MERRY CHRIMBO EVERYBODY!!!

You know at the end of your Advent calendar you would get a big chocolate Jesus in a shed or something?   Well here’s my chocolate Jesus.  Advent of Thom, 2015, is DONE.  (Which I will eventually post up.  You can check that oot here... 

All ThingsThom on Facebook

Although I’ve missed those past few days there because it’s all Christmas n’ that and also just too relieved to have survived a flight that has got me the closest to true panic I’ve ever felt before. 

Talking about chocolate Jesuses, the word “Jesus” has never come from my mouth so regularly before.  Suffice to say, if it’s windy like that again, I ain’t goin on no mutha fuppin plane.

Right a few points to make…

1)  I’m not trying to be “funny”.  I genuinely spelt “Christmas” wrong.  I couldn’t quite believe it so I left it in there.

2)     I really need to learn how to do things.  Like export quality videos, record the sound better and edit stuff.  But I’m having a mince pie and a cup of tea and it’s really not that important at the minute. 

Maybe I’ll do a Christmas single next year and see if I can get to Number one.

Chrissy time on Vimeo

I've no idea what will work for who so here it is on You Tube too. Vimeos slightly better quality, but just who knows how this old world works...

Chrissy Time on YouTube

Thom's Testimonials

So the Belfast show has been and gone, and a good time was had by all.  Especially Carl Weathers who ended up chatting to my Dad about the disaster of earthquakes that are becoming increasingly more frequent in California.

One of the joys of having a table at a Con is enjoying the reactions of folks. Both good and bad. 

I LOVES it.

 “All Things Thom” is probably the most genuine, creative thing, coming straight from my little Thom insides, that I do.  I dabble in fairly realistic figure work, it’s something that I can do, but all my Thoms are a total relief of getting the nonsense that bangs around in my heid out.  It’s actually a need that I have to get them out and allow them to live in the world.  So it doesn’t really make a difference as to what kind of reactions I get.  As long as they keep living in me and saying the stupid stuff they do, it’s my duty to sick them up and get them out.

Painting for me takes a LOOOONG time.  My day to day studio work is so intense that to come home and “do a Thom” is as much of a relief as it would be to “do a dump” after being a fatty and stuffing your face on rubbish. 

At the Con, it seemed particularly evident that it wasn’t always obvious to folk that I was the one behind the Thoms.  And I’m pretty sure I’m right in thinking this as I’m sure some faces wouldn’t have looked quite so disgusted, and the negative remarks been quite so loud had they known. 

But perhaps maybe they would.  

I don’t have a beef with that.  It’s rather fun feeling slightly invisible and being able to witness someones gut reaction to what you’re trying to do.  I don’t want to be a middle man.  Anything I do I don’t want it to be “Ok”.  Either love it or think it’s shit.  I just like when you have the bollocks to stick by what you think. 

So here are some Thom testimonials that it was a pleasure to witness, whether the people knew I was the Thom or not…

And my favourite...

...that little kids response!  Brilliant.   

Belfast Film and Comic Con!!

So, the Thom show is near to hitting the road.  VERY excited but also feeling slightly wobbly knee-ed.  (Ok, so thats totally not a word.  And I only say that because I was sure it was and had to Google it up.  But it's totally not a word.)

Well, really looking forward to seeing the mad mix of sorts there's bound to be there in both art and creativity! 

And incase you're looking for something to do this weekend and you want to avoid the boring stuff you've been putting off but vowed to yourself you'd DEFINITELY do it this weekend...Don't bother and come to this!...

Belfast Film and Comic Con

Make sure you make time for having a little bit if fun today.  Like, if you're having a cup of tea, have a REALLY good biscuit with it. 

(That's genuinely something I get quite excited about)

Bye now.

Giant Chair Fail

So this is what happens when you’re too over enthusiastic about getting a leg up to bound onto a 7ft giant’s chair in a Leprechaun Museum but you’re neither as limble and light as you once were.

For your perusal, I have attached here an image of myself plus a close up elbow image.  You can't quite appreciate it, but the bump is about the size of an egg.  And that mouldy yellow smudge isn't that I have a dirty elbow.  Thats the beginning of the bruise.  I have to say, for a while there I couldn't even see my elbow.  It was just one big giant Popeye type swelling.

Anyway, at the time of the said fail, the last things I thought were,

“Aaaaahh”

“Nick catch me”

“God this is quite high up” and

“This is going to hurt”

And it did. 

All that came out though was a sound like “Eeeeeeeep”

I’ve got injuries now that remind me of scrappings I got as a tiny Thom. You don’t tend to get those type of damages once you grow into a grown up because really, you’re meant to be a little more in control of your body and how you make it work. 

But unlike those times in primary school when I would tend to bound up and give it another go, I lay on the floor for a good while to make sure things weren’t broken, while everyone else enjoyed bounding onto the chairs in a much more sensible way.

Sensible isn’t as fun, but it Goddamn hurts sometimes.

Thom the Tink

In my normal every day,-day-to-day style of dress, I so often feel like a tink*.   In my 9-5 job I don’t consider myself as actually having to present myself to the world, so I dress in my “Sunday-clothes-for-bumming-around-the-house-when-you‘re-sure-noone-will-see-you” outfit.

One day recently in my 9-5 attire, I had an unfortunate meeting with an arse ugly dog who, as I came upon it, remarkably seemed to be looking at me with an air of disgust.  Sitting there, with its fat, wrinkly gut spilling over the pavement and a face that could make shit melt.  The cheek of it.

And I’m sure it wasn’t thinking very much at that moment, but my God, the look in its bulging fly eyes said, “Bitch, you ain’t nuthin but a scruffy ho”

Thom the Tink

I walked away with an unintentional feeling of bewilderment, genuinely questioning what was that about.

I didn't think I was that insecure.  Although I did once apologise to a pigeon for not being able to get out of his way.  You know, I went one way, he went the same way, I went to the left, he went to the left I went to the right, he went to the right…It was all very awkward.

The animal world is so odd.

(*bum, hobo, vagrant)