The Dark Blonde

It's time to send out Christmas cards...

2011-12-19T09:20:00.002Z

....so here is one for all my readers. Merry Christmas to you and may the new year bring you health, wealth and happiness.

random words of the day-window

2011-12-14T09:05:00.003Z

Look out of the window and you will see a maze of rimless glass that holds the shame.

random words of the day-every strange thing

2011-12-13T08:01:00.003Z

To create every strange thing: the bird with no more blood, the yellow cover of the book dropped onto the floor, the best ghost of the mother.

random words of the day-forgotten playthings

2011-12-01T09:41:00.004Z

Tossed in a blanket into the forest, kissing among the open doors of forgotten playthings.

random words of the day-don't think it isn't love

2011-11-29T08:28:00.004Z

Don't think it isn't love that shades the stars; only that can lie with its head upon great strength, brilliant and baleful.

random words of the day-minotaur

2011-11-24T09:21:00.003Z

The lair where the minotaur lives, malware of a billion humans.

random words of the day-black dots

2011-11-23T08:02:00.003Z

You are black dots, diagrams, anecdotes and compelling geometry.

random words of the day-forest

2011-11-22T08:28:00.002Z

Getting lost in the forest is like being ripped into floral wallpaper.

The night is full of creatures

2011-11-16T08:42:00.002Z

Testing

2011-11-15T08:50:00.004Z

Went to post on my blog this morning and I found the little button that lets me access my blog dashboard had vanished and I don't know where it went. I could see my blog fine but I couldn't access it. So being a bit devious I googled my other blog ( which isn't on dynamic views) and managed to access my dashboard that way. This is a kind of test post to see if I can publish anything. :-)

GO BLUE TODAY

2011-11-14T09:14:00.004Z

Today is WORLD DIABETES DAY. Show your support- go blue- buy a naked muse calendar donate to JDRF.

Day/Night

2011-11-11T08:52:00.004Z

Last night the moon lifted herself gracefully from behind the mountains, huge and silver, making magical trees from the pylons that danced on the hillside beneath. The sun slowly slipped into the sea flushing the sky with orange. The heavens of night and day were divided by the fish factory, a huge block of darkness against the sky.

Naked Muse Launch!

2011-11-10T09:43:00.006Z

The Naked Muse 2012 Calendar goes on general release on 14th November 2011, to mark World Diabetes Day.

The launch night and private view/auction will take place by kind invitation at Kraak Gallery, Manchester on Saturday 12th November, from 6.30 - 11pm. As well as the exhibition and auction, it will also feature performances, poetry and song from participating poets (clothed and unclothed), and the evening will be compered by the fabulous Dominic Berry. The event is strictly invite only but if you would like to come, just drop us a line at adam@wildwomenpress.com and tell us about yourself and we will see what we can do about getting an invite to you. And remember, this is a one-night only opportunity!

If you can’t be there please, please, please, order one of the calendars. (Remember, to take advantage of the special pre-order price of £12.99, you must order your calendar before midnight on 13th November from Wild Women Press

All profits from the sales of the prints at auction and calendar will go towards supporting the work of JDRF. Together, we are creating to find a cure for Type One Diabetes. Together, we can make a difference.

For more information go to the WILD WOMEN PRESS WEBSITE

random words of the day-wolf

2011-11-09T10:08:00.002Z

I wish I were a wolf again to fall from the cheaply made pages into life.

Dilemma

2011-11-07T13:33:00.004Z

Do I stick with dynamic views or go back to my old blog stylee?

On the Plus side-
The blog as a whole looks fabulous, it's what I envisaged my art could look like if I had the technical expertise to do it.I was overawed by the masses of beautiful things I had made and how beautiful they look together. So -to whoever made it possible- thank you very much.
Ruth left a comment that looking at it is like taking a peek inside my head but the pixies ate her comment.

On the minus side-
I hate the white background for my blog posts.

The pictures are too small in proportion to the size of the 'page' -they look a bit lost. I realise that I am not a 'conventional' blogger- if there is such a thing, and that the look of the page and the pictures is very important to me, but maybe not to everyone.

There is no context to the posts. Because there is no side bar with info about me, or about what I am trying to do, people who stumble across my blog might be a bit mystified. I am not sure if this matters??

If you read this please leave me a comment. I would be interested to know what people think because I can't decide what to do.

The return of random words-charred sky

2011-11-05T17:00:00.002Z

Slightly charred, like the beautiful sky.

Hurrah, the pixies put my words back!

Pixies Ate My Random Words

2011-11-04T08:46:00.003Z

I thought my box of cut up bits of writing-aka the random word generator- was under the bed but I can't find it, and now all traces of it have disappeared from the side bar of my blog because I don't have one anymore and I don't know where it went. Pixies must be to blame.

welcome to my dynamic views!

2011-11-03T10:10:00.003Z

I hope you like the new style I have chosen to show my blog -but if you don't you can click on any of the other styles on the header bar (flipcard, sidebar etc.) to see my whole blog shown in different ways.

At present I seem to have a white background on my blog posts (which I don't like and I have no idea how to change) and don't ask me what has happened to my links to other blogs and to my profile, they seem to have vanished into the ether. I shall keep it like this for now but see how things go over the next few days, it might do my head in if I can't flip easily to my friend's blogs because the links have vanished.

Samhain

2011-10-31T13:00:00.002Z

When the door between the worlds becomes unhinged.

rain cloud

2011-10-28T19:24:00.003Z

The sun shone through a crack in the clouds, rain began, stopped as suddenly as it had started. Every branch glistened with hanging raindrops.

Shame on You Stephen Fry!

2011-10-28T09:58:00.005Z

And shame on you BBC for making a TV programme on storytelling/literature and NOT HAVING ONE WOMAN ON IT!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

I am not going to elaborate on something that is blindingly obvious. I shouldn't even have to be writing this.

FFS!!!!

colouring light

2011-10-24T08:25:00.005Z

I've just been watching colouring light on i player, (still a few days left to watch) about the artist Brian Clarke, who does a lot of work in stained glass. I was awed by the complete beauty of his work, and was fascinated by the more recent pieces which were mostly lead work with tiny jewel-like glass set as a contrast. I was also interested in his work on hands as I use them a lot as a theme in my work. Personally I would have liked to see a bit more detail in the programme of how his original paintings get made into glass, but then I am always fascinated by process.

People sometimes suggest that I could print my digital work out as 'pictures' in some way, and I sometimes do, but the colours are never really the same. I love the way my art is made of light, and the contrast between light and dark- that is why I have my blog set into a black background.

For examples of Brian Clarke's work go to his website

Early morning electrons

2011-10-22T09:54:00.007Z

I've been watching Shock and Awe, on BBC 4, where 'Professor Jim Al-Khalili tells the electrifying story of our quest to master nature's most mysterious force - electricity. Until fairly recently, electricity was seen as a magical power, but it is now the lifeblood of the modern world and underpins every aspect of our technological advancements.' Still available to view on i player

This got me thinking at 6 am...
sounds of me revolving in nightie
ME- whisper Are you awake?
HIM Urgh
ME When I make digital art what is it made of?
Long silence while he pauses to compute what I might mean and think of possible answers.
HIM When you look at it? Or when it's stored?
ME When you look at it. (actually I never thought of that- it exists in different states at different times of its existence) I mean, is it electrons?
HIM Photons. When you look at it it's photons.
ME Was it electrons before that- do the electrons turn into photons?
HIM urgh (affirmative urgh)
ME The screen is made of crystal isn't it?
HIM Basically, yes.
ME What makes the colours?
HIM Light goes through coloured filters
ME What are they made of?
HIM Dunno, coloured dye probably. (I'm not really much wiser even though I looked on line -acrylic resin of some kind I think)

How much of the world we take for granted- I never thought about how my pictures appear magically before me on the screen before. Yesterday I was idly doodling on my graphics tablet while listening to music, letting the flow and tempo of the music run through my hand. Somewhere in the world Bjork had a creative impulse and made some music with other musicians, and that became electrons at some point and was stored magnetically, and it pulsed across the world and became sound that I heard and the movement of my hands on the graphics tablet made it into light. That is wonderful and amazing. I have taken creative ideas and made them into light. That is magic. It fascinates me. I wonder if you could do it with your whole body somehow? Instead of drawing on a graphics tablet draw with your whole body, by dancing and make it into light? Make it into art?

Biophilia

2011-10-20T13:34:00.003Z

Just a little doodle I did while listening to Bjork's new album, Biophilia

Ageing Hippy Alert!

2011-10-20T12:49:00.007Z

Looking forward to this concert. Most people have heard of Tubular Bells but it's probably only us old ageing hippies who remember Terry Riley-brilliant ancient electronica. All we need now is a revival of Tonto's Expanding Head Band!

The Charles Hazlewood All Stars play ‘Tubular Bells’ - featuring Adrian Utley from Portishead and Will Gregory from Goldfrapp

also 'A Rainbow in Curved Air' by Terry Riley

Wednesday 7 December 7:30 pm
Venue: Hall One, The Sage Gateshead
Tickets:
£19.50

The return of random words-threshold

2011-10-14T08:36:00.004Z

Once I thought I would be a permanently simple threshold.

I got a bit bored with firing up my random word generator (aka icecream tub of cut up bits) but I also liked the way it made me do a small piece of art every day. So from now on I shall be doing random words at random. When the mood takes me.

The BIG draw

2011-10-08T09:25:00.005Z

Tomorrow I'm going to be helping out at this event...

Join in with the World Owl Trust’s Big Draw event and have fun drawing and learning about the endangered Spectacled Owl from South America.
You can:
• Help make a giant Spectacled Owl with Post-it note feathers.
• Join in to draw a forest of owls using natural found objects.
• Watch a power point presentation about Spectacled Owls.
• Learn about the Spectacled Owls living at the World Owl Centre.

When: Sunday the 9th of October 2011
What Time: 11.30am – 12.30pm and 12.50pm -2pm
(With an additional 10 minute talk in the Owl Centre at 12.40pm)
Where: The Old Laundry, Muncaster Castle
Normal admission to Muncaster applies but the activity is FREE OF CHARGE
Contact 01229 717393 or visit www.owls.org for more details.

That isn't a spectacled owl in the drawing btw, it's an amorphous angry owl made of old fluff and feathers that I found under the bed.

It's national poetry day....

2011-10-06T11:42:00.004Z

...so here is a free poem, just for you, whoever you are, stumbling across my blog by accident maybe? There is no reason why I chose this particular poem today- it just makes me smile. Have a nice day!

THE POET passes the big stone sheep

It gives her a haughty Herdwick look.

You didn’t get me in no pink Tutu!

I aint never gonna be your bitch!

She does not know why it speaks

in the voice of an extra from a seventies

blaxpoitation movie.

She is worried.

Hearing voices is another of those

Scientific Proofs that you are not quite sane.

From my collection Rilke Tattoo- available from Wild Women Press- why not vist them and ORDER A CALENDAR. Full of fabulous photos of lovely naked male poets taken by female photographers, and poems by women too. Special offer if you order soon. All in aid of research into type 1 Diabetes.

psst- want to see naked men?

2011-09-20T09:31:00.004Z

Want to read about the fantastic creativity of women poets and photographers and get a sneaky peek behind the scenes at fabulous photoshoots? Want to help children with type one diabetes? Why not click here to go to the Wild Women Naked Muse Calendar website, subscribe to the newsletter and pre order your calendar NOW.

random words of the day- together

2011-09-05T13:08:00.002Z

Together we are robots.

random words of the day- a body

2011-09-03T19:14:00.001Z

"Don't you want to have a body?"

random words of the day- not a robot #2

2011-09-02T09:58:00.004Z

"I am not a robot, I am a unicorn."

ok, I got a bit obsessed by this and have been fiddling around with art stuff all morning.

random words of the day- not a robot

2011-09-02T07:14:00.003Z

"I am not a robot, I am a unicorn!"

random words of the day- not everything

2011-09-01T07:44:00.003Z

"Not everything could also be something, for example, not everything could be half of something, which is still something and therefore not nothing."

RANDOM! Two chatbots talking to each other

2011-09-01T07:22:00.000Z

More random than my random words of the day-this sounds like two drunks about to get into a fight. Is there any reason why computer brains are so aggressive? oh yeah of course- WE made them

random words of the day-crawling candlelight

2011-08-22T07:42:00.001Z

Exaggerated messages from crawling candlelight.

random words of the day-unreasonable nights

2011-08-20T08:26:00.002Z

She washed her hair in unreasonable nights.

random words of the day-spiritual payment

2011-08-19T07:09:00.003Z

There will be little warning, physical appearance will give a spiritual payment.

random words of the day- nailed

2011-08-18T09:10:00.001Z

He is nailed who loveth the most radiant silver pin.

The Secret is Out!

2011-08-17T14:48:00.010Z

Image- Max Wallis by Annabel Williams. Photographed on The Opium Bed in Coleridge's study at Greta Hall, Keswick.

On Sunday I had a fun day helping out with the shoot for the Wild Women Press Naked Muse Calendar. Some very brave male poets got naked (tastefully, as you can see) and were photographed by female photographers, to interpret poems by female poets on the theme of The Muse. You can read more about it here. This is all in aid of research into type one diabetes btw and not just lustful gazing and objectification. I've been burning to tell everyone about this for ages but was sworn to secrecy. I have a poem in the calendar and will give more details on that at a later date.

I ended up scouring the countryside with photographer Donna Lisa Healy and poet Graham Eccles looking for a suitable roadside location and we ended up at Surprise View, near Watendlath. It was more of a shock for some people as they rounded the corner to see Graham posing for Donna Lisa wearing nothing but a hitch-hikers sign. Most bypassers took it well but a few were not amused.

Calendars will be available for pre order soon-check out this site.

My Little Satyr

2011-08-07T11:00:00.004Z

This is a little manikin I met at a dream party. He was a kind of dwarf creature, stocky and hairy. We decided to got to bed together but he only had a tiny baby size penis, nevertheless we united physically somehow, and cosmically too. It was wonderful and special.He was a very cuddly little creature and I called him my little satyr.

This is a represenatation of his energy force, drawn and fiddled about with in paintshop pro, using bamboo one graphics tablet.

random words of the day- lichen

2011-08-06T09:11:00.001Z

I should gently remove forever from the land of lichen.

random words of the day-happy

2011-08-05T07:06:00.002Z

Happy, happy, happy, bits and pieces.

random words of the day- beardless boys

2011-08-04T08:23:00.001Z

Where are the silver organs? Sleeping under beardless boys.

random words of the day- elastic

2011-08-03T08:52:00.001Z

In the autumn of word cabinets the self becomes elastic.

random words of the day- birds

2011-07-29T08:45:00.002Z

Birds and deep growing projections of pleasure reconciled.

random words of the day- someone knows

2011-07-28T18:57:00.002Z

Someone knows- but that is not considered to be knowledge if taut stillness ceases using wilderness for a muse.

random words of the day- recipe for love

2011-07-25T08:40:00.002Z

We have successfully stepped back from the brink of the impossible but sadly nobody remembers what came in the recipe for love.

random words of the day- ravishing melancholy

2011-07-22T09:43:00.001Z

She who sleeps ravishing melancholy

random words of the day- early departed creeps

2011-07-20T08:33:00.005Z

My early departed creeps remember that they liked my dream lover. He is down at my feet, bursting on the morning like my pity, under the eye of a stone god.

random words of the day- vulnerable sensations

2011-07-19T07:54:00.002Z

I fixed the earrings in his skin, splinters of a dozen vulnerable sensations.

random words of the day- despisers of the power

2011-07-15T08:32:00.002Z

Despisers of the power, glaring through percussion of your fingers.

random words of the day- queit bliss

2011-07-14T08:27:00.002Z

Quiet bliss, I gather like a drill.

random words of the day- light vibrations

2011-07-13T08:58:00.003Z

and if my wisdom should take me into a small reception room of diffused and light vibrations I will tiptoe between the secret memories.

Random words of the day-embarrassment

2011-07-12T08:49:00.001Z

Embarrassment is carefully placed on the nervous yellow electric soundtrack.

Random words of the day-love goddess

2011-07-11T08:41:00.002Z

Be almost certain that behind them is a short dark love goddess.

Random words of the day-face to face

2011-07-08T07:51:00.001Z

Face to face we tie our shoulders to the marvellous day.

Random words of the day-airtight jar

2011-07-07T09:08:00.002Z

Sprinkle your acquaintances, I’m there in your airtight jar.

Random words of the day-rounded cave

2011-07-06T08:52:00.002Z

It was empty as those days bursting on the rounded cave of dark.

Random words of the day-executioner

2011-07-05T08:12:00.002Z

The sea was one with the executioner.

Random words of the day-human lungs

2011-07-04T15:11:00.002Z

That wonderful edge, the shape of human lungs, the latest book from the smallest blood.

Random words of the day-ape to man

2011-07-03T09:38:00.001Z

One has become weary from ape to man.

what I did on my holidays

2011-07-02T11:10:00.007Z

I went to Wales, the land of my birth, with lots of my family. We stayed in Gower, near Pobbles Bay and Three Cliffs, beaches you can only reach by walking.Fantastic clean sea and sand, rock pools, cliffs, caves, dunes,woods, a ruined castle, what more could you want? Sunshine? We had that,lots of good food and drink, and good company too.

Random words of the day-tendrils

2011-07-02T10:24:00.003Z

I never could coil tendrils over his vision.

Random words of the day-the alchemist

2011-06-23T08:54:00.004Z

The alchemist has become so weary of the screen of inside looking out.

Random words of the day-throw out winter

2011-06-22T07:20:00.002Z

There is a mighty answer to the nursery where they throw out winter.

Random words of the day-whole house

2011-06-21T07:38:00.004Z

The whole house is a spiritual condition.

Random words of the day-midday sun

2011-06-20T07:47:00.002Z

I was born with a gift for the music of the midday sun.

Random words of the day-glutinous needs

2011-06-18T10:32:00.001Z

She was looking, finding her way into people’s glutinous needs.

Gloating

2011-06-17T13:37:00.007Z

What's in the box?
It's the mini moo cards I sent for last week!
Lots and lots (100) of my bits of art and photos made into cunning little business cards

You can make your own here.

Random words of the day-instinctive females

2011-06-17T08:29:00.002Z

Instinctive females were thought to hallow me, embracing my concepts.

Random words of the day-still shallows

2011-06-16T07:37:00.002Z

Now comes the sensuous creamy image, it pulses quickly through still shallows.

Random words of the day-why

2011-06-15T10:21:00.001Z

Why? Because the ground of the flat field holds you already.

Random words of the day-thick black line

2011-06-14T07:19:00.003Z

I am as loving as a thick black line.

Random words of the day-precious gifts

2011-06-13T07:11:00.003Z

Precious gifts reach you, a thousand tattoos that hang in your inbox.

Random words of the day-three of nine

2011-06-12T09:33:00.003Z

You with me in the cupboard, it speaks of sympathy behind my thoughts and feelings, three of nine.

Random words of the day-multitude

2011-06-11T07:42:00.003Z

A multitude of universes give such heartrending limits.

Random words of the day-pyramid

2011-06-10T06:58:00.001Z

Behind them was a short dark pyramid, and my third eye is throbbing.

random words of the day-silent stars

2011-06-09T08:01:00.002Z

A crow crippled beautiful silent stars.

Random words of the day-ice house

2011-06-08T07:06:00.002Z

Take a single step down, great man, and the ice house will be your mouth and not in vain.

Random words of the day-pure duration

2011-06-07T06:58:00.004Z

Open the door to her place of pure duration, hump-backed like the third part of the host.

Random words of the day-pointless computers

2011-06-06T12:03:00.006Z

My hands are slowly busy with raw colour that evolved from a series of lost pointless computers with crappy old processors.

Random words of the day-dark streets

2011-06-05T09:42:00.003Z

It is then I begin to panic because I see he went though the dark streets, a choice of layers.

Random words of the day-dragonfly

2011-06-04T13:53:00.002Z

In the heart there is no dragonfly in flight

Random words of the day-sky

2011-06-02T08:35:00.003Z

The sky: a performing cathartic girl of monstrous forgiveness, like imagined nations.

Random words of the day-shirred up.

2011-06-01T06:56:00.002Z

We become aware of each other, my tongue shirred up by everything.

Random words of the day-chemically mediated

2011-05-31T08:45:00.005Z

Chemically mediated necessary shades of the never stirring wind remind us of refreshing longing.

Random words of the day-doors

2011-05-28T08:40:00.001Z

Should not locking doors mute their own smoky importance?

Random words of the day-yellow

2011-05-27T08:43:00.002Z

I’d been gone, disappearing out of yellow glory.

Random words of the day-shame

2011-05-25T07:48:00.002Z

Good luck to the horrible vestige of shame- thus said Zarathustra.

Random words of the day-escape from the body

2011-05-24T07:33:00.001Z

I’d never really played escape from the body before.

Random words of the day-high mountains

2011-05-23T07:25:00.002Z

Days only sometimes ascend to high mountains, often we string them together into shapes of boxes.

Random words of the day-turning on yourself

2011-05-22T09:47:00.002Z

Weren’t you amazed by the sensation of turning on yourself?

Random words of the day-animals

2011-05-21T10:01:00.004Z

He asks if I like animals, I say I’m not afraid of the sickly ones.

Random words of the day-monkey

2011-05-20T20:46:00.002Z

All the time he was talking my monkey stopped to play with his gnarled narrow context.

Random words of the day-sweet midnight discontent

2011-05-19T06:59:00.003Z

Splintered from vulnerable sensation, beautifully, beautifully silent, time passed with sweet midnight discontent.

Random words of the day-monsoon heart

2011-05-18T08:41:00.001Z

I fall in love with him, the metaphorical story of my monsoon heart

Random words of the day-metamorphoses

2011-05-17T07:38:00.002Z

Three metamorphoses of the spirit are waiting patiently beneath the top of the wardrobe.

Random words of the day-castles in the air

2011-05-16T07:46:00.002Z

Pay attention to the castles in the air.

I'm Back!

2011-05-15T15:26:00.002Z

Don't suppose anyone noticed I have been away but have been trying to log in unsuccefully since Friday morning due to Blogger outage. It didn't help that Blogger Buzz was crowing about fixing things when they weren't all fixed. Not that I'm ungrateful, I get a great blogging tool for free and I'm sure everyone was working really hard to try and fix things, but it might have been helpful if they had said some people might still have problems logging in.

Anyway, a nice kind person on the Help Forum suggested I change my web browser to Firefox and that seems to have done the trick. Bye bye Internet Explorer- it was nice knowing you.