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!

September favourites ♡

I've been wanting to start this for a while, I think it's really healthy to take stock and appreciate all of the things you've enjoyed each month, even if those things may not look like much to an outsider.

1. Gouache. I've been watching a lot of art YouTubers over summer and they really made me want to finally try this paint. I generally paint with watercolours or acrylics, and gouache is supposed to be somewhere between the two. I bought my first set this month, and guys, I've found my favourite medium. I can't stop using it. I love how vivid it is, how it plays with other mediums, and it's pushing me out of my comfort zone in the best possible way. I've never been confident with my colour selections before, but for some reason every colour I mix with gouache just works.

2. My sketchbook. I've only ever completed about two sketchbooks in my entire life. I always fill in a few pages, then give up as I loose momentum and don't want to 'mess it up'. And yet for some reason I can't put my sketchbook down at the moment. I've stopped being so precious about what I put in it and I'm just enjoying using it so much. I'm far from completing it, but I'm finally at a point where I can imagine it happening and that's quite exciting. I'm excited to see my art grow and progress. I aim to do Inktober next month, so I shall definitely be keeping it up.

3. Tea. I've always enjoyed tea, but I tend to drink more coffee for the caffine and tea falls by the wayside. I've really been enjoying it this past month, whether that be sitting down with a good cup of proper English tea (preferably PG Tips), or a warming cup of herbal. Blackcurrant and camomile is my favourite at the moment, although I have to create it myself using two tea bags!

4. Thrifting. I'm no stranger to charity shopping, I've gotten it down to a fine art over the years of trawling for vintage, but it's a temperamental hobby to say the least. It tends to be either all of nothing, and I'm having a particularly lucky spell. I found a beautiful woolen dress that fits me just right, a snuggly pink duffle coat, an angora sweater, and numerous scarves and home wares.

5. Knitting. I've been buying far too many balls of wool, but it's such a relaxing way to unwind.

6. Autumn. My favourite season. I've been looking forward to autumn throughout most of summer and I couldn't be happier now it's actually here. The leaves, the acorns and chestnuts and conkers, the seasonal food, the miserable weather, foraging for berries. I love it all. I come alive in this season.

7. Being home. I have to leave soon to go back to uni. I'm going to miss it so much.

8. It. I forgot to add this to my drawing (even though it's featured heavily in my sketchbook this month!) but I've been obsessed with It since I saw the film earlier this month. It was such a good adaptation, and I'm loving how many people are discovering the story through it as it's one of my favourite novels. I'm currently giving it a re-read!

Balanced on the biggest wave

I'm traveling back to uni on Saturday in preparation for my 3rd year. I'm not looking forward to it, the closer the date draws nearer, the more I feel the band around my midsection tighten with anxiety. To say I haven't enjoyed my uni experience would be an understatement, and it's made ever harder by the blissfully long summer breaks. I know I'll be OK when I'm actually there, but I prefer being here so much more. However I'm determined to try and make the most of my final year, the knowledge of how little there is left and how quickly it will pass causes me just as much anxiety. 8 months isn't very long at all. I have ideas of what I'd like to put in motion for then, but I'm playing it close to my chest. I'm trying to focus on the now.