Smarty Arty Farty Malarky

So hey guys, long time no post.

I thought I might as well use my blog to post my art work. Obviously I'm no Matisse or Van Gogh, far from it but wahey! - I put so much love, effort and time into my work that I thought I might as well have a wall to hang it. (The wall being my blog...)

So for now I shall upload all my recent work which I have done on my art tablet. I really enjoy using my tablet, my first pieces I kept to using just Microsoft Paint (the windows 7 version) and then recently I have taken to editing on GIMP, a brilliant and free program that I prefer to use rather than Photoshop.

My first few pieces of artwork I completed just over a year ago.

The flower I drew here was the first attempt I had at using my tablet.

Second up I drew a picture of my dog JayJay:

My next attempt was just a random little thing which turned into a full on picture by the end. I was pleased with it but I never expect much from my artwork. Anyway, I thought why not just for fun enter it into Coldplay's exhibition room, where people's artwork is placed on their homepage for a day. And then.....someone at Coldplay's HQ must have liked it because one day there it was on their homepage! That really made me very happy!

So now I have a little confession for you. I used to be incredibly obsessed with Coldplay. I still am a little bit. So at the time, I did a bit of fan art. I'm still quite proud of it actually, it was my first ever attempt at drawing people realistically. It caused me a lot of trouble but I'm a perfectionist so that's nothing new. Anyway it took me a lot of late nights but eventually I admitted defeat and so this is the final product.
Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland; inspired by this picture.

My next piece is just a casual bit of fun which I did in a couple of hours whilst watching Slumdog Millionaire. This was my first attempt at editing my artwork with GIMP, I basically just used the smudge tool to make everything more appealing to the eye.

My next big project was a piece of artwork that I did for two of my friends for Christmas 2010. It took me a lot of time and a lot of patience especially as the subject matter involved wasn't something I'm particularly fanatic about. But my mates love Jedward and I love a challenge, so I went for it!

My last art project involved a little couple that I had been planning on drawing for a while. Howard Moon and Vince Noir a.k.a The Mighty Boosh! I started this one on Paint like usual but after I completed Howard and Vince, I moved over to GIMP, where I edited them, created the background and added in the title. I think this is my favourite piece so far.

So that's almost everything for now. I hope you like my artwork. I'm proud of my work but I know it's nothing spectacular but when you put so much effort into something, you just want to show everyone!

The Woes Of Life Won't Be Here

I've been thinking.
("Really? You've been thinking? Shock horror." Shush, you, inner monologue.)

Yes, I have been thinking.

This blog is troubling me, my problem is that I don't feel like my blog is serious enough. I feel maybe I should be using it to address the serious problems happening in the world. That I should be speaking out. That I should be typing more angrily LIKE THIS. Stressing my woes about society. Fixing everything. Putting the world to right through my insignificant blog.

But, the issue with this is: I don't want to.

My conscience is telling me; YES I should be writing depressing posts about the state of the current climate but my heart is saying; NO, write as many frivolous articles as you can. The world needs more waffle in the world!

(Although I think politicians do enough of that for everyone. *cough* Boris Johnson *cough* - I love that man. He really proves why private education is worthwhile..)

Oh look I'm blathering on again!
But you know what? I don't care.
We all read/listen to/watch the news which is basically an obituary. We experience enough hardship in our lives without needing more people ranting on about miserable things in blogs.

So I'm going to post irrelevant, ignorant but hopefully entertaining posts and if you want to read them you can, without the worry that you will either weep or curse humanity.

A little post for a big song.

Just a little post today but I've been meaning to tell the whole world about this song since I started this blog.

I don't know why but I just really like this song. I love the name of the band....or orchestra? - I wouldn't know even where to start with pronouncing it though. Is it Spanish?

I've done a little youtube research and their other songs are quirky, laid-back, and chilled-out, but this one in particular is beautiful.

Neu Chicago by Clive Tanaka Y Su Orquestra. Enjoy!

The Obscure Powers Held By Irrelevant Things

Isn't it strange how little things can remind you of someone, some place or some thing? As you are flooded with vivid, brilliant and often emotional memories.

And isn't it strange how that one little trigger can mean so much to you and yet for someone else it could hold no value entirely? How one irrelevant thing can take you back to a place long forgotten.

There are a couple of things that really provoke strong memories for me. It's funny as they are usually sounds or smells, not necessarily objects or places.

For example, the smell of the shampoo and conditioner; Miracle Aussie - takes me back to my trip to Kenya. Strange for you maybe but for me, it was simply because I used it only once on that holiday.

Kasabian's last album is another, particularly their song Happiness. It reminds me of my journey around China, as I listened to it in full one day on the way back into the city of Xi'an from the surrounding foothills.

It's strange how some things will always bring back a particular memory.

To end on a cheesy note: I hope that as I go through life I can build up more memories of the fantastic experiences which I have and wish to achieve.

The Pain When Indie Goes Mainsteam

Do you know what I hate? Probably something that many of you can relate to if you have any sort of taste or interest in music.

It's when you listen to a band or song that no one knows about and it feels like your little secret and then BOOM, one play on Radio 1 and everyone is a fan. This has happened to me so much - aaaah! - it makes me angry.

And what's worse? ~
When that particular song/band comes on shuffle on your iPod before radio play and people are like, "What the hell is this?".... And then all of a sudden - they love it.

For me this includes:

• Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
  
• Ed Sheeran
  
• Biffy Clyro - Joe McEdldjkdjdsfdkery ruined Many Of Horror for me.
  
• Example
• Mumford & Sons

I could go on but I won't.

And as if music wasn't enough to be ruined by profit making tycoons; this problem also occurs with modest books which then get turned into Ginormous Hollywood Movie Blockbusters.

A few books include:

• Twilight saga (yes embarrassing but I read it when I was like 12 and it was my little secret.)
• Phillip Pullman's Northern Lights
• The Time Traveller's Wife
• The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (although technically this was a radio show first)

It's like "Oh darn it, now I have to go and find another tiny cult to be a part of".

(although obviously I'm proud when my musicians or authors become successful but there will always be that grudge that I found them before anyone else - even before their own mum.)

So I thought I wouldn't rant on here but I just needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for your time. *stands up from the leather recliner chair*

Will Power!

I'm really going to need will power! As I mentioned earlier I get bored super easily and not just with music. So I'm going to need a lot of effort to keep this blog up - I hope I can do it!

Anyway, I'm really in love with this song.

Okay I'm a hypocrite, it's quite a poppy tune but everyone has that one song which reminds them of their summer and this one happens to be 'My Summer Song 2k11'.

I wish I could rollerskate..

Wolf themed music...

I'm really into my music. Okay. Now that really is quite an underwhelming claim as I think everyone is really into their music....But I really am into my music.

Although my problem is that I'm quite the music snob. I'll listen to the radio but I don't really enjoy it - unless it's hours when Radio One isn't playing crappy pop music. My problem is, I'm bored easily, pop music to me sounds the same; manufactured & synthetic. Now I won't have a rant about today's music industry because that's been done. It never ends well. Someone usually ends up storming out of the room.

So instead why don't I link you to some of my current favourites.
Firstly however, here is a very special site that I love. It posts different and brilliant music of all genres that can be downloaded for free. http://rcrdlbl.com/

• The Big Bad Wolf - Duck Sauce (I don't know why I love this but it's incredibly catchy and addictive)
  
• Me And Mr. Wolf - The Real Tuesday Weld (I couldn't find it on youtube, so here's RCRDLBL again, another very catchy song, I described it earlier in one of my tweets as the gypsy-jazz-gremlin-dance-jazz-hands song)
• I'm starting to feel a wolf theme so just for the fun of it: Yulia - Wolf Parade

Okay so that was random. Maybe I'll post some more un-wolf-related songs that I like tomorrow.