Out and about again!

Just the thought of lighter evenings gives you renewed vigour sometimes. Around 5pm today I decided to go and hunt for my daily photo, and in doing so ended up driving across the border from Surrey to Hampshire and then into West Sussex. It was a lovely feeling just to be somewhere else really, even though there are some lovely spots local to where I live.

As I drove along, I was on the lookout for perhaps a rusted car wreck or something, but then I was astonished to see some grafitti in the middle of the Sussex countryside!

It was actually a sand embankment which looked very susceptible to erosion and I don't think the tree at the top of it is going to last much longer as it could easily fall on the road below!

When I got back home just before 8pm there was still some light in the sky. Wonderful!

People give Energy

I didn't write a blog yesterday as I was just too knackered - I spent most of the day resting in bed as there appeared to be no other option. But in the evening I got a call from my dear friend Anja to ask if I could meet her at St Pancras after her returning from a three-week holiday in Cambodia and Thailand. She had spent the last 24 hours in Thailand and almost as long in transit alone, and could well understand her need for company.

And it works for me too, as if I have safe company, I can get energised. Without anybody around me, I am liable to just fall apart.

Actually, I had so much rest yesterday, I felt going without sleep last night would not be an obstacle and in the end I just rested in bed with the radio on until it was time to rise, but maybe not shine.

Caught the 7.37 from the station and met Anja at St Pancras around 8.45 - turned out her friend Cay has there as she had travelled down for 'The Wave', an eco protest tied in with the Copenhagen summit.

Saw Anja off at 11, and then took a walk to Camden Market with some exploring en route.

A really positive day, and now that its nearly 11pm, I could do with a bed, but it really seems too early....

And this is Me!

People reading this who have met me, CORRECTION, the only person who probably knows this blog has met me...................will realise that I do not have blue skin or have a face quite this shape. The beautiful thing about Photoshop is that you can disguise yourself and just pretend that you are having fun :)

I've survived the day, but I'm hardly bursting with life. But then considering I got about 90 minutes sleep I'm not doing badly, am I ? :)

Shit can be beautiful too

It's been a shit day weatherwise down here, but then a lot of the country has been suffering lately. Oh joy!

But for those of us who have our fingers relentlessly on the shutter doesn't mean you should hide your camera away, although I'll admit the motivation can be so far away you might as well be on the moon! Thankfully today, I didn't have time for getting down. I overslept and just about made it to our weekly walk and then caught up with an old work mate to give my deposit for the annual 'works do'.

But upon leaving her, it just tipped it down so had to sort out an image for today. In such conditions I like to take advantage of two things - one being contrast and the other the low light itself.

My first shot was one looking down from a multi-storey car park - below were an assortment of road markings in yellow and white on black which made a strong contrasty abstract. I really do get a kick out of everyday objects becoming art :)

My second was the one above. By the time I got home it was raining so hard, I decided to stay in my car and listen to the radio and see what quirky shots I could capture from inside the vehicle. I parked next to my neighbour's Ford Fiesta and got this shot - another abstract which also summed up the day, hence its inclusion here.

On Display

Always good to report a positive day, even if it was really just for a couple of hours in the early evening!

Some of the pieces from our life drawing class are now on display to the public for a couple of weeks and we had a get together in the gallery to celebrate! Also hanging on the corridor walls were paintings from the Ingram Collection and some of these will form part of a display in our current project.

I know very little about art and still think many followers are in their own egotistical mind, but I'm loving every minute of being involved with it.

Art for My Sake

A better day today, probably prompted by the thought of something I really quite enjoy - our art group. Today was the last day of going through the collection and discussing what we did and didn't like about them. Going through this has really told me that some art collectors do buy some crap! Most of the works were by unknown (to me) names, but you know the one by David Hockney was probably the worst of the lot. It was quite possibly the most expensive too!

I'm really looking forward to our eight sessions in 2010 as this will involve getting our hands dirty, whether it be with a brush, pencil or clay. We are all novices and each haven't a clue what our pieces will turn out like. I think we'll just have to be brave!

Here we go...

I seem to have started this blog by default by just trying to log in order to comment on someone else's!

Ah well...

Today is one of those days where little is going to get done, with the possible exception of sleeping. I feel that if I just rest on my bed, I will sleep for three hours and then wake up at some silly time like 1.30am

I'm guessing my mind is turning a deep shade of grey as we approach December. But I'll rant about that another day....

Ray