My week in monochrome...Day 5 "What I would wear today if I could" +Artist review featuring Russ Mills!

After my pitiful blogging efforts yesterday I feel like I have to somehow try and redeem myself with this post, so here goes...

Top £38.00(Topshop), Skirt £9.99(Zara), Necklace £66.12(SaraAmrhein on etsy.com), Chunky patent boots £92.00(Topshop), Fringed bag £45.00(ASOS).

My week in monochrome is almost over with only two more monochromatic posts to go- thank goodness!!How people manage to wear shades of black and grey every day, without it affecting their mood, truly baffles me!

For my last workwear monochrome post I have chosen a clean, white-based outfit which responds brilliantly to the recently popular marble print trend. This skirt is a perfect high street interpretation of this trend, using polished granite as the print, it is an absolute steal in the Zara sale at only £9.99!!!Thrown together with a sheer panelled white top, some chunky patent boots and a fringed bag, this outfit manages to ooze femininity while retaining a tough attitude. 

The necklace is probably my favourite item in this outfit(que sorpesa!) It is only recently that I became fascinated by polymer clay jewellery and as the majority of polymer clay jewellery seems to be necklaces my initial fascination is quickly becoming an obsession and will no doubt end up a little out of control!I'm just amazed by how polymer clay enables jewellery designers/artists to get more creative with accessories!Etsy has a great range of unique polymer clay accessories, some of which are shown below. 

Artist review: Russ Mills

So today I am introducing you to the striking paintings of Russ Mills, an artist who rarely uses colour, sometimes sneaking it in subtly" and therefore fitting into the theme of this weeks blog perfectly. 

Mills focuses on the human form and seems to specialize in abstract portraiture. The loose but deliberate brushstrokes in his paintings evoke a sense of movement in the painted characters and I just love how raw and spontaneous the paintings feel.


Amongst more contemporary influences, Mills seeks inspiration from the past.Artists such as Jackson Pollock; Picasso and Basquiat, are an obvious source of inspiration for Russ Mills, particularly Pollock. The combination of seemingly uncontrolled abstract  brushstrokes and contrasting well painted faces, seems to have worked amazingly here.

In the FAQ section of his website, Mills gives some advice to aspiring artists/designers. Advice I think we should all live by:

"Patience. Perseverance. Discipline. Commitment. 

DRAW ALL THE TIME, sketch or doodle as much as possible or at the very least write down ideas. Carry an A5 black book always. 

Be aware of what others are doing, seek out the best of the best and learn from their approaches. 

Never be satisfied with what you achieve. "

To see more of his work/ find out more about Russ Mills, visit:

http://www.byroglyphics.com/