You don't know the pain of building a robot with Christopher Walken...

....Is probably the best piece of artwork I have ever seen on the internet. Nay, it is the best.
(There is a secret message in this blog. See if you can find it)

Thank you Brandon Bird for painting this in 2004. Online image source: http://laughingsquid.com/

After working with paint to create my collage in my last blog I was reminded about the days and nights I spent on that programe working on masterpieces. Recently I have been staying in town because of the bad weather. This one is called Bawbags: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Bawbag
I myself would have called it Skunkydoo the Sequel.

So, while at my brothers we thought this would be a good time to write Christmas cards to all our Dutch relations. Instead we played on paint and made gifs.

This blog isn't going to be very long. I just want to you show you all the pretty things we made.

It all began with a story. Oh, I should give you some context:

When I was 11.

When I was 11 I was really into the Harry Potter books, well I still am
(for further information read: http://marjoleinrobertson.blogspot.com/2011/09/11-years-old.html hmmmm, where have I seen this linked before? How about HERE: http://marjoleinrobertson.blogspot.com/2011/12/winter-is-coming.html I push, I push.)
 It was about that time they started working on the films too. I wanted to be Hermione. I spent much time and effort writing a letter to the Studios asking to play her, and every other female character in the books, ever.

The list of characters I could play was something like this:
Hermione Granger
Lavender Brown
Hannah Abbott
Ginny Weasley
Angelina Johnson
Padma Patil
Parvati Patil
Katie Bell
Mrs Weasley (and I'm not even ginger)

So I thought I'd be helpful and include my details in the letter: hair colour (but I'd happily dye that) eye colour (I'm comfortable with contacts) height (for costume) and head circumference (for my witches hat). It was at that last one where my brother couldn't read my letter anymore for laughing. But I'd written it in pen, didn't have Tipex and knew I should send it straight away (because they had already cast Hermione. Wha)

So anyway, the rest of the story isn't as interesting, but someone at work had to measure their head circumference, by now I have been conditioned to believe that is a ridiculous practice. And I had to bite my hand not to laugh. Somewhere between acting out the story and recreating my pose on paint we decided to draw it on paint. I can't remember how. But I'll skip the image. Now one is drawn by me and the other by Dirk.

Which one is more like me?

The idea of the competition was to represent someone, but you're not allowed to delete any mistakes.
(I drew the one with the nosebleed)

Next we drew Drik:

(Secret message: This blog was actually written on Thursday 8th.)

His pose was from a story at work when his boss fell over. As you may have guessed by our choice of tool Dirk's is the thick pen.We swapped them around to keep  you on your toes. SUPRISE.

Then we made gifs. Are they working? Maybe not. If you want to view them, and more, and some still scans of drawings Dirk made (and stole) go here: http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/dirkhead/

I'm sorry for this blog.

Winter is Coming

A very festive hiyi and also a belated HAPPY SINTERKLAAS, because he has been and gone already on his trusty white steed.

Picture courtesy of: http://elisabethcrisstmas.tumblr.com
I'd say for me Isa - he's pretty much on the same level as Santie.

So I don’t blog much seeing as I rescued my Ipod and now I no longer have a purpose. These situations always get a bit awkward, but being the good British citizen I am I will instead duly turn this discussion towards the weather. It has been snowing of late.

Yes, Hurricane Skunks passed and on the first of December the wind died, it started snowing and we were straight into your typical Wintery evening. It was with that I realised I was not prepared at all... prepared for Christmas!

My favourite Christmas decoration in Shetland.
Yes, he's gripping those branches so hard some have passed out.

I’m still not prepared, I’m getting there... tonight my blog writing is, as usual, a form of procrastination. I’m meant to be writing Christmas cards. It’s like writing essays back at university, only the word count is no more than 15 and you have to write 30 of them. God, I forgot how much I love to procrastinate - you should see how clean my room is. Also I got through 3 comedy DVD’s last night, a mixture of Russell Howard and Frankie Boyle, so I’m currently experiencing everything in a boyish/dour/wonder-filled/foul-mouthed charm. It’s like when you’re constantly reading a book or watching an entire series in one go and you begin to narrate your own life in the style of a certain character/author. Do you get me? Here are some examples:

The Christmas of 2005 my brother was given Arrested Development Season 1 from Santie. (yeah we call him that up here). We watched it repeatedly for days, then for the rest of the holidays it was like living in Sudden Valley. Everything I did was narrated by Ron Howard, every time I left or entered a room it was accompanied by a ukulele and whenever three or more were gathered the inevitable chant of “Speech! Speech!” accompanied by the rhythmic slapping of palms rang in the air.

Halfway through my second year of Uni the film Twilight was unleashed and I bought all the books (?). After reading the first two I began to take on Bella’s traits, as in: round-a-bout paranoia, a deal of self loathing and an extreme lack of coordination. That was a bad period. Luckily the books don’t take long to read and it wasn’t long before I was running around Edinburgh again listening out for the Doctor’s arrival. VWHEEEAAYHH! VWHEEEAAYHH!

Apologies for the digression, I’m a terrible British Citizen.

 One of my favourite genres to read is fantasy and I adore anything with a long and arduous journey, here’s looking at you Tolkien. I’ve really gotten into Game of Thrones; it’s been dominating my life recently. Awesome. However due to the narration, everyone, every-one gets a say in these books. (Wait till you’re on Dance of Dragons, Martin is throwing new characters at you all over the house) So it’s harder to use GOT to narrate my life. What is easy to incorporate into your daily routine is
the practice of using popular phrases from the books/show, such as three and twenty (23) or, my favourite: to break one’s fast. Breaking fast is way better than breakfast and makes me feel like I’m involved in some illegal P cooking with Hal at the same time. When did this turn into a guide of how to incorporate popular culture into your daily life? Or rather: when wasn’t it?


What about the influence of Harry Potter I hear you ask. Well of course. But I've already explained that one (along with Pokémon) here:
http://marjoleinrobertson.blogspot.com/2011/09/11-years-old.html
(linking my own blog. smooth.)

Recently I have been watching Encounters at the End of the World. This is with the hope that soon my life will be narrated by none other than the Werner Herzog.

In case you don’t know who Mr. Herzog is, please, watch this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7kdDeGXUjI

You’re welcome

I’m sure this whole practice is perhaps an example of unstable behaviour and not that healthy.  In future I should probably moderate what I read and watch due to my highly impressionable nature; and it is for that reason (but not that reason alone) I will never, ever, watch A Serbian Film.

Goodnight.