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?

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.