Bringing Science-Art to All (by sarah)

Science-Art - sponsor me/give me crowd funding have a little read to see what I am upto and what I need money for!

Ok so as many of you know I did a piece of 3D textural science-art for the exhibition In Braille at Centre Arts last year. I have since been asked to do a second piece - but more interactive so I have designed a sound/sensory cave to show through several media the order and structure of nature.

As you can image it contains proper electronics this time (not just the ipod and speakers) which are going to cost me quiet a bit so I am looking for sponsorship in exchange for things like downloads, art prints and the like. The more you sponsor the bigger the gifts.

Also I have been talking to a local gallery about running a Science-Art Exhibition next year (this is a response to my post about National Science and Engineering Week which very few people had actually heard about!).

Now there are several reasons I feel doing this is important and excess funding over and above component costs will go to fund the exhibition and maybe bigger and more far reaching things in future.

The first is that art is art and stimulating and helps creative thought and then there is science-art which helps communicate the glory and wonder of science - showing people it is not a boring and dead subject. Many people feel science and technology is not approachable so I want to make it approachable - less scary but showing concepts using the medium of art.

It is part of communicating science to the general population for - I am not saying the art is science - just a way of showing concepts.

Secondly - if I am doing this - I want to really comunicate it too everybody reguardless so I am very happy to initially be working on a piece with accessiblity in mind.

Thirdly - Science-Art is not really know in the UK, in other countries there are degrees you can take in science illustration and the like. If this art and science combo had been avalible to me I would have probably gone for that. I did look at Art, Archeology and Art History but was told to reapply for a more scientific degree :/

Art as a form of communication is very important especially for engaging the next generation - that was why even during my degree I was writing kids stories to show concepts with pictures and stories. To show investigation and thinking!

So part of this is to get Science-Art out there to inspire the next generation. Anyway there is a video and things and the list of gifts so go look 🙂

Mothering Sunday – The Outing (by sarah)

Mothers Day was lovely - I received three cards! One from Jean with a painted cat upon it 🙂 One from Mary with a very similar felt tip pen cat, glittery stickers showing things like camp fires and tents, and lots of scribble, and one from Alaric saying thankyou for making my dream family 🙂

(this was why I was in bed - I was awoken by child and baby clambering onto me with a cry of Happy Mothers Day Mummy!)

Al's one had a sad little side note in it about the fact that I have not got the life he promised I me i.e. the one I was working on when we met and got married - the science stuff but that he would never stop trying to make me happy.

I love him and the kids and PhD's can wait - not that I now think I have the attention span for one! I love projects that take 3-6 months! But that is something to dwell on later in life.

Anyway - we were going to go to the church but I looked on line and they seemed to only be doing Lent stuff and not a mothering sunday service and there was a large class breakage which needed cleaning up by which point it would have been to late anyway.

So we headed out to Gloucester and walked to the Cathedral to have a look at The Open West - which is an art display/instillation. I am still writing poetry and flash fiction from the pieces they had there as part of the Crucible exhibition.

We wondered round, building itself is awe inspiring and the evening song was on so singing echoed with sunlight hapazadly filtering in through the stained glass. Mary crawled around exstatically and Jean got excited everytime she found a new piece of art.

It did feel a bit invasive though as basically there were people lighting candles to pray and stuff and we were wondering around gawking at stuff. The cloisters and that were also closed so we didn't get to see it all which is a shame as I don't think I'll be able to get back there before it closes 🙁 But Jean did buy me a set of the prints for Mothers Day (with money borrowed from me) - she wanted some of the images too!

I was a little disappointed at the quality of the prints and of the photography itself if I am honest - but it will still serve as lovely writing and art material for me to work from. And hey Jeany desperatly wanted to buy it for me 🙂

I think my favourite piece was the Inside Out - a gold scaly umbilical cord - I took video of it as I found the light effect so enchanting.

Jean's was the video of people kissing under water.

Alaric liked the light and glass sculpture that looked like a neuron.

Mary - the steps of the Cathedral itself 🙂

We were going to go to the tea rooms and me knit but they were closed by the time we finished, and the ice cream parlour we were going to visit doesn't open on Sundays it turns out. But we found lush ice cream in BBs down by the shopping centre and then went in search of cheesy chips.

We went to the Aviator at Staverton but alas - it is apparently the busiest day of the year for them so they were bookings only and complete set menus! So we went to Sam's Pizza and Kabab House and I had a Kabab which is rare indeed, Al had a curry and Jean chips which she shared with Mary whilst we watched the sunset at Burrow Wake Viewing Point.

It was a lovely day.

Here be more photos!

This reminds me of an episode of Ulysses 31

Jean’s Nano (by sarah)

(Typed up by mummy - spellings are mummy's version of spelling some of which is still wrong - grammer has not been touched)

Lucy Has The Most Wonderful Dreams

Tuesday 1st of November

I saw a rabbit I walked up to it but when I walked up to it I saw something glowing in it's hand I snugged up to it and we went to a noter world it was sandy in the world it looked like a beach but before me and Jack Jack got to move Jack Jack told me that there was a pirate coming.

Chapter 2

The Party with the pirates

When we awoke me and Jack Jack where in cabins I remembered where we were so we tried to get out of the cabins but we couldn't get out before we got to say anything a pirate saw us . We couldn't move cos the pirate had already roped us up. The pirates were going to kill us the Captain saved our lives because he wanted people for his party the food was haddock, cod, sammon, and sardines. Just then the stone began to glow.

Chapter 3

The rabbit family

When we got back JAck Jack told me that he had to go home, I fallowed JAck Jack to his home JAck Jack said ok you can come home with me but my mummy will be looking at you I said errr ok I like that idea

good said jack jack I would like that to

Show you too my mummy but if you get cut on the way and I what is your name

JEan Rose Pym my mum said only Jean Rose Pym can go in the our secret room

I would love to go in your secret room.

Chapter 4

The Secret Room

Mum might not let you that will be ok and after that I will go home and tell my mum all about it JAck Jack said no

ok then that's ok.

Chapter 5

The Space Adventure

Jack Jack took me to the secret room the secret room had a house in it with me and Jack Jack as toys U wanted ti get out of the secret room, but Jack Jack said No, no do not go out of the secret room you will fall into space because we are floating into space and earth is not in line with us a lamp rocket is lifting us into space.and we are going to the moon, very fast zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom, I said yes very very very very very very fast zoom zoom I said this is a fun trip yippee, oo ahhh. Jack Jack said we are at the moon now ok you then you cos I am hungry and desperate for the loo Jack jack said

good cos there is a loo and a restaurant so we went into the restaurant, then I figured out that it was an unclean restaurant and decided to not eat any of the food because it was poo and there was quiet a party with lots of alien dogs that bring the human poo into the restaurant but the aliens eat human poo so we went to earth and then I figured out the adventures were not real and jack jack was just a picture on the wall I was sad but it was time to get ready for school we did history, science and sports afterwards I went home and watched the Mysterious Cities of Gold with my mum but then I just remembered I didn't tell Jack Jack what I had to tell him. I had to tell him how old I am but he wasn't there. I was sad and I am six. So I went to sleep but he wasn't there it was just black then I recognised that it had to be night so I went to be early because it was din dins time

mum said come and have din dins

no mum I am going to bed good night.

err are you having an early night?

yes because it is a hard working day tomorrow

It is? It's friday

I am going to go into my bed early so I can see Jack Jack

mummy said no you mustn't stay because we are going to go and watch Mysterious Cities of Gold

No it will make your eyes square mum said it would OK!

Oh NO IT ISNT I"M GOING TO BED

ok but this is going to be your bed time from now on

Ok but I might not have the same dreams murmured mummy

JUST GO TO BED

OK MUMMY But I stayed up all night watching TV for a quarter of the night and played star wars and last of all I sung christmas carols it was fun in the morning I suddenly fell asleep mum thought I was asleep all night but I hadn't thank goodness that it was the weekend other wise I would die and that would be bad yes it would but mummy gave me work.

I said but I will die ok just this time good night mum Good night lullaby ahhhhh I was asleep for the whole day.

I saw a dog Rob was his name I told him my name it was MAry Rob said Hello Mary lets go to the pub great idea errr I a want a big portion of chips to share with you lots of salt and vinagar too yum yum that will be tasty

I will want a pickled egg me too said Rob that is our order our order is done I might fall asleep in the pub because I am sleepy

me too said Rob and he fell asleep straight away

before we could say anything the only noise in the car was snorring but suddenly a hedghog went in the car and made a skuttling sound and a rabbit came in the car and made a snifing sound a really loud sound but me and rob were still asleep

just the a cat came in and meowed but me and rob still were asleep we didnt yawn we didnt turn we were asleep and mum wondered were I was and I was just in the car but mum didnt know that I was in the car and just at that moment I woke up.

Spotty Dotty Madness (by sarah)

One Year of Guitar Playing… (by sarah)

So it is a year since I decided to actually learn the guitar properlly and to practice each day rather than having a guitar sitting there gathering dust with like three strings on it - on which I could pluck (when it had all the strings obviously) the intro to Nothing Else Matters and play one Tori Amos song very slowly and very badly.

I was going to upload several videos but then Alaric pointed out that I might as well just up load the only one of my songs I have guitar stuff worked out for - it is the one I played at the open mike earlier this year.

I'm afraid the singing (and indeed in many places the guitar playing) is a little iffy, and no doubt the song will have song writers rolling their eyes. But I'm proud of having written this song and having guitar music for it 🙂

I also happen to have a small seven month old person trying to rip my boot off whilst I am playing!