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| The Lavender Princess. |
Don't you love when art stops you in your tracks and it's like time stands still while you explore every detail. I'm so enraptured by Kirsty Mitchell's incredible work and story that it's almost too hard to gather my thoughts to tell you about it. When I spied the dramatic lavender scene above, I had to know where it came from, who was responsible, how it was done and why. Such intensity and beauty, I found it utterly compelling.
Kirsty's background is primarily in fashion and costume design but I think it's fair to say she's a 'multi-passionate' artist. Kirsty's world was turned completely upside down and inside out when her mother passed away from a brain tumour in 2008. From the depths of her grief and despair after loosing someone she had been so very close to, someone who had taught to believe in beauty, wonder and using your imagination, rose this concept of Wonderland.
Wonderland is a photography series that consists of sixty eight images or 'scenes' so far that have taken four years to make. Kirsty is still working on the final seven scenes of Wonderland that are due to be released in the coming months. Each image transports you to a place filled with ethereal woodland characters, where imagination and possibilities are limitless. As I started to explore Wonderland, I truly did feel like I was tumbling down the rabbit hole. All of the props, costumes you see in each scene was created by Kirsty by hand, many taking months of preparation to complete. All that in addition to setting up the perfect location, which meant sometimes waiting for tiny window of seasonal opportunity to capture incandescent flower fields in full bloom. Kirsty's commitment to the scenes she first saw in her dreams and was compelled to recreate is astounding - none of these images have been photoshopped. This blows my mind.
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| Gaia's Promise. |
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| The Faraway Tree. |
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| The Storyteller. |
What a breathtaking tribute to her mother. An incredibly sacred, secret Wonderland that belongs to the two of them. We're just lucky enough to be imbued by the beauty of their bond, through the looking glass.
You can see all of the Wonderland images, read all the behind the scenes stories and Kirsty's honest and emotional diary that accompanies the entire four year journey on her website, here. It's really worth the visit.
Belinda x
Maryanne Moodie is someone I really admire. In addition to being a wife and mum, and just a straight up sweet and lovely person, Maryanne has a great eye for all things beautiful and well made. And luckily for us, puts her talents to great use.
Maryanne is the owner and curator of House of Maryanne Vintage, one of my favourite online boutiques. And she has some mad crafting skills, including her latest venture into weaving. This captured the attention of Lucy Feagins recently who featured Maryanne's work on The Design Files! You can read the interview here.
Lately, I've been particularly interested in hand woven fabrics and tapestries, I'm aiming to try and teach myself to weave one of these days.
So when I saw that Maryanne was creating these amazing pieces, I had to commission a HoM woven tapestry to call my own. I gave Maryanne a rough size and 'neutral palate' guideline. And after a few days at the loom, this is the final result. It is truly beautiful. I absolutely love the detail and texture from the reclaimed silk sari yarn and gold metallic thread Maryanne's used. A local and lovingly made, gorgeous piece of art now perfectly at home, in my home. Happiness!
Recently Maryanne moved her HoM Vintage store from Facebook to Etsy. You can find her here. Otherwise on her website, you'll find all the relevant social media links and contact details, you can check out her beautifully styled lookbooks and sign up to a newsletter to stay up to date on what this lovely and talented lady does next.
Belinda x
These beautifully vibrant photographs are from the Garden Fresh series by Jakarta-based artist, Agan Harahap. The vivid imagery of wild animals placed in situations that are inherently human really feels strangely like you're looking at yourself, echoes of Life of Pi.
Agan says, "It is like a fable about a journey undertaken by the animals when they venture into our daily lives. The animals are confronted by a new reality that is in conflict with their natural habits and habitats."
I can relate to that zebra today. Some days, everything just feels a bit out of step, you know?
Belinda x
I went to my first Opera the other day. A friend of mine was performing in the Sydney Philharmonia Choir (wow, right?!) Turns out people still dress up for such occasions. I saw more than a few bedazzled, floor length gowns and bow ties.
I dont mind a good dickie bow in their natural habitat - dapper older gents, opera going folk, Brad Goreski and the hipsters. But I'd sidelined them as ever actually being a legitimate part of my own sartorial repertoire. Well, now Nicholas Ruiz's Bow Tie Collection has made me wonder whether I had it all wrong.
The best part, is that Nicholas Ruiz is now working on a Made in Forest Hills bow tie collection that will be available to purchase. I'm looking forward to see what he comes up with next. I think my wardrobe needs a bow tie brooch...oh yes.
Belinda x
We've all experienced those moments of something iconic happening being burned into our memory. "Where were you when.....?" Admittedly, this isn't quite to the scale of moments of tragedy, loss or historical consequence....but with the boldest of prints appearing everywhere this season, it got me thinking. I remember clearly - like it was yesterday - the sharp intake of breath when I first spied this Vogue Italia Cover in 2007.
I'll be honest, I didn't know who Steven Meisel was at the time. Now, I love myself some fashion, photography and art; but can be blissfully ignorant to the details a lot of the time. This cover encouraged me to learn that he was in fact responsible for every single Vogue Italia cover since 1988 and is one of the worlds greatest and most controversial fashion photographers.
So back to that moment. I have high maintenance hair and visiting the hairdresser is one of my all time favourite treats. It's MY time - gossip, laughs, head massages, magazines - seriously, what's not to love! I was in my happy place and this Patterns editorial by Steven Meisel in Vogue Italia had me absolutely mesmerised.
I remember thinking it was so clever and being blown away at the colour, movement, how you really have to study the image to find the models amongst the barrage of print, in all it's forms. The models themselves look like pieces of fabric, swirled and contorted. Complex, arresting, beautiful.
This one is my absolute favourite. What I would give to have this hanging on a wall in my home.
That's what art is to me. Of course it's completely subjective, but it moves you. Burns it's place in your heart and is unforgettable.
Belinda x
