ALDI & HAIRCUTS

I went to Aldi today. I love that place and managed to buy my entire groceries {as pictured in second photo} for the week at a bargain basement price of $14.37. I had a nice day of walking today - I caught the train to Bondi Junction and then walked to Edgecliff {where the Aldi is} and then on to home. 

The main reason I was out an about today instead of curled up asleep in bed is that I went and got my hair cut. I actually had to convince the hairdresser that I was okay with her using the big scary clippers on the side of my head. 

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION

Above are stills from the short stop motion animation by Carlos Lascano {blog}, the original video is here {on Vimeo}.

The series of animations for the AL BALAD newspaper are pretty amazing. Apparently it is a combination of cardboard constructed people and real actors for the hands and eyes. My favourite part is the guy who points down at Gandhi.

I want to do more stop animation (hand generated) - but where is the time?

SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR

Graphics / Environments notebooks. I love Geotype.

One Chance by Skipping Girl Vinegar.

Good song. Good video clip.

# 6 & BANG!

Above is horse # 6 Angela. She is actually really pretty in the flesh. If nothing comes out of this project than the ability to photograph cardboard horses well I will be pleased.

The second image is of my personal card highlight for the year. The card is by KissMeKwik and I purchased it at Bang! {one of my absolutely favourite shops/galleries - I mean where else can shamelessly check out boys with a middle aged man?}. I have been coming here for a chat and the purchase of nominal objects since I moved to the area 3 1/2 years ago. I actually spoke to Garry McEwan years ago at the Sydney Art Show {he had a gallery space & I was there exhibiting too} and we have been chatty ever since. I am excited - he is off to New York on Sunday for three weeks and then when he gets back he is going to do lots of paintings and have an exhibition. Which of course means two things: free champagne & topless waiters!

The final image is a work by Garry entitled Big Red Truck. I adore his work - I can't wait to see all his yellow taxis from New York. It's so happy and is really able to capture the energy and liveliness of the inner city. This picture is of the Darlinghurst fire station / Darlinghurst Road/ William Street.

ANGEL PUSS

I have always felt that I was born into the wrong decade. I mean I know 'only fools, Bohemians and tarts live at Kings Cross' (from Angel Puss by Colleen McCullough) - I just can't help thinking that the Kings Cross I want to live in (above) isn't the one I know now.

#5 GARRICK & THE NICEST DAY ON EARTH

This is Garrick. He is actually a really nice cardboard. The button on his front leg is made from a button that was on a shirt that work gave to me to wear (it is covered in logos etc.) - I took the buttons off and made them into horse joints instead. He is made for the ex-man of course. Tomorrow's horse is going to called Angela. I also have to make a super-cute pink one and frame it for her grandchildren. Yay.

Last nightwas spent in the company of my lovely 'Bees' at Lounge. Today is quite possibliy the nicest day that Sydney has seen in quite a while... Walking through Woolloomooloo and the Domain was lovely. Today is made better by the fact that when I got to work I can listen to The Mamas & Papas all day and get yummy Costi's fish & chips for lunch from the AMP Centre.

#4 ELI

This little lady-horse is Eli (#4). She isn't really finished yet, but I had to upload her her because I don't think I will get a chance until tomorrow. I don't think 'Eli' is a good name for this horse - she doesn't really personify all the cuteness and coolness of her namesake. I guess there will be lots of horses called Eli (or variants of Eli) over the next 96 horses. Not to mention the over-use of Danika, Jess, Sarah, Cat and Tash. If only I was making bees instead of horses.

MAGNETOCEPTION

This is Eartha (after Eartha Kitt). She is horse #3, and is only a colt (little one). She reminds me of the 1970s (not that I was there, but I've seen pictures).

I spent most of last night when not watching Merlin, Nature's Great Events {amazing} and The Last Enemy {amazing} looking up 'random articles' on Wikipedia. I can now tell you all about chlornaltrexamine and magnetoception. The first is a super-strong "irreversible mixed agonist-antagonist" which is 22 times more lethal than morphine (I guess this means it is a poison). The latter is how dolphins and birds migrate using the Earth's magnetic field.

I just had the sinking realisation that I have to go back to university this week. Argh. I just want to be grown-up already.

THE CREATION OF EVERYDAY HORSES

Everyday I am going to make a horse to add to my stampede. It seems like a good way of doing something creative. The first two I have made are called "Ebb" (the blue one) and "Flo" (the orange one). They have buttons for joints. They are going to live above my desk and below my window. Don't mind my dodgy puppet show... I will endeavor to add them everyday, however the reality is this will more than likely be an update orgy every Sunday.

PHOTOCOPIES & STICKY TAPE

As the title suggests, this is what happens when you combine photocopies and sticky tape. The essence of the process is to rip the top layer of the photocopy off and overlay them. Its not unlike pre-Photoshop layers. The images are from Surry Hills.

RICCARDO DALISI

Constructed from heat-pressed acrylic (it has been heart-pressed on both sides - hence the shadowing effect). All the planes rotate around the central axis - each one had some significance to Dalisi and the art of drinking coffee (primarily the tactile experience as a reference to how you have to invert the Neapolitan Coffee Pot to use it).

This has been sitting on my desk for approximately 2 years. I used to do so much work with acrylic, to the point where my tutors informed me that I wasn't allowed to use it anymore. Censorship I say.

GAIT OF A HORSE

My new love is this website: yooouuutuuube.com

Hours upon hours of fun to be had. 

I BURNT MY TOAST

I burnt my toast this morning. It was still yummy (little dry though). It's homemade bread (and toast I guess). Super!

I must find the images of my heat-pressed toast. That was cool. 

CHERRY BLOSSOMS MAKE MY HEART SMILE

Ikea fabric -- stuck to wall using fabric stiffener as seen on Apartment Therapy

I like how it looks like there are birds in the cherry blossom branches.

TEA CUPS

Things I can't live without:
Peppermint tea
Corning Ware tea pots
Super cute china tea cups and saucers

THERE ARE NO HIDDEN FANGS HERE

I AM

"... she went out to buy a pack of cigarettes and a newspaper, leaving her fur coat in the closet and her false teeth in the sink."

I HOPE YOU NEVER CHANGE, BECAUSE I'LL NEVER CHANGE FOR YOU

NOTHING EXISTS BUT YOU

You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly creations of an imagination that is not conscious of its freaks - in a word, that they are a dream, and you the maker of it. The dream-marks are all present; you should have recognized them earlier.

It is true, that which I have revealed to you; there is no God, no universe, no human have revealed to you; there is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream - a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought - a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities!
He vanished, and left me appalled; for I knew, and realized, that all he had said was true.

TEXT: Mark Twain, The Mysterious Stranger (1910)

IMAGE: My mate Yerevan Dilanchian

GIRL FROM THE BACK OF THE DOOR

YOU ARE THE UNO

I always listen to advice written on the side of rubbish bins. Don't you? 

MY NEW BOOK & THE SUPERNATURAL DARKNESS

I work a boring retail job - I need a little book that I can hide in coat pockets. Enter Kikki-K. Three for the price of, um... three. But they were only $8.48 a bundle. And super-cute. 

I think that I will develop these into some little occasional cards. A set of six or so would be ideal. Joy, holiday project. 

Speaking of holiday projects, I just stumbled upon an essay I wrote for the Hell of it last year (or even potentially the year before that) about Ginsburg's Howl, I had started to do some accompanying drawings - the essay was meant to be a gift for my father (it was primarily about the relevance of Howl to all, despite the generation gap). I should finish things that I start. 

(Yes, my photo taking skills are very bad). 

NEWCASTLE