I am a Mole and I live in a hole....

Yesterday we went to Westonbirt Arboretum, a lovely tree collection in the county of Gloucester, England.

The ‘car park’ was really a glorified field and everywhere you looked there were these large patches of flattened-out soil. This could only mean one thing - Molehills.

Well, I had always joked to my parents that I’d like to sit over a mole hill, wait ‘til the little critter made an appearance then go ‘BOO!’ just to see what the reaction was (yeah, juvenile but that’s just how my sense of humour is sometimes). Never in a million years did I actually expect to get the opportunity to do it! **

We walked the first half of the Arboretum and then went back to the car for lunch. I was sitting eating my sandwiches when out of the corner of my eye, one of the aforementioned patches of dirt started to move…

OK, I’m gonna give you a spoiler, the mole realised that it was still daylight and the place was heaving with people and dogs so he never did pop his nose out, but I – being the nerd that I am – sat there for a good 45 minutes just watching this mole do its thing, camera in hand (I had the camera, not the mole – now that really would have been something to see! Haha). Obviously I wouldn’t make you sit here for 45 minutes to watch a small mammal renovate its home so I speeded it up a little. The mound of earth actually got quite a bit bigger than this but the video is a bit shaky as my arm started to ache so you just have the first segment here:

I am a mole and I live in a hole.... from Gaina on Vimeo.

Quite a few people stopped to see what the hell I was up to but I was surprised and more than a little saddened at the number of parents who wouldn’t let their kids stop a while and watch this little wonder of nature unfolding. This is exactly the type of thing kids should be encouraged to witness to make them care about our environment, I think.
Anyway, the light started going and we had to leave so I reluctantly turned off my camera and we carefully drove away, Dad inching around the hill so as not to undo all of the little dude’s hard work.
This planet never ceases to amaze me.



** Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I would never harm, harass or otherwise disconcert any of my fellow creatures AND NEITHER MUST YOU!

Just when I thought I had it all figured out.....

I was all fixed on my idea for my final exhibition in June, when Sophie (my tutor) introduced us to 'Artist Books' and gave us an assignment to make one by November 12th.

I've spent the last three days going 'oooh!' and 'aaah!' over these ruddy things (which can either be a literal book or a combination of things tied up in one cute little package). Some of them are so gorgeous, I may end up scrapping my first plan and making these.

I'm just glad I've got until January to play with ideas!

Say hello to my Potty-Mouth Twin.

Angry Robot is awesome and I love her....but I gotta tell you, if you thought my language was colourful? Y'aint see nothin' yet. LOL

Sit back and enjoy.

I can haz tumblr??

Yes! Yes I can! MacDuff

Art is Power

Something's bugging me.

We're learning about 'conveying your message' in your art at the moment and I wasn't really sure my work conveys anything and actually didn't care if it did or not, as long as I enjoyed what I was doing. Then a few days ago I had a massive revelation.

I have seen trailers for a new film called 'Harry Brown' and I have to say I'm really disappointed that a stellar actor like Michael Caine would put his name to such miserable, pointless piece of 'vigilante porn'. If this film does have anything inspirational or positive to offer then the trailers are keeping it very well hidden.

It seems that too much art is about misery now. Historically, Art has been a vehicle with which to challenge the status quo, to amuse, inspire and remove people from their daily drudge. But now? It just seems that all 'artists' want to do now is tell you how much things suck, or how much they are suffering.

To those pretentious dicks masquerading as artists, I say 'Fuck you!' You're lazy and your 'Art' is contributing nothing to society. Younger generations with no strong positive model in their own family or community are taking their cues from US on just about everything from how to dress and act, right down to how they feel about their own potential and aspirations.

Weather we're authors, a musician, painters or any other kind of artist we have to acknowledge that we shape society in a myriad of ways.

The thing that strikes me as odd, particularly with films is that those based on true stories (like ‘Dangerous Minds’, remember that?) do have some light to them. Some hope that where you are now does not have to be where you stay for the rest of your life. The fictitious version of these stories is far less uplifting.

WHY? What makes you so special that you think its ok for you to fuck with reality and twist it into your own filth ridden fantasy like that? Is hope not 'sexy' enough for you? Does the chance of happiness, no matter how slim not sell these days?

Artists can no longer shirk responsibility for the effects their work has on society, not when the consequences are so dire.

When I worked with the kids on my placement last year I saw a bunch of dejected, demoralised young people with a shocking lack of self esteem and faith in their own potential. It takes a long time to get them to open up and trust that you actually want what's best for them and to see them prosper, but once they accept that and start talking to you? Oh my God....

I watched them go from monosyllabic, hostile souls to animated, excited young people who can't wait to tell you what they want to be, what they think on a range of topics (in very vivid language, it has to be said! ha-ha), and show you just how smart they REALLY are when they feel an adult values and respects what they have to say.

I don't think I could go into teaching full time, it's just too emotionally and physically draining but I am absolutely passionate about using Art as a key to unlocking human potential and I definitely see myself volunteering in some community art projects in the future.

I am absolutely positive that the slash in the budget to teach the Arts in schools is directly related to the distress and delinquency of our young people. Those who say art is not a 'real' subject and is not important to society and personal well-being are complete and utter morons.

Art saves people's lives. Whether it's a brief respite from the distress of mental illness or it means some kid will put down their guns or knives and pick up a paintbrush or a microphone instead, art heals and that's a FACT.

It's time we took our power as artists a lot more seriously and practiced it more mindfully for the good of humanity.

Over to you.

Long Train Runnin'

I promised you a blog about yesterday's frustrations so here it is.....

It's time for the annual trip to London for my Art class. Now I should explain at this point that the trip is actually compulsory for degree students, but apart from anything else it's just necessary for our developement as artists to go and see exhibitions by the 'big names' in contemporary art to inform their practice (and bulk out your supporting evidence files :P).

I have never been on one of these trips because the coach they take to London is not accessible and the drop off points are very rushed. I have complained about this for the last two years and bless my tutors, they have too but nothing has been done. Either 'The Powers that Be' don't understand the full implications of my predicament or they just don't care.

Yesterday I expressed how upset I am to have never been able to join in with my class mates on these trips and the idea was hit upon to get the train and a few of my class mates said they'd be happy to travel with me. So far so good....

Have you ever tried to plan and book a train journey for a wheelchair user? Well, lets just say I now have YTREWQ bruised into my forehead from banging it on the keyboard!!

The trip will cost those going by coach £12. It's going to cost me at least £47, and probably over £55. That's before we start adding the cost of taxi's between the various galleries! Luckily there is an accessible riverboat from Tate Britain to Tate Modern so that's one option.

But that's not the point, somebody ELSE should be thinking about these things, not me. The Student Handbook has all this PC crap in it about inclusiveness and what have you but in reality they are breaking the Disability Discrimination Act.

I need to find out where 'the buck stops' as far as organising student transport for field trips goes and give them an earful, I think. I really hate being forced to get grumpy with people but sometimes I just despair of bodies like Universities trumpeting their own 'equality policy' when in fact they don't have a fracking clue.

The Extra Mile

So, this morning I went to Weston with my Mum and Dad (he was very naughty so He's not coming out with us next week :P). My plan was to do my mile if at all possible, which as it turns out it was....and then some.

I was sensible and stopped when my arms ached too much, we had a coffee and a Danish Pastry 'mid-circuit' and I thoroughly enjoyed the push. When I got home I checked my route on Googlemaps to see how far I'd actually done ('A' to 'B' and back on the map above).

A total of 2.2miles!! To say I am chuffed is a great understatement.

My arms are really burning now but my back and stomach muscles are also feeling it a bit too, which is surprising considering that I don't have that much strength in those muscles below t-12. If I can tone my trunk muscles, even just a little bit that's got to help my posture and balance.

Needless to say, no painting will happen this afternoon. :P