Marolize Southwood‘s colourful, impasto paintings of flowers, lobsters and fried eggs are intensely rich and tactile. I’m a sucker for white daisies so this blue glass vase of them caught my eye. Southwood is a modern day Impressionist, whose work pays homage to Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir et al. Her crop of red tomatoes are a joy.
Little towns like the one pictured below are what summer dreams are made of. At least, my summer dreams. Mismatched sheets hanging from wrought iron balconies, fishing boats cluttering the port. I imagine walking barefoot from the beach to our pensione, washing sand out of my hair and then sitting on a balcony drinking cold white wine and watching old men playing Briscola in the square below.
Anyone who loves colour, and high wattage colour combinations, will enjoy the work of ceramicist and painter, Andrew Ludick. Think lime green and satsuma, turquoise and terracotta, plum and sky blue all painted upon whimsical forms. Ludick’s tall vessels –– elegant and bizarre –– are my favourite of his designs. Unusual shapes, clashing colours, and playful surface decoration come together to create humour and originality. John Ffrench is a major influence as are Paul Klee and Thelonious Monk.
Young Navajo skateboarder, Naomi Glasses.
Molly Ringwald smoking in the Breakfast Club.
Lee Friedlander’s stems; an inspiration for any artist.
Ghanaian traditional hairstyle.
Olympic surfer, Carissa Moore.
Paola Paronetto’s paper clay bottles.
There’s something noble about working with wood. I came across the work of husband and wife team, Wilkinson and Rivera and was immediately inspired. The couple work mainly with English ash and oak and create pieces that are quiet, and yet playful. I love the soft curves of the sun petal stool, and the wiggly lines in the Windsor chair add pure whimsy. Have a look at their work; it may inspire you, too.
Calling all linen fanatics! Once Milano‘s beautiful sheets, pillow cases and throws pay homage to Venetian handcrafted linen. Think bold colours edged in macramé, beautifully monogramed pillows and cozy handmade quilts. I have my eye on this wavy blanket in stone blue; perfect to curl up in on lazy Tuesday.
The Oxford dictionary defines “normal” as typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect. There’s much about our daily life that is just that. Granola for breakfast. A sandwich for lunch. An evening walk around the neighbourhood. Then there are the many ordinary activities ––shopping for groceries, visiting the dentist, standing in line at the bank –– that still feel anything but normal. Unusual degrees of caution, discomfort and distress continue to stretch our systems as we wait for a ticket at the butcher or walk into a coffee shop to pee. On the flip-side, once otherwise ordinary activities such as lunch with a friend or a drinks on a patio now feel positively special. Last night, over lobster rolls and kettle chips in our neighbour’s kitchen, I thought to myself, this isn’t normal, this is better than normal; this is normal with gratitude. This is normal with relief. This is normal with appreciation. So, I’m not sure that normal is so ordinary, after all. Normal is fraught. Normal is hard. Normal is beautiful and amazing.
Can you believe that in all my years of clay I’ve never attempted a mug? I’ve been wanting to try my hand at espresso cups. Their diminutive size seems less intimidating than a mug. Small pieces require intense focus. New shapes require room for ideas to move freely. Who knows, my espresso cups could turn into mugs, or egg cups. But with two of my three children away for another week, this seems like a good time to try something I’ve not tried before.
August is when the wasps come out. August is when I get stung. Last year, it was my left foot, and yesterday it was my right thigh. The little devil flew right up my dress. Unlike bees, wasps can sting over and over again. I’m sure I felt it sting me twice. Here is Gerald Murphy‘s painting titled Wasp and Pear. I like the proportions, the blocks of colour and the overall cubist feel of the work.
“We fulfilled people’s fantasies. We gave them a chance to experiment, to escape their ordinary lives. The aeroplane backdrop was particularly popular.” The black and white portraits of Sory Sanlé.
Joanna Powell’s fabulously madcap ceramics.
Gautier Paris 2001 fringe eyewear.
Summer fruits by Josef Frank.
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