The Bluecoat Gallery features Samantha Bryan, Liverpool
The Bluecoat, has always been one of my favourite places in Liverpool. Apart from being
one of the oldest buildings in the city (built around 1725), it was a creative
and artistic environment, unlike anywhere else I knew. Back in the 90’s
when I lived in Liverpool, the Bluecoat was an art gallery, a cafe, a bookshop,
a theatre, a film-house, an arts community centre, a craft gallery and shop
as well as being a place for taking high grade musical examinations.
At the centre of the building used to be a wild and almost hidden garden, an amazing place
that you felt you alone had discovered and knew about. In fact when I worked for Next Menswear
on Lord Street, I used to retreat to the quiet and solitude of the garden to eat my lunch, far away
(literally) from the maddening saturday crowds.
Today it is still a thriving arts community and although the garden space has changed and a new
building has been built on one side of the courtyard, it’s still a fascinating space that I would
recommend anyone to visit if they are in Liverpool.
The upstairs bar and restaurant, great food and friendly staff.
Art in the stairwell.
The new look and less overgrown Courtyard space. The Bluecoat Display Centre is in the top right corner.
Inside the Display Centre.
A great variety of artists work, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, wood, metal and stonework.
I have come across the wonderful work of Samantha Bryan before. A mixed media artist, based in
West Yorkshire and inspired by Victorian gadgetry and invention. Her work continues to inspire
and delight adults and children alike.
I always want to see these great pieces come to life in a Clangers style animation.
Liverpool Revisited and Alice Melvin
Today I spent a few hours looking around Liverpool. It used to be my ‘stomping ground’
when I was in my early twenties and I have fond memories of the place.
It has changed quite dramatically since 2008 when it won the City of Culture award
and gained much needed revenue to revitalise and re-nourish this artistically charged community.
There are changes both good and bad. Good in the shape of clean modern architecture and bad
when some of the memories I had invested with buildings that are no longer in existence.
Development at a price I guess. Overall I like the changes, and it’s still a buzzy and creative city.
Albert Docks
One of the land and sea loving Yellow Duck Marine Vehicles.
Quiggins Shopping Centre for Punks, Moshers, Emos, Hoodies and everyone inbetween !.
The ‘new’ Probe Records. I remember the old one where Pete Burns from the 80’s pop group
‘Dead or Alive‘ used to work. Spikey hair, blacked out covers to his eyes, he was a real crowd puller lol
Nowdays the buzz and edge have gone and it’s situated next door to Cath Kidston, how times change.
Maritime themed sign post.
Picasso Exhibition on at the Tate Gallery, Liverpool 21 May until August 30th 2010.
Beautiful work from Alice Melvin from Edinburgh at the Tate Gallery Bookshop.
More about her work here and more Liverpool news tomorrow.
Fishink Birds flew to San Diego
I had a lovely reply today from a customer who had received her order of F I S H I N K goods.
The designs ‘flew’ all the way to San Diego, the farthest they’ve been so far on their own lol
She even attached some great images to show me they’d arrived safely in one piece !
Thanks Berenice, that’s so kind.
Dear Craig
I got the so-lovely bird materials in San Diego, they all arrived in perfect shape, thank you so much!
Your designs and materials are beautiful, I have a party tomorrow, I will show them around
and promote them here, if Americans know good design, surely they’ll buy some 🙂
I love that you love birds too, and were able to recreate them so wonderfully! loving your work!
thank you very much for sending my purchase and congratulations on your designs 🙂
bere
Envelope Birds
Some of the textures I use in my work originally came from the insides of envelopes.
Those security patterns are inspirational to designers when re-coloured and seen out of context.
I found some birds that had escaped their papery constraints.
and this blackbird (sorry bluebird) certainly doesn’t seem to mind his humble beginnings.
Speeding Dogs
This is one of my favourite characters from the Limited Edition Print range
that you can find on the F I S H I N K site.
It looks like a cross between that old advert for Maxell Tapes and His Masters Voice.
I’ve played about with it in a repeat here.
All Fishink Images are copyrighted.
Birds Birds Birds !
What is it about odd numbers that often tend to make collections of objects more pleasing to the eye ?
I searched on the term in google, only to find pages of entries with long descriptive
mathematical explanations about odd and even numbers, and that about 250,000 people
in the USA alone, seem to suffer from a phobia of odd numbers, something I didn’t know.
In China, they love anything to do with the letter 8 because it sounds like their word for prosperity.
In order not to unnecessarily worry anyone, here’s an image of two sets of three birds,
making six in total…. which is still an even number…… the last time I checked.
Do you like the still or running birds best ?
Weekend Walk
The weather has been amazing over the past couple of days. I don’t want to jinx anything by
discussing it too much, but I had a lovely walk to a nearby sculpture park on Saturday due
to the warm conditions. Here’s a little of my journey on the way.
There were a few fishes for company along the way as you can see !
Bookmarks ?
I’ve been thinking up new ideas for Stationery products.
These could be bookmarks ? Do people still buy bookmarks ?
Any Favourites ?
Picture this : the artist as illustrator
This is a fascinating book edited by Sylvia Backemeyer who worked in the position of
Head of the Central Saint Martins Museum Collection. The book is a collection of essays
celebrating Illustration as taught at Central St Martins London, in the last 100 years.
Noel Rooke was teaching there in 1905 and he initiated black and white book illustration
as part of the Book Production course. The initial medium used was wood engraving
and in the following 30 years most British wood engravers had come under his influence or
been taught by him directly. Clare Leighton, John Farleigh, Ray Marshall, Ray Garnett,
Lynton Lamb and Margaret Pilkington all trained under Rooke.
The book has chapters on Book Illustration / Jackets, Fashion Illustration, Cartoons and Comics,
Publicity and Advertising and is available here.
John Burningham 1970
S.R.Badmin 1943 and Clarke Hutton 1945
Clarke Hutton 1948
Dorothea Braby 1938
Barnett Freedman 1937
Paul Hogarth (top) 1953 John O Connor (bottom) 1964
Sheila Jackson 1947
This last one by James Boswell from ‘ Look back in Anger’ 1962, reminds me of Graham Byfields’ work
in ‘ This Time Last Week ‘ by Leslie Thomas. A wonderful book describing growing up in London as
an Orphan in the 1940’s and 50’s. Well worth a read for it’s amusing tales.
Elephant Spotting and Banana Splits
I’ve mentioned before how my ‘buzzy’ mind works and how it likes to make associations.
Well I noticed that a neighbour was drying some clothing in his house and the extractor tube
he used looked like an elephants’ trunk. This then instantly reminded me
of the crazy kid’s programme I used to watch ‘ The Banana Splits show ‘,
because of the elephant ‘ Snorky ‘ on it.
This is from Wikipedia.
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour is an hour-long, packaged television program
that featured both live action and animated segments. The series was produced
by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and ran for 31 episodes on NBC Saturday mornings,
from September 7, 1968 to September 5, 1970. The series costumes and sets
were designed by Sid and Marty Krofft and the series’ sponsor was Kellogg’s Cereals.
The show was Hanna-Barbera’s initial foray into mixing live action with animation.
The hosts of the show were Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky
(respectively, a dog, gorilla, lion, and elephant).
If this post serves no purpose but to amuse you, then my work here is done lol.
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