Travels

I am beyond excited about my trip to Cambodia on the 22nd. It is just for one week, with a further trip next summer for four weeks.
I am almost packed...I have no idea what I will wear so I have put together the weirdest assortment of clothes! I do have all the important things, like Immodium and a head torch...and lots of money for shopping and treats.
I will be visiting temples like these -

Since I was a teenager I have been interested in world religions, especially Buddhism and Hinduism. I have long wanted to visit Asia, and have never managed to afford it so far. I am so grateful for the chance to see it - and for free!

 Of course I am going to take millions of photos, and I will be taking my sketchbook with me too. So when I get back I will be sharing the sights and finds I discovered there, as well as what I managed to sketch and bring back.

This could be me in a couple of days!

As well as obviously having an amazing time seeing Cambodia, I will be visiting some projects that students from my school will be helping with next year: two of those are an orphanage and a school.

I have been collecting pencils at my school to take to the Cambodian children...I have a LOT, it's a good job I am packing light for a one week trip. When we go back next year I will take them something else, but I need to meet them first to find out what they need. A girl came up to me today with her own pencil, and said 'this is for the Cambodian children Miss'...aw!
A technician at my school brought in pencils donated from her own children, one of which had gone out to buy some after she told him about the children and how they have very little. It has made me incredibly happy to see how generous people can be, how thoughtful; and it has felt great to be a part of something so simple but I know it will be effective.

 So, I will fill you in on my return. Have a good week - love, me x

Long time no Blog...

It seems like ages since I last shared any of the world with you, and even though I am utterly exhausted as I write this I wanted to bring you an update. Firstly, I am in love, well it is a Re:Love of someone I discovered a couple of years ago: Jess Chorley.
I came across her work again whilst reading the fantabulous and completely luscious Oh Comely magazine that I spotted whilst out shopping with my new creative friend Rosie.

I can only dream of making work like this, actually scrap that because I have in the past...perhaps I should dream of a day when I can make work like this again! Sometimes I miss the creative buzz of Art College...I should say ALL the time.
But guess what? I have created a little Art School community of friends who keep my ideas flowing. I love long conversations about print techniques, or new materials and processes...I am well nerdy for Art and Design.

In other news: Renegade was amazing and I got to meet the super talented Kim Smith (EEp!), and get a picture with her (as well as deliver her a little pressie from me). I went with my friend Anna and we decided that Kim's was the most creative and inspiring space on the day, lots of other things were a bit manufactured: plastics and wood. But hey, this is the first London Renegade so lots of room to grow and attract new makers. I will do a properly long post on that day and also the Knitting and Stitching show which was so inspirational...wow, I did 3 London trips in 3 days, and came home to sunny Poole each day.
Which is probably why I am so tired now.

Brick Lane was so beautiful, in an urban-messed-up kinda way. I took a bajillion photographs while poor Anna waited patiently...here are a few. I could have taken three million squillion. I was literally taking baby steps and snap snap snapping:

I adore the textures, the random placement. In fact the banner for this blog is taken rom my sketchbook, in which I worked with similar photographs in collage form. I am fascinated at how things look through the viewfinder, how I can select an area with perfect composition, out of randomness. This has always been my passion in art. All this will translate into later work.

What are you working on?

Love me x

Reflections

Refections are my favorite. At the moment we are having some unseasonably warm weather, and bright bright sunshine. Autumn sunshine seems to come in from an angle that makes photography just that bit more magical.
I have long moaned about my need for a better camera, my photography deserves one! But until I can get a new camera I will learn to cherish, adore and no doubt abuse the current crappy camera I own. At the moment I use a Pentax digital thing that has cost me more money in batteries than a Canon EOS (the coveted brand). But sometimes it does brilliant things, or the world just does brilliant things and it captures them without effing it all up.
I also use mobile cameras - my Blackberry one is so bad, and I use an old Nokia phone which has a good little camera on it and a self timer option.
I am the Queen of 'Make-Do' when it comes to most things and cameras are no exception....clearly.
Here are some pictures I took on a very sunny day in Southbourne last week:

I have taken many pictures of reflective surfaces over the last few years, I get so excited about it. On this day the light was so good I was taking a picture at almost every step!
I have always loved shop windows, displays, signage and shop lettering. I found a really cool old front style on a shop on this day too, gorgeous:



What do you like to photograph?

Me x