It's the 17th of December. Everyone has gone home for Christmas except me. So i'm pretty much alone in this beautiful city with no one to share it with. One more day at work and than i go on monday...which is exciting- although a suitcase, violin and bag of presents on a train and then a coach isn't ideal. On top of that im trying to use up food in the fridge, i've made uncountable batches of gingerbread and apple crumble, i have a victoria sponge in the oven and tomorrow i plan to make a banana loaf.

I left work to really heavy snow and set out to walk home in blizzard like conditions (slight exaggeration) and walked straight through an icy puddle which is always pleasent when you're in flimsy canvas shoes.

Every bone in my body is calling for home!

My camera is out of battery so i stole this picture from joe's blog here; http://whathidesinsidemyhead.blogspot.com/

x

Illustrated fairy tale

Today my plan was to go to uni, return my library book and buy a new sketchbook...however my plans fell through when one of my best friends asked me to tell her a story. I have a bit of a wild imagination and come up with weird stories alot and normally just for the sake of it. But Maddi's studying illustration in London and wanted something she could illustrate. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for my slightly dark and gothic fairy tale.

(image on the left Shaun tan)

I'm studying fine art but a lot of my favourite work to look at are illustrations. Shaun Tan's a recent favourite and Maddi's a fan of Benjamin Lacombe.(image to the right and at the bottom)Both are quite dark but so beautiful.

The stories in a very fragmented state currently but hopefully i can share it with you one day if you're willing to hear it.

It's windy and cold outside and i'm trying to avoid going out...but my library books due back today so its either risk a fine or risk getting a cold :/ oh decisions!

Love this!

I've watched this at least 5 times in a row...and a couple more times none consecutively and thought i'd share it here because it's so lovely. I love the video and the interaction with other people. I want to go on holiday and make a short video/film from it. Planning on going to Paris in the summer with my two best friends which will be amazing, it's early days at the moment but its what im going to be saving for...so no new clothes for a while. I'm renowned for my failed past plans...going to melbourne, going to lie in glasgow, making a coracle...but this one i'm going to make happen!!! (i'm also still going to go to melbourne and make a coracle...i just dont know when. As for the glasgow thing, that fell through when i didn't get in :/ although in hindsight its not too big an issue because i am in love with Norwich!)

x

Minotaur why so glum?

What better way to spend a Saturday, than lock yourself away to work on making a minotaur mask. I now need to wait for the papermache to dry and the painting it will be a task for another day.

Mythology, especially that of greek origin has become an interest of mine. The story of the minotaur is one a lot of people know of but may not necessarily know the full story, so here it is;

Minos ( a greek man) competed with his brother for the throne. He prayed to the god Poseidon(god of the sea and "earth shaker") for support, Poseidon sent Minos a white bull, which acsended from the sea for sacrifice. However the bull was beautiful and Minos could not bring himself to sacrifice such a stunning creature, and used one of his own for the sacrifice. However this angered Poseidon who as a punishment made Aphrodite (goddess of love) make Minos' wife fall in love with the white bull...(now this is where it gets x rated so if you are under the age of 15 divert your eyes now.)

Mino's wife got a craftsman to make for her a hollowed cow which she could climb inside, disguised as this she was able to copulate with the white bull. As a result of this...er...love making? the minotaur was born. A monstrous monster, half bull, half man. Now the wife tried to raise the Minotaur-however being neither man nor beast could find no natural nourishment and so devoured man for sustainance. Obviously this wasnt great so a ridiculously complicated labyrinth was made to hold the Minotaur, a labyrinth where men were made to enter with no way out :/

I think everyone knows the rest so i'm going to leave it at that.

x

A day of stamping

After spending yesterday doing very little i decided today would be more productive. Christmas is fast approaching, the lights are up, and the christmas songs are being played in the shops. Last week i past the most beautiful Christmas fayre on upper giles street, singing elves, the smell of mulled wine and all round cheer.

Today i decided that i wanted to do something more personal and make my own wrapping paper.

I know what you're probably all thinking, how are bicycles at all christmassy? To be honest (besides the fact that every child at one point in there life asks for a bike) they're probably not. But i felt like making bicycle print wrapping paper...and who knows maybe it'll encourage me to ride mine.

Foam stamps are really easy and inexpensive to make, and you get unique results. I'm also recycling paper bags to print onto so the environments giving us a cheeky smile too.

Here's where i got my inspiration from;

http://1001ways-to-be-more-lovely.blogspot.com/2011/11/146-make-loveliness-yourself-diy.html

x

Why am i still awake?

Because i can't get enough of Florence and the machine that's why;

Done!

Finally everything is done and handed in, and what better way to celebrate than banana loaf and tea (im not lame, i am going out later).

I think i may have a nap and then find something else to occupy my time.

x

Productive day?

Procrastinating so badly...today i wrote a song and did a painting of no relevance, and then about 9 cups of tea down and still no work done. If i fail this assessment it's due to my own lack of self motivation.

This is Giuseppe, he isn't your usual imagining of a red indian warrior...but i promise you he's just as fierce and probably a lot better looking.

x

20 paintings

First term presented itself with the mammoth task of 20 paintings, all meeting a different specification. Assessment roles in on Monday and i have finally managed to complete the paintings with a day to spare... not to relax however as there's still loads to do. I cannot wait till 12 noon on Monday so i can just come back to my house and sleep!

I'm physically exhausted, mentally malfunctioning and i look a state.

x

Hats, gloves and sea and sand

So i haven't posted in a while. Uni life is odd, sometimes i am completely bored, others work just piles up and i procrastinate like crazy...that is what i am doing right now...






















On Sunday we went to Cromer, a beach town near Norwich. Obviously Novemeber is not the usual choice month for a seaside visit, but in a way it was nicer then...no huge swarms of people...just the pleasent sea air...and a flask of hot chocolate. We looked like real beach visiters with our hats and gloves.

Here are a couple of photos, if you're ever in the Norfolk area Cromer is a great place to go. Its full of little craft shops, the cutest secondhand bookshop and a beautiful pier.

1.

TOMORROW I SHALL NOT WEAR JEANS!

Just wanted to say...

Life





with you in it


is so much better.

xxx

Some portraits i did over summer

Norwich

So it has been 4 weeks since i've moved to norwich, exactly a month if i'm not mistaken and it's honestly one of the most beautiful citys ever. I love it here, and the first few weeks emphasised the stunning beauty of the place with the glorious weather.

I think it's time for an update;

Currently I am...
♥ Reading On Chesil Beach By Ian McEwan, and my new favourite place to read= Norwich Castle garden
♥ Listening to Charlie Simpson, and i shall be going to see him soon aswell :)
♥ Watching- catching up on Gossip Girl, 90210, Vampire Diaries and Glee...i do have a life i promise
♥ Drinking Tea
♥ Eating what i can on a student income
♥ Trying to make the most out of things
♥ Wanting money so i can travel around and visit people
♥ Wishing it wasnt so cold
♥ Loving Norwich

x

New Start

As summer creeps away again i refuse to believe it truly began. I've never been one to complain about the British weather, but the last three months have been ridiculous.

However i felt it time to update with some holiday snaps:

I turn twenty tomorrowand move officially to Norwich soon after, i think my life is about to change a lot...and i dont even know how i feel about it.

x

Passenger

Passenger, Club Tent/The Den

Do you ever have that horrible experience where you find a piece of music you love, and then it leaves your mind, and when you try to remember it a few months later you just can't? I do a lot, thats why i found it amazing when i saw Passenger at Cmabridge folk festival, rekindling my love of him.

Cambridge Folk festival

I've gone to this festival 17 times in my life, missing just two years of it since i was born, and i am yet to be disappointed. It's surreal! Think a mixture of the best of woodstock, latitude, hopfarm...and you might be skimming the surface. Never anywhere else have i seen so many hippies, so many people truly appreciating music for its true sense.

The festival offered a variety of traditional, country, chilled and new age folk. Guitar workshop from Newton faulkner, silent ceilidh from Jim Moray, signings from Frank Turner and Rumer and then just the casual passing of Conor O'Brien (Villagers) who was enjoying the general atmosphere along with everyone else.


Laura Marling performed a stunning set on main stage followed by the incredible Peatbog Faeries...who could imagine synth with folk music?


Laura Marling main stage



It was just AMAZING!!! Definatley have to go next year, and the year after and just forever really.


Leddra Chapman The Den

x

The Fox

"The fox looks at us, his eyes as in awe as our own,he approaches us and out of his jacket pocket produces a key . He then takes my arm, i grab your hand and he leads us into the circle. Next to the tree is a chest of drawers. He unlocks the middle drawer and we peer in just as a flock of oragami swans disperse. He smiles at you and you climb into the drawer."

Antlers in the Snow

"And there in an opening surronding a giant oak are curious beings. Bodies like people in suits and gowns, but with heads of woodland creatures, a fox, a rabbit, and owl,a stag..."

Birthday Wishlist

1. Winsor&Newton watercolour palette

2. Bon Iver "Bon Iver"

3. Lethargic indecision print by Donovon Foote

My birthday's not till September but im hoping to get lucky :P

x

How many times can one sew up a favourite pair of jeans before admitting defeat?

(picture features the beautiful chihuahua Chloe)

Gillian Zinser of 90210 does Live Below the Line

i tend to stear clear of celebrity role models but i really admire Gillian Zinser...she's just awesome!

The Mute Button

Actually so so good

Bon Iver-Calgary

If it was possible to marry a voice, i would have to propose to Justin Vernon cause he literally has every sense of my body in his possession.

French films and tea

Last night my sister proposed we watch some french films her friend leant her. Having no clue how to speak or understand french we had the subtitles on and were soon submerged in the story. I think subtitles mean you have to pay more attention, however it can get irritating missing some beautiful shots to read them.

French cinema is a new like for me i believe.

Picture; Jean Seberg in Breathless

I'm not great at film reviews so thought i'd share a passage from one i found online about Breathless;

"Breathless, then, is about the freedom with which they talk in bed together, and the control Godard as the filmmaker has over what they say. The lighting is completely natural and therefore a little dark, but when accompanied by the cigarette smoke it’s just way too beautiful, without the cinematographer having spent a dime. In fact, the cinematographer didn’t really pay for any equipment at all. The camera is cheap and handheld, the tracking shots filmed simply by the cameraman being pushed along whilst seated in a wheelchair. Godard didn’t even get a professional editor. When it turned out the film was about half an hour longer than it needed to be for official release, he just trimmed it, cutting away any parts inside a scene that seemed boring, leaving Breathless with that jagged and jumpy feel still beloved of action films to this day"

read the rest of the article:

http://jacobwilliamson.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/breathless-jean-luc-godard-1960

June is national iced tea month, although how many people are actually aware of that i don't know but i definatley drank more iced tea than ever before.

Unusual for me i've actually been fairly busy. Foundation is officially over and results out, almost sorted out my house for september and the sun has actually come out. I have so much time but so little, it's scary how fast a year can go by...and now it seems like summer may be slipping past too.

I figured i haven't posted anything in a short while so it's time for a catch up;


Currently I am...
♥ Reading A Clockwork Orange By Anthony Burgess
♥ Listening to Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues (it's constantly in my CD player)
♥ Watching -bit obsessed with Made in Chelsea atm, found out that my boyfriends brother actually knows some of the people on it which was rather exciting
♥ Drinking Tea
♥ Eating not a lot really, crumpets :)
♥ Trying to actually get out of bed in the morning and be more productive with my day (failing so far)
♥ Wanting summer to officially make up it's mind and begin
♥ Wishing i could afford to go to Paris this summer
♥ Loving browsing through blogs and collaging

Hopefully have some more exciting things to blog about soon.

SUPAKITCH & KORALIE

This is actually stunning. I love the whole collaboration idea, and how the juxtaposition of how each artist's work complement so well

Lost and Found present Dream Screen

So it finally happened and what a success. Lost and Found's Dream Screen turned out to be awesome(bit biased i guess being part of the group)The number of people that turned up was just amazing, ran out of mats and pillows. Milk and cookies went down well ;)

"Join Lost & Found as they present a screening with a difference.
Dream Screen will feature a series of short films inspired by
the concept of dreams, which will be projected onto the ceiling.

Viewers will then be asked to lay on the ground, heads on pillows,
as they listen to the films through wireless headphones in order to
create a surreal and immersive experience."

Some of the film submissions we showed;

Dean Kissick - On Pleasure Island

François Chevalier - Le Canular

Luke Williams - Spinnach

Christ Haupt - Restless

Jason Impey - Desire

Daryn Castle - OAP

Wojtek Skowron - Intelligent Design

Sarah Kay-Untitled

Wojtek Skowron - Urban Legend

Derek Spencer - Sun Day

Millie Luck-Untitled

François Chevalier - Le Reve Trompeur

*and a huge thanks to illustration student Lauren for her beautiful image

Fleet Foxes=i think im in love

I don't think i've ever seen a band so amzing live...and i've seen a lot of bands. They literally had the crowd in the palms of their hands, lapping up every note. Breathtaking harmonies, all round beautiful sound... the memory still excites me. These men aren't just musicians, they are a picture of perfection.
x

Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

They're going to be amazing!!!!

Oh Comely and Helplessness Blues

Got paid on Friday and actually went up the city centre just to purchase this:




Issue Six- Oh Comely
so excited






Also made a visit into HMV and bought the new fleet foxes album "Helplessness Blues" which hasn't left my CD player since. I definatley recommend getting hold of it.
Going to see them on Tuesday and i can't wait!!!!

xx

The aroma of banana's and baking...all before 11am.

I'm going to admit that over the past couple of days i have been extremely lazy, sleeping in till lunch and not being very productive with my day.

However this morning i woke up as my sisters were leaving the house and the phone rang continuously untill i answered...and then it hung up. Rather than going back to bed as i usually would i decided i wanted to bake...the only thing i know how "Banana Loaf".

Past events have shown how i really am awful when it comes to cakes, i remember my nan used to have to save my scones, and my cupcakes always turn out more like biscuits :/ but banana loaf is definatley my forte, if i do say so myself. Heres the recipe:

Ingredients

200g Plain Flour

1 level tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp barcabonate of soda

100g caster sugar

50g margarine

1 egg

2 bananas (mashed)

How to;

Preheat the oven gas mark5

Cream the sugar and margarine, add the egg and banana and beat. Seive the flour, baking powder and barcabonate of soda and mix, you should get a kind of gloopy but smooth mixture :).

grease a bread tin, a pour mixture in. Place on the middle shelf of the oven for approx 45minutes

:)

Final Major Show

Thought i'd preview you on some of my pieces

Dream Screen

This year has gone incredibly fast. Final Major Project has come to an end and everythings up for assessment...so im left with a bucketful of free time..haha or not.

Going to make myself busy arranging this little event at MK gallery;

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=213815355307452


been looking through some of the film submissions, looks like it's going to be a good night. Definatley come on down :)

Clocktower - Cute animation

Beautiful beautiful animation

Mogwai - Death Rays

My friend posted this on my facebook some time ago and i never got around to listening to it till recently. It's absolutely lovely so i had to share it with you.x

One "Green Lemon" to go

Being called up and told i should be in work wasn't the ideal start to my day but gave me the opportunity to make a start on my tea sampling. I wasn't in the mood for anything exotic so went for a safe option. Green Lemon . Walking back to work i could really smell the lemon. I give the tea a positive thumbs up, although i would advise removing the tea bag before too long so it doesn't over brew. But unlike other green lemon tea's it wasnt at all bitter, not too sweet. a good start i say. :)

Tea Monkey

Finally made a visit to Tea Monkey, the new tea shop in Midsummer Place. Feel a little guilty as i didnt even order tea, i got excited by the fact the served Spiced Apple :) so yummy.


However i have set myself a challenge, to try every tea on the Tea monkey menu, thats a total of 41 tea's including the flowering teas.

Hopefully my love of tea won't be diminished.

http://www.tea-monkey.com/menus/Tea-Menu.aspx

A Bus Ticket and unlimited adventuring (continued)

So after a couple of drinks(a lemonade and a coke because we are so hardcore) we departed and continued our journey. Bought a beautiful bag from a shop called "Wyrdos", (which kind of went against me trying to stick to a day for under £5 but it was beautiful and i had to have it) and browsed through Hobgoblin, had a nosey down Tickford Arcade and by chance (or fate) stumbled across our intended destination The Watershed http://www.facebook.com/#!/watershedmk. It was around 1ish that we found it, on a tuesday afternoon so was very quiet, but no awkward glaring, just a super friendly vibe. I'd love to see it when it's got a gig on, i can imagine the atmosphere is awesome...definatley going back sometime soon.

A Bus Ticket and unlimted adventuring

I've always complained that Milton Keynes is ridiculously boring, you can only really do stuff if you have money- bowling, shopping(oh how I wish I had money), cinema, clubbing etc. Everything seems to be based around the centre. But today i hoped to prove myself wrong.


It cost £3.50 for an all day bus pass, thats already 10p cheaper than getting to single journeys, and it's unlimited. So i bought me a ticket, got me some good company in the form of an old friend home from uni and ventured outside of the city centre toward Newport Pagnell. Risky considering that although we had a destination, neither of us knew exactley where it was we were headed or familiar with Newport Pagnell, but hey what is life if you don't take risks?



Shouldn't have drank so much lemonade. Bursting for the toilet walking lost around a place we didnt know we decided to wander into a quaint looking pub, "The Cannon". Now I've been to the Cannon before for their open mic night http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7581868153 (check out the facebook page) and always enjoyed the chilled vibe, but walking in on a tuesday afternoon was so awkward, that weird silence as you walk in and all the locals turn their heads to glare at the imposters, and i'm not even exaggerating...they actually glared!!!



to be continued...

oh if only everyone would just dance

Today as i was browsing through clothes in new look, listening with content at their choice of music (Vampire Weekend) i experienced a slight fright when some guy started dancing at me, at first i panic slightly and went to walk away, then realised he had something wrong with himso smiled and let him carry on. i wish i had had the guts to join in. reminded me a bit of Duckie from Pretty in Pink and this classic scene. Enjoy!

Alma

"Alma" means soul in spanish. Creepy animation.

Simon English: England Revisited

2010 1971 Came across this beautiful man in my "Oh Comely" magazine and felt i really had to share it with the world. In 1971 as an art student Simon English marked out locations on the map of England to spell out the word "England" and speant the summer hitch-hiking and walking to each location and photographing each place. In total he covered 5000 miles, visiting a total of 75 locations. In 2010 he revisited each place, discovering how much it had change over the years. http://www.englandrevisited.net/

Lady on the train

It's odd or at least i think so how easily a person can make a decision or change their mind.

2 years ago (back when i was a simple but "complicated", so i thought, 17 year old) a conversation with a woman on a train from London changed my whole outlook on life. It's weird because i am unlikely to ever meet this woman again and i'm sure she has forgotten the whole episode anyway, and even if it's there, a fragment in her memory, i'm sure she wouldn't consider it to have had such a significant impact on my life at all.

I was always adamant that i'd study english literature at uni, or a joint degree with history. I was going to go to Cambridge Trinity College, a decision made purely on the fact that it looked like something from Pride and Prejudice (to be fair I'm pretty sure the grounds were used in the 2007 film starring Keira Knightley <3), thinking about it i don't even think they offered my course anyway.

Yet here i am studying on an art and design foundation course. My life has become an array of train and bus tickets from my daily commute, paint stained jeans and a satchel full of green tea bags and pencil sharpenings. But how did this come about from a hard working, brown nose book geek? It is certainly strange to think a conversation on an hour and a bit train ride could alter my future in such an extravagant way.

Within our conversation the woman identifies my two passions; music and art. To her it seemed odd for me to pursue something i didn't rave about, literature, as much as i love it(just bought 4 books :/) was not so much a part of me. I am an expressive person, a creative mind

and music and art where ways to release that. I think i thought english would take me onto a more successful career, however she taught me that;

if you are passionate enough about something and try hard in pursuing that than you can never fail-that and natural talent =success

who knows if that's true but it's what i now go by, so i am on my way to pursuing my passions. Don't be held back by the voice of society or what other people tell you. I have a 20 minute train ride every morning, a half hour walk from the station each way-pleanty of time to contemplate. I'm happy, i know i chose the right path.

Lady on the train, Thank you.

(found out as i was leaving the train that she ran a foot reading business(like palm reading but feet))

Moving on

"As ugly on the outside as she was on the inside"

"It was like she couldn't see how much of a slut she was"

I love how art just develops sometimes, so when im just sitting there drawing and suddenly a new idea pops into my head and a whole array of new work emerges. Been working again on some collage pieces, but less abstract.