The Raven and the Cellar Door

A Bird and a Kitty

2011-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was so enamoured by Kitty Valentine's morbid alterations of old photographs and postcards that I attempted to paint my own.

I've only blocked in the cloak so far but I'm hoping to finish it when get back from Paris.

kittyvalentine.blogspot.com

Welcome to the House of Fun

2011-03-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Molly

2011-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.myspace.com/mollyandhenry

Alex

2011-01-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.myspace.com/alexcheatle

Julie Ann

2011-01-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.myspace.com/julieannhartiganmusic

Ophelia

2011-01-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Model: Sophie Carys Whitehouse.
Dress and Photography by me.

Sneak Preview

2011-01-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

Recently did shoots with these three lovely ladies and whilst the film-developing is in process, here's a taste of what's to come.

London Snow

2011-01-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Fuji Film Instax

The Boys Are Marching Home Today

2010-11-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by musician JulieAnn Hartigan, who asked me to design some artwork for her single The Boys Are Marching Home. The single (which you can listen to on her myspace) is being released as a limited edition of 100 copies will feature the images below on its cover.

Become a fan of JulieAnn on:

-myspace

-facebook

-twitter

2010-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

Bakerloo Line 31/10

Photoshopped

2010-11-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

A.S. Portabello Road 30/10

Nine

2010-10-29T04:14:00.000-07:00

Tippex, drawing ink, film negative, Camera-Less Photography leaflet, book page.

Joker card, red marker pen, book page, Elle editorial page.

Diamonds from playing card, needle and thread (black and red), label maker, black marker pen, Shadowcatchers leaflet.

Label maker, book page, ELLE editorial page, drawing ink, back of a playing card.

Playig card, label maker, Tippex, drawing ink, N.I.N.E letter stamps, book page.

Book page, ELLE editorial page, Polaroid film silver, drawing ink.

Bowie photo, label maker, Tippex, Polaroid film silver.

ELLE editorial page, book page, diamods from playing card, tippex, black marker pen.

Stencil, black marker pen, Tippex, Diaonds from playing card, drawing ink, Shadowcatchers leaflet.

2010-10-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

Jordan Taylor - 23/10

Girlfut vs Youthquake

2010-10-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

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Visit to a Scrapyard

2010-10-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

Disposable (main) of Anish Kapoor sculpture, (overlay) two photos of me on a rocking horse, taken by Carys

(left page) Diana Mini+ of grafitti and a sweet shop, (right page) Diana Mini+ of Carys, Window by Amelia, Grass unknown

Diana Mini+ (left) of an abandoned trailer, (right) Camden Stables, (centre overlay) triple exposure of trailer, telephone box and something else, (right overlay) reflection of a light fixture in a shard of glass.

Diana Mini+ (left) double exposure of a crane and a rainbow in oil, jagged cut of car engine parts (right) tyres in snow. Yellow created by bleaching photopaper.

Diana Mini+ (left) metal tyre innards, jagged cut of engines, (right) triple exposure of crane.

Voodoo

2010-09-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝✝

A Stopped Clock

2010-09-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

I bought these in a flea market in Paris. I think I was overcharged for them, but foreign money feels about as real as Monopoly money or the 'invisible' money that lives on your debit card; so I don't mind.

I am thinking of adding the clocks to my chandelier of vintage keys. I have the bare bones of the chandelier, but unfortunately it is attached to the ceiling of my house in Essex, which is having building works for the next 6 months. Well, they've said it will be 6 months, so let's assume about a year? I'll get back to you on that one.

And yes, they are entirely useless, but I shall leave you with two quotes:

"All art is quite useless" - Oscar Wilde

(Disposable camera: Wilde's tomb in Père Lachaise)

"Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day" - Marwood

A Cause, a Tower and an Unexpected Win.

2010-09-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posting of late, but my school decided to block blogger.com from our access. There were many reasons that I felt this was unnecessary so I fought to get it back and eventually won. So hello again.

I recently found these rather charming ladies:

They reminded me of a cabaret poster I saw in Paris which went something like this:

And I found this guy too:

I also recently won a photography competition for the Herts and Essex Observer. To see the featured article click here and to see the winning photo in high resolution, click here.

It's good to be back and looking forward to talking to you all again.

Ellen x

Old Polaroids

2010-08-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

Vintage Keys

2010-08-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

Just found a bag full of 100s of old keys. I might make them all hang from a light fitting. Like a key-chandelier.

Or just make 100 necklaces?

What do you think I should do with them?

Camden Stables

2010-08-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posting of late. I'm mainly using disposable film at the moment and I'm waiting to finish them all before I get them developed so could be a wait. I've been painting etc. but due to the lack of equipment in Essex I can't get a photo of anything up just yet.

Here are a couple of overlays I took on a Diana+ Mini (current weapon of choice)

✝

2010-07-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

No where left to go

People are Strange

House

The Journey from Doubt to Belief

Street Crane

2010-07-16T09:59:00.001-07:00

Fuji Film Instax

Reflective Journal

2010-07-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

It recently hit that time of the season where I buy a Moleskine and decide to fill it with sketches and genius musings and poetry.

(I found yet another one after I took this photo)

This usually results in me filling out about 2 pages, deciding I've ruined it, and using it to make shopping lists instead. Which I never use because I am invariably broke. Yesterday was no exception, and as I sauntered into Chelsea College art shop (I had decided to go ahead with the notebook purchase, despite previous failures) it dawned on me that I would not be able to afford the Moleskine, in all its leather-bound glory... However, I was resolute in my decision to buy a new notebook:

(and a gold pen)

Anyway, I have started to fill it, which I suppose is something.

(Fire-like wording achieved by applying bleach onto photo using paintbrush. Paintbrush consequently dead.)

Some of last year's journal:

NO.

2010-07-11T09:25:00.001-07:00

YES.

2010-07-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

life is a cabaret

2010-07-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

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We built a nest.

2010-07-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Noble Eightfold Questions

2010-06-16T13:01:00.001-07:00

Carys (of the lovely vintage blog La Ville Inconnue) recently tagged me as one of eight bloggers to answer these questions:

1. What never fails to cheer you up?
Finding beauty in unexpected places, seeing things from a different point of view. Those are two of the reasons I love art so much - it can make our mundane existence seem meaningful and can allow you to see into the artist's mind.

2. If you could live one day of your life over again, what would it be?
I wouldn't want to relive anything, I think that memories are often a little rose-tinted, and I'd like to keep them that way rather than tarnishing them with reality.

3. What do you like best about yourself?
I like that I'm comfortable in myself enough that I'm not intimidated by people telling me that I'm different or should be more like everyone else around me. I usually stick out from the crowd but I think that it's important to know who you are and not let people tell you to act contrary to that.

4. What would you change about yourself?
I wish I took more risks and was less afraid of the consequences. To those of you know know me, saying that I should be bolder may seem a little odd, but I just feel that my ideal life would be one not run by an education system or any other form of structured control, but purely by me.

5. What have you enjoyed best about blogging?
It drives me to create art instead of just thinking about creating art. It's also helped with my confidence in my own work, as people have been very lovely about my drawings and photography, which is really encouraging.

6. Who/what is your ultimate source of inspiration?
I am inspired by people I know well, and people I don't know at all but may simply encounter on the street. Ultimately I think that we are an incredible race (for the most part... Kerry Katona aside...) and that every individual has something inspiring and interesting about them, which makes them who they are. So... humanity, I guess.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world by now, where would you be?
Quite frankly, I can't wait to escape to Paris. But I'm close to people who are important to me right now, and I'm quite happy where I am for the time being to stay.

8. Who would you invite to your ideal dinner party?
Nietzche, Bowie, Tim Minchin, Lady Gaga, Stephen Fry, Dumbledore.

Right, now it's my turn to tag eight bloggers myself. These are the lovely people I have chosen to answer the questions (if you feel that way inclined):

Alyssa @ Macaroons and Me
Amelia @ La Ville Inconnue
Caroline @ Ergy Erg
Charlotte @ Fairytale vs Reality
Isis @ Novella Vintage
Lisa @ Starship Narcissus
Madeleine @ Swellegant Ponderings
Marina @ Somersault

On an unrelated note, here are some photos of a lion and a zebra we stole:

A Vol D'Oiseau

2010-06-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

The majesty of avaiation is somewhat destroyed after one has stumbled upon the phenomenon of seagulls.

Some birds of my own creation:

b.i.c.y.c.l.e.

2010-06-14T16:18:00.001-07:00

Blue, originally uploaded by ellen frances miles.

ceci nest pas une bicyclette

Telephone

2010-06-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Ironically, someone rang me during Lady Gaga's performance of Telephone in the O2 Arena. I answered. Or rather Gaga did: "Stop telephoning me, I'm busy..."

Brighton Lomography

2010-06-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Cucumber Sandwiches...

2010-06-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

... And a terribly British summer. In the midsts of a twelve-hour long revision session, I had some rather lovely visitors from the 19th century.

Un Rayon de Lumiere 2010-05-22T11:49:00.000-07:00 I found this book in an antiques stall in the stables of Camden Market. I thought that it was beautiful anyway, as I have a strange fascination for books and especially old ones, but what really caught my eye was that it was titled "Un rayon de Lumiere". As Ellen means "a ray of light" I thought that it must be a sign and this book was destined to be the story of my life. So I bought it in all its hardbacked, leather-bound glory and have only just begun to use it. Mainly for scribbling and doodling, but my head is quite empty at the minute. I apologise for the hideous background that is budget boarding-school carpet. As there is no where in the room with enough light other than right in the middle, and my camera can only handle focusing on things if you zoom in on them from a long way away, I had to put the book on the floor. - 2010-05-17T07:36:00.000-07:00 Postsecret 2010-05-17T04:56:00.000-07:00 One of those coffee-table books that has been sitting in the corner of my room (I don't have a coffee table) for as long as I can remember. Here are some of my favourite entries. Chirp 2010-05-11T11:36:00.000-07:00 Still America fetishing. Hence the buffalo. Got inspired to do some photographs of the English equivalent. Which is cows. Basically. Brighton 2010-05-04T05:56:00.000-07:00 Was going to see my godfather for some tea in the Grand and went for a stroll along the boardwalk to take a gander at the happy families on the pier and to reminisce. Also went for a somewhat longer stroll through the lanes - peeping in at the vintage shops and antiques arcades (they're absolutely huge in Brighton, it's a real treasure trove). Also spied a woman with the most beautiful singing voice I have ever heard. I tipped her £1 and took her card but subsequently lost it. Oops. I have also lost the photos of me in the most divine vintage jacket that I have ever seen. I can't adequately describe it's beauty (party because I have essentially forgotten the details). Standard: I also took a few pictures using my Lomography Diana Mini, which I haven't had the time to develop yet but which I'm hoping will be rather aesthetically pleasing. New York 2010-04-29T12:26:00.000-07:00 Recently read a New York blog and now am pining more than ever to be 'over the pond'. In fact, being anywhere other than England would be great right now. I'm aware that it's quite a big place (as places go) but I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic and cabin-feverish from being in this country so long. Well, I've been to Switzerland twice this year but I still have a craving for the wider world. Running away to Paris is beginning to sound more like a reasonable plan now than ever... So here are my pictures from my visit to New York, which was quite a while ago now but I don't hate/feel embarrassed by them yet so here you go (although I may have a W H Auden moment and decide to remove it all from the face of the Earth at some point in the future). Sketch #349t8uj340ft 2010-04-28T12:09:00.000-07:00 Inspired by John MacConnell Boom, Like That 2010-04-27T14:46:00.000-07:00 --------------------------------------------------- Grycja Erde 2010-04-21T05:54:00.000-07:00 Clicky for Grycja Zis ist me: Pffft. 2010-04-20T11:40:00.000-07:00 Bruno Dayan For those who fantasise... 2010-04-16T14:50:00.001-07:00 I really recommend this exhibition in Kensington: Enchanted Palace [Sorry about the limited photos, it doesn't really capture the experience at all, but you're not actually allowed to take them] A bit of Shakespearian Neckwear 2010-04-16T11:44:00.000-07:00 I decided that I needed a ruff. I have a ridiculous amount of paper-cuts right now. Hide & Find 2010-04-16T06:09:00.000-07:00 http://hideandfind.blogspot.com/ I found one in NY. Hats 2010-04-14T07:08:00.001-07:00 I like them. [Amelia Horgan Photography] I bought some new ones. I also found all these flags (can't really see scale so bear in mind the largest Union Flag is about 4 times my size). Paper Eaters 2010-04-14T07:07:00.001-07:00 If you find yourself wandering around Oxford Street and begin to feel that our materialistic society is bleaching your soul of culture, head for the Ultralounge in Selfridges for something more uplifting... Contemporary artists The Girls have made it into a veritable craft-fest. And as much as I am loathe to admit it (I despise 'craft') this is pretty noice. Due to neon backlighting these pics are not amazing quality but you get the idea. Black Tie and the Thames 2010-04-01T15:33:00.000-07:00 The best thing about being South of the river is the view of the North-side. Sick of Pretty 2010-04-01T14:53:00.000-07:00 Algernon Vladimir Balthazar 2010-03-31T15:48:00.000-07:00 We found this small safari in an alley in Camden Stables. Knowing lifelong regret would be imminent upon deciding to abandon them to the mercy of the weather/tourists - this occurred: Carrying was awkward so we took him on the bus. He now lives in my room. Yeah we took him to my house. (I went back for the zebra the next day - he currently resides in my garden.) I wish I could play guitar like these finches 2010-03-26T13:01:00.000-07:00 CLICK TO WATCH THEM Basically there's this new exhibition in the Barbican and it's genius. Rocking Horse 2010-03-15T17:19:00.000-07:00 I drank some dirty water Shook evil hands I've done some bad things And they get easier to do Then I wrote a nasty letter And I sent it to the Lord I said don't you dare come And bother me no more I had a good friend I could only destroy And lovers I loved less Than anybody could afford Yes but this old rocking horse Just nods his head And he's gonna rock back and forth The way that he always did The Imaginarium of Doctor McSpee 2010-03-15T15:59:00.000-07:00 "Hello" says the lady in the hat, "I would like to invite you into a magical world... a world of untold wonder... the world of Doctor McSpee..." Everything you can imagine is real ~Dr. McSpee You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?' ~Dr. McSpee Imagination is more important than knowledge ~Dr. McSpee