of sleeping, Otis, gold medal due for stamina in sleeping all evening, all night and into the next day mid afternoon. Spectacular.

Spring!

Winter was great....for some: the studio muse.....not sure if he inspires me to industriousness in this mode or not.....

Sleeping and Stretching

And neat socks, as always...

In the Thick of It

Don't you admire how cats know where to place themselves and when?
Otis settles on all my to-do lists in the early morning just when I sort them.

And what would they think if I turned up to accordion class with a cat instead?

But then he gives me a good reason not to do the admin jobs....

And he seems quite happy that it still feels like winter in the studio.

Unseasonal?

For my last post before Christmas I thought I'd go for a less obvious seasonal image - some unseasonal icy eroticism!!
Merry Christmas blog visitors and a Happy New Year. I love the way this weather makes you see everything differently, I found myself in an almost deserted Trafalgar Square early on Saturday just before the huge snowflakes. The fountain pools were partly iced over and icicles were forming on all the fountains. I've lived in London for almost 30 years and never noticed how erotic these statues are before, look, fit body in an open shell with limbs wrapped around slippery dolphins spirting water, and the reason I noticed all this was - funnily enough because of icicles hanging off nether regions!

Ho Ho Ho

And.....
The reason I haven't put a Santa beard on Otis is because I didn't want you to think his moustache was photoshopped - it is all his own!

Coping with Snow

Otis is demonstrating his 'coping with cold weather' strategy - here he is busy conserving energy.  He has ventured out briefly though.........

Snow pud anyone?

Others had been on the roof before me

Parcel of Goodies

Otis surveys just some of the lovely old tins my friend and dealer from Found in Tokyo sent me.

Look who made himself a heavenly bed with all the bubble wrap too.

They're European but I've never seen these hexagonal moulds before and I have the whole set of sizes here. They have the proportions of a big nut without a bolt. They're all beautifully tarnished and if you remember my post about the home workshop books - some of these look hand soldered. I have to find time (how?) to make some special new lamps (not cakes!) with these.

Hot Cat Keeps Cool!

Normally when it's hot Otis makes himself as long as possible to keep cool. Recently he chooses this Bangldeshi stool I bought on Brick Lane. He fits it perfectly, but it's seemed too hot to be curled up like a doormouse. However as it's loose woven mesh I realised he's just being super intelligent and choosing the air conditioned bedding!