"Fear" paintings and video.

Above are a couple of things from my college project on fear, made using the noble method of finger painting!

And another, this one's paint and chalk on photocopy of a dead locust. I was into Francis Bacon at the time, but you can’t tell AT ALL.

Carrying on the buggy theme above in mixed-media...

And the last one. These were all done in 2008 during my final major project at college -- like the huge creep I am, I chose irrational fears and phobias for my theme. It's quite wonderful how many people are terrified of insects and choking and choking on insects.

I also made this short film expressing fears about spiders, premature burial, weather and dogs through some rather twee stop motion sequences. It's a bit crap (not to mention hugely compressed) now that I look back on it, but evidently I have an irrational fear of being proud of my early work, and would say that!

Woman in Black/Muppets

The Woman in Black made me do that thing where you peek through your fingers as if it stops you from seeing anything scary. It ought to; everyone is freaked out by unstable women, things moving when they shouldn't, children gazing into space (many horror films evidently find kids horrifying) and a whole antique shop's worth of clockwork toys. When it's being subtle and old-fashioned it's genuinely frightening in a Haunting/Others/Orphanage sort of way -- look out for the rocking chair scene. Slicker than an IKEA advert, uses all the horror cliches but it worked rather well I thought!

The Muppets is enjoyable (if you can stand Disney musicals), but it milks the fact that you've almost forgotten about them A LOT. I've never felt so guilty and nostalgic about a bunch of singing puppets in my life; rather serious for a Muppet film! Probably reading into it too much, but it really made me think about how our collective sense of humour changes along with fashion -- perhaps that was the point though hmm.

Also, how many Snow White films are coming out this year, and...WHY?

Playlist for ghosts in the woods.

Another playlist for my friend Camilla, this time with a loose theme of ghosts, goths and the 1990s film, 'The Craft'. There's a varied selection, but they're all good accompaniment to casting spells, digging graves, and black moods. Shadowy, whispery, dream-poppy ecstasy for the discerning dark romantic. 

A guide to help you through the woods and witches...

1. FEVER RAY - KEEP THE STREETS EMPTY FOR ME: a ghost that can play the pan-pipes really well.

2. RAMMSTEIN - ENGEL: an angry German ghost that sometimes appears wearing bondage gear.

3. MY BLOODY VALENTINE - ONLY SHALLOW: the roaring and distorted ghost of the stoned 1990s.

4. THE CURE - LULLABY: by far the sexiest ghost in the woods, may have you for dinner tonight.

5. QUEENADREENA - JOLENE: a stomping, jealous ghost that doesn't wear very much.

6. LADYTRON - I'M NOT SCARED: I'm actually quite scared by this ghost.

7. GOTYE - SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW: a ghost you hear on every radio station, all the time.

8. COLDPLAY - TROUBLE: a melancholy but likable male ghost that names its daughter after fruit.

9. ZOLA JESUS - NIGHT: a whispery, spine-chiller of a ghost that wails better than Florence Welch.

10. PETER GABRIEL - DON'T GIVE UP: featuring Kate Bush's ghost in the chorus.

11. BLONDE REDHEAD - 23: a chilled out ghost that likes to dream about numbers.

12. THE FLAMING LIPS - I CAN BE A FROG: the ghost of Karen O's zoo animals channeled by telephone.

13. DEERHUNTER - DESIRE LINES: the cheeriest and catchiest ghost in the woods.

14. FLEETWOOD MAC - RHIANNON: the kind of ghost that most people's  parents would like.

15. PLACEBO - PURE MORNING: a hot but overly nasal ghost with breasts and all the rest.

16. M83 - MIDNIGHT CITY: a ghost that loves to dance and has an absolutely killer saxophone solo.

17. FAIRPORT CONVENTION - TAM LIN: a seven minute long story-telling ghost. 

If you're curious and want to make this playlist (I am far too lazy to link everything), I find Spotify works an absolute treat! Or you could find them all on beemp3.com like I did nyahahaaa. Also hunt for my moon disco playlist from last year if you enjoyed this and want even more jingly, echoey crap to listen to.

Hello work.

I received my first copywriting deals earlier. I'm slightly hungover and yes, still in my pajamas! I'm so excited/terrified I might be sick.

P.S. Never have ideas in the bath unless you want a trail of footprints and a soggy notepad.

Middle-class voting in the 1950s.

Oh joy, more Picture Post scans. This makes me laugh but I'm not sure why; I think it's the "characters".

I'd say Independent Spinster was having the most fun, what is Nonconformist Minister's problem do you think? Doctor looks like he's about to diagnose something embarrassing and fatal.

Separation Anxiety photos.

Here are some photos I took for Nottingham-based band Separation Anxiety; a good bunch of people to work with, serious about music! A wider selection should be on their band page shortly...

(http://www.facebook.com/separationanxietyuk?sk=wall)

They're pretty rough and ready pics, but in my defense it was dark and my camera (and knowledge of photography) is not great. Excuses excuses. Taken at Sitwell Tavern in Derby, on a gangsters and molls night, hence ties and pinstripes all round!

Ahh, I was in a band once...le sigh...

Trash telly binge rant spectacular.

"Fat Girls and Feeders" actually made me want to chuck!

Not because of the girls, because of the feeders! It's not fat appreciation itself that disgusts me, but basically killing someone to satisfy any fantasy is warped. They were seen as objects to fatten up and have a wank over, literally funnel-feeding liquid fat into another human being; how is that appreciation?! These people were exploiting a weakness, gaining so much control that these women became dependent enough to do ANYTHING to appear attractive to them.

Anyway, watch it if you want to see what's rattled my cage and form your own opinion. If you can find it anyhoo, it's an elusive documentary and I found it by chance when I flicked onto Really (where else).

Is it something about vulnerability, is it like a turn on? Sometimes I feel nature is cruel, that women have an ability to feel helpless with their femininity, rather than empowered. If a woman's preference was for a man to be geeky or shy or effeminate, is that still the same as it being a 'vulnerable' physical quality they were attracted to?

I'd feel uncomfortable saying I liked a guy based mainly on looks. I'm not slagging off what anyone finds attractive, that's personal and we're human, but you don't often see men portrayed in the media as chopping and changing themselves to stop a female partner from leaving. There's still media pressure on women to be beautiful and men to be powerful. And it makes me sad! I'm no expert on feminism, so feel free to put the woman in her place lol discuss this with me if I'm being an ass.

Another guilty pleasure this week, although Fat Girls and Feeders was more horrifying than entertaining, was "Big Fat Gypsy Weddings"! It never disappoints; there is something glorious about things that are considered kitsch or in bad taste, perfected with thousands of pounds. The clothes remind me of things I drew as a child (y'know, when you're about six and design your dream wedding dress) and when transferred to reality they really are spectacular! Again though, there's so much emphasis on the concept of beauty and etc. What a can of worms.

Babes of the week for me were the physicists on "Who's Afraid of a Big Black Hole", because the sexiest organ in the body is, of course, THE BRAIN! Quantum physics..tell me about it, stud.