Play

We went to a great interactive art exhibition "Play" by Petr Nikl (and co.). It´s an exhibition where anyone can touch anything, play with things, move them, make sounds... it´s made so that you can use all your senses; touch, see, hear etc. I loved it! It was HUGE, there were so many objects and little "playgrounds", where you could sit and play with various materials, you could place things on the walls and write there, there was a huge round mirror, that could be moved around... incredible! So many playful things, so much creative energy in one place. Sadly we didn´t have that much time while I was there with Marie, and she was tired soon. There was one particuarly lovely "object" called "The snow queen"; few small white "hills" that you could lit by turning them (see last picture). I would want to go there again, as it was really too much for one visit (and there were so many people and children... maybe afternoons are less crowded).
And we went to our friend´s art exhibiton´s opening - Michal Novotný aka MICL; this time he painted a set of nature themed paintings - river, cows, fields, flowers... My favourite painting is this one. Peaceful! (The photo turned out somehow yellowy.)

Sandra´s new flat

Have you seen Sandra Juto´s new Berlin flat? It´s so amazing! I just love all that dirt, shabby walls and floors, old doors, the colours, and most of all, the whole energy of the place. It´s like it´s waiting eagerly to be cleaned, tidied up, painted, decorated... I enjoy looking at these "before" photos as much as I´m looking forward to seeing how will Sandra and Johan renovate it. Who doesen´t want an old, romantic Berlin flat? I certainly do! :) These pictures are so inspiring to me. Some time ago, I´ve painted our living room walls a nice gray, but only a half of the room (the rest is filled with bookshelves and a piano whis makes it super difficult to move and paint). I have to get it done some time! Also, two of the bookshelves are painted in not so nice dark gray, almost black... I liked it at first, but now I would really like it to be painted in some nicer, brighter colour. And the last thing I want to do, is to have upholstred our two chairs. They look awful because of the fabrics, but otherwise are so nice. It´s a shame we haven´t done that yet. So, these are my plans... I´m not one of those people who like to renovate all the time... or get new things often... but I like to change paints and fabrics, when they feel sad and ugly to me.
It will be a while till I get to this, but wish me luck! :)

few bad photos

My dirty palette... I like to let the colours from previous painting on the palette for some time and enjoy that the work is finished. Right before I paint a new one, I clean the palette and it feels great :). Sneak peak of my bag... beige and navy zipper. I hated the beige at first, as I´m more into darker colours, but I like it now. We borrowed this cute horse from our friends! Marie loves it. And I like to look at it, it´s just the perfect accesory to the room :).

sewing...

Just a quick hello from me. I have nothing new to show you, but I´m busy working on my leather bag and a new doll. Everything is coming together so slowwwlyyyy, and I´m afraid the results won´t be as I imagined... but I´m trying and enjoying it. Besides that, I make illustrations for two small magazines, once a month per magazine. It´s not much work, but still takes up quite a lot of my limited free time, so it takes me so much time to finish my own projects...

diy necklace with a bow

A friend of mine bought beautiful necklace (beads) with gorgeous bow. I like bows, they´re so feminine. Her beads were tied in lace, and with the bow, it looked very romantic. Unfortunatelly, I couldn´t find anything similar in shops... so I decided to make it myself. I bought simple pearl necklace and I got a beige ribbon in haberdashery (is that even a word?) and made this necklace. I sewed the bow in place so that it won´t untie. We are going to a ball tomorrow and I plan to wear this.

skirt and paintings

I finished my skirt! Hurray! I love it, the fabric is so beautiful. It´s perfect with my red tights. I can´t wait for warmer weather to wear it... It took me a while to make it, because I´ve been doing so many other things. I have to say, I hate zippers, and changing the machine´s feet. More about this skirt in my burdastyle studio :).
I´ve been to two great art exhibitions recently: czech artists Pavel Brázda and Václav Boštík, both pretty famous. I loved both, they were completely different. Vivid, neon colours, figures and relationships by Brázda; lyric, abstract, light geometric paintings by Boštík. They both inspire me so much. Pavel Brázda is still alive, 84years old, and yet he makes so youthful paintings, he´s hardworking, uses computers and digital technique... impressive.
(pictures: first two Boštík, other two Brázda, my skirt :)

snail

I got this beautiful shell from my husband. I call it "snail". I love it :).
I´m on a hunt for a perfect leather bag... I got an old pair of leather throusers from a friend, cut those apart and I´m trying to sew this leather purse/bag from it. But it´s difficult and there is not enough material. Also, a friend bought me a leather jacket (I just told somewhere I want a leather jacket, this man went to Hamburg and bought one second-hand jacket for me there! Incredible :), but so far I don´t want to cut into it (as the first one is still in process). The jacket leather is quite thick too and I don´t know if I´m able to sew it with my sewing machine.
I´ve seen a great bag on etsy recently, but it´s a lot of money... And it would be kind of a failure for me to buy the bag, when my first goal is to make it :/. I´m inspired by rennes bags, too, but I want mine to have an adjustable strap (it´s more practical in winter and thick coats...).
The pictures: rennes bag, bag from etsy I love, reMade USA bag (great bags made from old leather jackets)

František Skála

Ok, I can´t say how much I love this guy. There´s so much to love about him that it almost can´t be thrue. I would send him an email to say I love him, if it was possible. Apparently, this man doesen´t have an email adress (good for him! this way I can´t spam it! :), nor a website of his own (you can find his work online, but that´s not the same...). Also, if it´s still thrue, he refuses to own a car, a cellphone, and a computer, I guess :). These facts amaze me. How can one live like that these days? However, he´s successful and famous in spite of this strange lifestyle, and even says he couldn´t make the kind of art he makes if he lived differently (the way most people live). In his opinion, if you manage to not "use" all those cars, computers and internets, you will be more creative and sensitive to art and its ways. Years ago, he WALKED to Venice biennale (an international art exhibition), all the way from Czech Republic to Italy. This journey took him many many days; he slept mostly outside and carried just his backpack. During the way, he wrote and illustrated a diary, which he then showed at the exhibition... and they loved it there, of course. I only found one decent picture from this diary, I wish there were more online! It´s not only the art, but a whole way of life, philosophy, everything he does and makes is connected. Besides sculpting, painting, illustrating, F. Skála is also a musician; he sings, playes a guitar, dances, is actor in a theater, and looks great! :) (He also participates in few groups and clubs...) Concerning his sculptures or objects, he mainly creates them from found old things and materials, and also sculpts them from natural materials like sea weed or palm leaves. There are many combinations of unexpected things, times, materials and ideas with nostalgic and playful spirit. But there´s certainly more than that (and it´s not possible for me to write about it in a proper way), this art reminds us that this life (or world) won´t last forever and it´s so fragile. It´s just full of kindness and love for life.

Also, he has two very talented children, František Antonín and Alžběta - I envy them badly :). I wish I could study art, too, and paint, illustrate, create for living. Well, at least I can paint, draw and create, just for myself and my friends...

colours

New colours in our kitchen: green, orange, red. I like it (when it´s tidy...).
I´m amazed by this doll Nettie made, so lovely and I love all the details.
Crocheting is on my mind, I really really want to learn to crochet. I tried it few times already, but always ended up lost quite soon. Maybe I should get some book to help me...