28 August 2014

funny things you don't talk about...

...

unlucky for some
people say the number 13 is unlucky for some
it's supposed to come from the day when the pope ordered the murder of knights templar
Friday the 13th
but if you look at it another way there are 13 lunar months to every year
& there are 13 signs to the zodiac
so I guess it's which ever way your bread is buttered

I have some interest in the number 13
my national insurance number includes 3 sets of 2 numbers
one set is 13
the car that I look after my disable OAP drug induced dementia mother with has 2 letters 2 numbers then 3 letters
the number is 13
I'm left handed & used to be beaten by him in an attempt to make me right handed
international left handeders day is August 13th
I'm not one for doing the lottery but when I do pick a line it always has to have the number 13
it's the only number that I get in the draw
when I was watching the world cup this year every time I looked at the tv the camera was on the shirt numbered 13

many years ago I decided to adopt the number thirteen as my lucky number



Bad-luck wind been blowing on my back
I was born to bring trouble wherever I'm at
With a number 13 tatooed on my neck
That ink starts to itch
Black gon' turn to red
I was born in the soul of misery and I
Never had me a name
They just gave me a number
When I was young

Got a long line of heartache
I carry it well
List of lives I've broken
Reach from here to hell
And a bad-luck wind been blowin' on my back
Pray you don't look, and pray I don't look back
I was born in the soul of misery and I
Never had me a name
They just gave me a number
When I was young

Found me with a preacher man confessin' all I done
Catch me with the devil playing 21
And a bad-luck wind been blowin' on my back
I was born to
Bring trouble wherever I'm at
I was born in the soul of misery and I
Never had me a name
They just gave me a number
When I was young
.:.

9 June 2014

funny things you don't talk about...

...

I'm trying to learn a new technique for painting
so I can paint like a master, well that's the idea
then when I can, I can move on to doing anything I want & no smart arse can accuse me of being worse than a Turner Prize entrant incapable of even being able to draw as I'll be able to back it up with years worth of drawings & paintings
unlike a Turner Prize entrant
so for my first attempt I finished off an outline drawing of "D****" 
which was just sat on a chair laughing at me
& did a couple of my nephew
he was born dead & was dead for three minutes after being born
so I guess anything's possible


"D****"
20" x 16"
charcoal on canvas



"P*****"
18" x 14"
0.5 2b pencil on canvas board

[& about 30 washes of titanium white to soften the canvas board as it just crushed my charcoal pencil & I had to start again using a graphite pencil]

"P*****"
12" x 12"
0.5 2b pencil on canvas

[I should have done the 30 washes of titanium white for this one too but didn't think about it until most of the drawing had been laid out & I'm an awfi cheap bastard]


I was going to paint the woman you see in the photo, but you know all about her, so why bother masterbating the ego of someone who never gave a shit about me
my nephew loves these
he laughs out loud... "THAT'S ME!"
although he's not quite sure how I've managed to draw him sticking his tongue out, until his mum explained the modern wonder that is a digital camera

next will be a titanium white & paynes gray tonal painting called a "grisalle"
save having to worry about a colour underpainting, trying to mix colour to the correct tonal values you want
I'm led to believe that Vermeer used this technique & I'm fairly sure that if digital cameras existed in his day he would have used one too, much easier than a camera obscura
so three images to work on, as one set of washes dries out I can move on to the second then third not having to drum my fingers waiting for something to dry before I can continue
[I tend to take pictures before anything's actually finished then someone can claim it's their's but I'll have the finished version]




                                          

I realised I missed a day
But I'm too wrecked to care anyway
I look around and see this face
What the hell have I lost my taste
Don't want to find out
Just want to cut out

My head explodes my ears ring
I can't remember just where I've been
The last thing that I recall
I got lost in a deep black hole
Don't want to find out
Just want to cut out

Blackout
I really had a blackout
Blackout
I really had a blackout
Blackout
I really had a blackout
Blackout
I really had a blackout

I grab my things and make my run
On the way out, another one
Would like to know before I stop
Did I make it or did I flop
Don't want to find out
Just want to get out

Blackout
I really had a blackout
Blackout
I really had a blackout
Blackout
I really had a blackout
Blackout
I really had a blackout

Don't want to find out
Just want to get out
Blackout
I really had a blackout!


back in the late 70's early 80's The Scorpions were the german rock band
one week no one has heard of them the next they'd spread like wild fire
I wad a couple of their albums
the last was Blackout & after that success changed them & they were no good anymore

I went to the Blackout tour at the Apollo in Manchester
with my only friend out of school AA
I spent years trying to find him
I tried everywhere even his old school but there was just no sign of him
the only thing I could find was this snivelling little shit called JH
when I was about 14 I was collecting american comics 
trying to get a little nest egg I could sell later in life
there was this double issue that's been the basis for these x-men films you see
and he ripped it
I told him he had to replace it but he refused
so one night I went to his house & when he went to the toilet I took his version & replaced it with my ripped copy
don't recall ever going to his house or even talking to him again
which is probably why when I asked him for the contact details for AA he said
"AA's my friend now"
snivelling little shit then & snivelling little shit 32 years later

but yesterday I found AA
don't think I'll contact him but I did give his details to the police
as I remember back when I was 16 he was going to go to Australia
where his uncle owned a chain of sports stores & work for him
I think this is why his parents said I didn't have to move & I could live with them

I've still got the tour shirt & program from the concert



[funny things you don't talk about? I guess that'll be where the sarcasm comes in]
.:.