Sneak Preview

Coming to a London branch of Penhaligon's soon......

Scented Studio

It smells really good in my studio at the moment because I've been sawing the tops of used Penhaligon's perfume bottles - all in the name of art - of course. I'm starting work on another chandelier for one of their shops. I always liked their style, the labels are great designs and the shops have original old glass cabinets, so when I first got to work with their bottles I couldn't believe how up my alley this project was. 

I incorporated lots of odd metal objects I'd collected with a light industrial slant too. 

This one is in London's Covent Garden shop.
And check out their blog for great photos, history and stories behind the scents. Apparently Hammam Bouquet for gentlemen was created in 1872. As if the perfumes weren't already considerately mixed, the shop staff seem to know how to mix cocktails of them too, I was once treated to this when I was waiting for a meeting there. I think my favourite scent is Malabah.

A Corner of my Studio

As a general rule I don't like to think any of the objects I find are too precious to be used in my work - the opposite in fact, I like to think I can surrender anything if it's the perfect object to make the whole piece work. It's not always easy and little collections have accumulated here and there, often of mini objects.
Here there is a little cake slicer from a charity shop in Sydney, I love it because it looks like a plasterers tool, a chocolate mould that says Leon Letang on it, a very skinny little pastry cutter, a brassy tea strainer, a tarnished Japanese cutter - it has 5 petals, maybe plum or cherry blossom, a little engraved glass from a Paris flea market, an oblong biscuit cutter and a tiny perfume bottle left over from a commission for Penhaligon's perfume shop where I made a chandelier in my style but incorporating their bottles - it's in the Covent Garden shop. Also I love these bits of wood with dripped paint and one day I may use them in a construction too.