Why flower pressing is the uplifting activity we need right now
As I write this, the nation is slowly getting accustomed to the idea of spending our days and weekends at home. On the whole, spirits are low; dampened by the […]
Category Archives: Thoughts
The language of Japanese colour combinations
I love the pure experimentation of colour by modern abstract artists like Mark Rothko, Josef Albers and Bridget Riley. One of my favourite exhibitions, ever, was by Christina Mackie. Nine-metre-high […]
The Parisian couple preserving the ancient art of hand blown glass
The two master glassblowers that Sébastien learnt from both died years ago. There’s no one else that works with the same philosophy and traditional techniques. Valentina is the co-founder of […]
Tulip Mania & Bloemen, a private view
So I’ve heard that at one time in Amsterdam, a tulip bulb was the same price as a house. The trading of exotic tulip bulbs in the Netherlands is the […]
‘When we describe colour, we are poets’; an interview with artist and paint manufacturer, Michael Harding
Read about someone who creates colour, talk about its essence Michael Harding is a paint manufacturer and handmakes artist’s oil paints. I met him at a launch for his new […]
Just lines and curves: An interview with Alexa Coe
A London based artist with a background in fashion illustration and a degree from Central Saint Martins. Interviewed by New York magazine, Howl, a bespoke illustrator for Miller Harris perfumer, […]
Wearing a genderless face
I’ve long been an admirer of artists’ line drawings. The minimalism has such an elegance to it. Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse are known for the abstract approach, Picasso used to practise […]
Of all the galleries in Paris
I’ll start with a traditional French coffeehouse and the story of a Mexican surrealist artist. A young English debutant who fled her nouveau-riche family to pursue art and a love affair […]
Hackney Wick Clothes Switch
Vintage fashion contest or amiable exchange? My tips for a successful clothes switch. Stories Behind Things February, Hackney Wick A converted brewery in Hackney Wick sprinkled in bright Sunday morning sunlight. A Gottwood style […]
Home Blindness
Taking the time to be inspired and set resolve. I’ve spent three months writing, re-writing, re-re-writing, going backwards as I chip away editing various blog drafts. Thinning my once animated […]
Posies in Protest
In the aftermath of the magnificent Women’s March, I interviewed two women running their own quiet protest. Bread and Roses is a new social enterprise, teaching refugee women in London the art of […]
Time Consciousness
Think you know what the concept of time is? Take two minutes to correct yourself, thanks to Zayd Awan (Philosophy BA). The standard conception of time is that of a […]
The Paradox of Fiction
Charlie Protheroe (Philosophy BA) reveals why being terrified of a horror film is more complicated than it seems. We have a peculiar relationship with fictional literature. We are emotionally vulnerable […]
The Reggae Roots of St Paul’s, Bristol
In my final term at Bristol University, I gathered a range of new academic ideas to be published in Helicon Magazine’s weekly Features column. Every day this week I’ve been sharing my […]
Why do we fear?
Theo Parker (Geography BSc) challenges the prevalence of fear in our society. WE ARE CONTINUALLY CONDITIONED TO BE AFRAID. Introduced by the Bush Administration in the frantic aftermath of 9/11, […]
Commodity Fetishism
From breakfast to diamonds; time consciousness to reggae. To add to my collection of Bristol’s best digested dissertations, Amelia Butler (Geography BSc) explains why she followed the journey of the apple- from the […]
Predictive Personality Traits
Ramona Jones (Psychology BSc) investigates how our personality characteristics correlate with our social media activity. Have you heard of The Big Five personality dimensions? In just five traits, psychologists can […]
No Sweatshops, No Photoshop
An interview with Sarah Beckett, co-founder of Birdsong London. The ethical clothing company with principles of transparency, enterprise and social change. Birdsong sources clothing and accessories from womens’ organisations and charities. […]
The artist with an appetite for colour
An interview with Margrethe Odgaard. Imagine a rural Scandinavian farmhouse with a dreaming, dark-haired girl lazing in long grass. Without a TV in the house and far from popular culture, her […]
Investigating the ‘vintage look’
I launched an Epigram survey for one week to discover what motivates Bristol students to wear second hand and vintage clothing. It revealed that most Bristol students buy their second […]
