Posts tagged art
Rock+Paper+Scissors – A New Crafterie in Lincoln
03 months ago
Last week a new cafe opened in Lincoln. A friend and I went to check it out at the end of the week and I think it’s fair to say we both fell in love with the place.
Rock+Paper+Scissors is a “crafterie”, that is, a cafe, a place to do crafts, and a shop. Run by Elizabeth and Michelle, who have both moved back to Lincoln (they were both at Uni in Lincoln) after a little time away, it is a little shop on Guildhall Street, offering something quite different to any of the other cafes and tea shops dotted about. A place to socialise and try your hand at various arts and crafts, as well as somewhere to buy locally sourced gifts from cushions to prints and jewellery to tea towels.
Laura and I sat and chatted with Lizzie and Michelle for ages. They told us what life has been like since Uni, that they both went off to try their hands at all sorts, but that they were called back to Lincoln because they loved the place. They wanted to bring something different to Lincoln, something artsy, something vintage, something social. The idea seems to have come from wanting to create something where they could both spend time with interesting people, something hands on where they could interact with their customers as well as teach and learn at the same time.
They served us loose leaf Darjeeling Earl Grey tea in a massive teapot and little mismatched bone china tea cups and saucers. We had a slice of gooey lemon cake, home made of course. It was divine. What a wonderful way to spend a lunch break.
It’s so cute. Browsing through the wares on sale I found so many things I could easily have bought. Local artists and crafters are able to use the shop to sell their hand made items, it’s going to be a great place to find gifts for friends and family. I particularly liked the cushions by Mary James of Bille Bug, and as we left I found a print I think I’ll actually go back and buy when I get a minute.
The social side of the shop comes from the crafting sessions and other activities they run. Laura and I were there on Valentines day when they were offering a free session to create a valentines message for your loved one while you sat and drank tea. There are also crochet and knitting sessions planned, as well as a clothes swap. And we are told there are lots more planned – sugar craft, paper crafts and other such delights.
In fact Rock+Paper+Scissors has inspired me to finally get my sketchbook out after what must be years and years of neglect. There is a creative person inside me somewhere, I will find her again!
If you’re around and about Lincoln definitely make Rock+Paper+Scissors one of the stops on your list. A gorgeous little place.
Sculpture in the Gardens
48 months ago
Yesterday I finally managed to get to Doddington Hall for the Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition. Thankfully it had been extended for a week which meant I had opportunity to go.
It really was a great setting for the 350 or so works – wandering around the gardens of a manor house in the glorious sunshine is much more preferred than silently shuffling through the rooms in a museum in my opinion! It was a busy afternoon with people of all ages admiring the pieces, which were sculpted by 60 or so artists in all sorts of mediums. There really was a wide variety, and they were all for sale, although I’m sure I couldn’t afford any of them (although if I could it would be the hare!).
Here are just a few of my square-format shots taken at the exhibition (all iPhone4, squared up but otherwise as shot – unedited, it was actually that bright!) – I should set up a Flickr page to share them all, I might do that one day.
As always on Splodz Blogz these are my own photos – if you like them that is fabulous but if you want to use them anywhere for anything please do ask me first, cheers 
Paper for iPad
21 year ago
This is a lovely looking, nice to use app that makes the most of the iPad especially if you also have a stylus. Instinctive to use, as all apps should be, this is a sketching and doodling app that you can use to create some quite beautiful drawings.
Well you could create some beautiful drawings if you had the time and the skill…
The idea here is that you have a whole load of sketch books, that you can add to and customise yourself. Each one can be for a different purpose. Maybe you like to sketch when on holiday – create a book for each trip. Each book has from 10 pages which you tap on to use. Navigate your way through each book by swiping, and use the pinch motion to close the book and open a different one.
I really like the way this app allows you to sketch properly. Using the nib pen tool (the default tool) you can draw thin even lines if you use slow even strokes, and more calligraphic lines if you “swoosh” faster across the screen. It’s lovely, feels really close to using an actual pen (even better when you use a stylus).
Once you’ve finished a drawing, or some jotted notes (although I can’t see why you’d use this for writing copious amounts of notes, there are plenty of decent note taking apps that use a keyboard for that), you can email a page to yourself, or share it on facebook or twitter. The email tool is very useful if you want to share an idea with a friend.
This app’s downfall, though, is that to use anything other than a normal nib pen you have to make an in-app purchase. It’s such a shame. I’d rather pay something for an app in the first place and then have the whole thing to use as I want. I really don’t like in-app purchasing, although this isn’t quite as bad as when you download a game only to discover you can’t play it until you pay some money. I guess the argument is that Paper is perfectly fine with just the pen if you are happy with the single stroke type, and so you don’t necessarily need the additional tools, like a pencil, fineliner or brush. These cost £1.49 each or £5.49 for all five. And I guess they never run out like an actual pen. But it does limit what you can actually do. It’s nice that Paper is free to begin with, just a shame that it’s not the full thing.
That aside, I do like Paper, and enjoy doodling on it. If you’ve got an iPad and enjoy drawing then this is a must-have app at least to have a play with.
Year in Photos (4 Oct 11) – Loft Finds
11 year ago
by Splodz
in Year in Photos
I got the rest of the “stuff” (otherwise known as “junk”) down from the loft today and found all my old GCSE art work. I still quite like this pen and ink drawing.
04/10/11: Eagle eye
Year in Photos (8 Jun 11) – Chad Varah, Lincoln
01 year ago
by Splodz
in Year in Photos
Found any hidden gems where you live recently?
This is Chad Varah House in Lincoln, which houses some of the art and design subjects at the University of Lincoln. At the top of Steep Hill and hidden away, it’s a place not many people will have seen.
08/06/11: Chad Varah House, Lincoln
A Personal Collection of Vivienne Westwood Shoes
0Unfortunately this isn’t my collection.
It is a new exhibition that opens tomorrow at The Hub – The National Centre for Craft and Design – in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. I was lucky enough to attend the launch viewing this evening, and oh what amazing design ideas Vivienne Westwood had.
Women have an obsession with shoes (I mean – did you see my earlier post?!!!). Many admit to owning pairs they have hardly worn, others have rooms dedicated to them, and others spend thousands and thousands of pounds on them. Some of us just dream of being a woman who can afford to have so many shoes she doesn’t know what to do with them!
Dame Vivienne Westwood is best known for the creation of punk fashion with Malcolm McLaren in the 70s, and she has a reputation for innovation in design, often surprising people with her combination of fashion and art.
Black Spike Sex Shoe (late 1970s)
This exhibition includes shoes collected over 15 years, and covers Vivienne Westwood’s whole career in high fashion, from the early 70s. Curated by David Sinclair, it not only shows off amazing design from the last 40 years, but also asks why we lust after beautiful creations for our feet.
Green Mock Crock Super Elevated Gillie (1993)
The shoes are really quite amazing. I was indeed in shoe heaven! The exhibition takes you chronologically through the designs, each pair of shoes given its own perspex cube so you can see all angles. And around the outside is the story of Vivienne’s career, along with some iconic photography of her shoes being worn.
The exhibition encapsulates an idea of luxury, design, desire and pleasure. The exeedingly high heels and outrageous materials have a femine charm as well as being an object that encourages voyerism. They are to be enjoyed by both the wearer and those who look on in amazement at the craft. The men’s shoes also suggest a need to be seen – you can’t wear the Snake Shoes and not be noticed. And an exhibition celebrating the design of Vivienne Westwood in this way is perfect.
Snake Shoe (2005)
Newsprint Boot (2000)
I completely adore the “animal toe” on many of the boot designs, and the patterns and colours are (in the main!) gorgeous. Many of the designs and styles I’d love to have to wear myself, she doesn’t only do catwalk footwear much of it is suitable for just a night out.
Tartan Script Low Court Shoe (2006)
Lady Dragon Heart Shoe - Melissa (2008)
Oh and for the record, I did take part in the “Shoe Wall of Fame” and my choice of shoes for the launch event can now be seen for the rest of the exhibition… many ladies came in their own Vivienne Westwood shoes but I’m not lucky enough to own a pair… yet! Basically it’s a wall of digital snaps of people’s shoes – I understand that this part of the exhibition will continue to grow so if you have a stunning pair of shoes you want to share with the world, make sure you’re wearing them when you visit The Hub.
Elevated Bondage Boot (2002)
Apart from the exhibition The Hub will also be running a series of events and workshops, including a design a shoe competition, a lecture on personal identity and fashion, and a walking-in-heels workshop. More details of these events is available from The Hub.
The exhibition opens tomorrow, 29th January, and is open every day until 2nd May 2011. If you like anything fashion and design you really must go and see it. It is open daily from 10am to 5pm – and it’s free.
More information about the exhibition can be found on The Hub website here: http://www.thehubcentre.info/exhibitions/future-exhibitions/a-personal-collection-of-vivienne-westwood-shoes–/
