Registering as a charity

Just been checking this website out about starting foundations and non profit organisations... http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/basics/setting-up-an-organisation

gives a good basic outline for starting up and gives a link to The Charity Commission website... http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Start_up_a_charity/default.aspx

Will need to look into a definite statement that ensures that we conform to a certain rule when looking at the certain criteria envolved in registering as a charity.

http://the-artificial.jalbum.net/Artificial-Photography/

http://the-artificial.jalbum.net/Artificial-Photography/

Xavier Rudd and Izintaba

Well, what a story.

Going back to earlier, in February, when i did a burning of Xavier...http://thee-artificial.blogspot.com/2010/08/xavier-rudd.html

Andile said he would really like to see a burning done of himself. So that's how this whole piece started.

Thing is, i had already done a piece of Xavier, and now I'll be doing one of Andile, what about poor ol' Tio? Which gave me the idea of doing a piece with them all together. I found the perfect picture, with the help of a few Xavier fans, and got permission from Kane Hibberd, the photographer, to use it.

I came up with the idea of keeping them separate portraits that fit together to make a group portrait, perfect gift :) This way, they could all have their own portrait, or, even better, keep them as a group portrait to signify their connection. Each individual person and spirit come together to make something amazing!

So i had to start this piece by finding the wood. I had nothing suitable or big enough in my stash so i went on the hunt. I searched up and down our river for a whole day, walking miles, found alot of interesting things but not the piece of wood i was looking for.

Next day i spent walking around 3 different towns, looking in every skip or alleyway i could find. But still nothing quite right. It was on the third day when my nan phoned me up out of the blue and said 'We have got you the perfect bit of wood here for your burning!' And they had. My nan had spotted it around a bootsale, and my grandad and brother carried it half a mile back to their car.

It was slightly stained and had a few drill holes in it where it used to be a cupboard or something but i sanded it down, measured it up, and cut it to size.

Then, for the next 12 days straight i spent burning. I had blisters and cramps but the end result was well worth it!

I managed to finish 2 days before the gig in Brighton which gave my E.T hands enough time to return back to normal.

On the day, my good mate and P.A Ben Baker, drove me to maidstone where i met another good friend and amazing cricketer Laura Thompson who drove us all the way to Brighton.

After getting a little lost along the seafront, we found the venue. We got there about 6pm and the show didn't start until 7.30 but we could hear Xav's soulful music pouring out onto the empty streets. The doors were open and a few people were standing, heads nodding, in an empty hall, so we joined them. It was sound check. And after a little while, a fella called Benn Newby came and asked everyone to move out.

I took this opportunity to ask him whether it would be better to give the artwork to the guys before or after the show. and he said he wasn't sure how much time and stuff they would have afterwards and that he will just go and find out, so we went back inside and waited.

Just then, a lovely lady came over to us and asked about the artwork, it was Jennifer Rose or 'Rosie' Her smile said it all! she loved the artwork. We started chatting and stuff and found out that she met Xavier while doing conservation work in the Kimberleys. They made a connection and have been friends since, and one day Xav phoned her up and asked if she wanted to tour with him and that's how she got to be there...what a story!...after a little while longer of chatting, Rosie said that she had to go upstairs and asked if we wanted to come up? So we did.

We went up to Xav's dressing room and layed the artwork out on the seats, standing up to show them when they came up. So we chatted some more until Ben came up and said that the guys have had a pretty hectic time and was gonna have a rest in the bus, but he said we could stick around and see what happens. So we did :)

After about 10 minutes Xavier walked through the door. We said hello and pointed behind him to the artwork. He turned around and just stood there, silent.

Anyway, i think its safe to say he liked the artwork.. He said, "This is going in my bedroom!" :P

He asked if the others had seen it but they were resting in the bus so we packed them away for after the gig to show them later.

The show was unbelievable! Again the energy was unreal, Ben Howard and India Bourne were the warm up artists, and man are they talented! And the Trio were really feelin the vibes!

After the show we went back upstairs to his dressing room. Xavier told Andile and Tio to turn around while he put the artwork together. When they saw it, they just went crazy! Tio couldn't believe it.

We sat around and laughed and chatted for about an hour until we had to go. It was an outstanding night. Met some really unique and beautiful people. And i am so pleased that they liked the artwork. I can still hear Xavier's words, he said " I think this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen..., its unbelievable, like if i was to think of a memory to take with me of these guys, and us, you know,....it'll be this"

Wow! Well... All i can say to that, is that you guys have given me, my friends, and all of us, the beautiful gift of your music, and to thankyou for that, i have created this gift for you!

Thankyou brothas!

The wood before it was sanded or cut.

The wood after sanding

The wood cut and ready, pictures underneath to be burnt

Halfway through Tio's Portrait

Matching up Xavier with Andlie

Halfway through Xavier's Portrait

Matching up Tio with Xavier

Tio's Portrait

Xavier's Portrait

Andile's Portrait

Rosie with the Artwork layed out on the seats

The guys with the artwork

All of us

I Burnt The Dean

Well did make a video of the making and instalation of this piece. But when i just went to post it, i found out that the maximum size your allowed is 100 mb...
And the video i was gonna post is 233mb

Oh well i will just send the link below, its on youtube

Click Here

Its a pyrographic portrait i did of Adrian Newman, hes the Dean of Rochester.
:) Hope you like it

Hand

Whilst on my travels, i found a lovely piece of oak. It was a bit rough and grubby so i cleaned it all up.

The idea for this came about when i was chatting to an old mate of mine who is looking into this reiki healing. He said, 'why is it, that everytime something hurts, the first thing you do is put your hand on it?'

So that is what this signifies; putting a hand on something hurting. ie. This beautiful piece of tree that has gone to waste

Bengal Tiger

I have always wanted to burn a tiger, so when my grandad was clearing out his garage and found some wood that his brother-in-law gave him (who has now sadly passed away) I thought, this would be the perfect piece to do on it. Such a powerful creature, true majestic grace.

We shaped the wood and i burnt this bengal tiger with a bengal style border.

It is currently diplaying and for sale in Langley Galleries.

Xavier Rudd

Well, what can i say about this man!

If you haven't heard of him please check him out. He is unbelievable.

http://www.xavierrudd.com/

"Xavier Rudd is an Australian singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist...He has developed a strong reputation for playing live porformances in music festivals in Australia and in North America. His following is perticularly strong in Australia and in Canada, where he has recorded several albums...

Many of Rudds songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as environmentalism and the rights of the Aboriginal peoples...

Xavier is a vegetarian and was awarded PETA's annual "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity" award for 2007...He currently resides in Bells Beach, Victoria, in a custom-built house that is entirely environmentally sustainable and self-sufficient "

Well, he is what i call a role model, and it was a total honour doing this burning of him.

Heres the story...

The day before i was going to see Xavier play, i was adding the last finishing touches to this artwork. I was hoping to get it signed by the man himself.

I was working on a small tabletop that my mum no longer wanted and was getting rid of, so i sanded it down and used that.

The next day (13th Feb) i was heading to London with my mum, artwork in hand, getting even more excited the closer we got.

When we arrived, there was massive que of people waiting to get in. While waiting, i noticed just behind us was this sign saying "Stage Door" so i thought i would go and knock and see if anyone was there. A lady answered and i ask her if it would be possible to give the artwork to Xavier , so that when hes got a little time spare, he could sign it. She said she would go find out it that would be ok. She came back a little while after and said yeh no problem leave it here and we'll see what we can do. And that was that.

I went back in line and waited and went in.

Unfortunately i wasnt allowed my camera in and so had to leave it with 'The People' and i got given a little ticket to collect it afterwards.

Well the show, as expected, was absolutely amazing! The atmosphere and energy was unreal! Just a shame i couldnt take any photos!

After the show i went down to collect my camera but the place where i left it was all locked up! Then a bloke told me that i will have to go round by the stage door to collect it,..Sweet! i thought, i have to go there anyway to see what happened to the artwork!

I went round and knocked on the door and another lady came out, i handed her my ticket and she went and got my camera. When i asked about the artwork they said its up in his dressing room at the moment, did you want to wait or shall we take your number or something? I said we'll wait. So we did...and after a little while, the door came open and guess who popped his head round? Xavier himself, holding my piece of artwork!! Wow!

He called us in and we had a little chat. Strange because at times like that, what do you say!? Anyway he signed it and give us both a big hug and we got photos...then he said sorry and that he had to go because he had mates waiting upstairs. As we was leaving...Andile (one of Xav's new band members, an awesome drummer!) walked into the room! He said wow, so your the famous artist!...Then he said ' I would love one of them of myself'

So we had a little chat and he had a little smoke and then we all had to make a move.

It was a fantastic night, unbelievable show and such amazing people!