Har Mar Superstar

I used to listen to this crazy guy when I was younger. He popped into my mind whilst in the shower this morning, and I find out that he's on a UK tour NOW, in Bristol in a few days. How strange is that! 

This Har Mar persona is something I haven't seen before. He tries to be so sexy, and he's completely not. It's incredible. I like how passionate he is. Wikipedia says: "Har Mar Superstar is a character who bears several physical and behavioral similarities to porn star Ron Jeremy; he is chubby, he often performs his shows nearly nude, and appears obsessed with his own sexual prowess."  His music is apparently an 'unmistakeable brand of libidinous disco funk'

He's playing at the Thekla on 1st December. To go or not to go?

I still quite like his song 'Power Lunch' featuring Beth Ditto! Youtube video? Go on. It's awful!

Christian Acouceiro

Image copyright, Cristiana Couceiro.

This lovely image just appeared on my screen. Cristiana Couceiro's blog - Hue and Saturation - is great, you should look at it. And her website too. She is an illustrator living in Lisbon.

Her work is mostly computerised collage, and I love her appreciation of color. This piece is the start of a new project based on memory and time. everything she churns out is admired by me!

Dolciodille

Dolciodille [dohl-see oh-de-lee] are husband and wife team Ashley and dusty. They are a letterpress and design studio in Atlanta, USA. they make lovely paper things for weddings mainly. But they make lots more, for many occasions.

Their website describes them like this: "Together, they offer unique design to people in areas where the conventions aren't just tiresome and forgettable, but a dime a dozen... if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, unforgettable, and expertly crafted, then Dolci Odille offers a designer's take on things."


Here's their website
Here's their blog (very inspiring and regularly updated)

I mention them because they just updated their blog with a tutorial of how to make a miniature fabric flower garland, which is probably the cutest thing ever, and a good little project I shall be undertaking. Maybe as a Christmas present for someone, or maybe as a christmas day project (to distract myself from all the eating) the tutorial can be found in this link to the Once Wed website. Enjoy! I'll be making and photographing my flower garland soon, but here's one of them in the mean time. 

Look Around You

Look Around You! If you haven't seen this and you like silly silly comedy, prepare to enjoy yourself.



Peter serafinowicz is a very funny man and you can follow him on twitter or look at his website

Robert Popper is also a very funny man and you can follow him on twitter too. And here's his website

Michel Gondry -Tiny

Ok one more, Michel Gondry is my favourite. I have great admiration for him. I hugely recommend this DVD of his music videos and short films.

Only £13.18 on Amazon!

'Tiny' is sung in my head all day sometimes. 

I'm So Tiny
I'm so tiny
it would take a million steps to reach you

i'm so shiny
i feel crappy
i'm so tiny

i'm so tiny
i'm so tiny
my crap is the size of a grain of rice

not so shiny
i feel crappy
i'm so tiny
i'm so tiny

i'm so tiny
I keep falling into a cigarette hole?
i 'm so shiny
i feel crappy

Karni and Saul

Recently I met a wonderful couple who are incredibly creative and inspiring directors/animators/photographers. Here's their website, Sulkybunny. They have their work up there, for your viewing pleasure. You can also watch more at the Passion Paris website, and the Rokkit website. They are everywhere!

They created this beautiful Four Tet video for 'And then Patterns'



And this is lovely - Micah P Hinson - Beneath the Rose

That's enough of film for today, three blogs all on one subject, I normally want to talk about completely different things. 

Oh! Here's me in 2007 with Kieran Hebden. He IS Four Tet. I also met his mother! 

'Zingolo' by Cadburys

This advert has popped up on TV only once, but it stuck in my mind. It's the first single from Glass and a Half Full Records. 'Zingolo' featuring Tinny. Download via iTunes: http://bit.ly/Avspc



"Cadburys share of profits from the sale of the track go to the charity CARE International.

Ghana is the heart of Cadbury Dairy Milks Fairtrade Cocoa and so the track celebrates all things Ghanaian: its people, its rappers, its dancers, its cultural figures and, of course, its cocoa beans."

Lovely! 

Grizzly Bear video - Allison Schulnik

Allison Schulnik, A Californian Artist created this music video for Grizzly Bear's "Ready, Able," from the album 'Veckatimest.' It's oozy stop-motion is mesmerising, It reminds me of my dreams. Dreamy music too, it's perfect.

I like her glazed 'things'. like Cats and made up animals. Her other films are available to watch on her website too, and here's a lovey still from 'Hobo Clown'. (Image: Copyright Allison Schulnik)

The Grizzly Bear video was found at Sophie Kern's Blog. She's an illustrator of sorts. Here's her website too.

Old Family Photographs

A few years ago my mum scanned in all the old family slides. I have been saving them onto the new computer today, and here are some of my favourites:

 

Free Beats!

Nicole showed me this, and I stole it from her blog. Free Beats! this will make you smile.

Jiggery Pokery - Tantalizer

Jiggery Pokery's blog is great. 

They have an exhibition at the Red Lion Pub on Waverton street W1. NOW, till sunday 22nd November

 

 

Hello Imac

I have upgraded! Hello Imac, it's so nice to have you.

The Love of It: Bucket List

Here is a lovely thing, www.theloveofit.co.uk is set to launch on 1st Jan 2010, It will be the source of all knowledge on good wholesome fun: a calendar of fun events and a place where you can share ideas, plan events and get involved. All for the love of it. Things like:

Night swimming
Den building
Picnics
Camping
Board games
Road tripping
Rockpooling
Lomography
Pin hole camera making
Couch surfing
Cheese rolling
Hole digging
Star gazing
Scrabble
Sand castles
Making things
Kite flying
Treasure hunts
Campfires
Tree climbing
Story telling
Hula hooping
Water fighting
Hitch hiking
Beach Olympics
Book swapping
Wild swimming
Doodling
Conker fights
Outdoor cinema
Inventing things

In the meantime, they are looking for writers, photographers and events organisers to jump on board. If you have an event or project you want The Love Of It to list, or if you would like to find out more and get involved please email loveofit@googlemail.com You can join the Facebook group here and find them on twitter too.

Barfoot and Duggan are involved in a list-collecting exercise. Take part! 

Project 2010 #1 Write a Bucket List.

Put aside an hour this week and write down your ultimate ‘things to do before I die’ list. You can be as specific, as vague, as random as you like.

Email your lists to loveofit@googlemail.com or, better still, send it to:

The Love of It Bucket List

Barfoot and Duggan

Stokes Croft Studios

Top Floor

77-79 Stokes Croft

Bristol

BS1 3RD

Your lists will star on www.theloveofit.co.uk on 1st January and also form part of Barfoot and Duggan’s exhibition There’s More to Life Than Lists (nearly ready website: www.barfootandduggan.co.uk)

Frigid Fingers

"Live Drawing, Painting, Spraying, Sketching and most other art mediums under the sun. Free styling it, all night long in the hope of mustering up some visual delights for your viewing pleasures.

Eight artists will be creating one, 2 metre x 1 metre blank canvas - Armed souly with, one White, one Black and a one wild card colour, kindly provided by londons largest spray paint supplier store, Chrome and black." 

This Thursday 12th Nov, 19:00 at LCB surf/skate/snow, 121 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E27DG

My lovely friend Samuel Squire is in it. Innit.

Creative Life Map

As instructed by the inspiration that is Lucy Duggan, I made this Creative Life Map a few months ago. It was quite a good experience to look at what has really made you the person you are now, in terms of creativity anyway.

Click on it! I shall scan this at some point so it's more readable.

Poppies

I have been collecting poppies for a couple of Summers now, They are so delicate - like the thinnest paper imaginable. My favorite flower by far. Wild flowers are incredible. It is a mission of mine to fine a field of poppies, and spend a few days pressing them, keeping them in a big book until they loose their moisture and then .... well, I don't know, I haven't got any further than imagining the joy of collecting them. I think it's maybe enough to just collect. A poppy museum? I have to sow some seeds after the winter, I want to find some sneaky patches to plant some, where no one will miss them if I pick them. Imagine if you could write on seeds and when the plant grew, it had your words in the petals. That reminds me of those strange 'grow your own boyfriend' things you have to soak in water.

Image courtesy of www.coventrybirder.co.uk

The BBC tells you how to grow poppies: "Oriental poppies are easy to grow and almost thrive on neglect." But I want plain old red ones, they are pretty enough.

So my question is: where can I find a field of poppies this Summer?

Elena Vakirtzis and I

One of my best-est friends came to see me in the studio yesterday. Hello!

Text Project commissions & smaller font

 Blimey, commissions are flying in for my text project! I created a very special half-size piece for a friend. (not something I am going to offer up to customers - it was so fiddly!) And i kept the waste intact, to create a kind of stencil. I like using everything all up - making use of wastage, so let's see what I can make with this.

And dear blog readers, it is Christmas soon! What would make a better present than something handmade, and if you haven't got time, I can make something on your behalf! Any word/saying/quote. £6 per letter + the cost price of mounting + wrapping. And if you are in the Bristol area, I hand-deliver for free.

I have recently completed a few 'love' pieces, and some nice girly named artworks.  it's nice when people commission me, otherwise I always use the same colors and feel like it gets a bit tired.

Charm & Trove

My friend Adrienne Wroath and Jo Hummel-Newel have collaborated for the exhibition ''Charm & Trove'' which is in an empty shop in Sandown, Isle of Wight. They have created work in response to Sandown - Victorian building/ pastel colour schemes/ vintage hotels.

Boojum & Snark is a creative 12-month social business, aiming to connect with the community. The exhibition is open until 21st November . More info here - Boojum & Snark and here is Adrienne's blog and website and here is Jo's website

Image Courtesy of Adrienne Wroath

Halloween

IMG_0890
Originally uploaded by Free Wheel Films

Amazing pictures from the Halloween Zombie Walk in Bristol. Have a look. This is me in my zombie broccoli costume.

Artist Interview with Megan Cara

Barfoot & Duggan met with the lovely Megan Cara today, she is an art student from the US. She wanted to interview us for her independent study based on art whilst she is in Bristol completing her degree.  It was really great to talk about our working practice, who we are as artist, the things we like, and the story of how the two of us met. Megan is looking for all kinds of artists to meet with for her study. 

"Hi! I'm excited to hear from artists from Bristol and all of the UK. I am keeping a blog http://bbbristol.tumblr.com of my experiences and impressions of art while i am living and studying here and  would love to meet with or hear from any and all willing artists! I want to know how you got into art, what kind of art you make, life philosophies and much more. my email is: megan@megancara.com ... i really look forward to meeting more wonderful artists."

So if you are a Bristol based artist, contact Megan and get involved!