Regarding Inspiration

To begin, we shall make two assumptions: firstly, that I am good at having ideas; and secondly, that I am good at carrying out. The problem is the bit in between those two things.

As it is a New Year, I have decided (in the manner which people usually do) that I am going to start doing that small bit in the middle and actually become productive. After analysing the amounts of time which I spend doing things each day, I have come to the conclusion that there is actually plenty of time to do almost everything I want. Expect to see some results soon.

But while you wait for that, look at THESE THINGS instead. Here are some special people and things. What is so special about them? They are influences which have burrowed into my mind and stayed there, filling me with new things to wonder at, and making me realise what I could be doing instead of sitting here and blogging lying on the sofa and having a staring contest with the ceilings (which, by the way, I always win).

LOOK, and BE INSPIRED:

D. M. Cornish - The author of three books (so far) and over thirty notebooks (which I would love to go through entirely on a rainy afternoon), Mr Cornish never fails to pull something awe-inspiring out of nowhere. Plus, he did an ENTIRE POST in response to one of my comments once, and that totally made my day. (Okay, I can't deny it - I'm still coasting on that buzz.)
Dorothy Hearst - Wolf fiction. Need I say more? Promise of the Wolves and Secrets of the Wolves are her only books so far, but there's a third on the way. These books leave little to be desired (some delicious pencil illustrations would be quite welcome!) and it's great to see that the market hasn't got tired of wolves just yet. (I have plans of my own, you see.)
Erin Hunter - Well, she's actually several people, but they're all awesome. I'm working on getting through the Warriors series (at the rate of two books a week, I'll be well-prepared and ready once the final book of the latest arc comes out) and am awaiting the first book of the second Seekers series. The cast of characters for the former series is almost Dickensian in size, and is handled (with a few minor gender-bending exceptions!) quite smoothly.
Kathryn Lasky - I love the Ga'Hoole series to bits (OWLS!) and the companion series (WOLVES!) is fantastic. She's written much more than that, but I shall never outgrow my love of animal fiction, and these two series remain firm favourites.
Valve - One of my favourite companies on this planet (and that's saying a lot). They're the authors of the incredible videogames 'Portal' and 'Team Fortress 2', and their sense of humour matches that of my family so perfectly that I laugh out loud at 98.12% (or more) of what they do, even if it's a minor blog post or a description of an in-game item. Character design: they're doing it right.
Weta Workshop - The Lord of the Rings film series is probably what they're best known for, but this design and prop studio have credits all over the the film world. They've done some collaborations with Valve through their 'Dr Grordbort' division (ray guns and mounted alien bugs, anyone?) and are quite responsible for the glorious-looking Tintin film, which appears as though it will do many justices to the wonderful books on which it has been based.
Jen Yates - Cake and crafts? I'm in. EPBOT has plenty of geeky references mixed with jaw-dropping DIY plans for incredible things. I couldn't begin to list all the things I've found through this blog. (Plus she's a fellow Sherlockian. Win-win-win!)

Many of the artists I admire do not have website galleries to do them justice, but here are their names:

JC Amberlyn - The author of two books. One of them is fantastic - if I had to pick one art instruction book to bring on a Desert Island Holiday, it would probably be Drawing Wildlife. Every one of the animals in her drawings glows with life, and it's not at all hard to give them stories in your mind while flipping through the book. The style is one I hope to achieve - almost pure realism with a touch of stylised liveliness.
Richard Cowdrey - Responsible for the covers of Kathryn Lasky's 'Ga'Hoole' and 'Wolves of the Beyond' series.
Wayne McLoughlin - Cover artist for Erin Hunter's 'Warriors' and 'Seekers' series. I wish he would do an instructional book or something - I like to stare at the jackets of our books and wonder at the pictures.
Terryl Whitlatch - Unfortunately, she seems not to be present on the wonderful world of the Internet (although she seems to be a contributor to the art academy blog to which I've linked), but that shouldn't stop you from hunting down her work. She's done creature designs for loads of animated films (and STAR WARS!) and has a seemingly flawless grasp of anatomy. I admire her for drawing real birds even when it doesn't matter to most other people, like in the background of some pages for her incredible collaboration 'The Katurran Odyssey' (which was the first book of a proposed series, but unfortunately stands alone so far) - oystercatchers in the distance, and loads of other birds which I recognised but cannot recall, as I do not have the book in my possession!

This is by no means a complete list of my inspiration sources - I'm always finding new things to stare at. But it's a start, and everything has to start somewhere. . .

Regarding Keyboards

After a sudden flash of brilliance, I have come to the conclusion that every keyboard should have a 'Forward!' key to complement the Backspace key. It would be on the left-hand side of the keyboard, directly across the number-line from the Backspace key.

*The Plus and Minus keys could be moved to replace the buttons for Page Up and Page Down, which could be implemented as functions on the up and down arrow keys.
*The number keys would be shifted so that 0 was right next to Backspace, making room for Forward!
*The Forward! key would function as an alternative to the spacebar, and it could also be used to return to a page which you had just gone back from, much in the way that the Backspace key can be used to return to a previous page.
*Pressing Shift and Forward! at the same time would work in the same way as a left-button mouse click. Control and Forward! would produce an effect identical to that of pressing the right mouse button.

That is all. Perhaps I shall construct a diagram of the ideal keyboard to post later on!

Regarding That Time We Crashed A Wedding

Please note that the following account has been embellished somewhat in an effort to make it even more appealing to the general public.

 It started with an innocent effort to explore some family history.  As it happens, our grandfather went to his first Christmas service at a church not too far from our house (which is very interesting as our families have moved to many places since then).  We travelled to the church and, after taking some photographs of its beautiful surrounding gardens, went inside.

It was very interesting to look at all of the bits of the church's history that were on display.  Eventually we came (inevitably) to the Big Main Church Room and thought - hey, let's go in there!

As soon as we came near the door, it swung open with a thunderous clanking of gears akin to the sound of a hundred stampeding horses.  The dozens of people in the room turned slowly to look at us - a crowd of six people standing motionless, beginning to grasp the gravity of the situation on which they had just intruded.

Two of the people (standing at the front of the room) were dressed very nicely - one in a white dress and the other in a tuxedo - and they looked to be the most surprised of all.  Their shock lasted only a moment, though - and then the bride-to-be pulled a revolver from one of the pockets in her dress.

I ducked as the first shot buried itself in a wall inches from my head.  For a moment, there was absolute silence - perhaps our assailant was considering the best strategy for attack - and it was quiet enough for us to hear the click in the moments that followed.  By this time we were all stumbling gracefully backward, trying to figure out how we might escape without turning our backs or running into anything.

Before we could vacate the premises, the merciless woman pulled the trigger a second time.  Luckily, I had noticed each of the nearly imperceptible movements she had made while adjusting her aim, and I just had time to pull a nearby crucifix from the wall and hold it in front of me.  In true symbolic fashion, the sturdy metal of the cross deflected the bullet, and we were off and running before she could reset the hammer of her gun.  We burst out the doors in a spectacular display of athleticism, startling the innocent people lounging in the gardens.  Our lightning speed brought us to our vehicle ere the crazed gunwoman could catch up with us, and we left her shouting creative insults as we sped away in our bulletproofed mini-van.

We laughed all the way home.

Regarding Triumphant Triumph

Let all the people rejoice, for I have finished reading a book.  Not just any book, mind you - no, no.  I have finished reading 'Ivanhoe' by one Sir Walter Scott.

This was no easy feat.

The book is claimed to be 'the father of the modern historical romance novel' or something like that.  I believe that about ninety-eight percent of the book could have been removed without affecting the storyline at all.  And romance?  There was no romance.  There was fighting aplenty, and certainly some racism, but nothing which I would consider romantic.  'Dense' is the best way to describe this book.

But this is not a rant: it is a joyous celebration.  I have FINISHED the book and am COMPLETELY DONE WITH IT.

And now, having got through that, I do believe I can get through anything.

Regarding 'Larklight' {Book Review!}

Some time ago, I picked up an enticingly decorated volume entitled 'Larklight' and written by a Mr Philip Reeve. In fact, it was because of the title that I picked it up in the first place - I am obsessively enthusiastic about birds and anything to do with them, and I found the lark bit of the title particularly interesting. Upon further examination, I found it to be highly relevant to my interests. (Victorians in space! And giant spiders!)

The book proudly proclaims that it is 'decorated throughout by Mr David Wyatt', and this is very true. Mr Wyatt's pen-and-ink illustrations capture the spirit of the story perfectly and add a certain depth to the characters and settings.

The story itself is clever, with interesting twists along the way. Mr Reeve is, in my opinion, an excellent writer, throwing in brilliant bits of humour and turns of phrase without distracting from the plot. Footnotes are used generously (often to amusing effect) all through the book, and this is a Good Thing. Even if the author became occasionally confused regarding the proper usage of the words 'its' and 'it's' (they're not interchangeable!), I found the book to be entirely enjoyable overall. I am currently reading the second book (Starcross) in the trilogy, and it has been just as good so far.

In summary: Larklight is a good book, Philip Reeve is a clever man, and I recommend this bit of reading for anyone who would like a bit of light enjoyment without emotional involvement or confusing plotlines.

Regarding Warm Weather

I'm going to go ahead and admit that summer is not my favourite season. I don't despise it, but I do have preferences, and in this case those preferences would be spring, autumn, and winter (specifically the latter two). I get overheated easily, so it's always a relief when the air cools off after the summer.

It is nice to have the windows open all day and listen to all the birds (some of which do not even reside here during other times of the year). And I love summer thunderstorms. But when the long, hot months finally draw to a close and the cooling breezes begin to whisper teasing hints of Something New - that's when I get excited. Because I believe that, all things considered, autumn is my favourite season ever.

I love when the first leaves begin to change colour and then the radiant fire spreads through once-green boughs. I love the mystical suggestions of the wind as it converses with anything and anyone willing to listen. And, of course, I love when Starbucks re-introduce their Pumpkin Spice Latte. Less than three*.

I love autumn so much, in fact, that I feel rather compelled to write possibly-flowery poetry about it now. Perhaps I shall do that. But first, I suppose, I should finish the poems I mean to send in to a magazine.

It's not procrastination if you're doing other things.

* (<3)

Regarding Eiders

As of late, I have become quite taken with Common Eiders. The following is my attempt to capture their spirit and beauty using graphite compound on paper:

The head shape was drawn with the aid of a nice photograph in a volume (from the Collins publishing offices) entitled 'Birds: A Complete Guide to All British and European Species'.

The illustration is not really so sepia-toned as it appears here, but it is in essence the same.

Regarding a Very Special Meerkat

It is with great sadness that I have received this news: Zaphod, the oldest meerkat ever to be studied by the Cambridge team, has passed away. He saw countless victories and defeats over his lifetime, and led several different groups. His legacy will, I hope, remain strong in the generations to come. I have written a tribute poem to him, as he fully deserves one. It is as follows:

The skies today are dull and grey,
and shepherd's trees are whisp'ring to the wind.
Their mournful wails and tearful tales
can only mean one thing:
the longest life has finally come to an end.

While others sleep, the Aztecs keep
and wait and watch the stars all through the night;
now comes the dawn, but their leader's gone,
and no-one sees the sun
or revels in its rays of oft-beloved rosy light.

The sun is bold, but the sand is cold,
and so the hearts of all those standing still -
Monkulus grieves, and yet she receives
no comfort to her wounds:
no grooming, not a lick; no greeting trill.

The world seems bleak - but the spirits speak
of brighter times gone past and yet to be:
Zaphod is gone, but his children live on -
the future lies with them;
the desert is a kingdom for this monarch's legacy.

Those left behind will quickly find
that life can suffer loss and still go on.
Indeed, up above is a once-lost love
of Zaphod's very own,
and Flower seems as though she'd never gone.

So ends his story, but never his glory:
the Aztecs and the Whiskers will survive.
They fight in his name and speak of the same
in legend and in song:
in the soul of every meerkat he is very much alive.

x Elinor Blackwood 9 April 2011

Regarding Wednesdays

Having slept with my window slightly open, I awoke this morning to a gentle chorus of finches and the high-spirited calls of jays. There was something else, as well; a pattery ticky-tocky sound. It took me some time to realise, but this was the sound of rain.

The skies are grey, and this is good: for it is Wednesday, the holiest of all days. On Wednesdays, we have no obligations. We are going to the book-store today, and that does not count as an obligation because it is by choice and not a grueling task.

You may recall, dear reader, that I have decided to rid myself of Much Clutter. My mother has adopted an excellent strategy: throw out One Thousand Things. I shall certainly attempt to assist her wherever I can.

Regarding the Coming of Spring

On the first of March, a large flock of spring birds arrived in the area. Now everything is coming to life. It is intensely wonderful. This winter has seemed a long one to me, and though I do not resent it, I do not mind its passing.

I am looking forward to the Removal of Much Clutter from my house and basement. We have many boxes of Things Which We Do Not Need, and these must be disposed of. I have come to realise that once I have let something live in the basement for six years without missing it, I probably have no use for it anymore. I hope to be rid of many things over the weeks to come; then, perhaps, we can move far, far away.