whiling away the days...

I've been enjoying the sweet sounds of Lee Morse

after whiling away this weekend with wonderful friends

and devouring far too many sweet treats! Ah, the lovely thing 

about celebrating a Summertime Christmas and New Year is

the sheer abundance of sweet fruits on tree and table.

The trees are laden with plums again, which I am about to head

outside and pick, in the softer evening sunshine. 'Tis pickling 

and jamming season again and I am looking forward 

to some good old home preserving this week....

 I hope you have all been enjoying a wonderfully 

delightful holiday season!  One filled with delicious 

food, delightful visitors and decadent days... xo

You can listen to many of Lee's beautiful songs here

Roses for Fishes

The incredible work of Stephen Mackey.  Beautiful!

Happy Halloween!

The Skeleton Dance 1929

...another classic Silly Symphony.

Tracciamenti

The beautiful illustrative work of Italian Artist Tracciamenti.
Found via The Jealous Curator (one of my favourite blogs).

More here, here and here.

dress

"This was the first video I ever made. We shot it in a circus 

school called 'Fooltime' in Bristol on a 16mm Bolex camera. 

We could only afford to process 12 minutes of film, so bits 

of the film are repeated, played backwards and forwards! "

Mariano Mochnacz - Photographer/Video Maker

snap!

Viola Farber 1958

Yayoi Kusama 1968

This post is a direct transcription from 

a post by reference library.

Too good not to repeat it.  HaHa!

Hmmm.... 

I'll let you make up your own mind Yayoi

more strange and wonderful images here

Dolly LOVE

Isn't she just incredible? The detail is so exquisite.

Most likely she is a Fashion Doll... or a 'Pandora'.

English Doll 1755-1760  via V&A Collection

"Pandoras were used from the 14th century to convey the latest 

fashion among courts of Europe.... by the end of the 18th century 

the pandoras had given way in importance to fashion magazines. 

The figures were not designed as toys, but, after (fulfilling) their 

original purpose they may been given to children to play with."

-words from the V&A Collection website

I love the patina of these beautiful old dolls and doll houses.

The Dollhouse #7

This incredible Doll House, made by Paul Cumbie in 1883, 

was modelled on Petit Chateau (or The Vanderbilt House), 

an amazing chateuesque mansion built between 1878-82.

It was located at 660 Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side in 

NYC, but sadly demolished in 1926 to make way for offices!

A Winter Garden

I've been spending quite a bit of time

...in our beautiful Winter Garden lately.

 I love the way some plants look 

when they've gone to seed. 

Weeds can be so beautiful sometimes, that 

I'm reluctant to pull their roots from the earth 

and make way for flowers. 

Our vegie beds are bare. We were exhausted by 

the Summer harvest and neglected to plant Winter crops. 

We've cleared the debris and turned the soil and I've 

been shelling the dried bean pods I harvested in Summer 

and selecting new heirloom varieties of foodplants.

Now all we have to do is wait a little... until the weather 

turns, and the rays of Spring begin to warm the soil.

This painting is by Audrey Kawasaki. 

So bittersweet. Like a winter garden.

Another World Recordings

More from my portfolio of Art and Illustration

Playtime (series one)

© Anna Maria Drutzel

...why don't you take a peek! xox

A Beautiful Book

This has to be one of my all time favourite illustrated books but

it comes with a rather hefty price tag. I only own a diary version.

If you are feeling particularly affluent today it is available from

 Amazon.com

...lucky you! xox

heart

"Alas, when everything flies away the 

outline of the heart goes black"

Hans Christian Andersen

from astrid stampe's picture book, 1853

via the incredible 50 Watts

Winter Blooms

 I was asked to create a bridal hairpiece for a friend recently.

I took a couple of quick pics in our garden, amid beautiful 

winter blooms, before sending the lovely thing on it's way.

I've posted some beautiful pictures from the wedding on 

A Modern Fable if you fancy a little peek into the day. xo