march already...still working 6-7 days a week in the medicine line so a leeeetle bit difficult to have one day devoted entirely to art. currently i am in the middle of a pencil drawing of stonehenge (see in the shop) - which, although perhaps not of great financial potential, is very rewarding on many different levels. i am enjoying it, and who can say that is a bad thing? brookes ba art degree show is in may, i am very jealous of the guys....and girls. will be there at the private view to check it all out. in the meantime, i shall be mostly trying to work less and do art more. ...

the air at triffitt towers is currently full of chat about tilly kettle, the forgotten british portrait painter who made his fortune in india in the 1800's. i am learning a lot about him...

david hockney - a bigger picture - brilliant. mixed reviews by the critics but as he said in the guardian, it's one body of work, created to fill the whole gallery spaces in the RA. i loved the use of the ipad - genius to use technology to cram in multiple images of his woods into one space. i got the sense that he was so excited about these woods ( wish i could remember the name) that he just couldn't stop recording images of them. i loved the yorkshire tea van outside, the amazing multi-viewpoint images, the car ride to switzerland and the huge, garish but beautiful paintings. if you like david hockney, you'll love it. if you like painting, you'll love it. if you fancy a nice day out and a wander round the RA, you'll love it. in fact if you don't love it, i'll drive to your house and buy you a leffe...

Ahhhhh sadly no dice on the second round of the Nat Art Comp. It was an entertaining trip down to Goodwood through the fog at 7am though, especially when I had to be in oxfordistan by 12.15 to photograph a wedding....poor Ingrid had to belt along at nearly 80mph, poor old lady. Got some good pics though, after dicing with death on the A34. I may attach one just to annoy the professional wedding photographers....
anyway more soon am a bit kernackered so orf ter bed. I am wanting to start doing portraits soon so will develop this idea. nighty night. xd

blimey i got through to the second round of the national art competition...not sure what that means but i have to send the photo off now. mildly exciting....

Surprised by how much I was moved by the news about Steve Jobs.

I was reading this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-pancreas-cancer

and now have ordered The Whole Earth Catalog. To me this seems like a compulsory read and am just surprised that I've never heard of it before. I am anticipating some interesting ideas coming from this book.

Until then....

"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

Lots going on this week...just entered the National Art competition. Also am obsessed with my new portable typewriter - a 1913 Corona. It's just lovely to look at and the noise and feel of the keys is just lovely too. I am writing letters constantly to anyone and everyone,  so thanks to Dave (Garcia) for introducing me to the idea. It's recycling old stuff too, but I just love the way it makes you want to use it, and by definition write to your friends. She has been named, after much thought, Cybil...

Still a bit sad that I didn't take more photos of the old Standard. BUT that's not to say that the new Standard might not be even better. Just regretting my laziness in missing an opportunity. However am keen to help out in any way I can and get some images of the old restaurant into the new one. Mr Ali's son Kawsar seems to be a capable young man and i would love to help those guys. Plans so far include individual photos on the walls or maybe a few paintings - to be confirmed. ...

Just got a lovely e mail from Kawsal at the Standard. Looking forward to seeing the new developments and what a relief that the wallpaper has been saved. Good luck to everyone at the Standard and hope the re-launch goes well...x dave

Oh Nooooooooooooooooooooo....
They are re-decorating the standard tandoori on Walton Street. The old interior has been
stripped out and nothing remains... I am trying to find out more....least we took some pics but I wanted to go back and take some more medium format shots. aieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. more laters...
d

Yo's going away for a week back to Suomi so after 5 years of prevaricating I am going to start the book.

the bird army has been allowed out for a brief moment of glory - one and a half hours perched on the railings surrounding the radcliffe camera in oxford. i think it went pretty well, most of the general public liked them, the builders thought they were 'an interesting comment on public space by using the juxtaposition of an artificial avian presence with established historical architecture, together with a subtle reference to the use of multiple labour to produce artworks by artists such as ai weiwei, henry moore, damien hurst and anthony gormley'. i think the librarians liked them....in the end. the bird army will re-appear on random occasions throughout oxford, provided there is a magnetic surface on which they can alight. random birds will be for sale between now and june to raise money for charity...see the online shop.

The bird army is slowly growing - target is at least 126 members and we are now up to 79. A slight blow that the date for deployment has been brought forward a week. However efforts have been intensified and we antishipate no...immediate....problemsh...

I'm really enjoying the 'public art' notions on the course. Be interested to know if anyone has seen the Goldsworthy-esque wood spiral on Angel and Greyhound meadow. The cardboard bird army has now swollen to 62 members. If you want to see them in action i'd loiter around the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford at around 4.20pm on Monday 4th April...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w14v4vGUDdg&feature=player_embedded

monday was fun and involved just about one of my easiest and enjoyable projects so far - the 'yellow brick road' shoes at brookes. i sooooo enjoyed every aspect of it and was delighted that so many people noticed it and seemed to get it on a few different levels. i should add that danny the security guard was instrumental in this, guarding the shoes and informing anyone who asked what they were that 'it's ART'....to such good effect that one member of staff then decided he had to take a picture of it, as, well, it's art innit. the red shoes will now be given back to the charity shop from whence they came so they can sell them again. i guess ideas don't have to be big or clever but you kinda know straight away when you see it set up if it works or not. i hate this word bit a nice result all round.

Just been looking at lots of old slides of us as kids and living in LA. Some of the colours are just so brilliant - washed out 60s and 70s type feeling. I really want to use one of them as a basis for a big painting - maybe project it onto a big screen or wall and then paint it quickly while it's up there. Slides are very cool to look at; especially with the retro carousel slide projector too...

Also been checking out Nicholas Bourriaud's chat on relational aesthetics. Now that is a seriously weighty little book. And he is a kerazy guy...check out the picture.
http://www.artsandecology.org.uk/magazine/features/nicholas-bourriaud--altermodern-manifesto

man some great ideas for our 'site specific' week at brookes...just had  ameeting with some of our group and i think we is going to kick it next week. sadly i won't be there but have complete confidence in everyone's abilities. sometimes when u get lots of ideas i get soooo excited - reminds me why i am doing this course. oh yes. xd

blimey that's a bit weird...the youtube clip of my 'mind that child' piece has vanished...weirdly the link still works on facebook but not if i log into youtube. i wonder if it some security issue...anyway will post it again and see what happens. no note or nothing. very 'enemy of the state' and very weird.

got my results back today. no feedback but 72% which is apparently an A. wowzers. this is very good news. to celebrate i am taking yo for a curry lunch (she also got an A) and to take some photos to the standard tandoori in jericho -  another authentic and long serving eatery in oxford which deserves to be photographed and recorded for posterity.....pics on later.

Suomikoulu (finnish skool) lessons this eve - just wasn't feeling it today. Tireder than a tired thing on a very tiring day. But i shall soon be sticking on the finnish names of all rooms, furniture and anything else within the confines of the house. including the cat (although i do know this one - kissa)
 i haven't done any art for a bit. currently on the radar are continuing the drawings of 'things that happen at work' and finishing off a grainy painting of me in a stormtrooper's outfit and underpants, taken with my mobile at about 4.30am  after a night out at the zodiac in 2005. lot of memories there and i have been intending to finish it for about 3 years. sometimes i wonder what's going to happen to all these bits of finished and half finished art i accumulate...if i am ever a famous and successful artist i reckon i should auction them off in sections and give all the doshola to charity. currently this might not raise a significant amount. i shall work harder, faster, stronger to become successful in the art world.
 i do like the pencil sketches though - if they are ever shown there will have to be heavy censoring to avoid heavy patient confidentiality issues. they do seem to be highly therapeutic and have produced some incredible images. one day soon i'll scan them onto the website.
 and there it is for today. 23.48, not a bit of art left in me.
nighty night.
xd