Sticks and Stones.

Can you guess what I did this Thursday?

Face the future

Oh dear, I hope this one is not too depressing. I recently watched a Dutch film called Vroeger is Dood which is based on the book by Inez van Dullemen. It reminded me of this journal page which I made a few months ago. The journal page is a little less dark than the film though, I hope ...
Perhaps I was reminded of the film and journal page today because it is my mom's birthday, She would have been 87.

I guess at some or other stage we all have to face the future.

Wabi-sabi - a philosophy.

I recently read this book by Leonard Koren after annekata mentioned it.

A small, unassuming book, printed simply, with a few black and white photographs ...

Leaf decomposing on sidewalk - Leonard Koren

 ... short enough to read through in one sitting. It has kept my mind occupied for over a week now. So, not the kind of book that you read and promptly forget when you close it.

It sets out Koren's idea of what wabi-sabi entails, and starts out like this:
"Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
It is a beauty of things modest and humble.
It is a beauty of things unconventional."

He goes on to describe the links with Zen Buddhism, attempts to explain the subtle differences between wabi and sabi, compares wabi-sabi with Modernism, and then sets out what he considers to be the wabi-sabi universe - its metaphysical basis, spiritual values, the state of mind it fosters, its moral precepts, and material qualities.

I think the Ngoni stool I purchased recently embodies some of the elements of wabi-sabi. Unadorned, sturdy, rustic, imperfect. Used. Although wabi-sabi is not necessarily about functionality, I like the fact that my stool can be used (and has been used) as a neck rest, a stool for meditation, a cutting board, and to hold tea lights.

My New Year's Wishes for You.

I have redone my mood board especially for the New Year. And so, dear friends, I wish for you ... (click pic to make bigger)

1. A happy and creative home (photo by Asiya of l'Atelier)
2. A comfy chair to rest in when you are weary (Humphrey Ocean)
3. The love of a good person (magazine advert, photographer unknown)
4. The courage to do what needs to be done (sculpture by Angus Taylor)
5. The means to travel - also beyond your comfort zone (Sally Chance)
6. A creative, stylish sartorial year (female festive jacket, British Museum)
7. A job that you love (Edward Hopper)
8. A view (David Bloomer)
9. A friend to grow old with (birthday card, photographer unknown)
10. Books, books, lovely books - and the time to read them (Tom Cullberg)
11. A pot of tea, a bunch of flowers & the love of a dog when you most need it (artist unknown)
12. Good food (Carol Mangiagalli)
13. A healthy body (Claudia Donaldson-Selby)
14. The ability to see beyond the obvious and below the surface of things (Brett Shuman)
15. More good hair days than bad ones (Lucy Pooler)
16. Peace. Everywhere. (schoolchildren from Cape Town and Devon)

Bad Copies - Women

Bad Copy #6 (of a painting by Polly Alakija from the exhibition We Are Such Stuff as Dreams are Made of, January 2007)

Bad Copy #7 (of a photograph by Dave Robertson from the exhibition Remember - October 2005)

More Bad Copies

Bad Copy #4 (of a photograph of Douglas Ginberg & Christian Nerf from the exhibition One More Day to Regret, May 2008)

Bad Copy #5 (of sculpture by Donovan Ward from the exhibition Barbie Bartmann: Homecoming Queen, July 2005)

What Anairam Found

Saturday was the last car boot sale of the year. And the next one is only in February! How to bear it??
Anyway, this time I got a few lovely bits and pieces ...

A lappie - intended to be sewn onto a cushion cover, and two mini-books (7x9 cm) with photographs of London - published by Valentine and Sons Ltd.

A tiny polar bear - just in case they all really do disappear. It is planning to take a walk across Westminster Bridge to the Houses of Parliament. What will it say, I wonder?

These two miniature plastic figurines - Japanese warriors? The lamp and umbrella can both move!

This book - not to read, but for the cover. I think I have mentioned before that I collect book jackets - preferably 1950's and older.

Inside I found this old Cape Tramways ticket ...

My best buy - a tiny carving of a deer - the legs and even hooves are beautifully detailed. I think it is bone and am thinking of making a necklace with it.
And lastly ...





... a small book called Bedside Book of Discoveries with these (and more!) beautiful wood engravings by Hellmuth Weissenborn.

Bad Copies

I love art. And I love going to art exhibitions. As a result, I have collected a box full of exhibition invitations, and I simply can't get rid of them. I can always use them in collage projects, art pages, to make cards, and so forth, I reason. So a few days ago I had a brilliant idea for a journal project: at the same time as reminding myself of our local artists (and introducing you to them), I can also practise my drawing skills. I have decided to
a) do my own interpretation, rather than trying to make an exact copy, and to delete or add bits as I wish,
b) spend no more than 5 - 15 minutes on a drawing, and
c) use only pen and colouring pencils.

I have called the journal "bad copies".

Herewith the first three entries:

Bad Copies #1 (of paintings by Mary Visser, from the Nocturnes exhibition).

Bad Copies #2 (of painting by Lizza Littlewort, from the exhibition How did Lizza meet Jake Chapman?)

Bad Copies #3 (of painting by Timothy Zantsi, from Timothy Zantsi - Solo Exhibition)

Sort of Weekword

Oh, I have SO missed blogging and visiting all you blog-people, I truly feel a bit deprived! It is great to have family around, but it does alter the normal flow of one's life. Some of it of course I am very happy to skip (i.e. working) but others (socialising in blogworld) I do really miss.

I did not formally join Leenie's weekword (feast) - no time to produce something - but I do want to show off the feast of goodies that arrived in the post this week. Alexandra's beautiful superhero t-shirt was accompanied by a glorious array of goodies - a beautiful print, a selection of cards, leaves, and even the paper that was used to wrap the shirt features an amazing print!









I also ordered the lovely Sarah's beautiful face bird and gold-leaf paper doll - they have both brought a feeling of playful whimsy to my home ...





They were accompanied by a delightful felt brooch (wearing it now!), a watercolour bird and some bird ephemera.

A feast of creative arty bits have invaded my home - and I feel ready to ... MAKE STUFF!

Zines on my Mind

Zines are still very much on my mind. (I am contemplating mine ... and planning to execute it before February 2010). In the meantime I ordered Anthony Zinonos's Le Dot zine - it arrived on Monday. It is perfect.





How cool is that? See more of Anthony's work here.

The Journal as Art

I ordered Drawing From Life - The Journal as Art (compiled by Jennifer New) a while ago and today it arrived. Featuring the journals of more than 30 creative souls, it is absolutely beautiful. I cannot stop paging through it.

Page below by Idelle Weber. I have something similar in mind for my third box insert. (See here and here for previous two inserts.)

This page by Lyle Owerko. I like the combination of black script and photographs.

And now I am off to work on my art journal! (No, actually I am off to have supper and watch a dvd. And then I will work on my art journal.)

Happy #2

Art makes me happy.
I love looking at art. I can happily spend hours in a gallery just looking. Going back. Looking again. I probably drive people crazy. In a very tiny way I also collect art - sometimes something just speaks to me, and if I can afford it, well, it is so satisfying to have something beautiful at home to look at, isn't it?

This is the Diane McClean painting we acquired last week on our trip to the Karoo. The photograph doesn't do it justice, really. Looking at it makes me very, very happy.

I was here.

The Brodie Mack Correspondence Art School

I've always wanted to take drawing lessons, and at the last car boot sale I got just the thing - an original Brodie Mack Correspondence Art School poster. At 50 cents (which translates to about 5 US cents) it was a bargain! I mean, have you priced art lessons recently? Nope, I think I'll stick with Brodie Mack.

Let's start off with some pen practice - and remember to draw slowly until you acquire speed!


Got it? Okay, now we will move on to the eyes. The most important thing to remember here is that in cases of terror or surprise, the eyes are dilated. Come on guys, dilate those eyes! DILATE!!


Now that you have that under your belts, we can concentrate on the real stuff - figures. I give you this gem of advice, from the lips (or rather pen) of Mr Mack himself: "Remember that underneath all clothing is a living, breathing human form that is similar to other human beings when in the nude." I kid you not!




And finally, we come to highlights and depth. With Mr Mack I have to urge you to note how the girl's eyes convey expression. (An expression of what? He doesn't say, but I have my own opinion on this ...)


I hope that you found this useful. I am planning to use my new-found skills on this week's weekword, which Valentina will choose. Happy drawing!
xxx
Anairam

A drawing.

What a pleasure to wake up this morning to a beautiful drawing

made specially for us

by our Artist-in-Residence.

Thank you Mr Snail.

Wearable Art

Last week I posted about my new wearable art T-shirt (by artist Ian Hunter). What I didn't mention was that Ian's T-shirts are all limited editions, signed and numbered on the inside.

I've now changed it into a skirt! Basically by cutting off the sleeves at a kind of angle, cutting it straight at the neckline and sewing on a length of fabric at the top to tie it with (at the back). I am no seamstress so stuff like zips and button holes are not in my repertoire. Anyway, I never wear tops tucked in, always hanging over, so that is okay. A multitude of sins can be hidden that way...

I love the way it came out - the bottom of the T-shirt (with the black strip) is perfect for translation to skirt, don't you think?