30.11.08 2
Oh, Johnny
Johnny Depp has designed a wrapping paper for The Guardian. It's so, so ugly, but at least it's for a good cause.
Bianca
Bianca is now available in my etsy shop. You can read her story here.
Expect new stuff for the shop tomorrow as well!
27.11.08 0
Kenichi Okada
Kenichi Okada graduated from the RCA this summer, and his got some truly awesome projects.
I saw his Animal Superpowers, where different objects helped you to feel the an experience beyond your human limitations. (In the image, Giraffe, which allows you to see further above).
He also had the Emotoscope, a digital camera that records with the feeling of the old films, with the clicking sound and the grainy images, to invoque nostalgia. (Image at the top)
25.11.08 1
Industrial enamel kitchenware
Isn't it annoying when you can't have everything?
Click on the pics to be sent to their "buy me" pages! (it's a new trick I learned).
24.11.08 0
tiny toadstool
I've been giving myself a hard, hard time thinking, if I could ever afford one of tiny toadstool's beauties, which one would I go for?
The Divas
Let me introduce you to the Divas, well-known stars of the Hairy world. First up, Agy, opera singer and absolute fashionista, a regular in the magazines for her dressing and partying. Next, Rosita, daddy's girl and modern pin-up. What should I do with them?
22.11.08 1
10000 hours
According to Malcolm Gladwell, a genius reaches its tipping point after 10000 hrs of hard, hard work. Obviously, you need to be goodand dedicated and what's more, lucky. But you also need these 10000 hrs. I'll call you when I reach mine (after much luck and dedication).
See more here.
J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
Before I get into the work of this fantastic photographer, let me excuse myself for the irregularity lately: it has been a hectic week, and a rather cold one, and the going to the internet building late at night has found many problems. Please bear with me, because it is getting colder, and I am getting busier. Again, mid-December seems to be the time when I'll be able to have a daily sleepy post from bed.
But now, to J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. I got African Art Now from the local library a week ago, and suddenly, there it was, in front of me: an artist obsessed with women's hairdos. I know, what are the chances, and, the world is tiny. I was very impressed, but had no hope to find much more about him unless I researched myself. But guess what, today I crossed an "all books £2" bookshop. I got in (cheap books, you know me) and this book on his work was on the shelf. I couldn't believe my luck. So, ladies and gentlemen (is any gentleman reading this, by the way?), let me introduce J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. Expect a heavy influence on my drawings!
20.11.08 2
Elsita
May I say Elsita rocks? Thanks. Not only she creates intrincate hand-cut pieces, but she offers prints of those too!
Oh, Elsita, I so foresee one of your beauties on my wall. Soon. (possibly the hand one. Oh yes.)
18.11.08 0
Vini, vidi, vinci
Or however you spell that. i think this is what Debeauxsouvenirs has done in Etsy. She's had the shop for a bout two weeks, and already been front page. And already sold. I'm jelous but happy for her too, because i truly fancy some of her stuff. It's so basic but delicate!
17.11.08 0
Claudette Schreuders
When I was in Swaziland, my Art teacher, Ms P., took us around art trips in South Africa. These were absolutely extraordinary. She knew everybody, we went from gallery to museum to studio. One of the artists she showed us was Claudette Schreuders. I loved her work, sweet and cruel at the same time. Naive and sad. But I have only realized now how much it struck me. I find myself thinking of her pieces at random moments. Isn´t it weird, the things you remember, and when you remember them?
Let me share her with you.
16.11.08 1
Nutre Arayavanish
Learn this name because it's worth it. I've been a fan of this lady for a while, and I've had the pleasure to touch her pieces when I worked in the V&A. I found out about her when she exploded into the world with her MA's final show from the RCA. There was nothing left on the tables, she had sold everything. I bet no-one's surprised. The image above is from her new collection All year rings, where you receive a laser-cut paper page and can just pull these shapes out.
You can find her here.(Postable jewellery, image below)
Martin Langford
"It's getting darker and colder, and my day job is swallowing my time and energy up, and I can't do my thing." I was ranting something like that when Mr. M. decided I needed out of the house (I had a free day today). So we walked to a nearby gallery where I found Martin Langford's work on exactly the same issues. I have unfortunately not found many of the exact images I've seen in the show, but you get the idea. (Title of image above, Work, home, work, home).
14.11.08 0
RCA secret postcard
To all the lucky ones in London: the Royal College of Art is doing its annual secret postcard show and sale. They invite students and famous artists to draw little pictures in postcards (almost 3000 of them), and exhibit them for a few days, and then bang! On sale they go, without being signed, all of them at £40. The deal is that you don't know if you are paying for a Tracy Emin's or for a noone's. I might recall the gains fund some sort of thing. Well, as far as you like the postcard you got, that's fine.
Last year as saw the show online and guessed which one was the Hirst. And I think it didn't sell in the end. I could be a millioner, but I was working on the day of the sales (isn't that sad?).
See what's all about and the online format of the show here.
Coloring outside the lines
I've entered the world of "zines". Oh yes, indie. I know. But you must listen. This COTL thing is actually pretty amazing. It's quite a thick, colored, landscape magazine on contemporary female artists. I'm still enjoying reading the interviews, and I'm going to post something about some of the featured artists. Seriously, try it. It's $4.oo, so you've got no excuse. And Melanie is uber friendly too!
13.11.08 0
False alarm
No cup of cocoa in the warmth (relative warmth, must say) of our flat whilst posting. Internet is NOT coming just yet. I am GRUMPY. GRUMPY GRUMPY GRUMPY. Now the date to look forward to is mid december. Grumph.
12.11.08 2
I am the only one excited about this?
(I'm left in Oxford with NO H&M. That's like no electricity. Or something.)
Thanks, thanks, thanks!
Uh! I've got soooo much to tell you all today.
Firstly, a massive, heart-felt thanks to both Alyssa from Penguin and Fish and Dylan from DylanS for being such great people.
Alyssa has put this feature in her blog. Not only she's one of my fav bloggers, but she also creates these too-cute-to-be-true kitties.
Dylan, on the other hand, not only creates these Pop culture vynils (and drawings, and t-shirts), but also has curated this absolutely outstanding treasury (including my High maintenance!).
Thanks again, to both. You rock!
11.11.08 0
Alma Allen
You might have noticed I'm loving raw wood (see old post here). Imagine then my will to know where the "trumpet" stool on the cover of Elle Decor came from (below, with white seat)! And, just picture my rejoice-ment when I read about Alma Allen in Hoping for happy accidents. 
She sculpts wobbly, organic forms out of most materials, but boy, do I droole over her stools! (not literally, I wish I had one of her stools to wet with saliva, but unfortunately I don't). I think my favourite is the top one...
Embroiderer's lamp
I've found this adapted lamp in the latest Elle Decor (UK edition). It belongs to Australian fashion designer Martin Grant, who lives in an absolutely gorgeous (but not too ostentatious) apartment in Paris. Back to the lamp, the original idea is that the water magnifies, and the light source above (a candle in its original 19th century state), illuminates. I found this lamp very ingenious and aesthetically pleasing. Oh, and the whole flat was a-ma-zing.
10.11.08 1
Sbarao
I just found myself in Sbarao's etsy shop, and I have to say this lady is unto something. Light, delicate, femenine, vintage inspired, French, fantasy necklaces. She's exploring crochet, too. And she ships for free anywhere in the world.
I like the envelope neckalce (I like them in general). Hers is a found one that opens (as they must do) and you can fold your own message into them. Lovely netting details.
She also has a blog here.
