Easter cakes

So yesterday I made 6 quiches to be devoured at a charity fund raising event for the Dame Henrietta Barnett fund which is in turn linked to Toynbee Hall. They do much good work in the East End with the emphasis of their work being on education and supporting peoples attempts to dig themselves out of poverty and debt.

My Quiches weren't so picturesque so you got the mini butterfly Easter cakes which disappeared quite quickly on their presentation to the hoards

Yayoi Kusama

With our move to London has come an opportunity to see more art and take the children to exhibitions that they will like 'cos they're fun. Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist whose work first came to our attention in Sydney. She is currently having a bit of a revival in interest which in no small part is helped by the massive retrospective in Tate modern at the moment. Her work is predominately interested in spots, polka dots and sex. She is a fascinating artist who has spent much of the last years of her life living in a sanatorium of her own volition. The spots have come to represent her view of the world while she is having her hallucinations and a way to bring the viewer into her experience.

We love the mirrored infinity room the first time we stood in one about 3 years ago . This time it's bigger and even more special. The boys loved it. I have to say I steered them away from watching her famous orgy film , call me old fashioned. But I gamely explained her interest in Phallus's as best I could and we made our way round the art with a new appreciation of the male sex organ.

 London is not looking too shabby in the sunshine either. Lots of happy people and some great colours all over this town. Have to say I included the sculpture with its plastic still on as salute to one of my art tutors at college who proudly told me how one of his students had wrapped his head in cling film so as to make her sketch more interesting. I can never look at a head wrapped in plastic in the same way again.

Spring

Spring is here!And here is a selection of springy things.

Primrose Hill being all sunny and very very busy.

Cambridge Science Festival

Well the Cambridge Science Festival turned out just fine. The boys went and blew up rockets , made faces at robots and discussed quantum physics and I pottered around Cambridge.

There was a small craft market and another larger market in the square.

 I was very restrained and only purchased four old flower pots two punnets of strawberries and four small green and gold plates from Oxfam and  two silver plated candlestick holders from another charity shop. Oh and a large disco ball! I think pre teen is getting that. It really was very enjoyable.

Homesick

The small one has been homesick for Lamma and as a concillatory gesture I painted him a map of Lamma for us to decorate so he can remember his friends and all the sights and scenery. Perhaps you can see why I opted for a decal in the pre teens room. Still the small one is pleased and I only have one wall to finish in his room.

I have 1 more wall to go and as the small ones first words on seeing his Mockney were" Where are the woodland animals?' I thought I might paint one small wall section with woodland animals in the style of Nathalie Lete a French illustrator whom I very much admire.

More room art

It seems at the moment that all my artistic endeavours are directed at the boys rooms. I do have some slow burning ideas for art. I would quite like to paint a large picture for the wall here behind the sofa.

 I have various ideas along the lines of my blurred photo paintings. I'm thinking about a bird in flight on a large canvas. Anyhow that will have to wait a while. Here is the next part to the pre-teen bedroom.

I had a go at painting this myself but wasn't very pleased with my result so I ordered on line this decal a pre cut sticky vinyl world map. It says it's easy to apply and all  can say is I was glad of those 7 years at art college. Still it looks good and is apparently easily removable. Now I only have 2 more walls to go. I'm thinking of using another decal maybe a Banksy one as he had his french maid graffiti not far from here until the forward thinking council of Camden had it painted over with a garish mural. So far the pre teen is uninterested in all developments which gives me a free hand I guess.

Vintage map of Britain

I really really want this map. I might dream of getting it for Mothers day but I happen to know that what I'm getting is a trip to Cambridge to go to the Science Festival. Not sure it's what I would have chosen hey ho.
Anyway this map is from a very lovely site and shop called the Shop at Number 57 , which in turn I came across perusing another lovely blog and shop Tea for Joy. That is my good deed for the day nice links and lots of lovely eye candy. Now can I please have this map?

God of small parts

These small parts are the things which are keeping me up at night. Literally. I have been trawling through the Internet searches for replacement pieces which cost no more than a few pounds. If I can't find them then we may have to replace the whole shower which is more than a few hundred pounds.

However good news! I found the part! So I am now waiting to see when it comes if it is the right size. Next job the toilet.

Parklife

Finding myself singing 'Parklife' as I walk the dog.
All the people, so many people,
They all go hand in hand,
Hand in hand through their parklife.

National History Museum

I am enjoying the culture here in London. wonderful museums, art galleries and we are off to the Theatre on Saturday to see Horrible Histories. If you haven't heard of Horrible Histories it started out as a series of books for children talking about history in a fun way, turned into a TV series and is now a stage production. Looking forward to that!

The above pictures are from a recent trip to the National History Museum which in my book is one of the best ways to spend a wet or cold Saturday and the shop is good.

Pre Teen bedroom

I have been painting my eldest son's bedroom. Only another 3 walls to go. It's meant to be a roughly painted Union Jack. My Husband asked when I was going to finish it. Hmm maybe the concept needs work.

However I have decided to stick old National Geographic posters on the other wall. It looks good. I am a little short on covers though. I reckon I need 30 and I have at the moment... wait for it...7! Looks like this is going to be a work in progress. What is interesting though is I am using Post it Note glue to stick the covers on there by allowing me to remove them at some unspecified date when the Pre-teen gets bored with them. He may of course never get a full wall of covers. I just subscribed to National Geographic and at this rate it will only take 4 years.

London Quilters

An old friend of ours here in London mentioned that his Step mum was in an exhibition of quilts just up the road from us in Swiss Cottage Library and did I want to go? I mean really? Yes! So off I trundled yesterday and was very pleased I did. Pauline was lovely and so were the quilts. The exhibition was of The London Quilters  and is well worth me joining as it has great talks once a month and the chance to meet other like minded crafters. My favourite quilt which I didn't photograph was an aerial view map which certainly had me planning my next project.