Tocamu – new symbol of wellbeing and social responsibility

tocamu_symbol

The Toucan Feather is work of Nicholas Stafford-Deitsch. USA born, brought up in UK, best ever boxer of Oxford University that worked in merchant banking, venture capital, mail-order and has also been a political advisor and consultant. As the story of lost innocence unfolds, the reader gets to know the meaning of ‘tocamu’ a symbol for those concerned about the future of mankind.

‘The premise is that we should strive to improve our wellbeing – not just because there’s a relationship between wellbeing and happiness but also because people with good wellbeing tend to think and act differently. Importantly, as more people improve their wellbeing, you’ll see beneficial social, economic and political consequences.a difference.’

I find Nicks’ work very impressive. Not only he introduced new philosophy and put it into an allegorical story, but being unimpressed by work of professionals, he also decided to illustrate the book himself! He says it’s seemed like a very bad decision to begin with as ‘the first attempts were absolutely pathetic [..] but I kept going because something in my head told me to do so.’ I’m really glad he did! I think the result is astonishing!

Hope you like it!
xxx
Olga

tocamu_01

tocamu_02

tocamu_03

tocamu_04

tocamu_05

tocamu_06

and the trailer of the book for you! :)

The Ruins of Detroit by Yves Marchand

Hello everyone! just wanted to share with you yet another photo project that left me in an awe! I think the project is best described by artists statement:

“Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our societies and their changes, small pieces of history in suspension.

The state of ruin is essentially a temporary situation that happens at some point, the volatile result of change of era and the fall of empires. This fragility, the time elapsed but even so running fast, lead us to watch them one very last time: being dismayed, or admire, making us wondering about the permanence of things.

Photography appeared to us as a modest way to keep a little bit of this ephemeral state.”

Below is the selection of my favourite photos, you can see the entire collection and read more about the project here

Enjoy!

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 01

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 02

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 03

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 04

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 05

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 06

Ruins of Detroit by Ives Marchand 07

Art in action at TATE

One of the things I love about London is that when you set of not entirely knowing what you want to see, you are sure to come across something interesting and new.

My evening weekend walk randomly ended up at Tate Modern and completely surprised me with Art In Action that is on until the end of October. You can lay down on the floor with a cushion under your head to watch colourful visuals. Play with animations on iPads in the rhythm of electro, or just have a pic of different artists and photographers using the space for their projects. Very relaxing and a bit surreal experience. Have a look when you are in the area!

xxx
Olga

City break ideas… Manchester

I was looking for a destination in England for a little break and while browsing the internet I came across Manchester… Ok, it may sound weird that I’ve never been to one of the biggest cities in England, but I haven’t… So I thought why not ;) If you’re lucky you may find a train ticket for as little as £31 using Virgin Trains, so this city break doesn’t have to break your bank account. Also, the accommodation is cheaper than in the capital city. My room was just £29 and within walking distance from Piccadilly Gardens which are the city centre. But what Manchester has to offer? Surprisingly quite a lot… From really amazing Manchester Art Gallery, with a collection ranging from 17th century to modern times, to numerous shopping areas including UK’s largest shopping centre Manchester Arndale… And after all the cultural and shopping pleasures why not having a little coffee break… I’ve tried couple coffee places and I totally fell in love with Teacup on Thomas St, which may get a bit busy, but be patient… It’s deliciously worth it :)

Casa Brasil… A look into the Olympic future in Rio 2016…

It hasn’t been two weeks since the Closing Ceremony of London 2012 and its merchandise hasn’t gone yet on 70% off sale, when I decided to go and see for myself the Casa Brasil exhibition held in the Somerset House… First impressions were rather modest as it can be a bit boring seeing a million pictures of the beaches followed by a million photos of the rainforest, but then the part dedicated to Brazilian contemporary art has swept me from my cute little feet. Couple pieces could easily be bought by Tate Modern straight away and added to their permanent collection. The final part of the exhibition is dedicated to the Olympic Games themselves… And once again I’m impressed by how much effort has been already put to make them work fine. A great care has been given to the local natural environment, which is a positive change in comparison to years of deforestation and living day by day. Anyway, I feel that this exhibition can be an introduction to this country and awake our interest in the host of the next best-show-the-world-has-ever-seen ;)

Arty crew reunion

Happy Tuesday, everyone! today I wanted to share with you one my favourite ways to spend holidays! Well, it’s pretty simple: you gather people who draw, paint, take pictures, or do any other arts and crafts, and you go together in the middle of nowhere :D

This year’s destination: Polish Kaszuby and one of my teachers lovely country house – full of her ex-students art works, and quirky little gadgets. All in peaceful surroundings of picturesque landscape rich in regional peculiarities. Just have a look – pictures tell it all :)

Hope you like it! What is your favourite way to spend holidays?

xxx

Olga

Let’s dance! (Street ballet photography)

As some of you might have noticed, one of our favourite fields of art and expression is photography and we always try and share with you the best of what we come across. Today we’re sharing the amazing work of Little Shao, a photographer from Paris, who loves to capture dancers in many inspirational moments (almost like Edgar Degas 150 years ago!)

passion, fashion and the cool street vibe of these pics make me wish each photo is actually a still from a super energising dance musical like Step Up or good old Dirty Dancing!

all pictures come from cuded.com; follow Little Shao here: https://www.facebook.com/littleshaophotographer

Get ready for the big night… Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950

Maybe the times of big balls are gone and now we tend to have more relaxed parties, but still evening wear is a symbol of glamour in our lives… The current fashion exhibition at the V&A takes you back to the times when a ball was the centrepiece of everyone’s social calendar… On the ground floor you’ll find a glorious selection of early designs as well as  accessories, which make the dress truly complete… Make sure to have a look at the stunning ‘Elvis’ dress by Catherine Walker designed for Princess Diana… On the upper floor you’ll find more recent creations… You may have seen many of them on the red carpet, which is the ‘ball’ of our times… A place where everlasting glamour is at its finest… well, most of the time ;)

So now you have one more thing to add to your Great British Summer calendar…

Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, V&A, open until January 3rd, 2013

For more information: www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/ballgowns/

designer lights with an ‘aw, cute!’ twist

Being in the constant state of decorating my flat I came across these cute lights; Matt Pugh, a British furniture and accessories designer, who is as much into natural, lovely ingredients as we, here at Freddie & Cinnamon is their author. Each of his pieces is of very high quality and meant to last a lifetime; and just look at them – designer, cool and most of all funny and cute!

Room Portraits by Menno Aden

Today we’re sharing a fantastic series of interiors photography – Room Portraits by Menno Aden. We first saw them in dezeen magazine and we loved how the unconventional angle (the camera was literally just under the ceiling) made room photos look almost like abstract paintings. The interiors themselves are very cool too – have a look.

Menno Aden is a German photographer, winner of the European Award of Architectural Photography in 2009; he lives and works in Berlin.