Pollution
Isn't it time someone introduced electric buses and taxis then? I for one am sick of feeling choked by the city pollution we are forced to live with.
Red Writer on 01.31.05 @ 02:28 PM gmt [link]
Monday, January 31st
Saturday, January 29th
Real Student
I was a real student again today. I'd forgotten how tiring it is sitting in a lecture. Almost three hours on an introduction to art history, (Modern Classicism predominantly) a break for lunch and another two hours at the gallery viewing paintings to reiterate what we were taught in the morning, saw me flagging. Sixteen pages of A4 scribbled notes later I was pleased when the tutor said he too was wilting and going to wind things up. (All credit to him, I don't know how he managed to keep going for so long). I feel I should go over the notes now and type them up into something that makes sense. But a friend is coming round tonight and the thought of dinner, wine and collapsing on the sofa chatting seem much more appealing.
It must be an age thing, but perching on a little fold up stool at the gallery has made my back ache as much as a days heavy labour and my sore shoulder is now totally numb from holding it in the same position when taking notes. Think I'll sink into a hot bath with a glass of wine to ease the aches pains and hope the mind can relax enough to make some sense of all those words.
Oh and the engineer appeared this morning to fix the broken wires. Seems it may have been as simple as a faulty router - which is pretty poor considering we'd only had it for a day. Why do I feel a battle with the phone company is looming?
Red Writer on 01.29.05 @ 05:25 PM gmt [link]
Tuesday, January 25th
Exciting Technology
Finally I've had a chance to get all the new technology together. I'm playing hookey from my oil class tonight because the thought of taking SO out for a belated birthday meal after the class when I would be covered in paint, turps and dressed in scruffy clothes just wasn't appealing. So I ditched my class, he ditched his and we went for a fantastic curry. We then got home and settled down to watch a DVD but the phone rang. Yes, great excitement, the phone actually rang.....
Red Writer on 01.25.05 @ 10:11 PM gmt [more..]
Fifty Per Cent Grey
I can't remember if I have mentioned this film before but Fifty Per Cent Grey is well worth watching. Download it from Pocket Movies
Red Writer on 01.25.05 @ 10:36 AM gmt [link]
Sunday, January 23rd
Formula for a day of misery
So this is it, the official formula for a day of misery 1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA. Which is wonderful news for SO as it's his birthday tomorrow. Now that we are pre-warned we'll have to work extra hard to beat the blues!
Red Writer on 01.23.05 @ 07:22 PM gmt [link]
Saturday, January 22nd
Working Girl
Do you remember the 1988 film Working Girl? Well that's the sort of day it was on Thursday. Added to which, a big reorganisation was announced and suitably disected by much vacuous hot air. But I was still a bit shocked that the idea I discussed with someone about seven months ago had been approved and was now about to be a fully fledged project, led by someone else!
At first I was furious and yes, I did challenge where the idea came from, but then I realised I only had myself and my own lack of confidence to blame for not pushing it more at the time. It was inevitable that someone else would come along and steal all the credit. So, I am not angry at that any longer. I am angry at plenty of other things but I don't expect I could have headed up a big project anyway.
Red Writer on 01.22.05 @ 11:00 AM gmt [more..]
Wednesday, January 19th
Oil Painting
Tutor "Today I want you all to use the knife to put the paint on"
Thinks to myself - this is not going to be easy. Second time using oils and I can't even do it with a brush.
Tutor "Don't worry about using the paint thinly, just slap it all on"
Thinks to myself - I've just had a discussion with you about the price - at £13 for a little tube you must be joking!
Tutor "I'm still reeling at the price you paid for your oils?"
Thinks to myself - you teach this and you don't know how much we have to pay for materials?! Or a more sheepish thought, maybe I was totally ripped off?
Tutor "just loosen up a bit, keep it all flowing. I want to see energy"
Thinks to myself - you've set up a still life with upturned stools, this is not an energetic subject
Tutor "It's still too tight"
Thinks to myself - bloody right it is, I'm still working out how to pay for the paint. It's costing me about £1.50 every time I wave the knife
Tutor "So how did you all feel about that?"
Silence
Red Writer on 01.19.05 @ 10:08 AM gmt [more..]
Tuesday, January 18th
Today is the first day...
The snow fell last night, all over Scotland people are waking up to a beautiful white carpet. At the moment the sky is wonderfully pink and grey. All around the scenery is a bit like this but much more pink. The sun is beginning to rise but the clouds still look heavy.
And with the snow came a revelation of sorts. I woke up with the phrase, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" in my head. I have searched the web to find it and can't see who said it, although it sounds like something Mark Twain would write. The closest I have found is a quote from Simone de Beauvoir which echose the same feelings "Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." All good thoughts for today and the rest of my life.
It feels like January has just caught up with me and it is a time for new beginnings. New plans are afoot, some I can help to bring about and some I have absolutely no control over. Which makes it both interesting and exciting, if not a little unsettling. However, as the first day of the rest of my life I am embracing change. I will seek it out and welcome it when it happens because ...... today is the first day of the rest of my life - and as there is so much to do that I haven't done yet, I plan to be around for quite a while yet.
Red Writer on 01.18.05 @ 09:13 AM gmt [link]
Monday, January 17th
Stormy Times Ahead
Batton down the hatches again we're in for more bad weather. And I'm still browsing Lora Shelly's art. Sometimes there is so much that can be said through art.
Red Writer on 01.17.05 @ 03:54 PM gmt [link]
Sunday, January 16th
Titan
I think the latest pictures from Titan show the most exciting thing to have happened this year. Can you imagine how the scientists who sent the probe off into space 17 years ago must be feeling now? Imagine in several hundred years time, when they have worked out where all the wormholes are, they could be exploring more and more of these moons and planets. What would it be like if we could all travel into the future. I can't comprehend such a massive concept but sometimes I really do wish I could have a glimpse of the future, just so that I could prepare myself for all that is yet to come.
Red Writer on 01.16.05 @ 09:15 PM gmt [link]
"You must have chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."—Friedrich Nietzsche
I have mixed ideas at the moment about my whole creative future. My inner muse appears to have left me and I feel a bit like I'm wandering around an empty space with nothing but white walls in my head. It made for a strange glass class. I poured over books and I tried to sketch a few ideas but nothing was happening. Even my tutor sounded a little exasperated by my lack of direction. I have a lot of work to do before I can start another piece. But I experimented with preparation for some fusing work and hopefully it will go in the kiln this week so I can see the results next week.
Painting class was a bit more focused as there was a model and I haven't drawn from a model for a long time. But I was so exhausted after dashing across town in my lunch hour to pick up my new pc -which had been delivered to my work - load it into the car, drop it off at home - where SED (who's been ill all week) was left in charge of it - then dash back to college, arms breaking and head spinning through lack of food. By the time I'd done all that and deal with the broken paystation in the car park - which lost me ten minutes - creativity had sort of crept away here too but being forced to do something was good for me and towards the end of the class I was beginning to loosen up - just in time to pack everything away again! 
Red Writer on 01.16.05 @ 02:34 PM gmt [more..]
Tuesday, January 11th
Art Work
Classes started again last night - Photography first. I was really nervous because of my very slow progress last term but the class was really good and I processed four images which look ok - not great but ok. It's amazing how much difference a three hour class makes as opposed to two. Let's hope I get more done this term than last. Meanwhile I really like the work of Lora Shelly (said to be a descendant of Percy Bysshe Shelley)
Red Writer on 01.11.05 @ 10:46 AM gmt [more..]
Monday, January 10th
Horror Scope!
This is my horoscope for tomorrow:
"Maybe it could get worse, or maybe this is rock bottom. Put your energy into finding solutions instead of waiting for the other shoe to fall. By now you probably have a better idea of what you can expect from others."
mmm don't you just love optimistic predictions, can't wait for tomorrow to come. But perhaps it's right, I am beginning to work out what I "can expect from others" and some of it isn't very hopeful.
Red Writer on 01.10.05 @ 04:16 PM gmt [link]
Sunday, January 9th
Never have the proper equipment when I need it.
Having re-read the following post, perhaps it should have an 18 certificate!!
Red Writer on 01.09.05 @ 08:43 PM gmt [more..]
Saturday, January 8th
New Beginings
It seems ages since I wrote to the blog and the keys beneath my fingers seem awkward and strange, like talking to an old friend you haven't seen for years and don't quite know where to start. I'm not sure why but it does seem like I've been away from the pc for a very long time. Unfortunately the shoulder is no better so I'm not convinced it's an rsi but here are a few thoughts of the many I have had over the last few weeks.
Red Writer on 01.08.05 @ 06:06 PM gmt [link]
Wednesday, January 5th
Happy New Year
I'm back but no time to write so, in the meantime......
Red Writer on 01.05.05 @ 02:42 PM gmt [more..]