Eleanor Jane

♥ Ffotogallery Book Arts Fayre ♥

YAY... IT'S BACK! Ffotogallery's Book Arts Fayre has some sort of supernatural hold over me and even though I usually turn up late, crumpled and frantic with multiple staple injuries, there is absolutely no keeping me away. It's the best fun a ffotogirl can have (and there's free tea all day long!). The theme for the spring fayre is 'collaboration' and deadline for submissions is March 6th. I'm attempting to bash out a project in time but I guess we all know that no matter how much work I put in in advance, I'll still be pulling everything together  from the back seat of the car on the day whilst manically shouting directions to Penarth! But yes, submit! Come! It will be awesome to see some new faces there. You can see pictures of past fayres and keep up to date with who & what will be there on the new blog.

Ffoto Week 22.02.10

1. Earlier on this week my friend Andrew and I braved the cold and caught the train to Bristol to seek out the Simplexity Applied exhibition at Centrespace gallery. Despite having no real idea where the gallery was or what it looked like, our inner art magnets led us down a few brick alleys and cobbled lanes, straight to the exhibition space... amazing! Simplexity Applied was like a science museum/art show mash up; a Techniquest for grown ups! Using multimedia technologies to explore new ways of engaging with artistic concepts and ideologies, the artists compelled us to interact physically with the work, manipulating it to our own sensory preferences. It was fantastic! There were also a few short films from MA Animation students in the back room and one in particular blew my mind. I'm still trying to find some information on it though so i'll share that once I do. Other highlights include Victoria Jones' 'You Have Not Reached Your Full Potential' and Matt Jackson's 'Spirus'.

2. A Shot in the Dark in Cardiff serve the best carrot cake ever. In fact, it may even be the best cake ever! They also sell the nicest teas and coffees and tasty Mediterranean style platters with generous portions of dolmades. And and and... yum! 

3. On the weekend I went to visit a new gallery and studio space in Cardiff Bay with an aim to perhaps getting a new base there. As it turned out the space was far too small for me (typical as it's in an incredible location too!) but the gallery is run by two super enthusiastic photographers and they're really active in putting on exhibitions so I look forward to seeing some interesting work there in the future. The current exhibition LOVE UK by Peter Dench is on until the 7th March. Third Floor Gallery, 102 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay.

4. Chris and I went for a quick walk around Pen-y-fan pond on Sunday evening. We need to get back in training for our American adventure later on this year. Chris especially needs to practice... what sort of mental wears Chelsea boots out walking in the snow?!

Ffoto Week 15.02.10

1. Well, the most 'exciting' thing to happen to me all week was the day I had a massive allergic reaction to something mysterious, turned into mutant-scab-puff girl and after a hysterical hour long scratching fit I bled everywhere and had to make a trip to a&e. After turning down the joys of an intravenous drip full of steroids I was sent home with 14 tablets to take a day and a blue card that says I'm special. The tablets were AMAZING FUN! I spent two hours colouring in a birthday card for my Dad and talking very very slowly. Still, the downtime and trippy new perspective offered up plenty of opportunity to re-evaluate things. Hooray for steroid space cakes, new life plans and slumming it make-up free. 

2. Earlier on in the week I had an interesting morning absorbing all sorts of information at Cardiff PR firm Fresh Baked, gathering ideas and inspiration for upcoming projects. I also wasted much of the day sitting in some horrendous traffic with nothing but Dairylea triangles to sustain me. Sort it out Cardiff!

3. "Witch wyti, a myfi a’th profia di yn witch" - "You are a witch, and I will prove you a witch". Delaine Le Bas' exhibition on Romany culture, likening the misinterpretation and intolerant attitude towards gypsy culture to that of a persecutory 'witch hunt' of old, is currently showing at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. I have to admit, it took me a while to forge any connections between the subject matter and the installation and I'm still not entirely clear on all the messages contained within, but it's certainly a creepy and immersive experience. Also, this Thursday Chapter are running a half term textile workshop based around the collage and applique techniques used in the exhibition. The workshop is suitable for children aged 5-12 and only costs £2.

4. Valentines Day was spent wandering Cardiff, flat scouting impossible to afford homes in Pontcanna (I want to live HERE please!), eating Japansese (sushi for lunch, Noodlebox for dinner) and just generally enjoying the walkabout. Ooh, and I had tulips!

Ffoto Week 08.02.10

1. A London adventure... but where are the snaps? My midweek capital adventure was more purposeful than usual so there are fewer photos than you might expect. In fact, all I saw of London was the odd flash out of Paddington station doorways as I made my way towards the Bakerloo line and a quick glimpse on either side of an Elephant and Castle pedestrian underpass. I was there to visit the London College of Communication's postgraduate open day. I had a good poke around the facilities and met up with the fantastic librarian Leila who is responsible for collating the library zine archive. It's an amazing resource bringing together original 80's Riot Grrrl publications to graphic design projects from current students. I was lucky enough to be offered a private tour and jotted down a long list of zines I'm going to track down.

2. The postcards I ordered to promote my hair & beauty photography website, ELEANORJANEHAIR, arrived from Moo and they're awesome! I bought several books of stamps and spent an entire afternoon addressing and stamping and being a geek who enjoys administrative tasks.

3. In the studio this week I've been photographing new products from The Flower Stork. If you've not heard of them already, The Flower Stork make adorable new baby gifts and are mostly known for their popular baby clothes bouquets. My favourite products are these little cupcakes (made of a pair of baby socks rolled up in a re-usable sillicone baking case) or, if you're feeling super generous, a celebration baby cake containing lots of new baby essentials and presented as a cluster of rosebuds wrapped up in a sugary pink fleece. Cute! The most impossible to resist though have been the new Lindt chocolate bouquets. My studio is rammed with them!

Ffoto Week 01.02.10

1. Four models, two hairdressers, two make-up artists, two assistants, the company directors, a fashion stylist and me.... behind the scenes at my studio this week shooting a new campaign for Rhys Giles and entry into the L'Oreal Colour Trophy 2010. Pictures coming soon!

2. The Lauren Child exhibition, Green Drops and Moonsquirters, has come to Cardiff Museum & Gallery and after a few weather related false starts I finally made it for a visit along with my good friend Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent (well... Adam). Undeterred by finding ourselves to be the only adults around we launched without reserve into exploring Grubby Alley with Pesky Rat, dressing up in purple lamé wizard capes from Charlie & Lola's fancy dress box, playing a giant game of connect four and admiring the intricacies and fussiness of bringing a Lauren Child book to life.

3. Miraculously, over the past month I have suddenly become an amazing baker! I swear I must have made at least half of Nigella's Domestic Goddess recipes already but after two brioche & butter puddings in as many days and a batch of 24 Harry Potter themed fairy cakes for a housewarming party last weekend, Chris has asked me to stop as apparently all that excess butter and sugar is turning him into a little pork pie. Sulk.