Ball Of Wool - 7

The bulk of todays work centered around my hand. I hate drawing hands as i've mentioned in the past. but I'm OK about this one.I think as far as the 'Soaring Bird' analogy goes..I'm entering the 'flapping stage' now..with some frantic flapping need when I set my sights on my hair (what there is of it!)..( did you know I had shoulder length curly red/brown hair less than 6 years ago!?).

Today I was listening to a live album by my all time favourite group Genesis..it was recorded in 1973 and features a great song, the lyrics of which I've included here. Not your average 'Boy meets girl' you'll have to admit!


The Return Of The Giant Hogweed

Turn and run,
Nothing can stop them,
Around every river and canal their power is growing.
Stamp them out,
We must destroy them.
They infiltrate each city with their thick dark warning odour.
Still they're invincible,
Still they're immune to all our herbicidal battering.

Long ago in the Russian hills,
A Victorian explorer found the regal Hogweed by a marsh,
He captured it and brought it home.
Botanical creature stirs,
seeking revenge.
Royal beast did not forget.
He came home to London,
And made a present of the Hogweed to the Royal Gardens at Kew.

Waste no time,
They are approaching.
Hurry now, we must protect ourselves and find some shelter
Strike by night
They are defenceless.
They all need the sun to photosensitize their venom.
Still they're invincible,
Still they're immune to all our herbicidal battering.

Fashionable country gentlemen had some cultivated wild gardens,
In wich they innocently planted the Giant Hogweed throughout the land.
Botanical creature stirs,
seeking revenge.
Royal beast did not forget.
Soon they escaped,
spreading their seed,
preparing for an onslaught,
threatening the human race.

THE DANCE OF THE GIANT HOGWEED

Mighty Hogweed is avenged.
Human bodies soon will know our anger.
Kill them with your Hogweed hairs
HERACLEUM MANTEGAZZIANI
Giant Hogweed lives

------ADVANCE!-----

I've posted the video below if you're interested.(It's an edited version!)

Genesis - The Return Of The Giant Hogweed.

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Ball Of Wool - 6

It was with a sense of joy that I sat at the front of my art class at school today and showed the children this picture. Each week I take whatever I am working on so they can see the progress...And what was the first thing they said?.."you've got no clothes on!"...Well, hopefully they don't all Rush home to be asked by their parents "what did you do in art class today?"...to hear that "Niall showed us a picture of him with no clothes on !"...I can hear the sirens now even as I write!
They understood the concept of wool which is for clothing but in this case I've got all raveled up. I explained that the basic concept of wool is simple..like friendships.But sometimes a misheard comment, a poorly communicated piece of information means tangle time! ...I seem to be doing a lot of that sort of thing myself recently!

Ball Of Wool - 5

I must apologise for the fact that you are not seeing very much growth in this picture at the moment. As I have mentioned, peace and time to concentrate are all important. I find my mind wandering at times and to top it all off..the kids are still off with an inset day.Arguments, shouting, trying to get them to actually do their homework before the last minute..I find it all too much and am tempted to walk out sometimes. I feel at the moment like I'm 'In the world, but not of it'..it's so stupid and pretentious of me to to say that I feel as if I'm 'called' in my work..but feel..well..tangled I guess..in my 'Ball Of Wool'.

Ball Of Wool - 4

Today has not been a day of intense work. Rather intense thought. It's what the picture is about..unraveling the things that tie us in knots, that wrap themselves around our ankles causing us to stumble and fall.That bind our hands and prevent us from reaching out, from bringing comfort , help , work and building.

The wool is red to symbolise life, blood..the fabric of our reality.

Ball Of Wool - 3

Currently, it's a matter of creating the correct contours to depict all the many creases and lines. then apply the correct density of colour. This is done in layers, gradually building up from Red through Yellow Ochre into some mid blue then light blue. then going back and repeating the process as necessary. Once an area is complete and i move on to another..I realise that the previous area needs to be strengthened.

Often when I have taken a break..I return to view the picture seeing areas that need more attention which I hadn't noticed before. Since I work in my bedroom, the picture is on my desk by the window, looking at my previous days work is always the first thing I do when I wake. Consequently it is the last thing before retiring. So you see..I live with my work, I sleep with my work..it is the thing I look at more than any other.

Watched a particularly beautiful but also tragic love played out in the movie 'Betty Blue' last night. I've recently been listening to the soundtrack from it which is hauntingly sensual and languid.The film is all that but disturbing in other ways. I've watched the Directors Cut which was around 3 hours long. Next to watch will be 'Before Sunset' the sequel to 'Before Sunrise' which I have been meaning to watch for a few months now.I'll let you know what I think.

Ball Of Wool - 2

You could say that inspiration to an Artist is like the wind or perhaps more accurately a 'Thermal' beneath the wings of a soaring bird. Whilst the lift is easy to ride you see the horizon stretching infinitely before you, the bothersome things that tied you to the Earth appear small and insignificant from where you are, the warmth of the sun on your back....Then the air turns colder and you are falling towards the Earth again...to remain aloft you must flap your wings...flap to lift yourself, and to reach those dizzying heights that a moment ago were so easy to scale, are now out of your reach.

So it is, when the lift in your inspiration flees, what you must do is flap..or in this case, put your head down and work...work ..work. There is a saying that "genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

yesterday the air turned cold and I decided to stop flapping. Today the air is cold, but I am airborne once again. Now having reached the point of satifaction that the hardest part is done, I'll carry on.

Ball Of Wool - 1..

Yikes!..it's only now that i've uploaded the photo that I see how scary I look! (Yes Tysonice..this is me! :-) ) I have not felt this excited about a project for so long. The basic concept came to me in an instant. The 'Muse' was definitely whispering into my ear!...(despite being many miles away at the time!)

There is a lengthy and involved explanation for the diverse symbolism incorporated in this picture which I will describe over the coming weeks and more likely months. Yes it's quite a large picture in relation to recent ones.

So I've started with the transfer of the drawing and the placing of the first dots of red ink. As I've explained many times..I work on the part that has to be perfect for the rest to work..in this case the eyes. I'll know after around 5 hours work if it's a 'goer'...

I actually feel a shiver of excitement when I think about this picture...lets see where it goes!..I hope you'll be there with me to see it?

Ball Of Wool - Attack of the Muse

Preliminary sketch ideas inspired by metaphore 'Ball Of Wool'
I like the 'Minipix' I drew a few weeks ago of the red landscape..I might incorporate it into the new piece.


Elderflower leaves in my garden this afternoon


Sometimes we need to be ready..sometimes we are totally unprepared for what is about to happen. I have always had the philosophy (but not always dared to follow my own...and regretted it! ) that you should follow your heart..in love and art.To disregard the consequences which have a way of working themselves out if you truly believe, and live so that you may lie down to die on your last day with no regrets. (that's why I'm doing what I'm doing instead of going back to Social Work!)

Stricken by the very vivid and moving metaphore given to me by Bobkat, I have changed tack and started work on a new project. 'Escalator' will keep..it was to be an exercise in intricacy and realism...this will be an act of the heart.

I'll elaborate as I develop this piece, but for now, perhaps you might like to imagine the Ball Of Wool as the tangled strands of our lives..

Escalator.

Nelson's - The Poem!

Thank you to Oskur for looking after things for me..he really is a faithful old Chimp, I'm sure he'll back again soon.

I've been reading all the ideas you've had for alternative titles for Nelson's. They could all reasonably be used, but having thought about it long and hard, I've taken Prats suggestion to leave it as it is. BUT...I've used all your suggestions and put them in a poem. So, this poem is gratefully dedicated to :

Bobkat,Nessa,Prats,Vidya,Anonymom and Ascenderrisesabove for the suggestions.And PS,Devilmood, Jonice, and Julie for encouragement.I apologise for any I have missed!

Nelson's

She sits all alone and yet not alone,

dressed in starling's iridescent black down.

Is she feeding the pigeons,or are the pigeons on hold?

We can see she's the talk of the town.

.

Her lips gently part as she talks into her phone,

raises hand which she waves in the air.

Where are you?..I am here!..and you're still at home?

you said that we'd meet in the square.

.

So she sits all alone and yet not alone,

dressed in starling's iridescent black down.

Her hand clutches bread which she throws to the birds,

that and her mobile phone.

Niall young. October 2007.

Oskur, Dur Wyld Monky...ageyn...!

"Ello'..Itz mee agen..dur mastur iz aving a dey off..ee az wurkt evur so ard and sez ee iz woching dur rugbee..."Kum on Inglund" ee sez. Eye fort dat zis iz a gud tyme too tell yoo dat dispyt iz cheeree owtluk, der mastur iz feeliyng a bit doun in der dumpz. it appenz evryee now an thenn. Eee sez too tel yoo dat ee wyll bee bak suun too shou yoo wot ee iz goyng too doo nekkst.

tylldenn..i wyll keyp up mi studyz on der humanz beehayveeyur...yoo arr a puzzulliyng lott!

byy byy fur nouw

Oskur

xxx

Finished Nelsons

I know this sounds silly, but I always meant 'Nelson's' to be the working title.I still consider it to be so. Well, if anyone has an alternative title to suggest, please feel free to comment!

Thank you for following the development of this scene. I've actually enjoyed it more than some because of the special time it represents when I met Preeti in London. All your comments are part of the motivation I have for 'sticking ' with it...so what's next. I'll let you know tomorrow!

Nelson's Legs

I began the day with the intention of finishing the girl off.The legs would be difficult because she was wearing dark paterned tights which I thought looked great in the light of the scene. So first of all did a mini 'swatch' of colours just to see what i'd need to get the right effect.

Next I put down a basic area of shadow using the dark blue. She has her left leg partially visible in different places behind her right..if I didn't get the basic drawing correct, it could look as if she was horribly disfigured.

Happy with the darker area, I proceeded to apply mid blue and penciled in the paterns.

Next came the red which starts to make the whole area have a warm appearance. My aim is to give the viewer the impression that her skin is visible through the material, it would have been a 'cop out' to make then opaque!

Here I've added green into the spectrum (no yellow was used in this on her legs!)and set off the red...Green is the correct contrasting colour to use..the effect is that that the red deepens in the shaded areas whist at the same time the yellow which is present in the green is accentuated. (are you still with me?)

Finally I obliterate any remaining white paper visible between the dots with light blue. If you look at legs in tights/ stockings (and believe me, I looked at lots!)..( purely for artistic reasons of course!) (;-) ), you'll notice a dark outline ..this is where the material follows the curvature.

Nelson's 11

With a title like the one this post goes under, you'd expect me to mention George Clooney and Brad pit..well I'm not!..........Doh!

Spent my time today working on stone..behind the girl and the arm rest thingy. But took time out to go and visit a community based training and resource centre nearby. You may have read about the fire Annie discovered in our neighbours house a week ago. Well a few days ago Hedia called over to see Annie and thank her for her heroic act and gave her a present . It was the first real time we have met and spoken. Hedia, her husband and children moved to Derby from Tunisia about 18 months ago, and now Hedia works for an organisation called 'Sure Start'. I was invited to visit the centre as there might be an opportunity for me to help run an art group for Dads.

I was incredibly surprised at what I found.Despite the centre only being 10 minutes walk away, I'd never been in. I met Hedia and other members of staff there, they were wonderfully welcoming and said they'd be honoured to have me work with them..I said that it was MY HONOUR to work with them...so on that basis we should all be satisfied!!. Derby being a very multicultural city has recently received a large influx of immigrants from central Europe..also asylum seekers. Many many countries are represented in the local area and Sure start is in a perfect position to give help and support to families. I am particularly interested in the untapped creativity there and finding ways to help adults explore ways of expressing themselves .

I know the power of making your own art..the sense of achievement and value one feels when ones work is appreciated. I know that working there could see lives touched by the Joy of art. ( that sounds so lame..but I mean it!!)

Nelson's Girl

Starting with Scarlet I begin to fill in a base colour for the hair. It's important not to lay the colour on too deeply as that can be altered later .

Once I'm happy with the red, I start to add a mid blue over it 0increasing the density where the shadows are. The overall effect is a purple shade..this will change with the next layer of colour. Generally speaking for a colour/shade to look right, it needs three different colours. A base layer which is the overall colour, a complementary shade which provides depth and finally a contrasting shade which fills in the shadows.

It doesn't show up so well here, but I'm applying Yellow Ochre which is like adding sunlight...somehow whenever I use it, there is an immediate improvement.

By now I've started to add in other colours as I see fit..you might see green in there too..I then increase the amounts of each colour until they blend ...I might also add in some light blue which you see me filling in the wall behind the girl with. Hands are my least favourite thing to do...very difficult, it's very easy to make a hand look like a bunch of bananas!..Matt Groening who created 'The Simpsons' spoke about this once, and said that's why all his characters have only three fingers!!!But then he went and coloured them yellow..so they still look like bananas!

Nelson's 10 - Final figure - Blog Action Day

Well..here's the answer..I was so taken by the young woman in the picture..she appears to be totally oblivious to all but the call she is receiving..the pigeons are looking at her..there is even a pigeon sitting right next to her on the bench and is also looking up at her. What are they thinking these feathered beggars?.."OI!..put that blinking phone down and throw us a bit of bread!"

You can see just the basic pencil outline and the start of a dark blue layer..pardon me for saying, but I'm loving working on this now..nearly finished!

Oh, by the way..the most poular question I get asked is "when you go to bed, do you see dots before your eyes?" closely followed by "I bet you suffer from repetitive strain injury?"

Sitting looking at the pigeons, I have wondered..what would Trafalgar Square be without them?..a little cleaner perhaps!..but everywhere you look there is life..where ever there is space, there is life..from the spider that runs across your sittingroom floor, to the herds of Wildebeast majestically sweeping across the Serangete?(Basil!)...tiny crustaceans teaming at the bottom of the sea, multicoloured parrote at the top of the trees.

Here in England, the trees are turnign gold and red as Autumn takes hold and prepares the path for winter. Today is Blog Action Day...highlighting the Environment and the thingsd you and I can do to ensure there is a planet for our offsprint to inherrit. Read all about it here... As I always tell the children in my artclass...LoOK before you do anything...see the life and world about you...this is your home..lookafter it!

Nelson's details

I guess for you the reader, this will be a bit of a shock to actually see the scale to which I'm working. what you see represented here is the result of just over a weeks work. The density of the dots and their accuracy of placement means progress is fairly slow. The open areas that you see me working on here are relatively quick.

You see me adding the light blue to this section. Initially I placed a layer of Leaf Green, then Blue, then Scarlet..filling in the small spaces of paper between the dots with this light blue. I will then add further texture when the area is complete. The gaps between the paving slabs also needs attention, again this will be done towards the end. The pigeons are a mixture of the colours I used for the paving but with greater density.

The question I get asked by visitors to my exhibition the most is: "I bet you have a lot of patience?"...what do you think my answer is?

Nelson's 10 - Id Sa'id!

Firstly, I would like to wish all of you celebrating the breaking of the fast of Ramadan this weekend much joy as you meet with friends and family at this special time.May your hearts be set upon loving each other, your neighbours and those across the world who are your fellow man whatever their caste , creed or nationality. May this be a time of Holiness, forgiveness and humility .

Today you can see for the first time the entire picture area.Work on the paving has been laborious and slow.But I'm proud of the little pigeons down there..what are they looking at?..there are more pigeons to put in..they're looking in the same direction too.The final figure is the reason I wanted to portray this scene...stay tuned for the final few days on this one!

Nelson's 8

Once I've finished the lady in the foreground, I've only got one more figure to do....and a bunch of pigeons! Today I have been 'Taxi Man'..Jan is in Scotland so I've took Annie to and from school, given lifts to Will and his friend...several times...cooked Chinese ...had moral support from Devilmood (thanks!) and made a pile of washing up!...

I think the 'So what IS art' question has frightened most people off...believe me..E.Gombrich wrote in his seminal book 'The History Of art'..that "Art is in the eye of the beholder"....it's as simple as that..when you realise that no number of Art History degrees can make a pile of trash 'Art', it means freedom from the toffee nosed 'intelligentsia' who would have us eating out of their hands...and pay for the privilege.

I'm currently reading 'Small Island' by Andrea Levy. It's about Jamaican immigrants to UK in 1948..It follows the story of Joseph Gilbert who has laid his life on the line for Britain in WWII..joined the RAF and hoped life in England would be good and pleasant. However, he found it anything but. I mention this because there's a passage in the book where Joseph gets off the boat, his thoughts full of stories that the 'Streets are paved with gold'..despite the dull grey day, he glances down and spies what he thinks is an emerald brooch lying on the floor...he cannot believe his luck..should he take it for himself or go to the police?...as he moves to pick it up he realises it's a pile of dog crap covered in flies!..a metaphor illustrating the dream as opposed to the reality.....a metaphor we can all use in so many situations!

Julie Schuler...

I just wanted to let you know about Julie who I contacted recently..Julie produces some lovely work and has a web site where you can order prints of her work. I had a good browse and noticed that very few people had commented on the posts. I thought this was a shame as Julie paints and draws with style. I was especially moved by the painting in this post:"Goodbye Favourite Painting"..it was only after I'd read it that I realised that it was one of her own.

So do yourself a favour and pop over there and tell her Niall sent ya!

I intend to feature other artists I've had contact with soon....

Nelson's 8

Once again I've only managed a limited amount of time working on this today. The main reason being that I wanted to do some preparation for my Art Club at school. I'm helping the children to create two large boards depicting 'day and night'..I'll post photos next week when we've got something more substantial to show you.

It's been good reading your comments regarding 'The Crack' (see last post)...I'm always up for the 'So what is Art anyway' debates...some find my views surprising. But generally I define art as something that is created and visually and physically leads to a change in ones concepts or state of mind/being...either positively or negatively, you are different because of the 'Art work'. In the case of the 'Crack'..you cannot fail to physically ignore it as you cannot walk over it without spraining your ankle..you have to alter your course... it's huge, running the length of the main 'Turbine' hall at Tate Modern. The artist tells us it represents the divisions exist between the 'Western World' and the 'Third World'..inside the Crack can be seen wire fencing that makes up the integrity of the crack. The divisions in our society are man made..many dismiss them and even ignor them, because they're put away in a place that means we don't have to confront them.......Maybe we should listen to the voice of the 'Artist'...in this light , the work is a mirror to our world asking..there is a crack..what are you going to do about it?

Like it or not..it challenges your view of 'What is Art'...like Tracy Emin's 'Unmade Bed'..Damon Hirst's 'Dissected Cow'...you are lead to a point of decision..the decision is yours to make alone...

Nelson's 6

The scene is slowly filling up, as the definition on the faces becomes clearer, I'm enjoying the characters..if you remember the picture 'The Lady In Red', one commentator remarked that they were waiting for the man to move. In this case I'd like the gentleman in the foreground to turn his head and look the other way for a while. (maybe this is what they do whilst I'm asleep!).



Yesterday I chatted with he children at my Afterschool Artclub about a work of art that had been in the news.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/08/ntate108.xml . I wonder what you think of it? Click on the link to see and leave a comment.

Nelson's 5

Along with around 100,300 people, I went along to the opening of Derby's new 'Westfield' shopping arcade today...at over £35 m and 6 years in planning, the newest and most modern shopping centre in the country opened its doors to the public. It was a stunning piece of building boasting over 100 stores and over 1,000,000 sq ft of shopping. Bound to be a magnate for shoppers all over the country, the centre has put Derby firmly on the map for ways to spend what you haven't got

A report in the news today suggests that mental illness associated with debt is on the increase in the 'Midlands' here in England.Depression, anxiety and worse attempted and actual suicides are on the increase.

Walking amongst the glitter, celebrities and fanfare that accompanied today's new shopping era (error?) for Derby. I couldn't help but think:...The smiling faces..the bright lights..the dazzling displays..champagne on offer for free..baloons..dancers..bagels and coffee. That maybe the lie was true!..maybe I could buy myself health and happiness...maybe the plastic card I never use should be there to bring me success and acceptance.....surely?

But once out in the grey rain filled daylight,I sat in my car (recently valued at £20)..off on my way to convince a local cafe owner at a Derby park to sell my prints. I looked across at Jan, remembered my children and remembered that I have already the things so many dream of...I have my health and happiness, my security and home. ....the credit card?..unused and unwanted...nothing owing.....I am a rich man with no money!

Oh,also I did a bit of drawing.

Nelson's 4 - Annie The Hero.

Work continues well today seeing me manage a good chunk of time..(5 hours) on the additional figures.I'm really enjoying things as they are just now with the colours having a luminance brighter than some I've done recently. Other good news saw Jan having a phone call from a man who runs an acting agency in London called PR Players who provide actors for corporate training, psychiatric role play...offering her work!..She has her first job working for them next week in Sheffield.


Annie The Hero

I thought you should know that something exciting happened last night. As it was getting dark, Annie came running into the house to tell me that the house across the road from us was on fire.Sure enough..there were flames billowing up on the inside of the kitchen window. Whilst I ran to hammer on the door to see if anyone was in, Jan telephoned the fire brigade then mobilised the neighbours to move their cars so the fire engine could get close to the house. My oldest son Sam and I realised there was nobody at home..or if there was, then they were probably overcome with the smoke which was quickly filling the house. Before the firemen arrived, the flames appeared to decrease. Looking through the window I could see it was a saucepan which had been left with a light under it on the gas cooker. You can see in the picture to the right of the wall there is a small door and window..you can still see the flames inside if you enlarge the photo.

The firemen broke in through the front door and extinguished the flames. Goodness only knows what would have happened if Annie hadn't noticed it!...So, Annie the hero!

Nelsons 3

This is what i love about the style I work with...I love way ones eye constructs the picture out of these rather indistinct shapes...To my eyes, this little group could be a whole picture on their own..but as you will see..they form only a small section in the background!

The day for me started with a blinding headache...mainly due to the nice little bottle of Merlot I spent the hours around midnight seducing!..(goodness knows what my body will do when it is subject to Absinthe!)..so a slow start.Jan had a pupil arrive for a piano lesson before lunch, then after we'd eaten, I was able to get some work done whilst watching South Africa just beat Fiji in the Rugby World Cup match. Jan took the kids out to a local park leaving me with an hour or so of quiet.

Tomorrow, Annie will be back at school..I have no other commitments aside from spending as much time drawing as I can...so come back then and see what I've managed to achieve!

Nelsons 2

First off:..I'm sorry I was not able to post yesterday..my daughter Annie has been laid low with a virus. So we kept her home from school . Jan was out all day so I spent most of the time with Annie. At the start of a new picture, I like to have a good period of time to establish what I'm doing and 'get my eye in ' getting used to the development of contrasting areas of shadow and light. I was not able to do this yesterday.

Today has been a little better..though Jan is away on an acting job all day. However..unlooked for moments present themselves...I sat in the coffee shop at the Derby dance Studio where Annie was taking part in her class (she felt much better today)..it doubles as a gallery, and around the walls hung large canvases with oil paintings of stylised figures..I liked them and found myself full of a need to create my own.(when I move to my studio it will happen!).

I spent a while this afternoon working and now have taken Annie to her friend's birthday party.So I'm taking advantage of the quiet to post this!! I'm feeling very humbled by the number of you who are leaving comments..I'm sorry if I don't comment on all of them. but I'd like to assure you, that each of the things you say really find a home in my heart and spur me on to create..I feel like a sponge sometimes, and as you know, a sponge can only hold so much before it has to leak all over the place...OK, a rather gross analogy forming here, so I'll leave it!..but you get the picture?...

Nelson's 1

Nelson's is the working title for this piece.The reason?..well, it shows people in Trafalgar Square in London under Nelson's Column. I've not yet decided which the next 'surreal' picture will show..so in the meantime I really can't resist having something to do (even if I abandon it when inspiration strikes). I NEED to be working. I was telling the children in my class at school today about sketch books. You really need to exercise if you are to be a top performing athlete or singer...the same is true for the artist..draw..paint..sketch, note, observe...keep on keeping on!

Field Of Trees - Finished.

Just finished !..sadly the reproduction doesn't show the subtlety of colours. If you look closely there is a layer of red dots covering the picture..along with the yellow ochre, it creates a nice warm feel to it and even makes it look aged (the picture, not Jan!)

VJ has asked if it would be possible to post a short video showing me working on a picture. Whilst I think this is a great idea, I don't actually own a 'camcorder' of any sort...although my digital camera can record video lasting around 20 seconds! Perhaps I'll ask around and find someone who can do this for me. Or maybe I could upload thousands of images and you could flick through them very quickly! :-)

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to all the photos Preeti is going post after her trip to London...I spoke to her last night and she told me she'd taken around 200! They should be home later on the 4th.

Field Of Trees J 4

Shall finish this soon. My worries about the right eye are OK..but now I see the image uploaded here, I can see the white reflection needs some work. However, it's good to be working on something which is a little diffent in style to my usual stuff.

Field Of Tree - j3

I know it looks as if the horizon is sloping, but that is not he case it's my photographic technique which is lacking! I'm progressing well at the moment but the right eye ( as you look at it) is causing me some concern..otherwise things are going to plan here. I'm having to take a break from work just now to fetch Annie from school and also her friend who is coming home with us. Her Mum will pick her up later. Jan is off to act the part of a ghostly prostitute for a series of 'Ghost Walks' around Ilkeston , which is a town near to Derby. see: http://www.sustainedmagic.com/ghostwalks2007.php

So between making meals , getting children to do homework, bedtimes , showers etc..I might get chance to do some more work later!