'til tomorrow

I often think of things to do, just so I don't have to do the things I need to do, which means in english, I am very good at putting things off.
Today I have been avoiding starting to pack for the move. I took over an hour to eat a simple breakfast, I read a newspaper thats over a week old, I spent time on the internet etc. It's not that I'm not looking forward to moving it's just that sometimes if I don't have to do things straight away I'd rather not do them.
I wouldn't call myself lazy. When I have a job to do, I do it, and I make a proper job of it. I even enjoy having tasks to do and being against a deadline. I think the correct term is apathetic. I know what needs to be done but I still don't do it.
Although an argument for why I don't mind being the way I am is the things I achieve in these 'moods'. Today I have taught myself new methods on Photoshop with the help on the online guides. Other times, when some people consider me to be wasting time, I'd say I am learning. The internet is a good example of this. Hours can go by and maybe I don't achieve anything but I learn things I never knew before, so I'm happy.
Of course putting things off means I have less time left to complete the task, which can lead to stress and anger, so it's not all a bed of roses.

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Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

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Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

On a Sunday

Went to York cycle show today, thought I may not make it because I felt a bit rough after the wedding yesterday. Saw bike polo in person for the first time, had a look around the exhibitors tent and avoided the rain.
Hung out with Mike and Vicky and saw his Penny Farthing and a few others in his collection. Got a whole lot of motivation to ride too and build up a 'proper' track bike too.
Tomorrow have an early morning taking my folks to the airport, haven't seen 4.00am in a hell of a long time.

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Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

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Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Real life is

stranger than fiction.

Yesterday I was informed that my girlfriend's Dad had a good time on the first day of his new job. The job itself involves him traveling around the country to set up a scaletrix type car racing track, for public events, and being commenter on the races that happen. Different to say the least, but the best part of it is his new work mate is a look-a-like for the Finnish Formula One driver Mika Hakkinen. He travels the world doing appearences! Even better my girlfriend's Dad looks a lot like Tony Robinson (off of Time Team etc) so was picking up tips on how to get into the business.

So cool.

Bigger, Better, More expensive?

I've done my zines for a year now. It was a goal I set for myself, but I was never in the game just for the money. In fact the price I charge means I barely (or rarely) break even on each issue.
However I can't continue this way. Today I've been crunching the numbers for my latest project. There's a large initial outlay but thats the same with everything. The problem comes deciding what to charge, too much and it won't sell but not enough and I'll lose money. I'm a new artist and have little 'history' but the work I produce is technically flawless and produced by hand at every step. Every print is individually printed by hand from negative and usually done in limited quantities. Just when you think it's sorted there's gallery commission to add on top, which the customer may not realise but usually bumps up the final price.
With any new work there's a certain risk, I am confident my work appeals to the public and will sell, otherwise I wouldn't produce it, but asking other's to have the same confidence and then invest money too, is a very new experience for me.

BUY BUY BUY

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Issue 4 of my zine is ready and available from my etsy shop and other respected establishments.

Good news day

This morning I got a phone call telling me I start work at Royal Mail on the 24th July and then we received a letter from the agents saying our contract is ready to sign and the house is ours.

Not got anything planned today because my car is in the garage going through its MOT and its raining cats and dogs already.

Time is Such a Wasted Luxury.

Making of.
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

recommended

The film American History X has been recommended to me for a long time. Finally got around to watching last night, and now I wish I'd listened and watched it a long time ago.

Dogs die in hot cars

Spent most of today laid by the river at Ilkley in the sun. It looks like I may have got burnt but not badly.
There's a couple of opportunities for displaying my work and I'm very happy with the ideas I have for both. Seeing my work up on the wall at a gallery or somewhere similar makes me proud but also raises a lot of questions in my head. I'm the first to admit I don't know a whole lot about art but to be producing work considered worthy of exhibition amazes me.
Paper Thin zine Issue 4 has a title and is in pre-production, give it a couple of weeks and it should be ready for the shelves.

Bradford Open 07

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

*click image for link to see photos BIG*










My work will be included in the Bradford Open Exhibition and will remain on the wall until August the 19th at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Lister Park in Bradford.
Work is available to buy.

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Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Losing my religion?

Maybe I'm going soft in my old age but I have found myself using a digital camera a little more than usual recently. From 100% anti-digital I found myself shooting more with my girlfriend's Canon 300D when both my money and film stocks began running low. I've never owned my own digital camera and have no desire to get one. The idea was to document little things around me using digital so I wasn't wasting film.
This is how things have continued until I discovered that by setting customised parameters on the 300D I could achieve a low contrast and low saturation image, like I had been trying to get using film.

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

The image above was taken about 20 minutes ago. I took two photos at the time and deleted one straight away because it was too over-exposed. Next I uploaded it to flickr and now I'm using it to illustrate my point here. If I had taken this with film it could have taken anywhere between a day and a month to get the negs back, along with the further scanning and printing costs that naturally occur.
My point is this image is taken because at the moment I like to take photos of unusual light patterns etc. This probably will never be used for anything apart from my personal archive. By using digital to take photos like this I'm saving money that can be spent on other photographic projects.
Also since I no longer have darkroom access and no longer work in a mini-lab I can no longer print my own work. Handing over control to such a huge part of the process makes me sad. I'm lucky to have found Ian, at Silvertone, who I trust more than myself to print my exhibition work but as far as a regular mini-lab for run of the mill colour films I'm constantly disappointed. Whether it be with print quality or a host of other issues I can't seem to find one that I have faith in.
This is more for my benefit than anyone else's but I still love film. The standard of print that can be achieved by using film will never be matched by digital, there's a depth to the image than goes beyond explanation. If an image is never going to be a print though, well then aspects like convenience, speed, time, money.....make digital a more attractive option.

Cafe interior

Cafe interior
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Cafe Amante is host to my first solo show that will permanently reside in their upstairs seating area.
The Cafe is in Brighouse town centre, on the corner of Bradford Rd and King St, it serves a range of hot drinks, sandwiches and sweets.

Boxes

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Following the herd.

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Another step closer.

To moving to York.
To having a job as a Postman.

Just.

When you thought life couldn't get any worse, it doesn't, it gets better.