I will stop with the hipstamatic pics soon, I promise. These were taken out and about at The Auction Rooms cafe in North Melbourne. A truly lovely space. My banana bread with espresso butter and maple syrup was heavenly. And the cafe is only a few doors down from Ramona Tienda, a shop with exquisite hand made lovelies. Muy bella!
Do you know about the wonderful 2011 sketchbook project? When you sign up you're sent a simple moleskin sketchbook which you are to fill (according to your chosen theme) by the deadline [15th January, 2011]. Then, the thousands of sketchbooks submitted will be exhibited at galleries and museums on a tour across the United States. But note: anyone in the world can enter! How cool is that? This is the part I like: after the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view. Also, you can opt to digitise your sketchbook so people who can't go to see them on the tour in person can flip through them on the web.
I've just signed up! I love drawing, I love sketchbooks, I love the concept behind this project, and I love Brooklyn.
A new giclee art print Whispers has been recently released separately from the calendar. The background colour has the softest, most subtle tinge of green to it. Really quite calming to look at. And yes, made from one of my sumi ink illustrations. If you're shopping for pressies (like I am at the moment) it's here.
A little glimpse inside the beautiful world of Kyoto Design House. There are things there so lovely that they will make you weep with joy. Promise! Located in a new building designed by Tadao Ando, this wonderful contemporary design space on Tomonokoji (just south of Oike) is a must visit if you're in Kyoto. And opposite is Benrido, the prettiest postcard shop you've ever seen. That's another promise.
In Kyoto last week I went along to Aizen Kobo, a natural indigo dyeing workshop in an old machiya house, located in the Nishijin textile district. Owned by indigo dyer, Kenichi Utsuki, this place was a real pleasure to visit. Ken-san is very passionate about natural indigo dyeing and will patiently talk you through the difference between what he does and chemical indigo dyeing processes. His kobo (workshop) is located in a very large machiya which is pure bliss to explore with Ken as he shows you samples of the fabrics he has dyed and his wife Hisako has designed into finished products.
Check out these vats of indigo dye in the process of fermenting! I won't lie - they did smell a bit as you would expect from a natural fermentation process.
And here is the front of the machiya where Ken's kobo is located. He has a lovely shop in the front where you can go crazy looking at all that gorgeous shibori dyed fabric he has on offer. Needless to say I did not leave empty handed.
A place to draw breath on a busy day in Kyoto: Nanzenji. With autumn approaching in the northern hemisphere and along with it the spectacular visual feast that is momiji you need to get there early in the morning though. Before 9am or it's very, very crowded.
A big thanks to the ever generous Holly from Decor8 for posting my 2011 calendar in her annual calendar round up. There are some gorgeous calendars out there this year! There is still time to purchase one if you're thinking of giving it as a gift for the coming holiday season.
Oh my goodness what I wonderful trip I've had (to Kyoto). Fabulous, every second of it. So much has changed and yet so many things are still as they were all those years ago. Many thanks to friends who fed me during my stay. You're all so sweet.
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