We've been adopted!

She who owns the sofa rules the house!

Max and I have been adopted. 
We believe this little brown cat belongs to a neighbour but she spends almost all day every day with us. Perhaps because she likes company and Max and I are nearly always at home, or it may be all our lovely soft, cosy surfaces!
And doesn't she look at home among the cushions?
That cute wink says it all; "these fools are my kind of people" :)

The dying duck & fabulous sculptures of Florentijn Hofman

There's something oddly poignant about the death of this big rubber duck by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman: as air leaked out in Hong Kong harbour this week, one has to ask if Hofman's Rubber Duck Project has perished.. rubber duck.. perished.. got it?!

Check out Florentijn Hofman's many sculptural projects - he's a man with a mission and someone who has succeeded not only in delighting people (especially children, as you'll see from his website) with his artworks but in making a name for himself around the world with large scale sculptures of animals and everyday objects. 

I for one hope Big Rubber Ducky lives to float another day :)

Hofman's Big Yellow Rabbit appeared at Sweden's Orebro OpenART expo in 2011. From www.florentijnhofman.nl

Aardman's Gromit in multi-dog Bristol Art Trail this summer!

Superlambanana, Liverpool 2008

Anything that takes art to the masses is alright with me, however dumbed-down some among us may claim that art to be. 
I've particularly enjoyed the global outbreaks of model animals painted by designers or corporations and even by schoolchildren.  

Seattle Pig Art, 2009

Cow Parade, Peru 2009

The more widely a herd of brightly painted cows or sheep or pigs or polar bears are seen and appreciated, and hopefully raise money for good causes, the more I like it :)
Today I discovered my favourite British animated character, Gromit, of Aardman Animations' Wallace & Gromit fame, has got in on the act.

Wallace & Gromit

Socially conscious Aardman launched 'Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal' after a public charity appeal to build a new children's hospital in Bristol, 17 years ago.
Following a successful display and auction of model zoo gorillas in 2011, there's to be a trail of 70 of the 1.5mtr high, Oscar-winning Gromits around Aardman's home city from July.
In September the statues will be sold off to raise funds for Bristol Children's Hospital.

A few of the 70 Gromits being displayed in Bristol from July, by Brit designers Sir Paul Smith & Cath Kidston, illustrator Simon Tofield & animator Richard Williams

Don't they look fabulous?! Can't wait to see the rest of the pack!
Read more about Bristol's Gromit Art Trail here or here for the full story by Aardman and Gromit creator Nick Park.
Don't forget to take your (extra large!) poo-bags :)