Saturday 4 December 2010

Shoe Is Art



My submission for Dune's 'Shoe is Art' competition. My participating piece was one of my papiermaché creations, photographed hanging from the bark of a particularly rugged tree in park near my flat. Let me know what you think! 



© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 


Friday 19 November 2010

Anna Brønsted of Our Broken Garden




Anna Brønsted of Our Broken Garden  - Illustration created using photo: Eva Edsjö.
My first illustration published in Amelia's Magazine  (Music) November 2010.


© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 
Instagram




Saturday 13 November 2010

What's Hot, What's Not - Rainbows


Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high.
There's a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby


Rainbows are an occurrence of optical beauty and a meteorological masterpiece, caused when the sun shines on droplets of moisture in the atmosphere. It is no wonder then, that this natural colourful phenomenon creates pleasant and positive mental associations in all who view them.

Aside from the natural world, it was the English physicist, Sir Isaac Newton, who developed the theory of colour, when he found out that if white light was shone through a prism, its refraction produced the colours of a rainbow, particularly those of the colour spectrum visible to the human eye. Clever chap for sure and that discovery was but one string in his masterful bow.

As a symbol, a rainbow has always had positive connotations, from the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, the rainbow that was supposedly seen after the great flood (symbolizing God’s promise not to throw a wobbly again - Christianity and Judaism) and a jolly children's’ TV show from the early 1980’s (GB). by the same name.




As far as mythology is concerned, the world over, the rainbow is seen as connecting heaven and earth and in the Dreamtime of Australian Aboriginal mythology, the rainbow snake is the deity who governs water.


In the film of The Wizard of Oz (based on the tale written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum), the rainbow becomes a central theme when Judy Garland sings the unforgettable song ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’, during which we are led along a road of fantasy and colour as the characters each search for their heart’s desire and ultimately their destiny, ending at the Wizard's castle.



Finally, if you look around you, these days rainbows can be found on a multitude of things. Rainbow flags for example, have been around for quite a while. Many cultures around the world use a rainbow flag as: ‘a sign of diversity, inclusiveness and of hope and of yearning.’ Rainbow flags of past and present include South American (Inca origins), Buddhist, Co-Operative and Peace movements as well as Gay Pride. In the case of the Gay community (LGBT), it is also known as the ‘Freedom Flag.’ Established as a symbol by artist Gilbert Baker in San Francisco in 1978, the different colours symbolize the diversity present in the Gay community itself.

SourceWikipedia



© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 
First published in the Connections magazine #29 Autumn 2010 





Friday 12 November 2010

The Colour Green



Of the seven colours of the rainbow, the theme of this issue of the Connections, I have been allotted the fourth and middle colour of the rainbow to write about - the colour green.

The usual ideas present themselves, as I sit fingers poised above the computer keyboard, of recycling, reducing ones CO2 footprint and saving energy, but not this time. This time I shall approach the colour green on a tangent in a direction of what I would call, semi-green.

There is a changing awareness of how to tackle pollution when it comes to personal transport, by opting for the lesser polluter. As a reaction to the often-prohibitive costs of running a car, many inhabitants of the Netherlands are opting for a scooter. Previously the domain of the young and often seen as noisy and naff, the scooter is increasingly becoming a favourite, particularly with the more mature clientele of forty plus. 
Evaluating the pros and cons, it’s not rocket science to discover that a scooter is cheap to run, can get you across town in the blink of an eye, avoids traffic jams and can be parked anywhere, just like a bicycle. That said, the millionth scooter has long left the showroom floor in the Netherlands, for the open road and now like a plague of locusts, they are everywhere. Amsterdam is reported recently as having 1.6 million scooters in the city. 
So what now? Will the famously wide Dutch cycle paths have to be made wider still to accommodate the additional numbers of buzzing scooters and thereby, finally, relegating the car to a narrower one? I may well jest, but methinks the day of personal transportation is evolving towards a more economically viable options, albeit in its infancy.




So, what’s out there to choose from? Well, there are a myriad of different brands of scooter to choose from, with an equally broad range of prices for every pocket. But, moving right along and ignoring the riff raff, the most popular model to date, is that of the hip and trendy Italian, Vespa. Being totally unenamored by cars myself, recently I bought a Vespa as an alternative to my bicycle and yes, I love my Vespa! Decked out in a stylish black with chrome and beige saddle (often with my son riding pillion), I wiz through the streets of Groningen with the greatest of ease. Everyone looks at a Vespa too as it passes, as they are a design masterpiece and very stylish; as a result we are often waved and honked at.

So where did it all begin? The Piaggio Company was founded in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio (1864-1938) in Genoa. Vespa’s design has evolved from a single model first manufactured 23rd April 1946, from a design by aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio at the end of WWII, into a full line of scooters and a total of seven companies, owned by Piaggio. This has made Piaggio a forerunner in the scooter world, producing the first globally successful scooter ever. The unique design of the Vespa appeared during the early years of the post war rebuild and was seen as a symbol of the democratic spirit that supported certain aspects of design in Italy during that time. As a result the scooter’s signature style, of a painted pressed steel unibody totally encasing the engine, flat floorboard and prominent streamlined protective front has made them famous the world over.

Vespa even has a page on Facebook to become a fan of. If, however, you’re looking for the real low down on the variety of models and accessories available, Vespa meet-ups the world over, as well as the whole Vespa lifestyle, shopping and limited editions scenario, then I would point you in the direction of their website: Vespa, but be warned, that’s the thin edge of the wedge!

I hope this has warmed you to the charms of going semi-green and maybe even becoming the proud owner of a Vespa in the future too. Otherwise, next time you’re out and about and see a Vespa, why not give a wave? If it’s me I’ll be sure to wave back.

Sources:
Answers.com




© Alison Day
Alison Day Design 
First published in the Connections magazine #29 Autumn 2010 

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Lulu



Lulu - 9-Women


Womankind are in themselves chameleons and this series touches on a few of the great variety of different qualities present in womankind:
Beautiful ~ Empathetic ~Adaptable ~ Versatile ~ Crazy ~ Loving ~Diverse ~ Multi-taskers ~ Nurturers ~ Supportive ~Adventurous ~ Funny ~ Creative ~ Role Models ~ Formidable ~ Wild ~ Colourful ~ Stylish, to name but a few qualities.

I refer my works  to as papiermaché-mosaics, made from, yes you guessed it, papiermaché and using re-cycled anything that seems appropriate to illustrate the picture. In the 9-Women series and (now that I think about it), in other works too, there are re-occurring objects used for decoration, for example the shells, flowers and mirror.

View all 9-women HERE


© Alison Day



Wednesday 22 September 2010

The Sketchbook Project 2011


The Sketchbook Project Tour 2011
'Face in the Crowd' by Alison Day Designs

It’s like a concert tour… but with sketchbooks 

Starting in Brooklyn NY in February 2011, 10,000 sketchbooks take to the 
road and travel around the USA for a period of five months visiting a total 
of 8 states, stopping at various galleries and museums for public viewing.

Alison Day Designs: www.alisondaydesign.com








I received my moleskin in May this year, with the idea that I fill it however I want according to a theme chosen from a long list thought up by Art House Co-op  - 'Face in the Crowd' appealed. Now in September I'm pretty much finished, just last minute touches and I want to scan it in for my records.

Shortly, I will be sending off my completed moleskin to New York, USA to join the throng of other sketchbooks for the 2011 tour around the United States. The books can be seen and borrowed (like a library book) in various pre-selected galleries and museums before finally ending up in the Brooklyn Art Library for posterity.

























UPDATE: July 24, 2012
The finished sketchbook 'Face in the crowd,' can also be seen here: Behance account.




















































 





© Alison Day 2011
Alison Day Design