F*ck Art Let's Dance

1. Graduating and subsequently meeting Brian May. If getting your degree handed to you by the guitarist from queen isn't a high point, I don't know what is...

2. Getting over that nasty depression business. Granted I still have the occasional off day, but sometime around july was the first time in about two years that I'd felt healthy and optimistic.

3. Living with Kim and Richard. Its just really great when the only complaints you have about the people you live with are really arbitrary and not even really worth mentioning.

4. October Expo. It was pretty damn awesome and I made way more than I was expecting and I met some really awesome arty people and comic book authors. Hopefully May will be just a fun.

5. Working for the Bluecoat. While being an invigilator is not the most inspiring volunteer activity it's really helped me catch up with my reading. I've moved to the Friday afternoon shift which will be less punishing and might even motivate me to socialise more since the pub is on the way home.

6. Getting serious with my own projects. Well I'm not really earning much at the moment but it feels really great to just do my own thing really. 

7. The France trips. Yeah I don't think I'll ever get bored of that place. I also got the 'come visit whenever you want' speech from the grandparents. They don't say to many people. I'd quite like to move back there one day. Tart up the guest house and turn the barn into a studio/workshop. Maybe give some art classes for tourists. Ah pipe-dreams, don't you just love 'em.

8. Teaching myself new things. My life at the moment is mainly composed of a series of projects. The result of which should ideally be something better than anything else I've done but not as good as what I'll do next.

9. Awesome friends. As per usual, the people I've gotten close to this year have all been amazing.

10. New years. Again another highlight really. I know it was only last week but it was just really silly fun. There was twister and pass the parcel again (because our house isn't mature in the slightest.) Ellen and I got water pistols from the giant parcel of doom, which were quickly filled with booze. There was also the rather frightening Midori and WKD concoction we invented that was radioactive green. And there was obligatory embarrassing singing and dancing and I think I might have kissed neen's left breast at one point because there was a hulk hogan moustache on it, also Barry for the same reason....also Lora but there was no moustache. Overall it was an awesome party.

 Ok maybe I'm exaggerating by referencing terrible comic books, but I am getting a tad nervous about pushing my gear this weekend. Everything's printed packaged and organised, I just need to get a supply of change ready from the bank and hope that I don't forget anything important.
I was a little peeved to find out that my hotel charges £5 an hour for their Wi-fi. Is that normal for hotels or are they taking the piss? Looks like I'll just have to make do with the TV, or actually stay out and be sociable XD from the e-mails I got those comic industry professionals are pretty wild XD.

I'm kinda looking forward to the hotel because I've never booked one myself before. Lame -__-

Must fight the urge to go all rock and roll and wreck up the place whilst on a (diet coke fuelled) bender.

Luckily I won't have my lawyer with me so the chances of that are slim. The last hotel I stayed in had rubber floors and was the first time in about 10 years that I turned on France2 and promptly fell in love with Mark-Andre Grondin. Truly the most beautiful man in Quebec.

Anyway after veering wildly off topic I will be selling prints from postcard size up to A3 posters, a lot of stickers including some halloween ones, some phone charms and I'll also be doing sketches on the day. Here's hoping it goes well and will be the first of many art tables to come. >.>


So tomorrow its gallery in the morning, cleaning and packing in the afternoon and then an early night methinks.

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Day 4 - What you ate today

A chicken sandwich, two cherry tomatoes, Fish fingers with peas and a baked potato and a slice of Kim's Victoria sponge.

Was not expecting that o.o

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I think I like this song a little too much. Also the animation sequences are bit like if Banksy teamed up with the creators of Dexter's lab.

This is a vague nod to Bex's recent post about the weird bra thing. I actually stumbled across this on etsy whilst doing my weekly corset lusting/scouting for ideas and thought it looked vaguely similar only much more awesome. Anyway I want to try my hand at making one and will be adding it to my growing list of summer projects.




In other news I spent way too much money today on old tape recorders for the beast that is the fine art course. Oh well I can always resell them when I'm done >.>
I have a charlie on board for doing some recording work for the degree show as well as contacting a few of the newgrounds voice actors (I can't afford professionals sadly).

Meme thing from derengelisrafel . Leave me a comment and I'll respond with five things I'd like to know about you.

Art

That's a very large subject. After all "What is art?" Making art is really the only thing that feels natural to me. I would say that it's my primary form of cummunication, since I don't like talking and putting my ideas into words is always slow and frustrating (I've been working on the same sentence for half an hour) art has always been the chosen way to express what's on my mind. More complex than any language and ultimately more ambiguous. I knows no limits and the joy of completing a creation which makes the best of your imagination and techinical skill is equally as profound as any emotional connection to a loved one.

Corsets

Corsetry is my latest hobby. I've been into period costume for a very long time, but rarely got beyond the ogling stage. Now I've started sewing sporadically and will be diong a lot more of it once the whole degree thing gets finished. I enjoy corsetry because its a bit like sculpture and requires a lot of drafting and different processes so its an interesting project. I prefer drawing insparation from historical corsets as opposed to contemporary fetish fashions since a huge variety of styles and time periods to choose from. My main area is Victoriana but that has moved into early 20th century styles as well as a growing interest in Renaissance stuff (damn you Tudors!). Corsetry is quite a loaded topic in feminism, once being the symbol of a (literally) restrictive edwardian patriarchy. However in the modern age there is an odd sense of empowerment in the ability to control the shape of your own body.

Foods

For someone with the apetite of a sparrow I have surprising foody tendencies. I love cooking and it makes me sad that I can't a lot of the time thanks to the state of the kitchen. I can see many a dinner party in the future and many a farmers market (much to my embarassment). So I don't really have any favourite foods in particular, more like a yearly cycle of unusual cravings. And of course everyone likes their own family's cooking.


Career

Obviously I'd like to work as a freelance artist. I've changed my mind about applying to the masters course, since I figured I should at least put my name in for consideration. Possibly a few residencies in the next few years, hopefully abroad. Its all fairly risky but worth a try. Failing that I plan to find work in a gallery or museum somewhere.

Travelling

There's load of places I want to visit/live/work. The main ones would probably be Berlin, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Copenhagen as well as various places in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and China, Mexico, Brazil, Cuba and a bunch of other places, the list is always growing.

Randomly saw a documentary on canabis farming. 50 grand for growing 20 plants. Geez, I'm in the wrong line of work. But then knowing me I'd definitely get arrested. And my dad would complain that I was using his green fingered teachings for evil instead of saving the planet. I'll stick to tomatoes.

I'd like to dedicate this to a lovely couple we all know and love.