Some photos from the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011

Follow this link for the rest

Gesso in Jericho

Discovered a very small private gallery in Jericho, a small enclave just north of Oxford city's centre a couple of weeks ago and the highlight of their new exhibition is this work above by Oxfordshire artist Pamela Franklin. If I had the cash to spare I would have bought it, but what it did do was to fire up my rather asleep need to paint. Franklin's work is built up on worked layers of gesso (boiled rabbit skin and chalk in her case) with colour and in this case (middle bottom) silver leaf, worked into the surface. The surface is also etched revealing the white gesso below.
So now armed with a largish sheet of MDF and a tub of gesso, I have started my first painting in 40 years, the result, hopefully will be revealed here in the future!

My Week With Marilyn

Good old BBC, its rewearding to see that our licence money has not gone to waste, when dear ol' Auntie, you can produce films as good as this, and long may it continue.
Compelling portrait of Monroe by Michelle Williams and a convincing Colin Clarke from Eddie Redmayne but it is Kenneth Branagh as Olivier that took the spot light for me.
With the exception of Dame Judy and surprisingly, Emma Watson of this parish and onetime guest of the FMIO house, all the other British luvvies became a distraction.
However one to see and an Oscar becones for someone.

8.75 / 10

Okkervil River @ Koko, Mornington Crescent

Set List
Wake and Be Fine
For Real
Rider
The Latest Toughs
Piratess
Song of Our So-Called Friend
We Need a Myth
White Shadow Waltz
The Valley
No Key, No Plan
(Acoustic)
So Come Back, I Am Waiting
It Ends With a Fall
Your Past Life as a Blast
Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe
Lost Coastlines
Unless It's Kicks

Encore:
It Is So Nice To Get Stoned
John Allyn Smith Sails
Westfall

Saw Okkervil River at this years EOTR Festival where we even had a quick chat to lead singer Will Sheff as the band walked through the secret garden. So for the first thirty minutes of the gig I did not recognise the band at all. Far too heavy a sound with an overpowering drumming dominance. Then something happened, around So Come Back, I Am Waiting, the set mood changed, slightly more emphasis on a pop sound, audience participation, but the change was noticable. Two women standing in front of me appeared to be politly bored, exactly how I was feeling too, and then it changed, they started to bop, started to get involved, and the gig came alive.
Full marks to Will Sheff, he gave it his all, a great lead man, looking when bespeckled like Jarvis Cocker, and this was the band that I saw at EOTR.

Revanche

2008 film about the ill-fated love story between a Viennese ex-con and a Ukrainian prostitute who get involved in a bank robbery and a policeman and his wife in rural Austria. Nominated in the 2008 Oscars for best forign language film losing out to the Japanese film, Departures. Convincing and natural film, without any musical soundtrack at all (very refreshing)and neatly tied up finish.
8.5 / 10

Vintage Trouble @ The Plug, Sheffield.

 

 Top notch gig from start to finish. Had the advantage of being able to sit/stand stage left as they played to a packed and sold out 350+ audience. Soul singing mixed with driving rock music is not a sound we see or hear these days, but believe me, Vintage Trouble really really make it work.Brilliant evening, do not miss if you have the chance.

 

The Help

Decent enough movie with excellant performances all round from the mainly female cast, quite touching and funny. Reminded me of friend's helper in Cape Town who would bus in from the outlining townships to keep house during the week. She was however well looked after and respected.
8/10