instrumental piano with two leather handles and butterfly

You guys must be realising I am such a baby when it comes to surfing the blogosphere (or it should be ‘flying’ not ‘surfing’ right?) because I am only just discovering what and who is out there! This morning I found a bit of time to put my wings on and fly (umm okay, I actually skipped the household chores I’d assigned myself. Again. and eating breakfast.) and I came across this incredible artist over at Oh Joy!. So that is actually discovering two talented people with the same click, because Oh Joy!’s blog is awesome. She just posted about leather artist Aiko Machida and above Aiko has combined two of my favourite things within her leather creation – butterflies and pianos… oh I can be such a GIRL sometimes it cracks me up! Here are a few more of her beauties that feature another obsession confession, ‘chairs’…

Leather-legged chairs, who would have ever thought?! I don’t know where Aiko lives or where you can find her pieces, so please do fill me in if you know more about this fab designer. Also if her work is displayed and/or sold in Paris.

PS. sorry if my posts are lighter than normal lately – I am working on a few projects at the same time which I am looking forward to telling you about as soon as I can, but one of them I am happy to announce involves all of you! I am putting the final touches on it and will reveal all soon, I am very excited about it!

If you haven’t already spotted them wandering around the (blog)house, my new guests David Knight and Michelle Verghis settled themselves in the guest quarters yesterday evening (yes my head is now throbbing from a little over zealous ‘welcome to the (blog)house!’ party last night). I am thrilled to introduce this dynamo couple to you – David is a photographer who has just been selected as a finalist in the inaugural National Photographic Portrait Prize for the National Portrait Gallery with this beauty:

And Michelle is a fabulous illustrator who designs information graphics for news as well as T-shirt graphics and artwork for private and corporate clients.

I will display more of Michelle and David’s work during their stay in the (blog)house, but for now please make them feel welcome by saying hello, and be sure to follow the links to their associated websites because there is a lot more to see.

Hope you like your stay guys! ooh and watch your feet in the (blog)abong there, some nasties like to think it’s feeding time…

The young and extraordinarily talented artist, Dawn Okoro. Need I say more. Check out her website, she also has a very active myspace you can link to from her website, worth a look see.

I found Dawn’s link on Afropolitans, merci à vous.

Beverly from Afropolitans also keeps me regularly updated with the Kenyan crisis. This is what we have learnt and gathered thus far:

So, if you haven’t already done so, please sign the petition. A few days ago it started at 5, it is now up to over 8000 signatures. We need more signatures to show that the international community is fully aware of the crisis and will not sit back and let this happen – not in Kenya, and not ANYWHERE in the world. The fighting is already quelling, so let’s keep the pressure on so that it stops altogether, and a realistic and peaceful resolution can be achieved swiftly.

It’s the weekend, so who feels like coming to the art gallery with me? This one is rather special as you do not have to wander too far from the (blog)house at all. Where am I taking you this time? Down and under to the National Portrait Gallery , and into the secreted rooms of their online exhibition, ‘Animated: Self Portraits Online’…

This is one very inspirational gallery – I have never experienced anything like it. The curators Michael Desmond and Gillian Raymond give a perfect introduction to the work, describing it as a virtual exhibition without being physically present in a gallery.

(Click here to read more…)