Blogging, what’s that?

It’s been so long, so long since I’ve blogged, I don’t even know where to begin.

A lot has happened in my making world: crochet came and went ( it will be back, it’s just on the back burner for now) , a new brand has been started c.Art which is a fashion line ( initially hand painted bags but has now expanded to encompass all forms of wearable art , some of which can be found for sale on my Big Cartel website .

There are political ( feminist mainly) hand printed tshirts,

there are upcycled items of clothing that are themed around strong female icons

( Frida Kahlo/ Medusa/ Marilyn Monroe ) and I shall be adding to the range as time goes on.

There are also jackets bearing the ” This is Not” legend which is exclusive to the c.Art brand. One of my favourites is a dark take on Disney monopolising childhood, ” This is Not… Childhood” featuring Snow White wearing Mickey Mouse ears and a printed and embroidered Dead Bambi’s mother scene.

So yes, I’ve been busy at work creating a range of what I call Radical Street wear for the young and not so young, but for people looking for something completely unique with a little bit of an edge. So far the range is proving popular with fellow creatives and artists.

One very inspiring and creative person I’ve recently met is one of Channel 4’s Fabulous Fashionistas , the amazing Sue Kreitzman. Sue bought one of my early c.Art bags that had a hand painted Caravaggio’s Medusa on it, as she is very inspired by the gorgon with the snake hair.

We met again at her birthday party where she invited me to perform with my puppets for a childlike birthday party fitting for a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. At that party, Sue asked me if I could paint on an old raincoat she had picked up from a flea market in New York. It had really big shoulders and she wanted me to do something to it to distract from them.

So I did this:

Sue was so thrilled with the result that I’m now in the enviable position of being Sue’s primary wardrobe creator. Isn’t that just incredible? What more perfect a person to represent c.Art ( wearable art) than someone who is known as living art.

I’ve since made two more jackets for Sue: a purple self referential coat with a portrait of Sue on the back and various pieces of her work on the front. Here’s Sue working it!

Sue’s home is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of assemblages and paintings, things picked up from flea markets and other ethnic treasures. It is quite something to behold.

Here’s another jacket that I’ve painted with images from Sue’s fabulously vibrant ‘Matissesque ‘ paintings. And here’s Sue wrapped in her own painted mythology, what a wonderful sight to behold! Sue has become not only a dear friend but a total inspiration. I don’t know where it will lead, but I do know that Sue is promising to keep me really busy with her garments.