Magic Music

I just had to put this here. This pianist is magic and so is his choice of music. Play on Phillip Sear.

Here's Karita Mattila singing from Canteloube's Chants d'Auvergne. I don't normally like opera but crikey I like this.
29 degrees outside. Been under a relentless barrage of fireworks for a week but they have mostly stopped now. Arthur has come out from under the bed.

Hard Cross to Bear

I cannot believe I have forgotten what I used to make the lines. I am always in search of the perfect line and here I found one which was getting close but what was it? Chalk? Felt Pen? 2B pencil. When I get the tool that provides exactly the line I want I go into a sort of visual channeling and all sorts of people and scenes run out the end of the wacom electronic pen. Also, I love gadgets, any kind will do. So the pen is not only a gateway it is a really great gadget. One day I would like to have a Cintiq which is the biggest digital, graphic gadget of all. Let's see if I can find a link...

Sweet Dreams

Corel Painter Essentials 2. You can use their watercolour brush as a pen. The outline is done in Chaoscope 0.3.1. which is free software and another one of those addictive pieces of software.

I am receiving requests for Maureen's return completely out of the blue. It's quite weird. It's me that made her up but what if it's her that made me up? Someone sent me an email the other day asking me if they were real or, in fact, there was more than one of them. I've got a feeling Maureen is going to push her way into this world. I'll have to give her a hand. Ha, ha...ready when you are....

Sisters

I don't see why the last couple of links are not working. Anyway, here is a link to a really beautiful piece of guitar playing by Per Kindgren, but watch out it will put a lump in your throat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGJmkqtRmPw

30 degrees in the shade. The English are leaping out of their cars and pasting the Spanish who like to honk horns loudly at traffic lights. I call a honk a "Spanish Doorbell" because when they visit someone they sit outside the house in the street and honk their horn to see if anybody is at home. Saves getting out the car and walking up to the door. Ha, ha they will be using their mobiles next..."Hello? Hello? I'm outside your house."
"I'm sorry you're breaking up."

Did you forget the Corkscrew?

Here is Paco removing the champagne cork. He, of course, hadn't told his girlfriend they were coming for a meal. She thought she was coming for snails. Patrick said they were not staying for a meal but bought a million kilos of churrasco which he didn't cook because he changed his mind and produced steak. But I had already made tandoori chicken. I guess that's why we don't do dinner parties often. Isn't it easier to have a picnic on top of a mountain?
http://www.livevideo.com/video/0E24DB3A5EFF4EC1B46D1652B0799B0E/did-you-forget-the-corkscrew.aspx

Birdzzzzzzz

Madness descends as we approach the fiestas of San Juan. Catalans are very fond of fireworks and let them off all day...in full sunlight...every ten minutes...for the next week. I once went out at two in the morning to ask a guy who lives up the road why he was letting off fireworks, all by himself, in the middle of the road.
"I don't know," he says. "Because everyone lets off fireworks."
"But there's no one else here, " I say. "And it's two in the morning."
"Oh right...but it's San Juan."
"But there's no one here except you...even your wife and kids are asleep."
"Yeah, right but it's San Juan."

The sun is now boiling. Thirty degrees but I am really amazed now that the campsite is still virtually deserted. The few people that are there are in tents! Not a giant camper van is sight. Maybe with all the prices rising people may actually start talking to each other again?

Paco is coming round this evening to lob the top of a bottle of champagne with a sabre. He did it last year. I'll try and get a photo.

Music to sing along with

Well, it didn't look like it linked below so here it is again.
I have thousands of things I want to do this summer. There's millions of tourists now but the campsite is strangely empty of enormous camper vans. I guess it's too expensive to drive through Europe this summer.

Grovel

I came across a very interesting Dutch artist Edgar Jensen who draws musicians and dancers among many other things and then from his blog came across this singer Madelaine Peroux. She has an extrordinary voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FktNzLg_te4

And here's one I drew earlier

Mondays

Brothers

Aha! The sleazoid summer real estate agents have arrived, with their shiny blazers, and shiny keyrings dangling from their hands. The joggers are out jogging, the bathers are up to their waists in the cold sea. The gentlemen from across the sea are laying out rows of sunglasses. The German ladies are all blonde with chin length bobs and orange and white striped T-shirts. The "Pope" is back into white shorts and shirt (to match his hair) plus red baseball cap (Last year's model). He is still running along the beach with arms wildly flapping.

And here I'll mention "Richard Madeley" for no reason at all and "boobs" and "Football" and "Britney Spears", so you'll get here by accident if you google any of that. Mind you I do actually read Richard Madeley's blog.

Why did I go out with him?

Looking through old folders and found a series of images I had downloaded by a sculptor called Christian Thomas.
http://pagespro-orange.fr/c.thomas/

I like his sculptures very much. He is also very funny.

Getting boiling hot here in Spain but at least the vegetables are getting back into the shops.

Get the Picture

Maureen is calling me...I really have to start her up again.

Truck drivers are casually delivering bits and pieces again. It's not too bad here because there are still locals who grow produce to sell in the local shops but I wouldn't like to live in a city right now.

Red Blob

Experimenting with paste and symmetry...is that how you spell that?

Chaos descends on the roads of Spain but I do actually feel sorry for the tourists. Soon there will be no food in the restaurants and no cars on the road. The world seems to be going down a drain.

Here's a reason to have an enjoyable few moments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si97f4RHxLA&feature=related

Oh, it looks like you'll have to copy and paste. Cough, cough, still coughing.

Double Entendre

Well, the truck drivers here in Spain are on strike because they are protesting about the rising oil prices. Today, the local gas station ran out of fuel. There's no vegetables in the veggie shop and the shelves are rapidly emptying in Intermarche, the supermarket.
I have two friends presently living in isolation on a nearby mountain top and I just know when they come down off the mountain they will immediatly think Spain has declared war with France and go into a panic.

Alice who used to be Frank has everything under control and is currently on her sixth wash (linen 90 degrees) with her new washing machine.

I continue to cough and cough but am beginning to surface at last.

And, if you can't see what the above are holding...it's supposed to be mobile phones.. My mobile has not rung, buzzed or cheeped since I bought it but I haven't given anyone the number and I've forgotten it anyway.

Melodeon Man

Playing around in photoshop with an old picture of Melodeon Man who comes to play in the local fiestas every year.

Here's a link to a super piece of animation. I love this stuff!

http://www.livevideo.com/video/FED12CFBE623401888B618F616CBE410/amasing-music-animation.aspx

Smoke Break

Twiddley Squillion people on the beach and in the market so I didn't cycle far but I have discovered this amazing group called "Arpeggiata". I would love to dance like this lady... and play all the instruments. If you're feeling a bit bleeugh this will put things right!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ5JF-RfecI

I didn't hear a word of Spanish while I was out this morning. There's a lot of very tall Dutch and very large Germans stalking the streets. The fashion this season appears to be stripes, especially effective on the larger frame.