Categories
art

Springtime in Bloom!

Its Persian New Year! I was invited to join the lovely Persian Community at school to lead the decorations.

I wanted to incorporate elements of Iranian culture, and focused on arch-shaped apertures used in architecture. I was also inspired by the use of stained glass and geometric design, as well as the curved form of the ‘Buta’ or Paisley motif. I chose a joyful Spring colour palette of Pink, lilac, blue, green and yellow, which would be reflected in the lush floral arrangements scenting the halls and grand staircase.

As usual I had to translate my research and initial sketches into elements that would be able to be produced quickly and with inexpensive materials. Ideally it would also incorporate a way to involve parent volunteers (who are enthusiastic to help, but often not confident in their creative skillset.) The halls we were to decorate are vast with imposing high ceilings, so the scale would have to be something large enough to make an impact.

I made arch shapes in two designs inspired by different periods in Persian architecture. Cutting black foam core with Exact-o knives to create the apertures I was careful to make neat cuts so that the negative shapes could also be used to create panels. I added coloured cellophane, sandwiching two panels together so they were neat from both sides, and hung around glass walkways, making use of the natural light to create colour and reflection all around. The cuts were too tricky for helpers but I was able to involve people in adding the cellophane and nylon hanging thread. I made a special centre panel in a geometric design and multi-coloured cellophane, which was time-consuming but satisfying work.

For a centrepiece I drew a banner freehand and my lovely friend Karen cut it with a jigsaw in thin plywood and painted it grey. I made two of these to hang and added lettering with gold accents and pastel colours, with a beautiful silky rope to hang.

To add further colour and dimension I made scores of large scale paper flowers to decorate the school, arranging them on foamcore panels to hang, and to bookend the wooden centrepiece banners. These were great fun to make, and I was able to involve parents in cutting petals, by handing out packs of card with paper templates. I also held two workshops to create décor elements hosted in parents’ homes which were great fun social occasions.

I worked with an amazing group of women who were preparing traditional and contemporary haft-seen displays throughout the school to coordinate with the décor. ‘Haft-seen’ is a tabletop layout traditionally displayed at this time of year in Iranian homes with elements of auspicious symbolism such as wealth, health and wisdom, with seven elements beginning with the Farsi letter ‘seen’. I love how the displays coordinated with the colour palette and how butterflies and birds were added as accents for Spring.

The Norouz festivities culminated in a wonderful event at school, with music, theatre and high tea. For the evening I used a sparkly rose gold backdrop and lights with the flowers to make a photo booth , with coordinating signage. I also created four flower hats and headband fascinators for the budding (ha) thespians in the school play !

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project and becoming friends with a lovely group of women. Norouz Mobarak, everyone!

Categories
Australia China community event exhibition gallery Liverpool photography

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!

Happy Lunar New Year! I thought I’d post some photos from the last Pig cycle (12 years!) These were taken in Liverpool, U.K. and shown as part of a Lunar New Year exhibition at the Chinese Museum of Melbourne Australia, now residing in their permanent collection.

As Liverpool has one of Europe’s oldest Chinese populations, the lunar new year celebration each year is always a colourful, noisy and fun affair. It is also really crowded, but as a photographer you have to try and find your angle somehow, which is an interesting challenge. The event is held underneath the gorgeous arch made to mark the millennium by expert artisans from Shanghai, Liverpool’s twin city in China.

Exhibition photos courtesy of curator Lorinda Cramer.

Categories
community craft design event Vancouver Volunteering

Rooftop Reindeer

‘T’was the week before Christmas (ish.) What could you make with cardboard, no storage, borrowed paint and a handful of volunteers? Turns out, you can pull off a stage set for an Early Years Winter concert!

After my initial idea was ruled out as the Production Manager was super busy (concerts upon concerts!) and couldn’t let us use the wooden stage flats, I had to come up with another plan. I decided on rooftops made of cardboard to host the reindeer and the sugar plum fairies. This was a modular solution that we could make in a small area and store until the show, and didn’t require volunteers to have specific skills to be able to help out. I asked parents to cut up rectangles of card at home of specific dimensions, and these were turned into roof shingles. The school facilities chaps were so helpful when I kept stealing the recycling, and I visited Michaels on delivery day to snag some of their large scale packing card.

In between running around Christmas shopping some of the parents popped in to help as I set up in a corner of the school and constructed and painted the rooftops, using kitchen sponges to print brick texture. Karen, another Mum introduced me to Tuck Tape which was amazingly reliable for construction – (I won’t use anything else now!) apparently its used for actual home construction. Karen also made cute curtains which we hung inside cardboard dormer windows and lit from within.

The final set looked lovely with the addition of some fir trees (just like West Vancouver!) but the real show stoppers were undoubtedly the children, we were all so proud of their performance!

Categories
art community Drawing event Vancouver Volunteering

Sip and Scribble

I devised this event as a fun way to bring our new Kindergarten parents together at school, but it would work equally well as a team-building exercise or corporate event.

Blind continuous contour drawings, marker pen on canvas board, (my example, right)

When we decided to host a wine tasting as part of our school community building, I knew involving an element of art would be fun. I decided to incorporate something of a leveller for the playing field so that people’s inner critics would not discourage them from joining in. Leading a session of ‘blind contour’ portrait drawing surreptitiously encouraged the participants to engage with one of art’s best exercises, that of careful observation.

New friendships forged via creativity and fun

The exercise involved creating portraits in pairs, with the artist not allowed to look at their drawing whilst in process, and with the rule that the pen has to stay on the board at all times. Drawing each other in turn was fun and engaging, and there were a lot of laughs as our participants posed, drew, sipped and swapped notes. I also demonstrated the use of the colour wheel and provided paint so the participants could take their piece even further.

The event was a great success, with wonderfully positive feedback. Anna and David, my hosting partners, provided a lovely selection of wines from France and California and wrote helpful tasting notes, as well as allowing us to use their beautiful home for the event.

Handouts for participants
Custom logo

I branded the invite and handouts (tasting notes, and art history cues) with a custom logo and consistent look and feel. I’m looking forward to hosting another session!

Categories
Book community craft event Vancouver Volunteering

Enchanted Forest of Books

This year, the Scholastic Autumn Book Fair theme was ‘Enchanted Forest’. I volunteered to decorate a section of the school library as part of its magical transformation.

Considering the space, I was inspired to create some enchanted ‘flying’ books to hang above the readers. I hollowed out discounted children’s hardbacks and using Mod Podge to glue the pages open at different states, and hung them with nylon wire.

The signage was really fun to make, I painted wooden boards with freehand calligraphy and added autumnal detail and glass eyes for a touch of fantasy. I made headdresses for the librarians and signage for the cashiers to match.

Boards painted as signposts to imaginary destinations

I prepared faux foliage garlands and festooned the trees and windows, which looked beautiful with the light shining through the Fall colours. I added details to the trees such as battery-operated candles in lanterns, LED lights, sparkling rhinestones and strings of pretty ribbon with tags for the students to write on their book fair ‘wishes’.

Decoration for the book donation boxes
Our lovely librarians getting into the spirit!
Categories
art community craft culture Decoration event Mexico paper cut Party Vancouver

Dia de los Muertos party

DIY Day of the Dead decorations, skulls, calavera, photo booth
Luis rocking the calavera and Adeline with her newly-crafted headdress

I love an opportunity to decorate for a party, and even more so if I get the chance to make the decorations myself! The last few years we have hosted a Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) party, inspired by the Mexican holiday and the annual festival in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

So many faux candles and sparkles to use! I love this holiday

For this year’s party I used some foam core on which I hand-painted bright calavera (skull) motifs. I created a skull and lace backdrop with twinkly lights and garlands with faux marigolds and lace ribbon, with plenty of hot glue. I painted and collaged a large polystyrene skull and a vintage sombrero that Chris bought from a work auction, which were fun decorative items and photo props. Papel picado was the inspiration for some cut paper-style foam core signs.

Gabriela with over-sized ‘papel picado’-style signage!
More calacas

We also set aside a maker space and I led a craft session for my friends teaching them how to make calavera headdresses to wear, which was so fun even for the craft-reluctant!

Categories
art craft culture Decoration event fashion Mexico Vancouver

Calavera headdresses

This season I have been busy making scores of headdresses for Dia de los Muertos, and led a craft session to teach my friends how to make them too – such fun!

I used sturdy headbands, (either wide plastic or thin metal work well) and with hot glue, added a felt strip as a base to add the decoration. I provided a lovely selection of faux flowers and foliage, plastic and polystyrene skulls and rhinestones, and we dived in, cutting up some dollar store lace tablecloths as mantillas.

Top hat with a brim of lace, ribbon, netting, faux floral and bejewelled skeletons

Categories
Africa branding design Morocco Painting pattern Print travel Typography wedding

Zillij laser-cut suite

Traditional 'zillij' tile design inspired this print suite for a beautiful destination wedding in Marrakech

Traditional ‘zillij’ tile design inspired this print suite for a beautiful destination wedding in Marrakech.

I created a custom logo for the happy couple using a ‘Khamsa’ or ‘Hand of Fatima’ motif. This symbol is considered auspicious in Moroccan folklore – paired with an ampersand, it represented our best wishes for the newlyweds, and provides a visual nod towards the traditional henna worn by the bridal party.  I employed a colour palette that would complement the Atlas roses, metallic accents and dusky pink environs.

The full commission encompassed a variety of card stock items, invitations with laser-cut sleeves, acrylic accessories, wayfinding and signage, stickers and corresponding website.

Personalised wedding favours for all of the guests
Wedding favours with custom print and laser-cut acrylic design

wedding favours with custom print and laser cut acrylic design
Artisan wedding favours with custom print and laser cut acrylic design

custom wedding design - table markers
Co-ordinating table markers

custom wedding design - table markers
Tablescape

order of service
Order of proceedings cards

Categories
Los Angeles

Excelsior!

For this birthday party, our theme was inspired by trips to the California Science Center to see the Endeavour shuttle and NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida with our space-obsessed little one. I had fun painting some letter-shaped canvases and large canvas with galaxy-related imagery, and made garlands with fun sparkly foam stickers.

For treats, I made trays of multicoloured fudge, and rice krispie squares with swirly coloured chocolate sprinkled with edible stars.

As it was a barbecue at the park, we played space-related games outdoors such as an obstacle course with planets to orbit, black holes to avoid, astronaut helmets to fit, and robot dancing!

We played ‘pass the asteroid’ (a lumpy parcel with a Star Wars toy within each layer of wrapping) and I made a large board with a ‘solar system challenge’, velcro planets to rearrange into the right order radiating out from the sun.


Categories
art California model Sculpture

Figurative Sculpture

Blindfold – a 1/8th life-size male figure study in oil clay and metal armature with plumbing piping support, a technique suitable for moulding and casting in bronze.

Categories
art California Disney Painting paper cut

It’s a small, Small World

'It's a Small World' panel
‘It’s a Small World’ rainy day project panel

Mary Blair’s wonderful designs for ‘It’s a Small World’ formed the basis of one of the most beloved of all of the rides at Disneyland. I learned recently, that within Disney Imagineering, the ride is referred to as the ‘Rainy Day Project’ as this was the concept behind Blair’s colourful graphic treatment of the environment – imagining a mother’s cut-paper designs, created to amuse her children during inclement weather.

Categories
art Morocco

Zillij collage

Zillij collage, artist Liza Lemsatef CunninghamDiptych paper cut collage from my sketchbook featuring found imagery from advertising, a traditional domestic riad interior and the female form.

Playing with notions of traditional gender roles, identity and interrupted contiguity. Influenced by traditional Moroccan zillij tessellated tile patterns and forms used as wooden screens forming a membrane  between the private and the public sphere.

Selected for exhibition ‘It’s Your Show’ at UCLA Westwood, California

Zillij collage, exhibition view