Memories For My Mum

For my very special Mum, I wanted to do something very special for her for Christmas. I took a selection of photographs of her, me and the to of us together and compiled them into a photo album with a twist. I gave each photograph its own page and worked around it with bits of collage, incorporating threads, papers, fabrics, buttons etc. All found, kept and reused "scraps". In doing this i resulted in a new lease of life for both them and the photos.

She loved it, and I loved making it.

Priceless items are the best at Christmas time.

Moving Images

Two of my favourite things in life are drawing and riding the train. This is what happens when the two collide. I decided to put pen to paper for a continuous 20 minutes, capturing all the wonderful sights from the other side of the window. Although slightly jumbled, the landscape is fairly cohesive and to me, reads the story of my journey.

I also always take photos on trains. There is something accidentally special about capturing to moving image thorough the panes of glass. This time it was of an old Power Station, which appeared unusually graceful among the barren green fields.

I am going to combine the photography and illustrations, to create a series of images as a visual dialogue of journeys. Watch this space.

Painting at The Christie

This is a painting I have been working on over the past month during my time volunteering in The Christie Art room. As well as helping patients with their creative processes, I have time to persue my own work, with the wonderful guidance of Pat Mountford, the artist in residence. This image of daisies turned out much better than I originally anticipated and I really loosened up during the progression of it, enjoying the movement and freeness of the paint.

I hope my Grandma likes it....as it's her Christmas gift.

Christmas Cards

This years batch have a slightly cheeky message within them.....because Christmas should be fun!

I hand made the original designs using recycled papers and stitch, and then illustrated over the top, including a few words. The four designs were then scanned and printed, complete with logo and Merry Christmas message inside.

They are selling like hotcakes...and part of the profits will be going towards the Art Room at The Christie Hospital, Manchester.

Art funding Art.

Mirror Image

This was an old mirror I have had hanging on my wall and have been meaning to renovate for ages. I had such fun painting it, just building up the layers to create lots of texture and depth, but then adding the precise detail of the leaves afterwards. My mum wants one for her birthday. I'd like to make them into frames too.

Give something a new lease of life.

Older and Wiser

http://vimeo.com/15842496

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/2010/10/malcah-zeldis-older-and-bolder.html

Good God I hope I am like this when I am older....!!

A true inspiration.

Alexis's Bedroom - Fluttering Away

Alexis also asked me to do some painting on her bedroom walls.

I don't know why butterflies were on my mind, perhaps because they are such free beautiful creatures and I was feeling like I too needed to be released from something. I like them anyway and seeing them each morning will be an inspirational way to start the day. The accompanying words were taken from notes I made at recent exhibitions, and a line from a book. The bird I cannot take credit for. He is Picasso's Dove of Peace.

Some mornings are indeed perfect.

Alexis's Kitchen - Cupcakes Galore

My latest walls to love and bring to life, belonged to the delightful Alexis in Chorlton. Her style throughout the flat was very cute and girly, with a kitchen full to the brim with cupcake imagery. It was natural to translate them onto the walls. I also wanted to reflect the many circles that were dotted around on cups, teatowels and trays, to give a balanced and understated result.

Sweet and simple, just like cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Hannah

This is a little something I made for my very special friend Hannah Elder.

The main image is from a large mural I did in Kiss My Feet (see earlier blog), which I photographed and then translated onto acetate and an old envelope, to get a smaller version and a more interesting result. I then added some collage elements - an Eiffel Tower because she used to live in Paris, and a First Class stamp, because she is a first class friend. Finally, I stitched her initials and added a heart, just so she knows how much I love her.

Art is never finished. You may do a painting, and recycle the result over and over, to get ever changing outcomes.

Hernan Bas

I came across this artist whilst flicking through Frieze mag this morning.

I love the free expressionist painting, juxtaposed against the delicate figures. Free and yet focused.

Lovely.

The World is Your Canvas

http://arrestedmotion.com/tag/os-gemeos/

Just stumbled across this great website, with a multitude of of videos documenting current trends in street art. I've always had a fascination with it, but have steered clear since my art teacher frowned upon my Grafitti project in year 10. Didn't go down at all well! I think it's almost superior to other forms of art though....because it's there, in your face, for the world to see on their way to work. It comes from the heart and contributes to the landscape of our environment. I'm not talking about silly kids who tag their name in spray paint in the small hours of the morning, but rather the ARTISTS who want their work to be seen and ensure that it is seen by exhibiting in the streets, rather than hung up on Bourgeois Gallery walls.

It is the work of the people, for the people.

Life is like a Story Book

I find myself so frequently amazed by the objects and words that already exist in this world, and yesterday was no exception. On a short stroll around Bozeat village, my Dad and I stumbled across this street sign. Yes, it actually exists. You couldn't write it. I'd like it to be my address one day...

Miss SophieRobyn Redbreast
Gretel Cottage
Puddding Bag Lane
Glistenville
L0v3 4rt

Something along those lines anyway. I'll do my best to make it happen....

Country Bumpkin

Nature is something that we all take for granted. Well not today. Walking from my lovely home village to one of the neighbouring ones, I soaked in every ounce of it. The fresh clean air, the autumn leaves, the horses in the fields, the indentations of the bark, the different flowers and most of all the never-ending views across the fields, every so often interrupted by the church steeples. Every village has one. Isn't that nice.

Along my way I found so many things of interest, including an abandoned "Push it!" Dance Cd (the only piece of litter for 6 miles), a rusty ring-pull and my favourite, a heart shaped walnut. Simply magical. It made me realise that my heart is here, and always will be here.

I will always be a country bumpkin!

Just Another Brick in the Wall?

People may think I'm a little crazy taking photos of random brick walls, but the sunlight was so intense today, that it bounced off this wall creating stunning colours and shadows, highlighting the natural complexities and imperfections of the bricks.

Who needs photoshop.

Our task for the week is to use a 1.5inch viewfinder and select accidental marks from floors, tables, pavements, doorways, ceilings etc and then translate the findings into drawings. It's amazing the pattern and detail that can be found in such a small area, and in locations that we wouldn't normally glance twice at.

Next time you spill a cup of tea, look closer at the silky mark it leaves behind on your coffee table.

Making Tracks

After a stupendous night of shaking my very sweaty booty to the sounds of Roisin Murphy at Legends night club, my evening was topped off by the discovery of these beautiful wet footprints trailing the pavement underneath Piccadilly train station. As I glanced at the wondrous natural beauty of the complicated contours and shapes of the human foot, I considered the story behind them, left no doubt by some female party-goer, exhausted by the combination of 5inch heels and hours dancing at the Warehouse Project.

Feet take us where we want to go in life. That night, my feet took me back to dancing. Like a lunatic. And I loved it.

Lets hope the feet on the pavement had been on an equally moving journey.

The Streets are our Canvas

This week I have come accross many inspiring an object....a crisp packet lying on the pavement, a broken window pain, an old torn poster. All abandoned, riddled with their own unique history and full to the brim with potential.

On an Emroidery trip today to the Liverpool Biennial, I noticed some rubbish caught in the metal grid of a window. I imagined how wonderful it would be to turn the grid into my cloth, and the rubbish into my thread, weaving it in and out, to create a recycled piece of public artwork for all to see as they walked past. The people would stop and take note. I think.

My favourite arches have already been transformed into someones' canvas. Grafitti in the right place, is just as special as a painting in the right gallery.

The film set on my doorstep is a constant source of inspiration, ever changing and magically transporting the people of Manchester to another era.

Happiness

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tt5hq/You_and_Yours_21_09_2010/

"Look at your Cloth and Cut your Coat accordingly"

What a lovely line to follow in life.

An Inspiring Walk...

I had forgotten how much I love these arches, covered in Graffiti. There was a boy sat there today drawing them, so I felt spurred to captured them too.

Glove Love

Embroidery project No.1. Gloves, Gauntlets and Mittens. Do what you will.

I played with the idea of crimainals wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, thus concealing their identity. What if a pair of gloves, the fingers in particular, did the complete opposite and exposed someone. I chose my best friend to be the culprit and created five little trinkets of information about her, including words, phots and ephemeral paper, all sewn together. I then snipped the ends off a pair of rubber gloves, popped the information in and made little finger ice-cubes.

Each finger is like a finger print, revealing something about her.

Photographed at a crime scene.

I've also included my favourites from the other work on display; Gloves for Lovers, Many Hands make for Light Work and This Little Piggy.....

My Manchester, My New York

What could possibly be more inspirational than to live on the film set of a 1940's New York street scene? This is happening to me. Yes it's actually happening. The street I live on has been utterly transformed by the magical hands of Captain America's set - designers.

Abandoned buildings have been turned into old Cigar shops, Wedding boutiques, Antiques stores and Pharmacy's, with their windows full to the brim of beautiful nostalgic items and awnings flapping in the Manchester wind. The roads are flooded with stunning Vintage cars. The smell of the upholstery, oh god, I nearly fainted with the wonder of it. Wartime posters cover the billboards, which before advertised cheesy drunken club nights for the new freshers in the city.

Such a romantic time.

They start filming today.

I don't care too much for spotting the actors, but I could wonder up and down the street of American history for hours, kicking the New York dust from the pavements, up into the Manchester air.

DIY Shelter

An ideal living situation....