Books, Books and more Books...

Although being a literature fanatic I only recently discovered the 'Visual Bookshelf' on Facebook. Upon this discovery, I was a little too excited to be honest, I thought that I was quite sad...

However, I spent the next significant time frame updating my virtual bookshelf trawling through my literary memory trying to remember what I'd read, and what I was planning to read. I almost went into literature overload.

Updating my 'Reading Now' I realised that I was still in fact reading 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' by James Joyce. It is really amazing, I love it, I just haven't had the time to pick it up for ages. Not to mention the fact that I'm like a 5 year-old at Christmas when I buy new books and have to start reading them as soon as possible, even if it means slightly forgetting about a current book I'm reading!

Well, my Visual Bookshelf, my identity through books really isn't it. It shows my tastes, my interests, almost everything about me except my face. It's quite strange really isn't it, how a bunch of paper bound in a cover, with some words cleverly organised over the pages can say so much about a person. Your reaction to a book gives you an insight into your own personality... I think I'm trying to be philosophical about it all, when really it's too late to be doing anything of the sort, and in reality I'm just talking about a Facebook application. Oh well.

A Bit of Art...

Well, first off lets inject a bit of art into the blog, seeing as I've just finished my art course, it's quite appropriate don't you think?

Seeing as his art sparked a few discussions with my parents (in which I was supposedly being defensive...), lets look at the art of my tutor (or ex-tutor now, sad times), Brendan Burns. Now truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of abstract art, or usually the stuff that Brendan produces, but for some reason (maybe it's because I know the man, have seen the beach that is his inspiration etc.) I'm always truly absorbed by his work.

Liquid Light Series, Swishback (SM:862171. January 4th 2007)
Oil, wax and graphite on board

His main inspirations for his long series of 'coast' paintings is Druidston Haven, on the Pembrokeshire Coast, a beautiful place. If you ever go there, you feel even more of a connection to his paintings, they click into place and really do convey the acrobatics that your senses fly through while you are there.

Let me just have a quick diversion and say that his 'Liquid Light' and 'Taste of Sight' series are my favourites. Maybe their names are subconsciously playing to my love of literature and words... He likes his synaesthesia does Brendan, we had a (kind of) tutorial on it with him near the start of our specialism before our Ex Motus brief. We watched this slightly crazy video called 'Orange Sherbet Kisses' where this woman had all sorts of reactions to music, it truly was weird. Although I did find out from that video that Vladimir Nabokov was a synesthete, which fascinated me as his words are actually always so colourful and bright when you read them. Anyway, I'm divulging from the point! I do apologise about this by the way, you may get a series of ramblings from me quite a lot.

Back to the art work, I just want to reach out and touch it, feel it, squidge it. It brings out your internal compulsion towards the sea and everything linked with it. When you view the work, you can smell the salt, see the shadows, you are ever so tempted just to dip your feet in. His paintings aren't all about what you 'see', it's about what you feel, he tackles (and is quite successful in it if you ask me) the idea of trying to convey a feeling in the physical. He gives the conceptual a physical form.

As a little side note, when I tackled a piece of art inspired by the same beach I looked at the diversity of colour within the beachscape. There really is an abundance of everchanging colour within the coast, everytime the sun moves, or a cloud drifts across its rays the colours will dramatically change, it's truly amazing when you notice the little things like that.

So anyway, I think I've gone on long enough really, check him out: http://www.brendanstuartburns.co.uk/home.htm

If you ever have the pleasure of being taught by him, he is inspirational, he makes you laugh, you never want to do anything to disappoint him, he constantly challenges you and has a tendency for cheesy metaphors such as 'keeping the boulder moving' and 'you have the cupboard built, now you need to buy the ingredients', I'm sure he's also come up with 'today we are walking, tomorrow we dance', so in short he is the best tutor ever. He is the magic. I'm really going to miss him. Gah, a great start, getting me all upset!

Stick to the barnacles!


p.s. If you really like his work, buy his book:

Well, lets get the ball rolling...

So, my first post on my brand new, sparkling blog. What to say.... well as you can probably guess from the title, I'm from Wales, and soon to be going to St Andrews to study English for the next four years. I am just a tad excited...

I thought I would set up a blog about the build up to going to St Andrews, actually going there etc. as when I was applying I thought that the blogs from people actually in St Andrews were really helpful in finding out what the place was really like etc. (I seem to like to use the word etc. quite a bit, hmmm... - also I'm a bit ellipsis mad) There probably will be some (or quite a few) posts about books and what not, maybe some art too.

I've just finished a Foundation in Art & Design, specialising in Fine Art, so with no more work to do on anything such as PRDs (Personal Reflective Diaries, the bane of my life for the past few month) I thought I would set this little baby up. (Oh my word, why did I use that phrase???) I got a Distinction for the course, I was a bit shocked to say the least, considering the state of my (almost non-existent) sketchbook. But a lot of people seemed to really like my final piece so I was really pleased with that.

I don't really know what else to say, except I really need to find a job soon. Blerrrghhh, the toils of being a student have already started and I haven't even moved up there yet!

Hopefully, you'll be getting more posts in the near future!