Wild and Wonderful Origami

Another project I had fun making the background paper props for and styling. So fun to get paid to make things from cardboard kitchen rolls and string.
I love the look in those crocodiles' eyes!

Paper Archives

  

Last week I listened to an interesting programme on the radio about digital archives and the way people can now keep track and record so much of their lives. I liked the view of an interviewed psychologist who said "there is a good reason we forget things". I think this is so true - how much more messy would our lives be if we could instantly access images, text, video and sound of things long past that our minds and hearts would rather have edited out. 

Sometimes we need so little to recapture a memory or sense of time. Yesterday afternoon I looked through some of my old "visuals files" from the late 80s and 90s. 

I remember when I used to file these every few months I'd sometimes wish I was being more methodical. I remember seeing other illustrators who were filing saved images by category. Mine are random other than chronological (within a year or so) and compiled by what I thought looked good together. Now years later when I can use Google if I need to know how a certain animal looks or search images on a certain theme, what I most appreciate about these books are the randomness of them. I remember being intrigue by the Surrealists' use of Lautreamont's famous phrase, 'as beautiful as the chance encounter on a dissecting-table of a sewing-machine and an umbrella'.

I have a huge box full of similar papers from the last ten years that I've never got around to filing. I also seem to gather less now....whether this is because less catches my eye or there is less printed material generally or whether I just don't look for it so much I'm not sure. I'd love to hear about other people's experiences of collecting printed ephemera.

Family Fun Magazine

This was for an article in the US Family Fun Magazine about a young girl overcoming her fear of cycling up hill. I have the same fear about driving up hills! 

Sketchbook - Before and After the Revolution

I refound this in an old sketchbook.  It shows the changing lives of two dogs before and after the Revolution!

Pooch Parade Painting

This is a painting I did recent - a version of my "logo". Doggies on their way to a party.

Sydenham Artists Trail

I'm taking part in Sydenham Visual Arts Trail - an open house/studio event. It's over two weekends and this Saturday and Sunday the 14th and 15th of July is the second weekend. I was so busy making the things I'm slow to write about it! 


It is from 11am to 5pm on both days and you can find me at 15 Bishopsthorpe Road, Sydenham, SE26 4NY, less than 5 minutes walk from Sydenham Station. Here is a link to the Sydenham Visual Arts Trail information page on the festival site (we are number 31). 


I'm showing my new small acrylic animal painting and lots of hand painted ceramics, plus lampshades I've made from my own fabric designs and digital prints and greetings cards.
Leila Khasal is showing her jewellery and also on show at the house are eight large mosaics relating to famous Sydenham area connections (Logie Baird, Ernest Shackleton, Pissarro etc) prior to being put up on a building in the community.


There are over 46 homes/locations in the area open and more than 100 artists participating - so lots to see and a lot of the open houses are in the streets joining Bishopsthorpe Road.

I would love to see you!

Decorative Tape and Mailing labels

Taping up a screen print to post  this morning it was fun to use the tape I designed for TapeSwell. I also did these labels based on doily designs. Looks a little more exciting than my usual masking taped parcels!