BURN BLACK

Every now and then I see something I really wish I’d thought of doing first. This website and the accompanying video made my jaw drop the first time I saw it. The concept behind it is really quite clever and as mentioned on the site I have yet to see the same video twice. I also came across this video on YouTube today which I thought was quite cute.

Other than that I’m still upset about my results and I still can’t get in touch with my course leader.  I’m planning on sending him an email tonight.  I’ve also went and bought 500 more Swarovski crystals to put on my Munny which will cheer me up a bit.  The amount of money I’ve now spent on him now stands at £35.76 (blooming nora).

Things didn’t go to plan with regards to me finishing university this year.  I have no idea how as I really thought I’d done it.  I’ve been quite upset about it and am trying to get in touch with my course leader to discuss my options.  I was really fed up but I stumbled upon this quote and it has made me feel a *tiny* bit better about coming to terms with the fact that I’ll not be graduating next week.

“Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb. You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don’t make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow-line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness.
This metaphorical Mount Everest doesn’t have to manifest itself as “Art”. For some people, yes, it might be a novel or a painting. But Art is just one path up the mountain, one of many. With others the path may be something more prosaic. Making a million dollars, raising a family, owning the most Burger King franchises in the Tri-State area, building some crazy oversized model airplane, the list has no end. Whatever. Let’s talk about you now. Your mountain. Your private Mount Everest. Yes, that one. Exactly.

Let’s say you never climb it. Do you have a problem with that? Can you just say to yourself, “Never mind, I never really wanted it anyway” and take up stamp collecting instead?

Well, you could try. But I wouldn’t believe you. I think it’s not OK for you never to try to climb it. And I think you agree with me. Otherwise you wouldn’t have read this far.

So it looks like you’re going to have to climb the frickin’ mountain. Deal with it.

My advice? You don’t need my advice. You really don’t. The biggest piece of advice I could give anyone would be this:
“Admit that your own private Mount Everest exists. That is half the battle.”
And you’ve already done that. You really have. Otherwise, again, you wouldn’t have read this far.”

Obviously I’ll update as soon as I can when I know what’s happening.

I was given a Munny to decorate for the Triple Six collective by the boss last week and I decided to go for a “bling” Munny based loosely on this skull. So far Damien (What I’ve called my Munny) has been sprayed gold and has had 222 Swarovski Crystals stuck on him but I’ve ran out now and unfortunately they’re not cheap.  He’s going to cost me a fortune but I think it’ll be worth it in the end as he’ll look pimping when I’m finally done. I’m just going to buy some more crystals as and when I have a spare couple of quid.  So far he’s cost me £18.77. He’ll be a family heirloom once I’m done hahaha.

After he was sprayed gold.

And the beginning of the blinging.

The Yankee Doodle Dandy Burlesque Show., originally uploaded by Burn Black.

It’s been a bit of a quiet year so far with regards to live event photography. I’d only done the My Ruin gig in January until Friday night when I went to Independent to take photos at a burlesque night. I only finished editing the good photos today as I’d taken so many and it took ages to go through them all. Fan dances are hard to take photos of as I learnt.

It’s made me realise that I do enjoy taking photos and so I’m trying to get a few more photo passes/opportunities under my belt for the remainder of the year do fingers crossed. I think the main reason behind this is because I do see photography as something I do for fun. It’s essentially a hobby and what with me concentrating on finishing my degree it’s had to take a back seat for a while.

The end of degree show has been and gone.  Still no sign of my results.  I’m starting to get nervous/bored from the waiting.

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There were only 2 plants in the show.  One of which belonged to my work heh heh.

Exhibition Space…, originally uploaded by Burn Black.

Fingers crossed that come Thursday this will not have been in vain.

1. traditional tattoo sketch, 2. Sunderlands Old Masonic Lodge, 3. The Eye of Providence, 4. She-Ra, 5. wife swap, 6. DSCF7666, 7. Vanity = Peacock, 8. Fraktur mon amour, 9. A hunting we will go, 10. making filled bread, 11. A Detail from Mark Ryden’s Snow White, 12. geisha, 13. Sweet Treats for your Guests - Candy Filled Petit Fours, 14. Retrofied iBook, 15. trevor brown, 16. Untitled.

Yeah I’m a bit of a sicko at times but this not only made me laugh but also made me think “that’s actually pretty cool”. It’ll save on funeral costs if anything.

In other news if I’ve done ok then by the end of this week my many years at higher education will finally draw to a close. Too say I’m pretty nervous is an understatement.

Well the trip to the art store in search for Karisma’s was uneventful and I returned empty handed.  I guess it all depends on what I can score on eBay now.

Today however I gave Steve Jobs and Co. even more of my hard earned dosh and bought a a 1TB Time Capsule and this laptop bag.  I do try to back up work/music/etc. at least once a month but I must admit that unless I remind myself on iCal then it never happens and the thought of losing stuff fills me with utter dread so at least once the Time Capsule is up and running I *shouldn’t* have to worry about losing stuff anymore.  Hurrah.

The bag I just bought because it was a) pretty, b) pink c) rather ladylike and c) vegan friendly.  I’m a pretty strict vegetarian and I stopped buying leather goods about a year ago.  You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find good quality, strong, non-leather bags nowadays.  The non leather bags I’ve had have more or less fallen to bits after a month or so which sucks.  Hopefully for the price I paid for this one things will work out happily ever after.  I do use a rucksack normally for carrying my laptop about but I fancied something different for a change.

R.I.P. Karisma Pencils…, originally uploaded by Burn Black.

Shit… The best coloured pencils I’ve ever had the good fortune to come across are easily Karisma’s by Berol. The box I have (shown in the photo) I’ve had since I did my GCSE in Art around 12 years ago and was thinking to myself yesterday “Ooo I may treat myself to a new set once Student Loan day arrives” so I tried to find an online art store where I could purchase some from only to find that they’ve been discontinued. I’m absolutley gutted. This means I’m going to go through to Newcastle tomorrow and if there’s a box sat in the art store there I’ll be leaving with them. If that is unsuccessful then I guess I’ll have to look on eBay. Booooooo.

Sunderland used to have a really quaint book/art supply store (called Hills) which I used to spend ages browsing through all the different supplies etc. and they sold Karisma’s. Unfortunatley it closed down last year and unless you do tapestry or make crap and naff “home made” cards you now have to succumb to WH Smiths or go to Newcastle which is where the nearest decent art supply shop is.

Hopefully I will emerge from this unscathed clutching a new box of pencils. If not I may have to do a little cry and ration the ones I have until my dying days hahaha.