Embracing Autumn

I love this crafty idea utilising autumn leaves from Emily Isabella. I have always admired art that uses materials that we overlook in our everyday lives- something as simple as a leaf can be rescued and transformed in to something that looks so pretty.   

I think that this is a great little project to get stuck into whilst the cold winter nights loom in. With a cup of tea and Downton Abbey on I can imagine this being rather therapeutic. The leaves could even be strung together to create garlands, now there’s a Christmas decoration idea!

Quintessentially English

‘England is a green and pleasant land’ according to the official site of ‘Visit England’

Hear, hear- how very humbly worded, how very polite and … underwhelming somewhat, wouldn’t you agree?!

Anyway, I go off piste.. for the subject of todays post is English Country Cottages, so without further ado, lets get exploring!

I stumbled upon a fantastic website that was brimming with hundreds of beautiful images of serene countryside and chocolate box thatched cottages. I fell in love instantly and was immediately fantasising about how I could and should be living in one of these!

So a very warm welcome to a selection of some quintessentially English abodes.. a girl can but dream..

Come Fly With Me

I absolutely love this image by South Korean artist Ho- Yeol Ryu. It is entitled ‘Flughafen’ which translates from German to ‘airport’ and documents multiple aircraft taking off from Hannover airport in Germany.

His intention is to draw our awareness to the high level of air traffic and the impact that this is having on our environment and on our climate. In my opinion he totally succeeds in creating a mesmerising, thought provoking image. Personally, I find the image stunning and simultaneously bleak and quite overwhelming. Can you believe how many aircraft roam our skies above us each and every day? Each on their own journey, their separate paths around the world to deliver us to our families or to our long awaited holiday destinations. And this happens all so seamlessly, so safely.. I can’t believe what a fantastic and incredibly testing job these air traffic controllers do on a daily basis, and this image really hits that home.

Many times after finishing a flight and getting in to my car to head home I have stopped to watch the aircraft land. It is inconceivable to me the amount of planes that I will watch glide towards the runway in a mere matter of minutes. Yet beyond that awe and incomprehension I must admit that I rarely connect this to the impact it must be having on our environment.

Admittedly I have loved the above image since I stumbled upon it over a year ago. Yet I hadn’t done any research into its concept until just today- before that it was just an intrigueing, whimsical composition. Apparently a plane lands every second in our major airports and air traffic is expected to double over the next twenty years. I can understand that the impact of flying on our environment can be a heated discussion for some, I haven’t got all the facts or the knowledge to be able to give a valued opinion of my own just yet, however after having some insight in to Ho- Yeol Ryu’s image I am certainly going to start a little research of my own.

Art has the power to provoke thought and debate and this image certainly does its concept justice.

Anyway, that’s enough chat from me, now for another image. I am not entirely sure who this one belongs to, however it could be a still from a film that American photographer Cy Kuckenbaker shot- another thought provoking layering of air traffic.

My Collection of Perfume

Over the years my perfume collection has grown steadily- from christmas presents to little duty free treats; I officially have enough perfumes to wear a different one each day of the week. And they’re pretty to look at so I am happy I have got some kind of display going on now. Also, it wasn’t until I photographed these that I realised the bottles are either gold or purple- either a coincidence or a subconscious lure towards my favourite colours. 

Left to right: Stella McCartney Limited Edition The Print Collection, Guilty by Gucci, J’adore by Dior, See by Chloe

The little one at the font is a fragrance I bought in an Egyptian market called Cleopatra. 

 

From left to right: Daisy by Marc Jacobs (British Airways Limited Edition duty free), Pure Poison by Dior

In the forefront is a unnamed fragrance that i bought in a Souk in Kuwait.

Fragrances carry a lot of nostalgia- whether it is the scent that transports you back to a memory of many years past, or the sentimental value it has as a precious gift from a loved one. The most notable scents for me are ‘Pure Poison’ by Dior because it takes me back to my University days and more specifically whenever I was getting ready for a night out I would always spritz this before heading out the door. ‘See’ by Chloe reminds me of when I was training for my job as cabin crew, with its many connotations of hard work and tiredness!

The scents that I have bought on holiday take me back to that very memory of pondering the many fragrances and finally selecting the one.

It’s funny how other peoples fragrances can also have such an effect. Even just a brief whiff of someones perfume walking down the street can instantly remind you of someone else. 

For me perfume has become an accessory- something that I can match to my mood or to the occasion and yet another thing to spend my pennies on as my collection grows! 

 

 

My Knitwear Staples

I love snuggly knitwear- if it’s a chunky cable number then I’m probably going to love it. I have a fair few said items hanging in my wardrobe, they’re my autumn/winter essentials and so easy to throw on with a pair of black skinny jeans and boots. In our village on a Friday night I quite often dress one up with a pair of heeled boots and some jewellery to head down to the pub. It’s definitely my go to outfit for most of winter- so easy to layer up on those colder days and there are so many styles and patterns to choose from you can really go to town! Here’s a collection of my favourites from my wardrobe

From left to right: Warehouse (last years collection), Miss Selfridge (last years collection), River Island £35, BHS £25

And here’s a typical outfit, I would swap the heels for flats during the day (black jeggings: Dorothy Perkins £20, boots: Zara  £29.99)

Arty, Organising Goodness

After my recent blogging lull I want to introduce something to this blog that I haven’t divulged much of so far.Three years ago I graduated University with a degree in fine art- for a number of years afterwards I pursued an artistic career before landing my current job as cabin crew.

Since then I have really missed being creative and being able to translate my thoughts and ideas through pencil to paper or the many other ways of creating things.

Just before I started my new job I took it upon myself to start a fresh by throwing out many of my art materials with the intention of clearing up our spare bedroom. In hindsight although it seemed a bit rash I am glad that I did- it has meant that I can start over with my art practice and try new things. For example, I always sculpted before, where as now I am excited to buy some canvases and start painting. Painting is so therapeutic and all is needed is a small space for an easel and some paints..perfect when I don’t want to get the house too messy.

Anyway, the canvases are not yet bought so to satisfy my sudden urge to get creating I started off by dragging out some of my boxes of art supplies.

After sifting through balls of string, bottles of glitter and boxes of beads I decided that instead of spending the rest of the afternoon creating something long lasting I would simply use the materials to hand to create something a little more ephemeral.

I started off by collecting all the items that were circular- for example rolls of tape and tins of glitter. I expanded my horizons by rummaging around in the kitchen and the living room- finding clocks and pieces of bread to arrange in to circles. I then went about by organising them in a composition that I found satisfactory! This meant lots of arranging and rearranging to find a composition that was pleasing to the eye. I must admit that organising objects is really quite relaxing and it was fun using my imagination to find objects- see if you can spot a cactus!

I really enjoyed this mini project and will be setting myself more for the future and documenting them on this blog. Happy creating!