This week

has been cold and windy and very wintry. Cue cats in front of all available heaters - here's Miss Molly Moth - warming in comfort

 and close up

 Kind Dog and I went to see the Hollywood exhibition at ACMI - which was fascinating in a number of directions. The potent fantasy of Hollywood as an unattainable perfect life full of universally beloved iconic stars  - the hagiography of the presentation and music laid that on thickly. Secondly - and I found this quite shocking - was seeing the level of workmanship required to promote the illusion.  Not very much, as it turns out.  Many of the costumes were really shoddily made, really badly finished and made out of cheap-looking fabrics.  Jacket lapels without facings, raw edges left unhemmed, thin tawdry looking fabric and unpressed seams.  The exceptions were some of the costumes from the 30s and Marlene Dietrich's dinner suit which was beautifully tailored. 

Of course these garments are costumes designed to create an illusion under specific lighting and staging conditions - they are not couture garments or designed to be worn in real life.  But it was really interesting to see that it doesn't take that much to suggest a silhouette or a character - these are suggested by shape, colour, texture and line.  And the point is not to make a beautifully made dress or jacket but to project a persona.  No photographs were allowed in the exhibition but I did snap this gorgeously coloured and textured leaf in the carpark.

And news from the studio (not a lot this week as I have been doing research and writing). The sutured aubergine is ready for interment in the garden

and I'm still enjoying my expressive drawing play.