The Finished Photo Album....

A Day out in Greenwich

Today I met Will in Greenwich, it's fast becoming my favourite place in London. We went to 'Royal Teas' and then for a LONG walk in Greenwich park. We walked up to the Royal Observatory and then stood on the middle of the world!!

.....another photo album!

My friend from work is moving back to South Africa, next week. So, for a leaving present I'm binding a photo album, in which we are going to put photo's that I'm going to take at her leaving party tomorrow night. The exterior of the album is french silk and the end papers are a black patterned paper that Will helped me to choose. I wasn't convinced to begin with and I hate to admit it but the end papers look really good against the scarlet red. I'm going to corset the edge as well! I hope it comes out alright, it's drying as I type.....

MA Illustration Exhibition

I went to see the exhibition of this year's Camberwell MA Illustrator's yesterday (The course I graduated from in July 2006). I recommend the exhibition, there is some really strong illustrators in this years group, and there is definitely more of a focus on Illustration than my year. The students in my year were much more mixed disciplined (graphic designers, animators, fine artists and of course, a costume designer!). Which made for a very eclectic exhibition last July. Seeing the exhibit made me briefly reminisce about my year on the MA.... Look out for the work of Sarah McIntyre and Alex Buxton, they were both part time on my course last year and so will be graduating this July. Looking forward to the group's final exhibition.

A New Illustration....

back to work on monday!

Today I went to Enfield Town for coffee.. I hung out in the "metal" section of HMV and then read the saturday papers in 'Starbucks'and contemplating life, as us 'intellectuals' often do.... However, it wasn't long before all the 'yummy mummys' of Enfield descended upon 'Starbucks.'
Apart from looking for work today, I have been doing some bookbinding preparation. At the moment I feel like I'm in limbo with my bookbinding, next month I am definitely going to join 'the society of bookbinders,' but I think I need to learn how to do things 'properly' and take some lessons. I might ask for this as a birthday present from my parents!? For the time being I'll have to try and figure out my bookbinding problems and untimely case of artists block for myself. I think I need to take some time out this week to figure out some life plans and next steps. Hopefully to stop myself from getting too stressed out, which ultimately results in artists/drawing block. I'm back at work on monday, I'm also going to try and make it to my friend, Sarah's private view, at the Waterloo Gallery, after work.

Teaching Update

I've had this week off work and was so optimistic about getting lots of illustration work done. However, I've been quite ill this week, I think because the weather has changed for the worse. So, apart from feeling slightly sorry for myself, I've spent most of it making paper mache fruit for the kids that me and Charlene teach to work on and decorate. I made a peach, an apple, a pear and some cherries. I'm quite proud of myself as they look really good. Unfortunately, the lesson today was quite stressful though and didn't quite go to plan, I've got a migraine from the experience.... Me and Charlene are going to complete the project with the children after easter, in the shape of a one day art extravaganza!! Lets hope that we can pull it all together.
The rest of the week has been fairly pleasant. I've just been out and about running errands, feeling under the weather but greatful for the fact that I haven't had to go into work.

paper mache...

Tonight I have been working on some paper mache structures for giant peaches. This is for the class me and Charlene teach on Fridays. I haven't done any paper mache since I was at primary school, and that was a long time ago, however, the novelty is starting to wear off....
Hopefully this Friday will be a more productive lesson.

A New Binding!

Here is the photo album that I made for my mum for mother's day....

Hidden Treasures...

I was having lunch at my grandparents house on Sunday and discovered these amazing old books that were apparently left in the house by the previous owners, 40 years ago. I decided to take a few photo's... It was quite interesting to see how some of the more deteriorated books were constructed.

The Islington Art and Design Fair

After a really stressful afternoon of teaching (I won't bore you with the details). I went with Charlene to the The Islington Art and Design Fair, this week was the jewellery and fashion exhibits. I think that I need to get my act together and busy myself with generating a lot more creative work....

An Update...

I had today 'off,' so I went into London to run errands....and I have to say that the sunshine has put a real spring in my step (either that or they secretly put marijuana in the cookies that I'm addicted to from 'Fresh and Wild'). Anyhow, I sent off my books for the Burlesque exhibition in Nottingham, this morning. Me and Charlene briefly met up before she started work.... we were sitting on a bench, in one of the little streets off Carnaby Street, when all of a sudden a fire engine pulled up directly in front of us and about four really hot firemen got out looked around, smiled at us and then drove off....how random was that!?
Anyway, random encounters aside, I was out and about buying art materials for the art class on friday. I'm slightly dreading the the papier mache class this week... I can't imagine why!? I got some things for mother's day on Sunday, I'm going to bind her a photo album (considering my aunt's one wasn't too bad). I'm probably going to take her out for tea in Greenwich on Monday. Sucks to be a mum, hey!? Anyway, gotta start some work, so au revior for now..... P.s. Enjoy the good weather while you can because apparently it's going to get cold again next week!

P.p.s. Should I be asshamed?? I was on the itunes store taday and randomly added George Michael 'I Can't Make you love me' and Color Me Badd 'I wanna s** you up' to my collection. I'm not quite sure what was going through my mind at the time....



(It's Spring-time... in my parent's garden!)

I finished it.....

.....and it doesn't look too bad for a first attempt!... I realised today that I haven't been to the theatre in (about a year), which is shameful for someone like me, because I love the theatre. So, I booked a couple of tickets for 'The Rose Tattoo,' which is on at the National Theatre, in April and is starring Zoe Wannamaker, who is a great actress. I can't wait, and will give my review in due course! I have a spare ticket to bestow upon someone....

I'm trying to make a photo album

Here are some photo's of the photograph album that I am attempting to make.... emphasis on the word 'attempting.'

Teaching update!

What an amazing day, we've had a few days of real spring-like weather, I just hope that it lasts...I couldn't resist taking a picture of the blue sky in North London, this morning on my way to the Station! Before class today me and Charlene met up with Sarah for coffee and a chat.....
....and here's a picture of me looking very much the disciplinarian after school today. We had our last session working on the masks, next week we start the 'giant peaches.....'

An Update....

Today was my only day off this week. It is so frustrating because I have so many things that I need and want to do, that it is impossible to get them all done in one day. I have next weekend off... and there are two weeks until my holiday away from work. But for now the 'day job' is still hard, I'm working there for the next three days...
Well today, I baked some pumpkin scones, started a new illustration and have been listening to music... 'Ultimate Dirty Dancing' and Michael Buble...great sources of artistic inspiration!? I must be careful not to give away the closely guarded contents of my ipod, incase I loose my hard rock groupie status!
It is difficult to achieve all my objectives for the week when my rota is always all over the place. I'm sad that I haven't managed to get any book binding done recently. I'm thinking about joining 'The Society of Bookbinders,' I have the form, just need to fill it out.

P.s. sorry to all the french people out there for spelling 'au revoir' wrong, at least i noticed in time... it's been a long time since GCSE French!

Making Masks....

Here is a photo of the masks (characters from the book 'James and the Giant Peach') that the kids, at the school me and Charlene teach at have been working on. We are going to continue next week with this mask project and then we will move on to working on giant peach models... slightly ambitious?!

after teaching..........

After teaching, we went to the british museum and then to a book launch at 'Falkiners.'I had about one and a half glasses of wine, which made had me wired, I'm Italian, I should be able to handle my alcohol!?.... when I eventually went to bed, I spent the whole night dreaming about mulberry bags, slightly worrying..?!

(Sorry Charlene for posting up the picture of you without permission, but you look so nice and I looked absolutely awlful in the pictures we took....I don't think that smiling with my mouth open improves my looks!)