Living etc - we're in Heaven...

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la...erm...huh hum... Sorry, we're so excited we actually thought it was Christmas for a split second there!

We squealed (yes, Dave as well - he has quite a girly scream) when we saw what our postman had brought to us this morning. We flipped through the pages of the recent issue of Living etc to reveal one of our ToDryFor artist-commissioned tea towels featured in a fantabulous double-page spread (on pages 26-27)!

© Living etc Magazine, as featured in the August 2010 issue

Beautifully framed by John Jones of London*, Rob Ryan's breathtaking Heaven design looks equally glamorous when it's drying the dishes!

Rob Ryan's Heaven tea towel is available from ToDryFor.com here...

* John Jones worked with Living etc to frame 9 tea towels which have been presented as works of art in their own right. The frame designs were kept simple and fresh. Rob Ryan’s Heaven design was chosen to activate the whole arrangement in a hand coloured, ornamental dark blue frame. John Jones have recreated the Living etc feature in their main exhibition space in London, which will be on view until the end of August.

A very belated PICK ME UP post...

This is a bit of a lame post, as it now seems a little too late to be talking about the wonders of the Pick Me Up exhibition that we visited a couple of weeks ago. However, it was such a fun evening out that we reckon it deserves a mention...

Pick Me Up, a contemporary graphic art fair hosted by Somerset House, was a bit like a sweet shop for art lovers. Dave and I were both overwhelmed by the amount of talent on display and the feast of colour and creation that greeted us as we entered.

We already knew about some of the amazing designers who were exhibiting, including James Joyce (see above), Jez Burrows and Mr Bingo, but it was a delight to discover new up-and-coming names, like Patrick Gildersleeves and Jess Wilson (whose Mighty Ducks illustration was awesome).

In addition, we got to gaze in wonder at Rob Ryan's open studio; he'd shifted his entire work space to Somerset House, recreating it in its entirety (right down to setting up his printing press and filling the walls full of previous work and mementos).

It's incredible to watch the timelapse video showing how Rob and his team worked their papercut magic during the exhibition.

The other fun things about the evening were being able to drink a couple of beers whilst admiring the artwork, eating a massive pretzel for dinner, and having a snooze on the bus back to Oxford. And people say we should get out more...

Rob Ryan at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

We were lucky enough to be invited along to the opening of Rob Ryan's amazing new exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on Wednesday evening. Officially opened by Sir Paul Smith, the exhibition showcases Rob's work to date, including the beautiful and intricate original paper cut (below) that he reworked for our ToDryFor Heaven tea towel.

His iconic birds were perched in and around the gallery space, including this little chap on a hand rail:

And here's Sally, posing in front of a poignant print:

The Rob Ryan exhibition is on until the 21st February 2010, so you still have quite a bit of time to visit. Make it a date!

ToDryFor is in HEAVEN

We are completely and utterly bowled over by Rob Ryan's incredible tea towel design (above), commissioned for ToDryFor. We just don't understand how he has the patience to work his intricate, paper-cut magic. Amazing artwork at an affordable price makes the hassle of washing up that little bit easier! Check it out...