New Years Resolutions

So the time of year has come again to start some new resolutions! I always like to have some aims to stick to, but I don't beat myself up if they all go to pot as they're just a bit of fun and usually positive :)
I've had a really great year in 2012, Distinction in my foundation course, starting Uni, the tearoom opening, and lots of lovely times with my family and Scott etc, so fingers crossed for another good year, but if not, there will always be more!!so anyway... Here are my 'resolutions' for 2013......

Photography-
I've always been into art and sculpture, but never really photography, but recently i've found a new pleasure in taking photo's to document the little and big things that happen to me and I think it's wonderful to look back on and see (e.g the reason I keep the blog). The blog was intended more for DIY'S and arty things originally, but seems to have morphed into a form of photo journal which is ok with me! So this year I want to learn more about photography and make more of an effort to keep clicking away until I hopefully get better, wether it be by Canon, instax or instagram .... It's still only a hobby and something I do for fun, but I think eventually it will help with the kind of work I intend to do 'when i'm serious and have a job and that'.

Weight-
The old faithful. It's pretty darn hard to not put on weight when your such a foodie like myself and surrounded by other foodies! But I want to try this year to shed a couple of the uni/christmas pounds and get back to a weight I feel comfortable in. I mean i'm never gonna be a skinny thing, nor do I want to be, but I want to feel good and eat nice things which requires a better balance than i'm currently managing..... I've recently been watching the Hairy Dieters (the hairy bikers on a diet basically) and really like the way they've managed to keep eating the food they love, but changing the way they cook it to reduce the calories. I think thats more the route I want to take here, as I still want to enjoy my food, I just need to watch out for the extra drizzle of olive oil and cut the fat off bacon etc. I've also started playing Rugby with the women's team at DMU which is super fun and will hopefully get me a little fitter!

Blog-
This is one I said last year, and it remains something I really enjoy doing. Especially recently as i've been flicking back and seeing past posts which really remind me of all the happy times i've had over the year and remembering things that might have otherwise been forgotten. I'm going to post more often, and include some more DIY's and recipes etc too.

Holiday-
See these are not nasty scary resolutions, they're all about making time for whats important! For Christmas this year Scott and I decided not to buy each other presents, but to put some money aside in a jar so we have some money for the summer to hopefully go somewhere nice on holiday. We had THE most wonderful time in Malia last year and hopefully we can find somewhere equally as special this year. Also make more time for the caravan as we barely got to go to Abersoch this year, and it's such a wonderful escape from everything else!

Cooking programmes-
Another pleasant one, but one which I fell really teaches you a lot in a fun way and can be used almost everyday! I could sit and watch cooking/food programmes all day (what was I saying about weight..anyway) , anything from Sophie Dahl, Jamie Oliver, River cottage etc are so invaluable when it comes to improving your own cooking. They teach you about new ingredients and interesting ways to prepare them, and how to spice up recipes you already make into something new and exciting! The one I should probably avoid is Man V's Food, as it's one of those programmes that practically leaves me and Scott drooling over. But cooking is also a major hobby of mine, and combing that with beautifully presented food, and some useful knowledge, i'm on for a winner :)

Good luck to all those with resolutions :) And wishing you all the best for 2013 !

David Shrigley 'Brain Activity' exhibition

As I said in my London post, I went to an exhibiton of David Shrigley's work called 'Brain activity' and I loved it! I'm usually more into decorative art and a sculpture girl, but he had some incredibly humorous drawings that really made me laugh and changed my opinion on drawing and illustration. 

The gallery was at the 'Southbank Centre' which is a lovely gallery that I first went to last summer when Tracey Emin had an exhibition (FYI - I really like Tracey Emin).

David's drawing's/illustrations are simple yet really tap into everyday thoughts and situations, and provoke a smile and a giggle which is something that I look for in artwork. He manages to bring to light the humour of everyday life in a simple and easily readable way.

I'm not the best at explaining myself, I mean well but it never comes across to others the way I'm thinking it in my head. So if you're interested in a much more interesting and educated description of his exhibition,  I suggest you read this - Article on David Shrigley exhibition.

David had a range of drawings and illustrations, photography, sculpture and paining.  I liked these two photographs, as again they amuse me in that way that makes your lips curl at the side when you look at them.

Many people argue 'what is art' and sometimes I do question what some artists do. But my idea is that if someone is trying to express and idea, opinion or thought, they can do so in whatever media or way they like, and that is art. Yes this painting above doesn't look technically impressive, but the simplistic qualities and colours choices, anchored by the wording really please me. It's just making you stop and think about things that you wouldn't usually consider as art or interesting - such as a bird eating a worm. 

I even brought the book this time. I don't usually, (as much as I would love to) as they can be pricey, but it's always lovely to have the memories and inspiration in your hand that you can look over at other times.

The above picutres are all from google images, as I always feel awkward taking pictures in galleries!!