Customise a mask - How I did it.

Listening to: Poker Face by Lady Gaga



I started with a well shaped foundation mask from the discount basket (was about $10) at Eloquence Homewares. This one is papier-mâché which lends itself well to repainting.

Why did I want to change a pretty mask like this one? In a nutshell I felt it needed gothing/steampunking up. It was the wrong colour - a very bright yellow base, sparkling rainbow film glitter, with a pale pink plastic diamante. I needed it to complement this choker I had made for the Euchronia Ball.

Using a stiff bristle brush - a mini stencilling brush I think - I dry brushed black acrylic paint over the painted and glittery areas to dirty and age them. I topped up some of the plain gold, scrolled, glitter design that had gotten a bit muddled by my dry brushing.


I pulled off the diamante and the smaller, grey dappled feathers. Using copper enamel hobby paint and a 000 taklon brush, I carefully painted around the glitter scroll design and over all of the yellow, stippling to blend into the silver area. This type of enamel paint is easy to work with, quick to dry and inexpensive for the coverage you get.

I painted the back and front edge around the trim with black acrylic paint. This was sealed with a mixture of pearlescent acrylic medium and PVA glue for durability ... and to prevent my nose tip from possibly getting black while wearing the mask! This paint was also used to tidy up around the feathers to hide the residual glue from the removed decorations

The synthetic lace was sewn onto the existing woven trim using a small, curved needle. Before committing to such a time consuming exercise I tested out how this would look by pinning it in place. It was not cut to length but sewn on then trimmed off to ensure I couldn't run out. A few more stitches finished the lace end. If I were to do it again I would start from the middle at the forehead rather than the tip of the mask since the symmetry would be that tiny bit better.




Here is a large, metal, filigree cap bead and a small Czech crystal (the same type and size used on the matching choker).


I gently opened up and slightly flattened the cap bead. I stuck the crystal in the centre using contact adhesive. More contact adhesive was used to stick the two to the mask over where the pink diamante had been. Assembled it looks like both a flower, and a gear with a ruby movement.

I didn't want to stick an actual gear on it, since that would be too obvious and a bit silly! It would also be a somewhat clunky - I did try out a few different watch gears. Stylewise a gear was not in keeping with such a feminine mask, and it would limit it to steampunk outings only.


Finished! Almost...


Knowing I wouldn't want to hold this beauty to my face the entire evening, I added a loop of ribbon big enough to easily take my hand while holding the mask. It's sewn in place and the bow is sewn to ensure it stays.


Thus I was able to gracefully hold it in my hand while wearing the mask and dangle it from my wrist while sipping a cocktail.


Voila!


After the event it made a nice addition to my decor. I tied a little loop of gold thread at the end of the stick near the mask and hung it off a pin.

I hope that was inspiring. I love customising things :)

An Honest Mistake

Listening to: Human by The Killers on You Tube

The Bravery's, An Honest Mistake video features a complex Rube Goldberg machine. It's a well written, catchy, dancable song* and the punchline at the end made me chuckle. What more do you need?


*IMHO their best song!

Snail mail paradox

[baroo?]
To update my postal address with a certain health service the snail mailed letter says I can use their online services.
To use their online service I have to register my name with them.
To complete my registration I have to ensure my postal address is current because they snail mail a password out to me.
There is no email option.
WTF?

Steampunk & the Euchronia Ball, NYE 2008

Background
I've only recently been dabbling in steampunk, but my understanding is we have a small community right here in Melbourne. It's not as big as goth but there is a fair amount of cross over in terms of fashion because of the gothic penchant for the Victorian. Many goths do cross over, and did on the night.

I predict that steampunk is the next big thing in international subcultures to influence the mainstream. Over the last year I've seen a slowly growing wave of interest and coverage. The subculture is already being mined by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier in his most recent collections AW08-09 here and to a lesser degree SS09 here. It's just a matter of time for it to trickle down.

Due to the hectic time constraints of my job in the lead up to Christmas I did not have the time to organise a new gown of any sort. Instead I accessorised my Victorian goth coordinates. I customised a paper mache mask (see end of post) and made a steampunk, velvet choker.

The Ball
The first Euchronia, steampunk ball held on new year's eve 2008 was quite fabulous! I am looking forward to attending the next one.



As I expected the DJing was by goths and a large portion of the well to exquisitely dressed, costumed crowd were goths. It made sense that the music played appealed to this audience. There were also performance artists of a vaudeville nature though to be honest many of them didn't appeal to me. I quite liked the solo performance by one of the belly dancers. The live bands were definitely enjoyable particularly Dandylion Wine whose rendition of 'Magic Dance' from the 'Labyrinth' soundtrack was a jolly good rollick!

No photography was allowed according to the ticket unless prior arrangement was made with organisers. I disagree with this stance. I presume it was to ensure the paid services of the official photographer since this is not a sacred venue, nor would any artworks be violated by flash photography. If there were lots of photographs from the event out there, a range of people over many websites could help promote it for free thus ensuring a bigger result for the next one. It works for the Annual Labyrinth Ball over in the America, and the new Labyrinth ball here.

The event took up 3 rooms over which there was a chill out space with professional photography*, 2 dance floor areas and stages. The main performance room had the main bar. The cocktail list was decent and well priced with free water and glasses provided. Delicious gourmet party pies were also available. All rooms were steampunked with handmade decor ranging from sculpted dirigibles to stencil art. As a venue it was an excellent choice to host this event. I expect a slightly bigger one may be required for the next one! We were a bit surprised it ended at 3am! We just wanted the fun to continue :)



Coming soon: A How to Customise a Mask for the above result

*Prints available for sale at Euchronia's website.

Mark Denis - Painter

Friesian 3, detail
2009
oil on board

My brother Mark has just created an account and gallery at DeviantArt. He works in oils on home stretched canvas and more recently on board made of recycled wood from furniture. His favourite subjects are historical buildings, cats, Dutch style still life, and horses. He lovingly creates multi layered paintings with great attention to detail and observation of form. Mark is largely self taught with help from a bit of formal schooling, friends and family. As his elder sister I have mentored him. He also provides me with a sounding board to bounce ideas and artworks off, as I do for him. Mark's amazing paintings are one reason why I will never dabble in oils! That, and I'm very happy sculpting and making collages.

Mark Denis - Painter
Ink Dreams at DeviantArt

Remember that famous line from Crocodile Dundee...

...when he brandishes a bowie hunting knife at the would be mugger?


My latest LOL from icanhascheezburger.com

Charming steampunk flavour

Listening to: Monster Love by Goldfrapp from Seventh Tree



From Flying Frog Folio - Visual Merchandising, my online display blog.

Sea Monkeys on Mars

When I first saw this particular themed sea monkey tank at Kmart I was envious that my shop didn't sell it. When we finally did I snapped one up! Since then (3 years ago) I have raised a number of sea monkeys to adulthood and seen individuals live an average of 6 months. The Sea Monkeys on Mars tank is cool because it has a little astronaut umbilically attached to his spaceship, little rocky archways, plus textured, plentiful surfaces on which to grow algae.


Male sea monkey with astronaut and spaceship

My current colony are the result of draining the bulk of the existing water out and restarting it again with a fresh packet of water 'purifier'* and eggs. It seems the fruits of the existing colony's last members were just not potent enough. I've since tried boosting the numbers by allowing water to evaporate over months, then adding fresh distilled water during the warmer Summer months**. This does cause babies to hatch but they don't seem to live long, though it wasn't the case with the first generation hatched this way. Since sea monkeys are type of a wild brine shrimp perhaps they have been bred to not procreate prolifically with success. There's no money in it if you could be completely self-sustaining is there?! No, you will need to buy a fresh packet of eggs thank you very much [ker-ching!].


Sea monkeys on Mars, top view through access aperture.

Note the verdant, 3 year growth of algae over the Martian surface. The accumulation of loose, green crud at the base of the tank is part of their ecosystem. It is green from algae and will contain some eggs. This type of algal growth is not only healthy but self sustaining. It should not be thrown out! The sea monkeys eat algae, digest it, and the algae turns the excretions into more algae.

Keeping the tank on a south facing window sill*** ensures plenty of gentle daylight throughout the day, with only the last rays of the sun at the end, which will not overheat the water and kill everything! It helps the algae grow and the sea monkeys need it as well. If you don't have such a suitable window sill you can place a small object like a picture frame, or a sheet or paper in front of the tank on a sunnier sill to stop direct sunlight hitting the tank. A sheer curtain is also fine to filter out direct sunlight.

Sea monkey males are sexually aggressive, latching on to females with their 'moustaches' in spite of persistant, wriggling feminine resistance. They stay attached for hours. In lieu of an available female, the sea monkey astronaut has appendages which make it an appealing sea monkey sex doll. Again these males will stay attached for hours. I have sometimes blown bubbles via a pipette to dislodge an elderly male from the astronaut, and once I intervened when two males attached to one female. Otherwise I leave them to it.


Male sea monkey in action...you can't see his many little swimming legs because this was a long exposure picture (no puns intended!).

Blowing bubbles - without sucking up water - is not only the safest way to move sea monkeys but they seem to enjoy it. It is part of maintaining a colony since it adds oxygen to the water. This set comes with such a pipette though you can buy similar ones from a chemist. An eyedropper tends to be too short for the task.

Website of the Day
Sea monkey Mania with more down to earth information and tips than the official Sea Monkey website, plus reviews of various sea monkey products

*Actually salts and a small number of eggs.
**It's the best time to raise sea monkey babies since they are from warmer climes.
***In the southern hemisphere only. Put on a northern window in the northern hemisphere.

Michelangelo @ the discotheque

Listening to: Beat for You, by Pseudo Echo from Autumnal Park

Quote of the Day
'...the naked muscle on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel simply can't be ignored. It's like a gay disco up there!'
Boy George in the forward to Queer by S Gage, L Richards, H Wilmot published by Unanimous, London, 2002

The Arrival by Shaun Tan via Cabinet of Wonders

Listening to: Into the Nightlife by Cyndi Lauper, from Bring Ya to the Brink

I have been meaning to write about one of my favourite Australian book illustrators*, Shaun Tan for some time now and have been pipped to the post! Heather McDougal has eloquently blogged on Cabinet of Wonders about The Arrival. Via the comments page you can find this rather wonderful little documentary/interview with Shaun about the upcoming animation of The Lost Thing and the artistic process. The Arrival is my favourite Shaun Tan graphic novel, followed by The Lost Thing so I'm finding the prospect of that being animated, rather exciting!

What I adore about Shaun's unique work is the quirkiness, aged rather than shiney and new textures, details, fantastic creature design, contraptions and landscapes. It's a little bit steampunk without referencing any period in particular and in that sense, timeless.



Print sized illustrations from The Arrival here.

Website of the Day
Shaun Tan


*The other is Melbourne based, Graeme Base whose work I have had the pleasure of growing up with and seeing in the flesh at an exhibition recently. I got some books signed for Christmas including the delightful 'The Art of Graeme Base' :)

Mirrored Mask @ pdvirtualgallery.blogspot.com

Cross posted to my art blog. There, you will see the number of works increase this month so pop back now and then. I've been taking photographs of some of my older works which have been exhibited, pieces relating to these, works in progress, and newer art that has never been seen by the general public. I don't intend to post many of the latter until they have been exhibited, in order to protect my intellectual property concerning the specific concepts behind some pieces . I must get around to finding a gallery and booking a space!


Mirrored Mask
digital photograph

She sells sanctuary by the seashore

Listening to: She Sells Sanctuary by Pure Cult

A few months ago it occurred to me that, after almost ten years of frequenting goth clubs where this used to be a dance floor filling staple and hearing this song so many times, I still had no idea what most of the lyrics are. Do you? Tonight I finally looked them up and read them while listening to the song. Then I giggled at what I was fudging/pretending them to be in my head* This isn't what I actually heard but if forced to sing it I would have sung it like that** . The real lyrics don't make much more sense in my opinion ;)


* Involved slurred, snarly words and paper backs being burned.

**Actually I would more likely make something up to the tune of it. I have a gift for making partial songs up on the spot to the tune of other songs. It's a source of much amusement [grin].
example: While at an international airport a few years ago I came up with this,
sung to the tune of John the Revelator by Depeche Mode:
Get on the travelator
Get there sooner and not later
Get you to your plane on time

Anton's: 'Purveyors of mighty fine clothing...'

Listening to: Panic, by The Smiths

Anton's print advertisement from the back of the Melbourne, Spiegel Tent program.

I'm a sucker for collages incorporating Victorian/vintage imagery and science illustrations. The radiating sunburst holds it all together beautifully.

Yes, Anton's do sell mighty fine attire. The Melbourne Central shop is well worth a visit just for the decor and window display. Anton himself collects the new and vintage, object d' art and props. The staff are friendly and exceptionally well dressed. They sell more than suits and much of it has a vintage flavour. They do not have a website they are so old school!

Spot the (Sheer Relief) difference

Listening to: Dare you to move, by Switchfoot

Sheer Relief's packaging just got sexier so,
Spot the (Sheer Relief) difference/photo editing

left: old pack from about 1-2 years ago, right: current packaging

From woman next door flight attendants with sensible heeled shoes (oxymoron?) to an Angelina Jolie look-alike with her pretty, fellow flight attendant in sexy heels and shorter skirts with suspiciously smooth, coltish legs. The new models are so sassy their identical, untucked neck scarves artfully billow inside the air port terminal. There was no noticable photo editing before and now there definitely is. So much so that the product itself is less accurately depicted. I can personally say and recommend it's the same reliable, tough, supportive hosiery but it hasn't gotten that more sheer! I still like the new pack in spite of all of these things. The old one was getting a bit dated.

Perky purple putty

This is the header from the point of sale box of a product we sell. Looks pretty straight forward doesn't it, with cute happy faces added to enliven the product and make it feel more fun. It is fun actually :)

Ever played with silly putty? When explaining to customers what's inside the plastic eggs, I tell them it's silly putty but in a better colour. Stretch it, snap it, roll then bounce it. Silly putty is traditionally a strange flesh-like colour. It's just as well Bounce Putty isn't:



You could NOT use this image if the product was flesh coloured could you? Oh nooooo sir.

Yes I have a filthy mind but if you see what I'm talking about then you do as well ;)

Odd Objects. Part 1: LED Santa Brooch

Found at work amongst last year's Christmas decorations. In addition to his appropriately zombie-like, slightly zonked out expression* he has flashing LEDs in his beard. Are those silver balls on strings a metaphor for lost marbles? Discuss.

Thus begins a new entry label, odd objects, the perfect accompaniment to curious clippings.

* He looks how we feel at the end of serving hundreds of people all day, particularly on the weekend. Coming in to work this morning I felt for an instant like I was in a zombie film (recently watched 28 Days Later which I highly recommend), with all these people rushing in a very definite direction which happened to be mine.

Red Eyed Train

Medama-oyaji on Kitarō train, Tottori line click for more information
Image from Pink Tentacle

Website of the Day
Pink Tentacle - home of Japanese coolness, technology, art and science.

Which came first?

If you think about it from an evolutionary sense I think the egg did but the thing that laid it wasn't a chook.

Check out this wonderful, transforming egg and chick knitting project from Mochimochi

Websites of the Day
... Mochimochi Blog.
Found via another blog which is also worth checking out if you love hand crafted, interesting, funky, quirky plushies:
Plush You

Elizabeth and Mary Kirby's authorship

'The World at Home', by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby, published by T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1888 is the source for some of the vintage clippings recently shared here.

A quick bit of googling reveals:

'Elizabeth KIRBY (F: 1823 Dec 15 - 1873 Jun 23)
Steps Up The Ladder (anon) [1862]
Dame Buckle And Her Pet Johnny (anon) [1867]
The World At Home (w Mary KIRBY) [1869]
The Sea And Its Wonders (w Mary KIRBY) [1870]
Lost Cities Brought To Light (anon) [1871]
Margaret's Choice (aka: The Mistress Of The Manor) (anon) [1872]
Beautiful Birds In Far-Off Lands (w Mary KIRBY) [1872]
Humming-Birds (w Mary KIRBY) [1874]
Birds Of Gay Plumage - Birds Of Paradise (w Mary KIRBY) [1875]
Birds Of Gay Plumage - Sun Birds (w Mary KIRBY) [1875]
Aunt Martha's corner cupboard: or, Stories about tea, coffee, sugar, rice, etc. (w Gregg, Mary Kirby) [1887]
& more natural history related titles.

Ah [sigh and smirk] there's a certain innocence that's part of the Victorian age which makes the part of my mind that's quickly in the gutter, giggle. The part that loves old stuff and the way language changes, smiles and glows for being enlightened.

Clearly the Kirby sisters(?) had a shared passion for the exotic and far-off, natural history and bird-life in particular. Their work is widely considered to have made a significant, historical contribution to non-fiction literature. Various titles are available as reprints here.

I was originally going to cut up my copy of their work for making my signature surreal collages since it is falling apart and has been hand-coloured with watercolours randomly, by a previous owner rather than the publisher. Now I think I'll keep it in one piece!

* From The New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors

The Shark in 1888

THE SHARK*
by W.H.F. & E. Etherington

'He likes to keep up with a ship, because then he can catch whatever is thrown overboard. He is not at all dainty, as you will think, when I tell you a pair of old boots was one day thrown at him. The shark swam up, opened his great jaws, and swallowed them as if he thought them very nice.'*


THE SHARK*, detail
Notice his resemblance to a seal with furry skin and a narrowing at the neck.
His tail changes between the illustrations from vaguely mammalian to something more piscine (below).


THE SHARK IS CAUGHT AT LAST*
by W.H.F. & E. Etherington

The story of the shark concludes with the sailors on said ship catching and killing the shark using a chunk of meat on a hook and chain. His crime: following the ship in case there's a man overboard, who he would 'swallow... in a minute'! Surprisingly no mention is made of eating him. It is typical of texts from this period to describe the uses and edibility of fauna. The text does discuss the uses of shagreen, the polished leather made from shark skin.

*Images from The World at Home, by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby, published by T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1888.

A Sand Storm and A Strange Visitor

A SAND STORM*
by Van'Dargent and Demarle (??)
Depiction of a sand storm on The Llanos plains or Los Llanos (meaning the flat plains), of Colombia and Venezuela in South America.



A STRANGE VISITOR*
by M Jackson Sr(?) & KH
From the same region a dormant crocodile buried in mud, is uncovered and awakened by the monsoon** rains. Given the location of the hypothetical story behind this picture, it's most likely to be an Orinoco Crocodile. This is the largest predator of the South American continent, reaching lengths of up to 20ft or 6 metres! Unfortunately due to extensive hunting for its leather during the 19th and 20th centuries, and now due to pollution, it is a critically endangered species. So any traveller like the ones depicted in this story would be indeed be privileged - as well as alarmed, naturally - to witness such an occurance today.

*Images from The World at Home, by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby, published by T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1888.
**Monsoon describes a particular, heavy, seasonal rainfall and is no longer considered a meteorological term specific to the India.

Skull a Day & Street Anatomy

Bird dropping skull
01/11/08
At Skull a day this bird poo would be described as a simulacra. I spotted it after hopping out of my car yesterday afternoon. You can find more skullish simulacra on Sundays, reader submissions, and the original skulls from each day of a year made by the site's author.


i-Pirate - Now with Skulls!
clay, card, found objects
2008

Admittedly I have found some of the skull simulacra a bit tenous, and sometimes I think the author phoned in the skull for the day. There also isn't many non-human skulls. However skulls like the Chinese calligraphy skull, the chewing gum dot and chalk skulls, and many of the found object ones are so outstandingly nifty that you can easily forgive these things.

Noah Scalin, site author, decided one day to make a skull a day for a year. At times he would struggle to find a new and exciting material, he would come across something unconventional as an art material like petroleum jelly, while on other days something spoke to him, such is the way with art. He dabbled in media he hadn't used for years and challenged himself with new ones. He's been plugging his site book a lot there lately! There's a Facebook application to give your friends skulls each day. So if you like skulls and art you will enjoy Skull a Day.

[edit]

If that doesn't tickle your fancy try the blog, Street Anatomy which has more than artsy skulls. You will find art with street cred, all relating to the anatomy of humans and animals in varying medical depth, some vintage some contemporary, some might not be there tomorrow while others are there for a lifetime, all in a variety of media. Cool stuff for the slightly morbid or scientifically curious art browser, and well worth reading right through to the beginning of this blog's archive.

Very Happy Dinosaurs

I found this pack on the hanging display prong when I was rearranging things. I swear they were exactly like this when I found them. Would I lie to you? They are dancing in a conga line. Yup, that's what they're doing...

Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Reviewed

Haroun and the Sea of Stories
by Salman Rushdie
Illustrated by Paul Birkbeck

The hard back, large print edition I borrowed has intriguing, fantastic little pictures dotted over it, which is what initially caught my attention. The illustrations by Birkbeck throughout are beautiful and exquisitely detailed.



This well paced work needs no illustrations but they are a perfect accompaniment. They do enhance the reading experience - like a nice biscuit or three to dunk makes a well brewed cup of tea something morish! The story telling is so vivid that you may well imagine something to match Birbeck's art. He has certainly read the book since his art is true to it both overall and in detail. My only quibble with the illustrations is that a couple of the full colour, full page ones of plot events preceeded the text to accompany them - thus spoiling the surprise.

I have only heard of Salman Rushdie as a fugitive, a free speaker and an author of repute. I had not read a single one of his works until now. It is something I will definitely look into. I came to this book with fresh eyes and can see what all the fuss is about.

Finely written in the tradition of the Arabian Nights tales, this is classic, exotic, storytelling gold. A first class read, it's full of texture, magic and diversity of characters with a gentle peppering of humour for young and old. I appreciated it as a pure fantasy work separate from our world. However it does have relevant messages about freedom of speech, understanding, peace, imagination, the value of traditional culture, and the power of the people - all deftly woven with a subtle strength on a foundation established early in the book. As Haroun realises, that is the point of stories that aren't true: you are entertained and your thoughts are provoked.

Highly recommended!

Knobbly fresh produce FTW!

'"At long last we are going to get crooked cucumbers in our shops. Hooray for Europe!".
British Labour MP Dennis McShane applauds the European Commission's plans to ease restrictions that prevent the sale of knobbly fruit and vegetables as 'class one' goods'
The Independent, London, 16 June, 2008'
Quoted in New Scientist, 21 June, 2008, page 12

Beetle burger

Beetle burger
digital file
2008

Original image from : Chatterbox (1926, Children's Annual), published by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co., London 1926. Artist unknown

Ye olde flavours

Ye olde flavours
digital file
2008

Original image source unknown since I saved this one to make a LOL some time ago. If you can tell me where it's from I will credit it.

BibliOdyssey

If you like art and history combined but you don't check out BibliOdyssey regularly - or [gasp] you have never heard of it - then here's something to whet your appetite. Phwoar! It doesn't get much better than this. You can tell the author loves to fossick out the beautiful, strange and unusual but there is also a history to discover behind every image. The fantastic is complemented by the scientific, with the artistic melding it all together.

The obligatory* book that this popular blog's (Australian) author has published is worth seeking out for more than its wonderfully macabre cover! It inspired me to rummage through my old books and share a few of my favourite vintage clippings here.


*I say this in a good way since many of my favourite sites have accompanying publications.

In Beetle Land

'Where is Beetle Land? In the fields, in the woods, all over the place, or where the flowers and mushrooms grow. Any place where the merry little beetles run about is Beetle Land.'
by P.P. Billinghurst


In Beetle Land - Header, "Perhaps they stop and talk to each other."



In Beetle Land - Header, detail



In Beetle Land - Header, detail 'Land'



"It was very comfortable."



"There was the monster outside his own front door."

From: Chatterbox (1926, Children's Annual), published by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co., London 1926
Unfortunately the artist for these particular illustrations isn't credited, they are not signed, and they are unique in style within the book.

Kitsch Koons meets the Sun King

The regal splendour of Versailles, France is about to house a major retrospective exhibition by sculptor Jeff Koons. It is a strange choice of artist for this Baroque venue, both in nationality and style. Many of the locals aren't happy about it at all. Having perused some of the 17 works online in context I am inclined to understand their view point. Some of these pieces looks cheap* and nasty in these luxurious surrounds: namely the full colour inflatable pool toys. The overtly kitsch, gold accented sculpture of Michael Jackson and Bubbles is a particularly controversial inclusion. I think that one is going to be awful where ever it's exhibited!

However other sculptures displayed at Versailles, both indoors and in the grounds, seem to work in a surreal way. Take the exuberantly pink Balloon Dog. At Versailles this piece is being displayed indoors - unlike in my photograph below - however going by the shot taken of it there I feel that it works.


Balloon Dog in Venice, 2007
digital photograph

It's a bit silly and out of place in these old surrounds, but it's fun. Must art bow its hat to history with great reverence? So what if it isn't high brow? That is not what defines art. Sometimes we forget that visual art doesn't have to be serious or meaningful. It can entertain and make you smile or chuckle as well.

Koons' sculptures are created to stand out and look a little odd anywhere. The oversized scale and mirror surface he uses in many of the pieces ensure that. This style is a modern expression of flashy luxury which may well have been appreciated by King Louis XIV himself!


*They are actually really expensive of course. Koons is the most expensive living artist. British Damien Hirst -also known to court a bit of kitsch but more so controversy - is the world's second most expensive living artist. This is based on sales of their two most expensive works in 2007.

Art Deco 1910–1939 @ NGV International

Art Deco 1910–1939 @ NGV International, was extensive with quite a bit of breadth though I must conclude I found a lot of it clunky and a bit heavy visually. The room reconstructions complete with wall decor were retina burning but I guess they were historically accurate. It was like a walk-through art history class and helped me get a better understanding of the style beyond what I already knew.

Best bits: Cartier, Lalique, US streamlining, The Strand hotel revolving door foyer reconstruction, François Pompon’s bronze Polar bear*, car ornaments made of glass, the original Holden lion sculptures. There was an exquisite cut glass vessel from Scandinavia (I think) owned by H.R.H herself. Colourless, it depicted a 360 view of glass house with women attended to some of the many little potted cacti. The detail was amazing.

I had not attended a Winter Masters NGV show before because none of the previous ones were tempting enough. This one swayed me and I felt it was well worth my time and $ :) Looking forward to seeing what the next one will be.


*Featured on lots of the exhibition merchandise in the gift shop. I was disappointed they didn't have 3D versions of him in glass or metal as a miniature perhaps. They just plastered him all over a range of stuff, and some jewellery.

Man Attacked by Gourd*

In amongst the bits and bobs of antique book bits my father has for resale, I found this intriguing and beautifully rendered clipping:


Orson Lowell
Man Attacked by Gourd*



detail

Orson Lowell was born in 1871. He is best known for his finely penned illustrations for Life magazine where he worked from 1907 into the 1940s.

Online version of Rudyard Kipling's The Brushwood Boy, from 1907, featuring illustrations by Lowell here.

*not actual title :P

Falkor wearing grumpy pants

In my bloggish explorations I came across Monster Brains. Amongst the diversity of monster images on this blog I found one that just begged to be a 'seperated at birth', blog post.

The 17th century image at the top is sourced from here.
The other is Falkor the Luck Dragon from the NeverEnding Story.

A(n Unidentified) Giant Trunk

A GIANT TRUNK
Image from The World at Home, by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby, published by T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1888.

In this book written for 'young people' the species of tree isn't identified. We are told it's in a Brazilian jungle and fifteen 'Indians' can only just reach around it.
'A man can easily get lost behind such trees as these.
If he shouted at the pitch of his voice, his companions could not hear him ; and he might wander about till he died.'
Indeed he might although it's a somewhat non-specific and morbid thought for a kid's book!
[edited 17/8/8]
I expect some artistic license was taken with this illustration so I did a bit of research to see which trees could be the likely suspects. A species of the evergreen, Podocarpus possibly Capitulatis, Nemoralis, or Pratensis may be this tree. Images and descriptions at this site seem consistent with the illustration.

Vintage Cute Overload

Not accepted to the official CO site but meh.

Vintage LOLrus

Vintage LOLrus
digital file
2008

Original image of a walrus hunt from The World at Home, by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby, published by T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1888.

Labyrinth Ball 2008, photos

Last month we attended the Guild of the Golden Owl, annual Labyrinth Masquerade Ball. A huge improvement on last year in just the venue alone which was perfect for such an event. The Regal Ballroom is a gorgeous, classy, heritage ballroom, dressed in gold, cream and red with a soaring ceiling, and obligatory candelabras and crystal chandeliers.




More so than last year, people made quite an effort with their costumes. We hired ours. I was going to wear a huge white wig ala Marie Antoinette - it's something I've wanted to do since seeing the movie with Kirsten Dunst - which is why I went for a very plain mask. However I couldn't get the wig to cooperate with my mask on the night! I wasn't aiming to win the Best Dressed prize* although the wig might have helped get me nominated. I did get plenty of compliments nonetheless which was nice.




Musical chairs this year was bigger. There was no way I was going to play it in that skirt!

My dapper partner had been willing to wear his own snowy, faux, bouffant to match mine and had shaved off his side burns in preparation. I think he looked better without the wig anyway!





There wasn't as much Bowie played or Labyrinth soundtrack, and not all of the music was to my liking. Nonetheless I danced, and my skirt swished about in a bouncy way :)

The crew had put quite an effort together with the decor, staging an art show at the event, getting full colour flyers out. The nibblies were good too. Overall a fine night out I would recommend to anyone who loves the movie/relishes dressing up. I'm already thinking about what I'll do for my outfit next year!

*Thoughts on how to win the Best Dressed Prize at costume event
As someone who has awarded my own party guests with Best Dressed prizes I can tell you that making your own outfit goes a long way.
Attention to detail and a well coordinated outfit from head to toe shows you have put thought and effort into it.
If dressed as a character your cause may be supported by acting like the character.***
For a big event like this one you need to stand out from the crowd so avoid dark colours.
However:
you can accent dark colours with bold colour/sparkly**/furry trims etc;
you can compensate for an all dark outfit by going large.
Big hair/wig, head dress**, skirts, wings***, coat, and mask are some of the ways you can stick out a bit both literally as visually.

**Best Dressed Lady wore mostly black overlaying red with a lovely sequinned head dress featuring red butterflies.
***Best Dressed Gent was a bird. He was flapping about and hugging people :)

My jar of dirt is full of win.

Romping otters!

Fact for the Day
A group of otters is known, appropriately, as a romp.

from the
Website of the Day
Cute Otters

Zoobs Hand @ Socrates

Inspired by the Terminator hand from T2, made from Zoobs @ Socrates, Highpoint Maribyrnong [/plug] ;)

Of squid, snot and kidneys.

C/O The ABC News Feed

Giant Squid's public dissection performed yesterday @ Melbourne's Museum of Victoria

Quote of the day
From an ABC news article about the dissection, with regards to deep sea creatures:
"There's things down there where their entire bodies are made of snot, they've got detachable heads, their teeth fall out, they explode and they eat their snot jackets." Doctor Mark Norman
Cool and yech at the same time!

Headline of the Day
Surgeons pull kidneys out through volunteers' belly-buttons
Best quote from this article
'...a donated kidney must come out intact, "like a rose" ... Dr Gill said.'
My love is like a red red, uh, kidney.

Ghostpatrol - Street Artist

A Stalking Bear
Ghostpatrol
paper door art
At city end of Brunswick Street near Victoria Parade, Melbourne

Ghostpatrol is one of those artists whose work I loved at first sight, and upon seeing more of it love more still. His inspirations include puppetry, children's fairytales, Beatrix Potter, Star Wars, computer games, and characters from pop culture.

You can find his work both in galleries that market to the younger art buyer as well as in the street. His gallery pieces are both 2D drawings and paintings, as well as soft 3D sculptures. His recent works on arrays of pencils are unusual in that the pencils are used as a substrate. Some of his street art is small sticker art, often tucked away and carefully placed in an amusing fashion - a reward for the sharp eyed observer. Others like this brown paper installation, and spray painted murals are considerably bigger. The best areas of Melbourne to keep an eye for his street installations are Fitzroy and the CBD.

Cut Outs

We saw this today and I recommend it. You can also get a cute little button badge from it for free while you're there.

Cut Outs

Curated by Villain
@ Per Square Metre gallery
191-193 Johnston St, Collingwood, Melbourne
Show runs until 8th June

Over 30 artists participate in Villains latest show, CUT OUTS.
Using mediums of wood, metal, cardboard or other substrates and with no limitations,
the artists are free to explore this Cut Out concept.
Villain is taking this one to Per Square Metre gallery.

ADNATE ASH NOLAN ASKEM CLAUDIO MANTUANO DABS DEAM
DREWSTER DVATE GHOSTPATROL ITCH JASON JACENKO JORZZ JUNIOR
KID ZOOM LOUNGE KAT LUKE FELDMAN MEGGS MEPHISTO JONES MISO
MOTHRA MYLA PHIBS POISE PORE REKA SCOTT JANSEN SEAN KELLY
SEAR SEEKAYAM SIDE PROJECT STINK SUBWAY SUDS ZODE

Giant Microbes

Giant Microbes must be the most clever idea ever for plush toys. Not only are they playful and cute, they are educational with a scientific angle. Each one comes with information about the microbe and a picture. Doctors and teachers use them as educational tools. There's nothing else like them and unfortunately you can't get them all over the world. :(

I had not visited their site in a while so I was happy to see they are still going strong and have expanded their range. Now you will find them grouped by type there are that many. You can still get the classic Giant Microbes in the Health group, the Common Cold, The Flu etc. Giardia is a Malady and a favourite of mine. I think it's cool you can buy Scum (Biddulphia)

There has been some artistic license taken, while still maintaining the correct forms and proportions. Most notable, clever and amusing are in no particular order:
Flesh Eating bacteria with embroided knife and fork;
Chicken pox resembles a chicken because of the colours chosen;
Heartworm has a collar with an embroided heart tag;
HIV wears a red ribbon;
MRSA, a Superbug, has a cape!


Right now I've got this one in my system:


As opposed to this one:


Here's an informative article which answers the age old question
What's the difference between the Common Cold and a Flu?
So having read this and visited the link, the next time you feel ill - with snottiness and so forth - you will not only know what ails you but now you have an idea of what the little bugger looks like!

Splendid nudibranches

Check out the amazing nudibranch (pronouced nood-ei-brank) photographs at National Geographic online.

A variation on a sea slug - technically they aren't sea slugs - their ancestors were snails. You could think of them as emancipated snails who shed the oppression of shells in favour of flamboyance and toxins. Hot damn, they're proud of it! :P

What curiously splendid creatures they are, with such gorgeous colours and baroque shapes. Note how small many of them are. So fantastic if you didn't know they were real you would think an artist dreamed them up and sculpted them in ceramics, or built them in a computer.

My favourites are:
Chromodoris dianae (4th image)
Flabellina exoptata (8th image)
Hypselodoris sp. (2nd of the second white background grouping)
Chromodoris sp. (as featured on Cute Overload aka 'Pimp Slug, McSluggersons' 4th last)
Mexichromis mariei (last)

Read the accompanying NG article here.
See more images, learn more about nudibranches, in the NG video here.

Bottled water

I'd always suspected it was a bit wasteful to keep buying bottled water instead of refilling a bottle - even a 'disposable' one - with tap water several times.

This article at Smithsonian magazine online is an eye opener.

You don't realise how much extra water goes into making that bottle of water for you or how much energy is consumed both in making the bottle and transporting it to you. The reality is, most tap water is fine to drink and it actually doesn't taste much different, particularly if it's cooler than room temperature (pop an ice cube in there). The key to reusing any bottle is to wash it out with warm, mildly soapy water regularly - if not everyday - and let it dry out completely.

Guild of the Golden Owl

As I wrote previously I would provide an update on the 2008 Melbourne, Labyrinth Ball. There is now an official website so you can find all you need to know there.
Guild of the Golden Owl, the official Melbourne, Labyrinth Masquerade Ball website

I <3 beautiful scientific illustrations

C/O the Flying Trilobite blog, beautiful scientific illustration by Emily S. Damstra.