Happy Camper

My first go at a meme... they do offer a soul searching experience

1.What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Watched it rain over Paris from the roof of the Pompidou Centre - those blood red roses they put in those single stem vases in that posh restaurant up there got every bit as wet as me - but more beautifuller


2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I never make any - I already know what a disappointment I am

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope - at my age mostly it's funerals rather than weddings or christenings


4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. Dear John. Our life model - one could say I knew him intimately - but not in the biblical sense. It was very sudden - the worst kind of death for those left behind. I keep on coming across drawings of him. It hurts - but in time I hope they will become tender reminders of the bloke he was.
Oh - and I almost forgot - my dad. Nuff said?


5. What countries did you visit?
Paris... and London - okay I know I already live in the UK, but London always feels like another country


6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Self control - lack of it gets me into all kinds of bother


7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don't do numbers - so if I forget your birthday/anniversary/ please forgive me - I hope I make up for it in other ways and on other days


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Those 2 public pieces of sculpture - at over 3 metres each they were physically the biggest achievement - but I did other smaller physical things that were bigger, if you see what I mean. I had my waist length hair cut to my shoulders - it had been a comfort blanket since my teens - so that was a big thing - I feel much lighter now


9. What was your biggest failure?
My new job in many ways - I am always on the back foot -there's always something they want me to do so I can never do the other stuff that I feel is more important...argh... maybe this year


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Did my ankle in scrabbling over some rocks - just a tendon but hell did it hurt - lost a filling - how lucky am I - other people died!


11. What was the best thing you bought?
Spent sculpture money on a new bed and a dishwasher - am grateful every time I use them... but aesthetically I bought a boat - not a real one for sailing in - but a Mark Smith sculpture that sits on my windowsill and is a constant source of inspiration. If I could do those link thingies I'd put one here but I can't so if you're inclined you can look him up - he does houses too... bit like those in Cyril Croucher buildings - another recent discovery


12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The crew of the Sea Shepherd


13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Most of humanity - I'm beginning to think we deserve to be doomed.

4. Where did most of your money go?
Rent


15. What were you really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Thea Gilmore again - and June Tabor and the Oyster Band again - and Bellowhead again. Seeing the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition... seeing the watercolours at the Tate... my son moving out, discovering the work of John Patrick Byrne, Mark Smith, Cyril Croucher, Herbert Melville, Mervyn Peake... I could go on being specific but to sum up - finding inspiration in the work of others


16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Something from Thea Gilmore's Wintertide set cos of the circumstances of its hearing, not the content of the songs


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? Just as happy
b) Bigger or smaller? I suspect we grow less tall as we age...
c) Richer or poorer? Richer in so many ways

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Art


19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Prevaricate


20. How will you spend Christmas?
Alone for the first time - interesting experience


21. How many one-night stands?
7 with the same guy spread out over the year - does that count? No regrets


22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I'm old enough to think I know that I don't know what that is anymore. Confused? That about sums it up.


23. What was your favourite TV programme?
I tell all my real life friends that I don't watch tv - with is largely true - but I do have a guilty pleasure - Holby City. Don't ask me to explain.


24. How will you see in the New Year?
In bed. Lights out. Doors locked. It's a long story.


25. Do you hate / dislike anyone now that you didn't hate / dislike this time last year?
That's too strong a word


26. What was the best book you read?
Novels this year seem to have had no endings - please tell me something that has a decent end where I don't turn the last page and think - where the fxxx is the rest then?

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Dylan - hey - better late than never, right?

28. What did you want and get?
Hair cut


29. What did you want and not get?
I wanted something for someone else and they didn't get it - yet ?

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I like a lot of films - I love the whole cinema experience - I am easy to transport to another world. But I don't go often. I watch at home mostly - so I watch older ones not strictly released this year... saw nothing I would add to my best films of all time list.

31. What did you do on your birthday?
I have no idea - prollies went to work.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My son having a job he enjoys.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Radically different to 2010 is all am saying

34. What kept you sane?
Art/Music

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I took a shine to the guy who sits behind the desk in Pointless (quiz show, tea timish when I come in from work - dunno what his name is) - he's very nerdy and I think I find intelligence very sexy

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
On a personal note - the whole pension thing - on a global scale - the continual hunting of endangered species - we're just not gonna stop until there's none left are we?

37. Who did you miss?
My mum

38. Who was the best new person you met?
A variety of cyber friends for a variety of reasons

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Some people bought my art because it was a commodity not because they liked it. That kinda hurt.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Will some poetry do...?

"Suddenly the wind howls and bangs at my shut window.
The sky is a net crammed with shadowy fish."
Neruda, 'Every Day You Play'