Finish Line

Well here it is—after joining in with the #100dayproject on Instagram, my 100th food & drink illustration—Tadaah!

Three months of daily drawings, resulting in 100 completed illustrations. Quite a challenge and one I recommend. It helps with perseverance, personal style development, observation and colour play, plus there's a great online community to interact with and be inspired by.
For a selection from the series take a peek on my Instagram

And... as if you hadn't already had enough, the fun continues with another 30 days left of my second #100dayproject—this one is all about: #100daysflowersandplants

© Alison Day 

Alison Day Design 

Join the mailing list

Instagram

Elderflower Magic

When I was a child, during often during the summer we would go to local farms and pick whatever fruits were in season. One for me, one for the basket, was the way my siblings and I passed the time. The visit would end with us, red-mouthed and feeling slightly sick. On other times we would forage in the hedgerows of the country lanes for: wild blackberries, sloes, elderflowers and their berries.
From all this produce, my mother would conjure up jams and jellies, pies, crumbles, puddings and elderflower champagne. Whilst in the basement, my father would wizard up bottles of elderflower wine and sloe gin.

Elderflower champagne was a family tradition and made by my mother. It was exciting to us kids, because it was fizzy, contained a small amount of alcohol and we were allowed to drink it! That coupled with the fact that once made, it had to be stored in sturdy, brown glass bottles with a screw top—because it might explode. Sometimes it did and the mess was extraordinary.
Within a couple of weeks, the elderflower champagne was ready to drink and often accompanied lunch in the garden. Served in dimpled half-pint beer tankards or long drink glasses.

This summer, from the elderflower tree in my garden, I have conjured up five bottles of the wonderful elixir and am sipping on a glassful as I write.

These and more foody illustrations can be found on my Instagram as part of the #100dayproject. Tag: #100daysfoodanddrink

© Alison Day 

Alison Day Design 

Join the mailing list

Instagram

Rusty Inside

Today, a light lunch at the restaurant across the road from the hotel of Mezzes: calamari, Greek salad and taramasalata accompanied by crusty bread in a wicker basket. Fanta, a glass of the local Cressi and ice cold bottled water.

Our waiter—dark haired with silvered edges, deposits the bottled water with a glass on the table and says:

'Nero' (water), then he adds with a warning tone, 'but not too much, otherwise you will become rusty inside.'

Amused, I laugh and reply:

'Yes, too much and I will need some olive oil to move again.'

He pauses to take in what I said. Then comprehension slowly crosses his darkly tanned face. With a broad grin—revealing an assortment of teeth and a twinkle in his eye, he wanders off to serve another table tray on hand.

© Alison Day Designs

Webshop

Posted with Blogsy

The Noorderzon Festival

If you haven’t been to the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival yet, you should do so. Every year for ten days in August this festival takes over the Noorderplansoen (park), is in various theatres and other venues in the inner city of Groningen and provides a varied and entertaining crossover theatre festival.

This year the festival celebrated its 18th year. Each year it grows in popularity and with a diversity of things on offer to do or see, and appeals to a wide audience.

Entrance to the part is free. There is a mixture of free and ticketed things to see. It seems that this year two thirds of the program comes from abroad, and dues to limitations the inner city location have more on offer this year.

The diversity of the program includes theatre, dance, multimedia, film, video and circus to name but a few.

The Romeo and Juliet tents house bigger acts such as circuses or thought-provoking theatre. Then there are the metal containers that house anything from quirky little acts, to artists and designers. This year’s theme seemed to be more than ever before about re-cycling, with some amazing results. Old pliers and iron welded together became an unusual lampshade, or a small dog sitting patiently waiting for its owner. Elsewhere, you could bring any article of your clothing to one stall to have it ‘pimped’ with an original silkscreen design.

One attraction I particularly liked was the ‘Pocket Garden’. A caravan had been turned into a small garden and filled with plants and flowers. The outside of it was pretty funky too!

As always there is world food and drink available in tents and terraces to suit every palate. In the evening the whole place is lit up with bulbs and trees are illuminated by green lamps, whilst videos are projected onto a three-screened object, which floats on one of the areas of water in the park.

For children there is always loads to do, painting activities are on offer and this year large paintings with cut outs where the heads should be were great for photo opportunities.

For more on the festival, visit their website – Noorderzon

First published in the Connections magazine #21 Autumn 2008 

View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)

©  Alison Day Designs