Louise Lockhart II

A beautiful blue cat waiting to have its tail attached, by Louise Lockhart.

Louise Lockhart I

Louise Lockhart makes vibrant illustrations and often incorporates these into interactive paper products based on traditional toys and games. These are illustrations from her Paper Doll's House a modern take on a classic doll's house, full of mid-century furniture like Ercol daybeds and Eames chairs each house comes complete with a sheet of paper people, pets and other additions to the house to cut out and stand inside which of course can be added to by the child who moves in, it is a crowdfunded project.

Traveling today

       

Traveling today, I wish it was with a basket full of geese like the lady in the picture. This is a toy shop window in the centre of Bologna. I will be happy to get home, but Bologna as ever has been a wonderful city, it's people full of joy, warmth and humanity.

Sam Smith II

" As I get older I get less interested in the way a thing looks and more interested in the spirit that hides within it; so that the things I make are meant to be looked into, rather than looked at." Sam Smith

Kissing by Sam Smith

At the weekend I went to the Scottish Fisheries Museum at  Anstruther purposefully to see the exhibition of Sam Smith's work. The Scottish Fisheries Museum is just fantastic, a maze of wonderful machinery, boats and social history and well worth a visit at any time.

This is the first of a few posts dedicated to Sam Smith who struck me very much as being one of those exceptional eccentric creative figures like Ivor Cutler, Spike Miligan and George Wyllie an older generation of artists have gone. Sam Smith (1908-1983) made automata's and toys that were for adult enjoyment as much as children's. His work is rich with imagination and reminds me of ancient fair grounds populated by strange people, events and shows. The bottom image is of a gondolier kissing an imaginary woman and above that are his sketches for various kissing automata.

Morito Toyonaga V

A last offering from Japanese artist, sculptor and toy maker Morito Toyonaga as you might have guessed I am smitten.

Moito Toyonaga II

"In the old days even papier-mache Ryukyu was a child's toy, now form is a craft for adults. Called mache Ryukyu go lost along with the changes of the times, so than sticking to the form, I want to cherish the "excitement" when children got the toy. because it something universal. the theme of "toys" in the future, my favourite things, fun stuff " Moito Toyonaga

Morito Toyonaga I

I don't know where to start, this artists work is so wonderful.
So this is the first of a number of posts about Toy-roadworks, the creative hub of  Morito Toyonaga  豊永盛人 . Morito Toyonaga  paints and makes fabric, wood and paper mache toys, sculptures and kinetic wonders.
I will start as I started the new year, with mermaids. These are Morito's carved wooden mermaids for scooping in the bath and in the bottom picture for skittles.

Home

 

 

I am still processing my thoughts and photographs from Berlin and the Hive Conference, and now to leap back into reality. 
Here are some clockwork toys that I found yesterday, the seal is fantastic.

Climbing Toys

Top; Lorraine's climbing spider, Middle; Tony's man, Bottom; John's robot.
These are climbing toy's that I made with my students this week, they are very simple and effective. Design a figure, animal ect with arms out wide on card. Cut it out and cut small lengths of straw which you stick vertically and parallel to each other at the wrists. Thread lengths of string through and knot them. so they don't unthread then attach to a horizontal stick and apply a loop so that you can hang it. Pull the strings at the knots out to the sides.

Steve McPherson

A collated flotsam and jetsam by the artist Steve Mcphereson. I love the humour, the science and the madness of these wonderfully arranged toys.

Felicitate

I have had felicitate's insect saved for ages her soft toys have wonderful details, are made from lovely fabrics and are beautifully crafted, the insect I love! Felicitate is an illustrator from Frankfurt Germany.

Murakami Mafuyu

I have seen the collaborative works of Murakami Mafuyu and Yoshikazu Yamagata before but the image above is so wonderful, and I didn't realise that these knitted garments were considered as fashion and possibly toy houses for children.

Wow Whitman

I know Deb of http://kickcanandconkers.blogspot.com/ would approve of my car boot find.

Toys on the washing line

I love hanging toys on the washing line...is that mean?

Sea Parrot (Puffin) by Kay Bojesen

I love the name sea parrot, that was put to this Kay Bojesen design, on a Japanese site. How perfect, I must use that title. Kay Bojesen was a danish designer, silversmith renowned for his cutlery, but his wooden toys are stunning.

Holidays Mean Ice Cream

http://www.holz-toys.co.uk/search.asp I love these soft scoop toy ice creams from Holz toys, you get two cones and four types of ice cream scoops, what more could you want.

Kazu Harada automata, kinetic toys

Above: Cat

Above: Shower

Above: Neighbour

Kazu Harara was born in japan in 1974, his initial profession was IT but he developed a hobby creating automata, which eventually lead him to Falmouth, he then worked his apprenticeship for 'the fourteen balls toy company' whilst developing his own style and techniques.

http://www.nizo.jp/gallery_e.htm

Robert Race

Top: Moon Priest

Middle: Robert gathering drift wood next to one of his large pieces.

Bottom: Canoe with Birds

http://www.robertrace.co.uk/ Robert Race makes moving sculpture and automata's, lately he makes these from mainly drift wood, they are very poetic and beautiful.

The Princes and the pea

I love all of the mattresses and the bed of this toy. I'm sure I would have played with it for hours.
It is available here, at a very dangerous place (for me) called, Not On The High Street.
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/thechiccountryhome/product/princess_and_the_pea_set