Monthly Archives: January 2017

Attic room goes bold….

if you have an attic room with sloping ceilings, in a white or off-white colour but fancy something bold – here’s one idea and colourway to distract from awkward angles and blandness.  (a royal, warm blue could be fairly fantastic too, methinks, or a rich green less definite than British Racing Green).

Brighter Monday: Nefarious Mr Tufty

In the UK, the prime actors of the Road Safety campaign for children of the 1970s – teaching them to cross the road safely, was variously the Green Cross Code Man or Tufty Club (a squirrel called Mr Tufty). Lo and behold, someone with a keen sense of fun has set up a site devoted to squirrelsContinue reading “Brighter Monday: Nefarious Mr Tufty”

Road Safety and Quilt

Branda Mangum (based Northern Florida) made this quilt, in collaboration with John Morse (see earlier post today). John made the design, but Branda pulled on his skills as master quilter to interpret the design and make it into an 8 foot by 8 foot hanging. He used 4 inch cloth squares – 784 of them –Continue reading “Road Safety and Quilt”

Look out! Look out! There’s a Haiku about!

Or at least there used to be.  I wonder if these safety signs are still in use in New York…. truly art and life juxtaposed.  (These are two of my favourites). These were designed by John Morse and put up in New York at 144 of the sites of most transport accidents.  The money to makeContinue reading “Look out! Look out! There’s a Haiku about!”

“Your name” – the anime movie

  I’ve just seen this anime movie, and it is good – and I’m not even a confirmed anime fan. Do go see.  It has been phenomenally successful in Japan, with one person in 7 turning out to see it. What makes it good?  Visually lush, engaging main characters who often body swop between aContinue reading ““Your name” – the anime movie”

Contemporary art opportunities

If you are interested and working in contemporary art – whether making the art, curating it or writing about it – then this website should throw out some opportunities for work anywhere in the world. https://www.artrabbit.com/artist-opportunities For example: residencies, travel funds for young makers of short films, open call for art in international festivals…..

Spade Sculpture

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/05/welded-shovel-pine-cones-by-floyd-elzinga/ Welded spade heads made into giant pine cones by Floyd Elzinga (photo by Christopher Jobson.) Eat your heart out, Marcel Duchamp.  Upon his arrival from France, Duchamp was intrigued by the shape of American snow shovels.  He bought one and treated it as readymade art – i.e. he bought one, painted the title “Prelude to a BrokenContinue reading “Spade Sculpture”

Penguins, 3 ways (not to eat)

A solo close up study in a minute of one type:Humboldt penguin (1 minute video)  The rich tones and texture on their beaks, alone, are wonderful.   Then the full range of penguins and where they live.  Could YOU point out on a map where the African penguins live?  By the end of this 5Continue reading “Penguins, 3 ways (not to eat)”

Writing Opportunities Feb/March

Kindly published by the Aerogramme Writers’ Studio.  Awards, fellowships, competitions – in  varieties of writing, targeted at different audiences – most likely SOMEthing right in your area of writing – that you hadn’t heard of before  (First time I’d heard of the Cuttyhunk Island Writers’ Residency.) If all you need to spark writing is knowing there’sContinue reading “Writing Opportunities Feb/March”