Copying

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Guthlac

Last night I had a pretty horrible experience.  I went to a life drawing session and for my sins I decided to use my iPad instead of more traditional materials and methods.  Well this caused quite a stir, not in any negative way, but rather a stir of interest from the other people attending.  Now whilst it was nice to get the interest after a while I found the whole thing wearing and slowly  my ability flow away.  In the end the drawing I made was awful and I must admit I felt like giving up this whole art business.  I know I know this was a total over reaction but that is the way I am.

Digital Painting Based on the Idris character

Digital Painting Based on the Idris character

This morning after a good nights sleep thing didn’t seem anything like as bad.  Yet I felt I needed to do something to try and purge the negative feelings so I sat down and created this painting, which I really like.  Suddenly I believe I have a some talent, even if it isn’t ever apparent in group sessions all though as I write these words I have to ask “so what?”  Digital painting gives me a real buzz and I think I finally starting to develop a style which is beyond just copying.  Pip Pip.

 

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just to show how complicated these things are

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Guthlac

So it is now a few days after the vote in the House of Commons not to get involved in whatever might or might not be the American response to whatever did or didn’t happen in Syria.  For my part I suspect that the Syrian government was involved in some way – as to how official that involvement was I haven’t got a clue.   The use of chemical weapons is appalling but that really isn’t the point here.  The point of my objection to this whole sorry mess is that we don’t understand what the hell this is all about and for the west to stick their size 12’s in would only make matters worse.  It certainly won’t ‘send the message’ that we want.

Yet already some of our armchair warriors are trying to rewrite the vote in Parliament.  Things have changed they argue,  we now know more…perhaps we should have another vote…  All of this is nonsense just as the original red lines were nonsense.

Just to show how complicated things are I would ask that you read the following article.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/toxic-legacy-of-us-assault-on-fallujah-worse-than-hiroshima-2034065.html

Now I don’t know any of the circumstances as to what actually happened and whether the hyperbole used in the article is actually correct  but if there is a red line in Syria why not Iraq?  I’m sure that is what many of the people who hate the west so much will be asking and at times it is hard to argue against this.

War is horrible.  I’m of the lucky generation who have not had to face the horrors of war unless I chose to.  I do believe that there are red lines that once crossed violent action must be taken, with or with out international agreement.  I just believe that you really need to know what you are trying to achieve and are willing to fully commit to it.  If not then don’t try and mess around in things that you have no idea what the outcome will be.

I hope this is the last time I feel the need to write about this whole sorry mess.  I hope and pray that some sort of solution comes to the ancient and wonderful country of Syria.  I don’t believe that will be soon and will only happen when the Syrians want it to.  It won’t be helped by tossing a few missiles or bombing a few targets by forces that don’t really know what they are getting themselves into.

Posted in General | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Robust defender of Liberty

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Guthlac
“…Britain has done great damage to its reputation as a reliable ally and a robust defender of liberty…” so thundered the leading article in The Times this morning. It seems that Britain is now not able to pretend that its view matters. So we should all feel a great sense of loss because the British parliament has spoken and stopped a Prime Minister going to war, sorry limited military action.

At the moment there is great hand ringing about damages to the special relationship with America. However, when you look at this relationship it would seem to be special only on one side, ours – the British. To the Americans I suspect it is an important diplomatic one but when push comes to shove the one thing that matters to the American’s is their own interests and not the ‘special relationship’. In other words if it is not in American interests then they won’t do something.

I am sure that there are many areas that the American/British relationship is very close but hardly ‘special’. An example of this would be the level of evidence needed to extradite suspects from one country to the other. The level is much higher on the American side when compared to the British. If the relationship was ‘special’ then surely both levels would be the same – we do, after all share the same legal processes based on Common Law.

As for permanently damaging the relationship I would just say Vietnam. In the 1960s Britain refused to be part of that nasty little war even though great pressure was put on them. We had, after all, still had some interest in the South Asia arena yet Britain never got involved. Some how the relationship survived – mainly because Britain was America’s unsinkable aircraft carrier against the USSR so were excused Vietnam. Again, the special relationship meant what was in America’s interest.

So today Britain sits in a diminished position in the world. Apparently we have lost some of the power of our voice. What we say no longer counts or perhaps what Britain has said counts more than is thought by the people who think we should still be a world policeman. Just perhaps when the dust has settled it will be seen that it was the voice of common sense because as yet no one seems to be able to explain why a few tonnes of explosives will make any difference in a civil war of many kilo tonnes – in fact as I write this the headlines of the New York Times have flashed saying that support is slipping at home for such military actions. (When you you read the articles it is not easy to miss that the American people are just a sceptical as the British yet their President wants to fire a few missiles to save face and because “something must be done”. They do raise the interesting point about what will the American’s do were the Assad government to use chemical weapons again)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/31/world/middleeast/support-slipping-us-defends-plan-for-syria-attack.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130831

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/31/world/middleeast/experts-fear-us-plan-to-strike-syria-overlooks-risks.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130831

This action appears to be more about politicians feeling they need to do something to save face. No one thinks it will change anything in the civil war, other than kill a few unsuspecting people who had not moved away from the likely targets (ordinary people) and the symbolism will probably make matters worse. Given this view the all of a sudden the vote in the British parliament has got a voice in the world and just perhaps that voice is the one of sanity against bombing people for no real purpose. There is already too much of that going on at the moment anyway.

Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the foot steps of Robin Hood and Mary, Queen of Scots

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Guthlac

So today was a big field trip day – well actually it wasn’t quite but almost.  We took a day out and just happened to visit sites that were of interest to my historical research.   Yes I did suggest we take a day out and yes I did suggest where we went but honest my wife enjoyed herself.  Really??

So the first stop on this magical mystery tour was Tutbury Castle – a wonderful Norman pile over looking beautiful rolling Staffordshire and Derbyshire countryside and the River Dove.   Beyond the Dove in the distance are the peaks of Derbyshire Peak District.  So long as you look north and west the view are pretty good.  Look east and you see a large Toyota car factory and Ratcliffe Power Station and the A50, which runs along the valley is hidden in its own woodlands.  So the views mainly are pretty good.

The view from the castle dow to the Nestle factory

The view from the castle dow to the Nestle factory

The Norman Motte at Tutbury

The Norman Motte at Tutbury

Now it is perhaps not the most scientific way to judge whether any establishment or attraction is any good but I always use the Gluten test.  It is very simple.  You go to the cafe or restaurant and ask “What have you got that is gluten free?”   If the person serving looks at you like you are speaking in tongues or simply dismisses you with “We don’t do gluten free” – If I have that response then the place isn’t worth the trouble.  However, if the response is that they have several products or, better still, the chef will ensure that what ever you word is gluten free then you know the establishment is worth considering.

Tutbury Castle I’m sorry to say failed with the person in the little coffee shop come restaurant looking blankly, shock her head and said, “We don’t have anything gluten free.”  I was ready to walk out but wife said it was alright as she had brought a gluten free snack bar with her.

So bad marks to Tutbury Castle.  It got even worse when you walked around the place.  There were no signs explaining many of the features.  Occasionally you would get some half worn out notice but most of the features were just blank.  Now I’m sure if you bought the guide this might help but we had already paid to get in and the least we could expect are informative signs outside by each of the features.  Fortunately, I was able to bore my wife rigid with lots of details but she likes to read about these things and not just listen to me…she gets plenty of opportunity to do that!

So Tutbury castle is interesting if you already know what you’re looking at and also know about it connection with Mary, Queen of Scots, this is where she was caught smuggling messages in beer kegs from nearby Burton on Trent.  It was also a stop off on her last journey  to meet the executioner’s block.

After this we went to the National Trust property at Sudbury Hall.   Now the National Trust is one of the best organisations for accommodating people who need to have a gluten free diet and Sudbury was no exception.   What hadn’t taken account of was that it has a museum of Childhood and so the place was really busy with young kids running around the place.

Sudbury Hall Sudbury Hall Sudbury Hall Sudbury Hall Sudbury Hall

 

However, few of the children were being taken around the hall itself and this was it usual mix of history and amazement at what people with too much money will spend it on.  The main stair case at Sudbury is a riot but totally over the top.

After this it was across the Needwood Forest, passing Loxley, always associated with Robin of Loxley AKA Robin Hood (although South Yorkshire probably has a much better claim) and Chartley Castle, another place where Mary Queen of Scotts had been incarcerated and then back home.

All round a grand day out, even if Tutbury Castle spoilt things somewhat, and I’ve got loads of new information to sift through for my historical research.

 

 

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

iPad and Tutbury Castle

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Guthlac
I know, I thought, “why don’t I take my iPad with me to make some sketches out in the real world…David Hockney does this – why shouldn’t I?”

Good question and I have a really good answer – David Hockney didn’t try to use his iPad in bright sunshine – you just can’t see a thing. Anyway I did manage this sketch of Tutbury Castle keep which given the conditions wasn’t going.

Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad

Posted in General | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Difference

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Guthlac
This was one thing then I started to listen to Chloe Howl’s No Strings and then it went in a totally different direction. Not sure what this means but ….

Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad

Posted in General | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Throwing Money at a Problem

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Guthlac

For the past few days I’ve been working at the Staffordshire problem.  I’ve followed up numerous leads but in the end the best solution I found was to throw money at the problem.   So 99 pence plus postage was wantonly  dispatched to an Amazon Seller and I became the proud owner of an ex Kent Library book called The Staffordshire Landscape.  It has helped me so much.

Untitled

As a result of this book plus all the other leads I’ve been able to start to draw a map of  Staffordshire dating back to before the Romans (This is only a very small part of the map)

The work is painstakingly slow but ultimately rewarding.  However, it doesn’t help that it wasn’t until the early part of last year that I kept my records on a database, linked to the maps,  before then it was vague references which no doubt meant something at the time but didn’t 2 years later! I eventually found the book I was referencing in my slowly increasing library of local history books!

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Then what?

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Guthlac

So it looks like we are going to bomb Syria because, well I think it is because of mythical red lines and to show we mean business and well we’ve got all these missiles and you’ve got to do something with them. I think this is the argument that our rulers are coming up with. Now I’m not defending the use of chemical weapons but I always find the outrage at their use just a little baffling – why are they so bad when compared to say a car bomb? The people are dead, the relatives moan and scares are burnt into the hearts but Chemical weapons are worse.

Nor am I trying to defend the Assad regime which seem pretty reprehensible and everything you wouldn’t want your government to be. It’s just didn’t we do this a couple of years ago in Libya and didn’t that work out so well – we now have a whole region destabilised and some of the worse people armed to the teeth as a result of our meddling. Now multiply that 10 fold and I think this is the horror show we about to step into and for what?

Surely if we were serious about sorting out the monsters of the world we should be bombing North Korea back to the stone age – which probably most of its population wouldn’t notice. They are, after all, the one country who has weapons of mass destruction who have threatened to use them on the outside world – countless thousands of their population have staved to death without any UN food parcels getting to them or tents or any other support. But this is not on the agenda Syria is.

I’ve yet to hear one single argument to suggest how bombing the Syrians is going to help matters. This morning it was suggested that it would force the Syrian government to negotiate a settlement but this isn’t going to happen because there has been too much blood spilt and this is a medieval fight to the death on both sides – no one wants to surrender because the consequences will be almost certain death. Yet we think we can sort this out because we’ve made such a great job of it in the past – modern Syria is a product of our colonial meddling and didn’t we do such a good job then. But of course we are all post imperialists now and we only want to defend human rights is another cry from the government – by killing people.

Syria is a right royal mess which we don’t understand yet feel we can meddle from off shore with our high tech weapons of war. But when these weapons of war don’t work you know what the next cry will be for – humanitarian military support for the Free Syrian Army i.e. boots on the ground and what if the Russians feel the same about their long term friend the Syrian Government. Then What?

Simon Marchini
Web: http://WWW.simonmarchini.co.uk

Posted in General | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Richard III

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Guthlac
If anyone is interested then please try and sign this petition for Richard III to be buried in Leicester:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/39708

Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad
Posted in General | Leave a comment

The one that got away

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Guthlac
I’ve just received the catalogue for the recent exhibition at the British Museum: Ice Age Art – arrival of the modern mind – and I have to say it is mind blowing. Oh I wish I had got around to see the artefacts in real life but it wasn’t to be. However, in many ways the catalogue is so much better because it is able to go into depth about the whole process of the manufacturer of wonderful art works. When you look at the pieces it only reinforces the idea that they were no different to us other than they had had between 12 and 40 thousand years less experience. The care that went into their works of art was every bit as good as the greatest artist of the last 500 years. Breathtaking.

So as a very simple tribute I thought I would try and make a drawing of a modern African elephant using only lines, as through it was engraved onto a piece of ivory. I know this sounds silly but trying to be as simple as possible isn’t as easy as it sounds. This probably reinforces the fact that the Ice Age artists were far more skilled than I am – no news there.

Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad

Posted in General | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment