So I got this bee in ma bonnet this week for drawing, then painting. After re-watching "Ways of Seeing" by the artist/critic John Berger I was taken by the whim to paint a series of pictures(oh no, not just one) based upon the programs. This is a sketch I did of him yesterday, I started trying to paint this today, but in my enthusiasm forgot how difficult oil painting is! My plan is for each painting to be representative of the points he makes in each program.

The first program is right up my street, philosophically speaking, as he deals with the impact photography and printing has had on art, and how this affects context and interpretation. I recommend you watch it; it was filmed in the 70's to accompany his book, has strong themes of feminism and communism, and I can't imagine a program like this being made these days.

Procrastination

A couple of weeks ago I bought a new pair of Shimizu-Orange running shoes, this great pair of Nikes...

They really are great to run in, they have wider and more comfortable soles than the Asics I used before, and aren't that much heavier. The best part though is the Nike+ system. There is a small chip you put in the sole of the left shoe, which communicates with your iPod and records your running time, distance and speed - fantastic! Except "your iPod" is in this case Nami's iPod, which she, understandably, likes to take to work everyday to listen to music on the train. If I go running without the iPod, my run isn't recorded and I can't upload it to the Nike+ website. So buying these trainers has had the ironic effect of reducing the number of runs I do every week...

I know Steve is training for the London marathon next year, which is a fantastic goal. Given my current form and inability to run regularly, I shall have to content myself with knowledge that the Japanese call any run over 150m a "Maruhon" :D