Selection of images from the body of work by Brisbane based artist and photographer Joachim Froese. The collection is titled Rhopography – the word rhopos referring to ‘the trivial or mundane of daily life’. Although this exhibition of work is nearly a decade old, I have fallen completely in love with his art and will certainly be featuring more of it here in the days to come. Find out more about this body of work here. Joachim is represented by Jan Manton, please visit her incredible gallery here.

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PS: I’m back in the blogosphere! I have been a busy bee with shoots, and have lots to tell. Posts about where I’ve been and what I have been inspired by have been forming in my head over the past few days that I can’t wait to share. I have to stay in le petit bateau all day today, awaiting a number of courier arrivals so in between catching up on housework and trying to relax a little, I will be stopping by here regularly. Expect a few posts today my dear, patient readers! xx

Remember when my friends – the dynamo couple photographer David Knight and illustrator + artist Michelle Verghis – were staying in the (blog)house guest quarters?

Perhaps this and this will jog your memories.

Well I’m proud to announce that a body of David’s incredible work, including this nude you see below, just one first place in the London Photographic Association competition called The Nude.

Three cheers for David! You go get ’em tiger.

Rachel’s chilled pandan soufflé, recipe in the kitchen right now…

It’s been a quick shuffle in the kitchen as the two cooks exchange the (blog)house apron and hand over the inaugural wooden spoon. As we say our goodbyes and thank yous to sweet Laura (merci Laura! au revoir! à bientot!), we welcome our wonderful new friend and fabulous food stylist, Rachel Khoo. She and friend Andréa have been busy in their new venture, la cocotte – a wonderful bookstore/mini café in the 11th arrondisment of Paris. Check out some of the books on the la cocotte shelves here.

Rachel aptly calls herself “the London girl munching her way through all things delicious in Paris”. She works with such publications as Elle à Table, and Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, and has kindly created a sweet tooth menu for the (blog)house. It includes that delicious chilled pandan soufflé above, plus her almond milk panna cotta , and scrumptious biscuit poppets! What’s a biscuit poppet you might ask? Well, go in the kitchen and find out! And click here to read her very funny post about biscuit poppets.

I will tell you more about Rachel in the coming days but for now, please make her feel very welcome.

Take it away dear Rach, have fun in the (blog)house kitchen , and make as much mess as you like (Alfred really loves cleaning up!)!

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Rachel’s little blurb about her chosen menu…

“I would happily eat 3 desserts and just skip the starter and main. I’m definately a “pâtisserie-a-holic”. What I love about sweet things is the reaction they get. Mention to someone you’re making some sweet treat and you’ll see their eyes light up immediately. Desserts are meant to be shared. Bake a cake, wrap up some pieces and pop around to your neighbours and you’ll have no problems borrowing that extra cup of sugar whenever you want. So here are several sweet treats which are perfect for sharing but also just as good for curling up on the sofa and eating all by yourself…”

click here to view the menu.

well, i do. and i believe it comes in a soft-bound, full colour 110-page book filled with stunning polaroids by some of my favourite people. For The Love of Light is a tribute to the art of polaroid. It’s about to be available for pre-sale in approx. 6 hours time. There will only be a limited edition of 500 printed, and it’s $49.95. So in 6 hours time click here to order (noonish in North America, 6pm in Europe, and 2am in oz).

My fabulous guest Marcus indulge me this morning by answering a smattering of questions I threw at him in an attempt to find out a little bit more about him for us all, in the quickest, most entertaining way possible (if you’re anything like me, you might love interviews but find you don’t read them if they are long and wordy like this intro)…

So, here it is!

And just to give you a recap of Marcus – he is a brilliant photographic retoucher, a dear friend, and is currently sipping martinis in the guest quarters right now with bazza, his company (witchetty grub) mascot…

PJB: do you eat green eggs and ham?
MT: yep, often

PJB: what if it was retouched?
MT: bloody oath

PJB: what is your favourite object to retouch?
MT: humans

PJB: what was the most challenging thing you’ve worked on?
MT: 500 dolphins in a school forming a shape which says “call 1800 anytime” which I had to redo 4 times, on a older retouching system that did not work in layers.

PJB: who has been one of your favourite photographers to work with thus far?
MT: Sean Izzard, who happens to be the one that also gives me the most work.

PJB: who is the photographer of that incredibl(y disturbing) portrait you have in your dining room, and why do you like it?
MT: Erwin Olaf, his work reflects his individual, smutty, humorous personality. He also sees beauty in all people not just beautiful people!

PJB: when will you take down the mao poster in your living room that i dislike so?
MT: what’s it to you!! you don’t have to look at it!!
PJB: note to self: oh. looks like I won’t be invited over again anytime soon then 🙁

PJB: in this photo that you worked on above for Olympus, who is the boy in the red board shorts doing a jump in the top right hand corner?
MT: my bloodnut son Ricco

PJB: what is Ricco’s favourite food?
MT: sushi

PJB: why am i not in that photo?
MT: cause I did not have one of you!! don’t you hate to miss out!!!!!

PJB: and finally, what is the mistake you see the most with photographs from upcoming photographers trying to get the hang of photoshop?
MT: don’t try and be jack of all trades, remember that the most memorable images are usually a team effort so find yourself a great team: go team!!!!!
PJB: note to self: nicely played, but he’s oh so right.

PJB: and the last but not least important, you stayed in the houseboat while I was in Paris working last month, but everyone wants to know, how was the shower?
MT: Shower was great, but I still have a sore neck from having to bend my head while I was standing taking a leak!!
PJB: note to self: great, thanks Marcus, I haven’t actually told readers about the toilet as of yet, now I will have to explain!! sheesh.