screaming lulu

drawing

I'm loving my course - its going to be excellent.  I'm also (blind) drawing again... who knows where this may end...

 

babies

I had the pleasure of babysitting this morning.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just look at that face!

The course is going well.  Week 3 coming up.  My presentation was fine - my puppets were enjoyed I think 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now we have reading to do each week.  Its interesting but it does make Judith Butler seem like Noddy goes to Toyland

bikes

so I bought this bike  and I'm slowly getting used to riding it up and down the seafront and on the occasional bit of rode.  I even managed to go shopping with it which was nice.  Basically I'm fine as long as there isnt a bus or a car or even another bike behind me.  Then I tend to wibble wobble.

puppets galore!

I'm loving making puppets!

Baby Lucille

Bless! My little granddaughter, just over 4 months old.

Believe in your fucking self

5 Aug 2012

I just completed a week long sculpture course at Phoenix Arts Centre. It began as a gruelling course that was totally out of my comfort zone, involving exact technical measurements and getting used to working with clay, and ended in a slightly less gruelling sense of achievement at having completed a course which pushed my boundaries and which I didn't run away from. It made me realise how I shy away from stuff that seems too hard and in which I sense failure. 8 of us worked on a life size head and shoulders sculpture of our model. As long as I didn't look at the final pieces of everyone else's, I was relatively happy with my version. However, when they were all lined up together, mine was clearly the worst. I had to ignore that concern and realise I had indeed learnt a lot, how to create eyes and a mouth - my sculpey versions of mouths looked like two rubber snakes stuck on the front of a face - and despite the fact my sculpture looked nothing like the model, it did vaguely resemble a face, albeit one with lopsided nostrils and Marty Feldman eyes; this was progress!

Prior to this course, I did a lovely puppet making course which was easier and more fun/less technical. Both tutors on these courses were excellent and all that I have learnt will be hugely helpful when it comes to creating puppets or models for my animation figures.

Speaking of which, details have arrived of the joining instructions for the fine art course. Lots to prepare prior to the start date of September 25th. I think I'm looking forward to it...

Oh and I've booked up to do 2 short animation courses at City College, Brighton, starting next year. Should be good stuff!

I'm a granny!

She's almost 4 months now and quite beautiful of course!

Paris

I had a lovely couple of days in Paris with my youngest baby.  Staying in the delightful hotel 7art (I suggest turning your sound off as the effects get  a bit tedious after a while!)  A lovely, small and friendly hotel 3 doors away from where Dylan lives, in rue st paul.  

We had a wonderful time shopping, eating and drinking.  The gorgeous Merci store was a dream - beautifully described here: Merci and I could barely move away from the stationery department.  The Midori journals and travel books were overwhelmingly and staggerlingly beautiful.  I dont know what it is about journals and sketch books, filled with goodies and overflowing with beauty - but I cant resist them, even though mine never end up looking the way I imagine they might look.  Mostly they remain half empty before Ive bought another one to coo over.

We went to the Musee de Poupee too - Puppets galore which was amazing.  I almost bought an articulated doll as I thought it would be good to animate.  I was about to hand over what seemed a huge amount of money for a doll - £75 - but it turned out that was just for the hat. The complete 1930s doll was 900 euros.  Yikes.

Here are some pics anyhow:

crazy dolls

cafe des 2 moulins

amelie!

fun and games

my baby

old girl at the top of montmartre