Yelling at concrete - June 2025

Intro

April was a wash in terms of new things but in doing so It gave me May. A month of ideas and motivation. If April was the before this is the after though some of it’s still ongoing. I decide to take some of my own advice and expand my roots and trim the dead. I’ve been urban gardening and the result of that is a lot of plant metaphors. Also it’s shocking how many people I know who don’t know how to repot a plant.

Were we all not taught this as a child? Just me?

Table of Contents

• Intro

• Catch up

• Podcast

• New work

  • Yes I’ve been painting again

  • I’ve been sculpting too.

  • So what’s coming?

Catch up

The short is I’ve been unhappy with my work. Or at the least unfulfilled.

You may have seen the image below which did quite well on the Insta. Well shock and horror I wasn’t that much of a fan. I mean it was fine. But it felt obvious to me. Felt slogan led and sure it’d look good on a t-shirt and there are hidden references within it but at what cost? So I decided to take a step back and think what did I enjoy. I enjoyed and got the most from my more abstract and experimental work.

As such I’ve decided to take a step back from products. Turned of my big cartel and will be occasionally putting out a new tee but I want to find those roots I was talking about and I think those roots are within something more…pretentious.

And thus…see below.

Podcast

But first the recap.

Mariella was my first guest in May and no doubt got some great comments on the chat we had. We dove deep on the idea of transferable skills. How we approach things and how your background can impact your progress just on face value and then deeper with cultural and social ties.

I then took a moment to talk about how we an stunt our own growth through having too many options. This was essentially me building on what I said in my last newsletter. Wanting to get the most out of myself leads to a space where getting the most is restrictive!

And then finally we went local! Ryan and I sat down to talk small towns, Lincoln, Lincolnshire and Scunthorpe and how country living has a rich history of are and rebellion which can get ground away. Which is a sad statement and makes audiences more hostile in many ways which you have to get through.

New work

So this week I’m doing a bit of a double tease with you as I’ll tell you about it but now show too much as after a quick reflection I’m going to give that privilege to the patrons helping to fund the podcast and zines!

Yes I’ve been painting again

Not something I do often and no not one which will be collabs into a bit old video but simply an Idea I had which as I started to draw it I felt under whelmed by and felt it would be better executed in paint. As such I might end up with a couple Ideas along these lines in the coming months. I also got into a good space of having an area setup to paint and doing little bits after work.

Also if you’re in NY and know any good Oil paint lessons let me know as I’m a little curious having never used them how they would work for my style of drip.

I’ve been sculpting too.

What seems like an age again now I was experimenting with mixed media sculptures on a small scale. And I wont lie, it was some of my most enjoyable work. The problem always comes then after with “Well now what” I thought I had an out for that in I let the be destroyed but then if it didn’t add to the concept I didn’t see the point. Either way I have dove back in. Got my pretentious hat on and in doing so started building again. My hope is to potentially put this on show somewhere at least once within the area but whether that’s in a gallery or just taking it on a wagon to a park who knows.

So what’s coming?

I’ve been tinkering and continue to tinker. Over the next few months I’m hoping to flood my insta with various teases but for some real insight these newsletters should show you a little in advance and if you want more, there is patreon for just $1 a month which in turn funds the hosting of the podcast which I have no intention of stopping.

As always thank you for reading and sharing and I hope you’re safe and well and continuing to expand you’re own metaphoric roots.