Pull up a chair

I think this might well be the very first art installation that I have ever blogged about! I must admit that I know very little about modern art and in truth, I am seldom a fan of it but every once in a while I find something that I feel warrants my full attention and today’s post is an example of that. The installation was created by Chinese born contemporary artist Ai Weiwei and was displayed at the 2013 Venice Art Biennale. Typically every Chinese family has at least one stool that serves a range of purposes and is then passed down through generations but these simple wooden objects have declined in production and have been replaced with generic metal and plastic stools. I’m probably not doing a very good job of describing a poignant meaning behind the installation so I’ll leave that up to the professionals but I’ll just say that in my humble opinion, I thought it was freaking amazing!

Images via

Coastal Medicine…

It recently occurred to me that the one and only time I feel truly relaxed is when I am on the beach staring out over the water with my toes wedged firmly in the sand. I am pulled in by the drama or the serenity of the water, the sticky sweet smell of the air and the mesmerising sounds. You can keep your massages, tai-chi and anxiety meds – give me an hour on the beach and I am in bliss! It is for this reason that I am drawn to the work of Mark MacKinnon (if the name is familiar to you, it’s because I have blogged about his other work here…) I am not quite sure how he manages it but he captures the calm mood of the sea beautifully. When I look at these pictures, I feel like closing my eyes and taking a deep breath to see if I can smell the ocean.

          All images via The Art Movement

A new discovery…

Image via Pinterest

I was browsing online for Christmas presents… for the family… ok, maybe I might have been looking for presents for me! Anyways, I came across a beautiful framed print (from John Lewis of all places) and it was love at first sight! I did a little research and found out that it was done by Wiltshire-based artist Sally Swanell. If you asked me to conjure up a picture of my dream home, it would look a little something like Sally Swanell’s prints – the little red brick chimneys, sprawling grounds and dormer windows have been plucked right out of my dream home fantasies!  The Christmas prints are particularly charming but my favourite has got to be the ‘Manor House’ in the 2nd picture below…

Let’s talk about some fabulous art!

Well it’s hardly surprising that I’ve got travelling on the brain again! My love of travelling extends to how I decorate our home, what we eat for dinner, what clothing I wear and even what art I enjoy. I came across the photography collages of Russian artist Serge Mendzhiyskogo and had to share them. The images (mostly of urban landscapes) are created by cutting up hundreds of photographs into strips and then putting them back together again to create a complex, slightly distorted picture. I love the energy and depth this technique creates. It reminds me a little bit of looking into a kaleidoscope! You like?

Images found here.

The power of colour…

Happy hump day everyone! Nearly there now! I know that I despair about the weather on a regular basis here in blogland (apologies, I am trying to break the habit of a lifetime!) so today I thought I would make up for it. We have had a very grey, rainy month but today the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky! To celebrate this momentous occasion, I am posting some bright summery images to match my mood! 

Click on the images to go to their source.