A warning to the Curious!

I just today rediscovered a film I havn't seen and had been searching for, for years, over 17 I reckon. Though to save ridiculing my research skills I should make it clear that this wasn't a dedicated research by far!, it was just a lingering desire to find this film again.

Part of the problem was I had the title wrong, good start eh? I realised the title was infact 'A warning to the Curious' and not 'the three crowns' - Three crowns feature in this film, that was what misled me and I was relying on the observation skills of my 12/13 year old self also, as I only saw it once.

When I saw this, it really disturbed me. I had by the way, been watching other horror films like 'Jason Lives' and Nightmare on Elm Street, so I wasn't one of those girls who freak out so easily, I was pretty hardened. The memory of this though really did the job of any really good ghost story, it stayed with me and haunted me. The film is actually a TV film for the bbc, and on rewatching, its a bit shoddy and cheesy here and there. It was made in the late 70's and I think the grainy quality adds to the unease I experienced while watching. The story is also set in east anglia, where I am from. I enjoy making these kinds of connections.

It also turns out that the story was by a Victorian ghost story writer called M R James, the Victorian origins pleasing me of course. Heres a link to a short clip:

http://youtu.be/x-GRi2FOdxM

My excitement while watching again was suddenly dampened in scene 4 by the appearance of non other than Richard Bucket from bloody keeping up appearances, I forgot he was in it, he plays some bloke in the corridor.

Goya etching

Beautifully Morbid

http://youtu.be/4ma4qEq9_28
Heres a link to a short film which is really just a collection of victorian stills photography and some moving images of excavations of Victorian graves. Its all very morbid and in some instances very tragic, but there are some incredible images which totally amazed me. Worth a watch if you like this sort of thing!

There are I should say lots of cheesy atmospheric shots of crows flying about the place and misty castles, which kind of discredit this film. Just try to ignore them! and the really depressing poetry captions that pop up..

Hand Drawn Floral of my own design

Because my style is very traditional and fairly tight! People often assume these designs are ripped right out of a decoupage source book of some kind or that they are imitations from other existing designs. This is not the case!! and its because I put so much work into this stuff, that I need to repeatedly make this point. Of course my work is inspired by 17th/18th century botanical prints, but its all my work. More details of my processes will be included on my website which is very nearly there...

Mouse Necklace!

While working in Boda Bar on leith walk, I spotted this guy in the bar playing with a mouse. Its his pet and he brings it out with him most places he goes, not sure why, maybe to attract strange girls like me!
I made a bee line for him and asked if it was indeed a mouse he had in his hands! It was and I asked if I could play with it.. please bare with me, I know how this is sounding, but as the above photo validates, it was a real mouse and I got a shot with him.

recent printing

Willow Sculpture Workshops

I am going to be delivering a course of Willow Sculpture Workshops during the Edinburgh festival this year.

I'd been looking for a venue to host a few workshops and found out that the Out Of The Blue Drill Hall, a venue just around the corner from me, were looking for workshop type things to complement their new Festival Fringe Venue this year. Its a very cool building with a strong creative buzz about it, theres lots of stuff going on there over the festival so I'm looking forward to working there.

Its a bit confusing I know, you thought I was a Textile Designer.. Well I am! I just do this also. Its really good fun and gets quite addictive! but in a good way.

I've tried to keep it fairly cheap... Its £40 for 3, 2 hour sessions, including equipment and materials. Follow the link below to the Out Of The Blue website to book tickets and for more details...

http://www.leithonthefringe.com/workshops/wicker-workshop/

Box of bits and bobs

Made of Strong Stuff Cake!

My sisters made this amazing cake for my 30th Birthday back in April, complete with edible logo!

Donation boxes

I surprise myself with my continuing interest in objects and imagery related to the catholic church. I should take this moment to remind you that I am agnostic and pretty anti catholic from my experiences of being raised as one, but have developed a fascination with things related to Catholicism. I see the aesthetic value in these objects/images and feel a familiarity with them, but at the same time I'm maybe poking fun, making a statement and also venting some frustration at the way the religion operates. It really matters that people reading know that Catholicism was a part of my upbringing and so a part of my life, until I got wise and realised it was all nonsense. But my point is... I have earned the right to play with this subject and am not using it as a short cut to be a controversial designer/artist, like so many do.
All that aside, I love these boxes... I hate what they're doing, taking every opportunity to make money from people seeking comfort, but I love them as objects and the whole thing just humours me also. Its weird, I have an affection for these things also because of what they are, its very strange...

The Douglas Bay Hotel

I found this postcard online, which is of a place on the Isle of Man called 'The Douglas Bay Hotel'. Its a very haunting image for me as I stayed in this hotel on number of occasions with family as a child, but the Hotel itself is no longer there... It was devastated by a fire in 1988 and was then demolished shortly after.

From Alfie Gallogly

My brilliant Uncle Alfie has recently got in touch with me... He has come across a document signed by my great grand father Peter Gallogly and his Landlord Deputy Lieutenant Lawder of the Barony of Carrickallen, on the 15th day of December 1902 in which Peter gets a 50 year lease on a piece of land upon which he builds a house.

What a lovely thing...

Thanks Alf!

Mary Mary quite contrary...

If you didn't know me better, you would I was demonstrating my religious persuasions here...
Its a nostalgic image for me.. the quality of the print, the washed out colour etc, its all very comforting to me, but not in the way it was intended to be.

Mary Mary quite contrary, how did your belly grow? being a virgin and all that...

Dream House

Museum Collection at Kelvingrove

While delivering a workshop at Kelvingrove Museum today, I got the chance to get some close up photos of animals and animal bits from the teaching collections within the education department.

The skull to the left belonged to a rook. The bottom one is a humming bird.. it was tiny, the head is actually pea size, its mental.

Charity shop curtains

There are loads of fabrics and products in general, out there at the moment, doing the whole shabby chic thing. The trend is kind of coming to its end now, but I'm still seeing faded toile prints everywhere, annoying - only so, because it means I have to fight so much harder to make my textiles special.
These anyway, are a pair of curtains purely aged and worn with time.. which is such a lovely thing. They're covered in sun spots and watermarks and in areas the colour has been almost completely bleached out. Honestly though, these aging affects can be created, so I had to sneakily unpick the seam to compare the unexposed fabric to confirm the aging was indeed natural and not man made! The curtain hooks were all scuffed and ancient looking, so thats another clue.
While I find all of this interested and perfectly normal to ponder over with myself... I can't help but cringe a bit as I write this!

Botanical Treasures

I spent an afternoon rummaging around the Old Town book shop on Victoria Street in Edinburgh. I could spent days on end in places like that, but couldn't really afford to spend an afternoon there at all, let alone spending money on books and prints. And I did walk away with a print, but did so begrudgingly, as I had to walk away from the most amazing book, of which the above print formed part of. I can't remember the name of it now, but its a very rare thing... a heavy leather bound book about 8" thick, catauloging all variety of botanicals, and including a mass of hand drawn and painted plates. The guy in the shop got all excited when I explained what I was looking for initially (pre 20th c prints of plants and animals), so spent ages looking out books for me, all of which I couldn't afford, including this one. This book was stacked up high out of reach in one of the cabinets, and I felt all special having it bought out to view. Before he opened it I told him I knew it would be way out of my price range, but he insisted I see it. He said he knew how much I would appreciate it though, so really wanted to show me this one in particular. He was right, I was beside myself knowing I would have to leave it, it was gutting.<p>
Very kindly, he let me take photos before I left. I took more, but these are the best.

Helena Bonham Carter

I'm a big Tim Burton fan anyway, but I have always seen Helena as my style icon, even before these two got together. I just adore her image...  Also, this is a great photo, so its here for that reason too

Deer memories

These Deer Garden ornaments have been with my family as far back as I can remember, and have been carried and re-spotted into each subsequent garden we moved to. I have such a strong connection with these objects, I adore them. I have found they have become more interesting as time has past, with the weathering etc, but more so the missing eyes and ears, they are a little unsettling to look at now. Its likely that either myself or one of my sisters was responsible for breaking the ear off many years ago, but that maybe adds to the appeal for me.

Venice

I just got back from a weekend away in Italy, where I spent the day in Venice. There were never ending photo opportunities to feed my Catholic interest, so they'll be following.

Working on collage

Wolf fish

Saw this guy in the window of a fishmongers while I was waiting for my bus, he's pretty mental looking, but I like him.

Birds at Tring Museum