A week in photographs

Hello! So I've decided that I'm going to do a few more short(ish) posts in between my more labour intensive ones. I take hundreds of pictures on my phone each week which mostly just languish on my computer or, if they're lucky, make it onto my Instagram so it would be nice if they got used in a more useful way.  The past week has been particularly busy and visually enticing, I hung the exhibition at The Glorious Art House last weekend with my mum. Whilst I was in Exeter I visited RAMM, which I wholeheartedly recommend if only for the wonderful rose pink walls. My boyfriend and I celebrated Valentines late with a lazy pancake morning on Shrove Tuesday. I'm not much of a pancake fan but I made American style ones with added cinnamon and they were fluffy perfection! I spent the rest of the week painting and beginning a large scale embroidery I am making for an exhibition alongside my brother and mumma coming up in April (more on that at a later date!) The week was rounded off with a visit to the Eden Project yesterday for The West Country Folklore Symposium that I mentioned in my last post.

I mentioned in the last post that I'd post a few photographs from our exhibition at The Glorious Art House so it's quite heavy on pictures from there. The exhibition is on until Thursday, so there's still plenty of time to visit.

In other news the much anticipated (by me at least) new album, God's Hand, by Hot sugar leaked this week, it's SO good. Probably the greatest ever. You can get it here and check out all his other amazing stuff here. He's been getting so much good press lately due to Broad City sampling some his bits on their second season, it's always good to see someone get the success they're due!

Hope you all had a great weekend.

The Virgin of Guadalupe I, 2014

Paintings and soft sculpture by Penny MacBeth

Penny MacBeth

Downstairs in the cafe of The Glorious Art House

Me trying to look fancy at the private view

God in Bottle's by Penny MacBeth & Prints by me

Our Valentines inspired grotto

Visit to Ramm Exeter from L-R: East Russian horned hat, beautiful butterfly collection, freakily large bug, more amazing butterflies!

L-R: silly selfie in my new H&M dress, candy cane socks from the sales, beautiful plasterwork from the book Mexico Living, gorgeous rose pink walls at RAMM.

L-R: One of a selection of cards I made for Valentines day, fruity collage, breakfast of American pancakes, bananas, walnuts, maple syrup and coffee, more collaging!

Masked Folk, 2015

My stand at the West Country Folklore Symposium 

The pot plants of my 1970s dreams at The Eden Project

The only picture I got of my ensemble yesterday (wearing Portuguese folk dance skirt, Hungarian embroidered waistcoat and a vintage cotton dress from Past Times. All accessories made by Penny MacBeth.)

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The Charcoal Burner

Hello! Wedding fever has ceased and I am back in the realm of living. I spent the last weekend hanging my latest exhibition, Gilding the Lily, in collaboration with my mum, Penny MacBeth. It's at The Glorious Art House in Exeter until February 27th, do go along if you're in the area (they do an excellent coffee in the cafe downstairs!) I'll post some pictures of it later this week too.

On my mind today though is British folklore, more specifically English Folklore. I've long been fascinated by the rich selection of folk customs and traditions that Britain has to offer. Cornwall has a whole host of weird and wonderful events; the Obby Oss at May Day in Padstow, Cornish hurling in St Columb Major (a truly terrifying event) and the Furry Dance in Helston to select just a few.

The Obby Oss- illustration by Barbara Jones in English Fairs & Markets by William Addison

Source: 1

On Saturday I'm off to a symposium dedicated entirely to West Country folklore. I couldn't be more excited, there are whole number of speakers and exhibitors speaking on an amazing array of topics (should you wish to attend you can find out more here).

In aid of the symposium and the imminent arrival of spring, I donned a suitable sprightly outfit and set about creating some pictures with a spring in their step. I was loosely influenced by the costumes of morris men and mummers but mostly I just wanted them to encapsulate the wonderfully English love of trees and all things green. I love folk customs that use foliage and flowers as adornment; wrapping their faces with twigs and leaves, could there be a better way to welcome the new season? 

British Folklore, Tim Walker, Vogue UK

Source: 2, 3

My own ensemble consists of entirely vintage items, mostly gifts with the exception of the pantaloons which were a purchase last week from a vintage sale. They are incredibly comfortable and an item I have been after for many many months!  

The outfit (I nearly forgot this influence!) is also in part an homage to my forefathers. My mum has recently been investigating our family lineage in order to make family trees for various elder members of our family. I've always loved folk stories and a favourite from my own family is about my great-great-grandfather (I think that's right..) on my maternal side. He was a charcoal burner who one day went off in to the woods, only to return 30 years later and die three days later. I've always liked the idea of wandering off into the woods, barefoot and fancy-free so here is my version of that (all be it at the top of the stairs in my house..!) 

Outfit Details

Embroidered Hungarian shirt - belonged to my Aunty

Ex-theatre cotton pantaloons -  Vintage Flea Market

Embroidered felt waistcoat - birthday present last year

1950s fake flower and net hat - car boot sale

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Preparation

Hello! Just a very quick post today. We are knee-deep in prep for my ma's wedding on Saturday so I gotta get back to making 100 profiteroles and pesto (not to be eaten together...!) 

These photographs were, despite their sunny appearance, taken in October. It was an unusually bright Autumnal day. My mum and I spent some time trawling the last car boot of the season and picked up some marvellous bargains; a great gold hand-painted pot and curtains with a lovely daisy pattern which reminds me of the Swiss mountains. The flowers are my favourite in the world; anemones. 

We took the pictures for my feature in Little Thing magazine, they're probably my favourite of the set. I'm particularly keen on the orange, pink, red colour way in my ensemble, it was also a particularly lovely day so I feel like they beam good vibes. For the more observant among you, you may notice that the dress & shoes featured in my last post too. I promise that the next post will feature a completely original outfit! 

I have lots going on these next few weeks; first the wedding and then prep for Gilding the Lily at The Glorious in Exeter, it'll feature new work from my mum and I and opens on the 13th February (just in time for V.day!) I still have several canvases to resin, prints to make and so forth so I may be dipping in and out of bloggyland. However, I'll be shooting for another project next week so those photos will definitely make it up here. Hope you all have a very happy week! Please think of me running around whisking, mixing and chopping and say a little prayer to whoever your chosen deity is.

Linking to Visible Monday

Outfit Details

1960s cupid tapestry top - vintage market sale rail

Wooden orange beads - car boot sale

Dress - Penny MacBeth

Pom pom headdress - Penny MacBeth

Bavarian folk dancing clogs - car boot sale

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The Folly

Hello! This is my first post of the new year (!), that feels a little odd to write as it already seems that we are well ensconced in 2015. Anyway January has been busy. My mum is getting married next week so menu planning has been on the agenda (with the exception of a roasted pig, for the meat eaters among us, we are cooking it all!). Puddings, salads and cakes have been filling my brain.

I've also been filling my brain with thoughts of the magazine that I am putting together with George & Josh. I posted about it some time ago now but finally it's forming up into a conceivable project! We had to have a slight re-brand/name change before we even really got started due to the new University of the Arts London magazine being called Artefact (and seeing as I studied there that just wouldn't do to keep it). Nevermind! We're now The Folly (a much better name I think). We've also changed tack slightly since I last wrote about it.  Each issue will explore a different medium. We've had lots of great submissions for our first issue which is exploring short stories and I've even written a story which is a bit of a first.

We're now onto my favourite bit, putting it all together! We've been taking notes from some of our favourite publications of yesteryear. I have several copies of The Saturday Book (I'm also always after more if you spot any..), a wonderful collection of miscellany. Articles range from photo diaries from Japan to a story of two otters that live under an American ladies bed in West London. I have prized the first two I owned for many years, they originally belonged to my dad and I've carried them from house to house. Whilst at university it occurred to me that such a publication really should be re-visited. It manages to be silly, serious and wonderfully surprising all at once. 

We also been studying 60s & 70s issues of Ambit (which is still going) and various other poetry pamphlets and magazines from the 70s that we own. What I love about them all is the amazing typography and slightly wonky typesetting! I can only hope that we can turn The Folly into something as delightful. 

I've always hankered after running a magazine. Since we were very small my brother, George, and I have manufactured mad little magazines (now I guess they'd be called zines). We started with Arte-Attacks, a magazine for our toys that had been nibbled by our dog Arty. It offered advice and support to help them recover (I warned you we were barking). Later on The Ladock Times, a pastiche on our then village magazine. Thus this project seems to play to many of our shared interests. We both have magpie tendencies and have always love collecting together stories, pictures, poems (etc etc) to share with one another so it only seems right to share these with everyone! We are of course always wanting more submissions, if you have a short story that's just waiting to be published of you just want to know more about the project / contribute to future issues email thefollymagazine@gmail.com

I put my ensemble together thinking about what I'd wear if I was the EIC (editor-in-chief) of an up and coming magazine (which I guess I could say I am..). The dress was made by my mum and features my face on the skirt (all EIC's have got to promote themselves #personalbrand). The necklace was also made by my mum, the EIC must always have a watchful eye on all staff and contributors... 

Glasses are also a must. I'm not sure I've ever worn mine in any of my posts before. I can hardly see a thing without them but really dislike wearing them as I feel they make me look a little too serious.

The other very exciting thing to happen which is not unconnected is I had my first feature in Little Thing magazine. It's a very sweet magazine based in China. They have had lots of people contribute to them who I love, including Natalie Lete, so I was very happy when they asked me to do a 7 days of style. I'll post some more of the pictures later this week but here are the magazine spreads. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to translate the captions but an English translation booklet was included! You can buy copies of the magazine here. 

I hope you are all well. I have lots of posts planned for the next few weeks, including lots of wedding pictures, so no more long pauses!

I leave you with amazing funk from Cymande

Linking up with the scarf Share-in-Style

Outfit Details

Dress - Penny MacBeth

Headdress - Penny MacBeth

Bracelets - Penny MacBeth

Necklace - Penny MacBeth

Russian scarf - charity shop

Bavarian folk dancing clogs - car boot sale

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