Photo a Day #3

Monday 30th July

I've really been making an effort to try and read more this year as I used to be such a bookworm yet now average just one book a year. And I've really fallen back in love with the hobby and have a huge pile of books to read! I'm currently re-reading an old favourite The Wind In The Willows each night before bed. I love a bit of English whimsy.

Tuesday 31st July

We saw this racing pigeon on Sunday around the reservoir, and figured she'd been blown off course from the storms over the weekend. She seemed ok so we left her, but she was still there on Tuesday and looking really weakened and hungry so we took her home and set up a box for her in the barn. I'm happy to report she's recovered and is back to flying again, although she hasn't left our garden so I don't know if she's here for good! Although we could contact her owner from the rings on her legs, we felt reluctant to as it's common for racing pigeons to be killed if they're slow getting back so we're just leaving her to her own devices.

Wednesday 1st August

The weather picked back up, so Mum and I decided to spend the afternoon having a coke at the pub.

Thursday 2nd August

I've had my Creeping Jenny plant for years, but it looked like it needed a bit more light so I temporarily moved it near a window in the house which resulted in both my mum and I watering it without realising the other was taking care of it and it died. I was honestly really upset about it! I went to the garden centre I got it from to get a new one, and also picked up a String of Pearls plant while I was there. I had to repot both so they had drainage, so I'm hoping they settle in to their new pots ok!

Friday 3rd August

I ran some errands in the morning and spent the afternoon enjoying the sun in the paddling pool. It really is a blessing to have in this heat! Although I'm a bit fed up with the heat, I'm still trying to ensure I make the most of it while it's here as I know I'll miss it as soon as it's gone and it's so rare for it to be this glorious in the UK.

Saturday 4th August

I bought this glass cloche from IKEA a while ago and it's just been sitting empty while I decided what to do with it. When I realised my Totoro fit inside it perfectly I felt inspired to turn it into a moss terrarium. Moss is really low maintenence, and it gives the illusion of Totoro towering over the foliage. If you want to do it yourself, just make sure you treat the glass with Rain-X to stop it misting up from humidity.

Sunday 5th August

On Friday I looked up nearby record fairs only to see there was one on Sunday! I wasn't sure what to expect, but it ended up being really good. I'd been outbid on About Face on eBay earlier in the week, so it felt like fate when it was the first record I saw upon walking in. And I'm glad to finally add some Joni to my collection, I've always loved her artwork on this sleeve so much.

I haven't taken any photos this week as it's mostly consisted of fixing my computer which is pretty unphotogenic. Thankfully a brand new hard drive fixed the issue like I thought it would, but it means I've lost absolutely everything as typically I hadn't backed up. It feels like both a blessing and a curse, as it's kind of nice having what feels like a brand new machine and a blank slate, but there's so many important things such as my artwork files, that I'll never get back. And even the more trivial things like loosing all of my progress on The Sims :(

Stood in a field where barley grows

I meant to post sooner, but my laptop unfortunately bit the dust! I’m hoping it can be repaired, and kicking myself as it’s my own fault. I dropped my (empty!) mug onto the keyboard, and the impact damaged the hard drive. I’m hoping it’s just a simple fix I can do myself. Thankfully I have a desktop computer to use in the meantime, I nearly sold it before as it wasn't getting much use compared to my laptop but I've never been more grateful to have it!

I took these photos when out for a walk near where I live. It still feels too hot to be alive! I know other countries are laughing at how the UK can’t hack it, but we’re a cold country that rarely gets higher than 23°C for a couple of days of the year. We don’t have air conditioning, and our homes are built to retain as much warmth as possible. I do love summer and am trying to make the most of though, as I know I’ll be longing for it as soon as it’s coat weather again. I can’t deny that I’m looking forward to autumn though as it is my favourite season. I always start wishing for it as soon as August comes round and I can feel the days getting slightly shorter. Even if it’s still too warm, I can least wear Autumnal colours.

One of the first things I wanted to do as soon as I came home was visit the antiques malls. There’s so many here, which I really came to appreciate after living in the South West. I saw this fab 70s watch back at Easter, but it felt a little pricey at £22 so I decided to leave it. I hoped it would still be there and it was! I had to get my mum to show me how to wind it, I’m not used to watches not having batteries. I think it’s really versatile though, and suits my modern outfits as well as my vintage.

I also finally got a decent playable copy of Relics by Pink Floyd. This was the first LP I ever bought of Pink Floyd, I ordered it from Discogs and it was in such bad condition I got a full refund. I then bought another copy at my local record shop, but I’ve always been looking to upgrade it and finally all these years later I have.

Photo A Day #2

I've been wanting to jump back into doing the photo a day challenge for a while, I think it's such a great way of not only expanding photography skills but also taking note of the little joys throughout the day. You may remember my old attempt where I said I'd do it for the month but it ended up only being that one entry? Yeah. I'd love to say I'll do a full 365 but I have commitment issues, but I'd like to do it every once in a while when the mood takes me.

Monday 23rd July

The day I decided to actually start this photo a day it was already in the evening. It had been too hot to do anything all day other than sloth about, so at dusk I took the opportunity to take a walk around the nearby reservoir and burn off some energy.

Tuesday 24th July

My stickers arrived from Decadent West, so I had to put one straight on my sketchbook! Having to listen to dudes act like I only like Pink Floyd to impress them or lecture me about my own vinyl collection is a regular occurrence. Because apparently women only like frivolous things, and if a women dares to like the same thing as a man then it's up to said man to test and approve her or some total BS.

I've had this orange sketchbook for years, it's a Leuchtturm1917 and I've never liked the paper quality. I've been really struggling with my sketchbook work lately, I think in part to seeing so many sketchbook tours on YouTube with perfect illustrations on each page which is such an unrealistic way to work. It's made me develop this idea that everything needs to be perfect in case someone sees it, but the entire point of a sketchbook is that it's a personal space for an artist to practice and develop their skills away from final pieces. Watching TheGothicAlice's sketchbook tours has been a breath of fresh air and helped me to check my priorities. As I'd only used a handful of pages from this sketchbook because I didn't like it much, I figured I'd be less inclined to slip into old habits and try and make it perfect. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a sketchbook just for me again, I feel like I'm finally getting over my persistent art block and am enjoying drawing again. I hope it lasts and I can get back into the mindset I used to have a few years ago where drawing was a purely personal hobby which I enjoyed daily, instead of feeling like everything has to be shared. Social media can be very toxic for reinforcing that sometimes.

Wednesday 25th July

The day was spent at the local seaside, where I ate a lot of ice cream and paddled in the sea in an attempt to cool down. Although all of the warm weather has been nice, I am concerned about what it means for global warming and to be honest can't wait for autumn! I bought some fresh raspberries on the way home and had them with my new sour cherry flavour tea.

Thursday 26th July

I tried to play about with my camera settings to get a good photo of the moon, partly in preparation for the blood moon the following night, and also because it looked so beautiful in the landscape - quite big with a pink-ish glow. I only have a fixed focal length on my DSLR and this was the best I managed to get. I still don't understand how to photograph the moon as part of the landscape! The above was taken with my Canon G7X Mark II at full zoom, which shows the pink but not the lavender sky. If anyone has any tips I'm all ears!

Friday 27th July

The dress you see in the background was found in the charity shop - an expensive Monsoon dress in pristine condition. And my soot sprite pin arrived from Canada. I love soot sprites, hence naming my social media after them. They feature in my favourite Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro, but most merchandise uses the Spirited Away imagery. I liked the message on this pin, but I'm never sure how I feel about these unlicensed items. People are often selling Disney, Studio Ghibli, and other licensed and copyrighted characters on Etsy and the like, and I never understand how they legally get away with it without being sued.

Saturday 28th July

Saturday felt like the autumnal weather I'd been craving, filled with thunderstorms and rain. They don't look terribly photogenic, but I felt like something sweet so knocked up some jam and butterscotch tarts which went down very well in my house!

Sunday 29th July

Sunday was more of the same kind of weather, so I set myself up at the dining table with my paints and got on with my travel page spreads from Italy that have been looming over me. I knew I'd be gutted if I never completed them, and they were looming over me and preventing me from feeling like I could draw anything else, so it feels good to have made a good start on them. As I haven't drawn properly in so long, I'm hoping that by the time I've drawn everything I've been meaning to draw will blow away some of the cobwebs and allow inspiration to flow back again. I hope to get back into the habit of drawing daily eventually!

Is This the Life We Really Want?

Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to see Roger Waters, a former member of my favourite band Pink Floyd. I saw him both in London, and the following night at Birmingham which was undoubtedly the best night of my entire life. I was second row from the front and being so physically close to him made the experience feel incredibly intimate, it was easy to forget the other tens of thousands of people behind. I even got to touch Roger's hand as he passed by the audience during the final track. To be so close to one of my biggest living idols was a completely surreal experience, and if I didn't have photographic evidence I'd be half convinced it was all a dream!

Despite the show being to promote his most recent album, most of the set list was based around Pink Floyd's tracks which felt amazing to hear live, especially as many of my favourites were included such as One of These Days and Pigs (Three Different Ones). Most of the show was rooted in the 1977 album Animals which is my favourite after Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Despite being a fan for so many years I hadn't been able to see Roger on any of his previous tours which were mostly based around The Wall, so it felt extra special that the shows I should see borrowed so heavily from my personal favourite album.

I'm seeing Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in September which I'm sure will be another emotional night, especially as Nick's my favourite and it's based more around Syd's era of the band. I can't believe this year I'll have gone from seeing none of Pink Floyd in the flesh, to two of them!

I'm much too fast to take that test

I abandoned this blog for the most superficial of reasons: I liked it exactly how it was. The posts previous to this one really mean something to me, particularly the entry about Their Mortal Remains. I felt reluctant to push those entries down into the depths so they were no longer on the front where they rightfully belonged. So I left it, a snapshot in time. But as this is my favourite blog I've ever created filled with my favourite entries, I began to think that surely it's a shame to end it there and cut myself off from making future entires I'm as proud of?

Lately I've felt like I want to burn my closet and start again from scratch. I'm so bored of my style, but feeling impulsive and bored is never a wise combination. I've always gone through phases in my life, so I guess it's really nothing new. There was the boho phase, the grunge phase, the goth, the EGL. I'm reluctant to describe my vintage wearing as a phase seeing as it's been such a huge part of my life. But as about 90% of my wardrobe is vintage, prehaps I just went too hard and now I need to go home.

Lately I find myself browsing Lolita brand websites again, pinning Mori and Dolly Kei images, and lusting for all things earth toned. I'm reclaiming old interests such as animated films and childrens literature, old loves which I'd drifted from. Cath Kidston's latest Disney collection proved lethal to the point where I felt directly targeted - Alice has always been my favourite to the point my entire online identity used to be carved from it, and the Cath Kidston style is just the aesthetic I've been coveting lately.

Half of the issue is exactly in what I've just stated - I base my entire online presence around one particular thing and water the rest of myself down. It's difficult not to when so much of blogging and social media is about finding your 'niche' and promoting just that and becoming boringly predictable. It's a method that's always lacked authenticity to me as no one is that one sided, and yet it's a trap I still fall into myself. I'm bored of my old blog and my Instagram as no one cares if it's not vintage I'm posting about, and that just feels sad and hollow to me. I long to express myself fully and embrace all of my interests - the Disney, the J-fashion, the kitsch, the spooky, and the vintage. Which I think is why I've felt so wistful these past months for the old version of me. Because I used to embrace every aspect of myself, but somehow got lost along the way.

In line with that I've been giving my online life a bit of an overhaul. My YouTube channel has had a makeover and I'm aiming to ease it into a fully art based direction as art channels have been my favourite to watch since I discovered them. I've also started a new Instagram account which I hope to be less curated where the only 'theme' is me. I've also begun a new art blog, as I really feel I'd rather base myself around that aspect of my personality. I crave to be known for the work I put my heart and soul into, and less for what I wear and what I buy. I'm not sure when I became so materialistic, but it's uncomfortable and needs to stop.

I've considering taking a bit of a break from all social media except for blogging and YouTube - just a week or so to reset myself. It's alarming how much time I waste scrolling, and how little time I spend doing the things that matter to me, such as reading books, drawing, and writing from my heart. Yet more features of my old self I hope to reconnect with.

Remember a Day

On Thursday I traveled to London to see Their Mortal Remains, the V&A's Pink Floyd exhibition, for one final time before it closes on the 15th. I'm lucky to have been a total of 3 times so far, and I'm going to miss this exhibition SO much. I can't even begin to put into words just how much I love Pink Floyd and what this exhibition means to me. It just gives me the biggest buzz and makes me so happy to escape and just be completely and utterly immersed in my favourite band for a few hours. It renews my love and wonder for them all over again and makes me feel like I did when I first discovered them, and I'm going to miss that feeling so much. I have no idea how I'll recapture that without the exhibition. The closest thing I can describe it as is it's like Disneyland, but for Floyd fans. It's that same kind of magical escapism. I managed to spend 5 hours in there this visit and I have no idea where that time even went, I was in such a happy bubble making sure I took in absolutely every little thing before it's gone forever. I just love Pink Floyd so much, and this entire exhibition just highlights that so much and overwhelms me with adoration. I could never see it enough times.

I'll put most of these images under a cut as there's going to be A LOT, but I just want to remember this always. You'll have to excuse the red and green dots, it's the reflection of the audio guide around my neck!

As you begin the exhibition you enter through a model of their Bedford van which was the bands earliest mode of transport for all of their equipment. There's a photo of Nick loading his drumkit into it (which you can see clearer here - notice the band through the window in the background!) and a letter Syd Barrett wrote to his girlfriend of the time that mentions the van.

A zine Syd made for a school friend

Really my only complaint about the entire exhibition, and has been since day 1, is that there isn't enough emphasis placed on Syd. Roger Waters himself has stated "We wouldn't of existed if it weren't for him", and as I know from first hand experience how few people are even aware of Syd's existence (the amount of times I've been condescendingly told by 'fans' that there's no member of Pink Floyd called Syd!) that I really feel his influence wasn't emphasized enough. After the first few rooms he's just never mentioned again, despite the fact that he inspired so much of the bands later content such as Wish You Were Here and a lot of The Wall and his shadow forever haunted them. At the very end of the exhibition there's a little tribute to Rick to mark his passing, and yet there's nothing like that for Syd which I thought was sad.

One of Nick Mason's technical drawings from his architecture studies and an abstract painting by Syd

"After two years at the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, Syd Barrett came to London in 1964 to study at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. He was a prolific painter, and many people saw him as an artist first and a musician second. Although Pink Floyd's increasing success meant Syd left Camberwell early, he continued to paint for the rest of his life"

Photo a day #1

I've really sucked at taking photos this past year, and it's something I've felt very aware of. I've always loved seeing people's project 365s and having a little peek into their world, and I remember trying to do it a few years ago. I'm not sure how I feel about committing to a whole year, but a month is definitely doable so here's the first part of October.

1/30 - Monday 2nd October

This was my first day back at uni, so you can imagine I was exhausted! Not only did my body have to re-adjust to waking up at 7am, we also had a full on day of dissertation planning. I was relieved to finally get home and have a cup of tea, especially as my lovely new Moomin mug had arrived from Finland. It's a recent release based on Tove Jansson's illustrations and it's moody atmosphere makes it feel perfect for this time of year.

2/30 - Tuesday 3rd October

As I said in my last post, recently I've gotten very much back into using my sketchbook every day. I usually take no notice of Inktober, but I decided this year it'd be a good excuse to practice. My aim isn't to create any finished pieces, I'm not even fussed about doing all of the days, I'm just taking the prompts as inspiration for doodles for my sketchbook. I doubt I'll share many as I'm doing them for me, a habit I'm very much enjoying getting back into instead of the absurd pressure to make everything for social media.

3/30 - Wednesday 4th October

I got concert tickets to see Roger Waters!! I can barely contain my excitement. I've been looking on with envy as he's toured North America this year, willing him to come back to his home country. I actually got tickets to see him twice as this feels like such a momentous occasion. I'll be seeing him in London at British Summer Time festival, and the very next day in Birmingham so I figured I'd make it a little road trip. I'm excited to see how the festival performance varies from his own set up and stage design. Also these dates are right before my birthday and I can't imagine a better way to celebrate.

4/30 - Thursday 5th October

I went to see It again. Despite a truly awful disrespectful audience who laughed, talked, ate loudly, belched, and played on their phones throughout the entire film (seriously, why are people so inconsiderate?) I loved the film just as much on a second viewing and am still just as obsessed with it. I haven't been able to make my way through as much of the book as I would have liked due to my dissertation reading, but I recently downloaded the audio book so we'll see how I get on with that. I've never used audio books before so I'm not sure how my concentration span will compare to actually reading it myself.

5/30 - Friday 6th October

A full day at uni, I was truly exhausted after my first week back but I'm feeling excited about my final year. This page from my class sketchbook is what I worked on for most of the day, we've had to create a drink name from a pre-selected set of words and design the label.

6/30 - Saturday 7th October

I took my weekend fairly easy, and on Saturday I just popped to the craft shop for some wool and sewing bits and pieces. It was truly autumnal day with absolutely miserable weather, just how I like it!

7/30 - Sunday 8th October

I've spent most of today knitting and watching YouTube videos. I've lost my gloves, so decided I'd make my own this year. I've never knitted on double ended needles before, and it's funny as I can remember looking at them in the craft shop just this summer and wondering what on earth you'd do with those. It's actually quite simple once you get the hang of it!