~Xanadu Nox's Curiouseum~ A Microcosm

Cosplay and Games Convention ^.^

2009-10-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alba, Matt and me went to the convention at the ExCeL centre. We queued outside for about three hours, thankfully the thousands of people attending all made an effort to dress up and it was very interesting. Unfortunately I didn't cosplay this year - didn't really have time to prepare an outfit - but at least I wore neon colours =P

When we finally got in we tucked into some noodles and started looking around. It was very fun, there weren't as many people playing Magic the Gathering as last time (this year the games tables were mostly taken up by Yu-Gi-Oh cards) but we found some and played and made geeky acquaintances as is customary ^.^

It was terrible not to have any money with me, there was manga priced at a quarter the usual retail price and a sequel to Death Note I hadn't even heard of before. There was a massive corset stall too, with spring steel boned garments priced from £40 to £60, so much cheaper than in Camden! I enjoyed the artists' quarter too, chatted briefly to one of the artists and got a free copy of the first volume of her graphic novel series 'Vampire Free Style' ^.^ Really cannot resist graphic novels!! O.O

Will definitely be there again next year, bring some cash, a better camera (if I can get one) and dress up more. Chi out of Chobits would be ideal ^.^

More New Images =)

2009-10-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

New images from the studio shoot last week with Philip Payne and MUA Laura Blu! =D

See the rest here and here ^.^

Beauty Shots Previews

2009-10-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Quite an uneventful day today, but last night Terry, Jenna and I went to the Bizarre Ball, which was good although I failed to find the Steampunk Room >.< Think midgets lifting weights with their penises, heavily pierced men in electric chairs and tons of amazing and crazy outfits. So gutted I forgot to take my camera -_-'

Yesterday I also had a shoot with Melanie Nicol which was awesome. We shot a little on location then went to her house for some beauty and fashion work. I think we got some amazing images, there are already some previews available, thanks Meli! =)

See more soon on my website or on Melanie Nicol's Flickr ^.^

Anti-Playboy and Image Preview

2009-10-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was surprised and glad to find an anti-Playboy website bearing the same logo as a stencil I made myself a few years back and spray painted over the city =P

Bin the Bunny

Well done to those who set up the campaign, and thanks to Maddie (SkullsOnStuff) for pointing out the link on Twitter! =)

Talking about Maddie, here is a compound preview from last week's 'Last Rites' shoot...

Photographer: Maddie Mhunna

MUA: Jenna Cherie

Click on the image for a larger view!

Now I am off to bed, getting up early for a shoot with David Mackenzie tomorrow in Sydenham! After that I will be going to Owen's birthday gathering, should be cool since I haven't been out in a while ^.^

The Three Charites (or Gratiae)

2009-10-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, according to Hesiod (Theogony 905) they were, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea/Aglaia ("Beauty"), Euphrosyne ("Mirth"), and Thalia ("Good Cheer"). In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces".

The three Graces are the personification of grace and beauty and the attendants of several goddesses. In art, they are often the handmaidens of Venus, sharing several of her attributes such as the rose, myrtle, apple and dice. The river Cephissus near Delphi was sacred to them.

They are typically grouped so that the two outer figures face the spectator, and the one in the middle faces away. This was their antique form, known and copied by the Renaissance.

Three Graces and Charites

This is the inspiration for a shoot with Ange Harper (gothindulgence) set for November 21st ^.^ Alba and me will be modelling, together with someone else we have yet to find. Exciting to recreate themes and characters from Ancient mythology, gives me the feeling I have been transported inside a book... if only!

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On other news, the past few days I have had two more shoots. One was with Phountains (Juha) around shops in Camden with the theme of black and white model thrown into a technicolour world, he shot with actual film, how retro =P On a similar note, I heard Polaroids have been discontinued!! The film factory has closed down and the last existing unit has passed its expiry date! What a shame, I never even used a Polaroid although I always wanted to, too late! =(

Last shoot I had yesterday was in the upstairs floor of a pub in Mornington Crescent. The room was huge an beautiful and photographer Herman H Haye set up a makeshift studio within it. I worked with MUA Lisa Vice and another model Thyria, everything went very smoothly but I was tired to death when I arrived home at about 8.30 pm!

Actually, I am still tired to death even though I slept a huge amount o.O Maybe that's why!

Guropanda, Gurocorset and Image Preview

2009-10-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Did my Gurololi shoot with Rhian Cox today! ^.^ Guro'ed Panda and my black corset up and headed to Charing Cross for 5pm. We shot on the riverbank, and I discovered Thames mud is like glue, it made loads of stones stick to the soles of my boots (which I realised after wondering why the hell my boots became heavier after each step, haha) and when I accidentally smeared some across my hand it looked like bronzer and wouldn't come off O.O

At one point Rhian climbed up and out of the riverbank to take some photos from above and lots of people started peeking and peering at me, tends to happen a lot in shoots but seemed particularly intensive today, one woman even started her own 'discreet' shoot in Rhian's shadow, cheeky! It was a pity that low tide was so late because we only got at most an hour of effective natural light. After that we tried to use flash but as ever it makes things look too harsh and stark so Rhian experimented with some more techniques some of which hopefully worked well... Excited! =D

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First preview image from Gareth Dix and the Strobist Meetup Shoot ^.^ I love the fairies!

Gurololi Can't Draw -_-'

2009-10-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Just finished a drawing I might put up on Illustration Friday for a laugh >.< I really wish I knew how to draw, it is such a fulfilling activity! The word for the week was 'pattern'...

...Some 'idealisation' is often present in relationships but, here, there will be a pattern of relationships being particularly unsteady and intense...

I really should practise more! Next week's word is 'germs', and I think it fits in nicely with what seems to be a recurring theme =P

Aside from drawing today I was with Terry until this evening, we played some Alpha Centauri and practically have the monopoly of Planet at the moment. We are trying to win by transcendence via knowledge ^.^

When I got home I continued the preparations for tomorrow's Gurololi (Injured Lolita) shoot with Rhian Cox... I bloodied lots of bandages then found out thy refused to dry even with my hairdryer, hopefully they'll be ok by tomorrow! Also I used two types of bandages and discovered that one practically makes the blood disappear once it dries so it looks really faint, not good... >.<

I'm excited about tomorrow though, Panda is coming with me ^.^

Find out more about Gurololi here and here.

Blood Tears and Creepy Old Men - And Some Image Previews!

2009-10-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Phew! -_-' ...Another extremely active and tiring day of shooting!

Today's location was Hampstead Heath re-visited with Jenna, Maddie and Zoe. The people at the Starbucks where we always congregate and apply make-up must be getting to know us by now... luckily Jenna always purchases a drink and keeps us from being chucked out! =P

Anyway, I am happy to say that I am confident that today's shoot was a success ^.^ Equally importantly, it was enormous fun as always to collaborate with Maddie and Jenna!

First off we tried to find a fairly open space in the park, it was much easier to shoot this time than it was last Sunday, there weren't many picnickers today to get in the way! There were, however, many strange old men literally creeping around... one balding man Maddie and me saw when scouting out a good spot was laying on the grass wearing a bra. Once we started to shoot he proceeded to slowly and crouchingly make his way in random circles through a bush right behind us for a good half hour o.O

The shoot consisted of two parts, the first one was Maddie's idea inspired by the song 'Funeral For My Valentine', the second was my suggestion, a recreation of Mark Ryden's painting 'Rose' from the Blood series (glee!! ^.^) The weather has taken a cold turn which is good news in some ways (not so much strong, searing sunlight, yay!) but in other ways bad... I was literally freezing in the white dress Maddie put together for the shoot. It was well worth it though, one has to suffer for art =P

Afterwards, Terry turned up unexpectedly as we were walking out of the park and we all went to a tea room for a celebration drink for Maddie's birthday =)

Will post previews as I receive images!

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2ND UPDATE:

I finally received the rest of the images from the Surreal Fashion shoot in September and here are some examples!
View the full set here =)

Currently Reading: 'Animal' by Erica Fudge

2009-09-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

'Whether you love them, live with them, eat them, or wear them, Animal will make you look at your fellow creatures in a radically new way'

I finally managed to get this book out of the university library (after paying the rather hefty late returns fine -_-') and am really enjoying it. Written in a lively, conversational, yet discerning manner, this book is incredibly engaging, making the reader question basic assumptions about animals considered 'natural' in today's society when actually they have only been naturalised. They were very different in the past, and will change again in the future (for the better I hope!)

I am currently halfway through the second of three chapters, 'Real and Symbolic: Questions of Difference' and have got, after a section on 'Babe', to the topic of the animal in Enlightenment philosophy and new science ^.^

A particularly nagging question this book has raised for me is: How would we write a story truly about 'them' and not 'us'? How could we not anthropomorphise if we are humans and cannot help but see things from a human perspective? Of course, I am not saying anthropomorphism is a bad thing, after all, it is mostly because we attribute human emotions and traits to animals that many are saved from starvation, slaughter and whatnot. Yet it is interesting to speculate about the alternatives, if any...

Announcement on Cat and Mouse Shoot - Images have been DESTROYED

2009-09-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

=(
='(

Due to a misunderstanding between parties involved last Sunday's photos are no longer in existence...
Not much else to say really!

Cat and Mouse Shoot - Whiskers and Liquid Latex

2009-09-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Well today was another hectic day. It started off with a horrendous journey to Hampstead Heath, (whoever knew it was so difficult to get there by public transport? Next time I shall simply teleport!) followed by a good two hours in a Starbucks cafe getting my make-up done by Jenna Cherie. It turned out beautifully, the whole works included prosthetic snout, eyebrows and upper lip to make me look like a cat - I truly didn't recognise myself when I looked in the mirror! It was exciting, and I scared little kids ^.^ (well, some, others just told me I looked 'strange')
Alba was also there, she wore a mouse's snout and looked so cute with the little front teeth poking out! I looked quite evil in comparison ^.^

Photographer Nandi (Nitemare Photography) then shot us in Hampstead Heath, which involved a lot of tree climbing and getting in touch with my feline side =^.^= We also had to try quite hard to avoid getting into trouble for taking photos near children since it was quite a busy day and the park was packed with families.

All in all it was a tiring but productive day in which I also learned that removing latex prosthetics which cover the top of your eyelids can be quite painful indeed =P

Oh, and I found out from Jenna that there were still club kids in London until the recession started, I got so excited about that!! Hopefully there will be some new club kid style venue/night opening soon, fingers crossed!

From Party Monster, one of my all-time favourite movies! =)

A Group Shoot and Shit on My Shoes. Kamikaze Girls! ^.^

2009-09-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Got back a few hours ago from a group shoot with the London Strobist Meetup Group. I shot with five different photographers in a lovely location in Finsbury Park. Can't believe I'd been in that area so many times before and had no clue the woodland walk was there!

Lots of grafitti, a ghost train platform, a flyover, a giant stone elf bursting its way through the top of a tunnel... definitely a place I'd like to visit again, even just to hang out! (Although there ARE too many dogs around there... I got some, erm, faeces (hehe) on my lolita shoes! >.<)

Reminded me somewhat of the opening scene of 'Kamikaze Girls' when Momoko treads on cow-pat though, so that cheered me up ^.^

Rococo. 18th century France at it's most lavish. It made Baroque look positively sober! An obscure, neglected period, rarely mentioned in class. Critics called its art "cloying"... shallow, vulgar and indecent. Life then was like candy... Their world, so sweet and dreamy. That was Rococo. Girdles were tightened for beauty's sake. Too tight for breathing. It was... very cute! Or so they said. Ridiculous! Hedonism and lovemaking were all that mattered. Out of bed, they liked embroidery. Then it was back to the bedroom. And then? Countryside walks. I was smitten by Rococo. A frilly dress and strolls in the country. That's how I wanted to live! It's not happening, not in 21st century Ibaraki. This is Shimotsuma, paddy-fields, not countryside... I live here.

...Shit on my shoes!

Gluttony and Sloth Meet for a Picnic (Doughnut Shoot)

2009-09-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Alba and me woke up incredibly early to curl our hair and head off to High Street Kensington. Once there we visited Tesco's, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer and ended up with three carrier bags full of iced doughnuts, cupcakes and eclairs!

Here are some previews of our gluttonous shoot that day, we had a nice banquet afterwards but really the thought of it still makes me nauseous... I ate wayyyyy too many sugary, doughy things that day >.<

Photography by Rebecca Jane Andrews. MUA: Joanne Liu. Model in purple dress: Angel of Darkness (Alba)

Later that day we hung out for a bit at an alternative pub called the Dev (well, the Hobgoblin now -_-') then headed to Slimelight... Can't believe I hadn't been there in over a year! It was so much fun, I wasn't aware until then how much I'd missed thrashing and stomping away to Noise music ^.^ Also I was talked into renewing my membership card so now there are no excuses for not going more often!

To see the rest of the doughnut set, as well as the rest of my modelling portfolio, visit my model website. Plenty of entertaining photographs to sink your teeth into ^.^

Mark Ryden

2009-09-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

One of my old-time favourites, I have been looking again at Mark Ryden's work and was glad to see that it has not lost its appeal for me ^.^ My favourites are still the Blood series and the Meat Show, although the new (2008) Snow Yak Show includes some particularly awesome paintings...

This one's called 'Sophia's Bubbles' =P

I have been talking to Maddie about recreating some Ryden paintings and fortunately she found the idea interesting. The first in our list will be 'Rose' from the Blood series:

We will try and fit it in this Thursday with the 'Funeral for my Valentine' shoot in Hampstead Heath. Interested in seeing how it turns out, should also be a lot of fun considering the props. A blood stained white dress, needle and thread, a crucifix, sword and coffin.

I finish this short post with some more of my favourite Ryden paintings!

Mark Ryden's Website