Funny Isn't The Word

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

My Dutch Mum would be SO pround of me!

I Won't Be 26 For Much Longer (hint, hint)

Hey everyone, well, I survived Saturday night but had a ghastley hangover the next day, having drunk white wine all night and then shots of neat vodka. As one does. I didn't sell any work but I got a lot of interest, as in everyone was very impressed and really felt that I have a future as a painter. Well, that's a turn up. Even my Dad has started called me a mature, professional artist and is very proud of me, as I am of myself. There weren't many people there, but those who were all had a great time, and that's the most important thing.

I'm sitting here and the evening sun is on my face, which makes me feel happy. Tomorrow I'll be one year older and I need to do a playlist for myself on my ipod - I've tried teaching my folks, have tried teaching them everything from internet to microsoft word - but to no avail. Any Birthday or special occassion I put together a playlist and you would think by now my Dad could do the same on my Birthday - no such luck. I have a frightening 8500 songs on my ipod now and it's going to be pretty hard to chose ones for tomorrow - basically it's what has meant more to me in all my 27 years, the music I have loved best and continue to love and so definitely need some Beatles on that, bit of Jimi H and Mr Dylan and then on to Blur & Oasis to Radiohead, The Killers, Coldplay . . . to Air, Groove Armada, Bent to Boards of Canada and Susumu Yokota - it's going to be a LONG night. My Dad is cooking a special meal, as in I can't be anywhere near the kitchen while he 'creates' - he's good at that! And of course presents and cards in the morning - I'm very excited.

And on that note:

You are 80% Virgo

How Virgo Are You?

Very interesting.

Emy xxx

And Now For My 170th Post:

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Dark Skies Above and More of Shirley's Flat

The journey coming back to Canterbury yesterday with the storm clouds

Ok I feel like those dark clouds above. I’m getting a little nervous about tomorrow night – I saw Shirley again last night to make the final arrangements for the show and she said that a few people had seen the paintings, some liked but others and one in particular – a painter herself – wasn’t so impressed. Ok, I’m not a proper landscape painter or figurative and some people may think that I can’t do such things as that, but I can, I just chose not to, it doesn’t interest me or capture my imagination to paint things ‘real’, I would feel so un limited in my palette and ideas – to mix a perfect blue and then paint it next to a red excites and enthrals me, but to paint a tree green and a sky blue would bore me senseless – I feel I have freedom in what I’m doing and so desperately want to go back to my studio in Devon and keep painting. Soon, I hope, maybe mid October.

Wedding and party preparations!

Oh yes and a painting in her bathroom too

The title of my exhibition

Paintings definitely go with the decor now!


Of course a ground floor flat comes with a nice garden too


That long hallway again!

My films on the TV - do some recognise the trees?

Paintings from my previous solo show which I gave to Shirley as a present

I’m sorry if I upset anyone over my views on Steve Irwin yesterday – well, that’s kind of what a blog is for – to rant and rave on any given subject. I was greatly shocked over his death and how he died and I wouldn’t want to wish that on anyone, least of all him it’s just unfortunate coincidence that he died by one of his poor tormented animals. Oh well. RIP Steve; please send a message to your adoring fans to tell them to stop killing the sting- rays as revenge.

I discovered that one of my favourite bands ‘Underworld’ have released new tracks. BUT only to be downloaded – don’t you just hate things like that? Of course I did just that, coming from a girl who hasn’t ever downloaded anything like that outside of itunes. So if my laptop dies tonight, I know why, I’ve downloaded a corrupt file.

And then one thing that made me really unhappy today:

Discovering that over a million tonnes of raw sewage has been dumped into the River Thames, by accident they say, but still pretty bad, there has been only 20% oxygen in the water and the life it holds cannot survive., so a major clean up operation is taking place. Read full article here.

I’ve got the worst attack of the nerves today. Hot flushes and butterflies, palpitations and achy joints – what the hell is going to happen tomorrow? Will I sell anything? Have I over priced them or under priced? Am I professional enough to call myself an artist? I tell you one thing I was so happy to see my films again from last years MA, after 2 days of stress trying to burn them on DVD and failing miserably, to see them on Shirl’s wide screen TV made it all better! I had never made any films in my life before and to see what I achieved there made me happy and positive, then why can’t I be positive about my paintings too? Help springs to mind.

Ok, that’s all for today folks,

Emy xxx

I Ask:

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW?!
We’ve had torrential rain for the last few nights, accompanied with frightening thunder and lightning – and all on the media they’ve said because of global warning and this years drought, blah, blah, blah – we ALL should change our gardens to save water, as in rip up all our existing grass and plants and plant a new shingle/Zen type place for ‘better’ water management. “Did you know that London has less rainfall than Madrid, Rome or even Dallas?” Asks the ‘London Wildlife Trusts’, well, yes, as Madrid, Rome and even Dallas have a warmer climate then us; if it asked “Did you know that London has less rainfall then Moscow, Vienna and Toronto?” Then I WOULD be worried! I picked up a leaflet and these two things it said shocked the living daylights out of me:

‘Make a DIFFERENCE by pledging to do one of the following:

I will choose low water or drought tolerant plants that encourage wildlife.

And then another way of putting it:

Ten gardening tips to save water and help wildlife:

3. Choose low water or drought resistant plants that encourage wildlife.

Of course they do give sound advice on other aspects but this is NOT ON!

Basically they are telling you to rip up your existing garden – destroying your already beneficial wildlife habitats to create a dead/unliving piece of landscaped garden shit. You know, the ones with palm trees, bonsai trees, fountains and blasted shingle!

WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE IS THAT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS?

My Dad has been SO outraged by the entire thing that he phoned the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) to have it out with them and he got this silly, brainless girl who hadn’t a CLUE what he was talking about, even though it has been a news item on TV and in the papers for the last 2 months – where has everyone been, on MARS?! The mentality of some people is unbelievable, why do they walk with blinkers on through life? Ok, I do to some extent, but least I know what’s going on in the world and can have my say, others are so wrapped up in their own little pathetic, meaningless lives that nothing and I mean NOTHING moves them.

Ok. Another rant.

Steve Irwin.

Ok, the man is dead and I agree fully with Germaine Greer and PETA. Firstly I’d like to say that I don’t have much time for Ms Greer, or is it Mrs? But what she said was pretty close., she said that ‘his death after a stingray’s barb pierced his chest was the animal world taking revenge’ describing him as an ‘animal tormentor’, three cheers for Greer – of course he was! So you’re a Australian crocodile, minding your own business, swimming freely in your vast territory when this git extraordinaire suddenly jumps down on you from no where, into the water, disturbing your peace, disturbing your life, just to get you on camera for some dangerous animal documentary for the human world to see – this man WAS a nutter. PETA taking one step further and has brandished him ‘a cheap reality TV star’ Read full article here. But it doesn’t end there. Steve Irwin was a ‘star’ in his own country and in the US and the countries have been going mad, pouring out their grief in some ‘Princess Diana-style floral memorial’ (couldn’t have said it better myself Greer) and the people are baying for the sting rays blood who killed him, so over the last few days 10 sting rays have been found dead, washed up on beaches, with their tails cut off. That went against everything Mr Irwin believed in, I realise he was ‘some sort’ of conversationalist but he just went about it in a very stupid way. As PETA have stated (you really don’t have to read the full article now!), “He made his career out of antagonising frightened wild animals, that’s a very dangerous message to send to children”. And don’t forget the stunt he pulled in front of tourists visiting his family’s famous Australian zoo, his son in one arm and food in the other waving to a GIANT alligator – it’s the whole Michael Jackson thing, dangling his baby son over the railings. Bloody hell!

Click here for PETA article via 'Helping Animals'

Ok, I can’t go on, that’s really exhausted me, SO MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT!

So I went back to KIAD today to retrieve my TV I loaned to Laury, believe me, that’s the LAST they’ll be seeing me there for a LONG TIME. And then over to Shirley’s to make the last arrangements for my show. Her flat looks AMAZING by the way, not only my paintings but also something else. Tomorrow she’ll be having a wedding reception at her flat and the flower arrangers had been and made it amazing, oh and one more thing, this is not only any old wedding reception, this is a gay wedding reception, so the balloons are pink and the cake too! Hope they feel like buying a souvenir . . . like a painting!

Pictures and everything tomorrow. I’m so tired now. Just waiting for more thunder to come. Love this weather.

Emy xxx

A Solo Show - I MUST Be Good!!!!!! (er, no comment)

Ok, it's me again and I'm back to the real world once more - well, kind of - as I have a solo exhibition this coming Saturday, at my friend Shirley's house in Blackheath (in fact a few doors down from our old house). It has been in the pipe line for ages and discussed over and over again, so I can't believe it's finally taking place. Yesterday all the family (well, Dad, Mum & me) went over to Shirl's to hang my work, all 21 canvases and had a lovely meal in her garden as it was THAT warm outside. And here are some pictures of her flat and my work:

Sitting room

On the hall wall, my 'West' series

The longest hallway in the country!

Going towards the sitting room

This is how my paintings look like up!

On friday night I was at KIAD doing the bar for the MA show, which I really enjoyed. The show was not bad, but the attendance down, which was a shame! I stood through the speechs, hiding at the back, when the words of thanks came about to Judith Rugg (Art Theory tutor), Richard Davies (head of MA) to all the technicians and the student reps and then my name was called out and I could have shrunk into the floor, everyone laughed as I gingerly, red faced made my way up to Laury who was giving the flowers to me and then disappeared back behind the lines. I really enjoyed helping them all out and because of that I've made some really good friends so the flowers weren't needed! Nice though. I had no dinner that night and just drank away the free wine, ending up at the bar and then a small party at my old warden's flat. Odd how these things turn out. I need to go back to KIAD on Thursday to get my tv back from Laury who borrowed it for her research space and then that will be it with KIAD and me for this year. I'll definitely go back next year for the Private Show, but I do feel I've outstayed my welcome somewhat, especially how Richard did his best to ignore me on Friday night.

Now it's really hot here, although rain forecast tomorrow.

And now for some links, as they went down so well last time:

Star Trek becomes up to date with special effects - Now, I'm not a fan, but I'm with the fans in this one, this is NOT needed, Star Trek has worked perfectly well without computer graphics and all that!

Paul McCartney again - his bitter, twisted lyrics over his failing marriage with Heather already written as early as a year ago. You fool Macca. Didn't everyone say she was wrong? Did you listen? Nope, of course you didn't.

Commercial Breaks and Beats - The UK Television Advert Music Database - OK, most adverts in this country are rubbish, but some do come with a catchy tune and I've always wanted to know how to find them - well, HERE IT IS!!!!! - I've got a feeling this is going to come in great use for one and all!

The Lonely Hearts Correspondence Club - This was sent through my 'Art jobs' emails and I'm not sure why it was, but it's a good idea, only for those who need it, which I'd like to say now that I don't - a site for people who need other like minded people to understand them and to write in and share their thoughts with others to feel better about themselves. It says exactly what it does in the title! The music is irritating!

That's all for today/tonight - I'm too hot to go on!

Emy xxx

I'm Back And Hurting, Oh, And SMILING!!!!!

It has been a hard week, in fact 10 days since I last posted. I decided to stay at Canterbury longer, I was meant to go home Saturday 2nd but stayed till Monday4th as everything had to be done by 12pm Monday (a likely story, it was actually 2pm like last year!) I can't believe I experienced all that panic again over getting it all done in time. At one stage I thought all was lost. I was running around helping everyone, well, everyone who needed my help. I twisted my ankle, bruised my knees (one is still swollen), got blisters on my fingers through painting the floor, hurt my back and cut my finger open with a stanley knife - all the injuries I should have given myself last year but I was so high on Red Bull it didn't happen. On the last painting day (Sunday) I gave in to 5 cans of Red Bull - I was that tired - and coffee just gave me a headache.
There was a major panic on Sunday as Laury ran out of grey paint for her floor (by the way, Tucker and all fellow KIADians, Laury is in your space T and Bochao's too, so imanging painting that grey, it took four of us and luckily we had a mastermind to mix the paint, a MA student form this year called Hatem (think that's how you spell his name) so all was ok in the end.

I didn't witness many arguments or tempers boiling, only those directed to Richard and Ali (Head of MA and tutor) who as always through their weight around, telling people to change things in the last minute. But evereyone on the whole remained cool and it looks good. We all went for a drink at the Two Sawyers at the end on the Monday, sitting outside in the Indian Summer. I felt shattered and my usual Emily reaction shifted into gear thinking I'm really not part of this, I'll sit on the side lines. But I don't think anyone really realised what I was thinking then and there, even though I told some. Last year at KIAD was an amazing year for me, I really came into my own and for once my work and myself were remembered (that NEVER happened after Winchester) and I sat there feeling shell shocked. It was an end of an era last year and now I've witnessed an end of an era this year too, as I already knew a few part time MA's and one MFA (Laury) from their first year last year. It was an odd feeling, if I had been alone I would have burst out crying, crying for my friends to come back, crying for the year previous to be repeated, crying to not feel to be such an outsider. The feeling past as I drank more wine and I began to come round again and join in with the festivities and the chatter.

It's taken me a few days to get over KIAD and now I'm off there again tomorrow to do the bar at the Private View tomorrow night. I've already worked out what to wear and have packed my stuff. And Devon feels SO long ago!!!!!

Ok, now for the good and unexpected good news. Laury dropped me back home on Monday and she stayed the night because the poor thing was shattered. She already had plans for me, we had talked long and hard about my work and how they would sell and where to start that she had even given me numbers for galleries to call and sent people emails about me. She even hitched a plan in her head that she and I would drive around the South West from Cornmall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire - even Wales (Cardiff) with a boot full of my work and she could guarantee she would get me selling my work in one gallery per county. Sounds great, but is this just talk? On Tuesday morning I was so tired, yet Laury was up and jumping up and down and before I could even blink she was on the phone to a gallery in Barnes talking about me. She gave me the phone and I arranged to see the gallery owner today between 10pm-5 with my portfoilo and a few canvases so he could see the quality. Oh my God, I really thought of cancelling, it was TOO soon, I wasn't ready, wasn't prepared! So ALL yesterday I spent preparing, printing out all my stuff (as most of the originals are in Devon) and chosing which paintings to take. Barnes is a long way, right the way through SW London, through places such as Clapham, Wandsworth, Putney . . . On and on and on and SO much traffic. Well, to cut a long story short, he was interested. He wants to sell my work. Hurugh! Or is it Huragh?! And Barnes has a A LOT of money floating around. He asked me how much I wanted to sell them for, I said £250? No, (he said), how about £350? WOW, I said. £350 each and one day (he said) possibly £1000. Good God I thought, while pinching myself. So this is good and all thanks to Laury and now I know how to show my work to gallery owners I'm going to do this more often!

Plus, I'm having a small solo exhibition at a friend's house on 16th September. Shirley (my friend) has emailed 100 people to bring their cash. So another thing to look forward too. Am hanging the pictures this coming Sunday. I've done 12 especially for her and a few prints and postcards. Will let you know.

And now the photographs:




The Cedar at KIAD is still looking splendid and she (yes, SHE!) is still producing some lovely cones! Lots of people still use her as part of their work but there has been a move to protect her from that as things have been glued on to her or stuck on and it's not good for the tree.

The house I stayed there. True, in the middle of no-where but in a public park so you get a lot of strangers with their dogs walking past. Security is not so good, they've been broken into 4 times and once someone took their whole roof off to get into the property (mmmm. . . Strange) I really wouldn't want to be there by myself in the dark. But the owners have dogs so it does make sense to live 'on' a park!

The back - the reason the pictures are so bad was because I was SO tired when I took these that I could hardly see plus it was dusk too.

This was above them on the hill - which must have been the major house on the estate. On Saturday night I heard a lot of people going past, smashing bottles and shouting and the gate being forced. Then a bassline of music all night. Thing is I was SO tired that I didn't put 2 and 2 together until the morning when the music was still going on. It was an illegal rave, so Laury phoned the police. They were there as we were leaving, we left them to it and when we came back the rave had stopped. When the owners came back on Sunday night they weren't surprised as it had happened before.

The owner's dog, Max, I could have taken him home, but I couldn't fit him in my suitcase!

Laury and her Sculptures with Esin who came to stay (Another MA I knew from last year)

The man on the roof, a piece of work left over from the BA show in June

A closer look

Laury's MA show work, one of three of her Monumental sculptures, pretty impressive, made out of clay and resin and towering above you

Their eyes follow you around the room and when you look back they stop looking at you!!!!

Another guy (my friend!)



How they are made inside

Barnes by the River Thames today

Looking the other way

The London Wetlands Centre - a mini Oasis in the centre of London, packed and brimming with flora and fauna you wouldn't expect to see in the city

And planes coming at you overhead to Heathrow - a little too close for comfort!

Signets at the Wetlands Centre

Pretty tame ( though I wouldn't stroke it, I DO want to keep my fingers!)









The horses of the duck world!

Bobbies on the beat (I couldn't stop laughing!)

Lots of love and see you all on Sunday,

Emy xxx