I promise

That after next week I'll be more active with this blog.
I have to finish my dissertation, I've gone from being just over 5,000 words in total to now being 6,347 in the first three chapters. -sigh-
It's going to be a long day.

Though I have been procrastinating rather terribly, here's a self portrait that I did on Tuesday...


self portrait with graphite

Hoof Shoes - Iris Schieferstein

I just fell in love with these art pieces by German artist Iris Schieferstein.



Vegas Girl 2009

I think they just so....haunting. And surreal. But really beautiful as well, in a fantastical sort of way. Of couse I'd be tempted to wear them, but I doubt they were made for me galloping around in them.

Some of her other works (which are equally as mysterious and strange)...



She Imagined... 2004


Hotel Eden 2006


Temptation 2009


-found via
Creative Opulence
and
Frosh&Portmann (this second has some other interesting artists...I'll be back with more.)

Procrastination

I've been procrastinating on making another post. I'm not sure why, I've become a little lazy this week.
I've been knitting, writing and reading like mad though. My dissertation doesn't need too much adding to it, but I want to make it so much better than it was.
Once I've knitted this next pair of socks, I shall probably make a post of all the pairs so far, I can't get enough at the minute!

For now, my three favourite photo's of the month so far
(I've made it a new 'thing' to take one really nice photo everyday, to really put my camera into use, instead of just being vain and taking photographs of myself)



Condensation on the window


More condensation


I really liked the way that the condensation warped and bent the image behind it. The patterns and texture of it really intrigued me. I particularly liked the way that in each individual drop of condensation, there was the same pattern or piece of image, bent and twisted slightly.



Fairy lights


This is an old one. I took this just after christmas. The colours were what drew me to take a photo of this. The warmth of the lights, with the bluey-purple of the sky. It was just winter in a photograph.

Two New Blogs

I've been so slack with this already. I never spend much time with my laptop when I'm at home, usually I'm knitting in the kitchen by my beautiful woodburner. I love it.





Well, two friends have started their own blogs:

Ruw (we do weave together...i especially liked her antitque inspired fabrics...i hope she posts them haha)
a whistle and a dream

and

Laura (we used to dj together and now she makes cute glove animals and various other crafty things)
Laura Makes Things

When I Close my Eyes....All I See is Snow

It has been a long day.
I forced myself up early to make the most of it being a lovely sunny snowy day. I then proceeded to brave the 'treacherous tundra' of my village in order to secure lunch and dinner. My brother and I built a snow-boy (he's not quite a man), which took up two whole hours...my hands still aren't properly warmed through.


Just around the corner from home...Compacted snow on the roads meant they were quite the hazard


I look like I'm doing some sort of irish jig, but I was actually very very cold! Since building this snow-boy, I've realised that his wonky face gives him a sinister appearance.


This is a fairly old photo; my Scandiavian pattern socks. I knitted them a few weeks ago, I had a commission for two more pairs, (just from friends though, nothing paid), though I've varied the pattern. I think I'll wait until they're finished to post photographs


We also recieved the sad news that my great-grandmother died this afternoon. I didn't really know her all that well, she has been in a nursing home for most of my teen-adult life. She was also quite unwell (both mentally and physically) at the weekend and was moved to hospital. For the past few days she had been refusing food and water. I think everyone was expecting her to pass away by the end of the week, to put it bluntly.

But unfortunately, that is what comes with age. Everyone has to die sometime, it's sad but a part of what it is to be alive.

Museums

I may as well make another post. I have so many things and photographs to post, that I may just have to drip-feed them over the next week or so!

First of all, the photographs from Oxfords museums that I wrote about last month:

Pitt Rivers Museum:



A Ceremonial Animal Skull


Italian Tarot Cards


Italian Tarot Cards


Decorative? or Ritual? Monkey Skull


My Favourite: Tyrannosaurus Rex

The History of Science Museum:



A Selection of Interesting Things


Mother told me to write down what these things were, and now I wish I had because I can't remember!



There was a wonderful exhibition on at the History of Science Museum, but I shall blog that later.

As a Resolution for the New Year...

I hope to make a post a day.
Even if it's just something I come across whilst browsing the internet.
Hopefully I'll be putting my camera to good use and photographing the progression of my work.

Here is the current eerie scene from my bedroom window.
We British don't get extreme weather very often, but when we do it's hard to avoid talk of it.