portrait

i've been working on my college project for the last few weeks, and i thought i would show you a few things that i have done! it's taken me quite a while to get some motivation for this project, just because i've kind of been doubting myself & it's actually a lot harder than it seems to work without the direction and - would you believe! - criticism of my art teachers.

pencil self portrait & collage.

the project is called "who are you?", cringey title alert. it seems to be the classic getting-to-know-each-other introductory project, which just makes me majorly uncomfortable because i haven't got a clue what they expect of me.

pencil & blue watercolour portrait of john lennon & photoshop self portrait

i've done quite a few studies, but i've been most interested in drawing some of my idols, because i think that who we admire says quite a lot about us. and yes, john lennon is a total cliche but i do love the man.

the painting is much bluer in person! for some reason it hasn't quite come out right in the photograph!

pencil drawing of caitlin moran with chalk pastel hair.

i'm planning to do a self portrait similar to this for my final piece, although i have quite a bit to do before getting to that stage. wish me luck for college, it starts in 11 days, eek!

the rain falls hard on a humdrum town

yesterday i dropped off my camera to go have its sensor cleaned, or go through sensor cleaning, whatever that might be, & while there i decided to have a look in the oxfam on the high street while my dad went searching for some elusive part needed to fix the kitchen tap.

i only had a quick browse as we had to dash off to collect my brother from his drum lesson, but i still managed to have a good rummage through the shelves of vinyl & this is what i found;

a who double a side single - had enough/who are you in its original sleeve & a john lennon & the plastic ono band single - happy xmas (war is over) with yoko's listen, the snow is falling on the other side.

i was pretty pleased with these finds, especially as they were both about a £1 each & in very good condition.

the john & yoko single has a pretty weird graphic in the middle of their faces morphing together, which is somewhat creepy.

especially as john lennon is a dead ringer for my uncle sean.

i am sad to say i don't know much about the who, although i do have a few of their songs on my ipod (i can see for miles, anyone?) & i do love their whole mod look which i think you can see in this single cover.

i also found an absolute beginners bowie single which was only 29p because it's quite scratched. my record player is usually pretty good at playing over scratched vinyl, but if it doesn't work i'm going to put it on my wall somewhere. in fact, i may start buying more scratched records & do that with them. my pet hate is when i see melted down records for sale on etsy as fruit bowls, i just think it's such a sad end to something so beautiful. (yes, i think records are beautiful)

i bought another scratched single to use in my art sketchbook, i think i'll paint on it & scratch words into it or something. it's part of my "music" page, as i'm trying to do an individual page for each jigsaw piece of  my personality.

i'm also going to draw john lennon for a page in my sketchbook, as i think our icons also make up part of who we are.

at the moment i really should be working on my sketchbook for the college summer project (title; who are you? completely feel like scrawling "i don't know, that's why i'm taking the course" across several pages) but i just can't find the motivation to do anything. it's been so long since i've ever actually done any artwork & i feel like i'm completely losing confidence in my abilities, so much so that i'm actually scared to pick up a pencil & attempt to draw myself. it doesn't help that i have a colossal headache & some kind of fever that just won't go away. i only have three weeks to finish this as well, and it's so bad that i'm being so lackadaisical about it because that isn't the kind of artist i want to be, but i just can't snap out of this.

also, i'm feeling somewhat downcast as i just found out via twitter that caitlin moran (my actual idol, who i'm also going to draw for my sketchbook) is at vintage at south bank today, which i was supposed to be going to up until a few weeks ago. woe.

*

sorry for the awfully maudlin end of this post! i'd also like to share a couple of links with you; i made a new tumblr for my jewellery shop, it's basically going to be a place where i'll post current jewellery & ideas for what i'll be doing next (and i do have so many ideas!), and also a little bit of what inspires me.

i also added a bunch of new rings to the shop, so click here if you'd like to take a look.

goodbye for now.

portobello road

lo! i have returned from landaaan, i would have posted earlier but my laptop has been at computer hospital. i took loads of pictures of london & that which i will get on here eventually, but i just wanted to put up what i bought while i was there. i actually didn't buy much at all, partly because i didn't see that many things i liked & partly because we spent a woefully small amount of time in portobello market.

postcards of john lennon & a 60s shift dress. i honestly have far too many postcards of john now, i dare not even count them!

in the tate britain shop there were some amazing lazy oaf "i like to arty hard" shirts which i was very tempted by, but at £28 they were a little over what i was willing to pay, so instead i went for the very reaosnably priced £1.50 "i heart drawing" badge.

feminist postcards from the tate modern. feminism appears to be a bit of a dirty word in today's media, but i am proud to proclaim i am a feminist. also, i think the role of women in society & feminism is something i will be looking at in my work (as my title is political and/or social events & issues)

the advantages of being a woman artist.

and finally, my sunglasses from portobello market! i love them, & they were only £10 which i believe is pretty good.

just a quick update for now i'm afraid (and yes, i'm aware that almost every update is a quick update, sorry), but tomorrow i'm having a (belated) birthday party, which is 1960s themed, so you can look forward to joyous photographs from that occasion!

for now, adieu my dears.

personal statement

hello there people, it's been a while hasn't it? remember that camera situation i kept waffling on about? well, it is still unresolved. bah. i'm on the verge of mass homicide with this camera-fixy company, i tell you. here are some thoroughly random & probably uninteresting facts about the events from my life since i've been away.

i bought the john lennon birthday issue of Q magazine (yes, i buy magazines aimed at men, do not adjust your screen) which is the loooooveliest thing ever. it was a damn good issue, even if there was too much yoko & not enough paul. oh, and bono from u2's handwriting is abysmal.

fyi, it's john's birthday this saturday so if you follow me on tumblr or twitter be prepared for some serious hyperbole about that man.

oh oh oh! aaand on sunday, i'm going to be helping out at the afforable vintage fair in newcastle for dolls & molls, which should be pretty lovely! if you're in the area, come check it out, it's always really good - even just to have a look around! i don't have a definite plan for what i'm going to look for, but i'd like to get a nice cardigan or jumper as they're a bit lacking in my wardrobe. i'm also looking out for a nice cross body bag for school, & of course the jewellery is always work a look!

sorry for such a short post this time, i hope to make up for it soon with all the giveaway shebang. adieu mes enfants! (:

dear yoko

happy wedding anniversary john & yoko!

i wish this guy was still around.

i don't care what people say about yoko; in my opinion she's a wonderful conceptual artist, & she made john happy, which surely has to be a good thing. anyone who has ever listened to dear yoko or woman cannot deny the love these two had for each other.