Looking for nargles

I can't live without art

2012-02-26T15:04:00.000+01:00

Claude Monet painting 'Madame Monet and Her Son'

The artist is the opposite of the politically minded individual, the opposite of the reformer, the opposite of the idealist. The artist does not tinker with the universe, he recreates it out of his own experience and understanding of life.

Henry Miller

13th February

2012-02-13T18:01:00.003+01:00

Already? Time flies! Okay, here it is the summing up.

♦ Books ... Among others I'm reading "The Romantics" by Galt Niederhoffer. I watched the movie five months ago and I wanted to read the book. It's a little bit diferent, but it has a combination of peculiar characters, cynicism and a sight of romanticism that I like.

♦ Music ... Right now I'm listening everything, mostly favourites songs of mine. Last week I made two playlists "Cheer me on songs" & "LOOK AT THE STARS".

♦ Series ... Watching Felicity again! This time it's season 3. Not as good as the previous, but I like it.

♦ Film ... Coraline. I have not read the book, but I watched the movie last Thursday because of a recommendation and I thought I wasn't going to like it because I have like a weird-terror to Tim Burton movies (I absolutely don't like Edward Scissorhands, I'm pretty scaredy cat, I admit it) however I did like it!

♦ Painting ... nothing right now, but I'm looking for something for my next oil canvas, it would be a big one. Landscape? Portrait? Suggestions? :)

♦ Photography ... some winter photos, not very much and not very good. I need to watch some tutorial to learn how to use the camera, if I had time...!

"When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place. "
C.S. Lewis

Dog days are gone

2012-02-10T11:19:00.002+01:00

Like the flames consuming these old leaves I leave the bad moments I had this past months behind. I took these pictures on January 1st with my brother who made the bonfire and who loves making bonfires, not like a pyromaniac (no!), just for staying warm on the cold outside. I also burned my 2011 calendar which was full of notes, mostly of things I didn't enjoy very much. Now that I think of it, I don't why I wrote them, I should have written good things to remember.

In any case, like a cleanup, the new year begins now for me. After going through a nightmare, I finally finished my degree so I can say I'm not a student anymore, I'll keep doing courses and other things, though.

I think from now on I will enjoy life much more. Metaphorically speaking I had like tumor (a person) which I couldn't stand, but which I had to. So I've been quite tense and depressed these past months (that's why all the quotations of optimism and hope I posted for self-motivation).

Experiences like this open your mind and you see things differently, and of course help you avoid and face this kind of situation in the future.

“The only source of knowledge is experience”
Albert Einstein

Painting #3

2012-01-19T13:52:00.002+01:00

Finally! Here I come with my 3rd and last painting (in a long time). I'll have time to paint again soon, so probably I'll post some paintings that I would like to do next.

This is not a Monet, but sort of. Water lilies (again) with more details this time, which I liked, and more colorful too!

It's not an original painting, it's a copy from this one below. You can compare.

Original:

The painting process:

The painting:

I have to admit that this time I like more my painting than the original. I think it's because it's more colorful, this might not be very realistic: water is too blue and water lilies are too green, but I don't know, I just liked more using bright colors than gloomy and dark.

Be happy

2012-01-18T15:21:00.000+01:00

Be Happy: A Little Book to Help You Live a Happy Life
by Monica Sheehan

13th January

2012-01-13T11:14:00.002+01:00

New year, new year! I have a feeling, everything will be alright from now on.
Let's be optimistic! Yes?

♦ Books ... I started to read "The Professor" by Charlotte Brontë, it's pretty good actually, very critical which I like. I don't know how it will end, I barely started.

♦ Music ... Just discovered two amazing music groups/artists: First Aid Kit (from Sweden) and Emilíana Torrini (from Iceland). I don't know why, but since I discovered Sigur Rós/Jónsi music I'm listening a lot of music from north Europe without even knowing (before I check the Wikipedia I thought First Aid Kit where from the USA)

♦ Film ... Ooh! Beginners with the always lovely Ewan McGregor and the frenchy Mélanie Laurent. Really good movie, definitely going to my favourites! Minimal, sad-happy, melancholic movie. Love it! Maybe I'll do an entry about this movie, it was so perfect, even the end :)

Hal: Well let's say... let's say since you were little, you've always dreamed of someday getting a lion. And you wait, and you wait, and you wait, and you wait and the lion doesn't come. Then along comes a giraffe. You can be alone, or you can be with the giraffe.

Oliver: I'd wait for the lion.

♦ Painting ... I did some watercolor in my vacancy days this Christmas, so maybe I'll show, they are not very good, I'm a beginner in watercolor :)

♦ Waiting ... Do I have to repeat this again? New Kindle Touch available please!! (Sure I'll die waiting...pity haha).

Have some faith in yourself.

People without faith in themselves are like a candle without a flame, though it may have a physical presence, it is not really living up to its full potential because it is not providing any light to the world. Having faith in one's own self is a quality that breeds more qualities.

When we're able to believe in ourselves we are then able to dream, make plans, set goals, be motivated and determined to do things because of the faith we have. Those who have faith in themselves also rub off on the people around them, and usually help inspire people who are able to make a real change to the world. We must not be afraid to live as the people who we really are deep down in hearts, for in this world of darkness, every candle that is lit will help provide a great amount of light.

Come back. Come back to me.

2012-01-02T12:46:00.000+01:00

Let's say this film is not one of my favourites, maybe because I have not read the book yet, I want to read it, though.
I've only watched this film three times against the ten ~~twenty~~ times I might have seen "Pride & Prejudice". But one of the things I really love about this film are the colors.

Two colors.

Green.

Green at the beginning. Green is the dress that wears Keira Knightley (Cecilia in the movie).

Also, for me green means hope and nature. In some way I think they choose green to that scene because they wanted so show their natural feelings, Cecilia and Robbie feelings, and because he is a gardener and she finally opens up to him.

Notice the red apple. Sin. Things are getting complicated.

Red.

This can be connected with red that means passion, but also blood and physical pain, when after that life of "hope" he goes to war.

Like I said, I've only seen this movie twice and all I remember is that dress and that poppies field when he is thinking about his coming back, thinking of her.

Cream yellow.

There are other colors, though. Cream yellow/straw. This one is the color of the child, Briony. Fresh and innocent that become darker during the movie because of the inside pain, the atonement.

Past & present. Two people. Atonement.

Blue.
Peace color.

Quiet.

Ending.

Totally recommended movie, plus Dario Marianelly soundtrack. Wonderful actors. I think I'll re-watch the film one of these days.

31st December

2011-12-31T10:05:00.003+01:00

Keeping the faith and keeping a hopeful positive attitude is one of the hardest yet most rewarding concepts to understand and to apply into our everyday lives. Through the roughest times in our lives it seems as though all we should and can do is give up. Keeping our heads up to the sky, and keeping a forward resolve, even through times of adversity is essential to making it to where we want to be in life. Remember that the greatest of people are those who overcame some of the greatest challenges that life had to offer.

Maintain hope, for hope is sometimes all you have to hold on to during times where it seems as if all is lost, and that you shouldn't continue forward. Maintain the fight, and keep believing in yourself, in doing so everything else will fall in place, and everything will work out for the greatest good!

It's not 13th, I know, I know. I've been so busy that I forgot about the blog and about everything. Lucky me I have a few days of well deserved vacation and all this hell will end soon!

♦ Books ... Sense & Sensibility by the well-known Jane Austen. Right now I'm not enjoying the novel very much, but I think the main plot is about to come, so maybe I'll finish the book before new year.

♦ Music ... All I'm listening are soundtracks, lots of them. Lord Of The Rings, Gladiator, Narnia... soundtracks of epic movies mainly, you see, a sort of auto-motivation. Yes!

♦ Inspiration ... no inspiration. And I miss it! But I will have time soon to paint or do whatever I want.

♦ Photography ... Picture in the top of the post and...

Other views of the same sunset I catched last month.

♦ Series ... Watching Felicity. OK, I know it's from 1998, but who cares? I hadn't watched this series and it's so good! So uni, so youth! Degree frustration, art inspiration involve, totally identify with that :)

♦ Film ... Gladiator! Watched it for the first time. Very good.

♦ Wishing ... good things about the future. I don't want to have high expectations, but just let's hope I got the internship to go outside the country.

Gjendesheim, Norway

♦ Waiting ... for the new Kindle Touch available here. I can't wait anymore!

♦ Missing ... the snow? I haven't seen it in a long time (2 years maybe).

I wish you all a very very happy new beginning of the year. One thing I've learned about this year is that you must fight to get what you want. Like the song "The painter" says: "Don't give up on your dreams!"

Bergen, Norway

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Gandalf ―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

50 days of summer (iv)

2011-12-04T21:10:00.000+01:00

I know, it's been a long time since summer, but here I come with the last lot of pictures about my last summer. Basically for remembering the good times.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

5th August

Afternoon walking.

7th August

I had seen this effect on the sky before, but until now I didn't know the name: it's call Earth's shadow or Belt of Venus. Really beautiful to see.

20th August

Shot of a tiny rainbow! The storm was coming.

22nd August

Storm! After taking so many shots (soooo many) I caught two decent pictures lightnings!

24th August

We ran to get home before the end of the sunset, but there was no lucky and we had to walk under the moonlight in almost total darkness.

Looking back to the sunset while running.

25th August

The last day before coming back to the city.

Happiness

2011-11-23T18:19:00.003+01:00

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" quote

13th November

2011-11-13T15:02:00.002+01:00

Walking every day to the subway while the sun rises.

♦ Books ... Still reading "Dead Poets Society"! I've planned to finished it some day, yeah. It's very short and I really enjoy the story, maybe because of that I don't want to finish it!

♦ Music ... Coldplay's new album "Mylo Xyloto", The Shins, I'm from Barcelona, Kings of Convenience... I made a mix so if you want to check it out, here.

♦ Inspiration ... north landscapes thanks to this wonderful Tumblr: Hey North.

♦ Painting ... nothing right now because I have no time. I have to post my last painting, one I finished in early October.

♦ Tv serie ... Watching Downton Abbey second season, I'm two episodes from the end, I can wait to see it!

♦ Film ... Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, both movies extremely touching, natural, fresh and loving. Definitely two new favorites!

"If there's any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it's almost impossible to succeed, but…who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt."

— Before Sunrise (1995)

What a feeling

2011-11-05T16:48:00.001+01:00

jónsi: Concert Timelapse at The Wiltern Theatre

Virginia Woolf was right

2011-10-31T19:13:00.000+01:00

To begin with, always to be doing work that one did not wish to do, and to do it like a slave, flattering and fawning, not always necessarily perhaps, but it seemed necessary and the stakes were too great to run risks; and then the thought of that one gift which it was death to hide — a small one but dear to the possessor — perishing and with it my self, my soul,— all this became like a rust eating away the bloom of the spring, destroying the tree at its heart.

"A room of one's own" by Virginia Woolf

I've been a little mixed up these past weeks and the truth is that until now I couldn't clear my thoughts. I didn't know what to do, what decisions should I take in the next months... some things that could change my life significantly. Should I move to another country? Should I not? Even now I don't know what could happen in the future. I've stopped making so many plans because that was driving mad and I'm very busy at the moment to worry about this sort of thing.

Like I told you unfortunately the expectations and the reality sometimes are very different and you have to adapt yourself to the situation even if you don't like it, but in days like today I see things in a different way. We all have dreams: the perfect job, the perfect life. OK, maybe you won't get "perfect" but you can get an "almost perfect". The thing is that I want to follow my "dream" and if I don't stop thinking negative I'll never get it. Nothing is easy in this life, everyone knows that, but as Coldplay said:

50 days of summer (iii)

2011-10-29T11:40:00.002+02:00

Some time has passed since I took these pictures, but precisely because of that I wanted to post them gradually, to remember the good times I spent this summer.

This is the last lot of photos I took when I was on the seaside, in north of Spain. I didn't post all the pictures so if you want to see all the photos, click on the date. Enjoy!

(Click on the images to enlarge)

30th July

In this one (right) there is a crab looking at the sea!
I noticed later when I saw the picture on the computer.

In full size you can see little fishes! And in the one below too! (left)

31th July

A complete family of horses eating. So sweet.

This was the most wonderful sunset I've ever seen over the ocean, it was very touching with the horses included.

Goodbye ocean for a while!

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Darling, never let me go

2011-10-21T21:28:00.001+02:00

One thing I love about films is the photography and scenery. When I first saw "Never Let Me Go" I thought that with only the way it was filmed and with the scenarios would astonish anyone, of course the actors are really great and the plot is incredibly awesome and sad at the same time.

Not the official poster, but a really good one!

You can say everything with a few details.

Recommended movie. You should watch it if you haven't yet, and of course read the book!

Painting #2

2011-10-17T16:38:00.000+02:00

Here I am again with another painting! Like the previous painting, this was made in July, and is a copy from another Monet (yeah, I'm totally crazy about his paintings).

Is a copy of 'Poppy Field, Giverny' (you can see the original below).
What do I have to say about this painting? First of all, I didn't like it at all when I finished it, and nor do I now. The reason is that I left the painting unfinished, but my brother saw it and said that he loved it, he wanted the painting for him. I said to him that it wasn't finished, but he said it was really good that way. So right now the painting is unfinished and I don't like it, but anyway I wanted to post it here.

You can compare how different they are, of course I have my own style, and that's why I copy paintings I like because I want to make them with my own style. If I made the paintings exactly like the originals I wouldn't mind copying them, I'd buy a photography of them!

My copy

Original

13th October

2011-10-13T08:48:00.001+02:00

Enjoying nights reading and drawing before going to sleep.

♦ Books ... Now reading "Dead Poets Society" by N. H. .Kleinbaum which I LOVED the movie. I've just read "A Room of One's Own" a feminist essay by the awesome Virginia Woolf, every woman should read that book!

♦ Music ... Oh man, I spend the whole day listeting Sigur Rós and Jónsi, everytime, everywhere, their music is like a drug for me now, so inspiring.

♦ Inspiration ... city sunsets.

♦ Painting ... experimenting watercolor effects.

♦ Drawing ... a lot of landscapes sketches with graphite. I don't know if I should show you, I'm very bad with drawings (!).

♦ Tv serie ... Just watched Downton Abbey first season and I am astonished, with the actors, the photography, the relationships... Damn good!

♦ Film ... The Romantics with Katie Holmes and others, based on the book with the same name by Galt Niederhoffer. I want to read it because I enjoyed the movie so bad!

♦ Thinking ... of buying some of the Keri Smith books, at least "How to Be an Explorer of the World".

♦ Waiting ... for the new Kindle. It comes out on November 21!

♦ Missing ... so many people... my little cousins and some of my friends.

"I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying. "

— Grey's Anatomy

Painting #1

2011-10-05T13:14:00.004+02:00

If you remember that oil painting I began doing in June, a Claude Monet copy of one of his famous water lilies paintings, which I love them.

About the title of the post, OK, it isn't my first painting in my whole life, I don't have magic powers to paint without knowing (I wish had), no, the number one is because I made a break a long time ago and I began to painting again recently, that's why the number one.

Well, I was telling you about the water lilies painting, I finished it in July and here is the result. You can compare with the original (it is not the Monet original but another copy in acrylic).

My copy

Original

I love designing something new

2011-10-01T20:39:00.005+02:00

"To be an artist is to believe in life."

- Henry Moore

Hand$hake$

2011-09-27T16:27:00.005+02:00

The thought came to my mind listening Emily Haines of the band Metric, singing:

"Buy this car to drive to work
Drive to work to pay for this car"

How right she was and how depressing looks to me now. And I'm not going to talk about the evolution of this band (I'd like to, though). I'd like to talk about money and how it affects to our lives. This whole concept of money and capitalism is new for me now that I've just started to work.

I wouldn't say I don't like to buy things, almost everyone who is lucky to live in capitalist country enjoy buying things. But I see how different is when you are already in the market, you are one of the producers and you get money in return. But, what if your job doesn't satisfy you? What if you think this whole thing seems like a joke? Of course, these countries progress thanks to all these sad people who wake up at 6:00 am and go to work every day of their lives, a job when they can't express sincerely because everyone can hear or everyone can tell, a job that doesn't make you better in what you want, where you can't be creative, where you can't progress.

And the worst of it, is that money makes you indifferent! You keep working because you have to live, but also you buy another things that you don't really need.

I know when we are young, we all want to succeed in the world, we want to be the best, we imagine a perfect job in an imperfect world. Well, I won't say that's impossible, it's not if you really want it, if you really wish a change. Actually, you'd need less money than you think to live without luxuries. Of course the whole thing depends on if you have family or children to sustain, but I'm talking about young people without ties.

I'm thinking on moving to countries like Norway, Finland, or even Canada! It's to far, I know, but I like cold! I'm sure it will be difficult at first, but you don't win if you don't fight.

So, remember! Don't be an ordinary worker, you can change your life if you really want to!

50 days of summer (ii)

2011-09-18T12:16:00.009+02:00

Second post about my holidays on summer 2011. Be warned, I took a lot of pictures :)

(Click on the images to enlarge)

23rd July
The first sunset I saw over the sea. Breathtaking.

24th July
Beach time on a cloudy day.

28th July
Beach time on an unexpected sunny day!

13th September

2011-09-12T22:06:00.011+02:00

I didn't know how to call this new section and today's day number come to me: 13. My favorite number. I wanted to make a section like this and finally, here it is. I've taken the idea of Krissy (who has a really - REALLY- nice blog, I'm not just saying), so, this is not my idea, it's a sort of meme. So, I'll keep you updated every 13th.

I'm back in town for a long time after a long summer...

♦ Books ... Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This book is splendid. I've read the most of it on 3 days. Kazuo Ishiguro is a great writer telling bittersweet stories. Really beautiful the mix between loneliness, death and love.

♦ Food ... the ice cream next to the book, although not these version, the swiss version by Nestlé (Maxibon).

♦ Music ... the recently discovered Belle & Sebastian, an indie pop band of Glasgow. I'll always love britpop. Listening "The life pursuit" (Spotify link)

♦ Inspiration ... nature.

♦ Painting ... Another painting with water lilies. I'll show you soon.

♦ Drink ... Green Tea. Like always.

♦ Tv serie ... Just watched the second season of The Good Wife and all I have to say is: I want more! Stunning.

♦ Film ... Stay Cool. A pretty "cool" comedy film with Hilary Duff, Winona Ryder, Josh Holloway (Lost) and etc. I really enjoyed watching it, very funny.

♦ Thinking ... thinking of buying a Kindle or a Sony Reader...

♦ Missing ... the ocean and the freedom that involves.

"Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don’t go along with that. The memories I value most, I don’t ever see them fading."

— Kazuo Ishiguro (Never Let Me Go)

50 days of summer (i)

2011-08-31T00:12:00.007+02:00

Almost like in the movie "(500) days of summer" it wasn't 500, though.

Here it is a photo summary of my summer holidays. I had the luck of enjoying nature and sea at the same time on Asturias (Spain). I know I'm a little bit repetitive with the topic but I love taking pictures of nature and specially landscapes, so forgive me if I bore you!

By now I've only uploaded 3 days because I took SO MUCH pictures and I can't choose only three or four. That means that it will be more posts like this.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

17th July
Windy day and brave sea. At the time I was taking the pictures it started to rain!

20th July
Exploring with my bike. I enjoyed, luckily, a sunny day.

22nd July
Enjoying nature on a cloudy day, as usual.

The cow was saying me goodbye, or... she was thinking of chasing me for disturbing her... I'll never know.

Photographs I

2011-06-28T18:01:00.004+02:00

Some pictures I took with my almost new Nikon D5000. I already know how to use it (finally!). Most of them are landscapes, not a big thing.

Here for more

I'll take more in this long summer and I hope I'll finish the painting and maybe I'll start another one about the same topic.

Claude Monet and his water lilies

2011-06-20T12:28:00.008+02:00

I have a kind of obsession with Monet and his water lilies. He painted a lot of paintings about this topic at the end of his life. For me is one of his best works. I really like the style, he was impressionist and the way he painted, the brushstrokes are really special.

The painting below is not an original Monet. It's a copy of one of his works. I want to make my own (and first) big painting (I've never painted such a big canvas) and this copy seemed easier to me.

Yesterday was my third day of work on this oil paingting and here is the result:

I will not use anymore a canvas, instead of that I'm painting on wood, which is almost the same and cheaper.

After painting mediocres oil paintings finally I think I found my inspiration on Monet and maybe one day I could make an original painting. In the meantime I would copy wonderful paintings like this.

Of course the blue was the first thing I felt in love with.

This is my palette right now, as you can see full of blues and greens.

Opening

2011-06-20T12:13:00.006+02:00

This blog is the consecuence of my recent creative activity (I've been almost retired of paiting since... I can't remember). Nowadays I run a web design site, a books blog and I love to make photographs, I've been very busy and I couldn't take much these days, though.

I hope to post here regularly to show my works and other stuff.