This picture is by Candice Stringham, a New York based photographer who seems as obsessed by brollies as I am. She collects umbrellas and gets various friends and models to pose with them around Brooklyn and other places in New York that I would have heard of if I paid more attention to movies.
This might be umbrella image of the year… it’s everything umbrellas are to me: colour, lightness, happiness and protection. And you just have to love jumping pictures.
From a Greek carnival. Be warned, you might want to turn your speakers down before you head to the site. I got quite a shock, but am now sambaing round the office.
A couple of unusual sites for the umbrella enthusiast…
This site, subtitled “An Appreciation of the Mundane: Discarded Umbrellas Left to Die Lonely Umbrella Deaths” does exactly what it says on the tin.
I suppose it’s appropriate to follow that with Ai Ai Gasa who make jackets, shirts and dresses out of discarded umbrellas. While the one above is a little Bill&Ted future for my tastes (but not for many people I know – the word is being spread) the skirts they do are lovely and ruffly and, of course, waterproof. Which makes them the perfect items to go with and under the umbrellas that will one day become them. If you see what I mean.
Just a quick announcement from what the Plymouth Evening Herald called my “Cawsand studio” in their article on Friday…
Um… umbrellas are now available all over the world as I have added international shipping rates to the shopping cart buttons. Each umbrella has its own page on the site.
In other news I’ve bought some fantastic fabric paints which will soon be applied to the canopies of plain Um…s and some great ribbons to adorn the insides. Production begins next week and I can’t wait to show you the results!
It’s all photos and updates these days, isn’t it? Well, I’ve been busy and hot damn is it sunny out there – I’m distracted from my rainwear by the blistering heat… I’m thinking of heading back to the beach as soon as I’ve told you about the latest in the umbrella world.
First of all the new Channel 4 sculpture which was made from 2000 umbrellas (none of them mine, sadly) by artist Stephanie Imbeau. Pretty bloody lovely. Umbrella art is clearly a fashion set to stick around a little while longer.
This guy got fed up of umbrella bargers and stabbers and invented his own wee faux-weaponry to make pretending to shoot them a little more authentic. Pnow! Zap! Kping!
And in my own news an Um… umbrella is set to feature in the April edition of oh-so-hip and oh-so-funky 247 magazine, which is distributed all across the South West and is pretty damn wonderful. I shall of course post a link when this happens.
It’s been a busy week at Um…, which is good because the last few have been blissfully but unproductively distracted. I’ve been preparing lovely pictures of the umbrellas like these to send out to the press to entice new custom and have bagged my first feature with the Evening Herald. I’ll post here when it’s published.
Okay, I’m not sure it’s been a week but I’ve found another great blog post about umbrella art installations. Sounds like the way to go for the brolly dilletante. I absolutely adore the light cast by these hanging umbrellas from this guy’s flickr page.
This blog is amazing. It charts the progress of an art show for which every artist designs an umbrella of their choice. Here are two of my favourite pictures.
Big lovely things happening in the world of umbrellas of late. First of all there is this innovation from local (well, studying over the Simpsons-like three-eyed fish waters of the Tamar in Plymouth) designer Becky Barber which generates electricity by using a recently developed material called Nanosolar when opened. This then powers a nifty little light.
Then there’s this baby to which Chris sent me a link. Yep, it’s a samurai style umbrella. That’s pretty much all the explanation you need.
and in my own little umbrella fantasy world I am pleased to say that materials are being gathered for my Nifty range of individually decorated umbrellas. Ribbons, check. Buttons, check. Waterproof fabric paints… not there yet. Any recommendations?
Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that according to this source the 10th February is umbrella day. Yes, it is.
Take your favourite brolly for a walk, send a friend a cheesy umbrella-themed e-card (see, it really is umbrella day), or better than all of that – buy an umbrella.
Here are some more links about umbrella day: The Swcaffer Family Album, Idea Box and Dunloggin. None can explain who decided that it’s today or why. Please let me know if you have any idea. To celebrate the whole mysterious shebang here’s a great brolly love song (might get you in the mood for the weekend too).
