Meg and I are big fans of NYC-based photographer Michael Mundy and his site, An Afternoon With. AAW focuses on Michael’s “simple, tranquil and sophisticated images of interiors [that] are revealing and resonate with the character of their inhabitants.” (We were fortunate enough to collaborate with Michael for a story in Issue No. 2 of Anthology.)
Michael has released two limited-edition publications that feature some of the folks he’s photographed for the site. The second issue’s launch last week coincided with the three-year anniversary of AAW. You can purchase both in his shop, along with a small selection of his prints. We’re crossing our fingers that Michael will offer more editions of AAW in the future!
AAW – Issue 1
AAW – Issue 2
{ All images courtesy of An Afternoon With }
Spring blew into San Francisco yesterday with strong breezes and lots of sunshine. I’m inspired to freshen things up around my apartment and one project I’d love to try are Kokedama, or Japanese-inspired hanging plants. By shaping a ball of soil and wrapping it with moss or other organic matter, you can ditch the traditional containers and pots.
I wasn’t sure exactly how to tackle this project until I came across these beautiful specimens by Opus Studio. Green Renaissance, a film production agency whose mission is to promote green businesses and organizations, put together a film showing the simple steps of this project. If you’re looking for a way to bring some green into your home this spring, join me and give this a try!
{Images from Opus Studio}
We had so much fun at our Sleeveface-inspired shoot (read more out it here) and thought there were so many good images taken that day, that we put together a special weekend post to share additional photos. Enjoy!
{ All photographs by Thayer Allyson Gowdy }
Carl Morris describes the phenomenon that he and fellow Welsh DJ John Rostron started as “an unintended part of our milieu.” During gigs, he would strike poses that playfully incorporated record sleeves. Carl posted the image to a music forum, and then began sifting through his record collection to create more. After coining the term “Sleeveface,” he and John launched a site of the same name.
Sleeveface is described thusly: “One or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion.” Recently, the Anthology staff rummaged through some records and rounded up friends to take these Sleeveface-esque photos. We highly recommend trying this yourself! Carl notes that he has a fondness for Barbra Streisand LPs because they’re “versatile and easy to find. She democratizes the practice. This can be about rare records, but it really doesn’t have to be. I want everyone to participate.”
And there’s more from our Sleeveface-inspired shoot! We’ll be sharing additional photos later this week.
{ All photographs by Thayer Allyson Gowdy }
The holidays tend to bring out my crafty side, so I was excited to tackle the feather ornament DIY featured in the Mixed Bag section of the Holiday Gift Guide. We gave a quick rundown of how to make these ornaments in the guide, but I thought I’d go into a bit more detail here. If you’re looking for a craft to get you in the holiday spirit, these ornaments might be just the thing. Or if baking is more up your alley, maybe the Marbled Cookies or Gingerbread Trees also featured in the Mixed Bag?
Supplies:
Clay (We used cold porcelain clay we made ourselves, or this air dry porcelain would work as well)
Toothpick
Small paring knife
Parchment paper or other non-stick surface
Ziplock bag
About a cup of uncooked rice
Start by creating a small oblong ball of clay about the size of a large grape. On a nonstick surface like parchment paper, roll the clay out into a feather shape, about 1/8″ thick. (If the shape doesn’t quite turn out like you wanted, just ball the clay up and try again.) Flip the clay over at this point so it’s not too stuck to move when you’re finished. Using a toothpick, draw a light line in the clay down the center of the feather. Then, using a paring knife or other straight edged tool, press lines from the center to the edge of the feather. Don’t worry about how the lines meet in the middle, you’ll cover this up later. On most of our feathers, we cut small sections out of the feather to mimic the natural separations between barbs in real feathers. Last, take a small pea-sized piece of clay and roll it with your palm into a thin rope about 1/8″ thick and longer than your feather. Line the rope up with the centerline and press into place. Trim one end flush and leave about 3/4″ overhang for the quill on the other end. Last, using a toothpick, create a small hole for hanging. To add a bit of shape to the feathers, we filled a small plastic bag with rice and laid the feathers on it to dry overnight. Once the feathers are dry, add a small ribbon or string to hang.
{Images from the Anthology Holiday Gift Guide}
