Sassy, hose wielding lady from the 1980s

The following borderline NSFW image is from an an old Vogue Australia article featuring designer Arabella Ramsay's scrapbook. Not really sure what is going on here [innocent look].



At a stretch it could be by iconic, 1980s illustrator Antonio Lopez - although his style is usually less overt.

The Naughty Mouse

The Naughty Mouse.

In a nice little house,
Lived a silly young mouse,
So snug at the back of a shed;
He would spend all of the day
In fine gambols of play,
Then go to warm little bed.

He had a kind mother,
A good little brother,
And plenty of nice wholesome food;
Oh! how naughty was he,
Discontented to be;
He should have been happy and good.

'Tis with sorrow indeed,
I must say he would heed
No word that his fond mother spoke;
If she told him to stay,
He would scamper away,
And think it a very fine joke.


Now one day on the green
His good parent had seen
A cat, fast asleep in the sun;
So to Mousey she said,
"Pray go back to your bed,
And near that fine creature don't run."


But alas! you will find,
No advice would he mind,
He soon went away with a squeak;
For he thought 'twould be fun
Round the big cat to run,
She looked both so tame and so sleek.

But he made a mistake,
For Miss Puss was awake,
Asleep though pretending to be;
None so deaf do appear
As are those who won't hear,
So blind as all those who won't see.


Little mouse feared no ill,
For the cat lay so still,
Alarm never entered his head;
So he frolicked about,
Till puss put her paw out,
Gave a pat - and the mousey was dead!

Little people attend
To advice from a friend;
Both love and obedience too,
Ever practice to those
Who you may suppose,
If older, are wiser than you.

Poem by Maria Corbould.
Images by Whymper* (first name uncertain) from The Child's Companion and Juvenile Instructor, Vol. XXXIII, 1893, page 49-50

*Probably Edward Whymper. He was both a professional engraver and a famous mountaineer hence why he is listed as one of the 'etc' illustrators rather than listed by name. The etching signature matches known works.

Clever Rats

Clever Rats
Image by Whymper* (first name uncertain) from The Child's Companion and Juvenile Instructor, Vol. XXXIII, 1893, page 121

'The sagacity of rats is a fact that has long been known to naturalists. La Fontaine, in his "Fables," records that "Two rats in foraging, fell on an egg." And the story goes on to tell how
"Brimful of joy and appetite,
They were about to sack the box
So tight without the aid of locks,"
when a fox came into sight. Eager to save their booty, one turned upon his back holding the egg in his paws, and the other dragged him along by his tail to a place of safety.'

Then the following anecdote:

'The other day a son of mine, about eleven, said that through a chink in the floor he could see a rat rolling something that seemed like an egg. I got a saw and cut away the board, and found seven perfectly fresh eggs, not a crack in any except where I had unfortunately cracked a couple with my saw, and we could see that they were quite freshly broken. The nursery (the room in question) is upstairs, and as none of the hens ever lay within thirty or forty yards, and the eggs are collected every day, at what time they (the rats) went to work, or how they got them up the stairs, I can not imagine. We have often missed by the evening the eggs we had seen in the morning, and thougtht the hens had eaten them.'


*Probably Edward Whymper in an enjoyable side project? He was both a professional engraver and a famous mountaineer hence why he he listed as one of the 'etc' illustrators rather than listed by name. The etching signature matches known works.

Sometimes a misheard lyric still makes sense.

My housemate slightly amused and incredulous to me as we're listening to David Bowie's Secret Life of Arabia, from the rather excellent Heroes.
"Did he just say 'the secret life of a labia?'"

Shrunken head

Those folks at Lombard tickle me with their quiet humour.

Here is their Christmas themed homage to the afterlife waiting room in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice.

Madonna and Child in 3D

After seeing Sir David Attenborough present Life in the Third Dimension at the Regent Theatre, some us weren't sure what to do with our 3D glasses. A guy ahead of me popped one on the lady. Chuckling as I passed I went back to pop mine on the child. We both took photographs on our phones with cheeky grins on our faces!

Virgin Mary Costume 'Adult'

In the latest catalogue from Lombard, party shop, they have Christmas costumes. Inevitably the costumes for women are sexier than the ones for men. That is a subject explored by many other bloggers and columnists so I'll leave it to you to explore further.

This one is a little unexpected nonetheless. See through stripper heels on the Virgin Mary? Really?! It would have been better to have her barefoot if no appropriate shoes were available for the photo shoot. I hope that isn't part of the costume. My housemte suggested that it's probably a sneaky injoke.

The 'most inoffensive and gentle creature,' the giraffe.

'In some parts the natives also dig pits in which to trap it.'

Illustration and text from Holiday Stories, published by George Routledge and Sons, London, c. 1890s

Little Shoulders at Lord Coconut.

Little Shoulders

deconstructed French cuff, tea, fabric trim, cotton, synthetic sponge, cardboard, metal fittings

Art of the Cuff
A Fringe Festival Exhibition

16th September - 4th October 2013

Lord Coconut

Suite 3, Level 4
Carlow House
289 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 6pm
Saturday – 12pm to 4pm
Other times by appointment

Enquiries:

0450 015 263

info[at]lordcoconut.com

Imagine a kraken...

'Imagine a kraken. Now put it in an armoured ice cream cone. You get Cameroceras.'
from 'Ten Extinct Nopes that you should really be glad are dead' by KhanadianDaleks

Why do birds suddenly appear, every time Blake is near?

'What is the strange fascination with Blake Garvey? He is a handsome fellow and his shirt removals certainly reveal he has got what counts. But is it his looks? Is it the fact that his voice is so low that worms explode when he talks?'
Ben Pobjie about The Bachelor, The Age, September 4, 2014

Crown in Adornment for Lord Coconut

Crown, detail

11.5 x 16.5 x 4

cat pelvis, vintage book paper collage

Crown (SOLD) was created for 

Adornment, now showing at Lord Coconut as part of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.

'Animal bones have played a special role in adornment from hunter-gatherer times until now. In ancient China they were decorated with inscriptions and put to the flame in a practice of divination; a way of communicating with their Gods. Many cultures believe people embody the traits of different animals.

Jewellers, artisans and designers have been given a found bone and instructed to adorn it in a masculine way, or use the bone when producing a piece of adornment for men, especially jewellery ... 

The exhibition is a comment on the current explosion of body adornment, both permanent and temporary, as seen in fashion today.'

Adornment

29 August 2014 - 14 September 2014

Lord Coconut

Suite 3, Level 4

Carlow House

289 Flinders Lane

Melbourne 3000

Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 6pm

Saturday – 12pm to 4pm

Other times by appointment

Enquiries:

0450 015 263

info[at]lordcoconut.com

Paper sculpture - Ravens by Anna-Wili Highfield for Hermes

Ravens
cotton rag, string, wire, timber mount
by Anna-Wili Highfield for Hermes, Collins Street store, Melbourne.
November 2013

Contour line face, street art

Fitzroy, Melbourne
November 2013

I hope someone salvaged this cladding when construction was over.

Graffiti eating dog mural

St David Street,
Fitzroy, Melbourne
October 2013

Speed hump with bite

Fitzroy North, Melbourne
October 2013

Relieved like a manta ray...

'Knowing this information gives me scope and dimension; it allows my bowels to exhale relievedly like a manta ray settling on the ocean floor'
From 'Would it Kill You to Stop Doing That?' By Henry Alford

Binary at Lord Coconut: Celebrating the Digital Age

Stitch and Fusion were created for Binary at Lord Coconut, opening next week.

Binary

Exhibition Opening:
5:30pm - 7:30pm 20 May 2014

Exhibition:
21 May 2014 - 7 June 2014

Lord Coconut

Suite 3, Level 4
Carlow House
289 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 6pm
Saturday – 12pm to 4pm
Other times by appointment

Enquiries:

0450 015 263

info[at]lordcoconut.com



My little robot brooches will also be in the show.

How to make a vine wreath in 6 steps.

Wreath made of wisteria vine prunings, decorated for Christmas.

This is so easy - you don't need to be an expert florist or craftsperson to get a good result. It's a great way to utilise waste from your garden, so it's also free! I enjoy making them so much I've been making one every year since moving to this house. I will have to start giving them away. They could make a sweet gift for a loved one.

Depending on how you decorate this wreath you can use it for all sorts of occasions or as a year round piece of decor. You can also use the same technique on grapevine. That is what the commercially sold natural wreathes are made of. The advantage of the wisteria prunings is that the vines are more supple and won't snap like the grapevine does. I have successfully used a similar technique with young bamboo with the leaves on but the edges of the the leaves are like tiny serrated knives. Wear long sleeves if you go down that path.

You will need a round bucket to dry the wreath on. Preferably it has no moulded in spout - this may lead to a less round wreath - and a good slope to the sides for easy putting on and removal of your wreath.



1. Strip vines of leaves. If you are using grapevines you can leave the tendrils on. They add interesting texture and make the wreath fuller.



2. Starting with the thickest end, wrap a vine over itself into a circle of the size wreath you want. Pay attention to how the vine allows itself to be bent and don't push it in ways it won't yield.


3. Keep on adding more vine lengths - preferably in one direction only but it isn't the end of the world if you don't...


4. ...Until you have used up your prunings.




5. Push over upturned bucket until it fits snugly. This will ensure a perfect, round shape. As you can see it is possible to dry more than one wreath at a time. Leave to dry.

6.It's ready for another wrapping session when it the vines have shrunk back and are no longer green. It takes 3 to 4 sessions of pruning and wrapping to get a sturdy, solid feeling wreath. It can not be done in one session because of the shrinkage. It loosens as it dries and you need fresh material to tighten it up.


Dried and fresh wreathes.


Grapevine wreath

Never double peplum

I dislike peplums and I am not alone - just run a google search on 'peplum ugly' and get results like this. This is ridiculous. Never double peplum/ruffle. Some stylist at thought this was a good idea. WTF. She looks like she's a moulting kangaroo with a prolapsed pouch.

Oia melds with Indigenous Art

Corner of George and Moor Streets, Fitzroy, Melbourne
October 2013

The colour scheme and most of the patterns used have a Greecian influence, but the layout and use of concentric forms and said patterns, plus the little hand print give it an indigenous flavour. It's a successful meld radiating a positive, inclusive energy.

Adventure Time Mural

Corner of Condell and George Streets Fitzroy, Melbourne
October 2013



The interesting thing about finding locations like this on Google Maps, is that the street view usually was taken before the art existed.

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 5

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 4 Inner Space

Not a favouite of mine but done well, incorporating the architecture and indirectly inspired by Pattachitra a traditional, Indian painting style.

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 3 Outer Space

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 2 Wildlife

Bear mural


This particular artist also did another mural in Fitzroy off Johnson Street with pandas:



Our critically endangered, state (Victorian) emblem:

Helmeted honeyeater mural


Detail

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 1 Decomposition

Late last year I had an appointment in Fitzroy and went for a wander down a few side streets to see what street art I would find. The following post is the first of a series showing what I consider to be the best works walking north in Little Smith Street, in October 2013. They are not all to my taste but they are well done.


Detail of a mural. Unfortunately the ground level section of this piece has been vandalised with spray paint.


Stencil art skull. I like the decomposing substrate and grittiness with the visceral red splash.

Chewbacca Bunny

Chewbacca Bunny sticker on a parking meter,

Footscray, Melbourne 2013

Sticker bombed sign, Fitzroy, Melbourne

Typical of the area, street art sticker bombed sign in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne. Features sticker by GhostPatrol.

Monochromatic street art mural, Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Fitzroy, Young Street, October 2013


Mural by Makatron, Phibs, Vato and Gore.

I have photoshopped out some vandalism to the mural as best I could off the hippo. See link to see unadulterated close up by Makatron.


View Larger Map
The location as captured by Google Maps