Monday, March 30, 2009

earth hour 09

I'd had the best of intentions to have an Earth Hour hootananny at my place this past Saturday evening, but then decided that my flat still isn't visitor-friendly, seeing as how I have no chairs, no table, and really nowhere for any more than two people to hang out at any one time. I also had visions of knocking over tealights and setting fire to my neighbours bungalows, all in close proximity. Regardless, Earth Hour 2009 went on without us, and my friend Bridget and I did our best, sitting outside with candles lit and copious amounts of wine (my ecological response to most Saturday evenings, admittedly). If you're not familiar with the concept, Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007, and quickly grew into a global observance. More than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday March 28th, as homes, office towers and landmarks turned off their lights for an hour starting at 8.30 pm local time to raise awareness about climate change and the threat from rising greenhouse gas emissions. Collected here are a series of before-and-after photographs - which (starting with the second one below) will fade between on and off when clicked. Pretty cool stuff.

Friday, March 27, 2009

off the planet


Am having a blast-from-the-past moment and remembering one of my favourite commercials.. Levi's Reach For The Sky, directed by Jonathan Glazer (soundtrack by Handel!), back in 2001. The most expensive advert at the time of release.

land ho...

Your Love Is The Anchor by British illustrator Ellie Cryer...

sewn in...

I Love You So Much It Breaks My Heart by Joetta Maue on Etsy...

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

mia delcasino

San Diego based artist Mia DelCasino is one of my favorite photographers. Her work is breathtakingly ethereal and really needs to be viewed up close and personal in order to appreciate the full force of its beauty (the pieces are rather large in actuality). Congratulations to Mia, who just won an honor of distinction accolade in the annual Photography Masters Cup for her piece Kerry Blue (top). May your photographic talents continue to reflect the inner and outer beauty that you yourself possess (whoop-whoop!).

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

paper source

When not leading the glamorous vida loca as assistant to a television producer, I can also be found working the register (or cutting a yard of ribbon, or providing a stamp embossing demonstration, or helping foolish young couples in love choose their wedding invitations...), at Paper Source in Pasadena. Seeing as how I've been a paper junkie from a very early age, it's pretty much like allowing a crack addict be a drug pusher. I clock in, look around me, and immediately my eyes begin to glaze over and I start to drool a little... and then I get really helpful and annoying and adopt a deliriously peppy attitude. Yes, I am that person in a store who will yell "Hellooooo" at you the minute you step foot in the door. I wear my Paper Source badge with pride, yo.

rob ryan

I randomly stumbled across Rob Ryan's book This Is For You one afternoon while browsing in the Muswell Hill Book Store, and I've been a fan ever since. This Is For You is a fairytale told through paper cut-out art, which explores the themes of love and loneliness. Rob is a British artist who specializes in papercutting and screen-printing, and who has a Masters in printmaking from the Royal College of Art.
'YOU HAVE ALREADY GONE TO BED. I STAY UP TO KEEP DRINKING AND LISTEN TO MUSIC AND MY GOD IT SOUNDS GOOD. PEOPLE KEEP ON MAKING GREAT MUSIC. BUT THERE ARE ONLY DO MANY NOTES AND ORDERS TO PUT THEM IN. HOW DO THEY DO IT?? HUMAN BEINGS SO RELENTLESS IT BREAKS YOUR HEART. JUST WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON THEM ALTOGETHER – THE SHIT WAY THEY TREAT EACH OTHER – AND THEN YOU HEAR A SONG SO TRUE AND BEAUTIFUL YOU INSTANTLY FORGIVE THEM EVERYTHING AND HEAR THEIR REAL VOICE “I KNOW I DO WRONG BUT I REALLY WANT TO TRY TO BE GOOD.” AND THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT MY DEATH AND ALL THE GREAT MUSIC THAT WOULD BE MADE FROM THAT DAY ON AND I WOULDN’T GET TO HEAR A SINGLE NOTE. AND I CRIED TEARS OF 100% SELFISH JEALOUSY. JEALOUS OF SOMETHING YET EVEN TO HAPPEN THAT WOULD NEVER AFFECT MY ROTTING DECOMPOSING CORPSE. THE HOT LITTL TEARS OF THE CHILD WHO WANTED EVERYTHING.'

''THIS BELL WILL RING WHEN I AM CRUEL TO YOU AND MAKE YOU CRY' and 'THIS BELL WILL RING WHEN WE GO BOWLING NEXT'

wall art

I've been looking around for some art work to adorn the walls of my new (and very bare) pad in Venice Beach. I am obsessing over these pieces that I came across on Etsy... 1. I Can't See Past You by Julia Pott, a freelance illustrator/animator based in East London; 2. Charmed, I'm Sure, a letterpress print by Honey Lux Press; 3. Screaming Bird, by Andrea Zuill, which makes me laugh every time I look at it; 4. Lina Stores on Brewer Street in Soho, which I used to pass regularly when I lived in London... Amazingly, the pieces themselves are all very inexpensive (they range from $5.00 to $32.00) - the framing will no doubt cost more than the art work...

paddle out polaroid

Love this polaroid transfer of a surfer girl by She Hit Pause on Etsy...