Since my dad was visiting recently, I took advantage and made him help me hang up some of my pictures. It makes such a difference! The above wall in my studio is my favourite at the moment and shows why I always buy two of the same frames whenever possible – symmetry! Clockwise from left – 2 screenprints by Deth P. Sun with a vintage phases of the planet print, 1 fraction of A Smell Of Sulphur In The Wind by Bill Drummond, my perler bead Arecibo message that I should photograph properly, screenprint by Elizabeth MacLean, my best friend at art school. Crazy crochet blanket by unknown, an amazing find of my mum’s.
My Jay Ryan screenprint is back up too, and really brings this little radiator shelf together. I was very dubious of this shelf when I moved in as it’s right next to the door and I thought I would knock stuff off, but it turns out I don’t so I’ve been adding random things to it. In the frame are screenprinted cards by Rachel Ortas from my sister. The narwhal plate was a gift from Claire and the cactus is totally dying – what am I doing wrong?
Here’s a corner of my bedroom with a bigger screenprint by Elizabeth, that she gave me as a birthday present a very long time ago – I love it so much. Above my bookcase is the bunny woodcut print I bought at Poyon-ya in Kyoto (which I have, bafflingly, never blogged about!), also on my birthday! Emma asked about how I store my books, so here are some. I decoupaged the bookcase when I was a student and it’s still holding up mostly. It holds all my favourite books to re-read, childhood favourites and other fiction, plus a whole stack of Ai Yazawa manga. I need another bookcase really, or at least a bigger one.
Most of my other books (+ magazines, A4 zines, programmes etc.) are in the living room. These are mostly nice books to look at, non-fiction and reference, and interesting books that guests might like to have a read of (plus doorstop fantasy shelf at the top!). The rest of my zines are still in shoeboxes as I have no idea how to display them. On top of this is my Hulder gocco print by Laura Donald, which you can actually see from the street if you squint a bit, so that’s how to recognise my house. Those wrapped “gifts” aren’t really supposed to be there, but I need to photograph them properly with my Lightcase (which fits perfectly into that Expedit shelf at the bottom!). And the Angel Bunny tapestry is by me of course.
There’s also a pile of art and crafty books in my studio, just because it feels like they should be there. That really is all the books I own, so I did downsize a lot when moving. I try to buy as much as possible digitally now, and save my bookshelf space for the books that also look nice.
I still have some more pictures to hang, but I haven’t decided where to put them so, To Be Continued…
