Les Demoiselles de Rochefort

Since the weekend I've had a particular little ditty in my head. It's from a 1967 film called Les Demoiselles de Rochefort which is a Jacques Demy film that is basically an hommage to the Hollywood musical...but with a French new wave twist.

Where have I been not knowing this kind of stuff exists?

While the rest of Australia was congregated around the telly on Saturday night to watch the election results (modernist house owning Tony Abbott romped it in by the way), I went to watch this French film at my friend's place. I was warned there was a bit of everything for everyone in this film and that it was tonnes of fun. And it was!

When the gay guy watching the film with us pipes up during the opening sequence "OMG! That is so gay!" you know that you're in for a treat!

It stars a young Catherine Deneuve and her older sister Francoise Dorleac, who died  in a motor vehicle accident shortly after this movie was shot. The film is a feast of carefully selected colour and costumes and can only be described as whimsical multiplied by 100.

Have a look at the clip.

Wall mural

If you had told me at the start of the weekend that I would graffiti our side fence, I would've responded BS!

For some inexplicable reason, I was compelled to go through our stockpile of spray paints and began vandalising our old fence like a mad woman. As you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I know, why wouldn't I just paint the valance instead? That would take all the glory from out-of-action Jason, that's why!

Anyway, I had fantastic ideas which I sketched on paper and when it came to transposing it on a larger scale onto the corrugated iron fence it did not work as well as I liked. I take my hat off to the graffiti/street artists of the world (not the tag vandals because there's no talent in that) as spray painting is not as easy as they make it look!

This is one of my favourite street art images found in Melbourne.

image from here

I also had visions of an abstract mural similar to the one found in the modernist Rose Siedler House in Sydney...

But I will need to work myself up to something as fancy as the stencil graffiti and abstract murals. So in the meantime, I'm sticking to basic spring flowers - a little bit of a nod to Orla Kiely, the great pattern reinterpreter.

The corrugated iron fence is not the prettiest thing in the world. Jason and I are happy enough to make it a blank canvas for something more interesting. We will change it every few months depending on what captures our imagination. I have hope the kids will do something cool for summer.

The painted fence will probably be the only bit of spring colour that we will see in the Sow's Ear's garden this year!

Once Upon a Time - Reinterpreting the Fairy Tale in West End

Kissing frogs, pumpkin coaches and hot men in tights are my first thoughts when I think of the fairy tales I read as a child... Ha! Imagine what the fanciful minds of Brisbane's artistic community will come up with in the latest art exhibition to hit town.

For those wanting to immerse themselves into the world of the creative and the whimsical, Once Upon a Time - Reinterpreting the Fairy Tale opens this Friday night, 16 August from 6pm. 

It will be held at one of Brisbane's coolest arts hubs Art & Design Precinct at 10 Bailey Street in West End. 

The 10 day exhibition features established and emerging artists returning to the essence of folk histories - exploring oral tales, myths and beliefs behind ancient fairy tales. 

It promises to be an exciting exhibition drawing together actors and artists creating works in media such as painting, illustration, sculpture, mixed media, photography, ceramics, jewellery and fibre art. There are also some amazing children's workshops scheduled, which explore the fairy tale genre.

Everyone is welcome to attend the opening night festivities - I'll be donning a pair of my favourite glass slippers to wear on the night!

All opening night bar, raffle and silent auction proceeds will be donated to Make-a-Wish Foundation. There will also be performances, music and a fairy fortune teller to predict your future...

Click here for all the events  

Rearranging the op-shop art

We like a good faff on the weekend at the Sow's Ear, where we just potter about without too many pressures. We spent some of our time rearranging the art work.

Earlier in the week I made the annual pilgrimage to Ipswich to visit Jo from Desire to Inspire with my mates Katherine and Carmel. It's our chance to catch up with the guru of online interiors, to check out Jo's spectacular home and to assist in emptying some of her full cupboards.

Jo's been my number one supplier (enabler) of vintage goods for the past three years - God bless her generous hoarding soul! I was the lucky recipient of a few art glass pieces and other goodies which I will show you another time. Thanks a million Jo!

Here's a shot of Jo's amazing home office

This is Jo's master bedroom which is simply, darkly exquisite.
Sorry for the poor iphone quality

This year, Jo passed on a couple of thrifted art pieces which she bought mostly for the frames (she's also an artist and uses reclaimed frames for her art works). I thought they were great as is and have hung them in the dining room. (And Susan do not roll your eyes at my 'art'! Ha!)

The new piece is on the right- a landscape in some psychedelic colours. I like an eclectic mix on the wall - vintage 1970s art print, last supper carving and an acrylic landscape...

The still life below is the other new acquisition. We can't figure out what the green thing is...the kids reckon it's a lettuce...I think it might be a cabbage. What do you reckon?

We also hung the op-shop Sibley lithograph in the lounge room (read about it here). This room is looking so much nicer with the restored Wegner daybed and the DQF viking chairs. There are a few things which need tweaking ...like new lamp shade, coffee table etc...but there's no rush for now...

the Sibley is the framed piece on the right

 p.s Thanks so much for all your lovely comments about our 4th blogging anniversary. xx 

New acquisitions - Sibley lithograph and more iittala crystal

I have to say that when I go out and about fossicking for mid-century goodies (iittala or any Scandinavian crystal is my poison) you really don't find much. I always have my eyes peeled for furniture too...just in case I stumble upon something like...

The other day while I was filling in an hour before school pick-up (as is my weekly habit), I stumbled upon a framed lithograph which caught my eye. I looked at the signature which read Sibley. The only artist I know of with the name Sibley is Andrew Sibley who is a renowned Australian artist, except in the Lifeline Supastore. You can read a little about him here, if you are interested.

I took a punt and bought it and have found out through a friend that yes, it is indeed an Andrew Sibley and details about this particular lithograph can be found here. Yay! I'm glad I found it. There will be some rearranging of the art on the walls over the weekend I suspect...

Andrew Sibley 1990 Lithograph The Inner Garden

And in other exciting news my iittala Festivos are breeding. A new six ring Festivo has made its way to the Sow's Ear from Shop 88 in the Woolloongabba Antiques Centre. I was looking for a tall one to complete the cluster, so I am very happy about this particular purchase.

In the centre of the table (image below) there is also an iittala Ultima Thule glass platter designed by Tapio Wirkkala, which I found recently. I've never seen the glass plates before and of course it came to a welcoming home.

iittala Festivo candle holders

It might be time that I clean out some of my cupboards to swap out old crockery and glassware with my new acquisitions...again!

Have you had much luck in your thrifty endeavours?

Campbell's Soup tins

To say I'm not a huge fan of tinned soup would be an incredible understatement...but it didn't stop me from adding four Campbell's limited edition tomato soup tins to my grocery trolley the other week.

So, I'm a sucker for Warhol and retro packaging!

Campbell's limited edition art tins

We've only eaten one tin. I made the kids eat it one night when I wasn't bothered cooking.

You have to take your hat off to the people who thought to package these tins as limited edition pieces, because there is no way in the world I would've bought them otherwise. I am officially a wanker!

Now, what to do with these colourful tins. Unfortunately, my idea for using them as herb planters was quite flawed. The paper labels won't last the distance, so I will have to rethink  how to use them.

Some people are using them as vases, pencil holders and tea light candle holders... I'm thinking of peeling off the labels and making some sort of art piece. I have a vision of getting my pop art mojo on. I'll show you what I come up with when it is done...after we get through all the soup!

Did you guys buy the tins too. And what are you planning on doing with yours?