Thursday 27 March 2014

Day 197 - Attack of the 15 Foot Seagull (aka Conversations with my Friends #5)


Anybody not familiar with Mark Dion's Mobile Gull Appreciation Unit from the 2008 Folkestone Triennial should probably click on this link for some basic information about it.




Photos taken at Miss Club Shepway Bathing Beauties Contest 2008

Saturday 22 March 2014

Day 192 - Flatmate In Flagrante


I think what made this SO embarrassing is that being in our teens, and all having just left home for the very first time, there was a real possibility that someone in our group of friends was still kind of clueless in THAT respect. And now everyone thought it was me.

Awkward.

Thursday 20 March 2014

Day 190 - Sketchbook Fetish



Fantastic sketchbooks I have allowed myself to purchase include an amazing (and sadly out of print) Flamingo sketchbook from Art House Meath, a fantastic social enterprise selling the designs of talented epileptic artists. There are loads more gorgeous designs available so click on the link here.


Other sketchbooks include the Happy Jackson 'undiscovered genius' one, a TK Maxx 'Pyramids' bargain, a high quality Boden freebie, and my current fave, a Rob Ryan 'I made it with my hands' one (I can't find the size I bought, but you can buy a bigger version in the sale here).

Monday 17 March 2014

Day 187 - Anarchist Seagulls!


The naughty gulls seem to be staging a sit-in protest!


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Seagull Update 18/03/14

Nice expert man came to look at gulls today, they are not nesting but 'spring cleaning' in anticipation of breeding season so can still be encouraged to move to ensure safe mating this year. Gulls are safe, and tatty building gets done up. Win win all round!

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Day 182 - Sharkbite


*our parents DID NOT approve, but By God, we had fun!!

** Sadly, we lost touch. If anyone from Auckland knows Bimbo & Rick, send them to this blog ;)

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As a side note, this Shark Tracker website is fascinating.

You can follow the travels of individual sharks and see pictures of them with their bio.

My favourites are Poseidon and Albertina (she's magnificent!)

You can also follow current Media Starlet Lydia.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Day 181 - Beaky Lives!!!


This all came about because Beaky's parents (did you know gulls mate with the same partner every year and return to the same nesting site for most of the fertile part of their 30 year lifespans?) have returned to the roof and are building their nest as I type!


I am looking forward to this years batch of chicks.

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Another artist shared this amazing time-lapse album of a nest being built with me, and I don't think she'll mind if you all take a look. The detail is amazing, the nests are built piece by piece in absolutely painstaking fashion; the gulls (cleverly) dip some pieces in water to soften them and make the nest easier to mold!

Click this link to see the images.

Thanks Leigh.

(ps. click her name to see her artwork)

Monday 10 March 2014