There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes

There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes, 1920s sheet musicLast week I went shopping for vintage sheet music to use in my mixed media artwork. I was looking for more music from around 1910, similar to a piece I had already used. It was such a lovely shade of pale green printed with black.

Although I didn’t find any more quite the same, I did find some quaint and beautifully distressed sheets from the Belle Époque era, and the 1920s and 30s. (Anything older I don’t really like, as they start getting too garish from the 40s onwards.)

There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes (back cover), 1920s sheet musicPerhaps the quaintest piece was from the 1920s, titled There’s ‘Yes, Yes’ in Your Eyes – a song written by Cliff Friend. Not only is the illustration on the cover gorgeous, but the lyrics made me chuckle in delight. I couldn’t resist buying it even though I won’t use it in my artwork, for the design is too busy and detailed for my purposes.

You fooled me dear now for a year
My heart you tantalize
But without doubt I have found out
The secret in your eyes …

(Chorus)
Your lips tell me no! no!
But there’s yes! yes! in your eyes
I’ve been missin’ your kissin’
Just because I wasn’t wise
I’ll stop scheming and dreaming
’Cause I realize
Your lips tell me no! no!
But there’s yes! yes!
In your eyes your eyes

I never knew just what to do
You had me fooled somehow
You made me guess but I confess
I know your secret now

(Chorus)

I’d really love to sit down with someone at a piano and learn this one. Many years ago I used to take singing lessons (I have ‘a pleasant little voice’ my teacher told me), and this is right up my alley.

Scroll down to see some of the other vintage sheet music I found.

That Was 2013

May Morning :: Tinto 1858 // Pistil // Laser Lemon GelAt last I have edited thousands of photos and distilled last year into twelve of my favourite pictures. It wasn't easy – there were another 102 that didn’t make the cut. Some months seemed to have far more options than others, June especially. I dithered over June.

I have had my favourite Hipstamatic combinations, but I still shake for random often, although out of this selection only the umbrellas and the quinces resulted from random shakes. I particularly love the Tinto/Pistil/Laser Lemon Gel combination (above), which I originally discovered from a random combination.

My newest favourite is the Brighton Hipstapak – the Doris lens and Sussex film, although the latter works well with the Melodie lens too under lower light conditions or high contrast light/shade, when you want to tease out a little more detail than the Doris will give. Sometimes I use the Laser Lemon Gel flash with these – I do love a golden glow. I still love the Tinto pak too, though it tends to crash the app most of the time unfortunately. 

Click through to view the entire gallery. 

Daydreaming of Summer

Daydreaming of Summer :: (black and white) Wonder // D-Type Plate // No flash :: (colour) Doris // Sussex // No flashIt’s been a dreadful summer in Melbourne so far. One the one hand, while one must be grateful from a respite from bushfires, on the other, Melburnians are all sulking and getting rather tired of their winter wardrobes. This little double exposure (made with two Hipstamatic pictures combined in the DXP app) is about as close as I’m getting to a beach getaway!

The Search is Over!

Beauty Features, April 1930, illustrated by Pierre MourgueI searched high and low, online and offline, and finally I found a new calendar (by teNeues) that made me happy. I have had a Vogue illustrated covers calendar before, but these are all new pictures, and I could never be bored with elegant vintage fashion illustrations. Although last year’s Frankie calendar was certainly modern and quirky, the illustrations just didn’t possess the same evocative narrative as these. It is only a shame that the paper is a boring offset satin type – although it is environmentally-safe, chlorine-free, which can only be a good thing.

January brings us Beauty Features, from April 1930, with an illustration by Pierre Mourgue, a name I have been hitherto unfamiliar with. He was born in France before the turn of the century, and came to Vogue via the Gazette du Bon Ton after Condé Nast purchased it. The French illustrator travelled to New York and was soon imparting a French chic to the American magazine. The chief characteristic of his work was a close and affectionate observation of life, imbued with a spirit of fun.

His style is exemplified in this illustration: the flat planes of colours are fresh, with the typical elegant lines of Art Deco creating a simple background for the strong figure robed in black. She looks like she is wearing panne velvet, or perhaps black satin. I adore that draped headband, possibly made from black wool felt.

I’m looking forward to turning over the pages of this calendar, but I must say I hope this year doesn’t flash past quite as fast as last! Happy new year to you.

Surreal Silliness

Dear Snappettes (and Snappers), I do apologise for my long absence these past months – I have been unable to drag myself away from my drawing board and have been shamefully neglecting you my dear readers. Thank you for coming back and being so patient! Now, read on …

After The Lovers :: Tinto // D-Type Plate // No flash Here’s a bit of silliness that still makes me giggle every time I see it. I photographed this smudge on a bathroom door at the theatre where I work part time back in February (and it is still there!).

When I first saw it, it immediately reminded me of Man Ray’s iconic surrealist painting The Lovers, depicting a luscious pair of red lips floating above a landscape. I’m quite sure Man Ray would laugh too.

Observatory Time – The Lovers, by Man Ray (1932-34)