TOY STORY 2 : 3 snakes and no ladder

Here, I am going to present you with  a few more fun toys from my "under the bed" collection.

 1-Three snake cubes, games of manipulation of shapes.

2 - The next one is a cube. It is red and white, then black and white. You can fold it and fold it and fold it and suddenly, see what appears ! Two 3D stars completely independent and separate, green and yellow and red. MAGIC. This wonderful toy is the first I bought nearly 30 years ago. I am very proud of having it. It is my top favourite. It was designed by Naomi Yoshimoto and you can view the demonstration here.

3 - a magnetic puzzle. I cannot brag that I have ever solved it but here it is, looking beautiful !!

4 - 4 small Chinese masks, 8 cms high:

Just stunning ! I think they are for a mini Chinese finger puppet theatre.

I have also acquired a few Noddy bits and pieces :

Two cars and a figurine.

Well if you ask me why I would collect small toys, I'll say, well because I can, because they are well designed , they work and they look gorgeous. Would you agree ?

To go to my website

TOY STORY 1. So, what do YOU collect ?

Thirty years ago, I started to randomly collect small toys.   The criteria was, they had to be :

- small (they live in a drawer under my bed)
- unusual
- quirky
- attractive (shape/colour)
- useless
- funny
- cheap
- or iconic

You can wind that one up with the red key and it turns around in circles while making sparks on the flat round part. That always makes me laugh !!

Another toy I enjoy is  that sort of snake, yellow and pink. You can twist it in all kinds of shapes :

Hours of fun !!

I want to show you this 12 seconds video of a horse, which I find particularly hilarious: Here it is :

I find my collection an endless source of inspiration. 

a multimedia artist : bio

Hello, my name is Anne Musso.

 I established my ceramic studio at Great Western Studios in 1994.

After 25 years practice as a potter, I came to painting , printing and drawing with a sense of freedom and excitement.

It was like rediscovering a friend one hasn't seen for many years. As a teenager, I had a workshop in an attic and I used to paint using the palette knife, influenced by the painter Nicholas de Staehl. 

In my ceramic workshop, at Great Western Studios,  I borrowed  glazes and techniques from the great ceramic artist Lucie Rie and developed my own style. Following the advice she gave me,I adopted once-firing. This method enables the potter to PAINT the glaze onto the raw pot instead of dipping and pouring,  and layer the glazes one after the other, adding oxides and working on textures. 

This method has stayed with me in my painting and printmaking. I like to explore colour and texture, being strongly attracted to form in nature. I am also very influenced by Gerhard Richter's work and his use of scraping the paint.

Being ever so curious, I also ventured into jewellery. However,  although techniques might differ, I find that the practice is all the same.

I have had 7 solo shows as a potter and 5 mixed shows as a painter and printmaker.

Two squared off stoneware vases exhibited at the Ice House Gallery. 

For more examples of my work, visit Anne Musso website