Albert

This is Albert, The Flatmate's royal python - and people who know me will know that I'm not good around snakes.

When Sunshine and I first moved into where we are now, the snake was an issue. I've had a lifelong phobia of snakes. I've been at natural history museums and walked quickly past skeletons of snakes because they made me feel nervous. Pictures of snakes give me nightmares. So can't say I was a happy bunny to be living with one. Fortunately The Flatmate has been good about not getting him out while I'm in the house.

I on the other hand have been trying to conquer this fear by standing by The Flatmate's bedroom door (yup that's as far I was willing to go) and staring into Albert's tank at the other end of the room. Yesterday though we had some friends over who asked about Albert and I said "OK, bring him out then", which I can assure you was an incredible achievement on my part!

Fortunately for me Albert's fairly docile - or as The Flatmate put it "they're like the Labradors of the snake world". He doesn't do much of the slithering or forked-tongue-sticky-outy thing which really disturbs me. Or hiss or show fangs or anything like that. Infact he's got quite a small non-threatening head, and he spent most of the time just kind of 'hanging out' not doing much. So I got out the camera and took a bunch of photos - and the drawings above are from those. This is as close as I've ever been to a snake and not freaked out - I'm quite proud of myself. Although the funny foreshortened head shot was Sunshine taking a close-up macro shot. Staring straight into Albert's eyes is still not quite where I am yet ...

Last day of spring term ...

Spring term Week 12 at Art School

Not much art has happened this week - its mostly been about working on my statement of intent. My final major project currently looks like its going to be based on my background in science. I'm still not year sure what exactly I'm going to do - but I suspect something illustration based. One of the tutors went through my statement with me today and it needs work, but I think I can manage. We also have to start work on our projects over the two week easter break (have to do a mini exhibition the first week we're back to show what we've been up to) so hopefully that'll help with getting the statement together. Then it's 5 weeks summer term and final major project, one week set up for final exhibition, one week where the internal assessments happen, and a last week where the external assessments and the final open exhibitions will be (mid June).

How quickly this year has passed!

Daily drawings of domesticity ...

After TWO image free blog entries - tsk!tsk! - I thought I'd upload some pictures from my daily drawing diary. I seem to end up doing a lot of things from the house - mainly because they're the most accessible things around, and also because they're the most familiar. I'm sure I read somewhere once something about "draw things that you know about".

I'm trying my best to keep up to date with this diary as its going to be part of my interview portfolio (they like to see sketchbooks as well as finished work) - but its hard to get motivated sometimes. I find I often fall back and then end up filling up several pages at one go! Hopefully on interview day the pages up to the day before will be chock-a-block full of drawings.

Statement of intent

Spring term Week 11 at Art School

This week was mostly spend organising my portfolio. Yesterday I spent the whole day leaning over my desk putting together all the work I've done this term. And today we had assessments for this term and a portfolio review for those of us applying to fulltime BA courses - like me! One of the tutors whizzed through my portfolio pulling things out and rearranging the order (although there are a couple of things I disagree with and will have MY way) and making sure I had a plan for what I was going to do to prepare myself for a potential interview. I can't believe its all happening! The one other person on the part-time course that has already got an interview lined up is Derve (Fashion at LCF) - and the rest of us are waiting. EEEP!

We also got told today about our "statement of intent" which we need to fill in by next week! It's for our final major project - God, they want that already??!!?? I'm not ready yet! This year has just gone by way to fast...

So this is it ...

In other news, after much deliberation, and leaving it till the last minute, I've decided to apply to the BA in illustration at UWE in Bristol - this means upping sticks and moving way out west. Yes, its quite a change, but after 14 years in London its time to move on. And after all, I'm not doing this on my own ... but dragging Sunshine along for the ride as well!!!

Assuming they call me for an interview (mid April) and then perhaps offer me a place, we'll probably move out to Bristol sometime in summer in time for the start of the 2007/2008 academic year. OH MY GOD!

Watch this space ...

Chair phase one...

... is finished! Hand sewing takes a LONG time and a LOT of patience ... but I found it quite meditative. Now on to phase two which requires research into Sunshine's family and doing some drawings/painting/portraits/I-don't-know-what-yet to be hung on the "wall" space behind the the chairs.

Links:
Chair progress 2
Chair progress
Chairs

Happy Birthday to me!

What a wonderful birthday its been too! Last Thursday I went out to celebrate with the gang in college - and they had gone to the trouble of finding me science themed gifts! I got a rack of test tubes (filled with colourful jellybeans and some vodka!), and a Bunsen burner turned candle stand (drawing above)! The Bunsen even had on it engraved "TO MITHY, LOVE ALL YOUR PALS AT LONDON MET, 2007" ... you can imagine how chuffed I was (and still am...).

This morning I got to see the rest of my gifts - mostly books from my Amazon wishlist. I'm SOOOOO happy and excited to get them all - half my list has been accounted for ... There's even one more book that hasn't arrived yet - so that will be EIGHT in total! Happy Happy me!!!

Thank you all my pals at London Met, and all of the Batchelor family, and lovely Sunshine (for my Mikroman and a wonderful day out!) for my presents, and thank you to everyone who called/e-mailed/texted - its nice to be remembered as I get older. And last but not least, thanks to Ammu and Abbu for having me!

Hippie transport...

Spring term Week 10 at Art School

This week I have been mostly printing rainbow coloured backgrounds (as you can see on the left). I cut the piece of lino up last night - first having warmed it up above the toaster as I was told warm lino is easier to cut. Unfortunately I left it there a bit too long and managed to stink the whole house with the smell of burnt lino! Fortunately it wasn't too bad, so the lino could still be used, but MAN the smell was horrendous (especially when leaning over cutting it!). Anyways, I haven't yet decided if I want to use them as they are, or cut the prints out and do a bit of a collage job on them.

The reason I did them was to generate some hippie-esque backgrounds for some paintings/collages I've been inspired to do based on some drawings I did in my drawing diary.

The bike is the wheeled transport I use now, the Beetle our family car when I was a baby (love them!), and the VW camper van because I've always wanted one and maybe will someday have one myself. A before, now, future sequence. Hope it comes together.

A girl can dream ...

One day I'll have my own studio space ...

Chair progress 2

Things are coming together ...

Links:
Chair progress
Chairs

Molecular Alphabet

Spring term Week 9 at Art School

Earlier this week I started working on my "personal statement" for my degree application - for anyone interested, its a toss up between Brighton an Bristol (UWE) at the moment. I noticed that I'd mentioned my "science" background a lot, which got me thinking about how to integrate more science related things into my work. I ended up digging out my old molecular building kit and having a go at designing a font with it ... a little bit of fun ...

This more of a test - so some of the things are out of focus - but it has given me something to go on, and I'd like to play some more. I then started playing around with words:


I enjoyed playing (notice the funky 3D trigonal bipyramidal "t") - may try things like putting the words on my old chemistry notes - lots of electron arrow pushing, yay!

I'm such a geek ...

Chair progress

Today I have been mostly sewing a "line drawing" of the chairs. Takes a lot more thread than I bought, and a lot longer than I anticipated ... This is gonna take some time me thinks!

Detail

Link:
Chairs

Chairs ...

Spring term Week 8 at Art School

Sometime last week I drew the two chairs that Sunshine and I have temporarily inherited from his parents while they are away overseas. They are lovely old things full of character and are known as "Grandpa chair" and "Grandma chair" - I think they're from his mum's side of the family. I really liked how they came out and wanted to do some much larger versions. So I bought some wallpaper lining paper, and made an acetate copy of the chairs.

Hung the paper on the wall, and set up the acetate on an overhead projector - to enlarge the image. Then I set about copying my enlarged image. I now have a couple of rather large pencil drawings of the chairs and some plans that include stitching, plates, and paints ... watch this space!