Frustration

My blog is looking rather deprived of updates. I have been very busy and very frustrated. Overtime (as in work) has always been a bit of a taboo with me. I work with people that relish overtime for all the extra "dosh" it brings in, but to me the idea of getting paid double time is not nearly payment enough when I start to ponder what my free time could actually be worth. Lately I have had a cold, hard smack in the face with regards to the worth or, more fittingly, the cost (negative) that overtime has on myself.

My writing isn't really that terrible.

Scribble +3 (with added folds)

There's something wonderful about the shapes different clothing materials make when thrown over a body. With all those creases and folds catching the light in interesting ways, I can see why fashion designers agonise over material, layers and texture. I found a selection of old WWII photos online, and the stark, high contrast black & white photography really gives the uniforms and stiff heavy overcoats some punch. I still prefer the look of my pillow after a good nights sleep though. 'Tis personally more satisfying to see the product of a sainty slumber than that of practical 20th century warfare.

Scribble +2

Scribble +1

Scribble

Watchers Point

I love little buildings like shrines, forts, pillboxes etc... I think this one has a slight Myst vibe to it - just add some kind of puzzle element inside.

Back To Basics

Today I thaught it was high time I sat down with my sketchbook and a pencil. Swanky electronic fingle-bumkets (eh?) are nice and distracting, but there's nothing like some oldschool sketching action. Ahh - the smell of the putty rubber, the texture of the paper, the soothing sounds of the scribbling, the mucky graphite smudges everywhere, the little shavings of wood all over my nice clean carpet, the granite hard bump on the side of my middle finger which makes it look deformed... :-(

We Shall Fight Them On The Beaches

Today I had the sudden urge to dig out my saved games for Squaresoft's Final Fantasy VII RPG. I haven't played the game in almost a decade so it was fun to go back and have a run around. One of my favorite places to fight was on the thin strips of sand that dotted the coasts.

My first victims were purple jellyfish called Crown Lances. I celebrated the slaughter with a quick speedpaint. I guess this gets filed under fan art? o_O

Moss Covered Tree

Tortoise

I imagine the average tortoise lives a very content life, quite happy to chomp greens all day and curl up inside their shell at night. So why do they all look so grumpy?!

"Bloody humans. If they're not riding on my back they're running around like there's no tomorrow. What's the big rush? Where's the fire?! No respect for their elders... Bloody humans!"

*grumble, grumble*

Clouds

I tried to capture the sun before it disappeared behind a bank of rain clouds. I'm not sure I succeeded in painting the effect correctly, but I did manage to high tail it inside before the rain hit.

Rusty (Read: Beautiful) Old Things

One of the places I like to go to sketch, or to just sit and chill, is a hill not far from my house. There's a footpath halfway up one side with a rusty chain link fence running alongside it. I've sketched the fence in the past, but it was fun to have another go at it with my DS.

While I was scribbling away, an old woman passed by with her dog and asked my why on earth I would want to paint a rusty old fence. I told her I wasn't painting the fence, but rather doing a painting of the fence. I thaught I was being amusing as a way of breaking the ice, but she just pulled a funny face and continued on her way.

When she had gone some distance up the path it occurred to me that the lines at the sides of her mouth were rather beautiful, but I am certainly glad I didn't tell her that as she would have probably given me a clout round the head. At least her dog found the fence interesting - particularly the post I was painting. :-)

Abandoned Military Subway

Pets

Experiment: Place a bag in the same room as a cat. Leave the room for 2-6 minutes. Return and locate cat. Record results.

Orphan

I found this little guy discarded on the side of the road and stopped to take a picture. but then I felt sorry for him so decided to take him home and stick him in the wash. His left ear needs some attention, but with a little TLC he should be happy again in no time. Hooray! :-D