Nosideup: 2009

23.12.09 0

Merry Christmas!

Well, well, well, it's Christmas again and I kind of just got into the whole festive thing. I've been a terrible blogger this month, and I plan on being even worse over the holidays. Why? I need to design, write and make a 24 page book on Design for school (must include a CD with all notes taken in class amongst other stipulations, like using 3 languages. It's all rather random).I'm still wondering why.

Have a super fabulous Christmas and I'll hopefully see you around here soon :)

PS: Some fun sites for quieter festive times:

http://www.colourlovers.com/photocopa

http://www.maninthedark.com/

19.12.09 2

Beehive yourself!

New painting. The theacher's feedback was "try drawing the outline of the figure better, not more realistic, just better". Go figure.

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I cant' paint... 2

This is one of my new attempts to experiment with the physicality of paint. I've been scratching it (sgraffito is the technical name when you do it properly, but I only learned that later). I've also been working on a transparent base so that you can see what's behind (or even turn the pic around to see the "inside" layers of paint).

We'll see where all this leads to!

14.12.09 0

House on Fire

Now, now, now, I've been blah-in about "when I lived in Swaziland" this and that but I'm extremely proud to say that the best club ever (and gallery) has a brand new website!

I just couldn't describe the lively, magic sculptures you can find there, but finally! They are online :)

This is House on Fire.

12.12.09 0

Walking stick by D Wilcox

The man is a genius. I love them madly!

10.12.09 0

Sugru

Really lovely proposal, idea, development and success story!

9.12.09 2

I can't paint...

... but I can try

See more here.

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Google goggle

Waited all my life for this...

Now, I'm only missing a search machine to which you can sing and it comes up with the song you are looking for...

8.12.09 0

Holiday ideas: hive

Wonderfully addictive. Get one for these holidays and you'll be busy! Get to get your brain cells going, too :)

5.12.09 0

Casa Asia

Mr M and I have had a hyper cultural Saturday.

We've started at Casa Asia (which is what I really want to tell you about) and then gone to almost every gallery and exhibition available in Barcelona at the moment.

But the thing, Casa Asia is located at the Palau del Baró de Quadras by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

Now, the place is AMAZING. Totally mind-blowing. It was like a garden turned into a building. The walls still had murals of trees and flowers. The stone was all carved into floral motives. Doors had huge metal panels with relieves on them. Even the little window handles had flowers on them!

Plus, there was an exhibition on Art and Aids, mostly from Thai artists. That was quite interesting to see in order to compare culural view points. Nevermind the first-floor exhibition of Asian textiles (the display was tremendously poor).

If you are ever in Barcelona, do not miss the building (entrance is free)

2.12.09 1

Holiday ideas: furoshiki

Here's how to wrap your Holiday gifts a la Japonaise, with square cloth: Furoshiki.

The cloth can be reused and washed forever. The possibilities are endless!

1.12.09 0

Kusmi tea

They are posh, beautiful... and actually damn good. Annoyingly so, actually. Don't get me started on the tins... and the color combinations....

Just ignore the price tag.

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The Wave

Well, I'm in. Let's see what the future is like.

26.11.09 0

Zhili's Birds

So subtle. So poetical.

By Zhili Liu.

Via Dezeen.

25.11.09 1

Aesthetics Voodoo

This has been my latest (conceptual) sculpture project (I do three weekly hours of figure modelling in clay too).

I ritually collected my hair after brushing for weeks. Then I made a voodoo doll out of them. And I inflicted on myself cut outs of fashion magazines, pinning them with needles (as you do).

It is presented in a display case with a label, like if it was in an anthropological museum of the future. The label describes that women in the 20th and 21st century were known for bizarre ritual behaviour surrounding ideal aesthetics, such as starving themselves or implanting synthetic bags in their breasts to enhance them.

PS: You might have noticed I have been entering more "me" posts lately. That's because I also blog at The A to Z of makers, where I write mini-profiles of artists I'd like to remember.

23.11.09 0

Ambi pur, eau de toilett

Epic.

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Swine flu, Bikram yoga, illusionism and magic. All together now.

Yes, this week one (that's me) has been busy. Mr M. and me signed up for an introductory week to Bikram yoga (unlimited access for our bodies to adjust). it was my b-day gift and I loved every minute of it. Even when you sweat 3l. or so for 90 minutes. Very, very worthy to try. I intend to go on, as far as the budget and time allows.

Then, I decided (well, not really) to get swine flu. Yay! go, me, go. But, sweaty detoxified (see above) vegans do not get sick, do they? And the "I've got a temperature" episode just lasted for a day. And Mr. M. didn't even get it. Swine flu 1, me 2. Ha!

And then it happened to be the week of science. And the science museum of Barcelona used to be a yearly ritual when I was a kid. Until it stopped. So I wanted to go back badly. Plus! There's this illusion and science show where they explore magic tricks and illusions. I had awesome fun and even learnt some magic secrets :)

20.11.09 1

The implications of Lady Gaga's dress

Lady Gaga belongs to the type of people that you love or hate. I realize I look at her more as a performance artist than as a musician. Her job is to "épater le bourgeois", to make you look twice at the universe she's managed to create, to make you be opinionated. I think these type of people are healthy to have in the public shpere.

But now, let's look a bit closer to her new video, Bad Romance. Again, leave the music and what you think of it behind. The imagery (courtesy of Haus of Gaga) in these video call for words such as alien, futurisic, beastly, vampire, robotic, and, well, in her own way, sexy. You just need to take a look at the mad McQueen pieces and shoes. But there's one Haus of Gaga dress in specific that has risen a lot of questions for me.

Bearing in mind that there is a certain look all throughout the video, what does this dress imply?

We have all seen breast padding, even ass padding. But this is a very tight fitting one-piece outfit with... extra rib and spine. Following this line of thought... if women wear something to artificially augment their breasts it's because they are considered sexy or sensual. Does this mean that there is a sense of erotism in having one's bones so marked? Or is this to remark the otherworldliness of the whole thing? What do you think?

16.11.09 0

Ideario

My dearest S. gave me this and I'm in love with it. It's a tiny notebook that has 15 "idea" forms.

Each time you have an idea, you fill one up. It asks how much sleep you've had, if you've had any cultural input, what you've eaten or how original do you think this idea is.

When you've got 15 ideas, you can proceed to extract the information of the forms into graphs (at the end othe notebook) and then compare the data to find out when and how your creativity appears.

If you wish, you can send your reports to the creators so that a general study can be made.

See more here.

15.11.09 1

The Henbag

You see, when people have labelled you a freak there's no way out. I'm telling you from experience. This is how my sister got to decide this would be my birthday gift.

As I was telling you, it's a vicious circle: people decide you are a freak and then get you these things. Then you go out wearing them. Then people point at you in the street, and friends ask you about your henbag rather than your life. and your freak score multiplies. And so it goes, spiralling.

But, on the other hand, if I hadn't been labelled as a freak, I wouldn't own this fab henbag. And what fun would life be, then?

14.11.09 0

HandEye Magazine

I have been quite blown away by the images shown here. It´s very exciting to see the beginning of a publication that focuses on "design and development, culture and commerce, art and craft, and environment and ethics".

11.11.09 1

Souvenir effect

Sunday is (pretty much) free Museum day in Barcelona (super awesome, I know).

So Mr. M. and I did a small tour around whatever is on today.

We went to the design hub to see the "souvenir effect" exhibition. Now, I´m telling you this because that was almost a design theory exhibition. It was not only about the objects themselves (souvenirs) but rather about the symbology of it, the rituals of tourists, the future and its alternatives. It was a great way to present such aspect of design to the public, given that usually design shows are more like: "that´s a great chair" or "the first toaster that talks".

Shame that it did not go as deep as it could have gone. It was a big show but very "light". And you got a mini computer to consult along the exhibition, shame that this incredible display of originality became a bit pointless and gimmicky because the computer added nothing much to the printed information provided.

10.11.09 0

Lauren Kalman

Really interesting conceptual jewellery work. Fabulous growth of the idea of body, embellishment and illness.

9.11.09 1

2nd attempt!

Remember the first "go and paint" exercise I had to do?

Now it's time for a 2nd one.

Is it good? Not really, no.

Is it better than the first one? I really cannot say.

Is it different? HELL YES.

In between these two I've learnt about:

-color families

-color integration and contrast

-color tones (well, I say i've learnt this but I'm totally tone bling, apparently. I've repeated the tone exercise so many times I could cry)

Plus I've processed as much information about the impressionists and post impressionists (specially about Toulouse Lautrec) as I've been able to. (Is there a certain, very light Opie-ism about it too?)

And please let me say this: it is the first time, ever, that I paint without even sketching a line. This has all been done without photographs or drawing support. Mirror and brush that's all. That, I like.

5.11.09 0

Internet is dead again and mr m's iPod doesnt even let me write a post!

2.11.09 2

Bridgett

Read her story here.

See Ali's site (the photographer of the original image) here.

31.10.09 0

I was just passing by...

.. and thought I'd say hi.
It's been a great, mad week.
It's been Mr M.'s and mine birthdays (I love that we were born 24hrs appart!), and we've had our families in out teeny tiny flat for lunch today. Proper awesome, and grown up!
Also, I am LOOOOOVING my painting lessons, more than anything. Iwould have never guessed that would be my favourite subject, but hey, such is life. It's mostly down to our teacher, who has a very particular teaching system. His color theory is just mind-blowing. I swear I can now see colors i did not see before. Imagine that.
I have tons I want to post, so fear not, I'll be more constant than this past days :)

PS: Need to prepare a lunch for 10 people, including your other half's family?
Veganomicom IS the book.

26.10.09 0

Stone goodness

How can some rocks be so extremely irresistible and appealing?

Ask stonestudiostoo. They manage very, very well.

I have a few ideas for this hard beauties. They are gorgerous!

22.10.09 0

Hanging Henry

We found this AWESOME tray wit ver colorful Henry VIII in a local thrift store.

He's about to be hung from our walls!

19.10.09 1

"Moving Graffitti"

A friend at university passed this to me.
Awesome, isn't it?
And SO MUCH WORK!
By Blu and David Ellis.
Thanks, Anna.

17.10.09 0

Free furniture? Yes thanks.

Ikea, be scared.

Foldschool is an awesome website where you can download the instructions and patterns to make your own (very well designed) cardboard furniture. Cheap, eco, interactive, personalizable. I'm off to making the stools (that sounds slightly wrong, doesn't it).

16.10.09 0

Keri Smith

I've had her books in my hands without even realizing.

Now I've found out some of the writtings in her blog and I'm fascinated.

See what I mean here.

PS: Is it me, or one cannot see most of the images in this blog anymore?!

14.10.09 0

Max Lamb

Fascinating, hm?

So simple and beautiful.

13.10.09 1

Eat Diary, that's IT

As a stationery fanatical I always have a terrible time deciding amongst notebooks and diaries. Well, not this coming year. THIS is THE ONE.

(see how you can specify how much you spend, or earn; and review cultural activities in it. Agh... I've even touched it in a shop here in Barcelona... Oh, the only thing I can't resist is temptation).

12.10.09 0

A to Z of Makers

Since I was not busy enough (ha, ha, ha) I've started a new blog:

"A to Z of makers"

Each post will be like an index card for an artist, designer or crafter that I'd like to be able to find again.

Hope you like it too!

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Tillsammans (Together)

I found this movie bu Lukas Moodysson really engaging, really human and really moving. And it reminded me of the "togetherness" I experienced in London (which was horrendous); and made me feel like there might be hope left for sharing.

Who knows.

All I know is that this movie is worth searching and watching.

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Free shipping is finishing!

Just a quick note, the Nosideup free shipping month-long offer is expiring on the 15th of October.
Just so that you know.
Thanks!

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The jazz century

(art by Albert Alexander Smith)

(art by Marvin Israel)

Never thought I'd like this exhibition as much as I did. It was built so that on one side you had a timeline of jazz covers and news, and on the other side the art that was inspired by it. I found out some names I didn't know, although they could have dared adding more information on the political side.

(art by David Stone Martin)

The website has a lot of what's shown, so if you want to see it, click here.

Lovely and about to finish. If you are around, pop in (free on Sunday afternoons!)

9.10.09 1

The fun theory

The concept of "play" has always been thought relevant in the world of design. But this is amazingly applied to public spaces for a better environment.

I'm wondering, though, is this hidden advertising for Volkswagen?

Fab!

8.10.09 1