30 Years of Japanese Fashion. 30 days left

Oh PLEASE SEE THIS EXHIBITION ! I did, the other day. Breathtaking. Several drawings made!

Official Story: Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion is the first exhibition in Europe to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion, from the early 1980s to the present. Curated by the eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the Kyoto Costume Institute, the exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty embodied in clothing.
Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion
15 October 2010 - 6 February 2011Barbican Art Gallery

Looking back on 2010: J-Lo misses the sun in Cyprus!

Fun and sun in July:

I went to Northern Cyprus. J-Lo did not. A wonderful part of the Levant.

We may well go back.

Oh, and here is the back ground to the story: Jennifer Lopez has cancelled a performance in Turkish-held northern Cyprus after angry protests from thousands of displaced Greek Cypriots.
The US singer's gig at a luxury hotel had triggered fury among Greeks who accused her of according legitimacy to northern Cyprus, a breakaway state recognised only by Ankara.

Links left in and my thanks to the Guardian Newspaper.

Illustrations of Northern Cyprus all my own!

Looking back on 2010: Escape from the Dust Cloud

April 2010. Saturday evening: Stranded in Hong Kong for 24 hours, then to Dubai over night flight, then to Istanbul another night on a plane, Istanbul a stop over and a night in a real bed, prepared to take any flight from Istanbul into Europe, we took a flight to Hamburg which landed in Hanover, a night in a real bed, Hanover to Heathrow the next evening.

We were lucky. Air travel across much of Europe was paralysed for seven days by a huge cloud of volcanic ash. All airlines were desperate to begin freeing the log-jam created by the cancellation of 35,000 UK flights in four days.

Snug and warm in Singapore

Whilst England continues its way through cold snaps that have arrived too too early, and struggles with engineering works on every train line and a disfunctional underground system, greetings from Singapore. Hot, sunny, clean beyond belief where even bus drivers smile! Just a short stay working with local team - hero's everyone! Love the people, love the architecture, can't wait to return. Featured: happy snaps of the extraordinary Hotel Re!, lobby and room and lovely tower blocks downtown.

The Tree of Threads

Last Saturday super-cyclist chum and ex-oil man Chris and I were out cycling an we came across a curious piece of debris in the road. It looked like some sort of twine or strap that had fallen off a tractor . We pulled up and I took these hallowed threads and drapped them round a small tree, a la Andy Goldsworthy.

One week later Chris and I past the same spot and lo, the threads are still in place. However, having settled down after the initial excitement I see that things have changed with the disposition of certain strands across the tree.

Pictures featured from last week and this. We will monitor progress as we pass by across the coming weeks.

Cold Snap

The other day, out with my framer and great friend Chris, cycling. We were through the woods of Burnham Beeches. With a little snow on the ground in and most leaves off the trees we could almost see into the heart of the wood, we could see for miles through the reflected light. Chilly cold fresh, nose-red bright.

Oh you trees! Oh you winter trees!

The J is silent

Wandering the streets of Worcester with super-friends Chris and Liz we happened upon this curious shop front, of one of the UK's leading boot-makers. Doubtless the victim of a prank and waiting for a new 'J' to turn up!