Radio interview

Tonight I am STEM ambassador of the week on Pythagoras Trousers, 8pm www.radiocardiff.org or if you live in Cardiff tune in to Radio Cardiff @ 8pm.  On Saturday morning I did another interview with Rhys Phillips, the presenter and producer of Pythagoras Trousers, about how being trained as a scientist effects my artistic practice and production, and how Physics and Mathematics influence my work. This will be aired in a couple of weeks.  Rhys is himself another arty scientist as he also presents a jazz program on Radio Cardiff and plays in a jazz band!  All that and the weekly broadcast of Pythagoras Trousers.  Check out http://www.pythagoras-trousers.co.uk/ there is a podcast there as well in case you missed the program.

Thanks for your visit :)

Disposable Crisis @Contrastique

What a week!  I have discovered the joys of Google+ and have had my photographs and works seen and liked by many.  I have been asked to do another interview for Pythagoras Trouser, the science program (see post below) about the link between my art and science, and I am getting involved in a new project, see
http://disposablecrisisproject.wordpress.com/about/

This is a project using good old fashioned film to get photographers from all over the world to take a few photographs about how the financial crisis has affected their lives.  The contributions may be positive or negative but what an amazingly clever way to document these turbulent times.

I feel that people are coming together where they can through a commonality, which is that most of us are part of the 99%.   At last we are all acknowledging that the power should really be ours.  Hopefully it signals the beginning of a new start for human culture so that we can continue to evolve and stop being held back by rampant greed and selfishness.

Blog revamp

I've been playing with the design of my blog, finally found out how to put my own pic in the background and changed the colour scheme accordingly.  In case you're a blogger who wants to know go to design tempate, click on the background picture box and it will bring up a selection of pic's.  Now go to upload image at the top of the list.  You'll need to make sure the image isn't too big.  More advice here http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2010/07/use-your-own-photo-for-your-blogs.html

This week I have discovered the joys of G+ if you are into beautiful images it rocks.  Here are a few that I have shared on there this week that I'd like my friends who are wedded to fb and twitter to see too....

They are all at only 1/2 meg so you can use them if you want but please credit me.  If you would like to see full res versions please get in touch.

Thank you for your visit :)

Tatiana Storm

The teacher got it wrong and my week of experience (!) is now to be next week.  So I have been working on Tatiana and learning loads about how to use GIMP - still not sure if she is finished but I am a lot happier with it now. She is cooking up a storm in her head!   All opinions gratefully received, ta for your visit :)

Pythagoras Trousers interview...

Had to get up early yesterday (pre 9am on a Saturday is early for me!) to do an interview over Skype with Rhys Phillips from the science radio program; Pythagoras Trousers.  It was more difficulkt than I expected, it's not the same when you are sitting at home with a coffee and not in front of people doing a presentation.  Different but not easier!  Any way it went well and will be on Radio Cardiff in the next couple of weeks - I shall keep you informed.  

I recommend the program that I am currently listening to which is about the Yeti or Hasselhoff crab! 
http://www.rhysphillips.co.uk/pythagoras-trousers/episode-63/

Not many posts next week as I am doing a week of teaching experience at a local school, this is to help me bring the STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to the fore more in my artistic practice.  It is the STEM side of my life that Rhys has interviewed me about.

Thanks for your visit and for reading :)

Roses @gagasgarden

Thanks to twitter I have been in conversation with a lovely lady called gaga!!  (The original) I was persuaded to put up some of my best rose pictures and there is one of my lovely Paeoni.  They all have the most fantastic scents.  They are grown on a mixture of peat free and home made compost and a lot of love :)  Roll on summer and we shall see their darling faces again.   This one is  Harlow Carr, and they are all from David Austin Roses.      

My beautiful Graham Thomas which has not stopped flowering this winter!

Blackspot and powdery mildew are endemic up here so all of my varieties are as hardy as you can get and I still have to work pretty hard at keeping them beautiful, but it is well worth it.

My best Paeoni which I am worried I have lost due to the very cold winter of last year.  Hopefully this year it will spring back.  Any tips gratefully received :)

I've been working on this storm setting for Tatiana but I am not sure how finished it is.  Feedback would be very welcome .... please :)

I have also been working up a proposal for a mass participation event at Science Gallery's 'Hack the City' event later this year and have been finding out some fascinating stuff about statistical visualisation and about synaesthesia.  More later :) but a link here http://sciencegallery.com/hackthecity

Fractal Fire II

I'm not totally sure if this is finished yet.  It makes a great wallpaper :)  I like the colours and the way it moves, for a change it doesn't have much in the way of meaning just a pretty picture that you can get lost in, a twisting fractal emerging from a psychedelic fire ....

The fractal was generated using freeware called Chaos Pro, the photograph in the background is of a wood fire in my burner and the whole thing was manipulated and digitally painted on and enhanced using my favourite - GIMP.  All is freeware and I give donations to keep them going every time I make a sale.  It's a beautiful web eh? :)
Ta for your visit.

Red Bubble

just started putting photographic work up for sale on @RedBubble

'Divide and Multiply' by blackcutwitch

The faces!!!  I see them in everything and even when I don't try they are there .......

I have decided to call this 'Divide and Multiply' it is about the geological and anthropological history of our planet and their interaction - at times constructive at others destructive.  The background picture is a very special rock called the 'Arrow Stone' which was used by bronze age man to sharpen his/er blades on, hence the defined markings.  I took a picture which had a startling strong face emerging from it - an alien, aggressive face.  The other picture I used is of a rusting hull falling into dilapidation.  The iron made, the iron rotted, the decaying remains of human existence.  I mapped the hull onto an elliptical sphere and used processing techniques to imply our made World spread out across ancient lichens and rock courtesy of Mother Nature.  The globe lightens and darkens suggesting our complex and ambiguous relationship with our planet.

Ta for your visit :)x

'Eternity IV - Wet Dreams' Kinky Clay

New piece of erotic sculptural work drying before firing and on display at http://kinkyclay.blogspot.com

The first mosaic pendant I finished which I gave to my Mum for Xmas.  Thankfully she adores it :) or is she just saying that?!

My favourite of a few photographs I took at Newborough warren during xmas week.  Unfortunately it was the same day I sprained my ankle which curtailed things somewhat

  'Caramel Seahorse'

Hot out of the studio

Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

Jewellery - the final stages

Putting on the findings and the chain, then into it's box, fancy pic, pricing and stock listing, then it is finally ready to be sold to one of you lucky people :)

Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

Tales from the studio

I'm trying out a fast mosaic technique, to see if I can make some affordable pieces and to push the randomness in my work. I made too much grout for the necklaces in the second pic so I thought i'd challenge myself to mosaic something before it went off. The necklaces will be up for sale through bgallery very soon. Ta for your visit :)
Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

CJP Sprite - The Blackcutwitch