Some new work up!

Check out the art shop, we have some new pieces added to the gallery 🙂

Here is some recent ragdoll action! The dolls were taken out to Nicaragua and Uganda as presents for children.

R&D

LENS: 18 Feb 2012 – London. Tate Modern. 4 YRS.

(Click on an image to view the gallery)

The 18th February 2008 was the official date that Rache and I ‘got together.’

The 2012 edition of this special date saw us literally Singin’ In The Rain and feeding our creative juices at the Tate Modern. Let’s be honest, if you head into London, you’d be providing yourself a mistreatment if you don’t make a bee-line for the dull, yet eye-catching chimney of the old Bankside Power Station.

The main attraction at the Tate Modern, I.e the exhibition you have to pay for, was a Japanese artist called Yayoi Kusama. Rache and I decided to leave the £10 charge per person, got the vision for the exhibition and were inspired that way instead. However, if you want to stick colourful stickers on a wall, please go ahead.

The spacious Turnbine Hall was used for a captivating film installation by Tacita Dean. The huge, elongated screen displays a seemingly random, unrelated montage of video forcing you to sit and think why this piece of art is drawing you in. What made the experience all the more intriguing and unique were the shadows created by curious children exploring their shadows and shapes. I’d love to have sat their all day watching and basking but we had a show to get to…

…Singing’ In The Rain – what a glorious feelin’!

TASTE: White Loaf

One of my birthday presents was The Fabulous Baker Brothers book.

So, in true Darren style, I saw this as an opportunity to do something new and creative.

I’m so proud with the result. I love toast at the best of time, but this was special. It had a little taste of personal touch.

After the kneading, the dough needed time to rise in the airing cupboard. This gave me the perfect opportunity to make a bird feeder holder for the garden.

Enjoy the photo’s, and next time you’re round our house, maybe there’ll be a fresh loaf smell as you enter the front door.

UPDATE: Birthday

It’s been a busy season for us Allwright’s recently.

Just a moment has passed since Christmas. The memories are stored in journals and on photographs are on our walls.

Now, more celebrations are taking place!

15 Jan 2012 = Rachel’s Birthday

03 Feb 2012 = Darren’s Birthday.

These annual events are a beautiful sign and memory of life and future. We are so thankful that we can share exciting stories with our friends in these times.

Here’s to writing an incredible next chapter.

latest proj …

I have just completed stuffed animal number one of a collection I hope to send out to some children in Uganda. It’s incredible what you can do with a bag of scrap fabric! I can’t bring myself to throw anything away, because you never know when it might come in handy!! I Love creative saturdays, radio on, whistling kettle infoming me a brew is nearly ready and the fresh smell of bacon! Our kitchen is always home to these little projects. Ok, so now comes the important job, what shall I name him? Bit stuck!I am thinking Harold, Oscar , Henry…. Gordon?! Ha! Any ideas would be appreciated!!

JIBBA-JABBA’S, THE BIKE RIDE & BIGGER FIREWORKS.

I love discovering that which makes my eyes pop outwards and bulge with excitement, just like a 1990’s cartoon.

These moments have pretty much the same impact you get if someone set off a firework in your bedroom in the middle of the night.

That sudden moment of,

‘’YES!’’

There are certain web sites that I have tucked away in my ‘Darren’s Inspiration’ bookmarks folder that regularly create the same kind of moments.

There are, more rarely, books that I read that make me want to jump into my running vest and sprint to the nearest landmark shouting random noises as I go.

There are particular songs that turn my body into a Jiba-Jaba that is wound up to infinity. (Remember the Jibba-Jabba?)

The worst thing is these moments don’t occur all the time and that’s why when these moments do come about, they have such an impact on my life. They turn the boring, inevitable and predictable me into someone with purpose and direction and excitement.

Following my years of hanging out with friends everyday, playing football and running around like headless chickens chasing girls (formally known as education) I have hit a brick wall with regards to the interaction I have with friends.

My story seemed to get slower and slower with infrequent visits of those with whom I used to hangout everyday.

I don’t want my story to stop. I know there is more excitement and games of stuck in the mud to be played.

Since the world of work has shown it’s persistent face with its tongue poking far out of its mouth, I have searched for that something that will bring back those times of playing micro-machines on the fallen tree and sliding in mud puddles during a five a-side football tournament.

Then came the inspiration and realisation I needed. The fireworks were set off and I was getting my running vest out of its drawer again.

The story wasn’t going to write itself. If I was to have that life of excitement and unpredictability I craved for, I needed to write it.

No longer were my mates going to come knocking on my door at the off chance I could come out and play football in the street. They wouldn’t want to fly a thousand miles only to find I had gone out for the day buying loo roll for the bathroom and cleaning cloths for the kitchen.

Donald Miller, in his book, ‘A million miles in a thousand years,’ spoke of his need for a more exciting story. He spoke of how his life was becoming a bit stale and predictable. Don decided to get on board with a hike on the Inca Trail in Peru and also a bike ride from the West of America to the East of America that his friends and colleagues tempted him with. With each one of the 3000 miles that he rode his bike, he realised the importance of doing the journey with people. In his own words, Don says:

‘’It slowly happened in our sub-conscious that though we were different, there was nobody else having these experiences with us. It was just us. We’d call and talk to the people back home about it, but all we could do was say some words about how hot it was or how much our legs hurt. But when we said those words to each other, each of us had a mental catalogue of similar experiences, and those experiences bound us together.’’

Wanting to taste what it feels like to do the journey of life with friends a little more, I have arranged for a group of friends to ride together from Lands End in south west England to John O’Groats in the northern most part of Scotland.

1000 miles in 12 days should bind us together I think.

This is just the start of my realisation of how valuable friends doing the journey of life with me is. I know that after the ride we’ll all go back to our own communities and houses; we won’t be buying a house together and forever embrace each other. But what I do know is that each person on this bike ride will have a deeper understanding of life….

Friendship.

Community.

Love.

Empathy.

Acceptance.

I don’t want the pinnacle of my story to be about toilet brushes or hovering the stairs. I want my life to be rich with people doing life together, experiencing pain and joy together and having a deeper value of friendship.

And when the bike ride is over, I’ll search for more inspiration and a new chapter in our story together. I’ll buy a bigger and more colourful firework, that’s for sure.

EXPLOSION OF JOY : ALL HALLOWS BOW COMMISSIONED ART

EXPLOSION OF JOY : COME AS YOU ARE.

It’s 7am on Saturday 10 September and we rise to the familiar sound of the alarm.

8.15am : Bus trip with 2 4ftx4ft boxes each holding 2 canvases of art.

9.02am : Reading to Paddington by train.

9.34am : Underground trains to Canary Wharf.

10.10am : DLR train to Devons Road.

10.30am: Arrive at All Hallows Bow Church.

Fresh coffee gets grounded. Chats start. Friendships grow. Rachel shows off her kids books knowledge by comparing her story book collection with that of a 4 year old.

This was one of the most exciting art projects we’ve worked on to date. We first met Cris at a youth conference we were helping out at a few months back. Cris was speaking, Rache was creating and I was singing. It was one of those moments when you just get it; you get what was being said and the heart behind it. Cris shared his passion to see people live out what Jesus had taught his disciples. This wasn’t just another conference to tick off the list and attend; this conference had purpose, creativity, colour and explosions of joy.

Rachel and I wanted to get on board with the vision. I love vision that leads to action. Not just vision to fill a speech but vision that fills a community with joy: an EXPLOSION OF JOY.

Now, months later, we had finished the 4 canvases asked of us by Cris and had created an expression of colour and joy specifically for his community.

It was a special and humbling experience to deliver these expressions of joy and bless a community trying to reach outwards and start something different in our sometimes mundane and monotonous neighborhoods. Bearing this in mind; maybe we are the ones who aren’t making the journey of life appealing enough.

Enjoy the journey!

TO SEE THE FINAL PIECES GO TO THE ART SHOP NEXT DOOR ->

Putting the grounds down a few months back.

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RAG DOLLS & PAINTINGS, some of the lovely little creative projects i’ve been keeping busy with……

I’ve had some lovely projects on the go for various people, which has been a lot of fun! Check them out below!

These rag dolls were a commission for a 30th wedding anniversary present. This was the first time that I’d been asked to make my dolls resemble actual people! I loved making the little glasses on the guy!

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This rag doll was a gift for a lovely friend of mine who is about to start a teaching course …

These paintings are from various projects and are works in progress! I love working large & being able to be free and expressive, and also working small, adding in detail…

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CREATIVE BLOG: L.E.J.O.G BLOCK PRINTING

Ladies and Gents.

Some of you may know by now, that I, Darren, will be cycling from Lands End to John ‘O Groats (or John O Groach as Rachel calls it) next year.

The reason why is to bring together my friends and cycle the journey together; doing the highs and the lows together (and thats not just the hills!).

I want to bring together friends and feel success and strain with them. There is purpose in the journey. We’re doing life together at the moment but it’s from a distance and all around the world. This cycle will focus our attention for around 10-14 days next year. We can hang out. We can cheer, joke and laugh at one another as we overtake each other up and down a hill.

I have got hold some block printing materials and have created this simple postcard that i’ll be sending to friends. One purpose is to show friends I want them on the journey and the second is that I love an opportunity to create something new!

Check this out.

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PHOTO BLOG: FUERTEVENTURA

+ Times are changing rapidly here at allthingsallwright headquarters in Reading, and so is our blog.

+ To keep you interested and to prevent boredom we’re introducing some more concise blogs – with the odd longer, more wordy, thought blog for the ponderers amongst you.

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Soundtrack: [band] Bombay Bicycle Club – [album] I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose – [song] Evening/Morning.

Explanation: A recent family holiday packed with reading, swimming, camel rides, mountains and beaches.

Let the camera roll: click, click.

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