PLAYFULNESS + CURIOSITY Page 20 of 22

Shades in the mail

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Shades in the mail glasses1

What? That’s what I thought when the 3D glasses arrived in the post! My younger brother had stuck stamps on one eye and put the address on the other, and they arrived! I only wish I had seen the postman’s face this morning…

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The post office actually franked the eye! Hurrah for Royal Mail

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See the note on the back?  From ‘Goggles-R-Us’  ha ha. Already plotting next month’s edition…

Love this Campaign for Real Mail.  A bit of randomness is good for the soul. Why don’t you start your own and brighten up someone’s day?

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The Big Interview - DWYL blog

Have you listened to the new Do What You Love interview podcasts posted recently?

Shades in the mail RachelCharlotteBayKellyWhybrow  Rachel Hazell on paper, Paris and penguins (photo credit: Kelly Whybrow)

Shades in the mail Jan 26  Flora Bowley on painting, passion and pursuing the art of globetrotting (photo credit: Tyson Robichaud)

 

Read other interviews with inspiring people doing what they love here.

 

Toast in the post

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I don’t know about you but we seem to get more and more junk mail these days. I miss the days when I would race home from school, hoping to find a pale blue airmail letter with a Canada or France postmark, bearing a letter from my penfriend. And remember the excitement picking up the letters from friends and family which were waiting patiently in Poste Restante at strange post offices in remote countries when travelling. Now we have email, mobiles, Facebook, Twitter and all, it is easier to stay in touch, but harder to properly communicate with old friends. There is nothing like snail mail, and ink on paper, for this.

Toast in the post CRM

And so, in protest, me and my two brothers (who live the other end of the country) have decided to start our own mini Campaign for Real Mail. Every month this year we are going to send each other silly things in the post, and see whether they arrive. The only rule is ‘no envelopes allowed’.

This started when we were reminiscing about our time at uni, when I sent my older brother a piece of toast through the post, and amazingly it arrived!  So for January, I am sending them both some tea bags – a nice cuppa from Yorkshire (which is famous for its tea).  I wonder whether they will get there…

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Have you ever sent or received something weird in the post?  It’s completely pointless fun! Why not try it?

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The Big Interview - DWYL blog

Now here’s a lady who really is doing what she loves… Have you heard Flora Bowley’s story? Flora lives and works full-time as a painter in Portland, Oregon, where she is inspired by magical forests, abundant gardens and a thriving community of fellow artists.  Flora’s love for life and spontaneous nature are clearly visible in her vibrant, easily recognizable paintings.  Flora will be travelling to England in May to teach at the Do What You Love retreat.  Her work can be found in numerous galleries and homes across the US and internationally, and also on a variety of unique products made in collaboration with Papaya! Listen to the podcast of the latest Do What You love interview here.

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I am Guest Curating on Crescendoh.com all this week. Pop over to read my Art Saves story, and see my collection of inspiring posts from other artists and writers.

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Are you doing what you love? Would you like to have your story shared on Do What You Love?  New series starting soon…  see here for more details of how you can get published here.

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The day I met the future King of England

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Prince William - future king

Meeting Prince William

Last week I had the privilege of meeting newly-engaged Prince William, the future King of England. Wow, what a lovely guy he is. I have never been a huge fan of the monarchy, but meeting him changed that. I got the feeling he understands what real life is like, and all about. I just know he will make a great King. 

Meeting Prince William

I couldn’t resist but ask him about how he proposed to Kate Middleton. He blushed and said he was so nervous beforehand – in case she said no! In case she said no?? She is going to be a princess! Of course she wouldn’t say no!

Prince William

I think I’d quite like to be a princess. How about you?

Do What You Love interview – Russell Crook

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One of my favourite parts of Christmas shopping in London is staring at the mesmorising window displays in places like Liberty’s of London, Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. I have often thought it would be a wonderful job to create those window displays, digging deep into the imagination to come up with something more magical, more sparkly and more inspiring than the Christmas before.  So I thought I would ask a professional window dresser (or ‘visual merchandiser’ as they are called in the trade), to share some insight into this life. 

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(Image courtesy of Russell Crook, window of Liberty’s of London)

This Do What You Love interview is with Russell Crook, a freelance visual merchandiser whose client list includes Liberty’s, Nicole Farhi, L’Oreal, Disney and British retail giants BHS and George at Asda.  Russell is from my home town of Southampton, but now lives in the arty town of Brighton on the south coast of England.

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Flora Bowley to teach at Do What You Love retreat in England!

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I am absoutely thrilled to share the news that American painter Flora Bowley will be teaching a three-day workshop at the Do What You Love art and creative enterprise retreat in Yorkshire, England next May!

Flora Bowley credit Tyson Robichaud

(Image: Tyson Robichaud)

Flora’s painting style is gorgeously unique, bursting with colour and beauty, and she is an incredibly gifted teacher.  The one day class I took with Flora a while back was one of the most freeing days of painting I have ever experienced.  So you can imagine how exciting it is that Flora will be travelling to Europe specially for this workshop, where participants can sink into three days of indulgent creating with this wonderful free spirit. 

In “Bloom True – wild and delicious painting with Flora Bowley“, the class will explore a whole new way of painting from a space of freedom, non-judgment and experimentation. This process is about loosening up, letting go of expectations, having fun and allowing paintings to unfold naturally. The class will paint on giant canvasses, with access to acres of stunning countryside for inspiration and outdoor classroom space.

If you are able to join us, I can promise you will never look at painting the same way again.

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‘Freed’ by Flora Bowley, acrylic on canvas 36″ x 36″

 As part of the retreat’s creative enterprise sessions, Flora will also share some of her experience in making it as an internationally-acclaimed professional painter, who has licenced some of her work with Anahata Katkin’s ‘Papaya!’.

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‘Thirty-six’ by Flora Bowley, acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 36″

Flora lives and works full-time as a painter in Portland, OR, where she is inspired by magical forests, abundant gardens and a thriving community of fellow artists. Flora’s love for life and spontaneous nature are clearly visible in her vibrant, easily recognizable paintings. Throughout the year, Flora enjoys travelling, teaching workshops and painting in colourful locations around the world.

Flora Bowley to teach at Do What You Love retreat in England! static+badge retreat

More information will be available on the Do What You Love retreat website to be launched in December.  This retreat will be cosy and intimate – small enough for everyone to get to know everyone – so places are strictly limited. Registration will formally launch with the new website in December, but if you want to be the first to know about it (and get in on the early bird discount), sign up for the new Do What You Love newsletter at the top of this page.

Internationally-renowned book artist Rachel Hazell and award-winning mixed-media artist Priscilla Jones will also be teaching at the retreat.  

And then there was snow…

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We haven’t had snow like this in England in November as long as I can remember. Down to minus 20 in some places and eight inches of snow expected in the next 24 hours. 

I know it is nothing like you get in other parts of the world, but somehow snow seems to always take us by surprise here. On the news they keep talking about the travel chaos everywhere, but I am secretly happy about the quiet magic that falls over the countryside when snow comes. 

We shuffled downstairs early this morning, before the rest of the world woke up, and sat with steaming mugs of tea looking out over the whiteness.

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View from my studio early this morning

snow view from attic

View from my attic office skylight

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Our little garden
snowy red bush

What’s the weather like where you are today?

Chicago city magic

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Having fun with my photos from Chicago, the last stop on my recent US adventure. 

They aren’t my normal style. What do you think?

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The top two are of Anish Kapoor’s amazing sculpture ‘Cloud Gate’ in Millennium Park. The third is of a smaller sculpture in the same park (‘Sacred Rock’, part of a special exhibition by contemporary Chinese artists), and the last picture was taken at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

If you like any of them, I’d be interested to know which and why…

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More posts from my recent US adventures:

New York part 1

New York part 2

Cape Cod

Squam Lake