Author Archives: Content Catnip

Classic Russian Animation: Hedgehog in the Fog

Hedgehog in the Fog is the Russian equivalent of Winnie the Pooh, Paddington or Beatrix Potter stories. This delightful cartoon was made in 1975 by Yuriy Borisovich Norshteyn and introduced the world to a hedgehog that becomes bewitched by different shapes obscured by thick fog. Yuriy Borisovich Norshteyn is one of the most respected animators inContinue reading “Classic Russian Animation: Hedgehog in the Fog”

Every Picture Tells A Story: Louise Armstrong plays to his wife under the shadow of the Great Sphinx

At the height of the Cold War era, the United States send ambassadors for the American way of life by sending its best ambassadors abroad in the form of creative emissaries — jazz musicians. After all, music has a way of bringing people together and forgetting their differences. As part of this cultural diplomacy, the greatContinue reading “Every Picture Tells A Story: Louise Armstrong plays to his wife under the shadow of the Great Sphinx”

Book Review: Today, Tomorrow and Everyday by M.H. Clark

You know how you sometimes have those days, or even weeks or months when you feel un-moored to the shoreline and adrift in a lost world, floating aimlessly, feeling sad or morose? This is the kind of book every woman needs to feel found again. It’s that miraculous book that brings you right back toContinue reading “Book Review: Today, Tomorrow and Everyday by M.H. Clark”

Every Picture Tells A Story: Travelling Salesman’s case with neon tubes, 1935

Not much is known of this travelling neon salesman’s case, other than it’s beautiful and would have no doubt attracted scores of customers. It belonged to a company salesman for Dorwalt Signs in Pennsylvania and dates from 1935. As you probably already know, I am obssessed with neon, having written about Neon Art and Loneliness in theContinue reading “Every Picture Tells A Story: Travelling Salesman’s case with neon tubes, 1935”

Love letters sent by the wind

Every day, priests minutely examine the Law And endlessly chant complicated sutras. Before doing that, though, they should learn How to read the love letters sent by the wind and rain, the snow and moon. ~ Ikkyu (1394–1481, Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, saint and poet)

Every Picture Tells A Story: When Depeche Mode met Derrick May in Detroit in 1989

In 1989, Depeche Mode came to Detroit to hang out with Derrick May and Juan Atkins. The two early techno pioneers had been mixing the band’s songs into their sets at clubs in Detroit like the Music Institute. So Depeche Mode’s David Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher ventured from Essex in the UK toContinue reading “Every Picture Tells A Story: When Depeche Mode met Derrick May in Detroit in 1989”

Gemma Correll’s spirit animal is a pug and her cartoons are all kinds of charming wonderful

Gemma Correll is the high priestess of wry, cute and amusing cartoons that are compassionate to women’s bodily woes and emotional complexities. Her cartoons are sweet, sassy and charming and I’m totally in love with them. Also she’s an aquarius, an INFJ and pretty much loves all the same things I do, so I have aContinue reading “Gemma Correll’s spirit animal is a pug and her cartoons are all kinds of charming wonderful”

Microscopic treasures: Abstract art discovered under the microscope

Sometimes the most unimaginable beauty comes from the world cannot be seen with the human eye, but yet still exists in the invisible netherworld of the microscope. Here are some artistic treasures, spied on the Reddit Microporn page, have a look and you will become hooked. Crystalline acetylsalicylic acid viewed under polarised light at 10XContinue reading “Microscopic treasures: Abstract art discovered under the microscope”

Matchbloc: Czechoslovakian matchbox art from the mid 20th century

The design and aesthetic of Eastern Europe was really beautiful. Product  labels and film posters of the mid-20th Century, like these fruit box labels of Australia are optimistic, bright and speak volumes about the artistry of the people who made them. The modernist and colourful aesthetic is incredibly timeless. Subject matter for posters and product labelsContinue reading “Matchbloc: Czechoslovakian matchbox art from the mid 20th century”