Technical Fault

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year!

Unfortunately, just before Christmas, several of my household items decided to form a suicide pact. They included my telly (which actually ended up being tied up with string at one point), my mobile phone and most distressingly, my computer. Joe was doing something with i-tunes one minute, and the next, tons of messages popped up saying it had 38 viruses and it felt there was really no point carrying on. So I sent a message (very slowly on my borrowed phone) asking my friendly local geek for help, and my computer has been in intensive care ever since. I have to hand in an essay and reflection on my work on 6th Jan. (You can add your own "hysterical, manic laughter" sound effect at this point).

Anyway, I just wanted to explain that I can't post any images at the moment. But stick with me...normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Let It Snow!

Misery guts that I am when it comes to snow, even I am a little bit excited at the prospect of a white Christmas! I did this at home today straight into my sketchbook - how brave am I!?

Then it was yet more Christmas shopping in the hellish dome of torture that is Churchill Square. At one point I had so many carrier bags hanging from me it was like a sick, twisted game of Buckaroo. I was also dressed a bit like the woman in the above picture, (with very similar posture too I might add), forgetting that Churchill Square is heated to the point just before everyone bursts into flames. In fact I think I've got a tropical disease.

Tenth time lucky!

I waited at the bus stop for half an hour intending to go to Brighton to do some shopping and drawing, and when the bus finally came, the driver wouldn't let anyone on because it was too full. Oh, how I laughed! Anyway, I went to my studio but it was too cold to work up there (ice on the inside of the window), so I packed a case of stuff and did this lino print at home. It took ten attempts to get anywhere near a decent print (I use a spoon as I don't have a press) and my hand is like a stiff claw now.

Other news, we went to see Where The Wild Things Are yesterday. I'd heard lots of posh people on Radio 4 saying it was boring, and long, and not at all like the book, so I wasn't expecting to enjoy it...but I actually loved it! I don't know what all the complaining is about! I loved Max, I loved the Wild Things, I loved the soundtrack, I loved the direction. I liked the interpretation of the book - admittedly it's more suitable for older kids and adults who had the book as kids. But it was great. Gorgeous to look at and weird and just like being a child. What's not to like? (Well I suppose I didn't like the thimble of ice cream for a fiver.)

Studio antics

We had our final group crit this week, and the groups were mixed up so that we got to see some of the second years' work. It was great and so inspiring!

Anyway Martin suggested I add some more printing to my work and/or some work from memory, so I didn't feel guilty about spending the morning in my studio listening to Radio 4 drinking peppermint tea instead of traipsing round a freezing town centre looking for couples to draw! As much as I have come to love sketching it is a bit draining having to commit to doing it for long periods every week.

So I did this little monoprint and also started something in colour which I'll post when it's done. Got a really busy few days ahead starting with a 12 hour working day tomorrow (it's late night shopping...yawn...).

Oh, and we got our Christmas tree! Usually it takes hours and involves shortlists and standing back and twirling them to check for bald bits. But this one was chosen randomly, without even opening the net - how daring am I!? It's smaller than usual because I get fed up with clearing up the needles after dragging them through my narrow hall. And it's lovely! I'd actually feel Christmassy if I had time.

Chickienobs, anyone?

As I mentioned, I've been reading Margaret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake". It was one of the most chilling books I have ever read and I still feel weird a couple of days after finishing it. In this bit, Jimmy and Crake are talking about genetically modified chickens, bred for food...


"This is the latest," said Crake.
What they were looking at was a large bulblike object that seemed to be covered with stippled whitish-yellow skin. Out of it came twenty thick fleshy tubes, and at the end of each tube another bulb was growing.
"What the hell is it?" said Jimmy.
"Those are chickens," said Crake. "Chicken parts. Just the breasts, on this one. They've got ones that specialize in drumsticks too, twelve to a growth unit.
"But there aren't any heads..."
"That's the head in the middle," said the woman. "There's a mouth opening at the top, they dump nutrients in there. No eyes or beak or anything, they don't need those."


Now, if you dare, read this article from the Times. Is it just me, or is that hideous and terrifying? I mean, I know the ethical points against eating meat, I don't eat meat. But I survive, can't we just ...go without it? Why do we have to make it? Ooh I feel sick.

Sorry to anyone who has come here hoping to see some nice children's book illustration, by the way. I won't talk about Chickienobs anymore. Here's a hilarious knitting pattern to take your minds off it.
Isn't it great? I'm thinking of knitting it actually, and wearing it to university. I need to get with the groove, and knitting is officially the new Rock'n'Roll. In my uni class there's much clicking of needles and flashing around of swanky woollens - it's great! Look here and here for more hot knitting action.

Irrelevant

Today I only did some scrappy (and indeed crappy) drawings - no time to go out and do anything major. I had to go and pay my studio rent, and while I was up there I finished making this pincushion, which I started last week...
And here it is on my bookcase so you can see the scale of it.


I know it's irrelevant to everything I should be working on but sometimes I just feel like making things just for the hell of it.


This evening I was supposed to go and see Woodrow Phoenix talking about his book, but for various reasons I just couldn't make it to Brighton in time. Too scared to go in once it had started, I just went Christmas shopping, marvelling at the notion that we are all broke, yet once a year we suddenly have to spend loads of money buying things for people. Strange, isn't it?

Slow, slow train

Can't believe the first term (and therefore the observational drawing project) is nearly over. (Only a load more drawings, a reflective piece of writing about the drawing, and an essay to go!)
It was an absolute nightmare getting home today. It took 5 hours. Loads of trains were delayed or cancelled, and those that did run seemed to travel at walking pace. Still, I did get time to do a drawing on the Cambridge- Kings Cross...

Sorry about the crappy scan - I had to try and do it in two halves, which I'm not very good at! I am still quite scared about using tone, although I am enjoying it.

Darkness suits my mood at the moment - especially as I am reading "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood. It's one of the few of her books I hadn't read, and I thought I should, as she has now written a sequel. It's so chilling - a kind of post-apocalyptic story in which a disaster has wiped out the people and genetically spliced creatures roam the earth after initially being bred for organ transplants. It goes back and forth pre and post disaster, through the eyes of Jimmy, a survivor - later called "Snowman". I haven't finished it yet but it's brilliant. Can't wait to read the sequel.

Cambridge, Cheese and Crackers.

The crackers part is me...for a number reasons (with which I shall not bore you), I went to Cambridge a day later than normal. So, for a few days, I will suffer from "poor-woman's jet-lag", where I put the rubbish out on the wrong day and don't quite understand why the Archers Omnibus is on on a schoolday. It's just the same when there is a bank holiday, or anything different in my regimented, rut-like routine.

Anyway, uni was great as usual although I was tired (as usual). Today I got to try letterpress, which is something I have wanted to do for years! It was such fun, and I am forgetting the fact that it took me four hours to print three words, which I could have done on the computer in three seconds. No, I was learning. Learning I tell you!

The Cheese? I'm glad you asked. I got to see the lovely work and meet the lovely person that is Chloe Cheese. I wanted one of her books. Very much indeed.

Pam advised me to try and use tone in my work, and I started by doing this on the train home. I did it till my pen ran out. It is in my note book though, not my real sketchbook, because it's not a couple. (I'm not precious about my sketchbook, really!)

Good, and Not-Quite-So-Good.

What was really good recently was that I recently spent a lovely evening in the gorgeous new house of my friends Becky and Jeremy, along with Matt and Amy, reminiscing about Bags of Books days and generally having a fab time.

Not so good was going out to a pub in Newhaven in the hope of finding some young couples to draw, and instead only finding the most boring meeting in the world.

It really was so utterly boring, and they were the only people in the pub! In my defence, there was a couple in the middle. But they had their backs to me!

Today it was raining really hard and once I had been shopping there wasn't time to go out drawing. I felt the urge to spend an hour at my studio so I did just that, and did a little bit of sewing. I do like my studio. And it was cold enough to get out my trusty heater, which I really like because it looks like a chimney...

But what wasn't so good was that I found a lot of mould there. A postcard had fallen off the wall and was covered in mould. It made me worry about all my fabrics and papers that I leave there. I don't know what to do about mould. I think I will just hope it goes away.

Oh and to my friends who know the situation...the cat poo stand off still continues.

Untidiness and Reading

My house is NEVER tidy. I don't know how other people manage to keep their houses tidy and have jobs, children, do courses, live life. If I were to keep my house tidy, and my washing and ironing all done, I would be working ALL the time. The thing is though, it feels like I DO work all the time, so where am I going wrong?? The best I ever manage is "not-filthy" (and I'm pretty sure there are areas in my house which don't even reach that status). It really gets me down. Not counting things like a printmaking studio or a house, the best gift anyone could get me would be to clean and organise my house. Just once, not all the time - I'm not that greedy!

Anyway onto my next, not totally unrelated topic. I read. a lot. I used to read more than I do now, because I tend to be so exhausted that my reading pattern often goes "read one line, fall asleep, drop book," repeat next night (with same line). But the past month or so I have read quite a bit of fiction - particularly some books that everyone else on the planet had read and I hadn't. (The best of these was The Kite Runner. If you can start the Kite Runner and not be totally gripped, and moved, you are seriously weird.)

I try to give a book to charity when I buy a new one (for space reasons) but when it comes to non fiction I can't, because they are research. I had a small overflow bookcase in my dining area, just for the books I had borrowed from my studio or brought downstairs to dip into. This is the state it got into.


So one day recently, responsible parent that I am, I persuaded Joe to jam a far too big bookcase halfway into his car, tie it not-very-securely with a fraying bungee rope and drive dangerously through the town.
And it was worth it.

And by the way, anyone thinking if I didn't read so much I would have more time to keep things tidy - I only read in bed or on the train. So there.

For Ann

I was talking to the fantastic Ann D'Arcy-Hughes at BIP the other day - and we decided that this is just how we feel - like hamsters on a wheel. Always rushing, never stopping, but never getting anywhere. Here's hoping we can both have a break from the wheel soon Ann!

Saturday - still Friday 13th in my opinion.

What a total arse of a day. I have condensed the day's events down to easy-to-follow bullet points. You can fill in the details for yourself.

• Up. Holiday. Prepare to draw!
• Purse. PURSE?
• Panic.
• Scream.
• Cry.
• Ransack.
• Automated phone calls.
• Hours.
• Prepare again, drawing AND shopping. Penny jar.
• Walk.
• Rain.
• RAIN AND WIND.
• Shopping heavy. Mood heavy. NO drawing.
• Walk home. Decide big painting from window at home.
• Home. Paints? PAINTS?
• See bullet point 6.
• Dejectedly do drawing below.

• Bad light stops drawing.

Etching

So I'd asked for the next available week off work (I usually work Fridays and Saturdays), so I could spend two whole days drawing and maybe catch up a bit. My boss said this week would be OK. It just didn't work out though...a whole lot of Friday 13th style problems plus the torrential rain meant that I just went to BIP and did this etching , and then went home exhausted after no sleep the previous night. Better luck tomorrow I hope.

Anyway it's hard and soft ground on steel with some aquatint. Next week I'm having an induction to etching at uni which will be great (and save me a fortune too) - they use ferric chloride though which I don't have any experience of - BIP uses nitric acid.

I'd forgotten all about Ray Lamontagne. I am very glad to have remembered about him and am playing the CD right now as I get ready for a day at BIP.

More

This evening Beed and Gemma kindly allowed me to attempt to draw them while they watched Corrie...they said I can go back again some time soon too - what heroes! (I think they could see I needed the practice!) I did swoosh some colour on before deciding I'd had enough.

I came home to find Charlie sulking because he couldn't find where he had saved something on the computer. I'm now re-downloading it, and have been for over an hour...don't be surprised if I disappear from the web for some time!

Love Is Better Than a Warm Trombone

I had a shortened drawing day today and couldn't go to Brighton so had to make do with Sainsbury's instead. This couple were bucking the trend by being quite happy and contented...but sadly didn't stay long enough for me to draw their legs. (The title is the Gomez song I had on my mind at the time, and still do! I don't mind - it's a great song.)

I've been really busy since last week, including going to BIP where I prepared a new plate to start etching again...despite being poor, I just can't wait for the etching facilities to be up and running at uni!

Talking of uni, we now have a group blog, Comfort Zone, where we'll be sharing work and info on stuff of interest.

Not much else to report, except that my parenting skills hit a new low this week when I failed to find a single firework to watch with Charlie and then the next day sent him to school on an inset day. Sigh. Now to tackle a kitchen way beneath the levels of safe hygiene standards.

Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street!

"When I find I can't remember what comes after A and before C, my mother always whispers, 'Letter B'"...genius.

I Love Autumn!

All Hallows' Eve: a magical time; a time of secrets and of mysteries; of sachets to be sewn in red silk and hung around the house to ward off evil; of scattered salt and spiced wine and honey-cakes left on the sill; of pumpkin, apples, firecrackers and the scent of pine and woodsmoke as autumn turns old and winter takes the stage.
(Joanna Harris - Lollipop Shoes)

I hope you all enjoyed your Halloween last night. I usually do a proper window display for the local kids to enjoy but I had to downscale it this year because I was at work! But we did have the usual cauldron of trick or treat goodies to give out, and then we went to a party. Here's Charlie in his costume - Rorschach from the Watchmen comic.

Mushroom Face

Blimey. I feel really terrible today and have woken up with a face the colour of a mushroom. I'll keep this brief I think before I go off in search of some kind of drug. Great day at uni yesterday...I lost the lino print I did (see last post) and was worried about not having enough new work to show. But drew this couple in the park before travelling to Cambridge..

And also went to the pub Tuesday night and did a bit more drawing there. (Much more fun with friends than trying to draw alone!) Had great tutorial at uni and then went into Cambridge Market to draw with the lovely (but sickeningly talented) Jo and Mary. We found a great spot to draw but when I reached into my bag for my sketchbook It Wasn't There. (Cue dramatic music). Although I kind of believed Mary when she insisted I had left it in the studio, I got so anxious I actually got chest pains! On top of this I was forced to draw in my newly trimmed other sketch book (oh, the trauma!).

After returning to uni (and being reunited with my sketchbook!) we had a lecture (which I will talk about later...feel too rough). Did this on train home in between puffs on inhaler.

Time

I never seem to have enough time. Every second is accounted for. I've been asked to work extra days next week and it's part of my job to do this, so the little time I have a) to draw and b) to spend some of half term with Charlie, has been cruelly snatched away. Feel REALLY fed up. Don't know how other people fit everything in, and I am worried about my project. Couldn't get out to draw yesterday for various reasons, so I took a small part of one of the scribbles I did in Churchill Square the other week...

...and made this rather crude linocut from it which I cut last night and have just printed now before going to work. Not too pleased with it, but I've done something, anyway!

I did it with a spoon which after all the cutting is really hard on my hands - I have arthritis in them anyway. That's why I don't do as much lino printing as I would like!

As if things couldn't get any worse I've got to go to the Jobcentre this morning. They have asked for proof of my income for the ooh, about 16 millionth time, and because of the postal strikes I am taking my payslips into our local branch in person instead of sending them to Southampton. I wonder if they will accept this? Oh, I can hardly wait to find out!

Hey! Guess What!

Yes! I drew some couples today...are you shocked? To vary things a little, and really bring the scene to life, here's a taster of how the conversation went with my lucky companion Brad as I was drawing.

Me: This is just ridiculous, I mean we might as well go home, it's like I'm drawing the same people over and over again, my sketchbook is going to get repetitive, and I don't just mean for the people looking at it, I mean me as well, God, how am I supposed to get tone in as well, tone as well as draw people in two seconds? It's just bloody impossible! Oh yes, that's right, just get up and move while I'm drawing you, you bastards, I mean don't mind me, it's just my career going out the bloody window. Honestly this is just pointless, we might as well go home, look, I mean look it's just a mess!

Brad: ...I hope you're not going to be like this for two and a half years...

Anyway...I find it inspirational to look at other people's sketchbooks (one of the many reasons why I enjoy uni so much!) and here are a few of my favourite sketchblogs. Sketch for the Day, Urban Sketchers and Nina Johansson. Go and enjoy more sketches and less complaining!

Mood Map

So last week on the train home from uni, I read an article about something called Mood Mapping. Apparently you make an appointment with yourself 3-4 times a day and note down your mood, to discover what triggers downward swings and when you're at your best. Great idea, I thought. So the next day I tried it.

Morning - Charlie lacing up his Converse at the speed of a reluctant tortoise without full use of limbs meant yet again late for school despite me screaming til hoarse. Mood - Bad.

Lunchtime - Got on bus to Seaford, found no one to draw, livid, (time wastage is pet hate), got bus back from Seaford to draw in Sainsbury's Newhaven, and messed up sketchbook attempting to use tone. Mood - Dangerously Bad.

Dinnertime - Spent afternoon waiting outside Brad's flat for delivery (he had lost spare key) which was late. Came home to tackle hurried tidying up due to visitor, mountain of washing up and much loathed cooking of dinner. Mood - Understandably Bad.

Night time - having broken record for exhaustion, pushed aside mountains of clothes and books and fell into bed for usual broken sleep and bad dream. Mood - Bad.

Conclusion of Mood Map Experiment - am miserable old bag.

Anyway, here is the least awful of the sketches I did during my day from hell.

Actually I've seen this man around Newhaven quite a lot. He always reminds me of Yoffy from Fingerbobs. Remember Fingerbobs? I always felt a failure because I couldn't make any of the puppets to my satisfaction.

Oh, and

I forgot about this one - I did it yesterday on the train as a first attempt at trying a bit more tone. (In the smaller one anyway). What a great set of chins he had - I do like to draw larger people.

Obviously I couldn't do it in my proper sketchbook, because it's not a couple. Not that I'm obsessive or anything.

Yet more!

Just another page from my sketchbook. I did this last week actually, but have had a terrible cold so blogging slid down to 199th on my list of things to do. (Complaining and feeling sorry for myself went to 1st).

Anyway yesterday at uni I had a tutorial and Pam suggested I use more tone to represent the figures, and start to give more of a suggestion of context ( I knew that was coming!). So I'm looking forward to giving both those things a go! Then we had a talk from the wonderful, wonderful John Lawrence. I need this book. You need it. Everyone needs it. Go and get it while it's still in hardback. (But preferably from your local independent bookshop rather than Amazon). And go and see the illustrations when they are shown at The Illustration Cupboard. What are you waiting for? It won't be around forever! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Happy Birthday Charlie!

My youngest son's now a teenager! How did that happen?

And just in case you thought the world had gone mad...here's a couple.

I thought...

...that uni was supposed to be the stressful part of life and home the easy, relaxing, fun bit. I'm annoyed with everyone in my house at the moment and I can safely say that they're annoyed with me too. Even the cat's just given me a dirty look.

I suppose I may have been just slightly irritable when I came in. I suppose it's no-one's fault that the shoulder strap of my lovely vintage leather case snapped at the station and I had to carry it for three hours in the same hand as a heavy carrier bag whose handle had transformed into piano wire, and have under my arm a folder (which never did fit in lovely bloody vintage leather case). I suppose it's not their fault someone sneezed in my face on the Victoria Line and now I feel as if the inside of my head and throat has been sandpapered. But jeez, surely a woman can expect to come home to a sea of welcoming smiles, a perfectly clean and tidy house and a hot dinner ready... can't she? Anyway. Here's my attempt from yesterday at drawing the lovely Pam and Dave spending a happy evening with some pens, some sketchbooks, and Basil Rathbone. And me of course!

The more it rains,

the more I'm going to have to draw in cafes, and the fatter I'm going to get. (Obviously I had to have a mozarella and tomato panini and cafe latte while I drew this).

I did do this one in the library - not in a library book I hasten to add - but there were no other couples in there, and these two weren't exactly all over each other so I didn't spend too much time on them!

Then, the rain smudged quite a few pages of my sketchbook.

Surprise surprise

Some of what I have got in my sketchbook isn't even recognisable to anyone except me as being people, so you got off lightly only having to see this one. Brighton Pavilion gardens -a nice place to draw.

In other news, I'm tired, skint, and my house is a mess. I'm not sleeping well, and am therefore a bit obsessed with sleep. It reminds me of having a newborn baby - the first question you ask other parents is "What's he/she like at night?" (If he/she sleeps through you strike them off your Christmas card list.)

I count the hours I do and don't do it, and compare the quality of my nights with other people's. No, I haven't tried Kalms. That would mean admitting I have a problem. I do sleep quite a bit actually but it's broken and contains bad dreams.

Did I mention that I'm really tired?

Another cafe, another couple!

First couple were in Newhaven, the second in Seaford. Both in cafes - I'm going to get fat doing this course! Seaford looked good couples-wise - loads of them about. I'm going to go back tomorrow.

It's quite a stressful time at home at the moment, for various reasons, and sketching is a really enjoyable, absorbing activity. I don't feel guilty either, because it's for my course! I have noticed, though, that the vast majority of people look stressed or tired or both! I am going to make it my goal to draw some happy couples tomorrow!

More couples

I went out for an hour in Newhaven last night expecting to find tired middle aged or old heterosexual couples and found these two instead!

I know the scan is rubbish and I'm sorry. My sketchbook doesn't fit in it either - maybe I should have stuck to the Moleskine, but I was seduced by this one being square and chunky and most of all having Cambridge School of Art printed on it!

I didn't have a very good day at work yesterday - Saturday afternoons are quite stressful because the town is usually deserted except for people who have been drinking in the pubs all day and gangs of kids. At least in the week we get people going to and from work and school. It's sad really - even I remember when it was a really busy little town with lots of independent shops...now there's not even anywhere to buy a CD or a ball of string!

First Day!

As many of you will be entirely sick of hearing, yesterday was my first proper day at Cambridge. As a sort of introduction/sick torture, we had to give a short presentation on ourselves and our work. I was lucky enough to go second, so afterwards I was able to really relax and enjoy everyone else's! There was some amazing stuff I must say, and an extremely diverse bunch of people, from experienced illustrators with 15 years in the industry, to architects who've only drawn buildings - there was even an opera singer and a veterinary nurse. I liked everyone - they seemed a really supportive lot.

I feel a bit daunted work-wise seeing all that talent and experience but I'm trying not to look too far ahead. Our first module is observational drawing - sketching, basically, and we have to pick a theme. Themes people mentioned included; queues, deer, collections, light and dark, dancing...the list goes on. Anyway I thought I'd like to do couples. It's interesting to see how they behave - their body language, their conversations. And I can do old people, teenagers, posh people, chavs - I think it's got loads of possibilities.

So that's my idea...if you see a strange woman lurking around with a sketchbook while you're out with your partner, do me a favour and snog for at least ten minutes. Or have an argument - the sort of argument where you don't move for ten minutes (we all have those, right?).

I was lucky enough to sit opposite this couple on the train home.




It took me a while to work out if they actually were a couple. They didn't speak to one another at all (a clue that they were a couple?) The woman seemed relaxed enough with him to have her legs out (although it was a cold day). They also had matching glasses on and very similar noses. Brother and sister maybe? But then they obliged...very briefly...

Aah!

The journey turned into a nightmare from Kings Cross onwards. So crowded, hot and smelly. Why anyone would choose to commute to and from London every day I'll never know. I was actually quite angry with them all for making such a ridiculous decision.

My family didn't quite go to pieces in my absence - there was a dog bite to the nose (Pele to Charlie) before I had even left Sussex, and Charlie was late for school, but other than that they seemed to survive. I think I will switch my phone off next week rather than ask for progress reports all the time...it's too stressful!

Right - I'm off to stalk some couples...

Presentation preparation and cuteness

This is Pele. He likes: toast, hunting and killing clothes pegs and nibbling his bumhole. He dislikes: Dog food, seagulls and the dark.

He's been my house guest for the last few days, since his owner - my ex-husband - has been in hospital. Isn't he utterly sweet? (Apart from the bumhole business of course). I'm really going to miss him when he goes.

Anyway I have been ultra-organised today. I made a list of things to do and I have done them! They included making a presentation for uni tomorrow and making a flyer for work.

I'm off to Cambridge tonight!

I'm a Student!

Yippee! I had my first day at uni yesterday - it was talks by the tutors, a chance to meet the other (amazingly unscary) students, and a tour of our building. I cannot wait to get started! I feel so lucky!!

What made my day more than anything was that the printmaking facilities are brilliant! Three etching presses, three! One of which is HUGE! An aquatinting box, and acid baths (I have everything crossed that I'll be able to work on steel. If not I will just have to get to like zinc!)And loads of relief presses too plus screenprinting...and a chance to learn Letterpress, something I have wanted to do for ages!


It was so lovely to see Pam, I can't wait to be staying every week! Hurrah!

Not much opportunity to sketch on the train - it was packed both ways. Here's what I did manage anyway!

Next week I have to give a presentation about my work. Blimey. That shouldn't take long...

Just a few

...very scrappy sketches from North Devon. The one at the bottom was done during a Bingo game and I very much regretted not taking my sketchbook. I had to draw on a menu. You can click to enlarge it. Today the computer has said yes.

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

Poor old Patrick Swayze. He was one of those people you just never heard a single bad thing about. It's so sad.

Dirty Dancing is one of my favourite films...cheesy and feelgood - a perfect "night in" film. (Great soundtrack too). And he was good in Donnie Darko - another favourite of mine.

Anyway I sketched this with my brush pen while sneaking a five minute sit down this evening. I know it's a bit poo - but hey, it's the thought that counts.

PS - I am officially off to Cambridge tomorrow to start my university life...Eek, eek eek and hurrah!

Summer is Over.

I am back from a gorgeous weekend in Devon and my view has changed from this...

to this.

I don't think Summer has ever ended so abruptly, and it hasn't done my spirits much good. Just as well I am off to uni tomorrow.

It's not really the end of Summer that's got to me - I love Autumn, it's my favourite season - it's just post holiday blues!

Quick collage

Could only spare an hour in the studio this morning - I was making some fabric bags for my mum to make into lavender bags. Just before I left I knocked this together to put on the wall at home. I like the way Sewing Susan's friends are looking on in awe at the way Susan threaded a needle with such ease. That bitch just has it all goin' on.

This Time Next Year Rodders!

Today I couldn't go and do some etching as I'd planned. My membership needs renewing and I just couldn't afford to do it what with my weekend away. I really miss it! Anyway, I went to my studio and carried on with the embroidery I started the other day.

I'll show you when it's finished. I feel really at home at my studio now. I felt weird and silly there at first and it smelt strange. But I like it now! I mean, look at my pincushion...

How could that not make you happy? (I'm easily pleased!)

But saying that, I've been re-reading my old notebooks lately (I have kept them since studying Creative writing at uni when we had to write down every random thought). A couple of themes have been recurring, strongly, over the years. One is that I want to support my family with my creative pursuits. The other is that I WANT A HOUSE. I just need a house, all I want is a secure house, please God help me get a house, please please please everything would be alright if I just had a ....you get the picture. Anyway I have been hoping that my subconscious will provide me with the means to make this dream a reality.

On holiday, amazingly, inspiration struck. In all honesty it was a joint invention of mine and Charlie's, with input from Tony and Malcom, possibly fuelled by Banana Bread Beer, which we discovered and loved and will forever be my campfire side drink of choice. Anyway - here it is, and I've done it in a new post so you can click and enlarge.

Get ready Dragon's Den, Alan Sugar, and other..well known entrepreneur types. Here it is, my new invention! (And for the record, a flat, bungalow, caravan or boat would be acceptable).