Saturday 31 December 2011

The Weather Here...

The midwinter darkness of Northern climes occurs because the sun barely gets above the horizon at this time of the year. That's what all these midwinter celebrations are about, ain't they?
But here... in Cornwall... in the far far west of England....
all is grey for another reason. I don't know when I last saw blue sky...
or the sun...
Greyness has just gone on for weeks.
Cloud cloud cloud. And rain.

I am growing moss.
Please... for The New Year. I would like to see.... the sun.

Tuesday 27 December 2011

There's Still About 10 Days of Christmas...

So as we do cope with the after effects of too much food and inactivity we continue to hope you have a good time.

Picture a hand gripped and a look towards the New Year......
Here we go again ....
This time it's called 2012...
All together now, jump.

Thursday 22 December 2011

Woo-Woo Solstice Greetings and a Very Merry Christmas Too

Mmmn. I do hope some of you have taken a look at Mrs D's animation there, she got so temperamental making it. And as for The Old Man and me... it's tiring I tell you. 30 frames per second... with a little movement every 2 or 4 frames. Some tempers were frayed all round. And Mrs D used that mangy cat again. And come to think of it... The Old Man got a major share of the limelight there.

Whatever.... The Old Man is baking pannetone... I been making the Christmas cards and hanging up tinsel. The food is in... The greetings have been spread.... we's getting ready.

I do wish everyone a good time. Enough food. Enough warmth. Some love and some peace. Merry Christmas one and all.

Monday 19 December 2011

Mrs D's "Christmas Dinner"


Christmas Dinner from Mrs D on Vimeo.

So... it wobbles a bit. And maybe it's a bit .... Cute. What can you do.
Here it is. Merry Christmas.

Saturday 17 December 2011

That Christmas Animation Thing is ....

Still from forthcoming "Christmas Dinner" 

....Still coming soon. Mrs Doonuthin's Annual Animated Extravaganza.

Marvel at The Old Man bringing in the Christmas Pud.


Thursday 15 December 2011

That Christmas Animation Thing

Still from forthcoming "Christmas Dinner"
Comin soon.
Mrs Doonuthin's splendid production of "Christmas Dinner".
See the wonders of I myself .... decorating the tree.


Tuesday 13 December 2011

Mrs Doonuthin is Doin Her Animation Thing

Still from forthcoming "Christmas Dinner"

I do so apologise for not being in touch so to speak with my up to the minute posting. (Er-hem) But we's all a bit distracted here.

Mrs Doonuthin has decided to grasp the bull by the horns....or maybe that's.... the seasonal reindeer by the antlers.... and to make her Christmas animation.

Which at the rate that she works amounts to her Annual Animation.

This time it's us what be acting in it. Which makes for an awful lot of standing around on one foot, etc.... and movin' slower than Marcel Marceau. While the woman herself do go on and on in an artistic temperamental way. Much waving of arms and pullin of hair and shouting that she just can't do it!

She should try bein' one of the actors.

Thursday 8 December 2011

Who Done Eat That?


Yesterday The Old Man comes out of the garage bearing a bunch of beetroot.
You think this sounds absurd?
Perish the thought.
The garage is cold and its where we keep our larder supplies of root vegetables and fruit.

Anyways he comes in with the beetroots and points out the little continent-shaped patches of raw flesh dotted around their skins.
"He's back." say he.
"Mmn. So I see." say I.

Somewhere.... there is a mouse with very pink jaws and feet.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Selling a Print - Three Years Later

You may remember that once upon a time, long, long ago.... I wuz printmaking?

The other day I gets a phone call from a woman who bought one of my first series of lino-cuts. That was at an Open Studio three years ago.

She'd still got my card. Could she buy another one in the series?

Of course, say I.

I then panic and try to sort them all out in their nice little black boxes with tissue paper between the layers... and the mounts... and the frames.

A few days later she do come along to pick what she wants. It's a very nice meeting and chat. Though more of a case of a listen on her part. I'd remembered her well because the sale had meant a lot to me... being practically the first, like. And the print series was about childhood. And she had bought it for her boy. And now she wanted another, three years later, also for her boy. In the end she took two more.

And I be well-chuffed. For me it be about communicating something. And I can't tell you how pleased I be that this print meant stuff for both mother and her boy.
Evie Greydollsdottir will be proud of me.



Monday 5 December 2011

The Vilification of the Public Sector

You may remember my diatribes about being a "baby boomer" (Click here for Post 1 and here is Post 2).

Time was when people didn't mind that you worked as a librarian, a teacher, a civil servant, a fireman, for a council-whatever. It was considered quite a respectable line of work. You were of course looked down upon by those who worked in the Private Sector. Something a bit ploddy about opting for the Public Sector.

But not now. Oh No. With that Jeremy Clarkson geezer for instance. It isn't even the stupid remark about "executing strikers" that offends me. When I hear the clip repeated on the Radio... it's the tone of voice he uses when he is asked if he knows any public sector workers.
"What me?" squeaks he "Know a Public Servant? Good God. No." Or words to that effect....  He does justify himself by saying that he is invited on these shows to be funny, so... Buffoon it is then.

So yes. I did  work in the Public Sector. I admit it. I think I may have to adopt a disguise when I go out now. I most certainly grow shifty and avoid people's eyes when they ask me what I did for a living. Perhaps I'll tell them that I worked as an investment banker or...or an estate agent. None of these jobs seem to get much stick these days.

A week or so ago.... buying cheese in a local-ish shop.... The Old Man and me falls to chattin' with the proprietor, as you do.
"What was your line of work?" say he
"Civil Servant and Librarian in a Public Library..." (to paraphrase)
"Oooh. Gold-plated pensions." he sneers.

Course I'm not good at instant come-backs in real-life.
Else I could have pointed out that that's how come I can afford to buy his cheese.

Thursday 1 December 2011

Travels With My Film-Life: Iceland: Cold Fever

As I watch Mrs Doonuthin devourin her latest thriller (see previous post) then upendin herself over her box of cds trying to find the Bjork one....

I am reminded of an Icelandic film I have great affection for. It's Fridrik Thor Fridricksson's "Cold Fever" - a 1995 road movie set in Iceland following a young Japanese businessman who reluctantly travels to Iceland in order to perform a ritual ceremony for his parents who had died in an avalanche some years earlier. (Take the time to follow this Cold Fever link and watch the trailer on the International Movie Database...)

I just adore that film. Great photography. And as usual with me... off the wall characters. Add the naturally off the wall landscape of Iceland and it's just my cup of tea. I particularly loved the scene where the Japanese guy is desperate to get back to Reykjavik, hires a taxi and ... in the middle of nowhere there is an isolated building. The taxi driver asks him if he could just wait a moment and hops out of the taxi and into the building... After quite some time the Japanese guy gives up and staggers up to the building... inside he sees a full-scale nativity play going on with the taxi driver in pride of place...... I just love it.

If you get a chance, try to catch the film. And be prepared - there are an awful lot of deep-fried sheep's heads. And geysers. And elves. And black sand..........