what was new 2003

27th December 2004
Added Ipswich Town FC team photo to homage page. We lost to Millwall yesterday , but we are still top of the division, as Wigan lost at home. Phew!

26th December 2004
I hope that those people who celebrate Christmas had a joyful time. It can also be a time of great stress for lots of folks. I had a wonderful time with my family and we celebrated good news - a new addition on its way to the clan.

I have added a new section to Tunnels. Well, to be more precise, I've replaced the page that was OPEN END with a new page called •lennut•tunnel•

This is a flash animation that I made around the beginning of november this year. I didn't actually make it for tunnels area (it was an experiment), but I thought it was seemed fitting. The original, Open End page, I never got completed, and it's hung around like some fossil from the time when the website went online. It was going to be description of an exhibition in which I showed yin-yang and some of the other tunnelpaintings, like duplex.

My condolences go to those human beings who have lost their lives in the undersea earthquake tragedy. We are powerless against the forces of nature.

13th December 2004
Christmas is coming so I changed the home page for the festive season.

Since joining the forum, you know, the same one that pronounced that this website was "the worst website ever", I have become more and more involved. It is great. I have discovered a whole new group of (if not, friends), then certainly, comrades. I am now spending a a lot of time engaging with mainly Americans who live mostly in the west coast USA. I find it fun, educational, perplexing and addictive. I believe I have been accepted into the fold which is a great feeling. They have to put up with me and Shakey (another Limey) putting the Brit point of view. I am no longer linking to this forum, because I don't want nutters or spammers joining.

15th November 2004
Created a new page which shows a photograph of the work I have been doing recently. This pic was taken of the main wall in my new studio at Copperfield Road in Mile End, East London. It shows some of the head drawings using oil pastels and paint on wallpaper I have been working on. I love my new studio!!

Updated Weblog.

11th October 2004
Actually, I didn't get the birthday greetings up on-line on-time - see entry below. So finished rant today, whilst I sup a glass of wine. Autumn is drawing in. It's getting colder. The nights are getting longer. Feeling nihilistic and euphoric. I dread (and love) it when winter comes in.

IN REMEMBERENCE OF CHRISTOPHER REEVE
From Superman to quadraplegic. An inspiration to all of us.

7th October 2004
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEBSITE!!
4 YEARS OLD TODAY!!!
Long time, no write, no do nothing to website for long, long time. Sorry if this is of concern to any of you out there. If anyone actually follows the development of the site over the years - 4 in fact, apologies for being lax. It has always been my intention to update on regular basis, which just hasn't happened of late. This is because of extentuating and difficult circumstancies in my personal life have made sitting in front of the screen seem a little trivial. Basically, I just lost two of my very best friends and it's hit me hard. Still, I had to write or do something on this site so that it still seems live, so what better excuse than to celebrate the birthday of the website, and write some other stuff. If I seem a bit crazy at the mo, that's coz I AM!!

However, I have to move on, and also I have HAD to move on, because of circumstances, which has helped me think forward coz I had to. Or else I would have lost my work. The new studio is wonderful - I feel energised in it. Having got it sorted out, I had to re-think because the space where I was storing some of the big paintings (including Yin/Yang), was closing down quickly and I had to the work get out of there fast. There were loads of boxes of books too. Fortunately, I was in the NEW studio which meant that it could accomodate all the paintings and boxes -and there is still space to make more work. Unfortunately, I had to dismantle Yin/Yang (take it off the stretcher), because it was way too big 6m x 2m to get in. I was severly miffed about that. Serves me right for painting museum size pieces - the conceit of it!

Anyway, things are a bit better. Time heals, or rather the hurt goes further away. This is why I'm able to write about this stuff, now. I am essentially an optimistic person and believe that it is easier to be nice to people rather than nasty. These recent episodes have made me reflect on life and the meaning of it (yawn!). Like, are we, as humanbeings, merely biological entities that come into existence and die and that's it? Or, are we just inhabiting this body and living in this time frame and dimension and will go onto some other place? Is the way I live this life going to have any relevance to where I go in a possible future after life (asweknowit)? God knows - er, hang on, I don't believe in God. Or do I? If there is a God, who's version of him is the right one? Jews, Christians, Muslims all worship the same God, but they all fight and squabble because they believe that their way is the only true way. Why can't they just all accept each other and stop being violent. I thought religion was about leading a peaceful and understanding life. I heard that in ancient times when God was female things were chilled out. As soon as men decided that God was a bloke, when we stopped being hunter-gatherers and got into farming, was when things started fucking up. I don't want your bloody wars in the warped devotion you give to your God, Allah, Jehovah. You are lucky to have that faith in a Supreme being. I have trouble believing. But please tell me why should my life be distorted and affected by your credo. I you wish to worship, fine, I have no problem with that. I do have a problem when your faith kills children, men and women old and young. Innocent people who's lives are lost because they didn't conform to the zealot's fascist beliefs. I don't want to live under a cloud of fear or have my civil liberties eroded under the guise of fighting the war on terror. I have no choice. This is the world we live in. I can't understand why humanbeings get so angry, misguided and wicked to kill themselves, along with as many people they can take them. Religion = blood.

As I say, I just can't understand it. I, as a non-religious male humanbeing, seem to want to understand other people's ways much more than a devoutly religious person. I think everyone should choose there own way of life (as long as it doesn't impede on another person's chosen way of life). Most fundamental religious people think that ONLY their way of believing is the true way, and all other belief systems are fundamentally flawed. Personally, I don't care what you think, what you believe, but I'll still respect you AND your religion. Just please don't try to impress your way on mine. I'm a peaceful and honest chap (most of the time) and I believe that 99% of the rest of the WORLD's population are too. Most people: Atheist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, Spiritual, Hindu, Shinto, Scientologist, Humanist or whatever creed and denomination, just want to get on with their own lives and also get on with other people without hassle and direspect. It's just that disturbed 1% of people who are fervently religious and impose their warped versions of otherwise benign belief systems upon all the rest of us. It is these people who scare me.

Why all this violence against innocent people? Why fly planes into tall buildings and kill lots of people AND kill yourself as well. Why hold schoolkids and teachers to ransom with bombs. Why blow up innocent people in Iraq, Bali, Madrid, Jerusalem, Moscow, Kenya, Indonesia, Pakistan, London, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and all the other places that have been ravaged by deranged zealots? These are cowardly, despicable acts of violence. They are the easiest, most base, way of making the world know of the bomber existence and cause. These people who kill themselves (along with dozens of innocent lives) are almost certainly not going to Paradise. Likewise they are almost certainly not going to go to Hell. These perverted people are almost certainly just going to cease to exist. And for what. They are not martyrs. They are brainwashed automatons.

It goes without saying that these people are ANGRY. Why are they so angry that they kill indisciminately? Having Bush and Blair and Putin imposing their military might in countries where they are viewed as invading forces and not as liberating troops. Our governments lied to us about WMDs. There are none, the report said so, today. There was no link between Saddam and Bin Laden. It was all made up. They lied to us. Young American soldiers lives are being lost everyday, or the are going back home crippled for a cause they probably really didn't understand or quite believe. British soldiers are dying. So are thousands of Iraqi people. They have had one tyrant removed (at the second attempt, and on a spurious reason and in the complete disregard of the United Nations will), only to have what seems to be an army of occupation in his place - and total anarchy. Yes, it is good that the butcher has gone, but the coalition seemed totally underestimate the violent aftershocks after Saddam's removal. The irony is that George Bush has created a situation where there are far more people prepared to become martyrs than ever before. The whole thing is a fucking mess and I'm ashamed that my country is involved. Tony Blair lied to the British people and by his actions he has made this country less secure against the "War on Terror". Having our troops out there and loads of other places around the world is just going to piss people off in those countries they are in. I would'nt like it if there was an army of occupation in the U.K. - I would rebel. One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. Israel invades Palestine and takes away the land and the rights of the people there. So the people there (Hamas, for example), are angry. So angry they feel that they have to strap bombs to themselves and blow themselves up on buses or in cafés or wherever. Jerusalem is claimed by the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. It is so complicated. But also, so simple. As I say, these religions all worship the same ultimate being. It is just the interpretation that is different. Why can't they just understand, and be tolerant of, each other? It makes me so ANGRYY!!!@. Aaah, now I understand! Fuck, I'm just as confused and intolerant as everyone else. We are all pawns in a game played by business of religion. Oh well, if religious hatred doesn't kill us all, global warming will... Fuck it, I was soo optimistic as I started this entry, and now look what you have done. You, my dear reader, have turned me into a desperate, psychotic, unhinged LOONEY. "C'mon ROONEY!!" Either that, or I really am losing it!

Ranting, I'm afraid. Just to say, I'm back, I think, to being able to start living life in a more upbeat way. Thanks for reading. I hope to update more frequently from now on.

See what life takes you where and when and how

THE WEBSITE HAS BEEN GIVEN THE ULTIMATE ACCOLADE!!

WORST WEBSITE EVER!!!

I'm so chuffed! Actually there are hundreds of world's worst websites out there. But to get that reaction is great. I found out by looking at my webstats and seeing who is linking to me or nicking my pics and came across this forum. Flattered, I'm sure. I joined the forum!!

4th August 2004
Weblog. Death of a Master.

BIG CHILL WAS WONDERFUL!

29th July 2004
I have been poorly lately (bloody gallstones) and have had horrible cough/cold too. I also had to complete the moving to the new studio, which was stressful enough without feeling like death's door. Anyway, finally moved in, which is a great weight off my shoulders. I have so much work that I need to start selling some stuff. So I will make that my priority.

I have added a few more links.

I am off to the Big Chill this weekend to relax in the country with my friends. Looking forward to it.

8th July 2004
Have added some links. A couple from hotelgroups who said it was in my interest to exchange links - so I did. Also swopped links with Michael Lynch - Rug artisan. http://www.redidesignerrugs.com. Also http://www.treelinepaper.com. If people wish to add my link I will add those. The more quality links a website has the more notice Google takes of it.

I picked up the keys to my new studio today. As my present studio is due to be demolished and I will have to leave anyway in november I have decided to jump ship early. ACME studios have offered me a sub-let for a year at their base in Copperfield road. It's more space than what I have at Commercial Road, so the rent's more, but I will move the paintings and stuff I have in storage to the new studio and not pay the fee on that so it will work out about the same - a little bit more. I want to make good use of this new studio in the year I'm there - it has a nice vibe to it - and it has central heating! Oh, the luxury!! I plan to move on Sunday.

23nd June 2004
GOOD NEWS!
I have been in the studio and actually painting again and I'm excited about it. Having spent all my recent spare time (ie, studio time) in front of the monitor working on a couple of other websites for other people. Anyway, they are mostly sorted now which is giving me more of a continual regular time back in the studio so I am getting stuff done. Before when I was working hard on the websites, I would sometimes go to the studio and not be able to do a single thing because I was feeling guilty that I should be working on them and I just couldn't get into an art thing.

I call these paintings but they are made of more than just paint. In the most recent one I have used stamps still on paper as a collaged background and then there is a foreground created with hundreds of bracelets which look Bengali or Indian that I picked up at the local charity shop in Whitechapel. It is an abstract (of course), but it has a specific meaning It has two crosses of different colours that look like the image of the Union Jack, except that the flag is inverted (vertical). The Queen's head on the stamps is only really noticible close-up and I've arranged the stamps in coloured stripes. On top of which are the bracelets which are arranged all over the stamps and then there is another layer of more bracelets that are arranged in a large circle. There is, as ever, a central focal point.

There is absolutely no point me trying to describe it verbally - I will just have a get a pic up so you can see what I'm talking about.

I also painted Cameo no. 25. I made this one on 6th - 7th June 2004. D Day 60. This painting is to all the brave men who died on the beaches and field of Normandy. It is an abstraction of the carnage and loss of life and the abhorence of war. I will, sooner or later, get this painting and the previous 24 Cameos up online. These are the 12" x 12" / 30 x 30cms canvases that are the follow-ons to the Bitmaps.

24th May 2004
Changed the links page and have added more links about IPSWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB and some other art links too.
Still very busy-busy at present to have time to upkeep the site as often as I would wish. I've not had much time to be arty at all lately- unless you count learning Flash. I am excited about the possibilites of that. I went on holiday to Cyprus on my own (I was allocated to Ayia Napa) for 5 days during my birthday (6th) and slept a lot. 10 hours at night and siestas too. I had no say over it; my body said you need to shut down for a bit, and promptly did. I did very little when I was there. I got a bit lonely, especially on my birthday, celebrating by myself. I then got ill on the last day, I got tonsilitus, which meant that I was in horrible pain when I tried to swallow. The flight back was not pleasant. The holiday itself was not an entirely gratifying experience, but I had some special moments and I loved the birds - the finches and swallows that gathered around the lovely patio I had, (and they loved the olive bread and other nosh they scavanged from me). They were so excited, I guess they must be feeding their chicks. Those birds made me happy.

4th May 2004
Apologies if anyone has emailed me and not had a reply. this is because the email address has been changed due to the excessive amount of spam I was receiving. Changing it was also the only way to sort out the problem of sending out unauthorised emails from my site (see below). No doubt, the new address will be spammed too, but, hey, that's the "joy" of the internet.

4th April 2004
The website has been hacked recently and I'm not sure how to sort it out. I appear to be sending out viruses and emails from my site (unbeknown to me) - I apologise to anyone who has been a receiver of an unwarranted email from my site. I will try to sort it out asap. I'll see if my hosting company can do anything.

SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER!

30th March 2004
Not much at all done on this site recently. Not since uploading all the recent stuff - see below. Wrote a new entry in weblog - which I hope to keep more up to date than I have been, which explains what's been going on....

Have also added a couple of links. I will have to change the artists add your link page because the forms don't seem to be working. I have also slightly changed the home page so that not all those enlarged animated gifs are there - they were pissing me off!

3rd February 2004
FINALLY AND AT LONG LAST!
I'VE UPLOADED THE "NEW & IMPROVED" WEBSITE TO A NEW FASTER SERVER!
NOW WITH EXCITING NEW FEATURES!!
All the entry pages have been modified. There is much better navigation throughout the website. The links page has been overhauled, and all the dead links have been removed, as have nearly all the commercial affiliate links. This decreases the download time of the pages and improves the look of the individual pages. There are new sections like: painting of the week, photograph of the week, and a weblog which I am planning to start from the beginning of 2004. In some ways it will take over some of the role this page (What's new) has had. I envisage it as a kind of on-line docu-fiction of my life and my observations, both visual and verbal. It will be both diary and forum for me to indulge in stuff that may not be considered art. I'm really not sure what will happen in it, but I hope it will be stimulating for the visitor too. As I said, nearly all the main pages have had navigation boxes added to them, with specific coloured links to the rest of the site (see the example above). This should prevent getting lost in the uncharted depths of the site.

The entry page for "THIS IS PLANET EARTH" has been modified quite considerably. The awkward pop-up window has been removed and all the information is now on one page. As much of the traffic coming to the site is for this page I made it easier and cleaner to look at. I have removed the advertisers links in both this page and the small, medium, large and novelty earth gifs pages. This makes the pages much faster to load and they look better as well. "THIS IS PLANET EARTH" has had many more planet Earth gifs added to it - in fact now, there are approximately 270 different images!! I've lost count exactly. This figure is quite daunting and I haven't yet managed to catalogue them all yet (as in small, medium, large and novelty). In fact, I've only done about 50 of them. However, I am working an a page that shows the animated gifs as still versions, which downloads much quicker. You can then click on the still pic to see the animated one. Watch this space! I had also hoped that by the time I reloaded the website I would have had a facility for people to buy my work. But this is hard, complicated work and I just haven't had the time. Soon come, though.

Nearly all the pages in the site (and there are a lot of them) have been adjusted in some form or another. I decided to change the site over a period of time and upload it all at the same time rather than pages here and there. It is almost like a whole new website. This change is reflected most tellingly in the home page, which has been totally re-organized. There is a area where the website can be viewed in different languages (by showing the page through a translation portal). Although there is a lot of visual stuff going on on this page it should download in a relatively quick time. I had also written a very long essay on this page about what it is and how I feel to be an artist and human being in this present age. I eventually scrapped the whole of this writing piece because it was self indulgent and I was getting very political and angry and it had no real relevance to the website. It was all about George Bush and Tony Blair and Iraq and how messed-up the planet seems to be. I had spent weeks writing this composition, changing it, editing it - even making an animated gif to introduce it, but in the end I decided it had to go. This site is essentially about art and world politics has no real place here. So this is partly why it has taken such a long time to update the site, writing this diatribe, and it will never been seen. Well, maybe, maybe not, for I might include it somewhere, some time, like in the weblog. It looked really pretty too, because I had highlighted lots of keys words with different colours.

Apologies to those who follow the goings on in this website for the lack of such goings on in recent months. It is not good to have an inactive website. Paintings and photos are essentially static things, but a website is (or should be) in a constant state of change. As I was unable to upload anything to the old server, the website has appeared static for the past few months.

Also, on a personal level, 2003 was a pretty horrible year for me. I had some serious issues to deal with and I was unwell for a long time too. So, I haven't been able to put a lot of energy into my work at the studio or the website. Hopefully 2004 will be better!!

Anyway, if you are a new visitor to the site I hope that you really enjoy your visit - because I have designed it to be a fun and enjoyable experience. If you have visited before, then I thankyou for returning and I hope that you appreciate the changes to my website.

Many thanks.

Justin

1st January 2004
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!