A perfect day (unless you are an ostrich)

Look at this! I am seriously racking up some posts. For some strange (and ultimately superb) reason my work/life balance currently seems to be perfect. A straight line between enough free time to sort some things out and enough money to buy some new gym shorts so I can stop looking like a 90's break dancer when I go to zumba. No one, absolutely no one should have to wear the giant baggy monstrosities I am currently shamefully and humiliatingly sporting to the leisure centre. Zumba is usually jam packed except I recently seem to be accruing a large amount of space around me unpopulated by fellow zumbarers, zumbees? I am not sure whether this is due to my dress sense, my peculiarly elastic legs, my involuntary 'jazz hands' or the fact I jump around far too much. Jury is out.

Anyway, I saw some more live music over the weekend as I was treated to a fabulous day out at the Sunday Lovebox festival in Victoria Park.

Sun in the sky, cider in one hand, ostrich burger in the other (very tasty by the way), enthusiastic friend to my right, Kelis on stage. Oh yes, yes, yes. She was absolutely superb. Played some newbies, mashed together the classics, gave everyone something they could sing too, gave everyone something they could get behind, jump to, shout about and more than enough fire to get the party started.

Kelis I salute you - definitely my act of the day (Miss Mister where pretty darn good as well and Purity Ring but no doubt there will be more on them later).

 

Kate Miller Heidke

As a surprise Kate Miller Heidke was also at the Amanda Palmer gig last week and she was kind enough to play a song.

The song was quite funny.

Men *sigh* Facebook *sigh*

Amanda Palmer

My salmon pink, baby food, sky blue painting turned out ok in the end with very little aggravation. I am looking forward to having another go at painting the Grand Canyon at my supposed, currently free weekend coming up in 5 days.

Potentially a 'watch this space' moment.

Potentially....

Firstly I have some good news regarding the painting currently going on display in a gallery in Burton-on-Trent. The show is almost ready to open and I should have some photos of the exhibition winging themselves my way soon....another 'watch this space moment.'

In the meantime I have been catching up on some live music. The Friday before last I went to see Amanda Palmer at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm. What a great venue! I want to see something else there again soon. Miss Palmer's show was a slightly mixed bag - started with a bang, got a bit depressed in the middle and then ended with a real lift. All-in-all definitely worth seeing and kudos to her for getting on with everything after a bit of bad press. You have to love this woman for her lyrics - some of her songs are real gems, both insightful and clever.

Music wise I am including a slower, quieter song for your enjoyment on here because I love the piano work - most of her songs are more hard hitting, punchier and LOUD.

1, 2 buckle my shoe, 3, 4 knock on the door, 5, 6 fiddlesticks...

Today I will be mostly multi-tasking. I have finally found some time to paint, when I say found some time, I really mean lost some time in which I should be sleeping, but time is time however it comes. I am multi-tasking because I thought I would blog whilst I was waiting for the background of my latest work to dry. I am currently apprehensive as I have just created a horrible colour combination of sky blue, salmon pink and baby food green. If this makes you feel sick then congratulations you are imagining it correctly.

What have I done? Or more to the point what am I doing? The downside of not pre-planning an image is that every step is a risk (read: probable mistake) but you take the rough with the smooth. Sometimes you can be surprised by something amazing, sometimes it is a torturous route just to end up with something acceptable. (Yes we all know this is going to fall into the second category). The problem at the moment is that I am trying to paint something new - the Grand Canyon - and I am not painting regularly enough to learn or progress from painting to painting, so yes, I genuinely am just making it up as I go along, but that is exciting in its own way.

So anyway, attempt number 1 is below, as usual becoming more to my liking the older it gets....

 

Photographic Memories

As promised I am finally doing a post about my latest photo prints gleaned from my trip to the US of A and Mexico about a month ago (that long? Already! Sigh). You have to excuse my penchant for animation transitions on my slideshow by the way - but seriously, when else am I going to be able to use all of these?

It is quite nice putting everything together belatedly - I remember old favourites and become inspired all over again. I have an atrocious memory so if I don't record everything and anything there is a high percentage chance - call it a certainty - that give me a week and I will have forgotten it. Who are you and why is your hand on my shoulder? I have the peculiar ability to look at some of my earlier paintings and wonder how I managed to do them. I am not sure whether this classes as a special talent but at least it means I keep everything fresh. (That is my excuse and I am sticking to it).

So anyway - my photos - sampling Chichen Itza, Cancun, Los Angeles, Xcaret, Laguna, The Grand Canyon, and Balboa Park San Diego - lest I forget.

Pork Scratching

Wow! Where on earth have the last two weeks gone? I guess that is what work and sun do to you - you are either modelling on the computer or outside in the sun, wondering at what point your skin tips over the thin line drawn between a tan and a pork scratching.

It seems like I am battling at the moment, battling to keep everything running and all my art stuff not becoming a 'thing' that I did whilst I had nothing else to do. I take heart that although I am busy there is still something missing; An itch I can't scratch, a feeling I can't shift, a colour I can't see, an irritable fed-up-ness  that I can't devote any time to painting. It is always a good sign when I spend the hours/days/weeks focusing on that afternoon, that day off, when I can lock the door, unplug the phone, put a CD on ultra loud and sit for a few hours on a shower mat, surrounded by canvas, paints, pens and inspiration.  

Next week, next week, next week, surely next week.

I am still thinking about it though, going for walks, gathering inspiration, even if on the outside it looks as though I have been abducted.....

I Miss You

Firstly I mustn't forget I said I would do a post about the new photo prints I gleaned from my trip to America last month. I also need to write about a new painting I created last Thursday and about how awestruck I was by the Grand Canyon. Not much then.

Ignoring all these things......I was hoping to squeeze out a painting this week which I have managed to do if painting my toenails counts? Yes well. I haven't been entirely unproductive however as the start of the week saw the shipping of Laguna to Burton on Trent for display in a newly opening gallery. This means, finally, FINALLY I have a piece of work on public display. I am hoping it will be the first of many. The exhibition opening was at some point this week but as yet I have heard nothing. A road trip is pencilled in for a few weekends time so I can see the painting in action and check everything is displayed to my satisfaction.  It will also be nice to see Laguna again - it has been hung on my wall above the sofa and I miss it. I really must stop doing that........