valdary

10:23 am: I'm not giving away any spoilers here, but I suspect that if you watch the episode of Doctor Who called "Gridlock" very carefully. It might give you a few clues to the true identity of the 456.

10:29 pm: Children of Earth
I just finished watching series 3 of Torchwood.

I cried, I held my breath, my heart nearly stopped beating.

02:43 pm: Going to see Quantum of Solace at 4pm, all the later showings being sold out.

Resident Giant went to see "Blood Brothers" at the theatre last week and loved it. he's going to and Elliot Minor concert on Monday so hectic social life,

Happy Halloween folks,

we'll be hiding from the trick or treaters though we do have a few sweeties for our friends. Funny how no one had ever heard of Trick or Treating until they saw it in the E T movie. It used just to be parties and dances with apple bobbing and games, remember how we used to make an apple peel as long as we could then throw it over your shoulder and see if you could read the initials of your future sweetheart, now all the old traditional games are forgotton and you just get teenage thugs terrrorising old folk, shame

11:48 am: I went to Media and Comic Expo 2008 (Telford) on Sat, Its a pretty small convention by international standards but it was fun, Interesting to talk to some other fantasy artists,

Apart from the artists it was just a few stalls of playing cards and manga comics and film merch, nothing special but and its a big but, it was worth going just to see what folks were wearing, Apart from the stallholders in their official tee shirts I felt like the only person not in fancy dress.

Two daleks, a cyberman, lots of furries, lots of girls in Japanese school uniform and manga hairdos, mad hatters, geishas, creatures from the Dark Crystal, Someone who looked like a very stylish Grim Reaper but all in pink (can anyone tell me where that is from?)

There were bands playing in Manga costume with a hundred or so costumed fans doing a dance that involved putting their hands in Micky Mouse ear position and flapping them while tilting their head from side to side.

Jimmy Vee (Banakafallata from Doctor Who, Titanic Special episode) was signing autographs but at £15 a pop wasn't getting many takers)

I was exhausted after but it was worth it.

05:57 pm: Some new additions to my Wyvern's Library http://www.elfwood.com/libr/v/a/valdary1/valdary1.html

01:18 pm: I made myself a new facebook page http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Valerie-J-Higgins/24053242855

I'm hoping it will help me get a little more traffic to the places I sell my art

12:55 pm: For those of you enduring much electioneering at the moment http://www.cafepress.com/valdary/5912061

01:08 pm: I took an old image and riffed on a theme

Original image http://www.cafepress.com/valdary.297598267

dragon selected out and two colourways for clothes and badges and gifts http://www.cafepress.com/valdary/5905052
I am especially proud of the clock design

And also as a large print http://www.imagekind.com/showartwork.aspx?imid=854f36a2-178f-4b86-8a55-215a71defe86

Cyrak is having to work for a living poor thing.

11:44 am:


A new abstract piece at my Imagekind Gallery, (click on the pic to go see)

11:10 am: I've had some fun creating a couple of quick abstracts,

Trouble with abstracts, how do you give a name to the things?
I just stare at them and everything I think of seems lame.

They have to have names,
I refuse to send them out to seek their fortune with "Untitled" labelled on them as though I didn't care.

02:27 pm: A little sunshine I created to cheer myself up http://www.imagekind.com/Showartwork.aspx?IMID=849a5612-7613-4f71-a11b-fc9266ed87e7&P=1

12:03 pm: Squirrels
The squirrels are driving me nuts, okay it's a bit early for nuts but they've found something they need to break open to eat and they are banging it on my roof. I can do without more cracked tiles thankyou!

The noise is incredible, and every so often I have to give in and make sure it isn't someone knocking at the door. It never is, it's always those wretched squirrels, but I'm just a poor paranoid artist that they are driving insane.

11:06 am: My new Wyvern library is at http://www.elfwood.com/libr/v/a/valdary1/valdary1.html
and also a gallery at Imagekind http://Valdary.imagekind.com/Valdary

I've put a few images up at place holders but it will more likely be for my abstract and non fantasy stuff, Ridiculous really to have yet another gallery but now I have the computer power I want to play with some really big abstract digital poster art. Whether I have the time I don't know, but I figure the more I try to do maybe the more time I'll get.

11:33 am: Bee Familiar
Here I am with my Bifrostie hat on,

My contribution to the Bifrost Fantasy "Personal Familiar" project is up on Elfwood at http://www.elfwood.com/art/v/a/valdary/higginsvj_personalfamiliar.jpg.html

I thought I was late but we have an extended deadline, so any other Bifrosties out there, What is your personal familiar?

12:50 pm:


I have a new design at my shop just for people who love bats,
Click the pic to go see.

04:37 pm: Who Are My Friends?
Who are my friends?
These gems against a dark sky!
My chosen, my found, my beloved,
This is why!
They are the people who do not sleepwalk through their lives.
Though each be as different from each other as jam and chives,
This is the link,
They are the people who stop and think!
Who don't do what is done,
Because it's done and always has been.
They are the people who have seen,
That the middle of the herd,
Isn't where they want to be.
They use their own judgment,
They have their own passions,
They are free!
My friends are the people who accepted me,
When the sleepwalkers found me strange.
They have lit my life with joy,
And taught me how to be
Most truly myself.
I have been beyond fortunate,
To find the people,
Who could let me be who I am,
When I couldn't act a sham.
Who are individual enough themselves,
To befriend someone out of the norm,
And never turn and tell me I should conform.
Without them I would have been utterly lost.
They are strong and witty and wise and kind,
They have the courage to live with their eyes open.
In their own way each one is a shining star,
And I want my friends to know,
What very special people they are.

Valerie Higgins

12:00 pm: Making Hay
I'm making hay in the sun that shines,
Against an iron black sky.
Taking what I can before it breaks.
Leaving later harvests for unpracticed hands to try,
Trusting them to learn from their mistakes.

What I can do I will,
What I have I leave,
To help them make their shelter safe and warm.
But they must shutter their own windows,
Against the winds that blow.
I won't be there to help them face the storm.

03:57 pm: Torchwood series finale
Americans won't have seen this episode yet so I've put it behind the cut.

( Read more... )

06:09 pm: Thankyou to whoever nominated me to receive a drawing from Ben Wu.

I received an amusing rabbit cartoon that really made me smile.

11:37 am: So did you see a blowfish driving a sports car?

"Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" was a great start to the second Torchwood series, vastly entertaining. I am so looking forward to seeing what they get up to next, Tosh and Owen seemed to be getting closer, some nice tension set up between Gwen and Captain Jack, and Captain Jack and Ianto setting up a date. Martha is certain to stir internal jealousies up when she comes in, Captain John will cause more mischief, and exactly who is Grace? Weird aliens, poisoned lip gloss, space/time rifts, bar room brawls, a diamond theft where the supposed diamond turned out to be a bomb on a ten minute timer, and those sexy Welsh accents. What more could you want from an hour's entertainment?