Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Words of the Day: third time lucky?
I've said it before (twice, indeed) but it really does look as though spring is well and truly upon us. Flowers out, squirrels running about, that sort of thing. I've not worn a coat down to my office for the last few days, which have been almost warm at times.
Excitement for me this morning consisted of waiting by the departmental printer for half an hour while someone printed out junk. I mean, literally, junk - have you ever sent a postscript file to a non-postscript printer (do you even know what I'm talking about?)? It just sent a whole load of symbols, which whilst looking rather cool on the page, aren't really all that useful to anyone. Finally got the two pieces of paper I wanted printing. I could have traced the graphs off my screen quicker than that.
The painting I said I was starting started, then stopped rather abruptly. Interesting in concept, not so in execution. I don't think it's worth the effort continuing, and even if it is finished, I'm pretty sure I don't want it being displayed. It's just not very good. I'm disappointed, because it could have been great, I think. Just didn't turn out that way.
Gone back to writing books instead, or to be a little more accurate, re-writing. I've started editing my first book again, which was a project I effectively laid to rest over a year ago. Time and some reading have shown me the errors of my ways, and so it is being mercilessly ripped apart and reinvented. The story is the same, after all that was always it s strongest aspect, but the writing was awful, and had to go. Some of the dialogue is so childish it makes you wonder if I knew what I was writing at the time. I've learned since that fantasy doesn't have to be all about mysterious things, and that people can be imperfect in these books, and there doesn't have to be that much more to people than you see. Of course, some characters have to be special, otherwise you'd struggle to keep an audience, but not everyone has to have a secret past filled with heroic ancestors. It is this I have learned. I'm hoping the new version of the book, which is almost an entire re-write, will pass muster with family and friends, who were clearly only being polite when they said it was good the first time around. Evolution three is on its way, and this time there will be no mercy. Or crap passages. Or blatant falsehoods (sometimes I can't remember what I've written a few paragraphs before). I've even got a strong idea of another book for the series which details some of the politics going on several years prior to the events in this one. Still, that'll never happen if I don't get this one finished first.
And the printer's not working again...
I've said it before (twice, indeed) but it really does look as though spring is well and truly upon us. Flowers out, squirrels running about, that sort of thing. I've not worn a coat down to my office for the last few days, which have been almost warm at times.
Excitement for me this morning consisted of waiting by the departmental printer for half an hour while someone printed out junk. I mean, literally, junk - have you ever sent a postscript file to a non-postscript printer (do you even know what I'm talking about?)? It just sent a whole load of symbols, which whilst looking rather cool on the page, aren't really all that useful to anyone. Finally got the two pieces of paper I wanted printing. I could have traced the graphs off my screen quicker than that.
The painting I said I was starting started, then stopped rather abruptly. Interesting in concept, not so in execution. I don't think it's worth the effort continuing, and even if it is finished, I'm pretty sure I don't want it being displayed. It's just not very good. I'm disappointed, because it could have been great, I think. Just didn't turn out that way.
Gone back to writing books instead, or to be a little more accurate, re-writing. I've started editing my first book again, which was a project I effectively laid to rest over a year ago. Time and some reading have shown me the errors of my ways, and so it is being mercilessly ripped apart and reinvented. The story is the same, after all that was always it s strongest aspect, but the writing was awful, and had to go. Some of the dialogue is so childish it makes you wonder if I knew what I was writing at the time. I've learned since that fantasy doesn't have to be all about mysterious things, and that people can be imperfect in these books, and there doesn't have to be that much more to people than you see. Of course, some characters have to be special, otherwise you'd struggle to keep an audience, but not everyone has to have a secret past filled with heroic ancestors. It is this I have learned. I'm hoping the new version of the book, which is almost an entire re-write, will pass muster with family and friends, who were clearly only being polite when they said it was good the first time around. Evolution three is on its way, and this time there will be no mercy. Or crap passages. Or blatant falsehoods (sometimes I can't remember what I've written a few paragraphs before). I've even got a strong idea of another book for the series which details some of the politics going on several years prior to the events in this one. Still, that'll never happen if I don't get this one finished first.
And the printer's not working again...
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Words of the Day: wrong...again....
Whoever controls the weather around here has been reading my blog, I think. It snowed yesterday, and it's genuinely struggling to get far above freezing today. I don't think I'll commit to Spring for another few months now, just in case the weather turns AGAIN.
One thing I have noticed is that all the Twix bars from the Union shop here at the University have a best before date of my 25th birthday. I think it's a sign. Not entirely sure what it's a sign of, but it's some kind of omen.
Whoever controls the weather around here has been reading my blog, I think. It snowed yesterday, and it's genuinely struggling to get far above freezing today. I don't think I'll commit to Spring for another few months now, just in case the weather turns AGAIN.
One thing I have noticed is that all the Twix bars from the Union shop here at the University have a best before date of my 25th birthday. I think it's a sign. Not entirely sure what it's a sign of, but it's some kind of omen.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Words of the Day: I can see clearly now the rain has gone...
I may have been a little over-enthusiastic about the whole spring thing. Actually, a lot over-enthusiastic. It snowed a little bit, quite a lot in some areas of the country. But this time I think it may really be happening. The sun's out, the weather's relatively warm, and there are a lot of ducks swimming around in the ponds on the way to work. This might well be 'it'.
Beyond that, I have little to say for myself, other than to inform you (like anyone reads this) that I have decided to take on the biggest piece of artwork I've ever attempted. I'm a small page kind of artist - I do clever little things with sharp pencils on thin paper, and stick them in my portfolio thing. At a stretch, I'll dabble with CGI, watercolours and sometimes some acrylic on canvas. Nothing much beyong about A3 size. I've done two large things in my life. Two. One of those was such a spectacular failure that was binned almost as soon as it was finished. A great concept, a horribly flawed execution. The second was something a little out of left field. I built a table - large and functional, and decided that it needed livening up a little. Thus, I took one of my favourite images, the eyes and patterning thereabouts of a jaguar cub, and translated them to one half of the table. I would estimate the picture at about 3ft by 2ft. Not massive, by anyone's standards, except for that bloke who makes sculptures on the head of a pin. But, until now, I have not even considered something massive. Ok, so that's not 100% true, but I've never actually sat down and started planning the thing. Last night I did sit down, and I started planning something big. Many of you will be familiar with the painting Whaam! by Roy Lichtenstein, possibly the greatest proponent of the pop art movement (and before you start screaming Andy Warhol, have a look at what Lichtenstein did and see if you still disagree). It's pretty much his most famous work, and has been a favourite of mine for some years. There's some horribly simple about the piece - it's both adult and childish at the same time, dealing with the horror of war in a cartoon strip. I've decided this would be the perfect large project work for me to attempt. The original is 269cm wide, 172 high, and I'm seriously tempted to paint it at full scale. Very handily, Lichtenstein painted his original on two canvasses, which means I don't have to try to find a single canvas big enough. I'll let you know how I get on...
I may have been a little over-enthusiastic about the whole spring thing. Actually, a lot over-enthusiastic. It snowed a little bit, quite a lot in some areas of the country. But this time I think it may really be happening. The sun's out, the weather's relatively warm, and there are a lot of ducks swimming around in the ponds on the way to work. This might well be 'it'.
Beyond that, I have little to say for myself, other than to inform you (like anyone reads this) that I have decided to take on the biggest piece of artwork I've ever attempted. I'm a small page kind of artist - I do clever little things with sharp pencils on thin paper, and stick them in my portfolio thing. At a stretch, I'll dabble with CGI, watercolours and sometimes some acrylic on canvas. Nothing much beyong about A3 size. I've done two large things in my life. Two. One of those was such a spectacular failure that was binned almost as soon as it was finished. A great concept, a horribly flawed execution. The second was something a little out of left field. I built a table - large and functional, and decided that it needed livening up a little. Thus, I took one of my favourite images, the eyes and patterning thereabouts of a jaguar cub, and translated them to one half of the table. I would estimate the picture at about 3ft by 2ft. Not massive, by anyone's standards, except for that bloke who makes sculptures on the head of a pin. But, until now, I have not even considered something massive. Ok, so that's not 100% true, but I've never actually sat down and started planning the thing. Last night I did sit down, and I started planning something big. Many of you will be familiar with the painting Whaam! by Roy Lichtenstein, possibly the greatest proponent of the pop art movement (and before you start screaming Andy Warhol, have a look at what Lichtenstein did and see if you still disagree). It's pretty much his most famous work, and has been a favourite of mine for some years. There's some horribly simple about the piece - it's both adult and childish at the same time, dealing with the horror of war in a cartoon strip. I've decided this would be the perfect large project work for me to attempt. The original is 269cm wide, 172 high, and I'm seriously tempted to paint it at full scale. Very handily, Lichtenstein painted his original on two canvasses, which means I don't have to try to find a single canvas big enough. I'll let you know how I get on...
Monday, March 01, 2004
Boro Win the Cup
128 years. One hundred and twenty eight years. Try thinking Grosse Point Blank, the bit where Martin Blank's best friend Paul is driving him around in the beemer and suddenly shouts 'TEN YEARS!', only multiply that by 12.8 times. 128 years Middlesbrough FC have existed - bar the small break in the mid-80s - and they have just won their first ever major trophy. I've only been a supporter for a relatively short period in comparison - about the last 20 years, give or take - and yet already I know the pain of the long wait, and now the sweet relief that follows that barren time, like the first joyous rains on the Serengeti after a long, hot, dry summer. During the mid-90s we had a spate of cup final appearances, in both the league and FA cups, and yet came away utterly empty-handed. Not this time, however. Not this time. I won't bore you with the details - after all, you're a web user, you know how to find these things - and nor will I regale you with tired arguments over this controversy and that controversy. Bolton did fight well, and perhaps might have been luckier, but even the Bolton manager Sam Allardyce admitted that his team were outplayed in the second half. Middlesbrough won the match, and deservedly so. Middlesbrough won the cup. And deservedly so...
128 years. One hundred and twenty eight years. Try thinking Grosse Point Blank, the bit where Martin Blank's best friend Paul is driving him around in the beemer and suddenly shouts 'TEN YEARS!', only multiply that by 12.8 times. 128 years Middlesbrough FC have existed - bar the small break in the mid-80s - and they have just won their first ever major trophy. I've only been a supporter for a relatively short period in comparison - about the last 20 years, give or take - and yet already I know the pain of the long wait, and now the sweet relief that follows that barren time, like the first joyous rains on the Serengeti after a long, hot, dry summer. During the mid-90s we had a spate of cup final appearances, in both the league and FA cups, and yet came away utterly empty-handed. Not this time, however. Not this time. I won't bore you with the details - after all, you're a web user, you know how to find these things - and nor will I regale you with tired arguments over this controversy and that controversy. Bolton did fight well, and perhaps might have been luckier, but even the Bolton manager Sam Allardyce admitted that his team were outplayed in the second half. Middlesbrough won the match, and deservedly so. Middlesbrough won the cup. And deservedly so...
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