Does my bottom look big in this…..? Model Shoot at San Diego Zoo

Happy Monday…. sorry I could not resist, on our day at San Diego Zoo I desperately tried to get a shot of the Zebras, but alas in the true mantra of never work with children or animals, they were far more interested in their morning snack that me trying to be David Attenborough.  But not to be deterred I think I got a good pic of their bottoms!!!….. No I will never grow up it seems!

Fortunately a few of the other animals at the Zoo were a little more forthcoming!

Eddie the Elephant did their hair specially for me, the straw look… The meerkat misplaced her bikini for the shoot so maintained a little modesty.

Oh and starting them young with the baby wear shoot!

It all got a bit much for Percy Polar bear…. but I was not going to argue with him if you know what I mean!

I hope you have a great week…. meanwhile on with the colourful adventure

 

La Jolla – A relaxing start, dispelling myths and meeting new friends

One of the first stops on the journey was a quaint and beautiful little town in San Diego called La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya) yes I pronounced it like it was a little Jolly! – Apologies for all those that I offended! Although I did manage to get my own back when I was asked to throw another shrimp on the BBQ….. Much to my friends dismay I had to dispel the myth that Aussies call prawns “shrimps”….. Mr Paul Hogan was scripted purely for the American market I am afraid….. anyway I digress.

For those of you who love a quaint little town ,with an abundance of wild life then this is a must stop for you, where you are guaranteed to bump in to the odd seal lapping up the afternoon sun on the beach or peruse around The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

I am not really a travel writer, but love to take pictures so forgive me if I just stop with the words and give you the pictures!

Introducing my new friend Sammy!

Obviously Sammy had the right idea and found a beach away from the crowds….

Well hopefully you are nice and relaxed…. on with the colourful adventure…

 

Stumble upon – “Perish Trust” San Francisco

On a windy San Francisco day I decided to explore a little bit out of the central city and stumbled upon Divisadero St and a little gem called “The Perish Trust”.  I am a sucker for curiosity and nick nacs, especially when they are displayed in such a gorgeous way.  So out came the camera for me to share with you…. Unfortunately excess baggage did not allow me to partake as I had already bout too many shoes and jeans at this point… but I am wishing I had bought those little moccasin’s now!

“Our mission is to diligently collect and curate antiques from the dead and dying industries. Perusing basements, boxes and personal stashes for the odd, obsolete and unusual. Hand picking artists from coast to coast to collaborate and showcasing it all in our gussied up little bunker.”

On with the colourful adventure!………..

 

San Diego to San Fran – Out of the Birdcage on the road!

Source bride.com

Just flying on a jet plane after a road trip on California’s Highway 1 – looking forward to sharing all my stories from my colourful adventure…….

 

Simple perspective – Giosetta Fioroni

One thing I love, but probably do not do enough of is sketch.  I get this from my mother who was never without a sketch pad and her little tin of watercolours.  Every holiday my mother would disappear for hours and come back with a book of drawings and mini watercolours.  I just loved the simplicity of the sketches, whether they were to be filed away, or  they became the inspiration for something else.  I loved the rough sketches more than the finished piece as they showed the raw skill and thought leading to the final piece.

I think this was why I was drawn to the work of Italian artist Giosetta Fioroni. I love the fact that although the works are complete, they  still have the construction and perspective lines which show the process placed into the creation.

Giosetta Fioroni – Source NY times

Rome based Fioroni primarily produces her works using silver enamel paint and graphite.  Her work, dating from the 1960′s, has a pop art influence, featuring figures taken from the Italian cinema, magazines and her own family albums of the era.

La Spiaggia – Private collection – Source independent Collectors

For anyone reading this who happens to be in New York, her work is currently being exhibited in New York’s “The Drawing Centre” until the 7th June…… if you go please could you send me a couple of postcards xxx

Meanwhile on with the colourful adventure………..

(all pictures sourced from Trendland.com unless otherwise stated)

 

Distorting the Masters – An Interior Collaboration

I am feeling a little bit like a stalker at the moment of the British designers Young and Battaglia.  I recently posted on their faux cowhide rugs which I love, they have now taken this to a new dimension, working together with American conceptual artist and designer Chad Wys, to create their classics revisited collection.

The collection includes the Pastoral cow hide rug (Below), which is taken from Chad’s “American Tapestry” collection, and a series of cushions which take inspiration from Chad’s “Nocturnes” Portfolio collection.

I love how the artist and designers have taken something from the past and bought it into the present, or is it perhaps taking the present into the past?  Let me know your thoughts.

Below are Chad’s prints followed by the Cushions with the Y&B touch…. oh and a little bit of influence from Cluedo me thinks…….

Nocturne 109 – Chad Wys

General Mustard Cushion

Nocturne 64 – Chad Wys

Lord White – Cushion

Tom Green Cushion

Lady Peacock Cushion

 

On with the colourful adventure…………..

 

Creatively Speaking – Coulson Macleod

It’s Friday and time for another interview with one of the fab creatives that I have featured on my little blog.  Mark Coulson and Hannah Macleod, AKA Coulson Macleod kindly agreed to have a little chat, so grab a cuppa and enjoy. Oh, and if you are stuck for what to cook for dinner then they have some fab recipes which are perfect for us Aussies just starting to come into Autumn!

How would you describe your work and style?

Simple design that reflects our own taste. We’re not into overly fussy stuff. We also love texture, hence why we use a lot of reclaimed wood. The gnarlier the wood the better. If you buy a Coulson Macleod don’t expect shiny & new (apart from our paper prints, which have to be presented in a neat & clean style).

What, where and/or who inspires you?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Magazines (our office walls are lined with shelves & shelves of magazines), blogs, & books. We also try to visit as many interior/gift shops as we can to get ideas on packaging & display ideas. Obviously shops are the best places to see what is actually being sold to your potential customers. Blogs are a place to immerse yourself in design trends, but it’s the high-street shop that will stock our art. We try to travel to towns across the UK to visit shops & combine it with an overnight stay in a boutique hotel (all in the name of research of course!). Recently we’ve visited Shrewsbury (amazing architecture) & Brighton (amazing restaurants). Trade shows can also be inspiring as you get to be the first to see the latest designs & trends. Although this does mean that you lose the ‘wow’ factor when you go browsing in shops as we’ve seen it all before.

Shrewsbury Square – Source mytoolkit.co.uk

Hannah I read a lot of travel writing. Totally admire the explorer’s fearless approach to life & their level of curiosity.

Mark I alternate between fiction & business books. The only problem with reading a great book in bed is that I then lie there all night with my brain buzzing with either the story or business ideas.

What has been the most exciting point in your career to date and why?

Being awarded Creative Business of the Year was pretty exciting. Selling a print to one of the richest men in the world was a buzz too. Sadly his PA said we couldn’t name him. Boo! But this guy could buy (& does apparently) any piece of art he likes. And he bought one of ours. This happened in the early days of our business, which meant we knew we were on the right path.

Do you have any major projects in the pipeline at the moment? Can you share these with us?

It’s not so much a project, but an order from a large department store chain in Switzerland has given us a big morale boost. They describe themselves as the Harrods of Switzerland. With 14 stores we can safely say we have Switzerland covered. It’s been a steep learning curve – suddenly we realized how little we knew about exporting, pallet shipments, & all sorts of boring legal stuff. Another growth spurt for Coulson Macleod & our collective knowledge.

If you could have your work displayed anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be displayed?

We always joke that our art is far better traveled than we are & ends up in homes all over the world. Some of the addresses that we ship to are pretty fancy (sometimes we spot our prints on the walls of swoon-worthy homes that feature in the press). So our art goes to places that we’ll never get to in person. We could do with more stockists in Australia (at the time of writing we only have one) so if anyone reading this can help…

What would be your dream commission?

An order from Kate & William would be rather beneficial. Anything Kate (Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) buys has a huge impact. She has to support British made, so surely it’s only a matter of time before she becomes a Coulson Macleod customer.

Perhaps Kate can unleash her wild child (BCD)

…or perhaps a gift from Kate to Wills….

 

Describe your perfect day

We got married last summer; it was a perfect day. Wish we could recreate it every year. The sun shone (this in itself was pretty remarkable as it rained practically every other day). Surrounded by friends & family, eating amazing Italian food, drinking Pimms, crying happy tears & lots of dancing.

If you were to board Noah’s Ark and were told that you could take three things with you.  What would they be?

Presuming our three children were already aboard then it would be

Our collection of magazines that we’ve flicked through but not had time to read

Suncream. We’re totally paranoid about burning & spend all summer slathering it over the kids. European kids are all bronzed & healthy-looking, ours are ghostly-white from being covered in titanium dioxide.

A Kindle. We don’t own one, preferring the look, feel, & smell of proper books lining our shelves, but seeing as we can only take three things.

What is your favorite dish to cook?

We cook a lot, so it’s hard to pick out just one recipe. We have favourite dishes for warm weather, but seeing as we mainly have cold weather here, it would have to be sausages & lentils. It’s one of those super easy one-pot wonders that everyone loves. Plus it uses bacon & bacon reigns supreme. Serves four…

Sausage Bacon and Lentil Hotpot

8 x sausages

250g smoked bacon

200g Puy lentils (we tend to throw in more than this)

1 clove garlic crushed

1 chopped onion

1 tsp tomato paste

sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

1 litre chicken stock

Brown the sausages, fry the bacon until crispy then throw into one pot & cook until lentils are soft. Better if you can simmer for longer as the taste improves. Serve with crusty bread.

Polenta Cake

For pudding it would be polenta cake (our recipe is scribbled on a bit of scrap paper).

7 oz butter

7 oz sugar

8 oz ground almonds

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz polenta

zest of 3 lemons

1 tbs baking powder

Dust your cake tin with polenta (use extra polenta, not from the 8 oz). Cream butter & sugar. Add almonds, vanilla, eggs & polenta. Mix with zest. Add baking powder. Bake for 45 mins on 180. Serve warm with a big dollop of mascarpone.

Want to see more?

Coulson Macleod are exhibiting at the following venues in the UK for 2013.

Pulse (London Earl’s Court) 12-14th May.

Home & Gift Harrogate 14-17th July.

Top Drawer (London Olympia) 15-17th September.

 

40 Winks and a Story to Tell – Don’t forget your pyjama’s!

Source missimmyslondon

I am a little bit fantastical at heart, I am easily board and need visual stimulation to spark my interest.  I love it when you can be in a place for hours, even days and can spot something new or intriguing each time you go. So on a hunt of this I wanted to show you somewhere that I found…..

In an unassuming townhouse in London’s East stands a little secret…..well probably not such a well kept secret is a little hotel of fantastical proportions.  So gorgeous, and a playful mile away from the mass produced rooms of the big hotel chains….. I just need to get to london to book myself a place

David Carter – Photo by Matthew Buck

The creation, and home, of interior designer David Carter, the idea behind 40Winks was to create a place to stay that feels like a home from home with a cosy kitchen and living room full of character. But with only two rooms (at very reasonable prices on a London Scale), one of which only sleeps one, you need to book in early.

The hotel, is also unsurprisingly home to lots of fashion and celebrity shoots looking for a little playful charm as the backdrop.. it was launched in 2009 to give creative types a place to stay when they are in London whether they are there for work or pleasure.

“The concept is simple. To offer you a ‘home from home’… a place where you can hang your hat or park your suitcase while enjoying a little bit of understated opulence and a large dose of quirky style “

But the best thing of all is Bedtime Stories.  This is an idea that Mr Carter came up with a few years ago.  Up to 30 guests arrive to enjoy cocktails in tea cups and nibbles.  There is a strict code of dress….only PJ’s and nighties and this is strictly enforced with prizes for the most glam….unsurprisingly it has proven to be a huge hit.  The ambiance is introduced by Mr Carter himself before the patrons retire to and relax on cushions whilst being read a story by a professional storyteller…love it. Hopefully Teddy’s are allowed too….

Story Telling – Source – missimmyslondon

Now I am off to get my cocoa and slippers…..meanwhile on with the colourful adventure…………

 

Paper and Felt – Siba Sahabi

Based in Amsterdam, with roots from Germany and the Middle East, Siba Sahabi’s draws upon her inspirational heritage and to create ceramics of a different form.  No clay in sight, these are made from felt and paper.  Some are made from wallpaper, which Sahabi believes is stronger and has a greater resistance to the damaging effects of light.

I just love the creativity, and the hours of care that goes into making something like this. Even down to the detail of the grooves, which are set to mimic the traditional circular grooves created by the ancient tool of the potters wheel…(although I have to be honest my two attempts on a potters wheel never got the grooves this perfect…. I always ended up with something very abstract with far too many air bubbles making it bound to explode in the kiln!)

Here are some of Sahabi’s pieces, my personal favourite is the “Bucchero” which is made from wallpaper, let me know your thoughts.

Between Two Rivers – Felt

Between Two Rivers – Felt

It is also really effective that the colours of the felts match the ageing vessels which they mimic..

Istanbul Twighlight – Felt

Kerameikos – Paper

Bucchero – Wallpaper

Bucchero – Wallpaper

 

Creatively Speaking – Kerrie Brown

Friday is with us again and that can only mean one thing, time for an interview with another fantastic creative in the world of design and interior design.  If you are looking to add a shot of colour, history and culture into your home then Sydney based designer Kerrie Brown is a must stop.  So grab your coffee, tea and a chocolate brownie and sit back and relax….

How would you describe your work and style?

My style has developed from my years as a set decorator and so is quite eclectic, like many film people I have a short attention span and so am constantly designing new ranges. I love things that are bold, colourful and playful so I think my work usually encompasses these elements.

What, where and/or who inspires you?

I’m inspired by so many people and things both past and present . At the moment I love the work of Yayoi Kusama and Aida Makoto … brought on by a recent trip to the Mori Art museum in Tokyo … so much colour, fun and wit ! They are both incredibly inspiring

Yayoi Kusama – Source Whitney.org

Aida Makoto “monument for nothing” Source gadabout.jp

I also thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I saw the new Comme des Garcons range in the Isetan department store again in Tokyo. It was all exaggerated kabuki style in mind blowing pattern and colour.Love , Love , Love … I think I’m turning Japanese !

Which is your favorite personal project and why?

My favorite personal project is always the current one … so at the moment it’s the development of my new printed furniture range .Just added to my website and on the cover of Real Living this month.

You have worked on a number of big name film sets. How did you get into this line of work?

I used to design clothes (many lifetimes ago ) and a friend asked me to design the costumes for her film… so I just fell into the film world and quickly figured out working with inanimate objects (furnishings ) was more fun than trying to deal with actors !

Were there any funny moments that you can tell us about?

I seemed to be laughing all the time when I was working in film but I’m not sure if it was because it was always funny … it was more like  a sense of constant madness …  there was a lot of “you want what” .. “your kidding right”? It was brilliant training though , nothing phases me now, customer requests are very tame by comparison !

You have been nominated for an Acadamy Award for set decoration on the film Babe.  What was that moment like?

I didn’t find out until mid morning the next day when a friend rang me , it hadn’t occurred to me it would be nominated . I was working on some crazy American TV series starring Robert Wagner it certainly made me popular with the American crew for a moment and then It kind of picked up momentum as it sank in ! It was amazing to me , when I got to L.A, how seriously the American’s take the whole thing …  but great fun … going to the awards .

What has been the most exciting point in your career to date and why?

So many exciting things .. landing any job overseas is always very exciting , being nominated for an academy award was exciting , realizing I have a new career in textile design is exciting……

 Do you have any major projects in the pipeline at the moment? Can you share these with us?

Nothing I can talk about just yet … but will definitely let you know when reality hits !

If you could have your work displayed anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be displayed?

That’s hard … the Mori Art Museum , (this weeks choice , sticking with the Tokyo theme ) as it would mean I was uber cool , smart , original , amusing and fascinatingly interesting !

Source Timeout Japan

What would be your dream commission?

To be commissioned to design the soft furnishings  décor for a boutique hotel, .. anywhere !

If someone were coming to visit your home town where would be the must stop place or places to visit?

ARTBAR at the MCA always fun, Wednesday evening at the Art Gallery of NSW…  love night art , The Camelot Lounge in Marrickville always a winner !

Describe your perfect day.

Any day that isn’t boring or involves doing accounts !

If you were to board Noah’s Ark and were told that you could take three things with you.  What would they be?

My macbook pro , ipad and iphone and my glasses and some kind of solar panel to recharge the batteries … is that more than three ?

Now as much as I love your work, I love cooking and am always eager to find out a new recipe… what is your favorite dish to cook?

Sorry I can’t cook anything … no affinity with that art at all … sad to say !