So Long, Farewell….

I have decided to start a new blog in keeping with the new direction my art is taking. Please follow me at http://confessionsinart.co.uk

Thanks for your continued support xxx

News Flash – Summer’s Over

I have recently celebrated my birthday and to me once it is over, so is summer. And the weather forecast appears to be backing me up on this one. The good news is that the winter months are always a lot more productive than the summer ones, and uni year 2 is advancing quickly on me so I’ll have lots of things to write about and show you. In the meantime, here is my most recent work from my journal:

Storming Through

The rains have come, bringing with them a refreshing new energy. What is it about unsettled weather that seems to ground me? I suppose I don’t feel like I am missing anything if it is miserable outside….

So a very productive day with lots done and I have completed a piece that has been sat half-finished for weeks. It represents my mental unrest:

 

The Inevitable Summer Lull

A seasonal halt has occurred. Creativity has been traded for days lazing in the sun. Well we only get a few weeks of summer a year in England (if we’re lucky) so I can justify the use of my time to a large extent. As long as I don’t send myself crazy in my laziness like I did last year.

Just because I have no credible evidence for it, doesn’t mean the cognitive juices aren’t flowing. I have a big project in the pipeline once I have a slightly more affluent bank account. I am also still pondering life’s problems and struggling through Zizek’s “The Sublime Object of Ideololoy.”

In light of the lazy summer days, there isn’t much else to report. Other than I’m still smoke-free. I’m off the wagon now but still feel it is relatively under control. And news just in; my sugar cravings have subsided! So the only real mental weight on this fine day is to try and maintain a healthy balance of leisure time and productivity, and to make sure I keep up the good work on the rest!

Photoshop Battles

My aim for the next stage of my creative development is to experiment with the manipulation of digital media. Adobe products seem to be THE thing to be proficient in in the world of art and design so I thought I better learn how to use some of the software.

I have created a piece to represent my desire for inner peace entitled “Serene.” Serene definitely wasn’t how I was feeling when I was battling with the user interface of Photoshop but it has been a valuable learning experience and I have learnt some skills that I hope I can take to new and exciting levels.

Cake 1 – Cigarette 0

An ironic piece of photography to represent addiction and the birth of one bad habit in place of another. And ironically I couldn’t wait to dispose of the stinking cancer stick and eat the cake!

Like a lot of cakes with a burning stick in them, it also represents a milestone; a month without nicotine or alcohol. I have also managed to sit down the pub and the local park without faltering. So, today I say no to guilt; I deserve to have my cake and eat it!

 

Sweet Escapism

So this weekend I have been pondering escapism and the human need for pleasure. Sometimes these pleasures or forms of escapism can turn into addictions and this is something I have been exploring after recently quitting smoking and drinking and becoming aware of other things that could replace the cravings previously felt for nicotine and alcohol. Luckily I have only developed a sweet tooth rather than a crack cocaine habit! Still, this highlights the human condition and our need to escape the pain of reality and internal struggles in exchange for external pleasures.

I have used my new found sweet tooth to create some ironic and satirical photo’s to represent addiction, and the struggles we all face as conscious pleasure seeking human beings.

Carving The Way to a Better Future

All commissions are now drying or awaiting approval, so I have been able to get on with some of my own projects. Here is a sneak preview of what I am doing…

Up and at ’em!

Seen as I have been awake and productive since 6.30am I thought it rude not to update my blog.  Productivity of a Saturday morning definitely is a new and refreshing change and a good reminder that sober is the way forward.

So, art news –  Today I am off to an art event in Southampton, and the sun is shining for us today! The event is a large scale participatory photographic soundscape and I am happy to admit that I’m not quite sure what that means, but I am looking forward to finding out!

https://www.facebook.com/events/520025231398297/

In other news, the journal is coming along:

Blue skies smiling at me…..

It seems as if I have spent the last 10 years of my life telling myself that I am going to “sort my life out.” It’s only when you find the inspiration to do it that you realise how much of your life you have actually wasted. I’ve spent a long time being a shadow of my potential self, and now on the wagon and the road to recovery, I finally have time to be the best that I possibly can be and let that creative genius out that has been lying dormant waiting for a time to shine.

 So, my neglected blog is once again receiving attention and I intend to keep it up to date this time with all of the projects I have lined up for the summer. Look out for art journals, photography, visual feasts and fire and I want to wish you all a happy, healthy and productive summer!