So I stopped up to the end of the third quarter

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Guthlac

It was somewhat spooky to switch on Sky’s Super Bowl coverage to find the exact scene I had described…four men squashed into a small studio/sky box. The only thing that I hadn’t mentioned the patronising attitude of some of the American guests to the token British journalist/analyst. At one time he appeared to be getting all excited taking about how it reminded him of the 80’s and the studio went silent… Now this is interesting as most people in the States have never been to a pro football game and so their understanding of the game comes through the TV and so the British journalists enthusiasm had the same level of validity as the average American – yet the vainly hidden scorn. Or am I reading far too much into the whole thing…probably.

As for the game you couldn’t ask for more. All the predictions were wrong. The weather was fine, the game was so un balanced as to remind one of the Broncos of the 80’s/90’s. To quote the great philosopher of the time Homer Simpson…” the Denver Broncos..??!!??…” on finding he had been given them by an arch villain he had been working for. The start set the tone…the Broncos first possession and they screw things up and give away a safety. After that it just went down hill and I swear that on one of the super slow mo close ups of Peyton Manning you could see the realisation dawning on his face that he will always be the second best quarter back in the Manning family after his little brother Eli. It was just so wonderful.

So enough of this gloating at another man’s misfortune, if a multi millionaire sportsman really knows what misfortune is. By the end of the third the Broncos scored but they never looked like making any real come back and sure enough they didn’t. One final question – who was the Donnie Osmond impersonator who did the half time show? Last year they had a true superstar Beyoncé but this year…I have no idea who he was…however given the middle of the road pap he seemed to be turning out I guess that Simon Cowall might have something to do with him…I must look this up. (I’ve just looked him up and it seems that he has developed all on his own – still what the hell do I know about music and I guess he doesn’t care on jot about my views and good on him for that)

So overall worth the sleep deprivation. Roll on next season.

Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk

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To stop up or not? That is the question

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Guthlac

Well it is that time of year again…another Super Bowl … I’ve just realised this is my 30th…good old channel 4 all those years ago. In the early days you had to wait, I think, until the following week before seeing the action. However today it is very different. Super Bowl parties are all over the place and so the question is…should I stay up and watch it live?

I’ve watched the game live in the States and I have to say it makes an awful lot more sense than over here where even on Sky most of the commercial breaks cut back to several past and present NFL people crammed into a small luxury box poised high above the game trying to fill the empty space. Also the America is great theme of the Super Bowl works when you are in the states – outside it just looks jingoistic and really quite patronising. From beyond the US of A many of the faults are far more apparent than to most people who live in the country and banging on about just how good America is doesn’t go down as well.

Do I stay or do I go? … well I might just catch the first quarter and then…

Go Seahawks.

Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk

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Take on Me….it’s no place to be safe or sorry

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Guthlac

Une Soule déesse

 

Well I’ve given up on my battle with my editing process for now.  I have the greatest admiration for those who have to do this, including my son and his fiancee,  but the whole process is just not worth it…at the moment at least.  Over the past month or so it has consumed more and more of my RAM to the detriment of other things – especially my art.

So time for things to be parked and for me to refresh my batteries and enjoy life just a little.  For those out there who don’t have this privilege then I have nothing but admiration.

 

 

 

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Give a little bit more

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Guthlac

Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk

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It’s a livin thing

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Guthlac

I love charcoal .. I just enjoy pushing and pulling the material … it feels really alive and the added bonus is that it is nice and messy…you just can’t take the little boy out of me.

Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk

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The way things are going ..

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Guthlac

In the studio for the first time in a while and I’m really pleased to be away from all things HTML … Yesterday after feeling sorry for myself I got down and proof read five pages. This doesn’t sound much but it is a start and as the website is only made up of only 10 pages then you would assume job half done. Wrong. The main body is still to be attacked… but at least it is a start …which is what this charcoal drawing is…

Let’s go suffering, come on baby

Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk

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Trapped in a world of my own making…

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Guthlac

Photo 30-01-2014 11 48 31

 

For an awful long time I’ve been working on some  research about salt ways in the prehistoric period.  I finally have written up much of the research on my web site – however, I haven’t published it yet as I need to proof read it, which for some one who suffers from some form of dyslexia/word blindness  is easier said than done.  I have put it off and out it off for a while and now I just don’t seem to be able to sit down and do the blasted thing.  This is so so frustrating.   It also means that  other things I wanted to do are having to be put on hold.  In the end I just find my self doodling instead of getting on with things.   I must get a hold and read the dame thing…I really really must.

 

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Accidents Happen…

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Guthlac

Photo 26-01-2014 21 29 38

I’m in a bit of hands free mode at the moment.   I’m not trying to make things in proportion but rather just try and capture things as I see them – which is something completely different as I always get things out of proportion without rigorous checking.  I guess the reason for this that I’m sinking under all things Iron Age and earlier – especially the ice age art which is quite exquisite and at the same time raw and powerful.  They were creating images of things that they knew intimately.  Well it makes sense to me.

Don’t stop believin…

 

 

 

 

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What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Guthlac

Charging Cav Man

 

We are about to enter into a year of celebration, not sure that is the correct word to use, of the anniversary of  the start of the first world war of the 20th century.  I don’t wish to enter into the debate over left wing bias against the great and good who lead the war to such slaughter.  Instead I feel it is time to stop dwelling on the past and perhaps look towards the future instead.  Yes, in absolute terms, an awful lot of people died in the  conflict but   I believe the relative number of deaths in the English civil war was much greater and we hear little about that conflict.  It wasn’t even the the ‘first’ world war as the conflict between France and Britain in late 18th century can claim that title.  So why remember this now?  I really don’t know it certainly won’t be a lesson to the present generation as we seem quite capable of appalling wars all of our own with great loss of life – so no lesson learnt there.

So 12 months of long wonders across the fields of Flanders of many presenters looking very earnest, whilst expensive computer CGI will try and recreate a sanitised trench warfare environment.  At the same time the war memorials put up to commemorate the  real loss felt are slowly falling into disrepair all over the country which probably says more about the relevance of all this to modern life.  It certainly is a long way from Tipperary…

Good night ladies, ladies good night it is time to say goodbye…

PS the sketch is based on some magazine I saw in the local store…it seems to have sunk into my subconscious so I may well produce more better versions over the next few days…you have been warned.

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The Curve – a great venue for a graduation ceremony

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Guthlac

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=619387341431584&l=4897586169289778953

First off may I apologise for the poor video handling in this post.  I’m a novice at this aspect so am stumbling about.  I guess the easiest thing I could have done would have been to scrub this through YouTube but that is another story.

 

So the Curve.   For those of you who do not know the The Curve is the newish theatre complex in Leicester.  It is a huge building slapped down in the middle of the city with no real feel for its surrounding.  However, yesterday I attended my son’s degree ceremony at the venue when he was ‘officially’ awarded his Doctorate and so I’ve been through two other of these ceremonies but none of them compared to the experience of the Curve.   Yes the actual degree ceremony was a bit of a shambles, the wrong Professor stood up to announce the wrong graduants  which caused some confusion and why do Vice Chancellors insist on boring the audience rigid with long speeches that are at best adverts for the University and at worse incoherent ramblings…yesterday’s was somewhere between the two.    None of the audience cared – they were there for their children/friends to walk on to the stage and get their certificates.

That was the magic that the Curve brought to the proceedings … it was presented as a stage show with the students the centre of the show – quite literally as they appeared from behind a curtain at the back of the stage at the start waving to the audience – this got a great cheer from all.  The only thing they got wrong was the sound system which spoiled the DMU Gospel choir by almost drowning out some great singing.

The proceedings outside the ceremony were also handled in a much more professional fashion.  The building is designed to deal with a large audience and so there was plenty of space inside, this was the middle of winter after all, to meet and greet as well as capture all those smart phone shots.   The official photos were  well handled as well with a large room set aside for the purpose and a bank of six photographers ready to capture those all important family shots.

So all in all and great day in a great venue…just wish the vice chancellor speech wouldn’t go on and on.  They are not the centre of the proceedings the graduants were and they were the only ones who mattered.

 

 

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