Saatchi Update....

So my entry in the Saatchi Showdown is going to be available to vote on from tomorrow..... very exciting, and I've sent the link out to everyone I know, so hopefully this will get a lot of votes for me!





Follow this link to vote......http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=5816

Fame at last?

My artwork is now featured on The Saatchi Gallery website!!! Woooo!

Well, its not quite as impressive as it sounds, I've just registered with their online gallery and anyone can do this really! However, my work could be potentially seen by thosands of people, and I've also entered their "Showdown" competition, where artworks are featured on the Saatchi webpage, and members of the public vote for their favourites. I'm under no illusions that I might win and may well have to deal with some ego issues if people vote to tell me that my work is rubbish, (!!) but again, its potential exposure to thousands of people!!

Check out my online gallery here..... http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/artist_profile/Karen+Blake/29179.html

Favourite Films

Ok, so this is shamelessly nicked from Elsies blog! Thinking about some of my favourite films of all time..... so, here they are!

1. Lost in Translation - Although this list is in no particular order, this HAS to be my favourite. Beautifully written, beautifully shot, clever, subtle, interesting and moving.

2. Amelie - Just the lovliest film of all time, romantic without being schmultzy and quirky without being pretentious!

3. The Piano - Some say its moody, some say not much happens, i happen to love it. The score is wonderful, and again, its subtle with depth and great exploration of characters.

4. Dirty Dancing - Ok, so not the most highbrow of choices, but never fails to make me feel warm, fuzzy and 13 again! 5. The Shawshank Redemption - Sad, yet full of hope. Superbly acted and written, and such a great plot.

6. The Fifth Element - Just looks amazing! The fantastic costumes by Jean-Paul Gaultier are worth watching the film for alone!

7. Moulin Rouge - Baz Lurman is simply a genious! A visual and audio feast of a film, and it also has the delicious Mr McGregor as the leading man! Yum!

8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - More than slightly mad, but such a fab film. Stand out performances from Jim Carey and Kate Winslet.

9. Donnie Darko - Surreal, strange and I'm still not sure i quite get it, but I do know that I like it!

A reminder for when I am doubting my artistic abilities.....

Went and had that painting session and then one and a half hours later.....

I am writing this post to remind myself that I actually do think I have the ability to make some really good paintings! The last few days i have generally been on a downer and sometimes it all feel like a waste of time. I am utterly convinced I am the worst painter in the world! However, tonight, it all really came together, and I want to post this to remind myself that...

1. I really liked what I did tonight.

2. I think my work has real potential

3. I think my use of paint is really improving!

4. This is NOT all a waste of time!

5. This is my purpose and what Im meant to be doing!

So...... I need to remember this feeling to inspire my future efforts! And I also need to go to bed now before my eyes fall out of my head through tiredness!

Mr Moir & Mr Coates

Saw Vic Reeves (to call him Jim Moir still feels a wee bit pretentious!) on a programme tonight called "The Grumpy Guide to Art". It was kind of funny in places, but basically was a tongue in cheek dig at the art world and all its pretentiousness. Some of it rang true, some of it I felt the need to argue with! However! What I took away from it was a reminder that Vic is truely a hero of mine! Really down to earth arguments about art appreciation, and basically thought the same as me...... so what if its a bit highbrow, if it makes me laugh, then surely thats good isn't it?!? Thats the one thing that can get me about the artworld, its all so serious. Whats wrong with laughing at art and finding it amusing and provoking? Art should be more fun, right?

I love it! Pure sillyness, and actually not a bad painter either!

I remember a wonderful moment watching a video by Marcus Coates at the Bristol museum during the British Art touring exhibition last summer. In it he basically dressed up with a full dear skin strapped to his back and performed a shamanistic ritual supposedly conjuring animal spirits fom the underworld infront of a bemused group of pensioners from a housing committee in someones front room. It was bizarre! I have read an interview with the artist and I'm afraid he takes himself quite seriously and is a bit filled with pompous self importance. No matter! The video was hilarious! What made the moment so special was that i was sat side by side with a stranger who found the video just as funny as me, and we shared this experience of laughing in a really stuffy, silent gallery, feeling a little bit wrong but unable to contain our mirth! It was a real connection that will stay with me for a long time, and I hope with the stranger too. That to me is what art is all about!

Im not sure where this post is going so I will end here, as this is a real MMM post! but then thats why Im a fan of my blog....... it is a bit of a random stream of conciousness, but thats a good reminder for me of where my head is at. And on that note, I think i am going to go and paint!