The Continuing Tentacular Debauch of Nom

for a big acrylic piccie maybe? Got a set of acrylic paints and some boards for Xmas
horns should be bigger
BIGGER

Elytra candy apple red like a hotrod. Bumpy things: might set fake pearls in the paint, or gold beads? Might not.

New Year's Resolution #1: DO MORE STUFF THAT ISN'T WORK OR INTERNET

...I have constructed a beetle from miscellaneous felt and half a bottle of sparkling rose.



Pretty pleased given that I utterly made it up as I went along. No pattern, just booze and Logan's Run in the background. Thanks queenbexsie for putting up with me in her shop at length!

First batch:



Second batch (overprinted):



This is by far the best of the two-colour batch. The metallic gold ink (speedball) is nowhere near as opaque as I thought it would be, or even in comparison with the black (Windsor & Newton). Also, should have done prints on white too. Maybe the black layer was still wet? Maybe I should have let the gold become a bit more tacky before I inked the block? Who knows... /Sigh.

Oh well! I like the black on yellow!

Work is still insanely busy and the lieu time continues to accrue apace. Also still beset by reviews, data entry and goodness-knows-what-else. Don't have time to think, hardly. Was carolive's birthday last weekend: she requested "a Caroline beetle, duh!", see below. She do like pink, our Caroline.



A bit more cartoony than I'd usually like, but I thought she'd prefer cutesy and I was not wrong. Was pretty pleased at my first solo attempt at framing/matting too.

Sunday gone was Bang The Bore, our local noisenik nuisance showcase. First time I've got to see Team Brick live, who was ASTOUNDING: fusing drone, feral percussion and throat singing to electrifying effect. Another standout act was Dead Wood, who used bowed bells and cymbals with lo-fi FX to produce some truly gorgeous corruscating resonance, which contrasted nicely with the more crunchy white-pink-brown* noises of UltraHumanitarian, Petals and Masterly! and Farewell. I really enjoyed Spoils and Relics too, who did fun things with a spring and some tinfoil along with some Masonna-style trad wash. Pre-BtB dimsum coma administered by the wondrous (if soemwhat eccentric) Pearl Harbour is threatening to become tradition. My pictures are here.

*Now that I read that back, it sounds like a veritable Neapolitan ice-cream of noise...

Thanks SOOOOO much for all the good luck wishes and finger crossing and whathaveyou.
Now I R DOKTOR I shall indeed be ruling the universe, making doomsday devices out of human pancreata and pretending that I'm not middle class with even less success than before (if such a thing is even possible).

My ridiculous busted hand is still refusing to be anything other than busted and oscillates between incredibly painful sudden cramps and complete numbness, so typing sucks, drawing sucks. Bla bla bla WOE etc.

But anyway: drawing of beetle that isn't totally obviously the work of someone who slammed their drawing hand in a fire door!



YAAAAY! Back to work tomorrow, then corrections, review-writing, book chapter writing, re-printing, re-binding and submitting final copies of everythaaaaaang... Unf. Um, oh, but see Surveillance, it's really neat.

Just back from a week flitting between Seth and Sara's in Leeds and the National Blood Service in Sheffield: man, that clocked up some miles... Even my sketches came out Cross Country colours >_<





Was up North for a week-long Practical Introduction to Transfusion Science course, which turned out to be highly entertaining: fun classmates, great teaching, fascinating information and really well-designed practicals. Sackboy came with me, of course, though I'm not sure he really got the intricacies of the Rh system, but he wasn't exactly alone in this, as half the class had collective meltdown...

The canteen food was utterly hilarious: no attempt at anything resembling vegetables, every item a glistening golden brown... I've never ever seen rogan josh served with Southern Fried curly fries (no rice available) before, nor seen "vegetable pasta bake" composed of macaroni cheese mixed with tinned sweetcorn, carrots and peas with a layer of crinkle-cut crisps as topping, but then again I've never come across "stuffed mushroom" turning out to be a grilled mushroom with a slice of melted burger cheese on top either. All this under a banner proudly proclaiming "EAT OUR HEALTHY OPTIONS!". Head. Desk.

Staying with S'n'S was fantastic. Tuesday we headed out for dinner in Harrogate, which turned out to be a Northern version of Bath, and had the best dessert I have ever had in my life in The Harrogate Brasserie (unfortunately abbreviated to "Harrogate Bras" on my reciept *giggle*). Dark and White chocolate and cinder toffee terrine with Baileys ice-cream in a brandy snap basket with strawberries, redcurrants, creme patisserie, butterscotch, raspberry and mango coulis on the side OH MY GOD. The venison main was pretty astounding too, and we managed 3 2-course meals with drinks for £50!




Thursday we went to see the utterly bonkers Omar Souleyman: a deadpan kitsch porn star-moustachioed, mirror-aviatored and keffiyeh-clad purveyor Syrian street-pop at the Brudenell Social Club, which I think has to be one of my favorite venues ever. If I ever get married I want him to play at my wedding.

ANYWAY. I'm back now and straight into revising for Viva date #2. Roll on May 28th, not.

Just to let you know that I'm still alive!

Last night I went to Goblets* for the first time in about 4 years and was pleasantly surprised. It suddenly struck me that I hadn't really been out socially in anger for at least a year, so was on a mission. Unfortunately, almost everywhere I used to hang out for fun has either closed or changed beyond recognition while I wasn't looking... now THAT makes me feel old.



I made this for the other half's birthday. Quite pleased with how it came out, as block printing was an utter disaster! Feels very odd to be actually having time to do stuff again after spending 7 days a week staring at my thesis. Still have to get the damn thing printed though, and STILL waiting for my supervisor to acknowledge reciept of the pdf I sent him of the final draft on Weds. Oh well, plus ca change etc etc.


*local alternative-ish basement bar

I think I've got full-on thesis panic again, now that I've set myself a deadline to hand in the final draft for proof-reading. I can't read the damn thing, I get 5 lines in and the words swim around. Having difficulty typing, as every word makes itself into some bizarre anagram as I type it and I have to go back and spend just as long rearranging them back into some semblance of English.

Thought Top Gear, biscuits, coffee and a brief foray into drawing might braek the fug, but no, all I ended up with is a beelte covered in panceratic cells. UGH. I am beset by islets of Langerhans and they won't let go.



This thing was supposed to be a black and red expressionist samurai-themed thing of evil, but now look at it. Somewhere between a histology textbook and a polymer clay cane-making lesson.

ARGHGRHGHGH

Because I've been staring at too many immunofluorescence figures...