Here is lots of links to art and design-related things I am looking at at the moment. I've been doing social networking so that my facebook now looks more like stuff I am interested in and less like sonograms and other overly revealing tidbits from people I met in a drunken haze three years ago.

http://www.theartbay.co.uk/

-A Local Gallery in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent

http://ourownfuture.org/

-Website is a bit 90's-looking but they've recently set up a shop in Wolverhampton that only sells work that is handmade by artists and craft peoples from the local area.

http://vimeo.com/38459378

-Video about independant store Yellowstone Art Boutique in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent that sells and exhibits work from contemporary artists and makers. I also love their branding!

http://thedsgnblog.com/

-Beautiful website showcasing work by young designers across the globe

http://www.daydelosmuertos.blogspot.co.uk/

-Day Of The Dead, gorgeous photos of abandoned places worldwide. I love derelict buildings, they are soo beautiful.

I do have a list of further links but this post started to look kinda silly with content and I wanted to write something about all of them so that I don't miss anybody out. Might make links a weekly thing til I run out of em for a while.

Popped down to west park because it was nice and sunny this afternoon and came home with a scary drawing of a clock

Things I did before I realised I was too ill to carry on at uni part 2

Things I did before I realised I was too ill to carry on at uni part 1

Bluebells? That are pink?

Started a painting based on the doodle I posted yesterday. Felt-tips, acrylic, and ripped up pieces of paper on 14" by 18" canvas. Not really sure if I'm feeling it tbh, still needs a lot of work.

Got flashbacks from the first painting classes I took at college when I was 16. Feel like I'm going back into uncertain goofy teenager mode when I paint.

Just your friendly neighbourhood gargoyle

Find myself more and more fascinated by the bizarre creatures you find on old churches and the like. I like to think of them as a gateway between reality and fantasy, an echo back to pre-christian britain, where all the really good stories come from. Plus they keep all that pesky rainwater off the damn roof!Sketch done with biro, pencil, sharpie, washable felt-tips and collage.

This is where my evil lair is situated

This is this first painting I did after two years of being at uni doing an art degree. It's the back of my house painted from the back yard. It looks a bit grim, but it was a fresh sunny day and it made me feel good to finally be doing something.

Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way

Made me happy to open my curtains.

Hard hitting daffodil facts that I did not know until I read about them on the almightly truth that is Wikipedia:

1. They are poisonous
2. They are used to make drugs to combat alzheimers
3. They symbollise wealth and good fortune in some eastern cultures and are associated with Chinese New Year.
4. They symbollise vanity in the west. Or Easter. Or Wales. Or Unrequited Love. I'm not entirely sure.

Based on the academic assumption that wikipedia is made up of horrible unfounded rumours and baby seal clubbers I'm just going to stick with "they made me happy this morning"

This sofa is revolting

It used to be a normal sofa that died of old age. Now it has come back from the dead to haunt my house. It has the ability to give you lice, steal your personal belongings and get your clothes dirty by sitting on it. If anybody has any advice on how to kill zombie furniture, it would be greatly appreciated.