Art and The Artist

Palm Dog!  Yes, Palm Dog!
I've just seen the new film The Artist:1hr and 40 mins of complete gorgeousness, what can I say but go and see it. Uggie the dog is a star and has a campaign on his behalf to recognise dogs in the Oscars awards, he has just won the Palm Dog at Cannes, I didn't know that category (dogetory surely) existed but it has since 2001 and I was surprised to see that Gromit has never won it.

One scene looks like it must be shot in the Bradbury which I went to look at when I was in L.A. as it's the location of the climactic scene in Blade Runner and a very distinctive style.
The Courtauld London

It's worth noting that the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House is free on Mondays from 10 am til 2pm. I went last Monday to catch an exhibition of drawings, there were a few nice things but there's a limit to how many cherubs I can appreciate, what I love though is the collection of Impressionist paintings. They have Monet, Manet, Seurat, Van Gogh etc. I love this painting by Manet; The Bar at the Folies- Bergere. You can get so close to the paintings here. I don't like the girls expression so much, what I love is the painting of reflected light in all the glass etc. it does have chandeliers in it too....
Champagne and Satsumas

I love how the bottles are painted and the foil on these champagne bottle and look at these perfect satsumas...

 ....and this pink bottle...

Yep, if I'd painted this (ha) I think I'd put my feet up and say "job done".
Outside we found ourselves in crisp winter sunshine and the ice rink was nice and empty so we went for an ice skate in the courtyard, my first ever, on until the 22nd January, think I want to take lessons now.

Light Stuff

I love the harlequin thing that's going on in this faceted drop that has collected the colours.

Happy New Year!

Well, re the previous post I see you didn't want to make fools of yourselves here committing some wild guesses to text.......shame on you, really no ideas at all? I thought you were an imaginative lot!
The great dog poster is in fact advertising.............................

 

 ......from the back streets of Naka Meguro to Yakatori Alley......

A Private Detective Agency!!!

Ho Ho Ho

Have a warm and peaceful festive season
Can you guess what this poster is advertising? before I santarized it that is. No asking your Japanese friends, and if you read Japanese don't tell! I obtained it from a wall in Tokyo and I think it's my favourite souvenir. Have a guess and I'll tell you the answer at New Year.

Constantly Evolving Art Form

 Better than art........no contest!

Season to Season

An autumn bouquet for Trevor, my great friend who died yesterday. Such a clever man, truly original thinker, supportive pal and the most fun company.
I know death and illness are normal and natural parts of life but the losses just seem too great and the relentless toll of cancer so hard to understand. What can we do but try to live well and always help where we can.

Top Tip for Christmas Cards

Sun, snow and sheep, Devon, Christmas Eve 2010

There was a time when I used to make my Xmas cards, usually small printed, hand-tinted photographs. I can't imagine having the time now. Anyway since I lost some loved ones to cancer and got involved with cancer charities I now always buy from them. Christmas card sales are such a great source of income for charities. Here are some bargain discounted ones from the Macmillan shop. It feels really naughty to buy at such great discounted prices - I don't know why they've done this but they must know what they're doing. Cant go wrong with robins, cats and dogs I reckon. A few years ago they merged with Cancerbackup who produce free booklets on all kinds of cancers and related info and they can send you these via their site or from a phone call. Macmillan are well worth supporting, sadly you never know when you might need them.

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.

It's Here Again

J'adore Franglais don't you? Mais Yes!
I wish I could make the sign's word 'end' flash on and off in the photo as it was doing when I saw it - just the kind of little cinematic detail in everyday life that makes me chuckle. Some clever techie person probably knows how to do it but you'll have to take my word for it and do it in your imagination. Havez vous a tres bon one!

Lovely Merchants

 
Lovely Merchants is creative mix of makers, designers, photographer, collectors......isn't it hard describing peoples work and passions...... anyway they are presenting a pop up sale on Sunday Dec 4th, 12-5pm, info here in the image and on the links. It's upstairs at the Victoria pub close to Mornington Crescent tube. Do look at the participants links if you want an idea of what's on offer, nonesuch things have stuff I haven't seen anywhere else, I love their Japanese print tape. So if you are looking for some presents (and for yourself perhaps) you're bound to find some here and all made easier as it's preselected. I'm hoping to go to a Sunday morning market and then make my way here, I see it says baked goods too, so maybe around tea time...

Day 5 of the Rebuild

Squirrel has been busy and it seems darker in here as the home gets higher. He builds from the inside out and here he's about to use the entrance that he extended by chewing a dip in the wooden box. It looks ready now - compare it to the post before last to check the progress. A few red berries on top would look nice as we go in to December.

Brixton Market and more

If you're an about town kind of person and live or visit London you'll know about the growth and growth of Brixton Market. It has become a serious food and vintage destination. I love what Seven have done with suitcases and trunks for tables, and big packing labels for menus; the food is Spanish and tapas and it's next door to Casa Morita (Mexican) in Market Row arcade. Seven is open from 8am for breakfast.

At Breads Etc., you can make your own toast and wrap up in blankets if needs be - how cosy.

In Brixton Village arcade Cornercopia has fabulous local food. This is the foodie king of the market, so it's not a cheap snack place, more of a treat, and really great food. I had a halloumi type cheese made in Bermondsey with roasted beetroot and red onion, very delicious, my mum had duck - her favourite - cooked perfectly. It's a small menu (3 or 4 main courses max) and there's always a vegetarian dish included. They serve British wine and as much local stuff as possible, I believe they've even served bread from wheat milled at the restored Brixton Windmill.

But do not fear - the original Brixton Market stalls have not been squeezed out by the rejuvenation, there were alot of empty units for years.





Vintage Fans
This Saturday 19th November check out a new Vintage market on Brixton Station Road by the Recreation Centre. New markets every Saturday, info here.
And.......

an 8 minute walk up Somerleyton Road and turn left will bring you to the 2011 Stirling Prize winner (architectural) the Evelyn Grace Academy by Zaha Hadid.

Thinking Inside the Box

Seeing a squirrel rebuilding the winter refuge in my window box really cheered up this grey day.

This industrious little guy trimmed the ivy as he got new material for the home. Squirrels spent three winters here then last year moved to my neighbour upstairs. I never cleared out the box and replaced plants because I always hoped they'd come back - so I was really happy to see this activity today. They re-use the paper and plastic, they're great upcyclers and reccyclers. I just love watching how clever they are, and they stop and stare and make eye contact which is very cute.  Otis was having one of his many siestas whilst the construction took place, so no pouncing at the window.

When he did get active he had an in the box thing going on aswell, I know cats do generally like exploring boxes, but Otis doesn't usually bother, I'm sure he did this because he sensed I'd paid other creatures quite enough attention (he does seem to know everything) and so spotted this was where he could have maximum impact on what I was working with.



Past winter squirrel posts here and here, the latter a little movie.

Lovely Visitors

Urban Upholsterers show appreciation!

Thanks to all my lovely visitors at The Corner Shop last week. This included a lot of fellow bloggers, some I met in person for the first time. It was lovely to meet Sarah from Teacup and Teasel blog: lots of great visual stuff and interesting places, and Christina whose Sweet Nothings blog is packed with photos and information on inspirational things, visual, cultural, London, healthy and more. Then pals Artemis and Nao from Junkaholique and Rust blogs respectively dropped in. Their jewellery shop Rust is nearby. It was Nao who first encouraged me to start a blog when I met him in Tokyo two years ago. Painters Paul Ashurst and David Edmond dropped in.

I enjoyed watching this huge image of a cake pass by

Georgina brought a crowd from High Tea of Highgate where she's usually busy baking. Luiz, The London Foodie couldn't make it but gave my work and studio a lovely post on his blog - where I'm flattered to be included amongst the London eateries he reviews. Davina of Zachary Valentine boutique apartments dropped in. Fellow makers, recyclers and top notch upholsterers Andrea and Patrizia of Urban Upholstery dropped in, as did many other visitors (and fellow accordionists!).

Thanks all for making it such a fun event and warming up Craft Central's little Corner Shop for the week.

Show Up

I wondered what my 100th post might be, how nice it's the 1st day of my exhibition, A Light Shower.

And speaking of light showers, look at this blasting sunshine for November.

I have 12 chandeliers for sale here in a whole range of sizes, colour mixes and styles.

At The Corner Shop, Craft Central, 21 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DX, daily 12-7pm, Sunday 12-4pm until Nov' 6th.

Boxed Up Ready

This is what my exhibition looked like this morning. there's always that panic - will it all come together? - when you've sent all the notices out and are still making the stuff. I wish the clocks had gone back five hours as I easily burnt that extra hour after midnight and the last piece still not quite finished. It will, though, be up and lit by midday Tuesday!, (show opening times a couple of posts down) Look there's a bit of free Bloglicity for Devon Duvets, if you feel the cold and are sick of feathers working their way out of your duvet and creating tumbleweed type clusters, then I can recommend one of these sheep's wool ones - and it comes in a handy, chandelier sized re-usable box with a handle.

Duets

These are the smallest chandeliers I make. The tealights will give you an idea of the size. They give me the chance to use very subtle components that would be lost in a bigger piece. Electric light is far too crude for these so I keep them candles only.  You can have hooks in different rooms and move these around.

I even do a mini version when I find tiny components, so these are for just 2 candles rather than 3 above. Here the little cutter at the bottom is about the size of a 50p piece. These two Duets will be for sale at my upcoming show  'A Light Shower' (see earlier post), I give 2% of my profits to the Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre every year and at every show I match the sale of the Mini Duet as a donation. Last time I did a solo show I sold the Mini as I was hanging the show and it was bought as a wedding present which is perfect.
The Mini will be around £195 and the regular Duets from £265.

Mash It Up

This looked like a familiar friend when I bought it in a Paris flea market recently.
Familiar because.......

I knew I had another somewhere. They make picturesque workmates. You'd think I'd be happy with that, but No, I now want a blue one and a green one for no better reason than to see what they look like in a row.

A Light Shower

I'm busy preparing for this at one of Craft Central's venues, see you there.....

Everything

The Museum of Everything No. 4 exhibition.....

.....is on in Selfridge's (400 Oxford Street) basement
until 25th of October. I liked this best out of all their exhibitions, so inspiring. Most of these artists are fixated by something, I loved all the clay cameras made by a blind man, I'm still trying to comprehend that.  And there's a beautiful painting of an extension lead.  Definitely check out their website. They are looking for volunteers to help with the exhibition so if you're not busy what better place to be...
They've also got a great shop on the ground floor and have developed some lovely stuff around their signature graphics.

Also worth seeing is Power of Making at the V&A until 2nd Jan - it's free. Happily this is not your usual craft show, it displays hand made stuff extending into digital and medical arenas including the very useful and very useless. There's even a cake that looks like a real baby, that was on the dark side - something craft shows have been lacking. Check out Sugru hacking material - you could adapt everything in your home, its a silicone that you form yourself. I loved the example of some wrapped around the thong bit of an uncomfortable flip-flop - it can stop an object that doesn't work very well from being redundant - genius.
And apart from 'Origin' I successfully avoided Design Week again - oh too much stuff!

Know your Onions

 I don't get out of the studio enough, but recently when I do I seem to come across plenty of shop cats. I tend to find them sunbathing - not bad for mid September.

I like it when they come and say hello after I've got the shot.

Mind The Cat 

Goblet

I love this goblet. Isn't it beautiful? - made from security glass by David King, one of our teaching assistants on Hot and Ready Made Lighting at Pilchuck Glass School this summer. I didn't see him making it so not entirely sure how it was done, but I'd guess a fair few hours in the hot shop. I love the mix of the softened sheet glass and the well worked stem. Anyway, when I admired it he gave it to me, on our last day - I still cant quite believe he did as I don't think I'd give this away if I'd made it, but I love it. I was given other beautiful drinking glasses when I was there but this is the only riot-proof one.

Sleeping and Stretching

And neat socks, as always...

Canal Cityscape

Views from a canal walk in London are some of the best, surreal cityscapes you can find and they change at every turn: some sinister some heavenly. A walk from Little Venice to Kings Cross offers many stopping off points too.
More surrealism came later the same day as I returned to Brixton and rioting broke out on this traditional frontline, a scene that took me back 20 odd years. At the risk of sounding flippant it all made me wonder why rioters are so conventional; the same turf, the same missiles, the same looting (though much more this time) the same number of cars on fire climaxing in at least one sacrificial building with a shop at it's heart. Unimaginative people can be really dangerous.

Canework at Pilchuck

I'd never known how you make patterns like this with glass, so at Pilchuck Glass School (see some recent posts) I had everything to learn. This vase is by Scott Benefield who was teaching the MetaCane course concurrently with us at Pilchuck's Session 2 this summer. He'll be showing at Origin in London in September so do go and see his work there. As our course was based around recycling, I would gather bits of reject cane ends from Scott's studio.

This is a pick-up, you make an arrangement, warm it up in an oven called a garage and pick it up by rolling over with furnace glass.

Then it's hot worked as above. It seems agreed that The Maestro of glassblowing is Lino Tagliapietra. He's an artist in residence at Pilchuck right now in Session 5 - another reason I wish I was back there. I'm definitely a hot glass groupie now, I don't have the patience or time to learn this new art from scratch, it takes years to begin to master.
I love this short video of Lino, what he says about working with glass is so interesting and wise. He makes it look easy of course and you see him pulling the cane which is then cut into sticks. You can keep working layers by putting a cup shape inside another cup shape with for example stripes twisting in different directions.

When I arrived at Pilchuck - ignorant - I thought; why would you want to do a 3 week course just making little sticks?! Now I know better!

And I keep a dish of off-cuts etc. on my table now as I'll never tire of the beauty of these pieces and how they hold light.