#idk how well you can paint book board though. will have to run some experiments

[sesamenom]

anyone know if bookbinding glue works on canvas? im thinking i want to add a shield to my halloween costume next year and am trying to figure out how to attach the front

[symphonicmetal101]

Wishlist For Someone Special

Ok, so I'm feeling really sappy and just a little lonely. All my friends are boring and my family members are too young for me to take to do some stuff.

This is kind of a wishlist of things I wish I had someone to do with or look forward to doing eventually...not necessarily romantic, but I wouldn't mind if it was. (broskis, I ain't never been on a date, not even, like, a platonic one, so bear with me if it seems ridiculous)

Stargazing- lying on a blanket in an open field or in the bed of a truck, just watching the stars, pointing out constellations, and making up stories

Watching the Northern Lights- bundling up in our warmest winter clothing, grabbing a couple campchairs and hot chocolate as we watch them dance and flicker.

Laser Tag- sneaking around, just trying to one up each other, or being on the same team and still- try to one up each other😂

Paintball- a little more painful than laser tag, but still fun. Checking up on each other afterwards to make sure there aren't any really bad bruises

Graffiti- I've always liked the way it looks. I would love for someone to teach me, or for us to learn together in one of those public graffiti houses

A Willow Tree- I would love to find a weeping willow tree and climb it's branches, only to sit and read there with my loved one enjoying their company.

Just Drive- just take a roadtrip with someone I love, blasting music, laughing, singing, and snacking as we blaze down the roads. It doesn't have to be long.

Visit an Animal Sanctuary/Reserve- I find animals fascinating, but also find that sanctuaries and reserves are more educational and often more humane than zoos.

Volunteer at the Food Bank or SPCA- just general acts of service. They make me happy.

Pillow Fortress- I didn't really get to make blanket forts when I was younger, so I want to try doing something even bigger! I want to convert the couch into a cuddle palace.

Spontaneous Dancing- idk man, it just makes me really happy. My dad used to twirl and dip me when I was little, so that's probably where it started.

Cooking/Baking Together- so what if we make a bit of a mess? So what if we screw up the recipe? It doesn't matter, it was time well spent.

Cleaning Together- Growing up as an only child for ten years and then becoming the oldest means I've done chores alone for a long time. I want someone's company, maybe we'll talk, maybe we'll work in comfortable silence, or maybe we'll blast music. I don't care. I would be happy just to know I wasn't alone.

Learning One of Their Hobbies- I want to learn something they know!! Please, let me understand a little better, I just need them to be patient with me.

Forest Walks- especially in Fall. I want to walk down an old trail, listen to leaves crunch under our feet as more fall from above I want the blustery weather to give us rosy cheeks and noses by the time our walk is over.

Horseback Riding- I've done it before, but I would love to bring someone with me. You have more experience? Great! I love to see that confidence in you. You've done it a couple times? Yay, we're in the same boat! Never done it at all? That's ok! I'll do what I can to help you!

Outdoor Movie Night- we don't have drive- in theaters anywhere nearby, but give me a sheet, campchairs, and a projector? I've got us.

Indoor Movie Night- let's bundle up and cuddle together while we watch a new movie. Or maybe it's a classic. Idc.

Try New Food- let's go somewhere for lunch and pick something completely foreign...(I am not eating guinea pig again though, thanks.)

The Wharf- if one of us happens to live by the ocean, we'll be frequent visitors. Not necessarily the beach, bit on wooden planks where the salty sea air still reaches you. We can watch the boats come and go. (Fisherman's Wharf in B.C Canada is fun. There's a really good Mexican food place😂 There's a blind seal named Sammy that lives there, and you can buy a bucket of fish to feed him. Be careful though, seagulls are vicious, being pecked by one sucks...yes, I needed a bandaid and my finger was sore for a long time. Idk if it's still like that, it's been a while. Sorry, just reminiscing a bit.)

Painting- let's buy a couple canvases and paint and see what we can do! It doesn't have to resemble anything, just do what feels like you.

Splatter Painting- dear god I've wanted to try this for so long. Just full on globs of paint and flicking it towards the canvas. (I was never allowed to do it because it was seen as a waste of paint. I couldn't even do it with an old toothbrush on a small canvas😑)

Video Games!- Please teach me how to play! Video games are banned in my family. I mean, I've done Just Dance, but that's about it. Mobile games have been kept a secret...basically just teach me to play and don't make me feel bad about playing, and I'll love you forever, mkay?

Ice Cream Date- again, idk. The idea just makes me really happy, whether we're sitting in a small shop, eating and talking. Or maybe we're walking, maybe holding hands, trying to point things out to each other, but our hands are full, but there's no way we're letting go. Or maybe we're sharing a cup of ice cream on a park bench, just people watching.

Thrift Store Outfits- I want to go to a thrift store and pick out the most ridiculous outfits for each other. We don't have to go anywhere, but just humour me when we're alone by wearing whatever I found for you, and vice versa.

Writing- writing a poem, a atory, a quote, or learning calligraphy and just writing their name- I want to write something to you

Books- let's go to the library and choose a book for each other, one that neither of us have read so we can talk and ask questions, come up with theories as we continue to read.

Books pt.2- if you write me a note and give me a book telling me why it's one of your favourites, I'll melt. I'll do the same for you, and soon we'll have a few more things to talk about and enjoy together

Music!- you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to send you music that reminds me of you, and I would be overjoyed to recieve the same.

Music! Pt.2- if you happen to play, sing, or dance, let's make something beautiful together! If not, I'll teach you!

Improv/rp- just making stuff up as we go, not caring if other people hear our conversations.

Trampoline Park/Something Similar- I just want to try it. Don't care if I break my leg, I want to try it. I'll care if you break your leg though.

Plant Shopping- again, idk. Just the idea of choosing a succulent or two to take care of together sounds nice.

Dance Classes- maybe you're already an amazing dancer, I'll let you take the lead. Maybe you just know the basics like me, we can learn together. (I know how to do the basics for, like, salsa, cumbia, bachata, swing, and waltz, that's it. Please teach me more🤩)

Sewing/Knitting/Crocheting/Fabric Work- useful skill! And maybe we can make something for each other. (Spoiler alert: you're getting a pillow case, mask, or a scarf, I can't do much yet😂)

Rage House- let's just let loose! Make a mess! Yell! Doesn't matter, all of it's legit. I just want to destroy stuff.

Weird Cuddles- again, just the idea makes me happy. If you're lying down, I may as well just flop on you, right? Or maybe somehow we end up upside down. Cuddling while we read books or listen to music. Ok so maybe just cuddling but it feels weird because I'm touch-starved👌

Late Night Calls- I've never done this with anyone under happy circumstances. Could you help me change that? It would be nice to have the last thing before I go to sleep be reassurance and happiness.

Calendar/Planning- let's make a calendar together with pictures of the places we want to go one day. Let's talk to each other so we know what we both want and make sure we put it down.

Scuba Diving- this is something I've wanted to do since I was little- actually it was the first job I said I wanted. I don't want to do it as a career anymore, but I would love to try it with you.

Finding Random Things- little things that remind me of you. Maybe I was out and found a heart shaped rock. Or I heard a bird sing and managed to record it. Or maybe there was a cute keychain at the store that reminded me of you. And that would be enough to make me smile.

Ride a Double-Decker Bus- I've done it before, but the excitement that comes with the thought of riding one again makes me giddy. Just being able to see the city and people from a mobile throne😂

Bike Riding- let's explore nearby, just riding together. Maybe you have trails you want to show me. You can lead, I'll follow. Or vice versa. If we get lost at least we can laugh about it later.

Camping- lets share a tent and a campfire together, roasting smores as we laugh and tell each other stories. Maybe we'll try and sing a few songs too.

Punch Buggy- just playing the game properly will make me happy tbh. It's been 8 years of bending the rules😂

Board/Card Games- yes. I will get competitive. But that's half the fun. Also, I would like to play these properly as well lol

Museum Date- maybe somewhere local, or maybe we were driving by and decided to stop, or maybe we actually planned to go. Let's learn something new together, take some pictures.

Comfy- I didn't know what else to call it. Basically, take out, sweat pants, (messy buns), snacks, drinks, and a good show. Bonus if it's storming outside.

Rain- watching it rain, listening tonit rain, going outside and dancing or running in the rain, jumping in puddles- I want to do it all with you.

Little Gestures- little things we develop as we get to know each other, faces that we come to understand, hand movements we start to copy. Idk, I find it really cute.

Ok guys, sorry this isn't what, well, any of us were expecting. I guess this is my Valentine's Day post?? Idk. If you read it, I hope you liked it.

Feel free to put who you thought of in tags or comments, real or fiction. Or add to the list if you want. I would love to know😊 I know there's a lot of "I wants" but that's because for the first time, in a long time, I feel comfortable admitting that.

51. Mutual comfort characters

[hoidn]

that ‘deep questions’ meme

@oykamu​ told me to do multiples of three, so here we go.

3. Are you religious or spiritual?

i’m an atheist. was born and bred catholic, and i’m pretty sure you never really recover from that. i do entertain a certain amount of magical thinking which can look like spirituality from the outside, i suppose.

6. What was the best phase in your life?

birth until age 7 or so. that’s not sarcastic, btw; i’m being completely genuine. the best phase of my life was before mental illness got its claws in me.

9. What makes you feel accomplished?

finishing things. managing to do a task that i haven’t been able to do for a period of time; like the day i made two phone calls and felt like a superhero. doing something that helps someone else without them knowing about it.

12. Are you more into looks or brains?

it’s obviously brains. i mean, you can’t have a relationship with someone’s looks. you might as well just buy a painting.

15. When do you think a person is ready for marriage?

whenever they feel ready. marriage is one of those things that you can’t really prepare for. even couples who live together for years have ended up divorcing after getting married. i do think a person should at least be fully grown and able to consent before they’re married, though. marrying little girls off to adult men is gross and wrong.

18. Who is that one person you can talk to about just anything?

mr tree. he sort of has to listen to me since we live in the same flat and all.

21. If you are in a bad mood, do you prefer to be left alone or have someone to cheer you up?

it depends on why i’m in a bad mood and what the bad mood is. but leaving me alone is a good rule of thumb across the board.

24. Do you judge a book by its cover?

absolutely. if i don’t like the cover, i won’t buy the book. i will search out a different edition and, if necessary, pay more for a used copy with a cover i like than a new copy with a cover i don’t like. (i may also tell the library that i lost the book with the cover i like and pay the replacement fine.) BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME OKAY. the sensory experience is a big part of that. i also judge a book by the colour and feel of the paper, and by the typography. book as object vs book as story.

27. Would you relocate for love?

yes. (i know i said i’d try to avoid one word answers but this is a pretty yes/no kind of question.)

30. Do you believe in second chances?

it depends on the transgression and who’s giving the chance. if you let someone drive your car and they accidentally scratch the paint, then you’d probably give them a second chance. on the other hand, if someone is a domestic abuser who puts you in the hospital, then they deserve no more chances from you. however, if they go into rehabilitation and end up managing to have a healthy relationship with someone else in time, i think that second chance is deserved. idk this is a difficult question for anyone who’s been in any kind of abusive relationship or had some kind of abuse/assault enacted on them. on one hand, i do believe that people can change--whether through rehabilitation, therapy, or whatever; on the other hand, that doesn’t mean i want anything to do with you ever again.

33. What did your past relationship teach you?

how not to have a relationship and that it’s not always better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. among other things.

36. When have you felt your biggest adrenaline rush?

adrenaline rush is a good thing, right? like people who jump out of planes and that kind of thing? we used to go to kings dominion in virginia and ride the rollercoasters when i was in college. that’s about it. i mean, there are things that i’ve done at extreme periods of mental illness that caused something like that, but i’m pretty sure they’re not the sorts of answers this question is asking for.

39. What’s your biggest regret in life?

not a ‘what’ but a ‘who’. see also my answer to 33. people were hurt, not the least of whom was me, and i did things i’m ashamed of. i’d like to go back to my 18-year-old self and tell her to run like hell in any direction but his.

[gcdwhite]

sydney contemporary ★ 2015

i have a bit of catching up to do.

i went to the sydney contemporary art fair in 2015.

i took part in a ‘masterclass’, run by the guardian in association with the sydney contemporary art fair, called the a-z of contemporary art. i was lucky enough to be guided around the large array of works by the fair director Barry Keldoulis, leading art consultant Mark Hughes, and Andrew Frost, the guardian’s art critic.

to be guided in such a small group made for an intimate and memorable experience. with such noted figures in the art industry guiding us through the works, outlining particular works which they didn’t necessarily like - but works that sparked something in themselves, for whatever reason, and wanted us to delve further into.

the second part of the masterclass then entailed a discussion and debate about the highlighted works, with Keldoulis, Hughes, Frost and leading gallerist Melissa Loughan.

i saw some really awesome and memorable works that day.

i wish i noted the details for this work. :’(. i’m such a slut for neon lights. but idk who isn’t?

some of ben quilty’s works at the jan murphy showcase. his works are so raw, so confronting, so emotional. the thick application of aerosol + oil on canvas makes his work so recognisable and unique. it is always a pleasure to see his works. i feel honoured (in a way?) to be standing in front of them. he is so so so important in australian art. 

here’s a close up. the paint is so t h i c c. 

i’m going to digress here a little bit.

i am a huge quilty fan. i bought a book compiling his works from touring afghanistan as an official war artist, a series that will be etched in my memory forever. the way in which he captures the raw emotion of australian soldiers returning from combat - traumatised, exhausted, pained. he told the soldiers to sit how they feel.

the earthy tones complement the abstract nature of his technique - how each element of his body, if separated and looked at individually, isn’t recognisable as being that body part.

but take a step back and it’s a different story. it all makes sense.

quilty’s skill amazes me. the sheer patience he must have. how does he know when a work is finished? 

in addition to his art works, what i love about quilty is his social conscious and moral compass. his strong moral drive is evident in his choice of subject matter; he is quite well known for teaching myuran sukumaran how to paint. He also works closely with young refugee artists. 

but also the fact that he is he is a normal, young dude. who would get fucked up with his mates. a bit too much sometimes. which is chill, i get that. artworks feel way more personal when i can relate to the artist on a personal level. i strongly implore you (whoever u are) to research further into him. by all accounts, he is a fuckn awesome dude.

anyway, back to sydney contemporary. it was so pivotal.

pivotal in the sense that it was the first time where i felt as though i actually have quite a bit of knowledge about art. i would see works and understand things about them, notice things about them which i hadn’t before i began studying art. i felt this in an even bigger way when i went to new york. but i’ll save that for a rainy day.

whilst in sydney that time round, i went to the art gallery of nsw to check out the archibald portraits. quilty was actually on the board for picking the winning art work in 2015, having won the prize himself in 2011 for his portrait of margaret olley. BLESS. 

unfortunately i don’t have many photos from these portraits, only two artworks. but they’re both SICK.

charlie waterstreet by nigel milsom. i don’t know what’s more etherial - the painting itself or the story behind it. 

milsom was raised in albury, nsw, and had known the waterstreet family for a number of years. their relationship, however, formalised when waterstreet - who co-created the abc series rake, about a brilliant but self-destructive criminal defence lawyer - represented milsom as his barrister. 

milsom was jailed in september 2013 for a robbery incident, whilst under the influence of a number of hard drugs, waterstreet representing him. you can read more about it here if u like. its v interesting. 

the hands. that’s the part that gets me. they’re so... not of this world. scary. haunting. or as milsom described, 

“as a giant: part-man, part-mythical creature, with hands that appear otherworldly”.

another portrait that struck a chord with me was carla fletcher’s portrait of jenny kee. 

i actually went back and saw fletcher’s portrait into the 2016 archibald competition. not as good, still good though.

but yeah that was sydney 2015. little did i know it was the first of many exhibitions i would find myself exploring.