art equals happy.

studio K.

hi. i think i'm back. my mum tells me i should keep resting.
but i get so down 'resting'. i need busy in my life.
if anyone knows of some cute handmade weekly planner online, let me know. i'm in the market for a new one. :D

so- to start off (as promised) i'm going to introduce you to where i spend most of my life;
that's the view from the kitchen. i take up so much space in our house. i have no idea how i'm going to fit into a little flat in london... but that's another story. haha.
This would be the dinning room, my dad has his desk there, just out of shot- my mum is in the conservarory to the left. we like to be doing different things together. it is pretty amazing, actually.
to the right is the living room, and where we eat. there is a big table that we open up and cover with paper when friends come round to play art!
did you know our house is called 'Art Haven'. :]
i digress,

here is my favourite part. buttons, ribbon, mac, bulletin board. :D
actually, that's a lie. i have too many favourites.
i couldn't bare to change this though, it had to stay.
Bulletin board; is where i put lovelies that people make me, little photographs that are extras, things i don't know what to do with but like looking at, and memories of people. (you see that orange paper, with a green turtle on it?- top right. that was drawn by my cousin when i was born, for me. he is now in his 20's and a graphic designer in london.)

there are still parts of downstairs that aren't pretty yet, but here is my camera shelf.  it's for my film lovers. that's my new fisheye, and my new ringflash on alfie. :D
okay, if we venture upstairs.

this is the 'band room'. we have two stupidly-small rooms in our house, so Dad is using one as a 'meditation' room, and this one used to hold band practice for me. haha. the drums are still there, but my 'work' has taken over. :] the cubes aren't pretty at all, but i'm looking out for wooden, weaved, and retro baskets for them. i love having this up here, because now i have an excuse to put my records on, while i 'pick out' product and supplies for my current projects, and it leaves me with so much more desk space down stairs. which i love! here's some more little snaps;

so- that's alot of words for today. haha.
i decided that today, i wasn't going to spend another day being a grump! mind over matter. it's worked so far.
i got alot done, made the best iced mocha, and had a ridiculous amount of fun messing my hair up!

so- hit me with conversation and questions and links and things.
-K
p.s. there are (of course) exciting things coming soon!!!

the empty handed painter...

"the sky too, is folding over you."
music is magical to me. it's pure emotion. when it's done right.

i tried to make a mixtape online- but some of the songs didn't come up- so here are a few favourites at the moment. they are worth a youtube visit.



It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Bob Dylan.

Homeward Bound - Simon And Garfunkel
I Wish, I Wish - Cat Stevens

Red, Blue and Gold- The Who

Getting In Tune - The Who
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones

Thru and Thru - Rolling Stones
Laura- PennyRoyal.
Salty Eyes - The Matches

also diggin' Barbara Streisand and Frank Sinatra. it's nice.
what about you? something calming, inspiring, old?
K xx
p.s. all this photography/album art makes me want to (more than ever) live in the 60's/70's. be apart of all the crazy changes. document it.

now i feel a little better...

it's incredible how just two days of 'making'can make such a big difference to my head and my heart.
i will take more pictures of my desk and my new 'storage' area. i've moved alot of things up stairs, and it looks like a little scrapbooking shop! so i get to 'pull product' when i work. mmmmm. my dream!
plus burning my 'tea calories' going up and down the stairs. haha!

mum surprized me with a retro singer when i came back! (said i need it for Uni!) i loooove her, i am going to miss her next year! we're calling her Betty-Sue (the singer), she inspires me to keep my desk neat and bake cookies. haha. soooo in love with her simple features and curvy body!
so i have alot of space for Betty-Sue and my 'brother' typewriter on my desk, next to Lewis (my mac) and my paints!
so it has been so good and easy to just let out all of my art. i've been doing Rachel's SHFH class, and here are the first four (sorry the photos are so bad, i just wanted to share!); 
so these are probably my favourite album pages i've done in a loooooong time. (thank you rachel!)
maybe it's my desk, maybe it's the class, maybe it's this feelings i've got- but i think i will be alright this year. i don't feel dependent on friends, parents, or boys. it feels good to know that i can survive, and figure things out without the need of someone else. i have alot of plans and dreams. and i think my art is going to be good to me this year.

what are your dreams for this school year/season?
-kxo
P.s. if you are itching to learn most about me, you can visit my myspace. :] there are some photos that rarely get seen, and i've just wrote a new 'aboutme'.

all i really want to do,

i'm back home, it is like a breath of fresh air. i love where i live.
i love my parents and england.
this is alot of words, i'm sorry- but it's not often i feel like writing a bunch.

i haven't stopped since january. with exams, free lance, my paper line, friends, family, other school commitments (like taking up a whole new A-Level)  and tring to keep my art sanity- i have been so busy that i haven't had time to stop and realize how cluttered my life is.
it is time for this to change. it is time to stop having stress-attacks, time to stop compromising the little things for the big things, and it is time for me to have some space.
heather calls this 'headspace' and it's taken me all summer to really understand what she means.
i am still learning. still growing. still changing
i've been so focused on trying not to press the 'fast forward' button, that i've forgotten to listen.
 
i am not giving anything up. no way. i like being busy, but in order to not have another burn out, i'm going to be taking the next couple of weeks slow, lots of journaling (maybe i'll share some. :D), lots of organizing, lots of thinking and i suspect- lots of blogging.

i have alot of photos to catch up on,  alot of film to get process and scan and alot of 'finding' to be done.
i want to thank you (in advance)for all being patient while i take some 'me' time.

so i'm starting with my workspce. fall is almost here. i need a fresh area, my desk is in bits at the moment, and i am so excited to finish it, organize and get creating. my tunes are being updated and organized, basically all the essentials which i've negleted are getting some attention. (and yum new scrapbooking things from america. inspired!)

don't worry,
etsy is still up,
i haven't abandoned my freelance, either- just not taking on as much this month
and i will never stop taking photos.
speak very soon, (does anyone else want to hit 'pause' sometimes? or is this just me?)

mixtape.

hi everyone, this is just a little update for fun, because i am itching to share some of my travel journal, but haven't got any photos of it yet.
i've been spending some good time with this lady;

jeanie. :] i've uploaded a 'mixtape' in the sidebar on the right, so you can listen to what we were grooving to on the way to monterey.  

it's been good to spend time with jeanie and sean, but i'll be glad to have my life back.
oh, and i have a major crush...

love, kimxxoo.   

i miss you.

it's true.
i miss you lot.
i miss my desk and my little creative atmosphere and my routine and england.
yeah, i really miss england.

but i'm hanging out with this boyyyy;

it's different, but it's cool.
got some fab gear. :D and discovered some cool stores!

oh! and on Thursday, i'm doing a make-and-take at MDW in california!
it's going to be fun!!! come and play?
-kimxxoo!!

wow, so...

... that's what food tastes like.
and this is what clothes stores look like...
and this is what best friends look like;

love, kimxxoo