Update - Stephen Wiltshire.

It took 3 days but Autistic Artist Stephen Wiltshire has completed his sketch of Sydney.  Today during a short ceremony he signed the work.  He had prepared by taking in the view from Sydney Tower for about 40 minutes on Tuesday. He liked Sydney's shapes, he said.  The finished sketch in the picture below is absolutely amazing and identical to what he viewed. 

The picture will be on show at Customs House - with his other work - until May 16 when copies will be sold to raise funds for Aspect ( Autism Spectrum Australia).  Autism Hour was from 9am today.

Pre-order prints at http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/sydney.aspx

(Photo's from today's Sydney Morning Herald)

New Additions To The Family!

Last night I bought two new little babies home.  With their tiny little ears and pink noses they are very, very cute.  My boys are besotted and could barely get to sleep last night from excitement.  You've probably guessed they're pets.  Two little mice to be exact.

I will admit to being apprehensive at first.  Will they smell, will they be too hard to clean up after and will they somehow get free and run around the house.  And will I "freak out" if that is the case? 

But then I clapped my eyes on them at the pet store and realised that I simply had to get them for the boys.  They adore pets and are very responsible.  And I couldn't walk away without two as they are so cute!   With their little noses twitching and watching them run around on the wheel, it was fun to watch.  Watching others snuggle up together and I was sold!

Pet stores are so interesting.  I love checking out all the animals, the toys and all the bits and pieces they sell.   Who knew animals could need so much to entertain them?   Pet shops and pet grooming is huge and actually inspired my petshop artwork.

The cute little girl in the pet store helped me select the right environment for them.  They even get their own little play centre with coloured tube walkways, slides and running wheel.  Like the indoor playground at the local McDonalds, these guys will have endless fun.  What is it about mice and those spinning wheels anyway?  They do seem to like them.

They were a bit apprehensive about the slides but once one took the plunge, the other followed suit.  This was much to the laughter and joy of my two who were giggling their heads off.

We've had all sorts of pets over the years.  The large stick insects were probably the weirdest.  In their large tank they would sit and not really do very much.  Not much action in stick insects.  But mice, they are fun. 

Some people I've told have scrunched their noses up at two mice.  But don't knock it until you try them.  It isn't like we're talking about big dirty rats in the house.  Others are curious and my sister is thinking about getting a couple for her children.  Not only are they fun, they are educational and also teach the children about responsibility (looking after a pet).

Anyway, after a long night trying to get my boys to finally go to sleep, they finally settled down.  They are tired today but love the little guys. 

I might have to create a new petshop artwork for boys.  Full of creepy crawlies, stick insects and small critters.  All the things that generally freak me out but I'm getting better!

Autistic Artist Wow's Sydney During "Autism Awareness Month"

As an artist and art enthusiast I wanted to share with you the story of Stephen Wiltshire.   Stephen is an acclaimed London artist and is in Sydney at the moment to show off his extraordinary talent for drawing cities in intricate detail.  He will be in Sydney until the 1st of May and his work can be viewed at Customs House, Circular Quay Sydney.

Some of you may have seen the fascinating documentary about Stephen on the television recently.  In that documentary he sketched the city of London from memory.  From a short helicopter ride he was able to sketch the city right down to the correct amount of floors and windows in city office buildings!  The accuracy and detail has astounded millions around the world. 

I will admit that my interest is two fold.  Not only am I inspired by him due to his art, but my gorgeous nephew has Autism so the issue is very close to my heart.  My nephew started school this year and the story of Stephen Wiltshire is inspirational.  His story reminds us all that those with Autism can go on to lead wonderful lives.  Some will achieve extraordinary things and I wish this for my nephew too.

Autism affects 1 in 160 Australian children and my nephew is one of them. 

From AAP

The 36-year-old artist, who was diagnosed with autism when he was three, hopes to produce a poster-size pen and ink drawing of the harbour city after examining its skyline for just 20 minutes.


He's already impressed many around the world with his large-scale intricate panoramas of New York and London.  Before drawing those two world-famous cities, he memorised the position and size of hundreds of buildings and landmarks while on 20-minute helicopter rides.

His four-metre long panorama of London on a curved canvas took five days to complete in 2007, with not one sneak peak at a photograph of the city for help.

Last October he followed up with a jaw-dropping 5.5 metre-long drawing of New York City, including the Empire State Building, which took just three days.

When he arrives in Australia, one of Stephen's first stops will be Sydney Tower so he can gain a birdseye view of the skyline before getting down to work at Customs House on Tuesday.

Sitting in his tiny studio perched in a loft above his gallery on London's famous Pall Mall, the quietly spoken artist is excited about his first visit to Australia.  "I have never been there before," Stephen told AAP. "I wanted to go because it's a nice, beautiful city. It's going to be amazing."

Stephen has been invited to Sydney by Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) to mark autism month.  His arrival was delayed by more than a week because of the recent disruption to air travel in Europe following the Icelandic volcano eruption.

While he won't decide on what exactly will be in his Sydney drawing until the last minute, he admits remembering all the detail of a city's skyline is difficult even though he makes it look relatively easy.


"I find it hard work to put in lots of information in just a few days," he said.
"Sometimes it's hard to remember because there's lots of detail.   "My favourite is New York. They have the big avenues and lots of yellow taxi cabs. The traffic is chaotic and it's full of people."


Stephen's amazing talent for drawing was discovered when he was just five years old and sketching London's double decker buses.   His family and teachers soon discovered that his art work was one of the key ways he could communicate.


By age nine he had moved on to St Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge.  His works were so good that Sir Hugh Casson of the Royal Academy described him as "the best child artist in Britain".  Then as a teenager his attention switched to American cars such as Cadillacs and Buicks before enrolling as a fine arts student at City & Guilds.  In 2006, he was awarded an MBE for services to art by Prince Charles.

Aspect's education and research executive director, Dr Trevor Clark, hopes Stephen's talents will help raise awareness of the one in 160 Australian children with autism.


"Stephen's talent is rare, but he highlights how important it is for potential to be realised and developed from an early age and how this can help with developing independence and self expression," he said.

Proceeds of the sale of Stephen's Sydney Prints will go to Autism Spectrum Australia.  Here is the link.  The site also has a link to Stephen's blog about his time in Sydney.

http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/Sydney.aspx

Link to the Stephen Wiltshire Gallery:-

http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/

Autism Spectrum Australia:-

http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/index.php?page=home

Love the Ocean? Wait until you see this!

As I've mentioned previously in my blog, I love the ocean and have been inspired by it many times.  My Great Barrier Reef artwork was inspired by a trip to the reef a couple of years ago.  Snorkelling on the reef and viewing the breathtaking colours was amazing.  I'll never forget the colourful fish and coral.  When you are snorkelling or diving it is like being in another world. 

Imagine my excitement then when I read about this new experience!   Like something out of a James Bond movie, it is the stuff dreams are made of.

The world's first underwater restaurant was opened 5 years ago this month at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, and to celebrate the anniversary the restaurant is offering guests the chance to not only eat under the sea but sleep under it as well!

They will convert their 12 seat restaurant into a a private bedroom suite for two, complete with private champagne dinner and breakfast in bed.

"Ithaa" sits five meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean, encased in plexiglass and reached by descending a spiral staircase. The restaurant offers breathtaking views and 'fusion Maldivian cuisine' (local cooking with a western twist), and rumour has it that over lunch the place is so bright that guests and staff have to wear sunglasses (they even keep spares on hand and offer a sunglasses cleaning service).
 
Sleeping there in the specially created suite would be a once in lifetime experience.  However I'm not sure what the shark situation is in this part of the world and doubt you'd sleep very soundly if a shark sailed past your bed.  
 
Brings a whole new meaning to the mafia saying - "sleeping with the fishes". 

The perfect shoes for sailing - found!

I was remarking to my sister a little while ago that I need proper "boating attire".  My two boys are part of a junior sailing school on the northern beaches of Sydney.  They absolutely love it and I often go down with coffee in hand to watch them learn and compete.

Pittwater, Sydney

You'll often find me with the dark shades on trying to wake up as it normally starts at an insane hour of the morning.  Though I will admit it is a gorgeous part of the day and I really can't complain being by the water.

Pittwater, Sydney

At times the parents will help lift the small sailing boats into the water.  And visa versa.  Recently I was feeling a bit guilty and tried to assist with the boats.  It was then I realised that I need to start dressing more appropriately.

After nearly losing my gorgeous designer shoes in the "drink", and then ruining them with sea water, I remarked that I needed to get proper shoes to help everyone.   However, I am not very keen on those boating shoes that sailors tend to wear (even on dry land), despite how "Ralph Lauren" inspired they might be.   I admit that they might be practical but are they fashionable?   Does anyone even consider these issues?  What does a fashionista do?

But then...(hold the horses), I found these!!

Dsquared2 "Love Boat" Pumps.

Dsquared have kept the most noticeable design elements of boat shoes by keeping the leather strap along the side but then incorporating a flirty bow at the vamp. Of course, we can't forget about the lug sole that are normally seen on boat shoes for durability and traction, but luckily, even a lug sole doesn't take away from the Love Boat's lady like appeal. Throw in all-American preppy plaid for unexpected dose of color and 5" inch heels for some sexiness, and you have one hot looking boat shoe.

Who said that boat shoes couldn't be stylish?!   Totally impractical but stylish for sure.  Then again, maybe a pair of flat rubber soled shoes might be safer or I might end up in the sea myself.  Perish the thought!

Search for a Superhero.

Who doesn't want to be a "Superhero"?   The ability to help people, fantastic magic powers and a cool outfit which has incredible features.  Not a bad day job if you can get it.

And if you become a famous superhero then you are immortalised in cartoons, tv shows and magazines.   If you are really famous you might get your own Hollywood movie.   You then become the ultimate celebrity!   You've certainly  made it when you get your own action figure.

However unlike the modern day celebrity, you get to wear a nifty disguise when on the job.  When off work you can walk around undetected.  The only downside would be being on call 24 hours a day.  This sounds a bit like motherhood to me.  Which is why mothers are often compared to Superhero's!

My Superhero Artwork

(Flying over Sydney, Australia)

Some try to pass themselves off as Superhero's and fail.   Not everyone can be one.  And certainly not in a plain suit and tie.  Sorry but it has to be Lycra or metal. 

Beware of Imitations

Regardless of age, we all love our Superhero's.  For children I hope my artwork inspires them to do good in the world.  Or at least tidy their rooms once in a while.  Baby steps...

A Knight's Tale...

As you know from reading my previous posts, I love making dress-up costumes for my boys.  They normally come up with the suggestion and then it is my task to make it happen.  Thank goodness they don't want to be a little person made out of lego or something equally awkward!   Artists are not miracle workers!

Anyway, a couple of years ago I was asked to make a Knight's costume.  I actually enlisted the help of my mum with this one as it was a tad tricky.   All in all it turned out fantastic.   He really was a shining knight in armour.

The little chain mail undergarment (a bit hard to see in the photo) was sewn up by my mum and it was a great hit at the party he attended.   The only tears were from children he tried to challenge to a duel with his sword! 

My boys have their own likes and dislikes and I usually look to them for inspiration about what artworks boys might like.  The Knights "phase" inspired a couple of my artworks and they've been a constant hit for a couple of years now. 

 

Knights, Castles and Dragons never go out of style!   However my dragons and wizards tend to be on the "friendly" side.  We can't have any bad nightmares can we!

When Cakes Are Works Of Art

As an artist I can appreciate how hard it is to create a breathtaking piece.  Whether it be an artwork, necklace or sculpture; the amount of hours involved can be staggering.  The joy of standing back and admiring your work once completed is second to none.  Even more wonderful is watching the face of the person receiving the item you've created and knowing that they'll be enjoying it for years to come.

I admire Cake Artists and I'm continually stunned by the breathtaking designs they come up with.  However unlike my art which will hopefully be enjoyed for years, cakes are made to be eaten and that is why I couldn't bear to do what they do.  To spend days or weeks designing, making and decorating the cakes; only to have them eaten and demolished within a few minutes would drive me insane.  Although I know that is what they are paid well to do, I would still feel sad to see it eaten. 

Strange I know!  But then I was the same way about sand castles at the beach.  When I was young my family would go to the beach and make sand castles or sea creatures in the sand.  Decorated with shells and other items we found on the beach, I'd be upset if a wave washed over it or if it fell down.  Worse if someone walked through it. 

Therefore I'd rather get someone else to make a special theme cake so I don't have an emotional attachment to it.  Precious I know, but artists are like that!

In the US there are two shows on TV which have cult followings.  "Cake Boss" and "Ace of Cakes". 

Cake Boss - "Carlo's Bake Shop" - New Jersey

Filming "Cake Boss"

Ace of Cakes

 Like "Masterchef" here in Australia, these shows have started a theme cake baking frenzy in the States.  This is a good thing as not only is it educational, it is fun.  People want to have a go themselves and theme cakes these days cost a fortune.   Why not do the work yourself, get satisfaction out of it and have fun at the same time.

Cake Boss - Rachel Ray Show Cake

Cake Boss Cake

Cake Boss Cake

Cake Boss Cake

Hogwarts Cake - By "Ace of Cakes"

Russian Doll Cakes - By "Ace of Cakes"

Just remember to smile sweetly (through gritted teeth maybe) as your castle has a turret cut off, or the red car you've made is cut up like a rebirthing syndicate.  Oh well...

Finds Of The Day...

Forget regular highchairs for your little one.  Furniture designers have taken them to a whole new level.  Perfect for every little prince or princess!

Leopard Print Highchair by Posh Tots

Oval Highchair by Post Tots

A Little Birdie Told Me...

As part of my research, I'm always on the lookout for emerging trends in interior design and furnishings.   A while back I noticed that overseas the emerging trend was "Birds".   I started creating artworks featuring them and also getting in new product lines to compliment the artworks.

The other day I was walking through some retail stores and spied many new items such as mini bird houses, bird cake stands, wooden bird signs etc.   So the trend has finally arrived in Australia.   No longer do cute little birds just symbolise spring in home decor.  Year round they add character to home furnishings. 

Bird Salt & Pepper Shakers

Pottery Barn

Dinner Set

Pottery Barn

"Cape Cod" Outdoor Bird House

Ezibuy Australia

Like Owls before them, delicate little birds are sprouting up on bed linen, clothing, dinner set patterns, stationary and wallpaper.  Not only are they whimsical, but they appeal to all age groups. 

Calming and very cute, birds never go out of style. 

Season of Colour

Fashion magazines are heralding the return of colour.  Although we are going into Autum and tend to wear darker colours during this season, the trend emerging overseas (which we then follow), is the return to colour. 

Florals, block colours and 80's colour themes are back.  Handbags and shoes in every colour of the rainbow are the new trend.  Mixing colours together and bright statement accessories are in vogue.

Obviously due to my artworks, I am a huge fan of colour.  Colour is the perfect medicine for when you need a mood lift.  When customers enter my store they all remark how colourful and bright it is.  I love working in an environment that feels so welcoming when you walk in the door. 

It doesn't surpise me that companies inject colour into their workplaces to lift the mood of employees.  Hospitals use colour to brighten the mood of sick patients.  Colour is confidence and shows optimism.  Colour is happiness and enjoying life. 

Surrounded by Colour

My artwork also hangs in hospitals and I hope it brings a smile to the face of sick children and their families.  If they can have a brief moment where they stop thinking about being sick then it makes my life so worth while.

Recently my eldest son was seriously ill and at the hospital he was taken to they didn't have colourful artworks or anything for the children to focus on whilst tests were being done or needles injected.  Trying to get my son to focus on something whilst in this situation was frustrating.   Sterile bland walls do nothing to help patients who are sick and afraid.

Once my son recovered I took an artwork up to the hospital to show them my appreciation.  They were thrilled.  And so now other children being treated could have something to enjoy.  If I had my way I would re-decorate all hospitals with colour and light.  I'm amazed that the government does not spend more money in this area.  There is science behind the use of colour in lifting moods and stimulating the senses.

Life is colourful and in hard times we need more of it, not less.