Urban inspiration

After a super long bank holiday, which included a lot of relaxing and leisurely browsing time at numerous charity shops, I thought it necessary to blog about just a few of the things that have inspired me over this past week.

Usually, I'm not one for stopping & staring at graffitied walls - but a stroll from Columbia Road to Broadway Market did just that last week. There was something about that stroll that felt very characteristic & almost like I'd stepped into a public doodle pad with walls transformed into over-sized collages that didn't quite fit together - I think it was the incongruent nature of these two particular murals that caught my eye. Again, like the peeling paint work of the London Underground, it's the layers and the idea of different spaces of time being merged together which inspires me.

In short, I love the cut & pasted visual elements... Perhaps I should get more into decoupage!
x

Absolute Vintage!

How to spend a free weekend in London? Simple. Brick Lane's Sunday Up Market has it all - from independent makers selling hand-crafted paper pom poms, to jewellers selling found trinkets as re-worked pendants. Just being in the Shoreditch district on a Sunday is enough to rekindle your creativity!

Although, when you are desperately trying to avoid spending those pennies - I'm not sure Absolute Vintage is a good place to stop by (it definitely wasn't for me anyway!)And I think the below images are enough to show why...



Fabulous prints, brave colour combinations & exaggerated shapes - the rails are an actual dream! As for shoes - there is little wonder that I spent over 2 hours rummaging around in this place... x

The art of the everyday...

Time for a random post which is, oddly enough, about my daily commute back from Tottenham Court Road...

Everyday I stand & look at this space on the platform & think to myself how interesting & oddly beautiful it is, so I figured it was about time to record it. Of course, you might not agree with me here but what grabs my attention is the random mark making & negative space which takes on a narrative of its own. As adverts have been continuously torn down, it has left what should be an eye sore, yet to me this is like a little piece of history which looks like a 3D collage - layers of paper and concrete are peeled away to reveal little sections of brick work. The result? A flawed piece of the underground that stands as a piece of art in itself.

There, I've said it now x

York's Antique Treasure Trove

After graduating from an Art & Design course - I vowed never to try & draw again (even though, according to my ever optimistic tutors, I had mark making ability... just in more of an abstract kind of way!) This has been the only place that I have visited recently which has sparked even the thought of getting out my sketchbook again...



Crammed full of interesting compositions & quirky objects, I hadn't visited York's treasure trove of antique furniture & interior relics for over a year & so, popping in yesterday felt like a brand new experience all over again. From spindle legged chairs and cabinets, to elaborately upholstered chaise longues - this is the only place you will find horse saddles hanging alongside one-of-a-kind glass chandeliers.



Retro crockery stacked upon framed tapestries; ornate brooches are presented amongst war memorabilia whilst vintage telephones are set amongst kitsch ornaments on glass shelves. There is simply something for everyone in Banana Warehouse and it only makes me even more excited about dressing up my house - when I eventually own one! x

New Vintage at Next (yes,really!)

Whilst I usually like to use my blog as an outlet for my own inspiration - today, I thought I'd share with you a press release that I put together at work for this week's Miss N Weekly News. I can't tell you how excited I was to see a piece of furniture which looked so authentic in the new Autumn/Winter 2011 collection & so here I am shouting about it! x

Christmas in July at Next

Set in Old Billingsgate Market, Next's Christmas press show couldn't have been set in a more spectacular venue. Life-size baubles created show-stopping pop up exhibition areas, whilst the luxurious, metallic bronze colour theme set the sophisticated, festive mood.

Of course, kids wear stole the show as per usual (not biased in the slightest!) But just take a look at the fabulous still-life display of the key pieces for the coming festive season...



From Broadway Party - an ostentatious story which is sure to see all little girls hogging the limelight in exaggerated spots and girly bow details, to The Stage - a pretty ensemble of Vintage inspired dresses and ballet motifs: Next's girl's range looks more high end than high street!



Of course, boys aren't forgotten as Party promises a smart, yet rebellious look for both younger and older boys. From sparkly braces to glitter trimmed trilbies and tuxedos - the trend is injected with humour with chimp t-shirts and tongue-in-cheek slogan tops. Meanwhile, the festive jumper is back with a vengeance as the reindeer hand-knit zip through was a particular talking point amongst the press.



With all of this and more, Next has it all wrapped up for Christmas and now we can't wait for it to be here! x