Giglamps rambles

Things have been A Bit Much lately; getting pulled in a million directions at once, but we're not getting into that; I just want to sort through some recent photos and videos, and get back into the habit of aimlessly writing about whatever has been capturing my imagination.   Starting with the absolute joy that is playing the xylophone. I just kind of stumbled into this endeavour unintentionally and properly caught the bug - they're fun to play, super easy to learn, and the sound of them is just so endearing. I opted for an alto xylophone, with a satisfyingly weighty tone, less bright than a soprano but not quite as a deep as a bass (or a behs - does it still qualify as a behs if it's a xylophone?); the sound is absolutely gorgeous and it's really relaxing to clonk out some tunes on it. The only drawback is that it's a damnsight bigger than I expected it to be, and trying to find somewhere to keep the bugger is proving a challenge. I'll work something out. Ma...

Catching up with more pictures today and yes, it's time for another wander up through the allotments. This time, I set off earlier than usual, mainly hoping to avoid the worst of the heat, but also had the pleasure of a peaceful walk.   Stepping into this shaded area after being in the sun was absolutely sublime. Cool, refreshing, surrounded by plants - honestly, what more could you ask for in life? This bit is great for when you want to feel like you're rummaging through the wilderness but you're short on time. It's close to home and it's a small area of the path, like a little flourish of wilderness, just to scratch the itch.  Fleurs!  More fleurs!  Taking a detour onto the Yellow Brick Road (no longer yellow, but the memory of its sandy glory days - and its propensity to turn into an absolute swamp whenever it rained - lives on.)  Fleurs vol. 3, to the side of Magic Path vol. 2 (this is why I can't be relied upon to give people directions.)  Snapping the...

Two posts in one day? What's the meaning of this?! (To be fair, the Cats one was put together on Monday, I just scheduled it for Wednesday because that is the traditional day for posting Cats .) Anyway, I had another wobble and was weighing up giving up on art for probably about the millionth time, then cooled off and quietly got this done. The sketch is from a while back, my motivation troughed and it's been languishing on a memory stick for a bit.  The mood music for this one is Titus Alone by Aldous Harding ; there's also Titus Groan , which has glossier production and more filled-out instrumentation, but I like the more sparse atmosphere on this one, it's more liminal and eerie. Given the history of the Gormenghast trilogy and the circumstances under which 'Titus Alone' was written, it's also appropriate that it has a comparatively light touch, but that's a tangent for another time. Still, while we're on this subject: Justice for Juno! As pe...