the wild masculine
October 28, 2009
Mmmm he stands proud, a jaguar draped across his shoulders. Its no surprise I felt the need to surround him by horses, they respresent Power, grace, beauty, strength, wildness and freedom. He represents the masculine energy in us all. The bronze statue ‘Orpheus’ by Astrid Zydower, is larger than life and stands in the grounds of Harewood House just outside Leeds, Yorkshire. Orpheus was the greatest musician and poet of Greek myth, whose songs could charm wild beasts and coax even rocks and trees into movement. His magnificence radiates from this image. I put together the image with sky recently taken in malta, the land of the divine feminine, there are so many temples to the goddess here, it compelled me to produce a “balancing” image
she died so young – shoe no.9
October 25, 2009
this shoe is for my great grandmother ADA, she died long before I was born at the age of 34. How sad, she left five beautiful children, one of whom was my grandfather. The shoe is elegant, as she is in the photograph I have of her taken in St Petersburg, Russia around the turn of the century. This shoe seems more solid, its the first “complete” shoe, by that I mean it has a heel and and is fully enclosed. Again I printed my pattern using Ada’s photograph and printed it onto white tissue paper, everything is handmade in paper. You can see my collection of hand made paper shoes here http://www.flickr.com/photos/8853574@N03/sets/72157622409764848
looking back to my future
October 6, 2009
Looking back recently, photos of my grandmother taken in 1904, pretty starched frilled bonnet and beautiful wide innocent eyes. Then a photo of my great grandmother taken around 1900 in Russia, not long before her death at the age of 34. So young, to die, with 5 children too, how sad. She looks so serene, so beautiful. I dont know much about her only what I have drawn from census information and birth, marriage and death certificates, she died in the UK. However from what I know all the children, grandchildren and so on are all very creative. Through research I have met many people with the Swindlehurst name and the vast majority are in the creative arts, architects or designers. I have my creativity from both sides of the family, maternally and paternally, a double whammy!!
Knowing my genes come from such talented people gives me a real sense of what great gifts have been passed down to me, and to my very talented children…………. and hopefully one day to theirs
The above images have been digitally enhanced with many layers
armorial amour paper shoe no. 7
September 27, 2009
Well todays effort was extremely testing of my patience………. managed to make a heel, not as graceful as I would like but it looks good. Shoe is made of hand printed tissue paper from my own toile erotique collection, black paper, together with its own coat of arms……………. What am I going to do with them, any ideas! these are meant to be just trials, but they are becoming very detailed and have a life all of their own…………..
Made the Guardian! front page art and design section
September 22, 2009
Rose d’amour – paper shoe no.6
September 19, 2009
Red preserved petals, toile, intamacy, unfurling, sensitivity, fragile, vulnerable. All handmade in paper, shoe lining taken from 18th century erotic etchings to make my own toile, preserved flower petals. Gold dresdon paper edging
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look will easily unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously) her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens;
only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
ee cummings
The “Dada” paper shoe” no. 5
September 16, 2009
Todays shoe was inspired by dear friend Analu in Rio. Her Dada workshop produced so many colourful images on flickr that when I started working with crepe paper I just had to dedicate this shoe to her. THANKYOU ANALU!!
I cut strips of crepe paper and “twirled ” into long spirals, then glued them onto the shoe upper shape. After finalising the pattern I then completed glueing the upper to the sole……….. Cannot wait to produce shoe no.6 … what to do with them all I ask myself
Flickr: Your Photostream.
Paper shoe no. 4 – an angel at my table
September 15, 2009
shoe no.3 apricot
September 15, 2009
this is in its original colour. Made with Gloria Doublette Crepe Paper, quite thick and different colour each side. It comes in more subtle colours but only managed to get it in rather garish colours in the uk. Its from Germany and cant seem to find a german website that sells it, I can see the shade card but thats all. I used white paper to cut our the sole, upper and heel part, then covered with crepe paper, frill I just folded and glued, same with rosettes. The shoe part is coming along, getting better on each one, but the heels posing problems, anyone out there made heels who is willing to share?
shoe no.3 white
September 14, 2009
to try tissue paper next time. Crepe Paper is good but there is a real resistance from me to continue to use it.colour……… not sure
September 13, 2009
Colour, working with colour I find difficult in a paper context……….. to me white on white is magical, ethereal, ghost like. Its simple but has great strength, its architectural, its my choice for paper work, feels more structural, captures the essence and feels like a design and not just decoration.
However I thought I would try colour and try crepe paper…………… I enjoyed cutting and crimping, progressing from the photocopy paper prototype of last week. However, it feels frivolous, decorative, like icing a cake and not the same as working in white
What does this mean? its something very powerful, brings up many emotions, something I want to explore over the coming weeks.
fragile, delicate, fit for a princess
September 6, 2009
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart: William Wordsworth
My paper journey swept me off my feet today, literally………… shoes, delicate, fragile, made of paper. My first attempt, these are just first prototypes and excited about making more……………. as I make them I sit patiently, cutting and crimping, folding and shaping, watching my vision become reality. Its amazing, from a flat piece of white photocopy paper, some love and vision, and hey presto a fairy tale shoe fit for a princess.
Another project completed by Inside Design
August 28, 2009
Feels good to have completed latest project, its been a long time coming, so good to close the door behind us knowing the client was extremely happy.
All went like clockwork, a big thanks to everyone who worked with me on this project, all my suppliers and especially to all my staff who have helped my vision become reality, thankyou so much. Our time on site was so productive in every way and extremely rewarding. This vision has been playing on a virtual screen in my head for an awful long time, to see it in situ was so satisfying.
all the artwork, paper sculptures and photography that I created together with my daughter, looked amazing.
look at our website here
Ready for packing
August 14, 2009
At last………………… two hundred flowers, 3 trees and over 600 butterflies are now boxed in perspex display cases and ready to be packed in bubble wrap for their 250 mile trip north!!!!!!! Next photos they will be in situ!! I cannot begin to express how much joy this project has given me.
Ready for packing 3 on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.
Papercut Garden
July 19, 2009
I have spent all day cutting and crimping, folding and sticking ……… this is the result, a garden full of flowers in full bloom (well not quite yet). I want to capture the fullness, the ripeness, the overflowing abundance, that special moment when a flower becomes perfection in everyway, Have yet to complete the full range of flowers, but will continue making the shapes I have made and pleased with, then make them in a variety of sizes. My aim is to fully cover two boards 1m square and place in an acrylic shadow boxes. These are going to hang in an entrance hall of a project I am completing in August. Will post completed images soon
