Hey there! 

Hope you are all having a happy Thursday, I am very happy that it is only one more sleep till Friday!!

Third year is proving to be as busy and hectic as promised!! Throw in trying to have a social life, doing the odd cultural venture and the odd half-marathon I haven't really had a minute to stop - however due to a hip injury courtesy of the aforementioned running - I am being forced to physically stop. Therefore, I have eventually got round to my blog, sat with a hot water bottle on my granny hip and sipping a cuppa.

To be frank I can't really be bothered to cover everything I haven't had a chance to jot down on here, so am just going to start with the here and now. Tuesday night I went to a corporate view of 'Rubens and his Legacy' at the Royal Academy of Art, on arrival I was greeted by this beautiful piece by Frank Stella.....

Tomorrow we have our crit for our penultimate project at college EVER. Lordy this degree has never mind flown but galloped by. This project has been our 'Design for Screen' bit, pretty self-explanatory!! For the project we had a choice of three scripts which we have then designed/got a conceptual understanding of the environment the characters inhabit and design one of the characters in full. I chose 'Mercy' which is about a Ghanaian British family and their daughter's engagement. For the character I chose the mother, Elizabeth. (Think Sandra from Gogglebox mixed with Pam from Gavin and Stacey, got it?).....

Image from the V&A's 'Staying Power' exhibition about Black immigrants in Britain from the 1960/70s. Really influential in my design process.

Ghanaian actress Nana Ohemaa Dokua. Similar to how I envisage Elizabeth.

Initial concept.

Final Design.

Alongside college I am also working on a piece of promenade theatre by an exciting up and coming company 'One of Us.' I am really excited! Based on the 1959 'House on Haunted Hill' starring the ever brilliant Vincent Price the project is right up my street!! I am the set dresser for the two productions. One is taking place in an incredible church in East London and the other in the beautiful clock tower of St. Pancras. If this is taking your fancy, check out the link.....

https://www.facebook.com/events/896906377027584/?ref=22&source=22


A couple of sketches from the church.....

Bye for now.

Oh my! The other day while walking home I spotted that this had happened.....

Yes Covent Garden Market Hall, hang those Christmas baubles with pride!!

And I might have visited Fortnum and Mason Christmas shop ALREADY.....

Makes me ridiculously happy.

(To add to my growing excitement for the upcoming festive season, Jenna gave me a Christmas jumper cookie cutter, so hundreds of photos of festive cookies to follow shortly.)

Ah but away from my slightly ridiculous Christmas procrastination, I have been busy getting back into the swing of things on my Costume Design course!! This term my main bits of work are dissertation - aaaaaaaaaaargh - and my first design project, 'Constructed Costume' where we have all picked an object from Windsor Castle as our starting point which we then need to be inspired from said object to create our own character and costume ready for a show in January, Tired just thinking about it.

For my dissertation I am asking:

'Are clothes Holy?

The significance of style in Beat culture.'

Basically chatting about these cool guys.

And how they have been portrayed in the media and film both during their time in 1950/60s America and today with more recent films, so discussing the nature of sub-culture and how the lives of these now notorious characters such as: Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs have therefore been perceived by the mainstream! Have done a couple of my own sketches from films for the fun.....

'Pull My Daisy.'

'Howl.'

For my design project I am on the research and sketchbook stage. For my object I picked a painting 'The Chinese Convert' 1691 by Sir Godfrey Kneller. It has inspired me to explore the notions of East and West, the idea of personal identity wrapped up in culture, belief and faith and taking on a journey for truth, quests, pilgrimage and questioning the world around us, oooooh. See where it goes!

Went on a day trip to Brighton Pavilion for some West meets East research.

And today I made a trip to the British Museum Enlightenment Gallery, as a time when people started questioning the world around them, it seems to tie in well with the themes I have been looking into so far.

As my dissertation is concerned with the Beat Generation and discussing the significance of style in representations of Beat culture, there is an overlap of interests with my practical work. Although my writing is not as focused on religion, the Beats’ style is underpinned with a strong sense of personal identity which has been purposefully excluded from the mainstream, safe position of western society, therefore again creating links with my studio project which similarly has been inspired by the concept of abandoning a secure majority and venturing into the unknown.

As a time out from thinking about the Beats and philosophy and life I took some time out on Sunday to have a lovely lunch with Ellie and Mollie who is moving to Kazakstan?!?

Lovely Sunday.

Fair to say I have never eaten so much apple crumble.

The coming week has a secret Halloween party in East London, champagne afternoon tea, a Birthday night out and a Sunday Roast! Best get cracking with some more work!! 

Oh my goodness, leaves are falling, my knitwear has made it out of the wardrobe and my tipple of choice has moved from white to red wine. It is Autumn. Get. In.
 
Summer sailed by in a blur, so freaking busy! I have neglected my blog somewhat, and so much has happened I won't bore you all with my whole summer story, but I can definitely say it has been eventful: NYC, midnight forest hikes, campfires, beer on the beach, rainy Lake District, Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, fine wine and dining in France, Proms in the Park, a Murder Mystery Party and a fair bit of Beat Generation research to boot!!
 
Here is a quick snap shot.....
 

 

 

 

Drinking en Provence style.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lithuanian fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then last Saturday we had a Murder Mystery party, 1920s themed! My character: Lois Bong. Yep Bong.
 
 
 
Work wise I did bits and pieces of work experience over the summer, including being costume assistant on Klangkarussell's new music video 'All Eyes on You'.....
 
 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iLTs2AezqWw

 

 

 

As well as working at a hotel for some much needed dollar!! I have however, obviously,found time to bake. These are two new creations: Damson jam, oat and vanilla slices and almond cupcakes with jam, butter icing and a syrup glaze.....

 

 

 

 

 

With a week or so left of my holiday I am cramming in some dissertation reading but also trying to spend some chilled time sketching before I get snowed under with work!!

 

A friend messaged me about a 'Halloweenzine' that is looking for pieces of art, costumes, cakes, well anything Halloween related so I had a go at some Halloween inspired sketches.....

 

 

 

These have got me even more excited for the coming month - even though just the thought of third year is terrifying me!!

This Saturday, in celebration of Kirsty's Birthday, I went to Chap Olympiad! Donned with victory rolls, red lipstick and pearls a day of Pimms drinking, umbrella jousting and volley-bowler ensued. I say, what a day!

Birthday breakfast before heading out.

Happy Birthday Kirsty!

Snow in her beautiful handmade skirt.

Cuties.

Points for co-ordination girls.

Fabulous.

Competitors.

He is loving life.

Fantastic effort made by all. Yes that woman has styled her hair into a moustache.

Umbrella Jousting, turned nasty.

Could you get anymore British?

Pimms o'clock.

It was a really fun day, and the rain stayed away, yeah!

Asides from relaxing with Pimms and friends, I am also working at Holland Park!

Me with my OHP pass after a day of sewing.

Beautiful gardens in Holland Park. Not a bad place to be working ey?

The main theatre, however the opera I am working as wardrobe assistant and dresser on is 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' which takes place outside, as a promenade performance in afternoons, really lovely to work on when the sun is shining like this.