Picture books, paper goods & pretty things.
"People are boring. But you're something else."
I love the whole composition of this song, how it builds, how the strings and brass pepper it throughout and how it seems to end almost in the middle. When I first heard it I listened to it about twenty times in a row : )
I really love art that is made with words and light such as Tracey Emin's neons. Robert Montgomery is new to me and came to my attention as he was featured on this weekend's BBC 6 Music Art Weekender. He turns his poetry into light, using solar power to illuminate his creations by night. I found this short video that explains a bit more about his work. I also love the use of billboards for art instead of ads. Lovely.
For the past two years, BBC 6 Music have dedicated a weekend in November to art. Mary Anne Hobbs hosts the show and encourages listeners to draw a piece of art inspired by the music. Everyone then posts their creations to Twitter with hashtag #6MusicArt. It's an absolutely lovely thing to take part in. Sitting alone drawing from 7am - 10am feels like drawing in a huge studio full of artists all using different mediums and all passionate about creating.
Today I was inspired to draw the illustration below by a Kate Bush track that was played and also by Robert Montgomery, an artist who I confess I hadn't heard of before but who talked beautifully about the power of words in art. Magical.
I've recently discovered Breathe Magazine which is new to the shelves in the UK. It is just so lovely and I can't recommend it enough as a lovely antidote to magazines full of adverts. All the articles are considered, kind, interesting and warm-hearted. If you can pick up a copy, it really is a perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of tea.
A little extra music on here this week. I often listen to Desert Island Discs podcasts as I walk or am on the train. I had forgotten this song but have had it on a loop since Michael Buble chose it as one of his songs. Gentle and wistful. Everyone should have a love like Paul and Linda.
Since I've found myself falling in love with illustration I have discovered a whole world that I didn't know existed. Before I started drawing and squirrelling around on social media in search of inspiration I rather naively thought that illustration was confined to picture books and editorial pieces in magazines. It was a real treat to discover that it's so SO much more than that.
My most recent discovery is zines (mini magazines / comics) made by illustrators that I love. I bought two from Frannerd and Marloes De Vries from their own online shops. Frannerd's zine 'Perfect Tree Shapes' is a travel journal of a trip that Fran and her friend took to Paris and London when she lived in Berlin. What I love about it is that it is an honest account rather than a glossy 'Photoshop' version of her trip. The illustrations are expressive and full of little details. Marloes' zine, 'Fairly Funny - Breakfast In Bed' is full of cute black and white comic book style scenes of Marloes' life. It's a little snapshot of her experiences and an amusing view on everyday situations.
Reading these made me think about making my own zine one day. I love drawing cartoons that capture a silly moment or filling a page of my sketchbook with details from my day. I've also got one or two stories that I think could fit this mould and it feels like a possible cute alternative to a more grown up picture book.
Why not have a little browse for zines yourself online and have a peek into the minds of some of these lovely creatives.
After last week, we all need a cosy, funny film and this is one of my absolute go-to movies. Something's Gotta Give starring Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Amanda Peet & Keanu Reeves. The whole film is like a warm blanket to me but I especially like the scene in the deli with Jack Nicholson eating his ice-cream, Diane Keaton wailing as she writes her script and the dancing Henries (it'll make sense when you see it!) I even made a special trip to go to the Grand Colbert brasserie in Paris a few years ago in honour of one of the final scenes in the movie. Click my photo of the Grand Colbert below to have a look at the trailer. Enjoy!
Our moon will be the closest it has been to earth since 1948 tonight. It will appear to be the brightest we have seen it for 68 years. To celebrate I am listening to moon songs including the magical Harvest Moon by Neil Young. Click on the smiling moon below to hear a lovely live version of this beautiful tune.
I have travelled a fair amount in my life, for events that I have worked on and in the name of wanderlust. These days I find more and more that home is the best place to be but I hope this is just a phase and that I'll soon recapture the urge to explore. In the meantime, I have various things around my home that remind me of the far flung places I have been. This blanket is from magnificent Jaipur. Every single day it reminds me of the magic of the city and how it was an absolute assault on the senses in the best possible way. It takes me back to the tiny shop where the shop owners pulled out practically every blanket in the place trying to sell them to us. So wherever you go, buy a little reminder if you can, it doesn't have to be big, just a trinket that takes you back there and reminds you of the wonders of this beautiful world. And maybe this comfort blanket will spark just a little wanderlust in me and you.
