Halloween costume inspiration - black & red

Sylvia Ji 'La Adelita' 2010 via the Joshua Liner Gallery.

I love this Sylvia Ji painting. Although it has much deeper meaning it also makes for great Halloween inspiration and it combines my love of dressing up, Dia de los Muertos and Freda Kahlo in one glorious image. These are large painting in Acrylic and gold leaf on wood panels and you can read more about the background to the works in the Las Adelitas exhibition on the Joshua Liner Gallery flickr page for the show.


Sylvia Ji 'Red Quechquemitls' 2010 see full exhibition at the Joshua Liner Gallery.


Sylvia Ji 'La Madrina' 2010 see full exhibition at the Joshua Liner Gallery.


Andrea Peira's winning Photo in the World Body Painting Festival 2011

This is exactly the sort of thing I like to do, but when you live in a mobile home and like candles it's just not practical, so I make do with enjoying the work of others unless I'm invite to things in large open spaces. The Photograph above was by Andrea Peira and the costume and body painting was by Birgit Mörtl+Melanie Rodel Body Painting Festival 2011


Birgit Mörtl+Melanie Rodel - Body painting & costume for the World Body PaintingFestival 2011 (via weddingphotography.com)


Halloween make-up via Hairdresser-Models.eu

Whale watching, weather watching

One of our sayings on the trip was 'all roads lead to Lincoln'. It seemed like no matter where we went, we always ended up on Lincoln Blvd, which we liked because it was our local main road when we lived there, just one street up from our apartment, and later the house. One of my favourite parts of Lincoln is the Toyota dealership where I had my camera ready for some whale watching every time we passed. This mural is enormous, I suspect possibly it is life size. None of my drive-by photo's every captured the full image, but here are 3 sections, I love how it looks with the blue sky and the clouds...





Speaking of clouds... here in Scotland my daily preoccupation is watching the weather, hoping for a good day to wash/dry clothes. So far every sunny day except yesterday has been interrupted with rain,hail and sometimes sleet. Unfortunately yesterday I was barely able to move (and only awake for 4hrs) so I missed my chance. Today doesn't look promising...



The only gap is when I am out with Lucy but I tend to get where I'm going then sit for an hour till I have the energy to come back again. Looking out hte window now (10.30am) I can see the clouds hovering above, deciding whether to deliver hail or sleet, it's co-o-o-old out there though the sun is shining. Mid April, and there has only been one day (apart from LA) when I have not worn my thermal long john's under my trousers! Partly that's due to inactivity and bad circulation (I must buy more ginger for that) but mainly it's just down to cold winds.

My trip - clue No.7

I loved this whale mural, only 1/3 showing - it is huge.

And the winner is...

Karin!
Mr P picked the names from folded papers at random. Congratulations Karin. I thought you might like this one as your prize since you like colour. I did it in my first year of art college when I was still mainly using bright colours (before I started to use lots of white and neutrals. I don't have it here to measure it, but I think each page is about 10 x 7cm. When I find it I'll make a cover for it (because I never was good at finishing things). Click image to see more detail...


'Flourishing' : watercolour and ink on paper, 1990
6 page concertina fold book from a design for wrapping paper and bedlinen

It was inspired by jellyfish, radiolarians and similar minute sea creatures, so much inspiration in the ocean. It wasn't until the next year when my health got much worse, that I started to see these shapes and forms as being also like the cells in our bodies. I never realised this before, but perhaps that's why I moved to neutral, earthy colours and white on white? Maybe it signified life taking a serious turn. Not that I abandoned colour, but I used it 50% less.

But wait, more winners because I like things in 3's... I asked Mr P to pick two more names to each receive a black and white copy of a mini book developed from pages of the 4 day sketchbook (click on 'the 4 day sketchbook' label at the end of the post to see more pages). Karin, you'll get a copy of this as well as the other book. The names he picked out were Heather and Deedeen, well done ladies! I will contact you all by email to get your addresses. Here are a few more shots of the original 4 day sketchbook with some of the pages that will be in your printed copies...



a few more pages from the 4 day sketchbook, 1991

Flood images

The town of Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire is pictured surrounded by flood waters. Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images found on BBC website.

Our power is due to go off for a day while new cabling is connected in our area. An inconvenience but nothing in comparison to the situation of those in England just now in towns, villages or cities cut off by the floods who have lost their power and their water supply. I always try to focus on something positive but really the only positive thing for them is that it is summer. Global Warming means they expect us to have a lot more extreme rain in winters and I dread to think of the consequences of this degree of flooding if it was accompanied by cold weather, particularly for the elderly and the sick.


Originally uploaded by Klucniks

I remember watching the film 'Earthquake' in the 70's and the bit that really upset me was when Victoria Principals poodle fell (or nearly fell?) into a crack. 30 years on it's still the animals that upset me, because they don't know what's happening and they never caused it. I dread to think of the number of stranded or abandoned pets. With rescue services stretched to their limits (army and life boat service helping) the priority is airlifting people so a lot of pets must be left to fend for themselves. It's not the focus of the news yet but the costs to livestock and wildlife must be enormous and they are starting to talk about ruined crops and a rise in food prices.

The message here is that this impacts all our lives so I am hoping this sudden and extreme shock will cause a mind-shift in the South of England (and the rest of the UK, but most people live in the south) about the seriousness of Global Warming and the absolute need for everyone to TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY and start changing their own actions and pushing for change in government, communities and industry. Many people are finding that insurance companies are refusing to insure them if their postcode is in a potential flood area.


Originally uploaded by Itspaulkelly

I think maybe this time it will change things because this is happening to the wealthier more influential parts of the UK. There's been been really noticeable difference in TV coverage between last months floods in the poorer North East of England compared to the immense coverage now that the South is flooding. Not that the South doesn't warrant the coverage, of course it does. But it irks me that the further you live from London the less important you are in the eyes of the media and politicians. Of course this is a gross generalisation and there are always cases where this isn't true, but anyone living in the North will tell you that this happens far too often. Even the little things irritate, like when the weatherman (based in London) said recently that the next day would be a washout for everyone with no sunshine, but the map of the UK behind him showed that Scotland,Wales, N.Ireland and North, Central and South West England wouldn't have a drop of rain all day. Ugh, irritating.

Another glimmer of hope is that this country, like many, is obsessed with sport and since sports grounds are being flooded and international games having to stop play (tennis and cricket recently) I think it will get more people thinking.

Ok, I'm ranting again. I've had very little sleep with this cold swelling up my sinuses and so many of my regular rant topics are now on the news it's making me rant all the more. Like building on flood planes. That has always driven me crazy and now more so than ever. One politician yesterday was saying that they have given guidelines to Councils about planning applications to build on flood planes. Guidelines?! As millions of houses are being built on them surely there should only be 1 guideline DON'T DO IT!!!!! Bloody hell is this not OBVIOUS, in fact, why is it not law?!!!!!

Rant over, but I can't promise there won't be more. Let's end on an artist note with some flood inspired art by Terry Roberts, finding the beauty in the destruction...


St. Mark's Reflections, originally uploaded by Bingleyman

Thinking Blogger + Vanessa Valencia

Oops, I accidentally pressed post TWICE while this was unfinished and dated last month (I'm so behind with my posts), sorry readers, my brain is like mush, can you hear it sloshing about? Here it is properly with the pictures and more up-to-date links added...


Vanessa Valencia - 'Super Cupcake, Bake Girl'
Acrylic on wood 8.5"x6"x1.75"

I was immensely surprised to discover last month that Vanessa Valencia of A Fanciful Twist (whose 'V' doesn't work on her keyboard!) nominated me for a 'Thinking Blogger Award'. I've not been doing much blog reading (but a little picture perusing) so I hadn't realised - sorry so late in my response Vanessa, and thank you, I feel really priveledged to be on your list. And don't think that I've put you on mine out of courtesy, you would have always have been on it.


Vanessa Valencia - 'Leaves will fall, fruit will ripen, time will tell'
Acrylic on wood 8.5"x6"x1.75"

I love how Vanessa's work is so distinctly her, I've seen people with a similar style, but Vanessa's are just so clearly by Vanessa. They remind of Pippi Longstocking. I VERY much wanted to be Pippi Longstocking when I was a kid. I totally identified with the mismatched clothing, long pigtails, affinity with animals and, of course, the fact that she wasn't like the other kids.

I just love the way Vanessa's images are so full of life and colour, and stories (and cakes!). It means her pictures can make you think just as much as her words can, which is great when I'm too tired to read blogs, I can skim though her images and get a burst of colour and an idea of what's happening in her life.


Vanessa Valencia - 'On a Certain day'
Acrylic on canvas 12"x12"x1.5"

The works above are all from Vanessa's most recent Thinking Blogger post (she gets lots of us thinking) where she is also announcing updates to her shop. Definitely worth a visit, though what I'd really like to to is visit her real gallery space in real life. It's one of those places that just oozes the personality of the person who makes it. I'd even more like to visit her house, she has the most fantastic collection of religious icons and the like. I bet I could spend hours, weeks, months in her house ooh-ing and ah-ing and taking photo's. I hope you are enjoying your trip Vanessa, and eating some green beans while you are away :0). Ok here's the Thinking Blogger response...

If you are nominated and decide to join in you should reveal the origininal source, say who nominated you (Vanessa), nominate 5 blogs which you read that really make you think and finally display the thinking blogger logo/button.

My 5 nominations are, in the order that I discovered them:
1. Anna Torborg - Twelve22
2. Alicia Paulson - Posie Gets Cozy
3. Lisa Solomon - Lisa's Musings
4. Vanessa Valencia - A Fanciful Twist
5a. Julie Avisar - Handmaid
5b. Anna Peach - The Golden Egret Studio (cheeky, but she makes me think most of all)

There are more, of course, of course, but these are the ones that post regularly and make me think so much they enter my dreams. And they have all positively influenced the way I live my daily life. They all have passion for what they do. They immerse themselves in things whether it be food, art, crafts, discovery, experimentation, friends, travel or just life. You ladies really have enriched my life in ways that you will probably never know, thank you.

Tomorrow I'll respond to the people who tagged me for the 7 things meme. (although bloglines readers will have already seen it, but without the pictures).