Archive for January, 2010

SALE Scandinavian Matryoshka Art Doll Fru Glede by Ravenhill.

Isn’t this beautiful. I have decided I really love these dolls. Not the traditional wooden nested ones, but the fabric kind like these, so pretty. I find myself looking at them all the time, and would love to have one in my studio or bedroom for inspiration.

This one is made by Ravenhill, a UK based artisan. Her attention to detail,  use of lovely fabrics and her light touch are easily spotted. I want this doll, and think I will be making a purchase soon.

Bill Weaver from The ARTISTS Center very flatteringly asked if he could use some of my blog entries to feed onto the site.  Naturally I accepted and I am honoured.  He has chosen to feature a short write up I did recently about why people give up art when they leave school, and the importance of drawing as therapy. Not only that, but he gave me a sterling endorsement, I almost don’t recognise myself.

Oh, and I speak fluent ‘Geek’ apparently. I didn’t  know whether to be proud or vaguely embarrased (quite chuffed really).  I always thought I was one of the ‘cool’ kids (and cool girls didn’t go out with geeky boys).  But as my friend Ian aka zilla774 says, ‘its cool to be an internet geek.’

Lorrie Whittington on the importance of art — The ARTISTScenter.

Interview for The ARTISTS Center

Entitled ‘Lorrie Whittington talks about business and art’.
The lovely Bill has posted the second part of my interview, and it reads rather well. Comments and feedback are always appreciated.
READ ON…

with my Afghan slippers. Yes…you heard it right.

It’s been a cold, cold winter here in the UK, and downstairs from front to back we have hard floors. My feet have been freezing.  None of my slippers were keeping my feet warm, and I got to thinking, the only time I ever had warm feet in winter was years ago when I had a pair of Afghan slippers.  However, they were long gone, and I had not seen them on sale anywhere in years. My last pair were bought in the early 90′s from an Oxfam shop.

However, I stuck ‘afghan slippers’ into Google, and lo and behold, the first link on the list was Afghanslippersocks.co. uk . You can imagine my delight. It transpires that the man who sells them, was one of the original importers in the 60′s and 70′s.

I browsed the site and was delighted to find that not only the cost to be extremely reasonable (£7.50), but that postage was as well (£2.50).  I have to tell you, that I don’t think the pair I bought all those years ago were much cheaper.  Also, Alistair adheres to Fair Trade guidelines and the profits go to Afghan War widows who make the slippers.

They are well made, the yarn being a mix of pure wool and rayon, so they are a washable, soles have a soft leather sole sewn on.

I bought a pair, and included a note to Alistair asking for a fast turn around as my feet were freezing. He had them in the post same day, and they arrived the next. My feet were toasty. I have since bought another two pairs.

I can’t recommend these slipper socks highly enough. They are warm, bright, cheerful and the money goes to a good cause.  I think I am addicted.

Check out the site. www.afghanslippersocks.co.uk

Afghan slippers I

Afghan slippers II

Afghan slippers III

On the 11th January 2010, my friend Bill aka Generating Hype passed away. He died surrounded by love and amidst a setting of peace and beauty.

I had known Bill for approximately three years, and we met through deviantART.  I can’t remember how or why,  I think I was running a contest and Bill offered his support.  We warmed to each other immediately, and became friends, which extended to Live Journal and Facebook.

Bill was a well known character on deviantART and an active contributor to the Literature community.  He adminstered and contributed to more than one club, including Wordcount and LitNews, and for a while was one of the team of Literature Gallery Moderators. He judged in contests, critiqued peoples work, and submitted his own work for our edification and enjoyment. His efforts were…tireless.

I always knew Bill was not a well man.  He would take the odd sabbatical from deviantART when illness became too much for him to cope with.  Last year he had a major seizure and was a in a coma for some time.  When he regained conciousness he had lost some of his memory.  He had beaten cancer already and was determined to fight on.  Bill was HIV, and had been so I think for much of his adult life, since childhood in fact I believe.  He was in his mid twenties.

Late last year, it transpired that he did not have long to live.  He took the news stoically and in true form, and subsequently wrote a journal entry the theme of which was ‘what are you thankful for’,  which inspired a former entry in this, my own journal.

Bill was a lovely, gentle, clever, thoughtful and brave man. He was never bitter, raging, angry or defeatest.   Despite his illness,  he never allowed it, in  as much as he could, to get the better of him, and remained determined to achieve as much as he could in the time alloted to him.

He spent the last few months of his life in London and Ireland with Brody, his partner, and they were married at Christmas.  In those last months they travelled the world, even as far as China and the Great Wall. And, in the very last days of his life, him and Brody made it to Egypt, so that Bill could see the pryamids.

And now he is gone.  Bill didn’t want people to grieve, but to celebrate his life and remember him with joy, and I do…but I will still cry. To me the loss of this wonderful, eloquent, erudite and beautiful man who was so young, seems crushingly unjust.  I am left wondering what amazing things he might have achieved had he been allowed the full sum of life that he so deserved.

My thoughts are now for Brody, who gave so much of himself, in love, support and effort. For to be the one left behind is truly terrible. The sense of loss and desolation is also accompanied by days of emptiness and apathy. What does one do, when the whole focus of ones life has been the care and love of another?

I will never forget Bill, who so inspired me and many others to count our  blessings, treasure the ones we love, and live each day to the fullest.  Bill was a true testimony to the premise that ‘we are more than the sum of our parts’.  I will always miss him.

Late last year Bill Weaver creator of The Artists Center approached me with a view to being a featured artist for the site. I was naturally thrilled and jumped at the chance. He sent me quite an impressive list of questions for an interview, which would be spaced out over the period of January 2010. I got to work, and despite one or two delays due to acts of God, illness and such like,  I finished my interview yesteray and submitted it to him. He wrote back promptly, telling me how pleased he was, and that not only did he intend to feature the article, but that he would like me to be a guest writer for the blog, and that appropriate posts from my own blog would feed to the site.

It was quite a challenge, and the questions Bill sent me were pretty thorough and covered a lot of ground, but I really enjoyed it, despite that writing about oneself can be quite a daunting task. Here is Part I of my interview. Also on the site is a nifty video of my work spliced to some pretty funky music.

Thanks Bill for such a great opporunity for some fantastic exposure, and a very flattering introduction to the interview. Bless you.

If you do go and have a read, please do leave a comment, as it’s so appreciated by both Bill Weaver (who puts so much work into the site) and I.