Blackboard Beasts

Paris always provides lush hunting ground for street art, this weekends visit to Maison et Object was no exception, I spotted these ephemeral chalk creatures in the achingly trendy 'haut marais' habitat of paris' Dalston/Hoxton crowd. The whole quarter has been rapidly overtaken by cool galleries and quirky boutiques. Those of you whose fashion memories go back to the 80's, will spot this shopfront was home to no other that Le Garage shirts whos' bold printed shirts were a must have to any fashion student circa 1988

These intricate fauna are signed Phillipe Baudelocque, and his website provides a more detailed view of his oeuvre. Which we're sure all you Curious Eyes will love !
Phillip Baudelocque

A burning beacon in winters' darkest moment

Another timely post from the Venice Biennale. I thought I would share Marco Lodolas' installation for the Italian pavilion, to brighten up our horrid winter skys.

Lodoland

Mandvi Ship Building

The northern Gujerati town of Mandvi has been a centre for ship building for over 4 centuries. What was astonishing to discover was that this thriving industry has remained virtually unchanged since it's beginnings. These wooden ships take about 2 years to complete and as far as we could see the skilled workers had no plans to follow. The tidal creek was scattered with these majestic elegant vessels in various states of completion. Which we were told are built for clients from all over the globe.

Another attraction to this far flung corner of India is the Mandvi Beach Resort Which provides an agreeable stop over in luxury tents on the edges of the vast beaches.

Wild in the West - Outsider Tart

West London. The very words strike fear into the heart of us East Londoners. Talk to anyone in our neck of the woods, and the same words come into play. 'Yummy Mummies', 'Yuppies','Sloanes''...It's a world away from the fiercely individualistic, artsy crowd that reside in the east of the city.

But is this reputation well earned? Or are we all just a bunch of inverted snobs? In an attempt to broaden our horizons , we decided that we would take a trip into the heart of the beast. Yes - without prejudice, we would discover the joys of Chiswick.

At first, things didn't look good. It seemed like the residents of Chiswick like nothing more than to sit in their Fired Earth tiled kitchens, sipping tea from Emma Bridgewater mugs, while deciding which Farrow and Ball colour they should paint the nursery for little Chloe. So far, so conventional.

But then, just as we were about to accept that there was nothing more interesting to see than a Cath Kidston apron; like manna from heaven, we came across 'Outsider Tart'.

Outsider is right. There's nothing typical at all about this bakery.

Run by David and David, two expat New Yorkers, Outsider Tart is the fusion of highly delicious baked goods and highly unusual naive art. If you've ever fancied eating a muffin while admiring a family of 4 foot tall bunnies (constructed completely out of bottle tops) - here's the place.

Plenty of museums and galleries serve tea and cakes - but this is the first tearoom we've been to that actually is a gallery. Hobo art sits next to brownies, automatic drawings compliment the carrot cake. It's a thoroughly quirky and individual experience.

Chiswick may not be brimming with crazy characters and creative flourishes, but places like Outsider Tart make the west a little bit wilder - and long may outsiders like these thrive.

Happy Birthday Curious Eye

Today is The Curious Eyes' first birthday, in celebration we purchased this Mickey Mouse fireguard panel this morning in Spitalfields Market.

Illustrated Book Of The Week : They Put out To Sea

It's been quite sometime since the last appearance of our occasional item 'Illustrated Book of the Week' This one however seemed to fit in quite well with our recent travel posts. The bright colours and boldness of the plates put a smile on our face.