Wow, so I have been a bit incognito over the past two years while focusing on completing my Masters. And, now that I am finished I find myself back where I started. Here my blog. I was hoping the Masters would help me find a job in science, which I have been searching for ever since I left Uni in 2000. So that was 14 years ago and here I am still trying to find one but still not having the right experience. I have taught Science, but this doesn't seem to be the right kind of experience. I then tried to enter the field from a different direction by learning to program and manipulate data, but it appears experience doing pretty much the same thing, but under a different umbrella, is not exactly the right kind of experience either.
 
I constantly stumble across sites and watch programs where they question why more woman don't go into science, but frankly I have found it extremely difficult. I mean what does one have to do get the so called experience? Other than by knowing someone or pure luck? (If anyone stumbles across this and is willing to be my mentor, I would welcome the advice with open arms).

Perhaps its not my time and I have to be patient, perhaps I make excuses that sabotage my chances, or perhaps I haven't got what it takes. These are all of the thoughts that constantly swirl in my mind. Almost everyone in my circle is craft and art orientated so I find myself devoid of real scientists on a daily basis. I know I am a dreamer and a creative and perhaps this is my problem too. Mmmm ...

I know one thing for sure I always have hope. This is the reason behind my favourite Richard Feynman quote. Perhaps I just haven't explored enough. Who knows ... only the future has the answers.

The Biological acronym: LUCA

I hate acronyms because I can never remember what they stand for. So I thought perhaps if I turned them into some form of graphic I might remember the important ones better. So here is the very first for me to remember...

This tickled me today!

So its been ages ...

Why?

No reason ...

So what would you do if you could do anything?

I would, beg and plead with Tim Walker to be his assistant.

Its all about those magic numbers

So I have a competition to enter (just a general one in the are I live), nothing serious ... and I have been matching the trio's.
I have an idea of which one I will use but I am not entirely sure ...
Any ideas?









Also Today is the 11-11-11 so I am looking forward to filming a little something for the one day on earth project

Have a great Friday ...

My Halloween Costume

So here it is ... the costume that consumed my entire week last week.
I miss waking up early and going to bed late, planning and scheming and deciding which way best to continue with the next bit.
In the end it turned out better than expected and I managed to teach myself how to make a jacket from scratch albeit out of paper.



Yip, for the most part the costume was made out of paper and white thread.

There was everything from tissue paper, to crepe paper, doilies, some paper table cloths were used and some white poster paper ...

Then it was all topped off with a bit of face paint 'cest voila'.

Thanks Dave for taking instruction on how to take the photo for me :)

This 18th C character was the ghost of the paper doll called 'Paper Cuts'

Collectors are Hoarders with vision...

I don't know why these words came to mind today, but they did and I like them.

On my recent travels to Cyprus I met this 'Polis' Man in Polis. His collection was amazing but very odd all at the same time.



It reminds me, very much of this collection, the 'Polis'Man had some tortoise/ turtle shells and a number of sculls and fish skeletons in his collection too:

I collect almost everything from paper to frames, bits of ribbon, books, cameras, shoes, art equipment, glass all the way to a vast collecton of cutlery, crockery and tea cups ...What about and you? Any familiarities?

I don't suppose the collection of dirty washing next to the side of my bed really classes as a true collection but I like to think of it as a form of self expression (laziness? I hear you say :))

I like to lie to myself that hoarding is a creative past time.

Halloween: a little re-labeling

So I thought I would create a few labels for Halloween for one or so of the bottles I am guaranteed to use in the run up to 'Old Hallows Eve'.

So I thought I would share 3 of the ones I have made so far.

Virgil Finlay

Hannes Bok, pseudonym for Wayne Woodard

Hannes Bok, pseudonym for Wayne Woodard

Please note the original authors of the images are labelled below each image.
Each label is a re-hash I have created using photoshop.
These are for my personal use only and I have only made them as little something silly for halloween!
All writing is belonging to yours truely!

Cyprus, Turning 30 and House Sitting

Well the heading says it all:
I have been a bit lax with the blogging because I turned thirty in Cyprus and was away for 2 weeks. In addition since arriving back home Neil and I have been house sitting for the last two and half weeks.

So, Cyprus
This was the view from our bedroom. I have never seen a rainbow over the sea like this before, I am sure they are quite a common accurance in certain places but for me this was a little something special.

More piccies to follow soon...

Yes, Not Yet, I have something better in mind

So I have been a bit slack on my posts of late.
Not to worry, everything is said and done when it needs to be for as long as it needs to be.

This little post caught my eye today and I know many might not believe in divine timing, but I most definately do ... I have to.

So although there are millions of things I want to do now and take part in or complete. I have to realise that everything works to its own timing and no matter how much I want something now I need to take part in the process of acheiving it and remember to enjoy that too. Nothing can be forced and everything will be completed if and when it needs to be.

Everything is in motion and is exactly as it needs to be right now.

My new motto!

I saw this on pinterest, and it really got me thinking, because I absolutley love my Birthday ... it's the day after that is a let down because I have to start counting from three hundred and sixty odd again.

But, after seeing this poster maybe the birthday day-after might not be so bad.

But, then what would my real birthday mean?

I suppose I am thinking about this too much, I know what its meaning is supposed to be.

Instead this has helped me realise that prehaps I do treat my days like birthdays.
I mean I start off most mornings with cake for breakfast (I know ,munch, crumb, munch).
Amazon delivers books and goodies that I have ordered online rather regularly.
My iPod is the key to many movies and good books whenever I feel the need.
These are materialistic though!

With further thought then: My family and friends live rather far away and they constantly send me cards and surprise gifts whenever they are missing me.
I have dinners and drinks with my other half, friends and family often and get taken out on great adventures regularly for no real reason at all. I also pretty much get to do whatever I want to do most days ... after work that is!

So, every day is like my Birthday I just need to be greatful for my gifts (in all their many forms).

This then made me think even more:
This year for my Birthday I should let those I love and care about know all the wonderful things that they have done for me throughout this year, at least.

So if I live every day like my Birthday then my Birthday can be my gift of thanks to others.

Telescopes

Last night I watched Horizon on BBC iplayer becasue I missed the actual episode on Monday night.
This was all about Telescopes. I must be a major geek because I enjoyed every minute of it and loved the part where one of the Physicists had to stop to take his oxygen level reading while they were transporting one of the telescopes higher up within the Atacama Desert, to which the Physicist stated: 'This is extreme Physics'.

Physics ... extreme? (and you thought it was boring Maths equations and stuff!)
This made my day!

 
Along with extreme Physics comes extreme physicists!

So, as an aside:
Can you guess who this is?

It must the most amazing experience to stand next to something so magnificent that has been worked on an tweaked by so many engineers and scientists.
An instrument that has the ability change our understanding or answer a series of unanswered questions.

And, then as if standing next to one of these space spying beasts isn't enough you get one named after yourself!



Not even one that this still earth bound but rather one that is able to travel through outer space!

So, in essence Hubble has been reincarnated as a cheeky space creature able to roam and photography the realm where he couldn't go, physically, himself.

What a wonderful real life tale...

An image from the Hubble Telescope : A galaxy situated in the constellation of Virgo.

Favourite past-time

Sometimes all you need to do is blow more bubbles than they can pop!

Sometimes others speak to you through their work.

I worry a lot. I worry about the normal things like bills and loved ones and being very far away .
I worry about my garden being watered and love it when it rains because the rain washes this worry away.
I worry about what everyone thinks, how they feel today.
I worry about the five books I am reading and about finishing them instead of enjoying them.
I worry about the news and therefore I don't watch it anymore.
I worry about everything I have started doing and never finished, all the sports I do and never being the best but always average.
I worry whether I will ever be able to play a musical instrument because I can read music.
I worry because I am super serious and everone else around me seems to be truely care free or able to mask thier worry with comedy or dive into a multitude of projects that always seem to be successful.
I worry that I am not good enough at anything or for anyone and that nothing will come of anything I have done or anything I will ever do.

But then the worry subsides and I find little colourful seeds of hope and inspiration  in others work.
Sometimes others speak to you through their work.
Their work either masks the worry by its intrigue or form.
Sometimes their work inspires or helps to conclude questions.

So instead of worry and comparison, enjoy what you like and be inspired by the gifts around.
Let the colour shine through the worry and soon this worry will dissipate.

Contemplation ...

Ah! A week of holiday and I am back refreshed.

Sometimes it takes just a moment to step away to realise where you are and reset where you are going.
I am still contemplating ...

Valerie Hammond

Harry Clarke - 'The Wild Swan'

Kay Nielson - 'Out Popped the Moon'

Arthur Rackham - 'Pandora'

Contining on the vein of flying creatures and Fairy Tales ... another of the great illustrators of this time.

Inspiration for the week: 'The Entomologist's Dream' illustration by Edmund Dulac.

Edmund Dulac (1882-1953)
'The Entomologist's Dream' 
For 'Le Papillon Rouge'
Signed and dated 1909
Watercolour

 I would love to find the story for this ...