replacement

One of the loveliest people ever to grace this planet had her birthday earlier this month. As a complusive present buyer, I was planning her little surprise months before the day and scoured the far reaches of the internet looking for a present worthy of such a special person. I found it, passed it through the quality test (aka my boyfriend, the bear) and bought it 2 month before the big day.

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Two weeks before the birthday, it still hadn't arrived... Crap... I panicked!
Instead of making my life easier and getting something from I shop, I though "I know... I'll make a present!" and this is what I came up with...

Based on one of my very favourite fairy tales, I decided to make a cut out of the moment just before the execution, when the princess throws the shirts made out of thorns at her brothers who were cursed to live as swans so, that they can become human again. the version that I heard as a little girl was a bit different from the one that you can read if you click on the words "fairy tales", but what really matters is that all is well at the end.
For a great novel based on this tale read Juliet Marillier's wonderful first novel "Daughter of the Forest".

cringe factor

I've finally done something that I should have done a very very long time ago. I've converted my graduation film onto a digital format and out of sheer craziness decided to put it here.
Why craziness?
Well, each time I look at this film it makes me want to cry, hide and not show up for a few years!! Every artist worth his/her salt feels like this about their early work, so you creative souls out there know exactly what I mean!
This film has - though crude looking, especially in this day and age of soft gloriously perfect cg, some good aspects about it, that save it from being hidden away forever in some obscure drawer. I made it all by myself, with my own blood (from pricking my fingers with the tiny sharp scissors whilst cutting a fair few dozens of ickle hands), sweat (from running backwards and forwards between Farnham and London) and tears (when the finally dragged me out off the rostrum room, it wasn't a pretty sight). It represents some of my passions in life, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's beautiful writing, Lotte Reininger's haunting sillouette animation, wonderful classical guitar music provided by the very talented Miguel Mera and sweet narration by David Browne, and in my own way this film is an homage to all of this elements.
Sure it's poor but, at least it is heartfelt and genuine.
So, this is why even though it makes me cry (ooh, it rhymes!) I've decided to share this important part of my life with everyone.
Enjoy!