Forgive me, bloggers and blog readers, for I have sinned. It has been four months since my last post. During that time I've continued work (which has been a bit stressful at times), gone on holiday back to the States, had my first wedding anniversary, and have started going to Roller Derby practices (though as of late I've had to miss out because I've been under the weather).
It's been a bit hectic, all told. And I've not been the happiest of bunnies, all told. I've been over working myself at work (what can I say, I'm industrius), and have been desiring a project to work on, and have missed blogging. My super secret project is on hold at the mo, but I've done some major rethinking about my time management and what would make me happy, as well as what I'm interested in.
I've come to the conclusion that I want to take a more active role in my life, and I want a bit of adventure. I want to learn new things about topics I'm interested in, and I want to share that with you all. I finally came to the conclusion after reading Spook by Mary Roach and beginning to read Join Me by Danny Wallace. Both of whom decided to go out and DO something; Mary having done a load of really practical research about the idea of ghosts and the afterlife, and Danny bringing together a large collective of people seemingly by accident after he began his project on a whim.
I've come to realize that there are a lot of things that I don't know about and haven't experienced or learned for myself. I'm a skeptic and a reluctant atheist by nature, but haven't properly looked into the science and the religious enough to completely understand them. I don't think ghosts exist or that aliens abduct people, but at the same time, wouldn't it be kind of cool if some of that stuff were true? And how does brain function account for any of the aforementioned? Are some people more predisposed to believe in God, aliens, ghosts, or Bigfoot? The words "quantum physics" are bandied about by many, but how does quantum physics actually work?
I'm naturally inquisitive, and I soak up information like a sponge. What I'd like to do is learn as much as I can about things that I find genuinely interesting and that people seem to be divided on and share my findings on this blog.
I've now got a purpose! Let the adult education of Stephoodle begin...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Taking Care of Business
It's been almost a month since I've updated. Crazy how when you go from unemployed to working full time you spend much less time blogging and tweeting than you used to! I need to work on that.
The super secret project is plodding along. I've finally forced myself to complete a concrete summary/strip-by-strip outline of the story, because bits keep evolving in my head, and if I just let it go on I will never finish this. Most of the summary is complete; I'm just fidding with how things will go during the climax, as there are many threads to tie in and I might need a short flashback to lead up to it (and I'm not sure how to integrate that yet without disturbing the flow of the narrative). I'm also looking at comic books and artists I enjoy in order to nail down the overall look. I have some ideas (and all the characters but one are nailed down), but I'll need to experiment a bit before I find what fits. Normally my style is fairly static, but I would love to put much more energy into my lines and images, like Dave McKean, Craig Thompson, and a few others I can't quite remember off the top of my head.
Michael and I ended up watching a show about Picasso on BBC1 last night, and it was amazing and inspiring. His paintings are another reason I want to try to capture more emotion and energy in my work. I also now have a really strong desire to paint again, on large canvases; maybe even try oils. And learning that Picasso worked in so many varied mediums (more than I knew he had) makes me worry less about the fact that I like to create so many different kinds of things. It made me want to work with fimo clay again, too, and get my Etsy store back up and running with new products. I'll be working towards that over the next few weeks.
We're heading off to a wedding in Glasgow next weekend (volcanic ash permitting). It'll be my first trip to Scotland! Yay! And I met a good chunk of people that are going to be there this past weekend at a housewarming party, so I won't feel as awkward as I could have. This is good.
The weekend after the wedding, we're having a party of our own for Eurovision! It's my first one ever. I still don't quite get it, but it seems like good, awful fun. There will also be much Rock Band and SingStar and crazy board games and (of course) Doctor Who. Because we're all nerds.
So that's how things are going at the moment. I've got to go, as my lunch hour is ending, but I'll be sure to post about the trip up for the wedding.
The super secret project is plodding along. I've finally forced myself to complete a concrete summary/strip-by-strip outline of the story, because bits keep evolving in my head, and if I just let it go on I will never finish this. Most of the summary is complete; I'm just fidding with how things will go during the climax, as there are many threads to tie in and I might need a short flashback to lead up to it (and I'm not sure how to integrate that yet without disturbing the flow of the narrative). I'm also looking at comic books and artists I enjoy in order to nail down the overall look. I have some ideas (and all the characters but one are nailed down), but I'll need to experiment a bit before I find what fits. Normally my style is fairly static, but I would love to put much more energy into my lines and images, like Dave McKean, Craig Thompson, and a few others I can't quite remember off the top of my head.
Michael and I ended up watching a show about Picasso on BBC1 last night, and it was amazing and inspiring. His paintings are another reason I want to try to capture more emotion and energy in my work. I also now have a really strong desire to paint again, on large canvases; maybe even try oils. And learning that Picasso worked in so many varied mediums (more than I knew he had) makes me worry less about the fact that I like to create so many different kinds of things. It made me want to work with fimo clay again, too, and get my Etsy store back up and running with new products. I'll be working towards that over the next few weeks.
We're heading off to a wedding in Glasgow next weekend (volcanic ash permitting). It'll be my first trip to Scotland! Yay! And I met a good chunk of people that are going to be there this past weekend at a housewarming party, so I won't feel as awkward as I could have. This is good.
The weekend after the wedding, we're having a party of our own for Eurovision! It's my first one ever. I still don't quite get it, but it seems like good, awful fun. There will also be much Rock Band and SingStar and crazy board games and (of course) Doctor Who. Because we're all nerds.
So that's how things are going at the moment. I've got to go, as my lunch hour is ending, but I'll be sure to post about the trip up for the wedding.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Working hard for the money! also: Politics!
So hard for it honey! Yep. I've been at this full time job for three weeks now. I'm still trying to adjust to my new schedule. (It's hard to go from being unemployed for six months to working full time.) I'm actually really enjoying being back at a desk again, and being surrounded by people instead of being alone in the house.
I've been working on a super secret project for a long while now; at least for the last month, if not longer. The process has slowed down a bit since I started working again, but it's coming along quite nicely. It's a comics project, and it will be posted on the web. That's all I'll give away. Right now I'm still in the middle of finalizing character designs. The main outline of the first story arc is written, and I'll begin thumbnailing soon. I probably won't be posting anything up on the web until I've completed the first arc and am well into the process of working on the second, just so I can see how long each bit of the process takes.
I'm really excited about it, as it's the first time I've put so much work into a comic. The story for the first arc is pretty solid as well, and has a theme and everything! I feel like I'm doing proper work for once. And it's weird not to talk to anyone about it (save my husband and a close friend), but I think that it's been very beneficial for me not to. So... watch this space. I will update about how the process is going along, as well as when the project will finally go live.
I experienced a historical event here in the UK last week. On Thursday evening, I (and millions of other viewers) watched the first ever televised Prime Ministerial debate. I'd only just become interested in the debate process back during the 2008 US Presidential campaign, to be honest, especially the first ever Vice Presidential debate between Joe biden and Sarah Palin.
At first, the British politicians (Gordon Brown for the Labour Party, who is the current PM; David Cameron for the Conservatives; and Nick Clegg for the Liberal Democrats) seemed a bit stiff and extra formal. I found myself wondering when (or even if) the debate would heat up and they would start speaking over one another. Amusingly, it didn't take as long as I'd thought. There was a LOT of back and forth, a few deep digs (seeing Gordon Brown verbally flip off David Cameron was a highlight for me), and anecdote after anecdote (mainly from David Cameron). Nick Clegg made a grand showing, and proved to both Labour and the Conservatives that he was much more of a viable choice for voters than either opposing party ever thought possible.
In light of the public opinion polls after the debates, it looks as though the Liberal Democrats have a really good chance of winning the election. Before the debate? It was split nearly evenly between Labour and the Conservatives. This revelation was the most interesting thing to come out of the debate for me. Not only because a third party is seriously in the running here in the UK, but the fact that perhaps the US might take notice and we'll see a third party candidate who actually has a shot at winning in the next couple of decades. And perhaps the mentality that voting for a third party is a wasted vote will diminish.
It may not happen, but one can hope.
* * *
I've been working on a super secret project for a long while now; at least for the last month, if not longer. The process has slowed down a bit since I started working again, but it's coming along quite nicely. It's a comics project, and it will be posted on the web. That's all I'll give away. Right now I'm still in the middle of finalizing character designs. The main outline of the first story arc is written, and I'll begin thumbnailing soon. I probably won't be posting anything up on the web until I've completed the first arc and am well into the process of working on the second, just so I can see how long each bit of the process takes.
I'm really excited about it, as it's the first time I've put so much work into a comic. The story for the first arc is pretty solid as well, and has a theme and everything! I feel like I'm doing proper work for once. And it's weird not to talk to anyone about it (save my husband and a close friend), but I think that it's been very beneficial for me not to. So... watch this space. I will update about how the process is going along, as well as when the project will finally go live.
* * *
I experienced a historical event here in the UK last week. On Thursday evening, I (and millions of other viewers) watched the first ever televised Prime Ministerial debate. I'd only just become interested in the debate process back during the 2008 US Presidential campaign, to be honest, especially the first ever Vice Presidential debate between Joe biden and Sarah Palin.
At first, the British politicians (Gordon Brown for the Labour Party, who is the current PM; David Cameron for the Conservatives; and Nick Clegg for the Liberal Democrats) seemed a bit stiff and extra formal. I found myself wondering when (or even if) the debate would heat up and they would start speaking over one another. Amusingly, it didn't take as long as I'd thought. There was a LOT of back and forth, a few deep digs (seeing Gordon Brown verbally flip off David Cameron was a highlight for me), and anecdote after anecdote (mainly from David Cameron). Nick Clegg made a grand showing, and proved to both Labour and the Conservatives that he was much more of a viable choice for voters than either opposing party ever thought possible.
In light of the public opinion polls after the debates, it looks as though the Liberal Democrats have a really good chance of winning the election. Before the debate? It was split nearly evenly between Labour and the Conservatives. This revelation was the most interesting thing to come out of the debate for me. Not only because a third party is seriously in the running here in the UK, but the fact that perhaps the US might take notice and we'll see a third party candidate who actually has a shot at winning in the next couple of decades. And perhaps the mentality that voting for a third party is a wasted vote will diminish.
It may not happen, but one can hope.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Christmas Caricature Commission
I meant to post this in January, but I forgot! I did a couple of caricature commissions for a friend last December. They were Christmas presents for his dad and his brother. I think they turned out great (and so did my friend and his relatives).
Click on an image to see a larger version
The brother's, I think, was the most fun. It was a take on the Army of darkness movie poster. Here's a side by side:
Click to see a slightly larger version
His brother works on a golf course (and loves golf), rides mountain bikes, has a cute little daughter, and apparently is a fully-licensed chainsaw operator. It was my friend that suggested the Army of Darkness poster theme in his original email, and I just ran with it.
I'd love to do more of these. My only hangup was that printing costs were quite a bit higher than I was expecting. There's no Kinko's (FedEx Office, whatever they're calling themselves now) equivalent here, so all the printing places have a base startup cost, even if you're just printing a couple of pages (which I was not told about when I got a quote). I may just try to go through photo printing places, as they're less expensive, probably have better paper options, and I know a few people who have used such services for art prints before (and they turned out lovely).
* * *
In other news, the job search continues. It feels a bit futile sometimes. I keep looking though, and sending out my CV.
I'm going to work on getting a portfolio website set up, and get more stuff up on Etsy. I was on a roll with that, and then it all got held up by the move last month. Then I went all gotta-get-a-job crazy, and when I do that it seems to zap my creative juices. It's like my brain can only focus on one thing at a time. I really need to work on that.
I want to get back into doing illustration and paintings. I'd love to do freelance work, but other than registering for websites that require a large yearly or monthly fee, I don't know how to go about it. If any freelance illustrators happen to stumble upon this... do you have any advice?
I've also thought about offering my services as a caricaturist for local kids' parties and all that, but I'm not sure how to go about it yet. It requires more research.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Hot Dogs, American Style
Hot dogs are a classically American food. We took the idea of sausage in casing and just went NUTS. Go to any supermarket in the States, and you'll find a whole section of the cheese/cold meat aisle devoted to hot dogs. They range from containing 100% beef to indiscernible meat bits. Hebrew National is the best brand (don't argue), followed by Nathan's (who holds a hot dog eating contest every year at Coney Island).
Hot dogs are harder to find here in England. I've only seen one variety in the classic shrinkwrapped plastic package I'm familiar with. But I see either of these whenever I go shopping, and it makes me feel a bit ill:
Do people actually buy these and eat them? I suppose they must, as the products exist. But I will argue: these hot dogs are most definitely NOT "American Style" in my mind. They're hot dogs, yes, but hot dogs should not be packed in the same way vienna sausages are.
I find it funny to see American food as interpreted by another country... it must be what, say, Italians and Chinese people feel like in the States.
Last weekend we travelled up to Birmingham to experience a city that was neither slightly boring Milton Keynes nor the crowded madness that is London. I'd never been before, and promptly went OMG OLD BUILDINGS LOOK SO COOL MUST TAKE PICTURES. I took loads, but I'll just share four of my favorites:
Birmingham wins over London for me... it's less crowded and dirty, and has almost all the things I'd want out of London. Mostly the less crowded thing.
Over on my other blog, I've written about how I signed up for a Race for Life 5k in Milton Keynes on June 6th. You can read the entry here.
Hot dogs are harder to find here in England. I've only seen one variety in the classic shrinkwrapped plastic package I'm familiar with. But I see either of these whenever I go shopping, and it makes me feel a bit ill:
American Style Hot Dogs! In jars and cans! OH BOY! A taste of home!
Do people actually buy these and eat them? I suppose they must, as the products exist. But I will argue: these hot dogs are most definitely NOT "American Style" in my mind. They're hot dogs, yes, but hot dogs should not be packed in the same way vienna sausages are.
I find it funny to see American food as interpreted by another country... it must be what, say, Italians and Chinese people feel like in the States.
* * *
Last weekend we travelled up to Birmingham to experience a city that was neither slightly boring Milton Keynes nor the crowded madness that is London. I'd never been before, and promptly went OMG OLD BUILDINGS LOOK SO COOL MUST TAKE PICTURES. I took loads, but I'll just share four of my favorites:
Click a photo to see a slightly larger version.
Birmingham wins over London for me... it's less crowded and dirty, and has almost all the things I'd want out of London. Mostly the less crowded thing.
* * *
Over on my other blog, I've written about how I signed up for a Race for Life 5k in Milton Keynes on June 6th. You can read the entry here.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Horrible Histories and Sorry I've Got No Head
Horrible Histories and Sorry I've Got No Head are both shows on CBBC, a children's network run by the BBC. Yes, they are intended for kids. They are also genius.
Let's start with Horrible Histories. It sort of has the same feeling as Bill Nye the Science Guy, except it's about history and more sketch based. But, like Bill Nye, it presents educational material in such a fun and entertaining way that you almost forget you're learning something.
For example, The Wives of Henry VIII:
Go on, tell me you're not going to be humming,"Divorced, beheaded and died... divorced, beheaded, survived..." for the rest of the day.
Want some more? Here are a few more of my favorite clips from Horrible Histories:
New! Victorian Child! (with the shouty man)
The 4 Georges: Born 2 Rule
Stupid Deaths: Edmund II
Wife Swap: Spartans and Athenians
Crazy Caligula
Anglo Saxon Ordeals
Prisoner of War Escape
Stone Age Tools
There are a ton more as well... just search for Horrible Histories on YouTube and go nuts!
Sorry I've Got No Head feels like Kids in the Hall for... well... kids. It's extremely clever and funny. It's also better than any episode of Saturday Night Live I've seen in the last decade.
Here's a sketch with a recurring character; the Witchfinder General:
WITCH! WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!
Here are a few other sketches, for your perusal:
A Thousand Pounds!
French Exchange Student
The Fearsome Vikings
Waveman
Billy the Imaginary Friend Sketch
Footballers Speech Disorder
Blueberry Woman
More of the Witchfinder General
I've also found a full episode (one I haven't seen yet!)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
And of course, as with Horrible Histories, there are a lot more clips available via YouTube.
So there you have it. Two excellent bits of children's programming that adults can enjoy as well. I wish we'd had these in the States!
Let's start with Horrible Histories. It sort of has the same feeling as Bill Nye the Science Guy, except it's about history and more sketch based. But, like Bill Nye, it presents educational material in such a fun and entertaining way that you almost forget you're learning something.
For example, The Wives of Henry VIII:
Go on, tell me you're not going to be humming,"Divorced, beheaded and died... divorced, beheaded, survived..." for the rest of the day.
Want some more? Here are a few more of my favorite clips from Horrible Histories:
New! Victorian Child! (with the shouty man)
The 4 Georges: Born 2 Rule
Stupid Deaths: Edmund II
Wife Swap: Spartans and Athenians
Crazy Caligula
Anglo Saxon Ordeals
Prisoner of War Escape
Stone Age Tools
There are a ton more as well... just search for Horrible Histories on YouTube and go nuts!
Sorry I've Got No Head feels like Kids in the Hall for... well... kids. It's extremely clever and funny. It's also better than any episode of Saturday Night Live I've seen in the last decade.
Here's a sketch with a recurring character; the Witchfinder General:
WITCH! WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!
Here are a few other sketches, for your perusal:
A Thousand Pounds!
French Exchange Student
The Fearsome Vikings
Waveman
Billy the Imaginary Friend Sketch
Footballers Speech Disorder
Blueberry Woman
More of the Witchfinder General
I've also found a full episode (one I haven't seen yet!)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
And of course, as with Horrible Histories, there are a lot more clips available via YouTube.
So there you have it. Two excellent bits of children's programming that adults can enjoy as well. I wish we'd had these in the States!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Convulsing Enter
The internet is working superbly now! Hooray! Now I can make posts with photos and used a proper keyboard! Granted, it's got a European layout, and I forget where the @ symbol is all the time since it's not above the 2, but that's okay.
Now on with the good stuff!
While out and about in Milton Keynes, Michael and I stumbled upon this awesome mural in one of the pedestrian walkways:
I really love the weird cute style, and the drips from the spray paint. I wish I'd gotten a better picture.
Speaking of finding things while in Milton Keynes, we were in T.K. Maxx (T.J. Maxx in the States) and ran across this tennis racket for kids in the toy section. Nothing weird about that, right?
It's also got oddly translated phrases on the packaging. Take this for example:
Now on with the good stuff!
* * *
While out and about in Milton Keynes, Michael and I stumbled upon this awesome mural in one of the pedestrian walkways:
* * *
It's also got oddly translated phrases on the packaging. Take this for example:
EVERY STYLES FULLY WONDERFUL!
The best welcome gifts for the children.
Okay, so that's not really that bad. It's just a bit awkwardly phrased. But then there's this:
CONVULSING ENTER
WHAT convulsively enters? I'M SO CONFUSED!
* * *
We did manage to get out of the Milton Keynes area, and headed down to Bedford for wandering and shopping. We didn't really manage to buy much, but it was really nice to walk in and out of shops that weren't in a big mall. We also got to see this rad sculpture:
I didn't realize at first that I was looking at it from behind! I liked the shapes of the silhouettes, though. Here's a shot from the front:
* * *
In other life news, I've ramped up my job hunt. I'm heading into town to register with another agency on Monday, and have applied for about ten jobs this week Here's hoping I find something soon!
I've also been updating my weight loss blog a tad more than this one. The good news? I'm up to five pounds lost so far. It's slow going, but that's better in the long run, really.
That's all for now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)