December Domus

A brilliant way to finish the year has been this project
for the December issue of Domus magazine, a virtual
visit to the Paris exhibition Tutto Ponti. I immagined I
was leaving a note on the kitchen table for a friend
who was visiting the exhibition after me.

Two double page spreads and the best bit of all is
the index!!

Delights of a lifetime! Delizie di una vita!

It was both fascinating and moving hearing the story of this group of friends and then illustrating it for a 60th birthday present - thank you so much for asking me! The finished piece is this sumptuous table, one of the advantages of age is having such a great story to tell.
Sentire il racconto di questo gruppo di amiche per poi illustrarlo in forma di regalo per una che compiva sessantanni era affascinante ed emozionante - grazie di cuore per avermi chiesto! Il pezzo finito è questa tavola suntuosa, una dei vantaggi dell'età che avanza, una bella storia da raccontare.

Two private commissions/Due commissioni private

Some time last year I was contacted by a lady who lives in England and often comes to Italy for work. She had seen my maps for La Repubblica on one of her trips. A close friend of hers was about to have her 50th birthday and her ex husband was coming up to 60. She sent me some details of the places and events she wanted to include and together we worked towards defining the content. It was interesting for me as some of the stories were intertwined. Here are the final maps.

L'anno scorso sono stata contattata da una signora che abita in Inghiterra e viene spesso in Italia per lavoro. Aveva visto le mie mappe per La Repubblica. Una sua carissima amica stava per compiere 50 anni e suo ex marito 60. Mi ha inviato alcuni dettagli dei posti e gli eventi che voleva raccontare e abbiamo lavorato insieme per definire il contenuto. Per me era interessante perché alcuni parti delle loro storie si intrecciavano. Qua trovate le mappe definitive.

A chat with Ciao Lunigiana

More for English speaking friends:

http://ciaolunigiana.com/julia-binfield-graphic-artist/

Tapirulan calendar competition 2015 "X marks the spot"

Pirates saying this was what continued to go round in my head when I heard that the theme for this year's calendar was X. Probably rather obscure in Italian and the way I've treated it hasn't done anything to make it clearer, but that's what I enjoy about this calendar moment -  you can let your mind wander and see what comes up.
Pirati che pronunciano questa frase era quello che continuava a girarmi in testa quando ho sentito che il tema del calendario di quest'anno era X. Probabilmente piuttosto oscuro in italiano e il modo in cui l'ho trattato non aiuterà a chiarire, ma è quello che mi piace di questo lavoro - puoi lasciare andare la mente e vedere dove ti porta.

Lunigiana print edition - edizione di stampe Lunigiana

The prints are done - an edition of 25 - the first ones have already been delivered
and anyone interested can contact me in the studio, or Giulia at the Ex-Macelleria
gallery in Pontremoli. The format is 30 x 40cm, slightly larger than A4 so they fit
comfortably in the A3 Muji frame that I often use!
L'edizione di 25 è stampata - le prime stampe sono state consegnate e chi è 
interessato mi può contattare in studio oppure acquistare direttamente da Giulia 
a Pontremoli nella galleria Ex-Macelleria. Il formato della carta è 30 x 40cm quindi 
molto adatto per la cornice Muji A3 che utilizzo spesso!

Help I'm lost - Tapirulan exhibition in the Violin Museum, Cremona

"Aiuto mi sono perso" in Italian is worth a visit; it's an exhibition about the
province of Cremona featuring the work of 52 illustrators.
It's on until 18 May, open every day 10.00am - 6.00 pm. Organised by the
Tapirulan Association www.tapirulan.it, it's accompanied by a catalogue
which is also a guide to the province of Cremona, and an extra bonus is
that the exhibition is in the Violin Museum in Cremona http://www.museodelviolino.org/.
If you can organise to see a concert in the recently opened Auditorium, even better.
A circular stage and curvy shapes have been built into the existing rationalist building
by the architects Arkpabi and the accoustics are meant to be fantastic!
This is my map of the Province, some incredible names here, but not much
help for getting around, so as the organisers say: "Bring a compass or a navigator"

Ponte Lambro

Just back in the studio after the second part of the presentation this morning at the primary school in Ponte Lambro. We're working on two themes with 4 classes - history with the 5th years and nature with the 4th years. I have made a basic map which each class will work on, adding the information relevant to its individual research. At the end of the project we'll compare the 4 maps and see the different routes that each class has taken. First job is adding where each person's house is. This morning I delivered the maps, we learnt about soap and then made some - great fun! We're meeting up again next Monday to talk about the history of Ponte Lambro its launderies and washer women and men.

Latest commission

Another wedding present featuring trips all over the world
with a fabulous house in via Malpighi, to come home to.
Known as Casa Galimberti, it was designed in 1905 by the
architect Giovanni Battista Bossi for the Galimberti brothers.
It's in an interesting bit of Milan, around Porta Venezia, where
some of the best Art Nouveau (Liberty in Italian) buildings are
to be found. These sprang up at the beginning of the 20th
century when the "Lazzaretto", the hospital complex that dealt
with suffers during frequent outbreaks of the plague was
almost completely demolished. 
As Shakespeare so neatly puts it,
"Journeys end in lovers meeting".

Thanks Will!

2014 in Piazza Leonardo - think B I G !

Starting the new year with exciting developments
in Piazza Leonardo here in Milan. You will now find the box
(which you can see here in the photo), with the map and key
explaining the "1000 cose da fare..." project in lots of shops
and bars around the square.
Everyone has been so enthusiastic! Many many thanks to all
the people who have accepted our invitation! Here they are,
near the faculty of Architecture:
Valentina Stefanoni at the Cortina bookshop and Luigi Antonino
at La Dolce Sosta in via Ampère, and the very helpful but very shy
man who runs the newspaper stand on via Bonardi.
On the other side of the square in via Pascoli:
Tiziana Cortina and Sara Caruso at the Cortina bookshop
Alessandro Vendola at New Brand Cafè, and
the gang at Matricola.
We'll be going along in the next few days to see how they're
getting on. Please pick up the map from one of these places if
you use Piazza Leonardo and give us your ideas.
The success of the project hangs on the number of people
who participate and it's a great opportunity to think B I G -
you have nothing to loose!

'Piano piano' as they say here

Here's what's been happening recently in
Piazza Leonardo da Vinci:
I'm working on the map and key to the first 99 things,
there are several comments on the Politecnico blog
(http://smartplanpolimi.wordpress.com/) and Ivana has
started making a video!!
Meanwhile, back in the square, some of the numbers
are fading, others are practically hidden by beautifully
coloured autumn leaves and some are as bright as the
day we put them there!
This must be 'work in progress'.

Outdoor Housework and the Secret to Well-behaved Knees

There was more of this than I anticipated, housework that is!  

How I made it through the 2 weeks!

And we lent out our chairs every so often too

We've done it!

Two weeks later and the job in Piazza Leonardo da Vinci is
finished. Here are the photos to prove it (-: I can hardly believe
it myself). A huge thank you to Antonietta, Francesca, Davide
and Pietro!! And of course to our sponsor, Marino for the paint.
It was really hard work and really good fun too!
So interesting to get live feedback, meet so many different types
of people and experience the difference between the two halves
of the square too. And today it felt very strange not getting up and
rushing off there but going into the studio instead.

thanks Antonietta for the photos

"1000 things to do..."

Well, actually it's "1000 cose da fare..."
as we're here in Milan (-:
Tomorrow morning we start on our
gargantuan task of writing all over
Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, or nearly all over
it - yet to be defined exactly how much
we'll be covering! Here are the Marino cards,
ready to take away. Our thanks to Giancarlo
and Martina Marino who have been incredibly
generous with the paint for this project!

Marino Paint & Wallpapers, Piazza Risorgimento 10, 20129 Milano

Viaggiare mangiando 2

Aperitivo next Wednesday at Orti&Commenda
in via Orti, Milan, from 6.00pm - I'm showing some
of my my Saturday maps for La Repubblica - looking
forward to seeing you there! Here's the invitation,
designed by Simonetta Rocco:

...and here's the rest!

Yes, Potato project revealed! A really fun
commission for me and a Christmas present
too! A list of favourite things, one metre long;
interesting present...

Last chance to see two "Things Moving" pieces in a wonderful location

These two pieces, in the series "Things Moving" are
in the group show at Palazzo delle Stelline in
corso Magenta, Milan, which finishes this weekend.
If you haven't yet been, it's definitely worth a visit.

My N E W Buffet

Last weekend I went to a workshop by Chris Haughton
at Import Books in Milan. What a fantastic selection
of books they have there! It was organised by
Debbie Bibo at Signs&Lines. Such an enjoyable
experience, and here's what I produced. I think it
may well be the first in a series...

Milan and Trieste for La Repubblica

Hot chestnuts, Bric à brac, and my pictures

For anyone who happens to be in Lunigiana
this Sunday, 28th October, this should be fun.
The place is Filetto di Villafranca.