Birthday Card - Dilophosaurus

Dilophosaurus pop up birthday card

Hope Dennis Nedry isn't about

JSF Birthday cake - Death Star

JSF is 17 tomorrow

I thought I would bake him a cake

I got the idea from here but it wasn't much use as a "how to" guide. 

I'm not really that happy with it, I preferred my Star Wars Xmas cake, but it was an interesting exercise 

it's no moon.

Self-aware sticker is self-aware

Dad's Photos

I found a box of photographs my Dad took in the late 70s and 80s before he had his gear stolen.

He used to develop his own photographs at home, my favorite ones were the photographs that were badly framed or mis-developed and those that were of baffling subjects. 

Like the pope, on television. 

Cast Iron Dinosaur

I made this during my time at Dartmoor Arts Week 2010

I realise I have not documented the actual product of my pour on this blog, merely just posted lovely photographs of my in masses of safety gear lugging crucibles about. 

so here it is

When I have a decent studio with a work bench and desk, I will grind off the runner and riser on the base and clean off the remaining sand properly. 

Lino Printing Workshop - The Result

Last Thursday's lino workshop at MMU was great fun, i hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

I wasn't allowed to give tuition in the actual print room, however, the prints I saw pulled from the blocks that were printed looked fantastic.

I started cutting my own block during the session, it was a good incentive to start my roadkill project. 

Just need to get on a press!

Roadkill - Lino Series WIP

Lunch

Lino Printing, It's Piss Easy

To go with the lino printing workshop I am doing at Manchester Metropolitan University for their Interactive Arts students I have put a "How To' guide online.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2qq9P-J__JkbnZpMTJPRjhSZGF2VWI5R1MxUGJqdw

I don't profess to being the best at lino printing, but i hope the guide is helpful for absolute beginners.

Grand Theft WTF

So, I return home today and notice that some savage has stolen my letter cutting slab from off my door step.

The more I think about it the more annoyed I get...

That thing took me ages

I hope you put your back out trying to move it you thieving cunts...

I called the po po but I doubt anything will come of it

There is now an empty spot next to my front door and, if I had a heart there too...

Mark Leckey BigBoxIndustrialAction

I had the pleasure of attending the private view of Mark Leckey's BigBoxIndustrialAction last Thursday (16th February) I had seen him speak about his work at the Whitworth Tuesday Talk a few weeks earlier and was entirely enamored with him. 

The work he showed us at the Whitworth was not the kind of thing I generally have time for, as he works with video. However, with his explanation and extended clips of different things I slowly fell in love with him. If only because he appears to be a man who has taken far too much ecstasy in his time. 

BigBoxIndustrialAction has been specially commissioned for Manchester Art Gallery and incorporated an enormous three-tonne low pressure steam chest from Ellenroad Engine House referencing the industrial history of the North West. The performance is a one-sided conversation between this huge lump of metal and a sound system matching its dimensions. Initially the noise emanating from the sound system is cacophonous, so loud it makes you feel a little sick, but after a minute you begin to understand the sounds, it becomes apparent that this mash up is the result of a carefully selected mix of noises relevant to both the piece of industrial heritage and the setting of Manchester, which is of course the birth place of rave. 

The work brings to mind wasted (choose your intimation) nights underground, listening to music your father wouldn’t understand before attempting to get a bus home with people on their way to work. Towards the end of the performance, I began to feel a little bit sorry for the sound system as it was very apparent that it was going to get no response from the steam chest, which stood silent and monumental throughout. 

aloof

#tweetart at Westgate Studio

As part of the Wakefield Artwalk, Westgate studio in Wakefield is showing work by artists using Twitter.

My (possibly reluctant) penpal Bob Milner curates the space with his collaborative partner Alice Bradshaw

Bob put out a call for work to be shown. 

I knocked this out. 

Find out more about Tweetart

Mail Art

Postcards and a sense of mischief.

LAS VEGAS - WIP

In Vegas, things are different.

This Week

Along side my gilding, this week saw 

Time Travel

 A Hipster prairie marmot with a lava lamp collection

 And a little embroidery.

Texas flea market skull - Finished

Imitation gold leaf is thicker than real gold leaf and I feel that perhaps real gold leaf would have been easier to fit closely to the curves of the bone. 

However my intentions were never to completely cover the turquoise, I wanted to see it through the gold and so the overall effect of the cracking was satisfactory.

I am pleased with the result.

How jealous are you?

Texas Flea market deer skull - WIP

I bought a white deer skull from a man at a flea market in Texas

I haggled him down to $40 for it after contemplating the ramifications of buying such a large thing, getting it home via another 6 or so states and a flight. 

I thought I had done quite well getting it so cheap, but found myself worrying about getting it back to the UK from pretty much the second the money changed hands. 

For the last week of the trip, I couldn't sleep thinking about the logistics of bringing the thing home, and eventually ended up spending rather too much money on the world's largest suitcase in order to secure the skull a space on the plane with me. 

It made it in one piece, sandwiched between knickers and sleeping bags and after ordering an imitation gold leaf kit, i set to work on making it fancy.

Turquoise and gold are the colour of the deserts of Arizona and Texas.

Christmas Cake 2011

This is another one of those things I'm going to hell for isn't it...

Creation Museum inspired Christmas cake - Gingerbread, Royal Icing, Marshmallow, Chocolate chips, Sugar decorations and Fruit Cake