stacks and stashes…

Jennifer asked other artist's to share the stacks and stashes of material in their studios. And so here's a peek at some of the things surrounding my table, although less stack-like and more piles of stuff...

 Eggshells; broken, brown, speckled and smooth that eventually become nests, crow feathers with a wonderful blue/black sheen found at the murder scene…

…broken pocket watches and plastic Spanish bulls that I know will one day become something amazing, I just haven't worked out what yet…

…and of course, bones, skeletons and skulls. So many reasons I collect these. Their innate beauty, the delicacy and strength, the inspiration they provide, my morbid fascination.

Please do share your stacks and stashes too... 

life in a glass house

Don't you just love peering through windows?

{pentax spotmatic/fujifilm 200}

tweaking

I just can't leave it be with the look of my blog these days. I was quite happy with the same style for 2 years, but ever since I decided to shake it up at the beginning of this year I've never really been happy. I tweaked and fiddled and tried all sorts of fonts, layouts and palettes. To side widget or not to side widget, that is the question…and if so, left or right? Image or text banner? Link to everywhere (and there's plenty) on the web I have a presence? Offer you tea, coffee and free wifi?
At the end of the day I like minimal, neutral colours. Tidy blog, tidy mind, she says ironically. I want clean, light, quiet and clutter-free with big images, and I want the look to reflect my work.  I don't want to feel overwhelmed with bling, whistles and bells.

Do you click away from blogs with too much going on; widgets and sidebars full of menus of recommendations, deezer playlists and paintball-like explosions of colour, or do you find it entertaining, making you linger? Do you think your own blog reflects you as you would like, and when was the last time you re-designed it? Is it tired, in need of a facelift or is it really not worth worrying about as so many readers do so these days in google reader, bloglovin', rss feeds and emails on mobiles devices? And much like the age old wearing of make-up argument, do you do it for yourself or for how others see you?

back in bloom

Oh how I've missed you and your magical gift, my darling Spottie….

So far this year I've barely had the time to even look at a camera, it's been crazy. But today I picked up a film from the lab and looking at the scanned negatives tonight had me beaming like an idiot. 

Not matter what life-related things get in the way, I'm not leaving it so long again.

Pentax Spotmatic/Fujifilm 400

never too old…..

Yesterday I had two wonderful new things happen to me. First I tried a new yoga class with my friend. Yoga and me have been rather out of love for a long time. It's been annoying and frustrating me for ages, I've felt let down by it's rather all or nothing attitude. But yesterday….hallelujah! Maybe we can get back on good terms with each other and have a lovely future together.
Secondly, I always thought I hated green tea. Friends, I give you Shisendo.

I suppose I'd only really had the crappy stuff in teabags or gunpowder *bleurgh* that smells like henna. This is something else altogether. Filled with citrus peels and flowers, it looks, smells and tastes divine and I'm hooked, floating away on a cloud of dreams of sipping it in a blossom filled, sunny garden in Kyoto while pretty little birds dart around me. 

gargoyles

I live in Gargoyle Central, which is quite handy as I've got a bit of a thing going on for them right now. Luckily the gargoyles from Les Jacobins in Toulouse had been taken down, cleaned and put on display in the cloisters, giving us a rare chance to see them right up close. However, I find these ones just a bit too cute-puppy-like and not, well, gargoylely enough for me.

These ones that keep guard on the church in Mirepoix are much more like it. Personally I prefer these with their slight air of menace along with the lichens, moss and pigeon poo. I'm not sure gargoyles should be cleaned up anyway…..

If anyone knows of some other beauties in this part of the woods, do tell.

I know I took some photographs on black and white film of the magnificent ones on Basilique St Nazaire in Carcassonne last year. Can I find them? Not a chance. This is the problem with shooting film. I have to remember to scan the negatives, then archive them on my computer and back them up or else I have to search through my negatives, which are a mahoosive collection of ring binders and boxes. I've now worked out a good system for archiving digitally, but before I was a disorganised mess. Not good. 

Loving that moon.

*Edit* 

Panic over. B&W gargoyles have been located.

given and grateful

Don't you just love it when someone gives you something, for nothing? A few weeks ago I was gifted a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex complete with 3 Tessar lenses belonging to someone's uncle, a photographer in the 50s because, she said, she "wanted to see it go to a good home". Lady, you picked the right person.

      

All these test shots were taken while flânning (a new verb we have invented in our house.) Bearing in mind it had been stored in her loft for years and years, the light meter is dead and it had all kinds of dubious looking gunk on the lens it's not half bad. As an added bonus it came with 3 rolls of 1960s unused kodachrome in the original and extremely cute yellow metal canisters.
Yesterday a friend gave me a Kodak Brownie 127, and I'm looking forward to giving that a whirl soon too. Friends, go rummage in your family's detritus for gems like these.

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex/Carl Zeiss Tessar 2.8/50/Agfa APX 100

searching for colours and textures

and I found them in the town of Mirepoix. Weathered and worn painted shutters and doors, the sunlight streaming through the church's stained windows, brocante treasure, billowing curtains and bien sûr, a carousel.