Category: Inspiration

Cadaqués – Salvador Dalí House

Way back when, the summer before last, I visited Cadaqués in Spain. Even though it was a while ago now, I can remember so vividly how blue & white everything looked – it felt like such a fresh place to be and very relaxing. As well as the beauty of the place it’s also the location of Salvador Dali’s home which is open for anyone to visit.

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It was truly amazing, left just as it was. Some of my favourite parts were the giant bear upon entrance, the art studio with old paints in the original packaging and the bedroom was very elaborately decorated too. The outside space was also incredible, including the big eggs everywhere and the giant phallic water feature… I would never have said I was a huge fan of Dali’s work but after visiting his home my interest was definitely piqued!

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10 Instagram accounts to follow right now

Instagram is my favourite social network without a doubt. For the visually minded it’s like crack. I can spend hours scrolling without boredom. So much so, that I had to give it a break a couple of months ago as I started to get RSI in my hand…

ANYWAY! I thought it would be nice to share with you 10 Instagram accounts I love right now. Please share your favourites with me too, I love finding amazing new accounts. Enjoy!

1. Symmetry Breakfast

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This account is food porn to the max. Actually, it’s food porn ART. Whoever is behind this account, well, I wish he was my boyfriend. Apparently each breakfast is for him and his boyfriend every morning. And no, it’s not a mirror. It’s all really laid out like that!

Follow here: https://instagram.com/symmetrybreakfast/

2. Fran Meneses

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Fran is an Illustrator and Youtuber now based in London, previously Berlin. I love her sketchbook drawings, and the pastel colours she uses. A lovely illustration/doodle account if you need a bit of inspiration to get drawing yourself!

Follow here: https://instagram.com/frannerd/

3. Sneakers the corgi

sneakers
Sneakers is legit my favourite Instagram dog. I mean, I follow at least 10 other corgi’s but she’s my favourite. Just so, damn, cute. THOSE SIDE EYES <3.

Follow here: https://instagram.com/sneakersthecorgi/

4. Ava Szanjna-Hopgood

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Ava is a friend from Yorkshire, also living in London. Her account is mainly a documentation of her adventures in Vegan-ism (is that even a word?!). Past vegetarian, prior drunk burger eater; Ava turned Vegan after reconsidering the ethics behind what she ate. She decided it was going to be her New Years resolution and she stuck to it. She’s maybe the only person I know to keep a resolution. Anyway, it makes for a colourful and fun account and you should follow her too if you like vegetables.

Follow here: https://instagram.com/guacandrolluk/ and her blog here, which is full of amazing recipes!

5. Bunny Bissoux

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Bunny is an illustrator in Japan, originally hailing from the midlands (I believe). She moved to Tokyo a couple of years ago and I’ve followed her for a few years after finding her wonderful illustrations online. Her account is a mixture of crazy colours, cute Japanese shit and her amazingly detailed and hectic artwork.

Follow here: https://instagram.com/bunnybissoux/

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Grayson Perry – Small differences, Istanbul

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Once a friend said I looked like Grayson Perry. I have to say that it’s a pretty huge compliment, he has great hair (both as Grayson and as Claire). Also he’s without a doubt an incredible artist: one of my all time favourites.

I went to Istanbul for my birthday earlier in the month (another post soon!). On our last day, we realized there was an exhibition by Grayson Perry showing at Pera Museum. His ‘The Vanity Of Small Differences’ tapestries were on display. We couldn’t have stumbled upon a better exhibition as I’ve always loved Grayson’s work but never seen the tapestries in real life. The detail, the colours, everything about them is incredible. Photographs just don’t do them justice at all. They were amazing, some of my favourite art pieces I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.

The tapestries tell a story of a man called Tim Rakewell who comes from a very working class background in Sunderland. As he grows older and attends university, social mobility comes into play and he makes a ‘better life’ for himself. Tim becomes part of the middle class, and does very well financially. The tapestries show 6 parts of his life, with a slightly gruesome ending. They are based on Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress – a modern take on these old artworks.

You can watch “In The Best Possible Taste” on Channel 4 here. It’s a documentary Grayson filmed to document the research for his tapestries. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be up right now – but it may come back to watch soon (4OD does this a lot! So keep checking back). His other documentary series “Who Are You” is still on 4OD and is well worth viewing.

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Horniman Museum London

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The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill is a treasure trove of taxidermy, natural history and Wes Anderson style colour schemes! I love the baby pink they use everywhere, against the type – it’s perfect. It’s also an amazing place to sit and draw, it’s not super busy in there (I think it’s a bit of a London secret) and it’s got super good lighting. You’ll also find large gardens outside the building, a conservatory and a mini farm there – which is so nice in the sun. Great for an afternoon picnic after exploring the inside of the museum!

If this is your kinda thing then it’s well worth a visit and not as far from central as it seems. You can hop on the Overground from Shoreditch or Dalston, which takes around 20 minutes.
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Fashion dolls by Giampaolo Sgura for Vogue Paris

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These photos by Giampaolo Sgura for Vogue Paris December/January 2014-2015 are the best I’ve seen in forever! I wrote my dissertation at university on dolls and hyperreality as I used to be completely obsessed with the world of fashion dolls. I love the idea behind this photoshoot, you really have to double take on some of them. I think it’s perfect how you really cannot tell what is life size, real or a prop/editing. To me these photos represent the magic in fashion photography, and what is fun about fashion. The detail is also incredible and the styling is spot on. There is not one photo in the set that I don’t like!

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