Just a little birdhouse for the soul
Brilliant birdhouses by the very talented San Franciscan artist and signwriter Jeff Canham. They are in short supply but are available from time to time from the curiosityshoppeonline.com.
Art & Design
Granny Green’s Big Night Out, Edinburgh
Granny Green’s Big Night Out is a weekly gathering of crafters and creatives based in Edinburgh. Open to all, the group is a mixture of skilled and beginners, old and young, professionals and hobbyists, male and female. The group meets every Monday night from 6-8pm at the Red Squirrel pub, 21 Lothian Road, Edinburgh and everyone is assured of a warm welcome. There are regular craft drop-ins where you can
'Factories' by John Spinks
Fantastically Dickensian and emotive images by John Spinks as part of his Factories project of 2010. The photographs were taken in the English factories of clothing manufacturer Albam and describe the world of those who cut and stitch. Those scissors obviously start to hurt after a lifetime of use.
Knit Happens! Knit Your Own Dog
A stitch in time saves on the vet’s bills with Knit Your Own Dog, created by expert knitters and dog-lovers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. First there was a book Best in Show: Knit Your Own Dog with knitting patterns for 25 different breed of dogs then followed the website selling individual patterns and a best in show competition featuring customers’ best efforts. You can also mix and match, knitting your
Spotted at Tate Modern: Yayoi Kusama
Aged 82, Yayoi Kusama’s largest UK exhibition of her work opens today, 9 February at Tate Modern, London. Earlier this year she also announced a design collaboration with Louis Vuitton. At the start of her ninth decade her profile in the west may be about to equal her position as Japan’s most prominent contemporary artist. To the public, her art looks fun, and it is, but the work is very much a
Nicolas le Moigne at The Libby Sellers Gallery
One of Switzerland’s most celebrated product and furniture designers has his first solo show in London. The work of Nicolas Le Moigne, which has been described as ‘artisanal yet industrial, sophisticated yet without guile’ can be seen at The Libby Sellers Gallery from today. One of Le Moigne’s most noted pieces is a public clock which spells out the time in words. It was made for the city of Geneva
The unsung Swede behind Californian cool
A relatively unsung female designer was a significant influence on the breezy, mid century style for which California is known. Greta Magnusson Grossman emigrated to America from her native Sweden (where she was already a prolific industrial designer and architect) in 1940. She arrived claiming that all she needed in her new LA home was a ‘a car and a pair of shorts’. The unique approach she brought with her
Mid-century modern, sunshine and parties
Mid-century design laced with sunshine and optimism plus Modernism and rat-pack glamour. Where else but southern California? A new exhibition, California Design: 1930-1965, is at LACMA and includes a full recreation of Charles and Ray Eames Pacific Pallisades Interior (below) and the ever popular Airstream caravan. It has been praised by the LA Times for its detail and inclusion of lesser known artists as well as the usual suspects. A
Enjoy every sandwich with Brittany Powell
Artist Brittany Powell has created sandwich art as one of her ‘low-commitment projects – making stuff happen with little time and energy.’ Powell, who is based in Oregon, and fellow artist Tae Kitakata, who lives in Hawaii, are taking it in turns to post a low commitment project every Monday throughout 2012. From Mondrian (above) to Damian Hirst below modern art lends itself perfectly to the sandwich medium: Canaletto might
China in my hand: ceramic coasters to covet
Coasters have always been aggressive little items to my mind. There’s nothing like a beady hostess thrusting one between your coffee cup and her highly polished surfaces to put you off your social stride. There are lots of great ones about these days though and, now that we’re all about preserving our possessions properly, I guess it’s time to embrace the coaster. These brilliant polaroid ones from London based Just