Lichtenstein . Retrospective

Roy Lichtenstein has always been one of my favourite Artists. There is something about the basic techniques and colours he uses that captures me and makes me wonder if I could also have painted the same (probably not!). This retrospective, showcased at the Tate Modern Museum in London until May 27th, is the first comprehensive account of his artworks since his death in 1997.

[A Retrospective Poster by Tate Modern London]

I believe I was introduced to his artwork by my father at the Thyssen Museum in Madrid with his Women In Bath 1963. Despite being very little, I do remember being amazed by the perfection of his work. To be honest, at the time I didn't really believe he had done it, how could someone paint such perfect dots, right? Nonetheless, I was reluctant to bring a piece of perfection home, so I managed to engage my poor father into buying me the Women In Bath large poster. You could definitely say this marked the beginning of my relationship with Roy!

[Hopeless, Roy Lichtenstein 1963]

Considered to be one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Roy Lichtenstein is best know for never taking real objects as inspiration. His artworks are always inspired by two dimensional images as comic strips; advertising and mass culture imagery. This exhibition brings together some of his iconic works as Look Mickey 1961 and Whaam! 1963. However, as a Lichtenstein major fan I have to say that not showcasing Women in Bath 1963, Girl with Ball 1961 and Grrrrrrrrrrr!! 1965 made me a little bit sad, since this are my favoutite ones. But can you imagine going to Louvre and not being able to see Mona Lisa? That is probably the reason why!

[Lichtenstein, A Retrospective Exhibition at Tate Modern]

How to make the best of your visit?

• Book a ticket during the week, on the weekend museums tend to be packed here in London;
• Don't forget to rent an audio guide player, you will enjoy the paintings even more, and you will be able to listen to Roy Lichtenstein talking about his artworks;
• Save some time for the end of the exhibition, you will probably be rushing through the paintings by this time, but room 13 was one of my favourites. This room is called Chinese Landscapes and "it suggests new directions in a carrer that remained dynamic until the end";

[Landscape with Philosopher, Roy Lichtenstein 1996]

Weekend . Photos

1. Water bottle from the University of Westminster  (Westminster Fashion Show last Thursday, May 23rd)

2. Some inspirational reading for the weekend (Harper's Bazaar; I-D; Elle)

3. Roy Lichtenstein, A Retrospective at Tate Modern London

Fashion . Editorial #1

Time seams to slip by so quickly, it feels like yesterday when I first arrived in London to delve into the art of Fashion Styling at the London College of Style. I really can't complain about anything in this land of opportunities, I have been having such an amazing time (maybe just the weather, I should complain about that).

As far as fashion is concerned, my first fashion editorial shoot was a hell of an experience, to say the least.  The main theme was English Eccentrics, yes I know! If the fact that this was my first shoot was not already challenging enough, having to leave up to the creative british posh standards made it even harder. However, nothing that a deep research and a creative mood-board can't solve, right?

At the end of the day I do believe I did a pretty good job, and the photos speak for themselves. To be honest, this was a successful team work. I would never have done it without the amazing people that supported and encouraged me throughout the entire process. Thanks guys!

And now, behind the scenes photos!

Oh No! More Chocolate AGAIN

This Friday and after a long walk on Oxford Street I became inspired to bake something again. However, this time I baked something completely different, that I had never done before.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

I decided to add this Chocolate Cookies recipe to my baking repertoire. I have to say that I can't really follow a recipe until the end, so I had to give my own twist to this existing recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 200gr of salted butter softened
• 100gr of brown sugar
• 200gr of caster sugar
• 1 cold egg
• 75gr of cocoa powder
• 275gr of self-raising flour
• 2tbsp of instant coffee
• 1 bar of lindt excellence intense orange dark chocolate
• 1 bar of 74% plain dark chocolate 
•  shredded almonds for decoration

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 200º C
2. Combine flour and chocolate powder in a bowl. Whisk well; then set aside
3. In a bowl cream the softened butter and the 2 types of sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy
4. Add the cold egg to the previous mixture and whisk
5. Sift the dry ingredients and mix until just combined 
6. Add the 2tbsp of instant coffee (it boots the chocolate flavor)
7. Throw in the chocolate bars broken down into squares
8. Line two trays with baking paper
9. Scoop the mixture into 12 hand-full size balls, placing them far apart on the tray
10. Add the shredded almonds on top
11. Pop in the preheated oven for 10 minutes ONLY
12. Leave them to cool for around 30 minutes and enjoy!

The final Result...

As far as baked cookies are concerned, it doesn't get much better than homemade chocolate cookies --- gooey on the inside and crispy on the outside! This ones are amazing to eat as a pudding or with a cup of tea as a snack.  Make sure to take them out of the oven after 10 minutes, they will look uncooked but don't worry it will all be perfect after 30 minutes.

These are without a doubt my new favorite desert!

Hard working . Working Hard

Trying to work on this mood-board, but I believe there is no more creativity for the day!