Weds 30th December: "Wrappers Delight" for The STStyle

The ST Style asked me to show a new idea for Christmas wrapping that people can try at home, here's what I came up with:

This is what I will term "PInata Wrapping".  It's encasing your gift in an abstract shape so there's absolutely no guess-work that will detect whats inside!  

Cut out 20 circles from coloured card (ie. £1 shops have great selection packs).  According to size of gift, use a cup or plate as template.

Take each circle and find the centre.  Fold in the edge to meet this point on 3 sides, in a triangle.

Staple or glue flaps together to connect all 20 pieces.

Remember to drop your gift in as you go along!

Voila!

Tuesday 8th Dec: Prem Sahib Christmas Installation at Bistrotheque

Last week Pablo Flack and David Waddington hosted a special dinner and party

in honour of Prem Sahib, who has created this year's site-specific art work for Christmas at Bistrotheque.  The dinner was called "Beast" as a play on "Feast" with the entire restaurant decked out over 2 floors to accommodate their expanse of guests.  Here I am with my spectrum-studio girls Kim Howells, Margot Bowman, Jessie Brinton and designer Sadie Clayton.  

Whilst Bistrotheque is in beast mode with Prem's adult theme, the annual "Knitivity" by Sibling has found a home at HoiPolloi, set up in the atrium of the Shoreditch sister restaurant.  

Sunday 6th Dec: Spark Your City: Thomasina Miers

Spark Your City is a global movement dedicated to spark joy in everyday city life which began in London with Gemma Cairney's rainbow across London Bridge.  This week Thomasina Miers set up a rainbow greenhouse on Southbank to distribute herbs seeds.  I got a packet of Lavender seeds with a recipe card for how to incorporate fresh lavender into shortbread and pannacotta!  Head over to the site to see more Sparks!

Tuesday 1st Dec: Indie Label Market

It just gets better and better each time, I absolutely LOVE the Indie Label Market!  Not only can you pick up rareities (like this Laraaji cassette compilation) but you can also meet the artists - see Thundercat here on Ninja Tune's stall.  In the centre of Spitafields market DJ's from each label are on rotation playing sets from the day's selections, and a Craft Beer festival serves up winter warming specialist ales.  It's the perfect place to pick up the bits and pieces you've been plotting to purchase and get them direct from the promotors.  In these times of URL virtual communications, its priceless to be able to have these kind of IRL experiences!!  

Monday 30th Nov: The Winter Tree at Standen House by Zandra Rhodes & Andrew Logan

Friends and artists Zandra Rhodes and Andrew Logan have joined cosmic forces to collaborate on Christmas this year at the Arts & Crafts period Standen House.  Ive been lucky enough to see Andrew's Christmas Tree decorating skills myself with his own tree, and now the public can enjoy this vision in full glory at the National Trust property in Sussex.   He used neon road maintenance safety tape to wrap the branches into fluorescent prongs to hang hand-mirrors decorated in Zandra's trademark swirls.  This pattern was carried thru to paper chains and lattice bunting was bound into ball shapes from the orange netting also salvaged from highway usage!  This conscious adaptation of found materials was key to keeping the process in line with William Morris approach to creation.  The duo also actively involved the local community by inviting children to donate toys to suspend in clear bubble baubles so that everyone had input to the installation.  The lights were switched on with a special night of a presentation about the commissioned project.  There's another chance to catch this event with artists in residence on Monday 14th and a fashion show of both Zandra's clothes with Andrew's accessories that weekend.  Head over to the site to see full details.

(Photos from the opening and a separate portrait of Zandra at last week's WProject symposium which is unrelated but only days apart to illustrate how busy this inspirational Dame is!). 

Friday Dec 27th: Carl & Lyn Gabriel's Carnival Arts Garden at The Tabernacle

Carnival artists Carl & Lyn Gabriel have been resident at Carnival Village in Notting Hill to promote the traditional and unique art of wire-bending.  Over the Summer thier large scale sculptures have been on display in the garden of The Tabernacle, completed with a workshop to share the skill at The YAA Centre.  Gabriel who is a photographer, taught himself this incredible 3D shaping when he became involved in creating pieces for his mas band at Carnival.  His photography has formed an archive following the history of the festivities since the very beginning of playing pan.  Now focusing on the engineering of these large scale artworks his photography has become still-life, capturing the wire construction as if they are pictures in CGI.  

The blue face piece here is named "J'ouvert" as a dedication to Arthur Peters who worked with "Mas Man" Peter Minshall and became a mentor to Carl & Lyn on thier quest with wire bending.  Other works include "Zeus" the Olympic God, inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games and the female bust is "Mangbetu" after the DRC tribe (which I researched on my Tumblr).  Carnival has always encapsulated different cultures and been integral to its core from Trinidad with London's Notting Hill Carnival becoming one of the world's largest.  This has come about from the diversity of the capital's population and the influences brought from both the participants and creators.    As Carl & Lyn say.....

"No other street event in London can boast the conviviality that Notting Hill brings to the city and gives to the world.  Described as an organic enriching, its ability to create fusion and cultural mixing across all ages and ethnicities, dismantling of all boundaries as London and the world come together for this intermingling of cultures"

Friday 20th Nov: Carnival Arts Workshop with Carl & Lyn Gabriel