More leonine loveliness

Only time for a quick post today as I'm off to a metal festival in east London. Slightly scary – but a good friend's boyfriend is in a (very non-metal) band tipped for big things, called St Jude – “a modern day Janis Joplin fronting the Faces” says one reviewer. I'm dying to see them: here they are covering the Temptations' I know I'm losing you. Pretty amazing, and well worth braving the metallers for, I think...

Anyway. As a result of all of that, I'll just briefly share something else lovely and leonine that caught my eye this week (in the same old-school style way as the Muji stone lion below).

Isn't he gorgeous?

He's by illustrator Chris Rain, who was inspired to create him by a trip to London Zoo – where all the lions were asleep, and is on sale for just £40 at the super cool Airside shop.

The screenprint is A2 size and one of a very limited edition of just 30. So get in there quick.

It'd look lovely on a child's bedroom wall, or to give a bright welcome in the hall.

Posh prints, swish wall stickers and affordable art: part 2

Maybe you can afford some serious one-off pieces of art for your walls. Maybe you can afford one or two. Maybe you're broke and your walls are bare. 


Either way - why not brighten up that blank space you're staring at with one of these tasty bits of design. The second in a series of three... (here's the first). Look out for the final part next Monday...

This sweet retro Swedish print would look cute in a child's bedroom. It costs £20 unframed (70x50cm) and comes from the Pussy Home Boutique. And if you're wondering what kårlek means... like the magic little lozenge this dinky chap is about to swallow, it's something that makes you feel all warm inside.

I've featured Blackpool Beauties before (orignally published in Picture Post in 1955), because I long lusted after them for my bathroom - but then settled on a quartet of water-themed vintage Butlin's photos by John Hinde. Love the lack of faces. This one may yet find itself into another room in the house. It costs £75, print only (10x8 inches) from 55 Max

Love the cool simplicity of this David Hockney 'A Bigger Splash' swimming pool print/exhibition poster. One of the paintings in this 1966-67 California based series, Beverly Hills Housewife, sold for £5.2 million. But this can be yours for just £45 unframed, or £160 framed, from 55 Max.

As far as I can tell, this is the last in a fantastic series of limited edition lyrics-based graphic prints from Art Republic - so if you like it, get hold of it quick... It's from the clever It's Pop It's Art series, and I'm very fond of my 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' one, which I got from Airside. There was a Marvin Gaye one too, but am also tempted by this: "I'm free you're free/I want you to touch me/Come together/As one". Classic. Buy it unframed (70x100cm, inc border) for £150.

The Days Gone By shop has a fantastic selection of vintage comic book covers and pages - including graphics from the Beano, the Dandy and Hotspur magazine (perfect for the big boy in your life). But my favourite is this 1971 Bunty cut-out wardrobe print, I'd love it for my dressing room (ha ha, when I have one that is). Get it as a ready-to-hang canvas print from £95 (for the smaller, 710mm x 508mm size).

 (love the bunty one with cut-out clothes!)