Time for a change of scenary...

...dear friends and occasional visitors, tomorrow I will be off for a week and alas I will not be able to update my blog. In a way it is good to have some time away from the computer! I promise to take loads of photos and tell you all about my holiday, I SO need to recharge my emotional and creative batteries! See you soon and keep well! Paola X

Linda and Domenico, my grandparents

Linda and Domenico, my grandparents, on my Mom's side. The portrait was taken at R.Prezioso, a studio photographer very much in vogue in 1920s-1930s Genoa, Italy.
I love the pose, how my grandma puts her hand on my grandad shoulder, and I also love the background painting, the balustrade, the steps on the right, and right behind my grandparents a river, or a large avenue, framed by trees. To me the river behind them represents the life journey they embarked on together.

Aunt Maria Teresa

Beautiful aunt Maria Teresa, an ancestor on my Mum's side. She had this photo taken when she was 18, amazing how in those days young women looked more mature than their actual age. Beautiful clothes, accessories and hairstyle. What I love about the old fashioned photographs is the faded effect, the halo around the portrait, I find it magic! I so wish I could have a time machine and spend some time with my ancestors!

Aunt Livia and Uncle Antonio

My beautiful and full of character ancestors, on my Mum's side. Aunt Livia is so elegant and Uncle Antonio is so serious. I was told that when he used to go to the cinema, (still with no sound in those days), during the fights scenes dear Uncle Antonio used to say out loud "Toc!", a kind of spontaneous sound effect to punctuate and underline the exchange of blows. What is remembered and told about the past generations within one's family is often bizarre and beautifully funny!

2 PM

I don't mind the stormy sky...

Granny's garden in the early afternoon

While waiting at the bus stop...

...Mum and I saw these beautiful flowers; we love semi-rural bus stops where we can observe overgrown bushes packed with flowers.

The pink petals and the suburbian baywindow

...Mum is holding the stems of these amazing roses

The pink and white bouquet

P.S.

I wonder whether the video starts ok when you click on the start button, if you are experiencing problems, I have also uploaded this video on YouTube, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OtCNG4CFSs

Into the garden-video

Petals III-the repeat series

From one of my latest colour photographs I have created some repeat pattern designs, I especially like the colour contrast of this design

Buds and the transparent leaves

Pink buds climbing to the sky

Pink petals and pistils III

Pink petals and pistils III

From the monochrome sketch book

Artwork IV-the ink and gouache series

Click, click!

Perfumes and reflections

The pink Vespa

The pink row

The pink fragrance

Perfumes and reflections III

The union flag with petals-the Selfridge's series

Bow and stripes-the Selfridge's series

Preserving books

The pink ribbon

At the Whitworth gallery

Looking at the sky

Vintage doll and the pink headscarf

Patterns, accessories and the teapot

Windowdisplay-the vintage series

An American fashion label-the vintage series

Yesterday I was again on one of my "paparazzi" missions: this time I headed towards the vintage stores downtown.
I love fashion vintage and the bright, psychedelic patterns from the 1960s and 70s.
Shame the label is slightly out of focus!

Daffs IV

Through the leaves III

Pink and Daffs IV

Petals and grass

Pink and Daffs III

The darkened petals

Reaching out I

Cups and saucers

The pink distortion

Although I love jams...

...this is not my trolley, however I did buy some delicious Swedish blueberries jam.

Liquid gold...

this is how I define Chanel No. 5

At Chanel's-the water can and the logo

Vintage packaging

Accessories and jelly beans at Harvey Nics

The huge mirror at Harvey Nics

Packaging and reflections III

Freshly baked!

At Louis Vuitton's