worked hard on the smoke
& on the trickery too
played with mid grey
& got the ratio right
constructed my ‘frame’
& gave dodgy haircuts to dolls
spent more time on the wardrobe
& took pics of the fabric
strung up the shades
& whipped off the gear
watched crap on the teev
& picked up an unexpected diamond
let my mind wander
& might just have figured it out

i’m a long way behind
& can’t remember too well
drove the boy into town
& watched him sing (& dance) for the team
pulled out the frame
& got on the train
noted stuff about windows
& imagined inside
got crazy lucky at the oppy
& made a(nother) someday plan
cruised down the coast
& spent a few days with the fam
put myself on the clock
& made stuff in red
played games with the crew
& topped up the heart
cared less about football
& cooked dinner instead

challenged myself
& my point of view too
still felt a bit beaten
& was aware of the tape
talked a bit about scale
& had a few new ideas
spent time with a little bird
& drank too many coffees
let go of some stuff
& made way for the new
thought a bit about fabric
& the warp & the weft
went under the knife
& unravelled a bit
found out new stuff about me
& the common ground with Mr Beatty
leap frogged about
& settled on ‘reflection’ as the rule
gave my big heart away
& felt good about it
drove all around town
& watched the boy umpire his first match

changed over the batteries
& powered the igadgets
threaded the needle
& tallied more time
made the last marks in the linen
& saved the remains
scanned the blank canvas
& both the front & the back
still just hanging in
& wondering if I made the right move
caught up with some shapers
& noted the time had changed nothing
pondered the red thread
& stretch & tangle too
started a new book
& read on the train
thought a lot about time
& what can be achieved in 32 minutes
found a place that was neutral
& let go of the eject button
took the day out
& soaked up the good stuff
made a few notes
& took a few snaps

Totally self indulgent really … a self portrait of sorts.

I guess this week on the blog has been a bit self indulgent hasn’t it? Yawn…I mean who really cares?

Actually, it seems quite a few people. I wanted to thank those of you who chimed in a couple of days ago, not only did you help me enormously, but I was able to pass your wisdom onto someone else who was feeling exactly the same. Yep, just another tick for the blog and for those of you that hang in. Things are on the up on the voice and uni front.

On the creative front I’ve been yanking the heads off dolls at an alarming rate and performing ‘plastic’ surgery on one particularly fragile soul. It was for the table top portrait which I’m yet to write the words for but it’s kind of expanded into something more. I had to have some minor surgery last week and it’s been a huge opportunity for personal growth. I never would have described myself as vain…turns out I am. I’m also a lot less tough than I thought…sobbed when I woke from the anesthetic…sobbed when I saw the size of the incision this morning. How ridiculous! It makes perfect sense that I’d now be conducting my own brand of surgery on the dolls then, doesn’t it?

I’ve managed to fill an entire post with drivel about myself, which is quite a nice linking opportunity because someone very special wrote some words about me today (and made me sob again). All’s right with the world when you have good mates in your corner.

Stay tuned for further plastic surgery adventures…this is just a beginning.

You can see more creative spaces right here.