matouenpeluche

What I've been up to...

Above is a drawing I did of two sisters over the weekend. It's called Sisters II because I already have a Sisters I as you may or may not recall. I've actually realised that I have a thing for drawing two gals together and that I have well over five "two gals together" prints in my shop now! I think I like the idea of sisters or best friends, compadres if you like. ...and these two gals are in my shop!

 

Also on the weekend, I went to The Museum of Sydney to check out the Martin Sharp retrospective exhibition. Sharp is a famous Sydney pop artist but more on him later - he deserves an entire post to himself - I'm thinking later in the week with any chance! However, I went to the shop at the museum and found some choice Sydney Harbour Bridge painting and lithograph postcards! Yippee because I collect postcards and images from the '30s of the bridge! Here above Sydney Bridge Celebrations 1932 by Adrian Feint, a front cover illustration of The Sydney Mail 1930 by 'F.W' and Building the Bridge by Ralph Emmerson Curtis 1933.

...and I've been thoroughly enjoying wearing the two delightfully pretty rings by Christina of Etsy shop Down and Out Chic (this is her gorgeous blog) seen here above on the right being modelled by Clyde that naughty rabbit. On the left Clyde is modelling a sweet pair of earrings handmade by Gabbi of beautiful blog Felinofelice! I feel very lucky indeed to have these in my earring collection - thank you so much Gabbi!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week!

Shadow Shot Sunday!

This is my Shadow Shot Sunday snap for the week! It's an architectural ornament on the roof of a building in Macleay Street Potts Point. It's a birdie type thing sitting in a crown/ foliage type thing.

 

 Shadow Shot Sunday is a fabulous meme hosted by that top gal Tracy of Hey Harriet. All are welcome to enter - here are the rules on how to do so.

 

...and don't forget to enter my COMPETITION! You could win three of my prints! Entries close tonight at midnight.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

On the street where I live + Shadow Shot Sunday

This is my Shadow Shot Sunday photo of one of my favourite streets in Sydney and I feel very lucky indeed to live just around the corner from it. It's called Macleay Street and it runs from Kings Cross down to Potts Point where it turns into Wylde Street and then curves down the hill past the naval vessels moored at Woolloomoolloo/ Garden Island and Russell Crowe's house!! True!

Shadow Shot Sunday is a terrific meme set up by all round good guy Tracy of Hey Harriet fame! Anyone can enter...here are the instructions on how to do so!

...and here are some more shots along this pretty street...

A Classic Sydney Walk.

As promised, here are my Sunday walk happy snaps! 1) The impressive sea themed Custom's House crest. 2) Luna Park - Sydney's Coney Island. N.B. the two spikes either side of the face are copies of The Chrysler building in New York! 3) Fort Denison,an old convict prison that was fondly (!) known as "Pinch Gut" to it's prisoners due to this small island's lack of food. 4) The Sydney Harbour Bridge. 5) Government House in The Botanic Gardens. 6) & 7) Tulips and more tulips from the Botanic Gardens.

It was perfect weather yesterday for a classic Sydney Harbour walk. It was amazingly warm which has inadvertently thrown me into a right spin about what to wear! I'm going to have to dig out all my summer clothes.

Hope everyone else had a grand weekend too!!

Gabriela, Robert and Florence.

First of all, the Gabriela part: Behold! Another drawing from my weekend drawing festival! This is the very fetching Gabriela. She is a star absolutely and you can find her here in my shop!

...and now for the Robert part!

I have been a huge admirer of this magnificent 3 tiered cast iron Sydney fountain for a while and every time I walk past it I think "I must take a photo of that magnificent fountain for my blog because I just think it's lovely!" Finally, last Sunday I managed to have my camera with me as I walked past.

This fountain was made in a factory in Colebrookdale (UK) and installed in 1907 in the grounds of Sydney's oldest hospital which is now the Sydney Eye Hospital. It was dedicated to the memory of Robert Brough.

Robert Brough was an English actor who came to Sydney in 1870 with his wife and together they were incredibly popular and well loved particularly for their musical comedy routines. So, when Robert died in 1906 it was thought a memorial of some description needed to be erected. So, this lovely fountain is it!

 

In the close ups above you can see the brolgas and the Australian black swans that surround two of the tiers. It has a particularly Australian flavour to it yet it reminds me of something out of Alice in Wonderland.    

Now for the Florence part!

In the picture below you can see the fountain again and behind it a very attractive Gothic revival building which was actually designed by Florence Nightingale. It is The Nightingale Wing and was built in 1869 to house the first nursing school in Sydney and perhaps one of the first in the world. It is now houses a museum which is full of nursing memorabilia and grisly medical specimens floating in jars of formaldehyde.

Good luck with hump day everyone!

Architectural geekery.

From time to time, I like to wander around the city and take photos of buildings that particularly tickle my fancy. Anything Art Deco always gets my camera out as does a fine piece of Victorian detailing.

Above, in all its Art Deco splendour, is Wynyard or Railway House as it's officially known as. It's the classic Deco green terracotta tile cladding with the mushroom coloured granite that really gets me going!

Did you know that Brian Singer's "Superman" used this glorious building for The Daily Planet? I walked past a couple of times while they were filming and I nearly caught sight of Kate Bosworth and her then boyfriend Orlando Swoon...ahem Bloom..gazing into each other's eyes.

This piece of fine plaster work is from another era entirely. It's from the Trades Hall a building that was owned by the Trades Hall Association, the original trade union affiliates who built the hall in 1888. This bit of lovely Art Nouveau was casually tucked away in some corridor. 

This last photo is one I risked life and limb for! Well, not really but it was a scary photo to take as I had to dangle over the railing of a very high stairwell. It was taken in a grand old Victorian building that is still used and loved today: The Department of Lands Building. I'm a real sucker for black and white tiled floors! 

New York, New York

*Sigh* New York, New York! As it's the 4th of July tomorrow I thought a bit of my all time favourite dreamy city was in order. Actually, it is my secret desire to do a zig zaggy road trip from one coast of America to the other and visit as many states as possible in between. But at some stage, I'd most definitely have to have an extended stop over in the Big Apple!

Happy Friday everyone and a special Happy 4th of July to all your gorgeous folk in the U.S of A!

 

 

 

All photos are from Conde Nast.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday folks!

Yesterday, I found my equivalent of the website holy grail. I shouldn't say that actually because maybe everyone's known about this site forever! Anyway, for those of you who don't: Conde Nast Store (pardon the lack of an acute over that last "e"!). Wow wee! Talk about heaven! Practically all of the most classic fashion illustrations and photographs from the 20th Century in the one spot! I think I'll be doing some serious browsing there a couple of weeks before my birthday!

 

 

Meet Nina Clough of artquirk.

This week I interviewed an amazing artist from Hampshire, England : Nina Clough. Nina has an Etsy shop, artquirk, full to the brim with delightful illustrations of the Little Red Riding Hood story and handsome portraits of houses and streets in Europe.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live by the sea in Hampshire in England, and I spend one half of my week as artquirk the artist, and the other half as Nina the library assistant. I love the book, it's form, smell and paper so that's probably why I became an illustrator.

Since graduating from university, I have spent a lot of my time drawing architecture and people. I love things with character and age and stories on their faces. I have recently developed a new pleasure in designing wedding stationary as I am getting married in the autumn and I just can't help but get creative. We also bought a poor, neglected house 18 months ago and decorating it has been great fun. In fact, that is how I met matouenpeluche, buying beautiful artwork for my Deco inspired bathroom!

What first made you want to become an artist?

I don't remember ever having a choice in becoming an artist - it's just the way it went! I remember being put in a special Friday afternoon art class at primary school aged about 5 as the teachers thought i was quite good and i enjoyed it. I've just always wanted to study art and draw and don't know what else I would do. It's not the easiest, most lucrative profession, but I'd rather be poor and painting than stressed in the office! I used to be good at maths when I was younger and was tempted to become an architect but stupidly couldn't bare seven more years of education. Maybe one day I'll go back to uni and study to be the next Frank Lloyd Wright.....

 

Who are your favourite artists at the moment?

I'm useless at remembering names and my eye is too distracted to follow other artists. I know when I see something I like but don't ask me who it's by! My classic favourites are L.S. Lowry, Quentin Blake, Janis Brekte, Toulouse-Lautrec, David Gentleman, Aubrey Beardsley and anyone who has a beautiful quality of line, or bold use of colour. More modern faves include William Low, Claire Rollet and Ian Phillips. I am drawn to colours and shapes and any artist who appreciates a good cityscape!

What are your top five favourite movies at the moment?

I am actually quite a critical film watcher so my top 5 is quite tricky. If I base it on films I am happy to watch over and over again, my list includes Sideways as it's beautifully funny, Stand By Me for when I feel like I need a good cry, Aliens for when I need a bit of a scare, The Signs because I like a twist, and finally I'll have to say The Goonies, because i will always be a kid at heart and would have loved an adventure like that! 

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

In 10 years time I would like to own a plot of land in Cornwall, build a house, run a campsite, grow my own fruit and veg, have some ducks running around and still be drawing and painting. I fancy the Beatrix Potter lifestyle! Maybe I will have found myself an agent or had my work published somewhere, but who knows?! I've always thought that building you're own home is the ultimate dream in life. It won't be big and fancy but it will be great fun to do!! I will always paint and it would be an added delight if it makes me enough money to live off, but if not, I am happy knowing people out there like what I can do with a bit of ink!

A big thank you Nina for taking the time to answer my questions! The pieces here can all be found in Nina's shop artquirk.From top: Little REd Riding Hood Reaches Grandma's House, Little Red Riding Hood Meets the Wolf, Brighton Lanes II, Edinburgh Windows and Prague Castle Walls.

ANZAC Day.

Today, 25th April, is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC Day is a spiritual and solemn day that was established in 1915 to commemorate the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in Gallipoli, Turkey during World War I. This was Australia's and New Zealand's first major overseas conflict. Today, it is a day to remember all conflicts that the Australian and New Zealand defence forces have been in. It begins with dawn services all over the country and there are also marches of all veterens from all conflicts in most towns and cities in the country.

To mark this day, I thought I'd introduce you to a war memorial not far from where I live: the El Alamein fountain. It is in the heart of Kings Cross at the entrance to the Fitzroy Gardens. Built as a memorial to the soldiers that fought and died in two battles in El Alamein , Egypt in 1942 it is easily one of the loveliest fountains in Sydney.

It was designed by New Zealand architect Bob Woodward and was completed in 1961. It has been described as looking like a "blown thistle" and a "dandelion" and looks positively magical at night when it is illuminated.