We are Siamese if you please

I know this isn't much of a post but it's a sneak peek at what I'm working on at the moment - I realize the whole freak show thing has been done but I really like the idea of creating a bunch of characters that look and act uniquely - I'm trying to push my style into a different direction, try and challenge myself by picking a subject matter that isn't outright cutsy - basically I'm going for weird and slightly creepy… people that aren't traditionally beautiful, people that have a story. 

So this is my first attempt at the siamese twins… let mw know what you think of the effects ^_^ 

More to come - I have a bunch of sketches I'll be uploading next week! 

Chew chew... eeewwww!

By popular demand I thought I would tell a story about my holiday. No risk of retelling the people that know the story already as I'm pretty sure only one of my family members actually reads my blog. I'll preface this by mentioning that it was a great holiday all up and think it's best summarized with some of the things I learnt... 

I learnt that after nineteen years I was a better skier at 6 than I am now.

I learnt that snow is pretty on the ground, until you have to step in it. 

I learnt that when it snows - it's just really cold rain

I learnt that you can survive a nose bleed that lasts 3 weeks. 

I learnt that you should always check your bag before you take it home with you (sorry Bridie) 

I learnt that buying a Ukelele helps you when checking in more sinister things through customs 

I learnt that Hawaiians have a slight Napoleon complex (ask them about the main land) 

I learnt that standing up on a surf board is easy when it's so big it needs 3 people to take it to the beach 

I learnt that no matter how pretty a Victoria's Secret bra is you should never wear it on your head.. you know who you are

And I learnt that no matter how hungry you are you should never eat out of the bin. 

Case in point, I had finally stollen my laptop back from my little sis and was enjoying some surfing time that didn't involve the possibility of my arms falling off or swallowing copious amounts of sea water when I heard a grumble in the bed next to me. I looked up to see my sis staring at me with pouted lip and rubbing her stomach. 

"I'm hungry" she whined imploringly. "Well, (began my not so sympathetic reply) you should have spent your money on food… not bracelets for the 1892 friends you apparently have on Facebook" Ok so maybe I thought it, I may have said instead… "oh, well I have plenty of snacks, what do you feel like" (I'm such a sucker) 

"dunno"

"Corn chips"?

"Nah"

"Popcorn"

"Don't like it"

"uuummmm…fruit?"

"Noooo…(long pause) I'm hungry"

"Well I'm not your stomach, arms or brain so you're going to have to give me more to go on… why don't you order room service"

"I can't be bothered" (this was after a depressed look at the hotel phone sitting 3cm from her bed) 

"Oh I know, I have some leftovers you can have, I got them yesterday - chickpea and rice dish sound ok? It's really good… and I only just put it in the bin!" 

"It's in the bin??"

"Well, Yeah, (I reasoned) but I just put it in there, and it's right on the top, protected from the elements and it's our own bin so there isn't anything nasty in there and…(10 minutes later)… AND it's pretty fresh and.."

"Ok!" She held her hands up, "Why not" See this is the epitome of teenage laziness, your CBF attitude has you eating out of a bin because you wont pick up the phone sitting right next to you and order something decent. 

So I set her up with a towel and discreetly brushed the tissues of the box of rice casserole I had thrown out earlier. When I could see her actively lifting food into her mouth I went on with what I told her was important work stuff… You Tube. 

About 5 minutes into a hilarious interview I heard a muffled call next to me… something like Lesphflee…LESPHGFLEE! 

I turned to see my sis in bed her mouth agape with mashed up rice and a weird white shriveled thing between the chopsticks she was delicately holding out for me to see. 

"Isth… isth Vis Your gom?"

In an instant I realized what it was… it was indeed my gum, cold and shriveled from spending a day in the fridge. I lay there staring at her eyes wide, excuses cascading through my head and rested on the brilliantly thought out… "yeeeaaaah"

Without saying another word I slithered of the bed, prized the chopsticks from her stiff fingers, took the box of food and towel away then with 30 tissues in hand placed my hands under her chin for the masticated lentils to roll into. Folded the tissue, placed them in the bin and went back to what I was doing. Her traumatized face still vivid in my peripherals.

So yes another lesson learnt. 

The other could arguably be, don't eat something you don't recognise… it's probably been in someones mouth. 

So hope you guys learnt something from this, I'd love to hear if you learnt anything new this holiday's!

Until next week ^_^

Didn't have time to finish the illo's specific to this blog but they are on there way :)

Setting Sail

Well it's a new year, and about time I OFFICIALLY announce 

the new look for my website! 

I hope you all had a brilliant Holiday and new year!

Here's to an even better 2012 

Cheers ^_^ 


SAIL AWAY

Cheers!

Well, what a month it's been! 

Since I last posted I've been flat out animating, drawing, recording and hassling friends for snow gear for my impending trip to Denver, a place I'm typing from at this very moment :) 

It's been quite a way to end whats been a year of ups, downs and the occasional round and round. I've travelled overseas twice, been picked up by the Andrea Brown literary agency under Kelly Sonnack, worked with a  bunch of new clients, met with old ones, made a host of awesome new friends in the industry, Got picked up by the school magazine (something I've imagined since being in school and reading it myself), had my first licensing gig and a bunch of other stuff I'll stop mentioning as this is starting to sound like a shopping list of brags... 

Things definitely haven't been boring though... well, unless you count October, when I had no tech equipment and got so lost I tried to take up crocheting which got me in a bit of a knot... literally, and saw me embroidering my jumper, something people only sigh with pity towards when being told. 

Hope everyone has a brilliant Holiday and gets time to relax, party and eat with friends and family - Thanks so much for reading my blog guys, your viewing numbers and comments really make my day, you're all awesome ^_^ 

Happy Holidays and see you all next year - every week, I promise! 

Hey Doodle Dandy

A poem and some sketches for you guys ~sigh~ I'm becoming one of those people that updates their blog frustratingly sporadically so I'm going to seriously try and get back on track for the new year... For now I'm busy working on a few new projects that among other things have got me back to animating... more sketches to come - I just didn't want to dump all 50 photos on here at once :) 

Here's to all the ugly kids 

Not quite cute but funny kids

The rolly polly one browed boys 

The short stout speccy four-eyed girls. 

Thanks to all the kids with spots

upon who's skin you'd join the dots

Stand proud the frizzy messy haired

Pale skinned large nose and dairy-aired 

You may not be conventional

belong in Milk or Bambino 

But your the kids I love to see 

All bony elbows and scabby knees

The kids that know who they are 

The ones that end up going far

See I should know how this is true 

I was ugly just like you 

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

I know I know, I promised part 2 the very next week and what is it? Three weeks later… I could lie to you and blame the fact I’ve been without a computer, unfortunately I’m a bad liar, (I have already prefaced this with an omission of guilt). So I won’t lie, I have been without a computer though – the last three days have seemed an eternity – I feel like I’ve lost a child – the stress of not knowing where he is (not sure how my mac became gender specific, but there you go), not knowing who's looking after him or if he’s ok… It’s been tough… I’m like a junky too, every time I see a computer my fingers start tingling and a get all twitchy… people have been super nice, offering up their’s while I wait, the desperation in my face must be getting obvious, either that or the beads of sweat running down my forehead are giving me away. I haven’t obliged though – I’m worried I’ll get so carried away they’ll never get it back.

Oh man, as always I digress. To end the rant though you may be wondering how, given my current horrifying circumstances, I am managing to type this up. I finally caved and agreed to use the computers in the library (despite the sticky key boards and slow running times) they are at least bolted to the table so no chance of trying to discreetly stuff them in my backpack. 

Part 2 of nicknames.

As you loyal readers are aware I covered the subject of given nicknames last entry (those that aren’t can go back and read it… go on…. No don’t just keep reading because you think I won’t know you haven’t checked… We’re all waiting… oh fine then). 

This entry I wanted to mention the nicknames we get but aren’t really aware of. I’m not talking so much about the nasty ones, I’d rather not mention those… mostly because I’ve had my fair share and don't particularly want to reminisce swell because I’d prefer to keep this blog somewhat light hearted (first entry about my fish dyeing not included).

The nicknames I’m referring to are more likely known as 'identifiers' and always come as a bit of a shock when you become privy to them... even though it comes out a fair amount of time after it's use has been discontinued to avoid such embarrassments. My first was headband girl... let me explain. Before year 7, in order to give myself a little makeover, mum convinced me to get my hair layered. The people reading this with thick curly hair are already cringing in the knowledge how bad an idea this was… even before I found out the hairdresser couldn't cut a straight line to save her life. The do kept getting shorter and shorter, poofier and poofier until my tears forced her to stop. 

It. Looked. Shocking. 

so as a method of disguise I decided the large width elastic headband in navy blue (to match my uniform) was my best accessory. I wore it for a year, until mum finally forced me to stop claiming it made my head sweat and thus smell kinda funky. Luckily she intervened before stinky head became my new identifier. I found out about 'headband girl' years later on the bus with my best friend Luce. 

"Really, headband girl? surely that wasn't my most distinguishable feature"..

"Well it was more that it was the first thing you could make out on your approach... short.. brown hair... headband….Lesley!"

My latest, and the inspiration for this entry, is... "eggplant girl"... Unfortunately this charming alias is still in use, thanks to the lovely people at my local sushi counter... what can I say, I'm a girl who knows what she likes... and I LEEEERVE me some eggplant.

So anyone else find out about an identifier they had OR have you give one to someone else? I know those of us who spent time in the service industry have a few... yeah I'm thinking of you "More berries man"

Lel

          

        

           

Nicknames

Like every Australian I've grown up with nicknames. This is due to the fact that most people from Oz refuse to pronounce anything longer than two syllables. I'm guilty as well, it's not until you're in another country shortening strangers names after your first encounter that you start to realise how weird it can be. It doesn't stop at a nicknames - there are even nicknames for nicknames.. I think it has something to do with the statue of limitation on the first nickname… once people have sufficiently forgotten the object, place or persons original alias and the nickname has become it's identifier then that name will be shortened as well. On top of this is our tendency to slur so words become sewn together in a sentence like a patchwork quilt. How are you doing today becomes  

"howyadointday?" 

You're starting to get the picture. In short, nicknames are unavoidable. Unfortunately I have a name that lends itself to nicknames I would rather not go by. Lesley so often becomes - Les (a boys name) or some way of implying my sexual orientation - lessy, lesso, or as one friend so eloquently put it lesby… maybe if I actually was a lesbian it would make sense, but I'm not. I tried making up my own nickname - but for those of you who have ever tried that, you will understand how pointless this pursuit turned out to be. 

The story ends happily though - when my little sister was born she couldn't pronounce my full name - so Lesley quickly became Lely, and just like that - my nickname was born - a 1 year old had solved a problem I'd been facing for 11 years - I was elated to say the least and tried to convince my parents to let me take my sister with me everywhere so people could hear the nickname and it would stick. they weren't convinced... 

It did stick though and to this day my friends and family still call me Lely.. or Lel as the second round of nickname mania has shortened it to. I like it - ironically it sounds a lot like the hungarian pronunciation of my name - which is how my parents came across it in the first place - mum wanted a uni-sex name that would give me a fair chance in the work force and Dad wanted a name from the family - my noni's maiden name was picked and that was that. 

Part 2 of nicknames next week...

In the meantime - do you have a nickname?