Fight the Power

A warm feeling...

It's good to feel real love again.

2 weeks!

This cheeky lil' Moog went missing for an entire 2 weeks and shook me to the core. But battle worn and tired, thanks to the internal chip she made it back to me. If only cats could talk... x

Sheperd Fairey

My visual sensibilities have alawys been loosely aware of the work of screenprint artist Sheperd Fairey but only really started to realise who he was and what his work was all about yesterday. I had frequently be taken back by the 'Obey' posters and stickers that decorated the urban environment but never questioned who the mysterious artist might be .I am currently studying Printamking (which I love) and it is forcing me to find new artists and designers.

The Trouble with Water - Must See

Nominated for an Academy Award® for best feature documentary, TROUBLE THE WATER takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen. It's a redemptive tale of two self-described street hustlers who become heroes-two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning.

The film opens the day before the storm makes landfall-twenty-four year old aspiring rap artist Kimberly Rivers Roberts is turning her new video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. "It's going to be a day to remember," Kim declares. With no means to leave the city and equipped with just a few supplies and her hi 8 camera, she and her husband Scott tape their harrowing ordeal as the storm rages, the nearby levee breaches, and floodwaters fill their home and their community. Shortly after the levees fail, their battery dies.

Seamlessly weaving 15 minutes of this home movie footage shot the day before and the morning of the storm with archival news segments and verite footage shot over the next two years, directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal tell a story of remarkable people surviving not only failed levees, bungling bureaucrats and armed soldiers, but also their own past.

Directed and produced by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal and Executive Produced by Joslyn Barnes and Danny Glover of Louverture Films, edited and co-produced by T. Woody Richman, with addiitonal editing by Mary Lampson, Trouble the Water features an original musical score by Neil Davidge and Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, and the music of Dr. John, Mary Mary, Citizen Cope, TK Soul, John Lee Hooker, and the Free Agents Brass Band and introduces the music of Black Kold Madina.

Trouble the Water has been supported by grants from the Sundance Institute, the Open Society Institute, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the 21st Century Foundation, the Fledgling Fund, Working Films, the Ford Foundation, and is a project of Creative Capital.

Was the Moon Landing all a big hoax?

Sigue Sigue...

The next generation of Bloggers

This week my kids have mostly been building their own Blogs. It is important that they start to showcase their work and raise awareness of who they are to the big bad world. They did good :)

Scale of Tzar

You thought Hiroshima was big... then came the Russians.

Farewell for now...

Would you smile?

Morris "Dick" Jeppson of Las Vegas who was part of the 1st Ordnance Group and armed the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, visits the historic Enola Gay hanger at the Historic Wendover Airfield Monday, April 27, 2009 in Wendover Utah.

To place no disrespect to this gentlemen but I don't think I could smile in recollection of this time and place. Maybe it's his way of dealing with the memory.

The Migrant Mother

If you are not aware of this image and the tale behind its birth find out today.

Dorothea Lange

FFL

Some people you know will be in your life forever... X

Brutal but Good.

The Killer Inside Me

Nice Work Casey!

Rescue Me...

The magic of I

Roller Derby

In the vain attempt to keep my youth alive (and my dear friends) a group of us have got back onto eight wheels and thought we would give it a shot at Roller Derby!

If you are interested we are the 'HOTWHEELS HARLOTS' and are recruiting, find us on Facebook.

Watch this space for more info ;)

...

...I know I shouldn't, I just do...

I miss...

I miss miss miss miss miss miss miss...

Big Tears

If you want to watch a grown woman cry after the film has ended, for over 20 minutes, then press play on this beautiful, monochromatic and enchanting film.

(In my defence I wasn't having a good couple of weeks)

Watch it if you haven't already!

Stitch 'n Bitch, Uplands, Swansea.

http://stitchnbitch.org/Wales/927-Uplands-Swansea/View-details.html

Caffenol

Yes you can process both black and white, and colour negative films in a developer solution of Coffee and Soda Crystals.

The process gives you a sepia/pink cast finish and the outcomes are potentially elegant. This process really does work. Your conventional D76, ID11 etc etc are replaced with this 'kitchen' developer, you use the conventional rinse process (but extended) and Fix to complete.

Big thank you to my model and Caffenol mentor Mr Twm Gardner, a historic inspiration.

How times have changed.

White Poverty in South Africa (Reuters Story)

http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTR2C3ZV#a=1

Strength

Stalker?!

Only joking, love you really Rob x

Film Recommendation: Thirst

The Korean 'Let the right one in'? You decide...

The Beauty of Modesty

There is a bi-annual event that takes place in Shoreditch, London that I had the pleasure of attending. My good friend Dave Chesson was co-ordinating the skate comp and supplying the ramp, and I just had to join the ride. The event is StreetFest and I would recommend highly!

Hip Hop/MC's

Fixie Demo

Skate everything

Street Art

Breakdance

etc......

There were an extensive group of artists who were spraying indoors and out, and it was truly amazing to watch them work. This piece was created by an artist whose name I did not stupidly catch but she was Australian and exceptionally talented. This was her first scale piece and first time spraying!!! I salute you Miss!!!

This ship has sailed

A little part of me died and so did you...

Rob Ryan

I wish you weren't but

It's not hard to love Berlin.

When the opportunity came to take in another European city, spend some with a dear friend, see a friend I had not seen for 15 years and watch one of my favourite bands I had to jump at the chance to do all of this in the modest city of Berlin.

Throw away the stereotype of the German character and replace it with a city of helpful, friendly, warm and hospitable folk who have more of a grasp of the English language than most first language Brits.

Clean, efficient, spacious, affordable, creative, historic, fascinating, I could go on.

Taint were also incredible but that is no surprise to anyone that has ever experienced this band live. They never fail to deliver!!! They played a wonderful event called Friction Fest, which once again put scummy British Festivals to shame!

The only negative side of the trip for me was the fact that I was in Berlin for 24 hours and am desperate to return and drink tea, walk the streets, take in some galleries and see the history of one of Europe's most important cities.

Danke!

New Paper Phase 2

Caroline Bouguereau

Etsy does it again.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45117819/17th-century-r2-d2---altered-antique-pla?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=r2-d2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

Is this not the coolest buy ever?!

Uncertainty

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

I'm a Cyclist not a Terrorist!

To be perfectly honest, although to some I would be considered a jack (I very much don't), and with that comes a deep hatred for Cardiff City, I have never pandered to that ridiculous Football mentality, but may I take this opportunity to slate Cardiff as much as the next Swan's fan.

In this god forsaken country the percentage of sunshine we actually experience must be well below 15% of the year, therefore when the sun is out make the most of it in anyway you know how. Riding my bike to the train station, taking the train out of this city and taking a day trip to another did not conclude in the peaceful and fun day I had anticipated. Now sooner had we arrived on Cardiff soil (or rather concrete) did the constant harassment start. I never realised just how much of an offence having a 'push' bike actually was.

Problem no 1: You cannot even very slowly ride your bike on a train platform and am told this in the most patronising manner, I did retaliate!

Problem no 2: You cannot quietly push your bike through the new John Lewis Centre and am told this by the youngest Security Guard I have ever laid my eyes on, I retaliated to that too.

Problem no 3: You cannot ride your bike through the city centre at all. Even though I made more attention to the people around me than any pedestrian had, including crazy mothers with prams and idiots on mobile phones whose eyes cease to function. I am informed of the ban by a random passer by sounding in a very aggressive manner "Get off your bike" and another security guard who stated that the underfloor of the city centre was dangerous and likely to cause slipping.

Problem no 4: There is no consistent storage area for bikes on trains and it's a game to work out where they may live. Then when you find the wrong area have another row for that too, with big fat controller harping on about that too for much longer than he needed to. I'm an adult, tell me once nicely and I will do exactly as you say!

Obviously if you ride a bike (and maybe try and say the planet a bit and look after your own health) then you are a menace. As an adult I think I deserve a bit of respect and come to that anyone of any age also deserves that but the way figures of so-called authority deliver their information is totally inappropriate.

My god Swansea can be the most ridiculous place at times but Cardiff topped that yesterday!!!

Luckily I can ride fast when I need to and stand up for myself!

New Blogs to see

www.ladiesonbikes.blogspot.com

www.theyeszine.blogspot.com

My Heart is complicated but I have one.

For today I am..

The Absurdist

Absurdism is a philosophy stating that the efforts of humanity to find inherent meaning in the universe ultimately fail (and hence are absurd), because no such meaning exists, at least in relation to the individual. "The Absurd," therefore, is commonly used in philosophical discourse to refer to the clash between the human search for meaning and the human inability to find any. In this context absurd does not mean "logically impossible," but rather "humanly impossible".

For those who ever needed to start again

Dear John,

I woke this morning to rays of light that held me in bed way beyond the time I should have remained there. My solace was to create as much darkness as I could create and hold onto the night. Then I realised that the darkness does you no favours and halts our existence, instead I braved the light and said 'YES' to life one more time.

Realising that I had been distracted by 'maybe' and 'tomorrow', in the arms of 'take your time'.

I don't have time to wait and I don't have time to think, just do. So this I am saying to you. I say 'yes' to life one more time.

Signed 'all of those who needed to start again'. X

Nap-time

Siesta is the Spanish suggestion of afternoon napping and a mighty fine idea that is too. Siesta is a Spanish word which is taken from the Latin word hora sexta meaning 'the sixth hour', counting from dawn, therefore noon, hence midday rest.

Whether it is the lifestyle I choose to lead currently or maybe health reasons, or maybe even the seasonal shift, over the last couple of months, post lunch, pre dinner (and lets not describe the day in future in terms of meals) my poor little mind and body is crying out for this 'midday rest'. The act of sleeping in the afternoon is very much self forbidden but the impact on my soul and body after a stolen hour is worth it. If I/m woken suddenly watch out, bear, head, sore springs to mind, but the right amount in the right conditions rejuvenates me.

Im being careful though and realisr I need to shift my sleep pattern and body clock and regiment my hectic lifestyle before I burn out. But hey, I like it that way. You know, make everyday count but let me recharge and grab 5, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Artist Crush - Elsa Mora

Healing Heart

Doesn't matter what you ride

Papercutting for fun

During the Summertime, my good friend Arwen introduced me to the wonderful world of papers and I have been smitten ever since.

Pain-staking, uncomfortable, lengthly and intense, the act of paper cutting is a serious business, with just moments lapse in concentration and an hour (or two's) work can be wasted in a split second.

All that aside, I am loving every minute of it and it has made me draw and design again for the first time in years.

Stickering

Yesterday I hit the coastal path from Llanelli/Burry Port and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to sticker (in vain) my little blog. They are 100% paper, they will perish naturally and the ride was beautiful, 20k in total. I also took a fixie virgin with me, who enjoyed his little self on a bike built for a 5'2' woman, when infact he was 6'3'.

Fixie Girls

http://fixiegirls.com

Lose yourself in music

Still - Ben Folds

I must give the impression
That I have the answers for everything
You were so disappointed
To see me unravel so easily
It's only change
Only everything I know
Even the thing that seem still are still changing
Lada lada ladadadadada lada ladadadadadada
Lada lada ladadadadada lada ladadadadadada

Mother misses her baby, but I only wanted to be me
She changed address and hair cut,
Her boyfriends and my pap it's easy
But it's only change, only everything I know
Even the thing that seem still are still changing
Lada lada ladadadadada lada ladadadadadada
Lada lada ladadadadada lada ladadadadadada

Tattoo Artist - Angelique Houtkamp

'Angelique Houtkamp is a Dutch tattoo artist, painter and shoe designer who brings to galleries her own take on the graphic romance of old school tattoos, the heyday of the wild west and the mystery of Spain.'

I came across this work only yesterday and was overwhelmed but the amount of characters Angelique has created. Her distinctive and delicate style serves all of her females creations very well. Mwah, Angelique mwah.

It's better square...

Jewish Charisma

It has been suggested by film reviewers alike as the Coen Brothers best fil to date, so having heard this only ten minutes before the film was due to start, made my expectations rocket into overdue. I am pleased to say that I was by no means short changed.

Charismatic, endearing, warming, sad, suprising... I could go on but this really did have it all. Very strong and memorable characters, transportation well aken to a different era.

In short, just go see it. Mazletov!!!

Artist of the Day: Matt Furie

First Knitted Creature

Mr Square is the first of many knitted characters. Cheap wool, imagination and a little time will create some new friends. Hello world :)

Film of the Week

Cracks
(A review from the Independent)

Faculty be warned: appoint Eva Green to the teaching staff and teenage hormones run riot. Here she comes as the pulchritudinous Miss G, eyes glittering through thick mascara, her cigarette cocked at a rakish angle, as she first bewitches the girls at a 1930s boarding school and then is in turn bewitched by a visiting Spanish temptress (María Valverde).

1. Cracks
2. Production year: 2009
3. Countries: Ireland, Rest of the world, UK
4. Cert (UK): 15
5. Runtime: 104 mins
6. Directors: Jordan Scott
7. Cast: Eva Green, Imogen Poots, Juno Temple, Maria Valverde, Sinead Cusack
8. More on this film

Set-up complete, Jordan (daughter of Ridley) Scott proceeds to whip up a flouncing gothic melodrama that is ravishing and ­risible in about equal measure. Cracks totters on high heels and strikes all ­manner of poses in the mirror. Sooner or later it's bound to fall over.

Where ever I go...