matouenpeluche

Let's learn French with the cat!

Thanks to the cat, we now know how to say the following in French:

"What's new?"
"What's that?"
"Don't talk to me."
"Exercise is good for me."
"I don't know the answer."
"I like reading books."
"I am very tired."
"I love soccer."

Lionel and the Cherry Blossoms

This is Lionel relaxing in the garden under the cherry blossom tree after watching the march between Argentina and Nigeria.

Armando

This is Armando doing what he does best - dribble a fluffy blue pom pom around the living room floor. Have you been watching the World Cup? I have been for the first time ever and it's been very interesting. Although, the more I watch it, the more difficult it seems and the more complicated. I like that there is a strong element of luck there in addition to the players' mad skills and strategic game plan. Despite all the solid predictions in the world, you can never be 100% certain who will win and by how much.

Rides a Bike

I came across a fairly specific blog the other day. It's called Rides a Bike and it only posts photos of famous Hollywood (mostly) actors riding bikes. Stephen Rea, the blog's author, has even put out a book called Hollywood Rides a Bike. Hmmm...interesting! 

 

All images from here.

My intentions...

Let it be known that I fully intend to go swimming this summer and I have chosen a pool in which to do so! Every year without fail I say "I am going to go swimming on a regular basis this year!" ...and then I don't. However, this year it will be different *ahem*. So, to prove my intentions are serious I did a recce at the weekend to check out a possible location for the aforementioned swimming thing. I thought the beautiful Red Leaf harbour pool could be a suitable spot. It looks quite enticing, don't you think?

Who knows? I may even buy a bathing cap too as an added incentive! :0)

 The two photos of the bathing beauties are from here and here.

Happy Weekend!

 

 It is the weekend! What do you think about these two cuties at their jazzercise class? This piece of loveliness, You Can do it!, is by Canadian artist Helen Dardik. She has a shop full of other gorgeous prints here ----> Orange Studio by Helen Dardik.

Meanwhile, the weather has most definitely cooled a little here in Sydney which is the best news as I think we've just finished a particularly gruelling hot, hot, humid summer. So, with any luck, I'm going to go for a walk sometime this weekend and on Sunday visit these two pretty gardens in Birchgrove (Wyoming House):

...and Balmain (Ewenton House garden):

These two gardens are open to the public as part of the Open Gardens scheme that runs in all states. My Dad and I have been going along to them for several years now and we've been lucky enough to see some spectacular gardens that ordinarily we'd never have the opportunity to get so much as a peek at. So thank you Open Gardens!

 

I hope everyone has a super lovely weekend!

 

First photo from here and second from here.

 

The Year in Review: 2010

These photos are from top: The northern lights as seen through the ash that exploded into the atmosphere at the beginning of the year from that volcano in Iceland, hay bales along a beach in the Gulf of Mexico absorbing the oil from the BP oil spill, twin girls in Ireland after their first communion, champions Spain at the end of The World Cup.

With only a few days left of the year 2010 most newspapers and websites are doing round ups for the year that was. I've seen a few, and for my money you can't go past The Guardian.

Femme Fatales and words from the wise...

 
 
Femme Fatale

Well I didn't get through most of my "To Do" list this weekend but I shall endeavour to attempt them once again next weekend. As always I got totally absorbed in my Saturday drawing festival - it's just too much fun and too all encompassing to put the pencils, pastels and charcoals down and stop!

Top is "Femme Fatale" which literally means "Deadly Woman" in French! She is a ravishingly attractive temptress who tends to lead men astray. She is the classic film noir heroine. "Femme Fatale" is also the title of a a pretty groovy song written by Lou Reed  which appeared on the first Velvet Underground album: The Velvet Underground & Nico. He wrote it about Edie Sedgwick the "it" girl of the early 60s and Warhol's muse for a few years. 

Below is something completely different! The Great Auk utters his pearls of wisdom which I felt were particularly appropriate today seeing as it was a Monday.

The Great Auk has spoken!

I think Monday was a a bit tricky for me today because I had such a lovely walk yesterday. It was a stunning autumnal day here here in Sydney which was perfect for an epic harbour foreshore walk. Below are some photos of a yacht race that we passed at around 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

I thought they looked so pretty with those red sails! 

Hope everyone else had a lovely weekend too!

Renée Perle : Jacques Henri Lartigue

(All images above from here)

The lovely Romanian model Renée Perle was photographer and painter Jacques Henri Lartigue's (1894 – 1986) muse and girlfriend. Although Lartigue is most famously known for hs photos of racing cars at the French Grand prix, the photos of Perle are classics of their time. Isn't she lovely?

Here are some more of Lartigue's photos. Incidentally, did you know that Wes Anderson is a huge Lartigue fan and has paid homage to him in his films Rushmore and The Life Acquatic with Steve Zissou (the protrait of Lord Mandrake in the movie is based on a photo of Lartigue). 

(Image from here)

(Image from here)

(Image from here)

A Day at the Races

In Australia we have a major sporting event coming up soon. It's called The Melbourne Cup. This is the 3 minute horse race which famously "stops the nation". Literally. If you happen to be walking the streets of any city in Australia whilst the race is on you will feel like an extra out of Omega Man as you'll be entirely alone. Everyone else in indoors with their hats on eyes glued to the screen clutching their horse betting slips to their breast. It's on every year on the first Tuesday of November.

...and everyone has to wear a hat. I mean everyone. So, as you can imagine the shops here are full to the brim (sorry) with hats. Which leads me to my latest drawing: A Day at the Races! This lovely young thing wearing part fascinator part retro '40s glam hat is now in my shop! You can find her HERE.