an update, my word
self-portrait, oil on canvas, 2009, a little larger than five foot by three foot
ink, oil, photographs on paper - on canvas, 2008. Words also by me. Around three by two foot.
These are my two favourite peices of work.
I probably won’t be able to update for a while, exams and uni stuff. However, hopefully in the summer I will be opening a brand new website with blog, so stay tuned.
Filed under: Art | 5 Comments
i heart topshop
Topshop Is Awesome – by anna sofia on Polyvore.com
Topshop are being pretty awesome at the moment. I love their dresses!
Filed under: Fashion, Wishlist | 1 Comment
i like to read kind of a lot
So, here is a selection of some of the books I’m reading at the moment. Yes, SOME. I read ALL the time; I can’t stop, it’s like an illness.
And my Mum bought the February Elle for me today, and I’ve discovered at LEAST seven new authors that I want to go out and find all their books and curl up with them for hours on end.
Of those above, the only one I’ve finished before is ‘Cloud Atlas’, which I will come on to in a minute, but of those I am only part way through I highly reccomend ‘The 13 and 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear’ by Walter Moers, ‘An Utterly Impartial History of Britain (or 2000 years of Upper Class Twits in Charge)’ by John O’Farrell, ‘Words’ by Jean Paul Satre and ‘The Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro; and of course ‘Catch 22′ and ‘Brave New World’.
David Mitchell is my absolute favourite author of the moment. I have favourite books that are not his, but he is consistent in all of his books in that they are all unique and utterly fantastic. They are difficult, and perhaps contraversial, but beautifully written. They combine science fiction, comedy and literary fiction with beautiful imagery and immense technical skill. My favourite is ‘Ghostwritten’ – it is a book that really makes you think.
I highly reccomend all his books – but often it is said that if you are new to Mitchell, you should start with ‘Cloud Atlas’, which is why I’ve been rereading it. I read ‘Cloud Atlas’ perhaps when I was too young, because I didn’t really get it. I returned to Mitchell a few months ago, with ‘Ghostwritten’ and ‘number9dream’, before moving on to his latest offering, ‘Black Swan Green’ (which is actually, in format, quite different to his first three books, but still contains his style), and so I thought I should reread the book that is his most famous.
In conclusion, to quote Ringo Starr in A Hard Day’s Night: ‘Books are good.’
Filed under: Musings | 5 Comments
it snowed the other day!
Contrast/Sharpness/Brightness edited by me in PSP7. Taken with a Canon EOS 400D :)
Filed under: Art | Leave a Comment
101 things in 1001 days
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.
–
Yes! So here is my 101 things in 1001 days :) Some I will save for university, and I reserve the right to change my goals if I don’t feel they suit me any more. Anyway, on to my things…
Filed under: Musings | 2 Comments
the 2008 quiz
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Went to a party with alcohol & got tipsy. Applied to university. Went to the Ritz. Turned 17. Took AS Levels. Painted with gouache. Started a wordpress blog. Started to combat my obsessive-compulsive disorder. Got my eyebrows and upper lip threaded (ow!). Bought MAC makeup. Wore 4 inch heels.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t make any! I always forget to keep them. I don’t have resolutions as such this year, but I do have some goals in mind that I want to undertake — not resolutions, but hopes and ambitions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope!
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, my grandmother. RIP, Granny. :(
5. What countries did you visit? None! I haven’t been on a holiday abroad in years and years. I’m hoping to go to New York and/or Dublin next year though.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Confidence. More friends, best friends. I’d like to have all my hopes realised. I’d like to have a place at university.
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? March, because my Grandmother died: again, RIP, Granny.
8 May, my 17th birthday and my trip to the Ritz. August, because I got my AS results. 12th December, The university interview. 25th December, first Christmas at home in years.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Either getting AAABB in my AS results, despite missing 30% of full school days, and even more than that missing at least half the day, due to my OCD, or cutting down my OCD “habit” time from around 10 hours a day to 20 minutes.
9. What was your biggest failure? Letting my OCD get worse.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yes, lol! – OCD.
11. What was the best thing you bought? I don’t know! My best present was my Canon EOS – my best thing would probably be my skirts and dresses, because I couldn’t wear them before.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mother’s, because she put up with me! And my friend Jess’s, because she’s been ridiculously ill this year and has still managed to main on top of her schoolwork and her social life.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? No one’s, really.
14. Where did most of your money go? Cloooooooooothes! Lol! And books!
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My birthday!
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Probably ‘Viva la Vida’, by Coldplay
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier, probably.
b) thinner or fatter? I don’t know! About the same.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, in terms of quality of life. Poorer, money wise!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Gone out, made more friends.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Moaning and whining.
20. How did you spend Christmas? With my Mum in our living room
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? No
22. What was your favorite TV program? F0r the first half of the year, Doctor Who. The second half, Gilmore Girls.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No!!!
24. What was the best book you read? ‘Ghostwritten’ – David Mitchell.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Jason Mraz!
26. What did you want and get? Canon EOS 400D. To get better.
27. What did you want and not get? A best friend.
28. What was your favorite film of this year? Aaagh – there are so many, for different reasons! High School Musical 3, because of the time spent with my friends. Maybe ‘Spirited Away’, or ‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’. I didn’t see many ‘cinema’ films this year.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I went to the Ritz, aged 17!
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? No OCD.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? ‘Look nicer!’
32. What kept you sane? My Mum
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? HAHAA, David Tennant, Milo Ventimiglia, Logan from Gilmore Girls. Probably David Tennant the most.
34. What political issue stirred you the most? Boris being mayor of London, Barack Obama as president-elect, Gordon Brown and the cabinet’s many problems.
35. Who did you miss? My grandmother.
36. Who was the best new person you met? Ooh, I don’t think I could choose!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Try, and if you don’t succeed, try, try again.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. ‘If you’ve got the poison, I’ve got the remedy.’ – The Remedy, Jason Mraz.
Found via iCiNG and All & Sundry
Filed under: Musings | Leave a Comment
paintings in my new sketchbook…
gouache, acrylic
[/caption]
Filed under: Art | 2 Comments
Hope everyone had a good time, whichever religious festival (or not!) you were celebrating. Me, I had a wonderful Christmas with my Mum :D I haven’t had a Christmas at home in years and years, so this was wonderful. Here are a few pics of what I got…
topshop bag from my Mum (£35?)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time & Stardust - two great films! Both from my Mum :D
Top down - 44 Scotland Street, Alexander McCall Smith; The Road, Cormac McCarthy;The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde - Waterstone's Exclusive Edition; Art Now Vol 2 + The Polaroid Book, both Taschen 25th Anniversary. I also got the Top Gear Book (lol, a joke from my Mum) and Richard Hammond's second book, but I already had it =/
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume (!!!) from my Mum again () and an Estee Lauder charcoal grey liquid eyeliner, which technically wasn't a present, but I bought it along with my Mum's pressie, because it was part of a deal. I haven't used it yet, though, and only opened it a few days ago XD
Back to the Future mug hand-printed by a friend; sort of an in-joke. Also you see a snippet of my newly tidied desk (gasp, it's usually horrendous!) and my marker pens!
:D I also got some clooothes (which hopefully will be pictured soon in outfit shots), and some art materials and chocolates and things like that! Very lucky girl, me :)
Hope you are all well and had as wonderful a time as I did!
Filed under: Miscellaneous | 2 Comments
when will summer be back?
when will summer be back!? by anna sofia
(Sorry for the blurry image, I have no idea how to make it stay at its original size. For a better view, click the picture)
Although I have, yes, been craving some more winter-related items (snuggly jumpers and boots galore, knit dresses and t-shirts, oh my!), there suddenly seems to be an influx of girly, summery, floaty floral things sweeping their way onto my web browser. I want it to be summer again so I can wear these without being as cold as I am now (which has been the reason for my lack of posts – I’ve been, apart from frantically rushing round for uni interviews/last days of term/Christmas parties, wrapped up in a blanket in my pyjamas due to being FREEZING cold)!
I would go out and buy them, ready to wear in summer, but I spent all my money on books and an eyeliner yesterday. Oops.
Filed under: Fashion | Leave a Comment
nuances
just some doodling; marker + gouache
i found this picture at stock.xchng and it was just calling out for me to put a cup of tea in his hand! gouache
Filed under: Art | 2 Comments
Tags: doodles, moleskine, sketchbook
listening
Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Sara Bareilles - Little Voice
Jason Mraz - Waiting for my Rocket to Come
