If you follow my Tumblr you may remember me posting this image a couple of weeks ago. The Toy Shop Exhibition took place in early October as part of the Free for Arts Festival in Manchester. It was beautifully curated by UK illustrator Laura Gee, who designed this lovely promotional house for the occasion.
I've had my eye on Laura's Toy Shop blog for a while and would love to have visited the exhibition in person. From what I've seen it more than lived up to everyone's expectations, bringing together toy-themed artwork by the likes of Gemma Correll, Lord Whitney, and Anthony Zinonos to create a magical space for toy lovers of all ages.
Elroy the Elephant by Lord Whitney (make sure you visit their wonderful, wonderful site)
The Toy Shop Exhibition introduced me to a number of new up-and-coming artists /illustrators/crafters in the UK and I was particularly drawn to the work of Evegina Baranova, Mike Redmond and Daniel Frost.
Evegina Baranova
Mike Redmond
Daniel Frost's mobiles based on Jules Verne's Around The World In Eighty Days look wonderful! Perfect for a little boy's bedroom. These handmade works of art are one-offs and are for sale via Daniel, if you're interested. I would love to see more of these, and will definitely be keeping an eye on his blog. Magical, eh?
