Category: Art
Collecting projects for the summer..
Judith Scott x
This wasn’t the post I was going to write today, but I was looking through my Pinterest feed and these works of art caught my eye. There was something primal, something tangible that reached out.
Subtle yet charismatic. Sourced from the urge to create.
All made by one woman: Judith Scott.
And then I discovered her story.
Judith Scott and her twin sister Joyce were born on May 1 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Aged seven, because of her Downs Syndrome and profound deafness the decision was taken to send her to an asylum where she spent the next 35 years.
Then her sister Joyce then became her guardian, moved her to a care home near to her and enrolled her in the Creative Growth Art Centre in Oakland.
For two years she did nothing. And then she started winding thread.
And found the voice she’d never used.
(All pictures from Judith and Joyce Scott website (well worth looking at) and Pinterest)
Judith Scott died in 2005 at the age of 61 in the arms of her sister, but she remains a testament to the power of art, the strength of human nature and an epiphany to how disability can be a footnote.
Laters, Kate x
Top design x
The children are on holiday which always make for an interesting dynamic: There’s the eternal conflict between my projects and their needs which sometimes overlap…but not always. The mornings are usually my time to write, organise and plan whilst they learn to squeeze every ounce from the fruit of boredom. Which sounds desirable, except Charlie, like a heat seeking missile has the unfailing knack of finding me just at the most concentration-needed moment. Yesterday I was writing a letter to Building Control (he’s here right now..spooky) and there he was at the study door. ‘No!’ I said, holding up my hand, ‘not a step further…do not say a word…you have to give me ten minutes.’
‘But Mummy…’
‘No..I have to get this done NOW. I cannot speak to you’
‘But Mummy…’
‘What part of no am I not making clear? I will not speak to you..yet you are forcing me to speak to you..so I am now getting cross and feeling like a hamster in a wheel because we’ve had thIS same conversation SO many times. Except now the hamster is dead..no no.I didn’t really say that – ignore me..it’s just I don’t want to formulate words to you, I want them for this – I need to sound like a rational human being. GO!’
‘But Mummy..I don’t want to speak to you..I want to look in this mirror and see how cool I look…’
Hole. Ground. Open up.
Todays project is a crossover and one for all of us….to tidy up Charlie’s room…which looks like a nuclear war zone. If I were Olga Kostina living in Kamarchaga in the Siberian Taiga his rubbish would probably provide the most wonderful creative outlet. Her work with 30,000 bottle tops is sheer genius.
Except I’m not.
Blood could be spilt.
Laters, Kate x
Wall Bling..
There are three large storage cupboards at the back of the underworld room – four if you count the boiler..
Would it be an utter extravagance to attempt to disguise them?
Hmmmmmmmmmmm….
Laters, Kate x
First Day..
It’s the very first day without our builders today – I waved them off yesterday to a fanfare of thank you’s for doing such an amazing job. I’ve been through four big builds now and know how rare it is to finish a project and still have a smile, but Pavel and Jack were exceptional from beginning to end: They knocked down walls, dug out the cellar, laid the parquet, created our kitchen..and even managed to hang some pictures for me. They are the only builders I’ve ever known to bring their own sponge for the bathroom to a job…and use it. Bravo to them!
…Not that they’ve gone far..they’re at my parents now!
So now it’s down to me..and whilst the building works look spectacular (pictures will follow soon – I’m just missing a table!), the rest of the house resembles a bomb site covered in a thick layer of multicoloured dust with nothing in it’s right place: Many of the rooms need painting and the whole house needs unpacking. And the kids break up on Friday for Easter..what fun! But first job is to get our dining room table up and running just so I can take those god-damn pictures – and have a proper meal at it. Because of various water stains we sanded it down a few weeks ago (don’t worry – it wasn’t an antique!)…
And it looked absolutely stunning..
But there were a few white marks where the bubbling of the water stains had cause the veneer to raise up which meant it got sanded to the wood below.
So the plan has been to re-stain them and add darker tones to merge everything together. It’s now ready for it’s final sealing coat.
My Aunt – a very knowledgable lady! Gave me some wonderful tips regarding what oils to use. In view of possible nut allergies with guests I’m opting for olive oil..could be interesting. After that the legs need painting…
Along with most of the rest of the house! Where’s my paintbrush??
Laters, Kate x
Curtain call: Design hero..
I’ve been trying to write this post all morning and failing miserably – head is all over the place as really, all I want to do is start nesting in the new spaces and get them ready for Easter/before the kids break up. But there is a subject that’s caught my eye: The Great Interior Design Challenge has just finished on BBC 2 and it was compulsive viewing (for good and bad reasons) for anyone interested in the story telling of interiors. The overall winner was Sarah Mitchenall who’s designs were a true delight to the eye – she excelled at rooms where the raw ingredients appeared completely wrong (the orange medieval room par example) – but the end mixes proved to be both balanced and exhilarating with Everest sized visual impact and inherent cool.
Like the greatest creatives and raconteurs she has the power to dazzle with what is simply there and squeezing it to it’s enth degree, stepping out of the box, defying convention and believing in what just works.
All these pics are taken from her visual treat of a Pinterest page under the name Black Parrots – named after the company Black Parrots Studio she has co-founded on the back of her winning success.
Luckily for us mere mortals the company isn’t limited to just designing interiors: They already have their own lighting with the aim to design more products, wallpaper, textiles and more.
Look how the stem becomes the flex, and the flex becomes the stem. Genius: Definitely one to watch.
Laters, Kate x
The Kitchen..
Hard to believe..but the kitchen is actually in!! We have a fully functioning oven, sink, taps, hot water tap and fridge-freezer!!!…having said that, it’s still needs it’s handles (they’ve been in various solutions to age them over the weekend and are due to go on today – until they do, there’s no way to open the dishwasher which has sat there, tantalising us…) There’s also the painting of the skirting boards, splash back to be fitted, removal of builders equipment, the addition of a table….and then there’s unpacking the old kitchen. But ignoring all of this – it’s a triumph!! Proper pictures will be taken rather than this sneak peak – but doing a reveal now feels like sending out an opera singer to Covent Garden in just her underwear…chances are it’s been done..but would you want it to be done??!
But all the lights are up and deserve closer scrutiny – this is the brass chandelier as talked about here, now hanging low over what will be the dining room table, opposite the fireplace/mirror. It’s on a dimmable switch which really brings out the details of the edison style light bulbs when they’re dimmed down. I like the austerity of it’s shape with the bonus that if you want to add glass droplets – or ivy at Christmas, you can.
This ornate number is in the hall. The idea is that the intricate ironwork relates to the black of the crittal glass doors arriving soon, but softens the harsher straight lines.
This is one of a pair of wall lights above the fireplace and either side of a large mirror. The design is very simple but the shadows if gives are beautiful. Again, it’s on a dimmable switch which turns the glow to almost candlelight for cosy, shadow dancing evenings.
And these are my unique and gorgeous babies – I commissioned them from the highly talented master canal artist Terence Edgar, they’re proper, original milk churns that the builder’s have cunningly adapted into pendants by removing the bottoms and putting a hole for the flex in the lid, and then hung with brass chandelier chain. I am a huge fan of folk art and feel very privileged to have these stunning examples of canal art as the focal point to the kitchen.
The light they give is magical – like beams of sunlight on the work surface below.
Though they all have similar features, each one is subtly different: On one side is a word..
On the other is a typical canal art scene.
And the three are hung so that ‘love’ and ‘live’ face out..
But laugh always belongs to the cook..
Laters, Kate x
Just Because..
Projects x
I read an article once that said it was only ever possible to have two out of the three of the holy grails of building works: Cost, quality, time. I think the similar principals apply to children at halfterm…happy children, messy house, cost…only ever two at one time..but at least acknowledging these salient truths makes wading through the detritus of my present house so much easier. Which is a good thing, because added to our layer of general chaos is the fact we have the school quiz next week – this was last year – so why should this year be any different? We’ve started working on the costumes..and discovered a new creative product – ever come across thermomorph moldable plastic before??
It’s amazing stuff. You add these little plastic balls to boiling water.
And wait 2 minutes till they go clear.
Then you take it out and wait just long enough so no-one will get scalded.
And start molding…into anything you want.
It’s amazing stuff – the time line between being soft and hard is quite short – but you can just drop it back in the boiling water to soften again. And they dry totally opaque and white. What we were making I can’t say…except all will be revealed next week…
Laters, Kate x
Hats Off…
It’s the trial run today for our termly creative coffee morning for the mum’s in Charlie’s class…we’re making fascinators to be worn at our class party the following week. Cross your fingers – I’ve only ever been a pupil before, never the teacher, hence the need for a few guinea pigs, but I was treated to a class just before Christmas….and found it fascinating…here’s hoping for luscious lilly’s..
The odd rose…or two..
Big bows for those that want..
And just letting imaginations run free…
Pics to follow…
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 