Thursday 21 October 2010

Annuals and Cards

As this month marks the second anniversary of this blog, I thought it would be fun to produce two books in the form of an "Idiotic Hat Annual" (Christmas is coming) using the Blurb "blog slurping" facility. So far, it's looking promising.

The emphasis will be on the text, not the pictures, but without editing each volume currently runs to over 250 pages. I've written rather a lot over the past two years. I suspect that once I've pruned the initial "slurp" of an entire year's posts each volume will be around 150 pages, but that's still going to cost you £25 or more each in paperback...

However, in the end, my main intention is to preserve my efforts on paper rather than to shift product, so if you want to buy in to the foolishness that is the Idiotic Hat project you're very welcome, but if you don't, don't.

It is also coming up to the time to produce my Christmas / New Year cards again. I haven't chosen the images yet but, as last year, I will send a card to anyone anywhere on the planet who has taken the trouble to comment on this blog during the previous year, provided you send me a terrestrial address by email (see my profile over on the right there for my email address). Last year's recipients need not re-apply, unless you have moved house!


Possible card candidate:
a (very) still life

3 comments:

Bronislaus Janulis / Framewright said...

Mike,

Loved your museum post, as I'm a big fan of museums. Much of my misspent youth was spent wandering the halls of The Art Institute of Chicago, before it got popular.

Current post, a still life with a still life in it. It is really a nice image. A little "stunned" when I first "saw" what was going on. Nice one!

There's even a frame in it.

Mike C. said...

Hi Bron,

Yes, there's nothing takes the edge off the museum experience as lots of other people, is there?

That still life arrangement is something I contemplate every morning through the door of our downstairs loo -- that particular day the light was particularly soft, adding to the illusion.

The background painting is strange -- one of the Prof's great aunts was an accomplished painter, and dozens of her daubs are stacked in the garage of another elderly relative, going mouldy. This one was given to us, and is propped against the wall.

Gradually, in the relative warmth and dryness of our house a surface layer of milkiness has disappeared, and the details beneath have emerged. It's almost like watching the painting painting itself.

Mike

Martin said...

I've been engaged in a similar exercise, Mike. Partly for fun, partly to preserve the best bits (as decided by the panel...namely, me).

I like the sound of an 'Idiotic Hat Annual'. Good luck with that.