More of More London, this time with Nellies ....

Straight into the nellies ... this one is #45, called "New Map of London" - the first elephant I saw when entering More London from Tooley Street side, near London Bridge.  Artist Nongklan Ponningmas. 

Next heffalumpasaurus:  number 255, "The City in the Elephant", by artist BFLS Architects.  As you'd expect to see, there's an architectural twist - each glass dome provides an inner view of the elephant.  Look at all the glass in those buildings behind!  Such a juxtaposition of all different materials and angles. 

Artists Inspiration: "Whilst urban growth endangers the elephant, this poses an interesting idea re. the way in which the elephant consumes the city - a statement highlighting the endangering of the species. 18 projects define the 18 months' gestation of a new elephant - our projects take a considerable time to grow and nurture - we strive for sustainable growth and life."

This next elephant is 183, "Jaidayal (the triumph of kindness)".  A lot of these elephants seem to have meaningful or spiritual names.  Artist:  Nathalie Gourand.  Fabulous mosaic detail on this lovely ellie.  Look closely - there's a monkey crawling up her leg!

                                             

And finally for this post thus far - Elephant # 100, "Carry on up the Kyhber".  Artist Emma Sergeant.  Artist's Inspiration: "I painted the Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 1984 to raise money for UNICEF and again in 1986 to raise money for Medecins du Monde".

                               

                                            

Seems like a lot more than twenty .... it's obviously very deceptive.  Maybe it's all that khaki and fresh air that's getting to my brain ....

The Human Disease ...

Just one elephant spotted after work this evening .... it was a pretty long and stressful day, and the weather was quite iffy.  I have adopted a strategy whereby I seek the more elusive and isolated members of the elephant parade, even albeit on an individual basis, and leave the massive herds and groups of elephants to shoot en masse ...

Elephant 184 titled "The Human Disease"- is placed inside the Hoxton Hotel, Great Eastern Street, in Shoreditch.  Artist is Nathan McKenna.  Artist's Inspiration: "Crowds of people both fascinate and depress me. We're unable to really grasp the insignificance of our personal sense of "I" whilst simultaneously unaware of the massive effect we have on our planet and our fellow Earthlings, the animals. Understanding that we are an organism is an important realization in the consciousness revolution."

The following is a piece published in the Hackney Gazette 24 on 12 May 2010:

Elephant Parade: The Human Disease stands in the lobby of the Hoxton Hotel

A hotel in Hoxton is the only place in Hackney offering a home to one of the 250 or more life-size elephants taking over central London this summer.

The Hoxton Hotel in Great Eastern Street is hosting a member of the Elephant Parade, an exhibition of elephants across the capital raising money for conservation charities.

The hotel is the new home of a bright white elephant decorated with hundreds of tiny people called The Human Disease, which has been created by artist Nathan McKenna.

Hotel owner Sinclair Beecham said: "I thought it was a fantastic project. We have all sorts of strange and wonderful pieces of art in the lobby before. This mixes my desire for weird and wonderful art and a good cause."

"The elephants are mostly all in the West End of London and we get slightly forgotten over here in Hackney so it is great to be part of it."

The elephant will stay at the hotel for seven weeks before being auctioned off to raise money for the Asian elephant as well as 20 UK conservation charities.

Here's a different profile:

This ellie is really quite pretty, despite the fairly revolting name.  I wish there was a site whereby the artist gave you the basis of their inspiration, or how they achieved the end result .... Close up, the elephant surface seems to have been taken over by tiny figures, all in different positions ...

Despite the frenetic pace, I am only up to 20 elephants, with 238 to go ... a very daunting prospect, at this stage! Will I even get close - especially with the dire weather predictions for the next couple of days ....

More More London ... and yet more ...

Part Two of yesterday's lunchtime elephants.  Amazing what you can actually fit in, but how long does it take to edit each photo and then label it correctly!

From London Bridge tube, I walked right out the station, and down Tooley Street.  Cross the road at More London - a 13 acre site which not only features professional firms, but also public spaces and parks and stunning views of the Thames and the riverside, especially on a beautiful late spring day. 

This is the silhouette that greets you walking through the entrance of More London and into the walkway which takes you to the river. 

See Tower Bridge in the gap at the far end?  Isn't that amazing - they must have designed it like that - well, you would hope anyway! 

The new City Hall building ... it looks like someone make it from a jelly mould, and it is turned out lopsided!  Quite charming in its own way though, I think ...  now turn slightly left from there, and this is what you see ....

What beautiful architecture - I can never get enough.  It's this kind of thing that does make the rat race sometimes worthwhile! 

I've taken individual photos of this herd, so I will upload them over the next couple of days ....

London Bridge Ellies

En route from office to office today, I veered purposefully at lunch time around paths hitherto unpounded in search of more Elephants on Parade.

It required a bit of perserverance, but I tracked more of these delightfully coloured creatures - even Cloudia!  I was so lucky - I didn't even have to deliberately try and track her down.  Here she was, by Tower Bridge -

I saw lots of fabbo heffalumps today, but here's another one for good measure:

This is No 81, Marjorie, by Clare Bassett.  I don't really know what significance she has, but she seems a throw back to a previous era, with her old-fashioned name - she seems to be a product of the 1940's, perhaps?  She was part of a herd by More London.

Here's the last one I took today - "Just Joey" at the Hays Galleria.  I love the settings of some of these elephants - you can see a lot of the city in background. 

Beauty in an urban setting - love the floral splendour mixed with industrial greyness. 

I love these colours!  Just Joey is numbered 140, by artist Karen Hollis.  You can see some of the beautiful architectural design of the Hays Galleria below.  Sometimes the photos have to be cropped down a bit more than I would like - this is because there are sometimes loads of people around, and I try to get as clear a photo as possible.  More piccies to upload tomorrow, but in the meantime, I will go and count how many of the heffalumpuses I have seen so far .... cripes - only 19!  Best get my skates on, then.  Laters.

Heritage Kitsch!

Is there such a thing - I dunno, but I think the following may be a good example .... Some time ago, my friend Linda sent me a sheet on photographic paper of some heritage images.  I am gradually using them up, but they need something suitably atmospheric to do them justice ...

Here is an example of more of my pre-used photo paper, where I ink up the remaining section with alcohol inks, and use them in cardmaking.  Here I stamped over the top with white stazon ink using one of my collage stamps.  I like this effect and must remember to use this technique more often. 

I had previously cut out several embellishments using Quickutz dies in black cardstock, so I had one of these label holders lying around.  It was a wee bit fiddly trying to get a message in the window, but I managed it.  At the bottom of the photo mat I used some green handmade paper that I am trying to use up, and then Promarkered that white Doodlebug frill in green ink to coordinate.  You can't really see it here, but that button on the left is an old metal one - giving the whole thing a bit more grunge.  Nothing like a good bit of grunge sometimes, is there?  Thanks for visiting!  :)

Elephant Parade

The Elephant Parade is a conservation campaign that shines a multi-coloured spotlight on the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. Brought to you by www.elephantfamily.org, the event sees 258 brightly painted life-size elephants located over central London.

Each decorated by a different artist or celebrity, the elephants brighten and beautify the city, enhancing every park, street corner and building they grace. Running from May to July 2010, this is London’s biggest outdoor art event on record. With an estimated audience of 25 million, the aim is to raise £2 million for the Asian elephant and benefit 20 UK conservation charities.

The Elephant Parade herd will be gathered together at the official viewing days at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on the 25th, 26th and 28th June.

I had to go to an appointment in London yesterday, and I took the opportunity to get to see at least a few of the fabulous 260 elephants currently stampeding around London.  My game territory (ha haa - see what I did there?) was restricted to the Baker Street area. 

Here's no 71 - Boodle, in Baker Street.  Look at her pretty face and makeup - courtesy of Boodles.  Not sure if this is Boodles, the gentlemen's club, or the jewellers?  Anyhoo, here's a side on view. 

Artist's Inspiration for Boodles: "The joyful nature of an elephant playing in water."  This elephant was kindly sponsored by Movida.

Three more elephants to be found on Baker Street - here's a very pretty girl called "Chinesephant" found almost opposite Boodle.  Artist : Wongpeera Winyarat and numbered 27.  What exotic citrus colours! 

Here's the enigmatic, pipesmoking and caped and capped number 43, Sherlock Holmes, found in Baker Street, W1. 

Fabulous Elvis sideburns, don't you think?

Last one in Baker Street - Ella May (London Mayor's Association), no 76.  She looks decidedly mayoral and official.  Artist:  Charlotte Brown and her inspiration: "This elephant was designed to reflect the grandeur and tradition of the Lord Mayors Association. Ella May is dressed in full robes and sports his own historic 'elephant' emblem on his Mayoral Chains of Office."

And a face on view:

Pictures of the ellies with little kids crawling all over them are so sweet.  Here's Bouquet - artist is  Potcharat Utamang.  She is currently stationed at the Paddington Street Gardens. 

Here's the other elephant at the Paddingston Street Gardens, Poppy.  Another one with a gorgeous little girl crawling all over her - just the way it should be. 

This beautiful elephant named Poppy #235 was created by Sophie Coryndon.  Artist's Inspiration: "A vibrant and eyecatching design that showcases the fantastic range of colours available from Farrow and Ball and that will compliment both a spirit of fun and the serious message behind this project." This elephant was kindly sponsored by Farrow & Ball.

Lots and lots more to be discovered - what a happy opportunity! Let's see how many more I can capture photographically ...

Finishing off!

I went away with a group of scrapbooking friends a couple of weekends ago and isn't packing always a problem?  What do you work on?  How many supplies do you take, and how full is your car?  I love going to crops and weekends away, but the organising and knowing what to take and what actually gets used is always a thorny issue.

This year, I decided to do something different, and just take unfinished projects.  Most layouts I create are single ones these days, but I do love the colour order and the symmetry of a double layout. 

Here's the first one I finished that weekend - the left hand layout appeared in Creative Scrapbooking some years ago, and I think the article might have been on using fabric ....

Photos are of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, which gleam gold on a sunshiney filled day.  For the letters on the left hand layout, I drew some out freehand on a piece of cardstock, and then cut then out, glued on material and then cut out the letters again, and then stitched over the top.  Much as I love the convenience of letter stickers and Thickers, etc, occasionally it is nice to stretch your creativity and do something more "handmade". 

The layout was a relatively simple task to finish off once I hunted out all the bits and pieces .... I used Tulip 3 D copper paint and Jo Sonja gold paint over the sand coloured cardstock to add some glimmer and shine ... some fibres in exactly that range of colours just finish off the border.  Very satisfying to have finished this layout off after probably at least 3 years of sitting around, taking up craft space, not in an album! 

I shall have to see how well I am able to achieve my goal of finishing all unfinished layouts and projects this year ....