My Dreams

I have just been watching Rihanna's new video - We Found Love, and I've now played it on repeat about 20 times, no joke!




It's not only the music that is right up my street, but the video itself took my artistic eye. Whoever was involved in producing it created a flawless work of art! The grimy shots of England, and those corn fields we know from the media hype, about the farmer who didn't know who the scantily clad Rihanna was when he let her use his field to film in, and then objected to her lack of clothing, both all work really well and contribute to the atmosphere of the video.

The male in the video looks very like Chris Brown and the lyrics fit with it being a song about their relationship. Maybe that is why it is such a captivating video, it seems to have a personal element to it, mixed with that classic Riri raunch.

I had also seen Britney's new video for Criminal this week, also very well put together and it just made me think of how much I would love to be involved in producing something like that. I adore short films and iconic music videos grasp my attention, that mix of music that always accompanies my art pulls me in and the art of creating the video, finding locations, props, helping with the whole on location set up, all that would be my dream.

I think watching the Pirates Of The Caribbean behind the scenes footage of making the film years ago first got me thinking about doing that for work. It may happen one day I don't know, maybe it won't :)

Either way I'll appreciate the beautiful short films well produced music videos create these days.

Anyone made their dreams come true yet? I have made some of mine, but I have more I want to make reality.

Crack The Surface!

Tonight while googling pictures of Aldwych, my old uni area in London (I love looking at old pictures - yes I know, bit strange, shhh we all have our strange hobbies, hehe) I clicked on one and it brought me to a world of wonderment!

I clicked into a disused tube station, Aldwych, and started reading what I thought might be a fictional story supplemented with lots of sharp, moody, and to put it plainly, gorgeous photography. I soon discovered it wasn't fiction though!

It was the story of some guys entering the abandoned Aldwych Tube Station, a branch line off the Piccadilly Line, previously called Strand, hence the tiled lettering for Strand and not Aldwych.

I myself have always been fascinated with the closed and abandoned tube stations throughout London, and on my daily commute into uni I would peer through the darkness to see York Station as my tube train used to zoom through. You could often get a glimpse of the platform and the back of the curved walls as the tube lights illuminated it a bit, but only if you knew where it was and even knew it was there, somehow I feel i was the only person in the tube train who did!

I also knew there were the two hidden platforms at Holborn where I exited the tube, and I knew where the hidden doors to the passages were. It made me wonder what else is under London that we don't know about, and that the public walk past without ever knowing!

Anyway I set about exploring more of the site, and it just ignited my interest. I wouldn't have the guts to do what they do, risking their lives in dangerous places for example. I value my life too much (thoughts of the police who shot a man dead because they thought he might have a bomb enter the mind), and I value my freedom - as they could end up in jail for trespassing, but corrrr I would love to explore abandoned places like that too!

I then clicked on one about St Paul's Cathedral which they climbed and sat on the roof of!!!!! ....... The photography they took was so cool! Not a soul around, just reading it and taking the photos in gave me the feeling as if I was there too, a rebel, having defied all the security measures.... vibration alarmed scaffolding etc...

I'm going to spend the next few evening delving more into this site that's for sure.......

I love the internet!


Crack The Surface - Episode I from SilentUK on Vimeo.

Just Wowness! Lana Del Rey!

I was just reading attitude and they always have awesome music in their music section! This issue did not disappoint. They have now introduced me to Lana Del Rey who has a sensational voice and the looks of Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie in one!

What is really gripping me though is her sound, and also the style of her videos. Her YouTube is not at all what I expected from an artist about to break through, no VEVO.. just 5 videos with some amazing editing.

They appear to mix cartoons, old film footage, her singing and it makes a music video that we just don't see these days amongst the boobs in your face videos and women wearing nothing but knickers and leotards.

This woman has class!

Blue Jeans and video games are wowness!

I adore cleverly edited videos or videos that just make you stop and go what was that? ... They push your thinking and I love seeing what people create.

Another of my favourites is Levi Beamish. I often see people in the comments questioning the reason behind the video/ or asking what it means. I say to them, just enjoy what you saw and heard and take your own meaning from it.  I always look forward to a video with Daphne in by Levi. There is something about Daphne, that old lady who could be your granny who you want to help and find out more about :)

That's all for today folks :)

I'm concentrating on my work placement and a 6000 word essay I have in in October atm so you won't find me on YouTube till October sometime :) Hey if you miss me I'm on twitter and facebook from time to time sharing bits of my world.

p.s. I have opened up a new channel for vlogging..... it's not got any videos yet, when I make one I'll tell you all what it is :)

 

What would I do without a computer?

Hello everyone :)

I'm currently looking into buying a new laptop, well not looking as such, I know what I want, it's just a question of affording it, and going to get it.

My old faithful windows vista has deffo given up the ghost after 3 to 4 years in use every day. I am on the pc downstairs as I am trying to edit a video on it upstairs, but it's giving me the circle (you know the little loading circle, which I really think is it just giving me the middle finger).

The battery died two weeks ago, and it only runs off mains power now. Sooooo I am buying a new laptop which will be bale to handle HD video for all my YouTube-ness. I would like photoshop and some good video editing software too.

I want to up the content of my YouTube vids and be able to edit easily without being able to: eat a slice of cake, manage to fall up the stairs as I didn't lift my foot enough, and mop up all the water i had spilled from the glass I was carrying, to come back to my laptop to find it is still importing footage.

Yeahhhh a passing butterfly would outstrip the speed it does things!

So I have resigned myself to spending money on a new one, hey I'll definitely use it, for all the website editing, video editing and photo stuff I do.

You can't really live without a computer these days, everything is online, your friends, music, news, email, your life basically.

I do have the massive urge to go camping by the sea and leave all technology behind though :)

P.s That JK Rowling blog will appear, I haven't forgotten :)

Amy Winehouse : Died 23rd July 2011: Thank you for being an inspiration

As most people by now know, Amy Winehouse has died aged 27, that's only a few years older than myself. Puts things into perspective!

I painted her about 2 to 3 years ago. She was such an intriguing character, I had a desire to do one of my first paintings of her.

It turned out pretty well and captured the current Amy we saw documented in the papers.

I like listening to her music and tears dry on my own is a fav of mine and is just outside my top 25 tunes on my itunes.

It is funny, when doing my latest video this week of Justin Tranter from semi precious weapons I referred to this painting of her, as inspiration and a progression of my style in the background.

You can see the similarities in the background style if I put them side by side for you.
I used the same technique of scraping the black paint on.

A sad turn of events for a lady who gave us such wonderful music. Many songs of which have accompanied my drawings as I have been drawing them.

Thank you Amy

Moving on

Hello to all you lovely readers :)

It's been a while, I started a new job so I took a little holiday from the YouTube while I got used to that :)

London

I went to London last Saturday and met up with a friend, I might go back next Saturday for Pride, not sure, dunno if I have the time.

I made a video for YouTube next up, a competition where you can win 20,000 euros and support and a YouTube camp and all sorts. There are so many brill UK YouTubers I'll be surprised if I get through to the voting stage. Competition is fierce, but hey nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The Olympic Rings are up for the 2012 Olympics in London's St Pancras International train station. (The Eurostar trains go from here to France through the channel tunnel)

Youtube Next Up

I made up the poem for it, I thought I couldn't just talk and be boring haha so I jump cut it up :D

It was a great brain storm session for what I might do in the future, someone sugested in the comments that I could do the things I had thought of. My only issue as to why I do not do big art projects is the cost involved, materials etc.. unless I use nature :)

A sketch pad and pencils are cheaper in comparison and they are what attract my viewers at the moment but I want to get desigining some things and I am currently researching Tracey Emin, as I want to do a few odd videos on artists that intrique me, and that I don't know much about but want to know more...

I've also recently been filming a new project for my channel, which I will start editing and film more for over the next week or two :D It will be like something I've never done so I hope it will be appreciated.

I'm currently listening to Kylie :D ..... I really want to draw her again.

I'll be working art back into my day :) Sometimes it's good to have a break and come back refreshed :)

P.s.

TARDIS :D

Whatever comes to mind :D

Hello everyone :)

I'm sitting here on the floor listening to Owl City -Umbrella Beach :) I thought I'd have a good old blogity blog. I've had quite a nice day, went walkies with Ollie, hehe he's so funny, he went swimming in the river, and got out and I had to scarper quick smart to avoid getting water shaken all over me, the naughty little rascal got me last time, so I was prepared this time :D

I've got some ideas for a drawing, I dunno if it will work, it should, it might look a bit strange but it should be eye catching.... tis a secret, not telling yet :D

I'm just saving a 17 minute long video, jinkies, I never thought I would upload such a long video of me just talking, but that's what happened haha. I don't know if people will watch it all the way through but hopefully they'll like the parts they see.

I'm hungry, I feel like some lemon curd.... mmmm.

I put up lots of photos of mine for sale on my shop, people have been faving them and things which is cool, as I'm seeing which ones people like :)

Hope you're all well and having fun, and keep going if you've got exams at the mo, it's worth the work :)

Jonny