Alison Day Designs: 2014

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

In the gravel car park of Wytham Woods, we head for a tall wooden gate. On the way we pass other Christmas walkers, with their hatted heads, booted feet and festive cheer. Unrestrained by its turquoise rope lasso, the gate yields to a light push swinging out into a field of long, tufted grass. The path is slippery with mud, so we follow the long tresses of its edges. The landscape undulates upwards towards a cluster of trees on the horizon.

The air is fresh and clean and I feel my lungs gasping greedily with the effort as my boots slide out from underneath me. Shrubbery, green fields and bare wintery trees surround us. The decorative dots of sheep, barely visible buildings and a white mass—The John Radcliffe Hospital, are part of the patchwork landscape.

Along the way, we greet friendly-faced walkers. Facial contours forgotten, fading almost as instantly as the time in which it takes us to pass by. At the top, through a metal gate that closes automatically behind us and into a tunnel of bare-branched trees connected at their tips. Dark, naked and silent waiting for the Renaissance of Spring.

A path has been cleared through the thick blanket of fallen and browning leaves. Twisted and gnarled limbs cavort around us. Fallen trunks are clothed in rich, green moss and the landscape falls away suddenly into a small valley, only to rise again a little further on, at journey's end. This is marked by a bench, facing a gated view from a raised stone plinth. Growing nearby, a pair of tree trunks like lovers intricately entwined, stretch skywards. It is here, three and 13 years ago, three siblings scattered the ashes of their parents to the winds—with a tear in their eye and pain in their hearts.

Silently, on this cool December morning, we absorb the familiar and favoured view of Oxford once more—a place that was the centre of their world and ours—for a while.

Photos © Alison Day

Sunday, 21 December 2014

Etoiles d'Apple

Apple Star & Heart Decoration by Alison Day

1/2 cup applesauce

3/4 cup ground cinnamon

1tsp ground aniseed

1tsp ground nutmeg

Non-edible decorations. Makes roughly 15 assorted shapes.

Mix the applesauce and 1/2 cup of the cinnamon together thoroughly. Then add the rest of the cinnamon, plus the aniseed and nutmeg until a dough is formed. If necessary, extra cinnamon or applesauce can be added if it is too wet or too dry.

Sprinkle a board with ground cinnamon and roll out the dough on it to about 1cm thick.

Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and make holes in them so ribbon can be threaded through to hang them up. Any tiny leftovers can be rolled into rounds, flattened slightly, skewered and become beads.

Arrange all on a tray lined with grease-proof paper or a silicone baking mat. They can be placed quite close together, because as there is no rising agent in them they won't spread.

Oven efficiency can vary and they can become dark quite quickly, so keep an eye on them. I baked them at at 200 degrees for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool and harden overnight before decorating. Store in a cool, dry place and they will keep indefinitely.

Photos by Alison Day

Friday, 31 October 2014

Authentic Charm

Here's the November issue of Danish magazine: Jean d'Arc Living featuring my second interior design article, this about a family house in Wassenaar, In the Netherlands. Written in a collaboration with the distinctive photography of Van Belkom Productions.

Internationally available in eight languages. The photo is from the English version of: French Christmad with Authentic Charm (12 page spread). Look out for my third article — January 2015.

Saturday, 11 October 2014

Illustrating Vielma

A recent illustration for the catwalk review by Amelia's Magazine of the S/S Vielma London Collection. Shown at the ME London Hotel during #LFW (London Fashion Week) 2015.

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Harmony & Soul

I'm really pleased to share a few photos from the October issue of Danish, interior design magazine: Jean d'Arc Living.
Featuring the first of three articles I have written for the magazine, as a result of interviewing the owners of houses with beautiful interiors; a collaboration with the distinctive photography of Van Belkom Productions.

Internationally available in eight languages. The photo below comes from the Dutch version of: Harmony & Soul (14 page spread). Look out for the next two — November and January (2015).

Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Roxy Marine

Roxy Marine by Alison Day

FINAL PAINTING #30 in a month long of daily paintings for: #PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember.

If you want to see what the design went on to be used for, go: HERE
It was further adapted (see below) and became a textile design for a young female sportswear line: Roxy—celebrating the pacific ocean and marine life.
If chosen, it could be shown at a Quicksilver & Otis (Art & Design College, Los Angeles) fashion show in 2015.

Monday, 29 September 2014

Shell Check

Shell Check by Alison Day

Painting #29—The underside of a large cowry shell from the bathroom.

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Sunday, 28 September 2014

Recline Feline

Recline Feline by Alison Day

#28: Nearing the end of a creative month—a painting a day.

Cat's are obliging subjects, who drape and pose, almost on cue.

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Saturday, 27 September 2014

Gilt Glove

Gilt Glove by Alison Day

Painting #28 — pink fox gloves from the garden with a gilded mosaic background.

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Friday, 26 September 2014

Sitting Pretty

Sitting Pretty by Alison Day

Autumn has arrived—green leaves turn to red, yellow and brown as they wither and conkers fall to the ground—

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Boudoir Bear

Boudoir Bear by Alison Day

Apparently, Teddy used to growl, but his internals have long stopped working; now he sounds more like a rattle. Beige, balding in patches and one paw needs a mend—his patient orange eyes stare, revealing nothing.

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

FAB Egg

FAB Egg by Alison Day

Seeing as I started the painting challenge on day two, here's a quick catch-up piece—a FAB egg.

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Iron Dawn

Iron Dawn by Alison Day

A feature from the house of my childhood— a cast iron cockerel—now one of the first things I see each morning, as I open the back door to the garden.

#PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Aromatic Green

Aromatic Green by Alison Day

I love growing herbs—the ease with which they transform from seed to a flourishing plant—pungent, spicy Basil is my favourite (along with coriander). #PaintingSeptember #Paintseptember