It's amazing how much you can achieve in a three day weekend. Today we decorated the living room. Started at 08:30 on Saturday morning stripping and preparing, painting, glossing, varnising. Today it was an 08:00 start and we put up the wallpaper. What a team - it looks great. Last weekend it was the kitchen and that's now finished too. My hands look and feel as if they have been dipped in acid and my thumb is still throbbing after a 3cm long splinter decided to escape from the shelf of the bookcase and impale itself in me (I think I got it all out). But the decorating is finished. Now all I have to do is decide on the colour of the new carpet, curtains and (hopefully) new settees. My deadline is to have it all done before Christmas - unfortunately SO thinks it would be better to wait until the sales! I waited until after the World Cup was finished - how much longer do I have to wait??? And now only 13 months after the extension was started we are almost nearing the end of all the disruption of living in a building site. It's looking great and I keep thinking how different it all is compared to just over a year ago. Now.... how do I persuade him the hall needs to be done too? Answers on a postcard!
posted by Red Writer
Wednesday, November 26
I keep meaning to write about the article in last week's Sunday Herald about the demise of the red-headedgene! It would indeed be a sad day if all the natural red-heads were no longer. Apparently the only way to save the gene is for redheaded people to breed. The pairings the Herald comes up with are, to say the least, interesting! (especially the last comment about Mick Hucknell). This gem of information is unfortunately too late for me as my contribution to the human population is complete (a dark-haired match resulting in two beautiful blondes - one with a touch of brunette) but perhaps I should have followed my instinct in order to save the red gene and pursued one of my childhood crushes for a fellow red-head! But then again.....maybe not - why wish for something else when you are happy with the status quo
posted by Red Writer
Tuesday, November 25
I hate pananoia. There is nothing worse than secrets to make you think people are talking and writing about you behind your back. Hurtful? Yes, but I guess that's the problem with technology and security!
Painting deep folds in richly coloured materials, or painting the lines and wrinkles on a face requires many different tones and shades. The renaissance artists did it beautifully but not always terribly flattering to their subjects. But should we worry about wrinkles? A face without wrinkles is a face without character and memories. The energy that has gone into producing just one fine line on your face can be the result of years and years of laughing or concentration. Scientists have now done research on the physics of wrinkles and there is a "general theory on how wrinkling puts your face in touch with the universe." Some of their research may even help computer artists. In studying the way clothes drape and wrinkle researchers have managed to come up with some theories which might help create more realistically clothed computer characters.....ever noticed that most of them wear armour? A wrinkle is a thing of beauty, borne of happy and sad experiences. Wear your wrinkles with pride and let your life story shine out from each and every one!
posted by Red Writer
Thursday, November 20
You know that feeling when no-one is speaking to you and you don't know what you have done?........
Dear George....... doesn't the man know we don't want him, his entourage and the increased threat of terrorist attacks in our country, whilst he is here? Not to mention the millions of pounds worth of tax payers money which will be used on security to police his visit. Sorry George but I think your visit is wasting an awful lot of people's time.
posted by Red Writer
Friday, November 14
Hey, thanks to Arthur, I made blog of the day yesterday and I didn't even know it. That really cheered me up. Thank you Arthur.
posted by Red Writer
Tuesday, November 11
Was that last post too long?
posted by Red Writer
Friday, November 7
I managed to get quite a lot done in my art class today. I love it when the tutor wanders around the class suggesting different artist for each of us to have a look at. My recommendations today were German artist Emile Nolde (I like to flatter myself that there are some similarities to Autumn Sea VII in my current painting) and Australian artist Syndey Nolan (again hoping to aspire to Landscape, Carnarvon Range, Queensland 1948). Lot's of research to do! In my normal ecclectic style I can't stick to one medium and my favourite at the moment is a mixed medium of everything, whilst trying to incorporate lots of texture. It's really difficult and I think I have a very long way to go until I feel I have achieved even the slightest satisfaction with what I am producing. The main thing is that it is still fun.
Edinburgh was host last night to the MTV awards and much as I love all forms of art, including music accross many genres, I think I am definitely getting old. Watching with my two teen SD's, there were several replies to my comments ranging from the more vocal "Oh mum", to general eyebrow raising in disgust type of looks, when I noted the abundance of flesh on show from all the female artists. (The only time Christina seemed to cover up was when she was wearing some kind of kinky looking pvc outfit - why do the young thing blatant, in-your-face, sexual dressing is alluring? Sometimes more is definitely less when it comes to fabric, especially by the time the outfits gets to the streets for the public to wear - but I digress!). If you did manage to sit through it (including the incredibly irritating 15 mins of adverts in each hour) and want to have your say join the GuardianTalk discussion forum.
I do think Edinburgh managed to pull the whole thing off successfully though, so all credit to everyone involved. You see, we can compete with the big venues in Glasgow, we just need to get a bit more awareness from some of the bigger bands. Ok, so the last 40 or so miles off the M6/A74 are not motorway but most of them fly in anyway. A few more big name gigs in the capital please, instead of the usual London, Manchester, Glasgow route.
And while I am online, (read as "soapbox") this is a plea to all the annoying little (and probably big) people who have been playing with fireworks every night for the last two weeks, within my earshot: please note that fireworks night was the 5th November and is now therefore officially OVER. Personally, I would like to get at least one night's uninterupted sleep because apparently it is making me very, very grumpy indeed and extremely difficult to live with - or is that just the moon's influence? As I sit here, there is yet another display going off somewhere not far from the back of my house. And since there were about three separate fires on Arthur's Seat on the 5th, thereby causing major damage to the vegetation, not to mention the long list of unfortunate but predictable injuries, even at the organised displays, I would hereby like to request a total ban on the sale of fireworks.
And so, it is Friday night and after a long and tiring day, the only decision I capable of making now is: gin or wine? wine or gin? gin? wine? gin and wine? - no, not together, but think I'll settle for gin....... followed in close pursuit with by a nice full-bodied red. Slainte.
posted by Red Writer
Wednesday, November 5
I love these images from Mamta Baruah. It makes my own art project seem all the more impossible to make it look anything half professional. I have all the ideas in my head on how it should look but as soon as I get the paint on the paper it just doesn't seem to work. Ah well, back to the drawing board! Here are a couple of photos, one from the holiday on Lingmoore fell one from Yellowcraigs beach looking at the Bass Rock
posted by Red Writer
Saturday, November 1
Halloween saw our house full of "dead cheer-leaders" although I doubted the validity of their title as six thirteen year olds are anything but quiet and when cheer-leading the volume increases considerably. However, they were pleased that guising still seems a lucrative passtime in our area - I think they were secretly mugging people on the street! Apart from the noise level, it was lovely to see them all so excited and happy - you forget how much fun these things used to be. SED had made her escape to a fancy dress halloween party and maybe I'm just getting old but I couldn't tell if the make up was meant to be part of the dressing up or not! Today SO got up at 5am to watch rugby and apart from the odd forage to the kitchen and a secret snooze inbetween, he's been there pretty much all day. Which is great as it has given me a chance to catch up on my Lake District holiday web page, which I've also added to the static link "my links". It takes a while to load as there are a few pics, so my apologies for that. Apart from the first three, the pictures were taken with my trusty and cheap SiPix digicam so the quality isn't perfect but it still captures the scene at the time. Enjoy.
