Another favourite artist

Tonight I’ve been wandering around the internet looking at some of my favourite artists’ websites – it’s been a while since I did this, and I thought I’d share some with you.

Years ago when I was still at school I did a French exchange to Annecy, as is my way I spent a lot of time in bookshops – it didn’t matter that my French was (and remains) terrible, the French are very good at graphic novels which I love.

I happened across Enki Bilal and I’ve been a fan ever since. The first book I bought was in French (La Femme peige – The woman trap) and it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve managed to get some in English (the Nikpol Trilogy).

There is something about the dystopia portrayed in many of the stories, it really speaks to me – don’t ask me why!

One thing I will say is that I’ve always wanted blue hair!!

Brilliant

This illustration is by Tom Gauld, I absolutely love his artwork. Go to his website – buy stuff – you must!!

Bah humbug!!

Un-happy family
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

I love Halloween, or to be more precise, Samhain, but I can’t be arsed with the idiot children who insist in knocking on my front door demanding money!

I wonder what would happen if I asked them if they really knew what the point of it all is?

Anyway, this evening I’m playing the annual game of hide in the kitchen and ignore the front door!

Happy Samhain to all who celebrate it, and bah humbug to those who think that it’s a chance to dress up and pretend to be American!

Goth me

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Originally uploaded by Bascule the Teller.

Seems that this is how my boyfriend sees me – blurry (probably best actually!)

This was taken at the Sheffield Fright Night street event – the biggest Halloween party in the country.

I’ll get my own back.

WARNING!!!

Red Hot chilli pepper!
Originally uploaded by Suhas Kashyap.

Don’t ever let anyone who has been cooking with chili come near you in bed – let’s just say HOT & TINGLY, not in a good way!!

Darth Fucking Vader

This is fantastic!

Mr Fox

John took Susy and I to the most fantastic thing last night – I can’t think what it was, ‘thing’ is a good description!!

At the Wagon & Horses pub next to Langsett Reservoir they hold a sort of ‘folk’ festival called ‘Mr Fox’. A torchlight procession of foxes starts on the reservoir wall and moves to the pub garden for dancing with flaming torches to folk music – possibly the strangest morris I’ve ever seen!

There were hundreds of people and it was really difficult to get a clear shot of the events, but I’m pleased with the results. I find low (non-existent) light really difficult, but I’m pleased with the some of the shots I’ve got. Of course John has some fantastic shots.

Red Fox
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Three Foxes
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Fire Fox
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Monsters in the cellar

I’ve just had the most romantic and sweet experience ever.

I spoke to John who was at the time reading Hogfather to his daughter in bed, he said that he’d phone me back when he got to a certain part, if I promised to be in bed with a glass of milk and a cookie.

So, I didn’t have the cookie or the milk but I was lying on my bed – when he phoned me back. I spoke to his daughter, and suggested that she should have a cookie – so she had to go an get one (actually she got the whole packet of ginger nuts – but John only allowed her to have one), I made her promise to clean her teeth afterwards.

John then placed the phone on the bed and proceeded to bring me to tears by reading a scene from the book (for those who have read it, the scene where Susan dispatches a monster with a poker). He even did all the voices.

It was wonderful, magical and so romantic.

If I wasn’t already in love with this man….

Going back in time to the Isle of Wight

I hadn’t been to the Isle of Wight for many years, in fact I think the last time I was there was with Rob (so that would be at least 9 years ago); so I was looking forward to going back.

The island appears to be stuck in the 1970s, and have a different feel to the rest of the UK, hard to describe but it just feels really different.

Jill and I were attending a two day course on Access and Education in Maritime Archaeology, run by the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology. Instead of staying at the centre Jill had booked us into the most amazing B&B in a manor house in one of the villages in the interior of the island. I’d love to go there for a romantic weekend with John – maybe one day.

Little pad in the country
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

The course was fantastic, and well worth the effort involved in getting down there (and getting home again, more on that later). The topics covered ranged from an introduction to underwater archaeology in England, How to find funding (which of course included Jill and I talking about the fund we distribute), risk assessments, writing press releases and photography.

The second day also started with a walk on the foreshore to look at a couple of hulks (shipwrecks) and how they can be used to teach about archaeology. Although we had to be up at 7am (fine by me as I was up at 6.30 again!), it was lovely to go for a short walk down by the seashore.

Archaeology with seaweed
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

Everyone on the course was great and had loads of ideas for outreach and learning, but the photography session was the one I was most looking forward to – so that I could steal ideas for John and I (so that we can do photography courses perhaps in the future). To be honest the photographer was a great guy and very good at his wildlife photography; but the session wasn’t very good at all. Most of it was an advert for his work (lovely but totally irrelevant for us as archaeologists), and then the rest was rather basic.

I’d told him that I work for John as an assistant at weddings, and throughout the talk he kept going on about how fantastic wedding photographers are, and how difficult weddings are to shoot! Anyway, I got lots of ideas about things that John and I can do in an ‘introduction to photography’ day or half day course, and some ideas of what we shouldn’t do!

The two girls who ran the course were so enthusiastic, and worked so well together.

With Professor Archie O’logy
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

On the final evening Jill and I had the chance to go for a lovely walk along the front from Shanklin to Sandown – I love the seaside, there are so many photo opportunities.

Waiting for summer
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

The only down side to the trip was the journey home! We (the advisors) had a meeting at the Fort in Portsmouth on Friday morning, and then some site visits. But I never made it to the site visits as there were no trains running from Portsmouth or Fratton – so that meant a £32 taxi journey to Chichester! Then the slowest train the known (and probably unknown) universe has ever seen, stopping at every tin pot station on the way into Victoria. Then a trek across London and a dash to St Pancras to catch a train up north – arriving in Sheffield within 5 minutes of Susy getting in to stay with me for the weekend.

Things have been a bit odd lately

The muse is upon me this morning (well I have been up since 6am) to write a bit about what has been happening in the last few weeks.

I’VE FALLEN IN LOVE – it wasn’t expected, it terrifies me, and I’m still in shock; but it’s wonderful. I’m also pleased to report that the man in question seems to feel the same way!

I’ll not go into details, but needless to say I’m no longer with Fred (it was a very amicable breakup and we remain close friends).

My new man is wonderful, but then it’s only been a couple of weeks – i’ve yet to find his faults!

A few details, as I know that there are some of you who will be dying to know (and equally, those who don’t give a stuff!!) – he’s a photographer, he’s a Yorkshireman, he’s in his 40s, he’s divorced and has two children, he makes me feel good about myself, he is intelligent and interesting, and he’s as sexy as hell! Oh yes, and his name is John.

I’ll stop gushing now. I feel like a teenager again – it’s great!