Snow, Art e Society.

I love snow and cold weather. We are getting some of it at the moment which is great.

Maybe I should go an live in Norway or Sweden. At least I could go on holiday over there at some point for peace and tranquillity something one doesn't get living in a city like London.

I would like to go to Lapland to see long stretches of white snow, the Northern lights and the rain deers. I guess just the sound of being in nature or the sound of the howling wind would do it for me and sitting in front of a wooden burning fire in the middle of no where.

But I am not to sure if I would like to sleep in an ice hotel thought. I wonder if they have got some sort of winter type of Tipi. I would prefer a local Tipi that goes with an idea of nomadic life or natural state. Faraway from the industrial society we are living in all about buying and spending. Shop shop till you drop isolated from one another, competing against each other. Unfortunately this type of concept behaviour is taking place at all levels in our society and as been spilling out in the art world as well in many different ways...In the arts I find that some artists do their own work, promote their own work but don't work with others or help them promoting their work. This is not true every where, the world is a big place and I am sure there are group dedicated to art all over but a lot of them don't make it to the mainstream or are isolated which is sad.

In our society what is valued are financially successful people, beautiful people etc people who do a good job, people who are caring for others are rarely remembered apart from the people who had the luck of meeting them. It's more how much can you make? Instead of being how much can you give? I can see this in the arts some artists totally focus on how much they can sell even what they make it's influenced by this.

How can we change this? I can't definitely change others, can I? God knows what's going through their brains right now.

What do I care what others do anyway especially in this case in the arts?

I do care because everything that's been put out there as some sort of impact on the people that see it. So it's important to have an opinion and do something about it if one is passionate about life and art but it is also true in daily life that one can only change one self not others if they are not ready for a change they wont change, They will stick to the old known sick ways.

XXX

M

Financial Crisis + The young Artist...

Dear friends,

All the newspapers and on TV they keep talking about the Financial crisis that as hit the banks. I am not surprised like many others as we have been heading this way for quite some time now. I don't know you... but I thought this more than a year and half ago so what can I say I am not shocked.

Some people say, that this situation was brought upon by the media which is a bit crazy in my opinion because the media it's merely reporting what's going on out there. Naturally being the 'media' they will use some shocking titles to grab the attention of the reader so that their newspapers will sell more. In this respect I have seen some really good titles around on British newspapers such as: The Bonfire of the Billionaires or Millionaires or something or Black Monday or Black Friday can't remember which day it was!! As for me that day was, a really good day. I was happily painting away oblivious to the media. I mean honestly, if you don't want to get worried about what's going on out there don't watch TV, listen to the radio or read the newspapers, if not read them but don't get flustered. There is nothing you can do about it if you have got no money and you are single you have got nothing to worry about, but if you do have a family or lots of savings check your options. If the banks go bust they go bust, Amen. The people who I really feel for are the people who lost their savings in the Icelandic scandal who did not realise in time that the shit was hitting the fan. I hope they will get their money back. They are in my thoughts, I pray for them.

Many people are sitting in their offices or at home thinking their bank could go under next, which is a very likely possibility. Who knows? I think the times to get worried are the times when we will have social disorders due to lack of food and water . So my advice to you my artist friend out there if you can Live a self sustainable lifestyle meaning live on a farm and grow your own stuff, this would the best way forward. But Just in case you ain't going to make it to the countryside or you read my blog to late, keep boxes of tin food hidden away so you can seat the crisis out.

All the best,

XXX

Fraud - Money e Art.

Yesterday afternoon Sunday after spending a chaotic day helping relatives. I decided to go and and eat an ice cream from my favourite Italian ice cream shop to escape ' la famiglia'. The ice cream was fantastic as usual. Creamy, tick , luscious chocolate and banana flavour to die for. A huge portion topped with fluffy whipped cream, it definitely put a smile on my face. I can't stand some ice cream shops where they charge you huge amounts for a really small scoop of ice cream anyway after I finished my ice cream I decide to go and take some money from the cash machine completed with a mini statement. I tried three cash machine none had money. I thought, typical on a Sunday evening. Everybody is been boozing, partying on Friday and Saturday and emptied the machines. Finally I got to one and there was this huge man, with the biggest ass I have ever seen leaning on the cash machine taking money with different cards. There I was standing looking left and right thinking: Why do always get someone in front of me who is taking money out for the whole family and is so slow I mean real slow. I could have gone for a coffee' and come back and he would have been still there. Anyway now I wished he stayed longer because after when I went and print out my mini statement I realised that most of my money in my bank account was gone!!! I just kept looking at this little piece of paper thinking where is my money? What happened? I did not spend this money. I flipped the mini statement while running toward the first telephone box I saw, as my mobile was down, to call my bank and hope that I would find someone on a Sunday. And I did find someone with a nice calm voice, who had heard it all before. I said to her: I think someone is using my account without my knowledge. She replied the usual stuff: can I have your account number and blah blah blah. Suddenly she said: have you been abroad and I said: No. I started to panic, my heart was beating faster, my head was turning and when she confirmed that someone was been spending my money abroad.

I just could not believe it.

How can someone take the only money I had as I don't have any savings I mean I am a poor young starving artist.

The money I had in my account was the money I was supposed to spend on the dentist not on something frivolous. I mean every time I go out I can't just go out I have to think: can I afford this can I really afford a cinema ticket this week? What can I say no trip to the Dentist soon...

The operator from my bank kept reassuring me that I was going to get my money back and she kept saying do you have cash at the moment?

So my advice to young artist friends is: when you take money from cash machines do it inside the bank, cover your pin number and never pay for stuff with your card in stores or shops or restaurants basically anywhere because I paid for something in a store and they some how where able to copy with out my knowledge my card details. But as the operator on the phone said: it happens all the time.

London, Accomodation, Artists.

Dear all,

If you are thinking to stay permanently in London beware of poor accommodation.A lot of houses, flats in London have been taken over by moth and rodents. Moth will eat you clothes and rodents your food and furniture. Some days you will also find them having wild parties in your private space at the expense of your pockets and your sanity.

On top of this you can have windows that don't shut, no blinds or really poor quality blinds that you will never find any where else in Europe. So if you are someone who needs shutters like I do, I suggest you to go and stay permanently in Spain, France or Italy because every time you will move house or flat or room in London you will have same problem: no shutters!

+ Don't get me started on how agencies, landlords etc charge huge amounts of money for really crap accommodation. If you are on a budget it's something to ponder on because you will find that you have to stay far out of London ( and pay loads more for terribly clean transport) or to live in London will be sharing with loads of people in a small space and still pay loads of money for crap aaccommodation.London it's a great place to visit or if you have loads and loads of money that you can spend on fantastic nightclubs and entertainment.

There are so many places that I really cool to visit and let's not talk about shopping.

If you are a young artist like I am I suggest you to go and live some where else than London as you will find studio spaces less expensive outside of London and yes they don't have any heating in the winter so you will be covered in jumpers to survive the day in your cold highly expensive studio drinking hot cups of coffees, teas.to make it through the day....which is maybe fine if you are a hardy Brit but not if you are coming from a warm sunny country. Not for long periods of times at least. Soon the grey weather will hit you in the head and you will have strange thoughts of doom and gloom that you will not normally have if you where living in Italy for example. So my advice to you my fellow young artist if you can get a job in a warm sunny country go there and stay there and only go to London to visit. London it's a place for hard patient people. I will tell you more about why one needs to be patient in London in my next chapter. Got to go now.

And remember time doesn't wait for anybody so if you have to do something do it now!! Apply to that gallery today.