I'd like to be under the sea
What do you think of the new look?
I still have a tab open with my old blog design and I’m not gonna lie, I kind of miss it. But I also really love this new one. My blog feels less cluttered, and like my posts have room to breathe. I made myself a separate art blog while I was at it, which you can view here: www.theoctopusride.com I’m not going to stop posting my art over here, but I figure I should have a more ‘professional’ separate space. I was at odds as to whether I ought to make separate Instagram/Twitter/etc accounts for my art, or just ‘rebrand’ myself towards more arty stuff. I always feel a bit torn with the concept of online identity, ever more since studying illustration and having it pressed on me by tutors. But honestly I hate the whole concept! I am not a ‘brand’, I am me, a multifaceted human being with varying interests. I don’t want to segregate my life up and filter myself into more consumable, PR friendly chunks. The main thing I’ve learnt hardest from my many years on social media is that when I’m forced into a box, I get bored of it in no time at all. And when I think to my favourite artists, bloggers, and internet people in general, they’re my favourites because they don’t filter themselves and they share a mixture of different aspects to themselves which allows me to connect them them as people. And that’s the kind of online presence I’d rather have, regardless of how ‘unprofessional’ it may be.
Anyhoo, I wanted to show you a few things, beginning with the bits I picked up when I visited the antiques centre. I managed to find two things that I've been after for the longest time: a '60s satellite chair and a Gladys Goose lamp.
Gladys is huge, probably the same size as a real adult goose. I got so many funny looks carrying her around that day! I've wanted a Gladys Goose lamp for many years, since I first saw one in the background of a film in a girls bedroom. I thought it such a quirky, fun thing and immediately researched. They were first in production in 1983, and although the original design is no longer in production, modern reproductions can be bought. Because the originals are so collectible they can sell for an awful lot of money, but the seller of mine obviously didn't realise as I got her for an absolute bargain. I couldn't be happier! She has a few age spots in her plastic, but she's getting on a bit so I can't blame her.
And my satellite chair. They had a couple, but the one I liked best just so happened to also be the cheapest. There was a blue one, but I felt red suited my decor better (you can't see it from here, but a lot of my things are orange or red). I almost missed it; I'd told my mum before going that I was on the look out for a satellite chair and to help me keep an eye out. In one of the stores I turned around to speak to her and saw she was standing right next to one unbeknownst to her. It was completely stacked up under a ton of tins and various kitchen equipment and filthy dirty. But I knew it was perfect! I took it into the garden with the hose and a scrubbing brush and got it back to being as good as new.
I also had to make a few things for a recent uni project, I don't usually share my academic work but I was pleased with how these came out. My theme was sea life, in case that wasn't obvious, and I drew the designs and had them screen printed onto fabric. I made a few cushions and a tote bag with the fabric. I added iridescent sequins to the strap of the tote bag as I thought it looked like fish scales. I made a few extras to keep behind for myself I liked them so much!
I still have a tab open with my old blog design and I’m not gonna lie, I kind of miss it. But I also really love this new one. My blog feels less cluttered, and like my posts have room to breathe. I made myself a separate art blog while I was at it, which you can view here: www.theoctopusride.com I’m not going to stop posting my art over here, but I figure I should have a more ‘professional’ separate space. I was at odds as to whether I ought to make separate Instagram/Twitter/etc accounts for my art, or just ‘rebrand’ myself towards more arty stuff. I always feel a bit torn with the concept of online identity, ever more since studying illustration and having it pressed on me by tutors. But honestly I hate the whole concept! I am not a ‘brand’, I am me, a multifaceted human being with varying interests. I don’t want to segregate my life up and filter myself into more consumable, PR friendly chunks. The main thing I’ve learnt hardest from my many years on social media is that when I’m forced into a box, I get bored of it in no time at all. And when I think to my favourite artists, bloggers, and internet people in general, they’re my favourites because they don’t filter themselves and they share a mixture of different aspects to themselves which allows me to connect them them as people. And that’s the kind of online presence I’d rather have, regardless of how ‘unprofessional’ it may be.
Anyhoo, I wanted to show you a few things, beginning with the bits I picked up when I visited the antiques centre. I managed to find two things that I've been after for the longest time: a '60s satellite chair and a Gladys Goose lamp.
Gladys is huge, probably the same size as a real adult goose. I got so many funny looks carrying her around that day! I've wanted a Gladys Goose lamp for many years, since I first saw one in the background of a film in a girls bedroom. I thought it such a quirky, fun thing and immediately researched. They were first in production in 1983, and although the original design is no longer in production, modern reproductions can be bought. Because the originals are so collectible they can sell for an awful lot of money, but the seller of mine obviously didn't realise as I got her for an absolute bargain. I couldn't be happier! She has a few age spots in her plastic, but she's getting on a bit so I can't blame her.
And my satellite chair. They had a couple, but the one I liked best just so happened to also be the cheapest. There was a blue one, but I felt red suited my decor better (you can't see it from here, but a lot of my things are orange or red). I almost missed it; I'd told my mum before going that I was on the look out for a satellite chair and to help me keep an eye out. In one of the stores I turned around to speak to her and saw she was standing right next to one unbeknownst to her. It was completely stacked up under a ton of tins and various kitchen equipment and filthy dirty. But I knew it was perfect! I took it into the garden with the hose and a scrubbing brush and got it back to being as good as new.
I also had to make a few things for a recent uni project, I don't usually share my academic work but I was pleased with how these came out. My theme was sea life, in case that wasn't obvious, and I drew the designs and had them screen printed onto fabric. I made a few cushions and a tote bag with the fabric. I added iridescent sequins to the strap of the tote bag as I thought it looked like fish scales. I made a few extras to keep behind for myself I liked them so much!
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