38,675

 

I have a task for the winter. To be started before it gets too unwieldy.

38,675 photographs to look at, check the filing of, upload to Smugmug (for extra safety) and print about 1/10 into Blurb PhotoBooks.

You have no idea how long its going to take to upload with the crappy internet connection we have out here.  Plus it “uses up” all the Wi-Fi and makes anything else online impossible, so has to be done when no one else is working / surfing.

How many months years will it take?

Oh yes, and there’s that small box of loose photographs that need scanning and sorting – starting with DS’s birth in 2000.

Not to mention the 6 10 files of slides.

Nor the numerous photo albums stretching back to 1985.

Maybe I should have started a few years ago?

All good fun anyway.  Nothing beats looking at photos of a sultry summers day or DS when he was younger.

A HUGE part of the joy is discovering the ones you’d forgotten about.

Mums Shoes

That's my boy at 1.5yrs old. 
Can I have another one now please?

I tried

I didn’t win the C&K challenge.  The winning piece was an intricate illustration/drawing.

I’m not going to Istanbul for three nights in four star luxury. 
 
Am quite sad not to get time out with DH and not to be going to see lots of Islamic art and architecture.

However I do have a lovely piece of art for my house.

For anyone who has ever worked in sales

This cartoon is hilarious, I just had to share it with you, takes me back in time to when I worked as an area sales manager with Life Technologies Inc!  I had tears in my eyes reading this last night

The last picture is my favourite.

http://www.jacobsen.no/anders/blog/archives/images/project.html

Inspired by India revealed

The work will be on display this evening, I thought it was OK to show you all now, a little early. 
Think of it as a private preview.

Size is A2, (42x59.5cm) depth 20cm.

Will let you know if I have won the challenge (its exciting!!!)

Finishing touches

Have you guessed what it is I’m making?

Hint; its a development of a piece I made several years ago which you’ll find on my website.

This afternoon it was finished and mounted and is ready to be packed in copious layers of bubble wrap.

Another day of being Inspired by India

A mix of machine and handwork today.

The highly embellished background now has images sewn into place.    

The machining was a short break from sitting here in my studio working at the frame.  (104 hours to date).  Note the two lamps to give enough light, it feels as if summer has well and truly gone from Northumberland - along with the best light after midday.

Tomorrow is the last push before it all gets framed ready to ship to London on Monday. 

The work will be on display at the Royal Geographical Society on Wednesday night at a special Indian event hosted by Cox & Kings, a travel company who run luxury holidays and escorted tours to wonderfully exotic places. 
You can still buy tickets for the evening from here.

Goldwork Paisleys

Well the last few days, today and tomorrow will be more of this;

Cut and pin.

Tack into place.

Stitch the edging.

Fill with chippings.

Stretch your back (think Waterhouse here).

John William Waterhouse

1916

Or maybe Millais

Sir John Everett Millais

1851

Of course this is how I look when I’m working; young, thin, sexy, wearing a beautiful medieval dress, in a castle, waiting for my Knight.
I was born in the wrong age - I’ve known that since I was about 5yrs old.

With 79 hours of work to date the end is in sight, it should all get put together on Sunday and the courier is booked for Monday to arrive in London on Tuesday morning.

I love a deadline.

Oh and I must tell you that I’ve been listening to the British History Podcast for the last few days. 

Its free, fantastic and informative. 

So far the Romans have been and gone and I’m into the Dark Ages. The podcast is one of the best (if not the best) on history that I’ve listened too. 
This guy can tell a story.

Archaeology Results!

In all the excitement about Inspired by India I forgot to tell you about the course results.

Do you remember I was studying Archaeological Theory as a bridging module towards acceptance on the MA?  Well I found it really hard going at first, so many new concepts and ideas and –isms! 
Totally alien to someone who has never before studied social theory / philosophy / a humanities based subject.

The whole summer seemed to pass in a blur of exhibition work, birthdays, visitors and highlighter pens.

Well, I passed!  With distinction.

Now I could enrol on the MA straight away, except I can’t as I need to save some money first.  Not sure where I’m going to save it from though!
A problem to contemplate.

The University suggested I apply for a bursary which I intend to do and hopefully I’ll soon be a postgraduate student of Archaeology and Heritage.

Reflections

I thought that it would be interesting to blog the journey in more detail than usual and with such a short deadline it will be a fast journey!

Of course it is my fault that I have set myself so much to do. 
I honestly think, that this time, I’ve outpaced / excelled / idiotically challenged myself with ambition!

Yes, this is far above and beyond the necessary artwork required for a blogger challenge.  BUT I realised I really wanted to make an Indian inspired work for myself, and had wanted to do this for a long time.

What better to combine the two?

Hence the concentration of 2 months work into two weeks.  The last few days I’ve been working for five hours in the studio and another two in the evenings.  For the next five days I need to work around 10 hours a day. 

I started at 10.30am this morning, after getting DS off to school, having a shower, sorting the washing and setting the machine off… doing the dishes, having breakfast..sorting some post.  I dare not look at emails on the laptop, so if you have written to me in the last week or so please forgive me, but its going to be Monday before I reply.

I stopped at 4.30pm to cook an early dinner for DS who has football practise, I’m just about to drop him off and then head back to the studio for another hour or so before my own supper.

So this is what I’ve been doing today.

If I tell you that this section below represents somewhere in the region of 1/30 of the goldwork to complete, well, you might understand my ambition.