Tuesday 24 August 2010

Lewis Howland




These are images from 'Lewis Howland Museum', in Kansas, the museum shows his lifetime of collecting and building scale models of circus wagons. He retired and travelled USA to take photographs of circus wagons, then at home recreate scale models of them, there are hundreds of them, all amazing.



Tuesday 17 August 2010

Dance Masks

These images are of Guatemalan Dance masks, used for performances of dances and pageants. This rare art form is a hybrid of indigenous art, catholic iconography, and Spanish culture. The ceremonies were used to bring fertility, a good harvest, or scare away evil spirits. The primitive nature of the faces and the history and meaning of each mask, create a unique mix, which I find very inspiring.

Thursday 12 August 2010

The Original Toy Shop

Here is a rare photograph (as trying to find more of the Wiles toy shop, is near impossible) of the inside of Wiles toy shop in Manchester, taken in 1927 , in what is now the triangle shopping centre, I wish it was still here, it looks amazing.

Monday 9 August 2010

Outsider Art Exhibtion




At the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, is an exhibition called 'Intuition' showing some of the artists from the Musgrave Kinley Outsider Art Collection. There are some incredible detailed large scale drawings, imaginative mechanical objects, paintings, but overall it is a display of the artists lifetime of work, an insight to their mindset, showing their overwhleming desire to create, create and create.

V&A musuem of childhood




If you have not been to V&A museum of childhood, I strongly recommend you go, its full of amazing old toys, puppets, dolls houses, old packaging, furniture, installations. One of my favourite inspiring places to go.

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Circus - Alexander Calder



This is a clip from a 1955 film by Jean Painleve, showing the artist Alexander Calder performing the 'circus', his minature circus is truley inspirational.

Libson Doll Hospital




One of the oldest Doll hospitals in is Libson, specialising in repairing old/antique dolls. I want to go it looks incredible and creepy.

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Toy Shop




The Toy Shop will be opening soon October 2nd, an amazing 2d, 3d illustration, installation exhibition, featuring some very talented ilustrators and image makers. This blog will show the inspiration, contributors and the general process. be very excited.

These cracker toys are incredible, amazing colours, figures and the arrangement of them together is pure eye candy.