LOVING JOHN XOX

I'm watching that idiotic show again. This week they're going to show 'Debbie' how to direct her own erotic movie! Thrilling. Although my current activity doesn't reflect this, I've been very busy today. I am helping with the installation of an exhibition at the Margaret Lawrence Gallery at Uni which involves painting, cleaning, photocopying and drawing.

So it's a really good experience but while doing someone else's work I'm busting to do some of my own. I've been going through a Beatlemania phase at the moment so my current painting is kind of about the Beatles and their fans relationship with them, in particular John. I'm thinking about how he is and was loved by so many people, but about the similarities of the love coming from different sources like Yoko Ono or Mark Chapman who also, in a way, loved him. I'm loving John too.

A lady I talk to every week is loving John, she used to dance all night at a club called the 'Yellow Submarine'. My sister is loving John. I'll even bet Debbie on 'How to have sex after marriage' is loving John.

Please please me

The things I do for the things I buy borders on ridiculous. I bought this huge Marilyn Monroe picture at Savers and basically broke my arms lugging it around, but despite the pain I'm pretty pleased with it. It's kind of weird having Marilyn staring at me while I'm in bed though.

Anyway last night I did something unusual, I went out clubbing with my friends from high school, who I haven't seen in a long time. I got 'dressed up' like I used to, picking a plain-ish dress and attempting to have perfect hair. It was nice, but I just can't help feel like I'm quite conspicuous among the tanned, blonde good looking girls wearing tight clothes and stilettos.

I really tried to blend in with my 'appearance' or whatever, but I still felt like I looked stupid or something even though I acted reasonably normal, reluctantly sipping on a Vodka Cruiser like the good olds days. It sounds kind of egocentric or pretentious or something but even though I was a part of that life during high school I always knew I wanted something different like to dance around the kitchen at the Manor cooking spaghetti bolognese.

I kind of want the 'best of both worlds' (Hannah Montana reference, sorry) and have my good friends from high school come to a VCA party and dance around with me to The Zombies or whatever but I know that it's not gonna happen, so I've still got to participate in these outings every so often. It's not too bad, either.

I think it's good for me to keep in touch with normality, because it's kind of a reality check or something. You don't have to ponder the meaning of life when you're doing your hair to go to some stupid club. It is a simple existence not filled with any truly meaningful exchanges but I kind of like that. It's sort of like living on the surface where you don't feel the full extent of sadness or not being satisfied because you don't realize you're not. I like the idea of that, and I should try to do it more often.

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS

Today I found myself minding the painting exhibition which was kind of lonely but okay. I did some drawing and ate my peanut butter sandwich like I do everyday and talked to the people who came in. I liked it because at one point some girls came in and said they really liked my work. They probably only liked it because it has a picture of Elvis on it, but still.

I made a little installation in the light box this morning and also began a new painting which is huge I tell you. I am so excited about it so I'm going to do more research about what I want to put on it now, bye.

Um ah

I always find myself watching this ridiculous show before bed called 'How to have sex after marriage' and this week it has these tragic people on it who met on the internet and they both need to pluck their eyebrows. Although, who am I to judge really because I'm lying here watching them and I also need to pluck my eyebrows. As the couple on TV are rating each other on a scale of one to ten on attractiveness and stuff I'm thinking about how I'm going to wear my hair tomorrow. I really like pig-tails, but I hate that term.

Nowhere man

I always have trouble believing the Beatles really existed. They're just so out of this world it is difficult for me to fathom how they could really have, by the chances of the universe in the right place at the right time, found themselves together.

The appeal of Beatles music is universal which is truly remarkable considering how big the world is and how diverse every single individual's needs and wants are. I can't help but wonder if there will ever be any true contemporaries to the Beatles. I mean there are the Rolling Stones of course, whom I also love but in comparison to the Beatles I would say they reach half the audience.

I think the thing about art and music and stuff that people forget is that it's about communication, about reaching out to people, emphasizing with them and sort of letting them know they aren't alone. Many bands have done this, but the Beatles music is still doing it. Their songs, some 40 years later, are still relevant, still being played at art school parties and in old people's homes and stuff.

Last week I finished reading 'John' by Cynthia Lennon. Definitely a book I would recommend when one is going through an intense Beatles period. It makes you feel like you are a part of their inner circle or something.. ahh. Anyway above is what I wore today (I need to shrink those pants in the wash, oh man, not looking good) and the book I bought yesterday about Picasso, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Plaits are cool

Loving art at the moment. Loving spray paint too. Spray paint used to be one of those things that never worked out for me in reality but something has changed and now it's doing everything I want it to. It's so vibrant, immediate and clean. I am finally feeling like what I'm making is actually pretty good, or alright anyway.

Also getting super into READING, I mean I've always been a reader but man I'm going through books like there's no tomorrow. Currently reading Watership Down. Next in line is Life With Picasso, a very old Penguin book. I love coming home from Uni with spray paint all over my hands wearing red lipstick and my hair in plaits just reading. It's a good time.

ANTI CLUTTER

You may have sensed by now that I am 'pro-clutter'. Generally I feel more comfortable in an environment when it is filled with annoyingly unnecessary stuff, generally plastic or gimmicky or something that reminds me of something or inspires me or whatever. My room reflects this.

However, stemming from Sunday's clean-out, I decided tonight that I am embarking on a new life regime which will eliminate clutter. I've already started and I already feel better for it. Clean floors, clean surfaces with neat stacks of books, records in a record holder thing etc. I'm also going to paint my room. Saying bye to the baby pink of my 15 year old self makes me feel like I am growing up. No more hanging shit, piles of coins or other crap. I am getting old. I am glad.

Cleanin' out my closet

Today I CLEANED OUT MY WARDROBE which is a big deal. I really have the tendencies of a hoarder. Essentially my room is kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when the Tinker says to Charlie "Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever goes out". Not exactly though, because I occasionally go in with bags of crap from Savers. Nothing goes out though. Hardly even me. Anyway so I parted with 4 huge garbage bags of clothes. If I had the motivation I would put it all on Ebay. Alas, maybe one day...

The 'After' picture doesn't even look that good. But it's certainly an improvement. All of my clothes are actually IN my wardrobe now, rather than taking up a few square meters of my floor space. If I was in a hoarder support group like Hoarders Anonymous or something I'm sure they would be proud of me.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I SAID I NEVAR DO ANYTHING

I went to a party last night and the theme was 'wedding'. My friend Sophia and I went as 80s bridesmaids which was a good time. I had an especially good time with my friend Annabelle talking about blogs. Annabelle and I are in a Skate gang except that I don't have a skateboard and cannot skate. Anyway so Annabelle said to me like "I feel like I know you intimately because of your blog" and then I started thinking about stuff.

When I write here I feel like I am writing to no-one except that I'm not really writing to no-one, I'm writing to people like me who stalk other people who I think have something interesting to say or whatever. I personally don't think what I write about is very interesting, but maybe because it's not interesting that people find it interesting. I mean literally, I sit at home, watch Wife Swap on TV, stick laser stickers in my diary, pet my dog, and eat cereal. I am serious. That is what I do. But I don't think I'm the only one.

So when people talk to me about my blog in 'real life' it's weird because I feel like they think I do a bunch of cool stuff and that my witty banter should be sort of like I write on my blog but it's not really. I just say 'like' alot and 'good' and 'nice' and 'oh'. It's weird because my conversation starters are so awkward like "I was watching this TV show..." It's so lame. As Annabelle would say "IT REALLY HAPPENED". It really happens. I also am very self conscious about how I start sentences with "I" alot. It's really bad, it's like I have no contact with the outside world and the only perspective I have is my own. WOE IS 'ME.'

But anyway I am really happy that people read this crazy thing. You should also use your eyes to look at my Tumblr which is fun, www.lady-m.tumblr.com Also, the wonderful Annabelle has a blog too which is http://www.bransrus.blogspot.com/ you should check it out. OH YEAH and thanks to CHERALYN for the above photos. :) BYE

Believer

I found this really great website that is an archive of UFO sighting reports. I am addicted to it. I can't stop reading them. Here is the link: http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Bio Warfare

Some new drawings. I accidently scanned a feather in the middle one but you get the idea. Sorry, I don't really have anything else to say. Too much Seinfeld. Too much work. Too much of trying to learn about aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, white balance, etc so I don't look like a fool in my photography class tomorrow.

Main event

I've been watching Seinfeld all day, it's so great. I needed a day of nothing to recover from last night which was the opening of 'Objet D'Winter', which is a group exhibition I have a painting in. It went really well, and lots of my friends came which was fantastic. One of the many great things about VCA is the sense of community it has, as we are all artists we're all in it together sort of thing.

It's kind of intense though, the old art opening. Lots of talking and sweaty hand shaking and looking awkward. I was in a mental coma today, hence the Seinfeld marathon. I think I'm over that now though and I want to get painting, more and more, bigger and better. Everytime I make a painting is gets a little better. I have a long way to go in terms of style and technique but slowly and surely I am getting there.

So the exhibition is very good. It is on at Gilligan Grant Gallery, 1B Stanley Street Collingwood until the 28th of August. There is more information here: http://www.gilligangrantgallery.com.au/exhibition_calendar.htm

P.S I don't have any pictures from last night yet, but when I get them I will post them here.

Mr.Whippy

This is what I wore today. "Who cares?" I hear you asking. I am not entirely sure but it was the only creative thing I achieved. Writing here could also be included as something creative so here goes.

A weird thing happened today, I got three text messages at the same time from different people in different places. I can never really imagine people thinking about me, let alone three people coincidently thinking about me at the same time. It was a refreshing thing to think about.

Thinking thinking thinking. I would love to know what people think about me. Wouldn't everyone, I know, but really like everyone I know has their own classification in my head. I would like to know what my classification is for other people. But it's almost impossible to explain.

My friend asked a cool question the other day which actually very tellingly revealed what people think about people. "What flavor ice-cream am I?" It really works. Just only ask people you like. My friend said I was cinnamon which was nice.

LUCKY

I love how people choose to believe in luck as a good thing. I think luck is more chance. What I mean is that people have faith in the chance that they could win the lottery but they don't have faith in the chance that you could die or something. The world is so romantic.

Impossibility is limiting. I don't like to ignore chances. Not that I really think I'm going to win the lottery. My Nanna does though, she religiously buys tickets each week, checking the numbers on Television every night all because of that one chance, that belief and faith in luck that it will bring something wonderful and not something destructive.