Hello The Mushroom

Lifestyle

Lifestyle – Home improvements

November 15, 2018

In the last couple of months, I’ve been working on improving my surroundings. In this case, my bedroom! You may recall a post I did a while back where I showed you when I painted and added some much-needed shelving to the spare room.

This time the work was to get a new mattress in, deal with the black mould proliferation and increase the storage/display space for my collection of knickknacks.

The first job we did was to clear out the whole room – here’s a before photo of some of my art collection:

These are mostly pieces that have been gifted or traded with other artists.

After clearing everything out, it was necessary to wash and repaint and get rid og that nasty black mould, which is not only ugly to look at but also extremely unhealthy. I chose a warm pink, that I think ties the whole room together by creating a focal point on two specific walls where the art will be hung.

I did the painting mostly by myself, with some help from my boyfriend, who was a sweetie and also helped me with the heavy lifting.

With the help of my housemate, I picked up a wider wooden plank to use as a shelf – which meant that I was then able to unpack some stuff I had stored away. You see, I can’t be let loose in a charity shop or a car boot sale as I will immediately find cat and deer figurines that I must bring back home!

I still have some back home in Portugal too, maybe one day they will all be reunited in some place!

Here are a few more images with the contents of my beloved junk collection, that I’ve been amassing in the last 8 years in the UK. They are a collection of memories, gifts and little things that inspire me an that I like to keep around.

The spray can art is by Ruth Knapp and the kitty by the lovely Swenya, a yarn artist from Cologne.

I was also able to put back my nail polish collection on the wall already:

My boyfriend continues to be the best and he gave me a new duvet cover – featuring art by Tom of Finland. I love it so much!

The next steps will be to change the bed – I already have a new IKEA bed, which I think will look nice in my girly girl room, which will be complete with fairy lights and all. Hopefully will be able to do the switch to the new one in the next few days, as it will get me some super good extra storage space under the bed!

Then I will be able to continue adding back the art – with some changes, for sure:

The painting in the gold frame is by my friend Keone and was a piece he created by a show I organised earlier in the year to celebrate (or not, depending on your opinion) the Royal Wedding. It was funny that I ended up in the German press over it.

Once the bed is its place, the rest will be dealt with and hung. Can’t wait to have all nice and organised! It’s a lot of work, but maintaining a house and keeping everything clean and organised is hard – kudos to those who manage to do it!

As this house that we are living in is fairly old (Victorian, actually) and London is a humid city, the whole house could do with a once over, actually. At this point, the area that needs more attention is the kitchen – the last time it was refurbished, they added a fake ceiling and the light spots are embedded in it. Now that it’s deteriorating and the connectors are not working properly, we are getting less and less light – and to fix it means the landlord probably rip everything out. I keep dreaming of having LED ceiling lights or something – that would be easy to maintain and make our kitchen nice and bright! If I had the funds, I would also replace the whole cabinet unit, make space for a larger fridge and freezer (there’s 6 of us in the house and only have the tiniest under counter units, how stupid is that?) and get some decent pullout kitchen faucets and better storage altogether.

As this is a rental, the amount of work and money we are willing to invest in making it better is also limited, so at this point I’m focusing more on my room, which is where I spend the most time in, especially that currently I work mostly from home. I’m happy that at least I can make my own living space nicer and that I can finally feel more at home in it.

What are your best bedroom decoration ideas?

art

Guest Post – How Art Can Impact Your Life

October 2, 2018

Art is a beautiful thing that can really make a difference to the quality of your life. This is something which you will hear a lot of artists or enthusiasts say but it really is true. In order to teach you about the way that art can impact your life, we are going to discuss this in this article. Find out more below.

It Can Heal
Art is great because it can actually heal people. This is why art therapy has become a profession that many people are pursuing in order to help people. Art itself can help people to reduce their stress levels as well as sooth them. When you take a look at art, you will be able to reap the benefits and
feel a little more relaxed and be able to heal a lot more quickly. Landscape art can be very therapeutic for some people, especially if you get landscape canvas prints of your favourite place.

It Has Feel-Good Power
According to scientific research, art can actually help to give help you to feel better when you look at it. Your quality of life is more likely to improve if you are surrounded by art because of this. This research also suggests that people who have an interest in art can actually be less anxious or
depressed. This is really interesting, and it is something to think about if you are planning on buying some art.

It Can Give You A Hobby
Another way that art can impact your life is through the hobby of buying art. Many people struggle to find something that they like doing and so turning to art can actually really give them a purpose. Not only can buying art make an impact on your life but so can creating it.

It Can Create A Personal Experience
When you are choosing a piece of art for your home, you will be choosing something that speaks to you. Art can actually create a personal experience as it can express something through the shapes on the canvas which you interpret yourself. If you are looking for a personal experience you should
think about heading to a gallery and choosing whichever piece speaks to you.

It Can Make Your Home More Pleasant
In a home that is not decorated very well, art can really impact the overall effect and make it look a lot more aesthetically pleasing. This can help to improve your décor and make you a lot happier. When you are surrounded by the things that you love, you tend to be happier so make sure to
choose a piece that is right for your home and you should feel happier when you spend time there.

Final Thoughts
Art can be very powerful and if you want to find something that can really improve your life then you should try buying or creating some art. Think about how it has the power to heal as well as give you something personal to think about.

art

Art – Cash is King book and exhibition

August 22, 2018

I’ve been super busy with projects left and right and haven’t been able to update the blog as often as I would’ve liked but this is one project I wouldn’t want to leave out.

Yours truly submitted some artwork for a book and have been accepted! London based artists Carrie Reichardt and Bob Osbourne are the ones responsible for putting together a book called “Cash is King”, featuring defaced bank notes – mainly dollars and pounds but also a few other currencies from around the world.

I’m super happy to have been accepted and to have not only two bank notes featured in the book but also an extra feature, a bit of one of my street pieces in a photo with one of Bob Osbourne’s paste ups.

On top of this, the book is going to have a launch party at Saatchi Gallery (yes, that one) and an exhibition with a few of the bank notes featured in the book, curated by Olly Walker. This launch party and private view will be happening on the 30th of August and the show will go on until the 8th of September.

Come on down to the gallery and see some great art and if you’d like to get the book, you better be quick, as they’re selling quickly and might even be gone by the end of the show.

travel

Travel – 10 days in Sesimbra, Portugal

August 16, 2018

Last week I got back from a 10 day holiday in Portugal, which is where I am from originally. It was the first time I visited in a year and a half and it was great to go back. We stayed in Sesimbra, a small town by the sea where you can enjoy the beach and the sun all you want.

I stayed mostly in Sesimbra and took little trips in the vicinity to do some sightseeing. There are lots of things to see around there, especially if you fancy exploring historical spots.

The first spot we explored was the castle, a structure originally from medieval times, is worth visiting not only because it’s fun to climb up on its walls but also because the view from it is stunning, as it is perched on a hill.

We then proceeded to visit the town centre, where it is somewhat touristic but still pleasant – and not too crowded. It’s also been cool to see that they’ve had a few artists come in and create sea and fishing themed murals, that really fit in with the old construction style.

The area not only has historical spots but also places of geological interest – especially if you’re interested in palaeontology, as there are several areas where you can go and see dinosaur tracks, such as the ones we saw in Zambujal.

Further down the same road, you can also visit Cape Espichel, where you can find the old lighthouse (and some abandoned structures that used to support an antenna), as well as the Nossa Senhora do Cabo sanctuary, a pilgrimage spot popular in the 17th century and now virtually abandoned, save for the church.

While we were there, some days we suffered immensely with the heat, as there was a heat wave coming in from the North of Africa. We stayed cool by going to the pool or the sea and protecting ourselves with plenty of sunscreen, so we were prepared. If you are planning on going away on holiday as well, Groupon has a few discount codes for Argos, where you can stock up on beach appliances such as towels and windbreakers.

I cannot stress enough the importance of being prepared against the sun, especially during a heatwave. Luckily Argos has all the necessary accoutrements necessary to spend our days at the beach as comfortable as possible – which is what we did! The windbreakers were a lifesaver, with the strong winds that occasionally rose up and insisted on throwing the sand at us! Umbrellas are also super useful and when they’re colourful they make for some cool photos of the beach, with all the colourful circles spread around.

Apart from the beach in Sesimbra, there are other beaches in the area that are worth visiting, such as Ribeiro do Cavalo. We ended up not descending down to the beach as I didn’t think it was safe to do in flip flops but with appropriate footwear for climbing it should be worth a visit. At least we got to see the nice views of the area!

It was 10 days of sun, beach and good food – not to mention great company too. So, coming back was a bit sad… but there’s always next year again!

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Art – new mural collaboration with DRT London

August 10, 2018

A few weeks back (before I went away on holiday) I had the privilege of collaborating with DRT London, a street artist well known for his stained glass-like geometrical murals. A wall opportunity arose in Hackney Wick and we finally got to do a collaboration mural, as we had been discussing for a while.

The paste-up I used was the first in a series I am inaugurating and that I hope to work on further in the next few months based on relationship breakups. Some of the phrases used will be from situations I lived personally, others have been submitted by friends and other Instagram followers. All in all, I believe a relatable series… who hasn’t been broken up with?

This was also the first time I have ever tried using spray paint in a mural (I’ve only used it minutely on some small pieces I have created on canvas recently). I found it hard to master, so that means I will have to be practising a bit more! It’s a challenge that I would be interested in trying anyway, so it all good!

Anyway, enjoy the photos, we had a great time creating this and I’m looking forward to creating some more street art in London soon! In the meantime, if you’d like to join my mailing list – where you’ll be informed of any promotions, exhibitions and new artwork, sign up here.