DOUNT CRACKULA

DOUNT CRACKULA

It has been a delicious and productive summer! And what kind of summer, no matter how delicious and productive would be complete if not graced by a deliciously necessary summer task?:

1) Choose a book to read from the reading list

2) From life create 60 relevant drawings concerned with characters, places, scenes, related objects etc....(So no sourced imagery, except if sourced from our 3D reality)

I chose Bram Stoker's DRACULA. Ive always wanted to read it and have never read a fiction novel that's made me nervous on the underground, it is a wonderful book. I didn't go to Prague this year, that would have been useful. Similarly, I used to go to the University of Aberdeen but dont any more. Slains Castle (where Bram Stoker's inspiration for Dracula was eligibly conceived) is located in Aberdeenshire. There was a converted church called Slain's Castle on Belmont Street in Aberdeen town which was a 'themed bar' (from which I got banned for taking too many photos of the 'decor' and of security guards/bouncers). Unfortunately, I never visited the real Slain's, only the crappy bar on Belmont Street.

There is some use in recolections though, as I DID visited Dunnottar Castle for a few picnics and beach fires. So Ill rummage for photos. The Scottish coast and land scape is astounding. Somehow......... this is all relevant.

Actually many things have occurred in these last three months that I have been able to associate with Stoker's Dracula but thats just what our brains do, make associations, which is useful.

Any way moving swiftly on for September is drawing nigh...This is my itinerary:

1) Natural History Museum

2) Huntarian Museum

(for creatures, teeth, anatomy, illness and death)

3) Isle of White (I should go to Whitby- I guess I could go to Whitby but its off my radar of arrangements and I went to the Isle of White after Paris. Which was an excellent coastal substitute. I got to draw some coastal plants, rocks and play rounders/drink loads which was research for the show- but I am deeming it relevant to this too. I guess this shouldn't really be on my itinerary as its been and done but as I write this in jenist-RealTime it is getting late and so I wont correct it.)

4) Hamsptead Heath (for the cemetery in the book)

5) That park/cemetery place in Stoke Newington (cant remember its name but its massive and wild)

6) V&A (for baltic patterns and christian charms and things)

7) British Museum for objects related to superstitions.

8) Various Markets: Mainly Brixton Market (to look at dried foods and meats and especially for that jesus shop, the one what sells all the fluorescent light up superstitious crazy voodoo stuff- stuff being the most appropriate noun for it all. Do you know the place!? I dont know the real name of it but its next to that nice wee pizza restaurant opposite one of the many fish stalls, but this one has a large model sword fish hanging from the ceiling.)