I am in love with this Alexander McQueen 2008 dress… I have an urge to recreate it!
Polish artist Erwina Ziomkowska has transformed a pair of old shoes by hammering four and a half pounds of metal pins into them, visually communicating the pain women sometimes put themselves through to fit societal definitions of beauty. The heads of the pins give the surface a reflective quality and texture, however on the inside, the repetition of sharp points render the shoes unwearable.
Yesterday my best friend and I went to Southampton to a) collect travel brochures for my gap year planning, and b) get henna tattoos from her friend!
It was a lovely afternoon and this is how mine turned out. Not sure what work will think of it tomorrow, but I love it!
It was fascinating to watch Aiasha work, she did it freehand and without any patterns to copy so I was dead impressed being an art student! Henna is something else I’d love to be able to do - I left wishing I was slightly more cultural!
Now I’m definitely taking a gap year, I’ve been thinking of more things to do, I’m going to ask my jewellery designer/maker Auntie if I could do a few weeks work experience with her.
I thought of this after my metal bashing experiences last week at college, as I really enjoyed it, and thought maybe having some knowledge of jewellery design and the materials available might be a good thing for my CV and for when I do go to uni.
My Auntie made me an amazing necklace for my 18th, as she knows I plan on becoming a shoe designer, she created a silver shoe, encrusted with multicoloured swarovski crystals on a silver chain. It’s beautiful and so well crafted. I also asked her to design and make a copper bangle for my boyfriend’s 18th, engraved with birds of prey, which turned out great and he was really surprised, but pleased.
I would love to work with her and find out more about jewellery making and design, so I’ll get on the case asap and start sorting out my plans for next year!
R.
FMP update…
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Baldie…
Last week I went with my boyfriend to the Hawk Conservancy, near where I live, for his project research (funnily enough, he’s looking at birds) - it was a fun day out!
These were some of my favourite photos (unedited) of a beautiful Bald Eagle. I particularly like the close ups, but I thought I’d include the one in flight to show how magnificent and graceful this huge bird of prey really is.
Some photos of blossom I took last week on a day out in the countryside. I was quite pleased with how they turned out - none of these are edited in any way, shape or form, and I am not a particularly good photographer - I just thought the blossom was really pretty and my camera took them quite well :)
Having reached today, Weds 9th May, the deadline for accepting offers on UCAS, and after MANY heated arguments with my parents, I have finally come to a decision with regards to what I’m doing for the next year of my life, (or at least got more of an idea.)
First thing when I wake up later this morning is to phone De Montfort to defer my place for entry in 2013 - I emailed but I want to be 100% sure they know I’m deferring.
Tonight I’ve been looking into Gap Year options.
My plan so far is as follows;
- Find a second job and work for 4 - 6 months to save up as much money as possible
- Spend just under 2 months in Australia, 2 weeks staying with family in Sydney, 25 days on an organised ‘tour’ (handily starting in Sydney!), end up in Darwin, head back to delightful England.
- Work more ready for uni! Maybe go to Italy for a month on a footwear course (cost dependent)
Super excited!!!!!!!!! I’m going to head to Southampton in the next few weeks to get a brochure(s) about the trip, and start coming up with an organised plan. Also now I’ve decided what I’m doing, I can put all my energy back into coursework and achieve great things at college (maybe, if I’m not too far behind… Which I could well be!)
A weight has been lifted. And I am happy and excited for the summer and for the Australia part of my next year. :)
R.