Stuck In Bed.

A cloudy grey Sunday afternoon confined to bed. Seems like years since I was up and about taking care of life's minutea, so miserable is this latest enduring infection. But as in all things the best course of action is to focus on the upside (at least for bloggings sake). For example C has taken the last week of the school holidays off work and besides taking over all laundry/cooking/child entertaining has also wired my lap top. This means for the first time ever I can internet away in bed. Anyone who knows me well will understand what a dangerous combination this is - me, the bed, the internet. If not for illness I would have the most competitive Pinterest account known (oh the injustice!) - and that's saying quite a bit. Have discovered for instance there are some pinners busy collecting images of potato chips - and not even the fresh homemade type. Anyway who's to say my obsessions are any better? You can be the judge. Will share (a mere fraction) of my afternoon's labour on Pinterest here, including new favourite illustrator Isabelle Arnault.

Hope you are have a lovely weekend X. 

Images Via.

If Ever I write A Cookbook...

School holidays and am sadly, unfortunately,  annoyingly, pretty sick with ongoing case of flu. So have turned to the work of lifestyle photographer Dietland Wolf to get through the day! Her creativity and use of colour seem to be boundless as there are so many different styles to love on her blog. Today though it's the chalky pastels up top I'm drawn to. If ever I write a cook book (not likely, hate cooking, but then these days getting one's own cookbook out seems compulsory and I do hate to be left behind...) then definitely she will get the photography gig...

Artists Book: Intimate/Obscure.

For a while now I've been meaning to put up the results of some lino printing I did last year for an artists book. The book was in response to a brief called "Intimate/Obscure"which required autobiographical detail obscured within three lino prints (described as Space, Posture and Energy) and remains one of my favourite things to have done these past two years. Given I love books as a close second to art I found this an almost  dream project. Not that you could tell that from blog posts at the time which record my almost paralysing intimidation at the talent around me and of the lino itself. Eventually I pushed through and was so glad I did. When prints come through the press, all graphic and crisp, even amateur efforts give nice results.

The other reason this is one of my favourite projects was the conceptual opportunities it opened up. I love the way accordion books can be opened from one side and then be another book completely on the other. I decided to exploit this by using two competing theories of 'self' to obscure what would have otherwise been too intimate. I kept the lino side as Biological Determinism with it's sharp graphic imprint and the subjects of the prints themselves elements I regard as intrinsic to myself. The other side opposed with Existentialism as it's context - a collage of life experiences that come together in a way that has no specific meaning but to help build a self image. For example I use bits of letters and mirrors and frames as a way of suggesting we build a self through not just experience but in how others reflect us back to ourselves and that that process is constantly being reframed. For now I like to remember the fear pushed through to create this as I try once more this semester to confront my limitations and a new brief that leaves me full of doubts and trepidation!

Marc Jacobs 12/13 Collection - A Dr Suess Moment.

Ok, now I definitely think Marc Jacobs is having a Dr Suess moment. The oversized hats, shoe buckles and safety pins, the crazy silhouettes.... If you are not convinced of the Dr Suess theme check out the stage set for his runway show on this you tube video below.

Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 12/13 Collection.

What do you think of the latest collection from Louis Vuitton to walk down the runway? It's like turn of the century meets 60s psychedelia meets so many others things I don't know where to start. Nonetheless I love it. I love the hats, the long sleek, layered silhouettes, the metallics, the bejewelling, the feathers...the whole thing. Only Marc Jacobs could have pulled this off...
(Afterthought - is it just me or is there something really Dr Suess about this collection??)

Oh Yellow!

It's been too long since I've paid homage to my enduring colour obsession so here's to sunshine yellow on another rainy day in this part of the world!

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The Means Of Production.

Study is difficult. For some silly reason I thought being given a brief that had so little by way of boundaries would be super fun, that I could pretty much do what I wanted, choose my pet topic etc etc. Instead it is the hardest I've had to do. I know you've heard it all before but four weeks gone by and I can't quite decide how to proceed. I presented this today as a prototype/machete - a leather brooch titled The Means Of Production. The beginning of a concept that takes viewers through a visual representation of economic theories on taxation in the context of the Mining Super Profits Tax (currently being debated in Australia). No I'm not just making that up. The plus part was no one else had thought of it (wonder why?) The art was to be pieces of jewellery (symbolic of wealth creation) with economic theory and political bias built into it. I felt like it was an idea with legs and although my prototype was conceptually raw and flawed I liked the look of it. But art needs to communicate and this one wasn't. Not to my teacher, not to my class mates. Yes, my Capital does look more like jewellry fixings (because they are jewelry fixings); yes, Labor does look more like a theatre mask (cool right?); yes the land resources look too precious and glam (I like bling). Guess I just wanted to sex up the topic of taxation. The whole thing reminds me of the time in fifth grade where I rendered an impression of first fleet colonial Australia that included female convicts in Vivienne Westwood tarten and Jean Gautier- esque bustiers...how appropriate. 

Back to the drawing board I guess.

My Idea Of Camping.

I couldn't resist reblogging this indoor tent I found on Spanish blog transito inicial. It pretty much fits with my concept of camping. Especially with the endless rain going on in this part of the world.

Fashion Photography To The Rescue.

I love these pics of Spanish label Bimba and Lola's Spring 2012 campaign by photographer Alice Rosati. The soft pastel hues make such a great background for the retro inspired designs and brilliantly colourful accessories. Brightness today to guard against the ongoing gloomy skies and rain. Also as procrastination fodder for a the Study Semester's major brief handed out last week. I'd been looking forward to the greater freedom this course allowed but now I'm seeing the problems of too much freedom and a lack of prescription - so hard to know where to begin....

LOL.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful advice or just nice thoughts on my last post. Two weeks is up tomorrow and I've decided to go ahead and continue with the study. It's not what I thought I'd be doing this year but maybe it's for the best. I didn't want a year of not being creative and I do tend to lack focus without the direction of study so....here I go I guess....(deep breath).....

On the relaxing front I have been putting the web to good use and stumbling around a few sites that made me laugh. A lot. You know when you are so tired/stressed and something makes you laugh and laugh. And laugh...And you have to wonder whether it's really that funny or you are just on the verge of....well the verge really.

See what you think of Awkward Family Photos. Maybe you've seen it already. Maybe it's so funny because you see a little bit of your own awkwardness reflected back at you? Whatever it is, it did the trick for me.

The other site is Informaniacs - a humorous cartoon take on social media I came by via Brown Paper Bag. I haven't gone down the twitter path but the themes are not unfamiliar to me or the concept of blogging. Maybe you might see yourself in some of Mathew Thurbers sharp observations I've copied here?

LOL! have a great week :)