Speak to me...

Shared a joke with a customer today about the cover article on the New Scientist entitled 'Your Inner Voice' about why talking to yourself is actually good for you, increases your brain power or some such fascinating idea. Didn't read the article so I have no idea what it was really proposing, but it gave us a chance for a laugh at our own expense along the lines of 'I do it all the time', 'Only way I get a sensible answer' etc. Did like his observation that it is only if you get an answer that you need to worry; which is a worry in itself as I often do... One of my childhood hobbies, which carried through way too long into semi-adulthood and may have had something to do with a sheltered upbringing, was to act out tasks as if presenting on the television. Luckily for the world in general I never interpreted this as my calling and so spared me and the rest of the nation any attempts to launch a TV or presenting career. Blushing and muttering are not, I imagine, top of the list of qualities one searches for in the industry. To be honest, brutally and frankly, I still catch myself going to do it when I am cooking or drying my hair; it is one way to entertain yourself through life's more mundane chores and we don't have a telly.

I have just spent a few happy minutes researching what limited information is on the web concerning one of the world's lesser known, but surely well loved artists, one J. Campbell-Kerr.

The magazine 'People's Friend', published in Dundee since time immemorial and up there as a contender for longest running, has a cover illustration every week by the artist and an internal feature about a place of interest in the British Isles. It seems however that Ms/Mr Kerr is not as we may have thought; Wikepedia informs me that a number of artists produce the work and they are collectively published under the pseudonym. It makes sense as the timescale would only allow for an extremely long lived child prodigy.

Now I come to think of it, a memory is in my head of my mother suggesting this fact long, long ago on the grounds of differing painting styles; she is a lifelong reader and probably knows more about the publication than many. I must read one, for that is something I have never done; knowing me I would get hooked and end up buying copies furtively hidden among newspapers.

Finally got aroundt to reading the diary of my artist friend's trip on a symposium to Russia and it was truly fascinating; I must get around to visiting the country again some day as my memories of the art college trip back in around 1988 are still vivid. Also the only time aside from art college when group painting and discussion is possible, which must be a challenge, but also a huge buzz. Hoping to catch up with her in October when we head north on a mini-mini-break to find out some more first hand information about the possibilites of Stu learning framing and eventually other kinds of woodwork. Many things to learn and many ideas to bounce around in the coming months as we find our way forward to the next chapter.