slow slow slow

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5°C, getting warmer
I doubt I can get much writtne here- msn .net servers are responding so slowly- it’s taken over 10 mins to open this new entry page.
 
Bad news for cycling today: BBC
I know accidents happen, but this is avoidable. If it’s avoidable, I don’t really think the word "accident" is the right one. The driver was not speeding, but still driving dangerously fast, the road not gritted.
"Officers have described the deaths as a "tragic accident"".
It’s as if they think there was an element of chance, or it was unavoidable. It’s clearly ok for drivers to kill cyclists as shown by this and countless other killings.
Painting: Just replaced the Final "Armover" photo in the gallery. I’m not sure it looks noticably different- but it does now have four layers of glaze on it. It certainly looks different here on the shelf- but the photo ; I’m not so sure.

Lychees!

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3°C, murky.

36½ miles or cycling. It’s just about dry now. The chain nearly broke- or so it appeared when I arrived home. .
 
It’s also a day of recovering from a late night:  Bed at 2am. We went to a party for a couple celebrating their civil ceremony ( if that’s the right name). On of whom works importing Italian shoes. She got this amazing drink that’s the Italian equivalent of Champaigne. The difference is- this stuff is nice. I just can’t seem to remember it’s name.
 
Maybe I should categorise this under "mundane". We did eat lychees!

glazed

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The letter

September 29, 1984 Dear so and so
Gather me up because I’m lost
Or I’m back where I started from
I’m crawling on the floor Rolling on the ground
I might cry I won’t go home
So here’s the story
I am turning up in circles
And I’m spinning on my knuckles
Don’t forget that there are circles left undone
And very close to me
Forgive me Comfort me
I’m crawling on the floor Rolling on the ground
There’s a blanket wrapped around my head
I’m moving in a line that’s shaped like this
I’m holding in my breath I have a room
Can you tell if I am lying
Don’t forget that I’m living inside
The space where walls and floor meet
There’s a box inside my chest
An animal stuffed with my frustration
Can you hear me?
Don’t forget that I’m alone when you’re away
You make me act like other people do
Forgive me Comfort me You comfort me
You make me die I’m gonna cry I won’t go home
Don’t kill the god of sadness
Just don’t let her get you down
See that man inside that book I read
Can’t handle his own head
So what the hell am I supposed to do?
I’d like to know how he died
My hands are shaking Don’t you love me anymore
I only need a person, keep my shoulders
Stand around lie down
Move your hand above the floor
Gather me up because I’m lost
Or I’m back where I started from
I’m crawling on the ground Rolling on the floor
I’m gonna cry You look for me
Love Kristin, P.S. keep them coming

©1994 Kristin Hersh

More…

 

^ spine-tingling stuff while I was finishing off that painting.

Or at least I think it may be done, only looking in daylight tomorrow will make sure. I have a photo but it’s so near to complete that I may as well wait then post a picture into the "Finished Oil Paintings " album.

 

Happy new year to those commentators who’ve made such a good start to the year.

 

Volumetric clouds

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27 miles in clearl dry but misty air.

High cloud base today– see the picture. That orange cloud is from a coal fired power station eight miles North West. Taken just after sunrise where the sunlight is almost horizontal.

New Year’s eve

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6°C, westerly, some sunny bits, some wet.
47½ miles- At last! I’ve needed a ride all week- now I’m sated.
 
I don’t really need a new year’s resolution this time, usually I do. Previously it has been the same one- sleep more. Now I’m getting 6½ to 7 hours a night! Yeay! I feel much better for it too.
 
Today is a second longer. This year has a "Leap second" to adjust time to suit variations in the Earth’s rotation. Look out for an extra "pip" as the radio/TV broadcasts get to 23.60 hrs.

Paint & decorate

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4°C dropping to -4 or worse!
It’s taken until now finding time to get on with that painting. Domestic stuff has filled my day, painting, assembling white goods, assembling flat-packs from Ikea. I should get paid for this; it’s my holiday you know!
 
Now I’m off to do something useful….
Finished one! Twohats is done, below is a closeup but if you want an overall view, it’s in the Finished Paintings section. It’s the first one I have done on those canvas boards- you know the canvas stretched onto hard cardboard.
Seems like good stuff – especially after adding a layer of gesso – I judged the surface to be a bit coarse.
That leads me onto the next problem- when it comes to mounting the picture- erm… how? Presumably I have to get some routed wood and mitre it to fit. Sounds ok, but lacks control on exact framing, the mitre limits the edge overhang to the same amount on all sides.
 
Still- it looks ok though. Aaand… I returned to the folded arms picture. Maybe this can be used to the pink/green idea discussed recently.

leaden roads

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4 dropping to 0°C
Snow is on its way. Another Christmas done, and getting back to normal now.
Rode out to Measham and Twycross Zoo today, often the Elephants are visible from the side road, but not today. There were visitors though; I’m told that the only day that place is shut is christmas day itself.
Too much rich food, too much central heating. No painting done since the 23rd.
45½ miles today, again the roads looked like lead (the metal), occasionally smeared in redish silty mud. Fields green.
Graphics tablet: I’m tempted to put Corel Painter back on the try this out. There are a few things I need to check out with colour anyway. Green & pink!

Midwinter

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10°C, clouds up quite high.
It’s mid-winter, yesterday may have been the shortest day, but either the afternoons get shorter or the mornings still lighten later, I can’t remember which way round it is.
OK just found it: daylight hours. Currently, sunset and sunrise are both getting later. the worst dark mornings are around the 2nd January. 12 December has the worst sunset time. The two cycles are out of phase by about 3 days.
 
Talking of cycles: 33.4 miles on muddly lanes = nice warm feeling with the urge to sleep deeply.
Painting: Twohat has a new hat. It’s getting a bit ripped in places. The faces are still terrible, I feel like going back to the previous method ( orange+white+B. sienna), it seemed easier to introduce deeper colours in shadows. On shadows- it still lacks the "self-shadowing" effect that marks out the more realistic pictures; yep- that’s the key for this one!
Oh well, too tired to decide now.

Flashy

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10°C. dry
Tecchies installed the new version of Macromedia Flash (v.8) on a few machines on the school network today. It’s part of the whole Macromedia Studio. Having a short period to play with it, I’d say it’s vastly easier to use than the one I have played with before. I feel encouraged to actually learn this app. properly now.
 
I have something to show now. A slideshow that displays pictures from one of my sketchbooks. These files can be locked so that the contents can’t be extracted. I can also easily change the pictures, so perhaps it’s a good idea for my web-site’s splash page.
Sample slideshow:->See here
 
Oh yeah- and it’s term’s end now. I’m going to drink some tea.