Wednesday Lensday: Mannakin

When your mum suggests a day out, I’ll assume that for most of you, that means something like a nice lunch, maybe a shopping trip, a pleasant walk or a visit to a theatre.

Perhaps I’m stereotyping mothers but whilst she’d happily do any of the aforementioned activities, there’s certainly nothing stereotypical about my mum and I wouldn’t have it any other way! So, when she opted for a day at a mannequin graveyard for Halloween, I didn’t bat an eyelid.

The ‘graveyard’, Mannakin in Lincolnshire, is the dumping ground for full-bodied and dismembered dummies of all shapes and sizes. A passionate collection accrued by the site’s owner over many years, from vintage creations to just plain odd.

And it’s completely fascinating. You can buy direct, attend craft days or, like we did, have the place to yourself to take weird and wonderful images. Sadly, some mannequins have been damaged by fire but I found these to be the most interesting.

These are some of my favourites of the day, which some will have already seen on Facebook (I’ve just been lazy in sorting them into a blog post).

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And then there’s Susan… the ‘child’ I acquired on the visit who now sits proudly adorned in succulents, after a little upcycling, in my kitchen.

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Guess I’m just a chip off the old block… 😉

The Shamelessly Promotional Post

Firstly, apologies. It’s incredibly rude to have been away a while and then come back to promote a little business venture but I’ve been semi- productive during lockdown and now have a new page!

After thinking about it for a while and bolstered by the feedback of at least three people, I’ve decided to offer some of my photo art for sale.

Taking some tentative steps into this marketing malarkey, I’ve set up a new page on Facebook: Aloada Bobbins’ Creative Design where you can purchase greeting cards and (eventually) larger Giclée prints.

Here’s a preview of what to expect – some images you may even recognise!

So, if you’re on Facebook or know someone who might be in need of something to brighten up a wall space, then please pop along, take a look and spread the word!

You can follow along by clicking HERE.

(If you’re outside the UK but are still interested in purchasing something, just drop me a message and I can let you know about postage options.)

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IMAGE CREDITS: All my own… but I REALLY want you to share 😉

Inside a secretive Seoul

Well hello! Firstly, I guess I should address my absence. There’s quite a simple explanation – I’ve simply had nothing to say. Which is most unusual for me!

I mean, I have had things to say and I could have written posts or added to my ongoing Lacunae tale, but my heart’s not been in it, whether that’s down to being busy, tired or just plain lazy. So apologies… *must do better* 😉

So what have I been up to since I last posted? Well, it’s only been a couple of weeks so I’ve not changed the world or anything, but I have visited South Korea. Kind of…

Wednesday Lensday: Paper City

On Sunday, we managed to catch the last day of a sculpture exhibition in and around Hull’s Humber Street. The area where the marina stands was once a dock and Humber Street was a hub for traders, particularly fruit merchants.

However, it fell into decline and lay mostly derelict for some years, before being transformed into an eclectic mix of bars, restaurants, artisan cafes, music venues and art galleries.

Above: an installation in the art gallery – blow it and it lights up in different colours!

So it was the natural choice to house the Paper City exhibit, part of the City of Culture events. The ten day display explored our relationship with paper and play, with eight artists and designers invited to create something using one of the most fundamental mediums for creativity.

Wednesday Lensday: POPpy ART

Queen Victoria Square, in the city centre of my home town, Hull, has become quite the location recently. Since the start of our City of Culture year, it has housed various attractions, including the light show to kick off the celebrations and ‘The Blade‘ – built in the city and the largest man-made single piece structure in the world (and I swear it’s not photo-shopped in!)

However, the most recent offering is a touring collection of ceramic poppies – you may be familiar with them cascading from the Tower of London as part of the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ exhibition, commemorating World War 1. And now we are privileged to look after them for a few weeks as they tour around the UK.