Not quite a rainy day

I have been listening to this for the last hour or so.

http://www.rainymood.com/

What is it about rain that is so relaxing I wonder...

Here are some of my favourite rainy day photographs I have taken in the Conwy valley.

They were in fact the inspiration for 'Here comes the rain'

This piece is at auction on Ebay right now, with a starting bid of £80

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160880562567?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_924wt_1271

Any comments welcomed 

:)

Brand New Shiny Etsy Shop

Well, my Ebay listings ended today, with none of them selling. It does seem like a set back, like wasted time or something, but it's nothing to dwell over I don't think.
The thing about selling is finding your market, and this counts especially with art. Whilst we are on the subject, selling is also about building your audience which I'm slowing doing through this blog, Facebook and Twitter.
A bigger audience means more views, more interest and therefore more sales.
It seems, although I have sold two paintings on Ebay previously, my market isn't there at the moment. Not that it is going to put me off however, I will be re listing my works and making sure they are as good as they can be- more photos are necessary I think.
Etsy are a website I've heard about but never really thought of it for selling my work, but I'm giving it a go.

You can view it here- http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmberHodgeArt

We will see how it goes!

Free cds in Winchester

Had a little adventure today, which involved distributing some free cds in Winchester.

Maybe you found one?

A grand adventure

I had a great adventure today

It started with picking up a trampoline listed on gum tree from a lovely lady in somewhere or other (I got a little lost on the way)
After that, the day involved some sat nav defiance (from me and her..the Scottish lady who I'm yet to name, a long conversation about paintbrushes with a rather odd shopkeeper in a rather odd shop, and the type of villages that have signs to the local shops, which include one co-op, one takeaway, and one closed down takeaway.
Also ended up in Winchester, where I left some free cds for people.
To round up the day, I picked up an exercise bike from a nice man who asked me if I might know anyone who was in need of a unicycle, I didn't..

As I was on my own, I kept thinking of a scene from the musical 'Nine',

The male lead had been hiding out, since his film failed and his wife left him because of his infidelities.

Now, of course that has nothing to do with me, it's just one line his friend says when she visits him.

"It all sounds very exciting, walking around and not talking to anyone"

Sometimes it's good to get away for the day.

Painting fail

Well, I tried painting tonight, I had my new canvases ready, and new brushes too, but something didn't click.

I've got the base of a new painting, but I don't like it at all. It's frustrating, but that is just how it goes I suppose, and that's okay.

It means that when I go to work again, hopefully next time good things will happen, because for now it's not good.

It's all wrong.

Free CD's in Salisbury!

I will be leaving some free CDs in Salisbury today,

 if you happen to find one,

 let me know with a comment.

Works for sale!

The news keeps getting better and better today..
I have five works on sale listed on ebay, why not have a look? http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/amberhodge10/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

If you don't want to do that, here's the pictures of them instead :)

The three above start at £80

The two larger ones below start at £100

You can now 'like' my page on Facebook

Even more good news,

you can now get updates via my page on Facebook

all you have to do it follow this link

https://www.facebook.com/AmberHodgeArt

alternatively, just search

AmberHodgeArt

How exciting!

You can now follow me on twitter!

Good news, you can now follow me on twitter, and get real time up to date info on what I'm doing, making and selling.

So just search

@amberhodgeart

 

and away we go!

Free CDs!

I have recently come into possession of a very large amount of cd's, that I didn't think I could do anything with. 
After thinking about it, the best outcome was just to give them away for free (yes, really) 
To make things a little more interesting I included this address, and have asked people to tell me what they plan to do with the disk. 

I felt a little fugitive-esque setting them down in random places, but it's all just some fun really isn't it? 


If you have picked up one of the cd's please comment on here and let me know how you found it and what you've done with it!


Thanks for looking!

New works for sale

I have just finished listing three new paintings which are now ready for sale.

You can see them here

 http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/amberhodge10

More updates to follow :)

Results

Just had my results from this term of uni, and I'm very pleased!

I feel that I'm on track to reaching my goal for graduation marks next year.

Feeling good

AND

went swimming- my favourite

Entered my first art competition

As part of my Professional Development unit, we are asked to enter an open art competition or apply for an MA. I thought about an MA, but don't see that as the right path for me straight after I finished the course next year. I don't have a clue what I want to do after I graduate (also part of PD- Make a 3 year plan), but for now, I am ruling out more formal education.
So, that leaves an art competition. I used http://www.artquest.org.uk/ to help find some possibilities, and came across The Thread Needle Prize.
I have submitted my painting 'Fiery Sunset'

Now, it's about a waiting game, I find out if it has been chosen on the 30th May

App to manipulate dreams

Here's another odd technology thing I've found on my travels, take a look

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17665589
http://www.dreamonapp.com/

Essentially, it is an app that seeks to control your dreams.
It's interesting to me and my work because it is a complete opposite to how my work works at the moment.
Let me explain, my work has been about the direct contrast between daily life and sleep. You can control your day as much as your wish, but dreams are not controllable, or so I thought.
It is an Iphone app that you set what you want to dream about, for example cats, you then set it next to your bed, and it will send out cat sounds every so often, using it's knowledge of sleep patters.
Now, I am aware of 'lucid dreaming' which is when you attempt to control your dreams by making yourself aware that you are dreaming (more info here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream)
So really, the app is just an extension of lucid dreaming, but it would appear that it happens in a more precise way, and requires little, if any mental process from you.
I am interested to try it, although I don't have an Iphone, so that makes it a little difficult, maybe I could just invent a makeshift version of my own?

Tattoo to tell you when your phone is ringing...???

Before I begin, have a read of this article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/nokia/9155974/Nokias-magnetic-tattoos-could-tell-you-your-phone-is-ringing.html

Now, when I read this I couldn't believe what was being said, a joke article perhaps? No, no, on further inspection I have found loads more articles talking about it.
I have one question.....WHY!?

In a world where almost anyone can be contacted at almost any time, why would someone need a permanent implant in their body to reinforce a feeling of control technology?

I've been thinking about this in regards to an essay I wrote this term about technology and cyborgs, which is the basis of my dissertation, that I begin to write over the summer. This will inform some new research, as I try to find out the answer to my question.


 Thoughts?

A Right Fine Mess Opening Night

The second year show opened yesterday, it was so good to see everything finished with everyone together to celebrate.

Apparently the opening night had a record number of visitors, which is pretty wonderful. Working on the bar as part of opening night team was fun, but I wasn't expecting

I was really pleased with how my work turned out, even though I was worried about it falling down all night, fingers crossed it doesn't!

My details for the show

Just finished writing my details for the show, which opens a week today, how exciting! I am happy with what they say, just hoping they get a good reception now.

Work Description

Paper, biro, coloured felt pen and wire

160cm x 80cm

Balancing act

An extract from an observation period of two months, the piece displays strong links between waking and dream life. The piece illustrates the delicate balance of conscious, controlled decisions made in waking life, and the untameable nature of our dreams.

Artist Statement

 My medium is in transition; I do not have a particular tool that I feel tethered too. During this project, I have experimented with handwritten text, a medium we are beginning to see less and less as we progress though the digital age. I constantly feel overwhelmed with high-tech devices, so the handwritten diary entries began when I wished to uncover how much technology was influencing my life. The work soon took on a life of its’ own, and was spurred on when I introduced my dream recollections, alongside the daily entries. I have always been influenced by the unpredictable nature of dreams and how they can influence our waking lives.  Dreams are mysterious and bewildering, they can bewilder yet instil ideas simultaneously, and they refuse to be controlled. I have found that whilst you can control waking life, as much as you desire, a dream cannot be tamed. My study has been influenced by sleep patterns, psychoanalysis and Freud’s writing ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’.  I believe a dream is just a different way to think, a channel to process thoughts, interaction and daily events, without interruption. We underestimate the importance of dreaming.

We start to put the show up on Monday, I can't wait to see my work hung up.

Frustrating wire!

I was having a few problems with fitting my work together, so it hangs how it should, it was very frustrating! I tried so many different mechanisms, all from wire. Unsurprisingly, it was the simplest idea that was the best...

 Matching the back and front was complicated too!

I can't wait to see it hung up!

A Right Fine Mess

Tomorrow, I'm going to be putting work together for a show in the Bargate Monument Gallery. The show is the outcome of the Solent second years 'professional development' unit, that we have been studying this term.
Are you in Southampton? why not stop by and have a look?

Images of this terms work

You may have noticed that I haven't actually shown my work for my uni project for this term. Don't worry, here are a few images to give you an idea of what I've been doing- allow me to explain...
 The idea behind the project came from getting a new phone at Christmas, a Blackberry, with internet access and instant messaging. I had never had a phone connected to the internet before, and was finding the email and Facebook notifications overwhelming and intrusive in my daily life. It was then I had the idea to write down every time my phone went off, to try and monitor exactly how much the technology was influencing my day to day life. The project snowballed from there, and soon I was writing down, and colour coding every part of my routine. It became and overview of my life, especially when I began involving my dreams, that started because I  was concious of the fact that my phone is always near me, including when I am asleep.
Have a look at the images, (they are photocopies from the diary I was keeping) and see what you think. The work may need some more explaining, but for now, here it is.

Conwy Morfa Beach

Untill I came to University in Southampton, I lived in North Wales. I don't think I appreciated how beautiful the area is, until I started going back for the holidays.
Theses photographs were taken this Easter, at the Conwy Morfa Beach, and I think they are stunning.