Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Dr Graham's LiveJournal:

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Friday, February 27th, 2009
3:27 pm	Like every Californian Haven't updated this in a bloody long time, although I still keep up to date with my FL (more or less). - My job is stressing me out. - I am working like a motherfucker. - I am attending school (Thursday evenings 6-9) - I am playing lots of squash, which I now love. - I have massive plans for 2009. - This is my last post. Farewell LJ. xo (4 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Friday, December 12th, 2008
2:06 pm	A friend and I went to see The Hold Steady in Nottingham on Tuesday night, a package of posters in tow to give to the band. The gig was awesome, and made all the more thoroughly enjoyable by Craig Finn (singer) announcing mid-set: "So this guy made a show poster and it's the best Hold Steady poster I've ever seen - thanks man!" I was somewhat unrestrained in my celebratory drinks afterwards, however, as Wednesday saw me endure the worst hangover I've ever experienced. Almost killed me. (prescribe me something nice)
Thursday, November 27th, 2008
9:13 am	Spam "I have an obscured business suggestion for you." I see. (1 prescription | prescribe me something nice)
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
2:47 pm	Postings I have dropped off the lj posting planet a little bit, although still check everyone else's when I get a spare 5 minutes. What have I been up to... Well work work has been very busy lately. Last week I did a presentation to a bunch of people from the Ambulance Service, which was actually quite enjoyable. I recently had a few days off to catch up on being a bit lazy, and during this time managed to complete the game Dead Space which I enjoyed. The monster at the end! What a beast! The exhibition mentioned in my last post took place and was well attended: ( It looked a bit like this ) but unfortunately, some of the work was apparently stolen the night after so everything was soon taken down and is going up in a different venue somewhere else, and will get a similar launch treatment in true deja vu style. I was also sent the finished records by a band which I did some art for a while ago, and was also able to knock up a poster for them: This year seems to have gone by in a flash. (prescribe me something nice)
Friday, October 17th, 2008
4:28 pm	It was my birthday recently, the big three oh! Also, I am now part of a thing: www.rboyu.com/artists/grahampilling!! And I have some work appearing in another exhibition at the Faversham in Leeds. The opening night is Friday the 24th: Drinks and that! (6 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Sunday, October 5th, 2008
11:24 pm	Dear Channel 4, the abuse of human rights and liberties is a terrible, terrible thing; that people are still tortured and killed for their origins, beliefs or political viewpoints in this day and age is most upsetting and indicative, not only of the amount of progress still ahead of us as the Human Race, but also of the value of the hard work put in by organisations such as Amnesty International. The violation of human rights is certainly no laughing matter. However, it is a sad state of affairs when the violation of human rights is actually funnier than the Secret Policeman's ball 2008. Jesus fucking christ. Please pass on my condolences to everyone involved in this monumental dud. I have literally NOT not laughed so much in years. Better luck next time. Yours sincerely, Graham D Pilling (13 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
1:27 pm	Flatstock Reeperbahn-Fest, Hamburg These: This: This: and that: (2 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
9:30 am	Damn right I'll rise again I'm off to Hamburg, Germany tomorrow to take part in the third European Flatstock. While I hope to sell a print or two, I am mostly looking forward to hanging out with friends and catching up with the other artists I met last time. In a bid to reduce the amount of things I have to do before I go, I decided I would not print my Hold Steady poster myself and instead get it printed by someone who will do it justice. I should have a hundred of these waiting for me when I get back: October is going to be busy... what with the Hold Steady gig, the Night Marchers gig we're putting on, and me turning 30 years old. As an advance birthday present to myself, I (finally) bought a set of plan chest drawers to store all my prints, posters and spare paper in... I'm really looking forward to organising my workroom a little better and I have even arranged a new home for my tarantula to free up space. I've been toying with the idea of knocking lj on the head, or at least posting. I feel like I barely have anything to say anymore other than here's some more work by me. This year has flown by like a rocket. (prescribe me something nice)
Monday, September 15th, 2008
4:53 pm	New Nettle This weekend Rach and I cooked Lamb Shanks for some dinner guests which was great. I also went mountainbiking near a place called Austwick, which was also great. I got covered in shit and nettle-stings! Next week I will be over in Hamburg, Germany for: FLATSTOCK EUROPE 3 in conjuction with the REEPERBAHN MUSIC FESTIVAL. This will officially be the 19th Flatstock and the third in Europe. Organised by the American Poster Institute (API), Flatstock sees poster artists from around the world gather to display and sell their wares; enjoy meeting fans, collectors and fellow artists; drink copious amounts of booze; and ride amazing and terrifying mythical beasts, cutting a swathe of destruction across the globe - all in the name of the humble gig poster! Artists in attendence include: Lil' Tuffy (USA), MonkeyInk (USA), Guy Burwell (USA), Alan Hynes (USA), Tara McPherson (USA), Mark Pedini (USA), Jay Ryan/the Bird Machine (USA), Vahalla Studios (USA), Crosshair (USA), Decoder Ring (USA), Diana Sudyka (USA), Mig Kokinda (USA), Jacknife Posters (UK), Luke Drozd (UK), Graham Pilling (UK), Switchopen (UK), 3D Glasses (UK), Drew Millward (UK), Two Duck Disco (UK),B-Droid (UK), Screwball Press (UK, Slowboy (DE), Fritte (DE), Douze Dresden (DE), Goetzilla (DE), Red Can Company (DE), mitchum d.a. (DE), Mara Piccione (NL),Willem Kolvoort (NL), Atzgerei (Austria), Brazos Locos (FR), Popfuel (CA), Scrawled Design (UK), Steph Nitro (CH) and Atelier 75 (CH). ---- Should be a lot of fun, although I still have some work to do beforehand and am still in the middle of my Hold Steady poster... (prescribe me something nice)
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
9:39 am	Worky Melvins poster, 3 colours, edition of 70: See some of the process pics on the Process Blog here: grahampilling.blogspot.com Plus, here's a couple of ghosts just for fun. ( Boo ) What is up with the bloody weather?? I keep wanting to go out on my bike and it either looks like it's going to be dull and ends up sunny, or it looks like it's going to be mild and ends up pissing it down. I'm hoping everything's sunny in Hamburg in a couple of weeks... (5 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
1:37 pm	Remain in the same position for a few minutes Taken in St Feliu where Rach and I were on holiday last week. Warm and relaxing, I didn't turn on my phone or check my email while away. It was an actual holiday! The office work is busy, and the design work is busy. There has been lots of interest in my prints, which I'm really pleased about. They are still on display at the Reliance but I hope to collect them soon, as a few of the framed ones have been sold and need to go to their new homes. I made a nice banner to advertise... I'm currently working on posters for: The Melvins The Night Marchers The Hold Steady (prescribe me something nice)
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
2:03 pm	An entry I have become a bit lackadaisical about updating this thing... time for a catch up. Firstly, one of my prints is now being displayed in Leeds City Art Gallery as part of their 'Artists Show 2008', which is something I am pleased with. There was free wine to be had at the opening on Saturday, and the work on display is pretty varied and interesting. Secondly, I used a very welcome day off from the office job yesterday to finish up some work and to redo the HIDDENS page so that it uses Lightbox 2 to make all the images pop up. There are also process pics on there, showing the drawing and printing side of production. I plan to do some kind of write up over on my process blog at some point also... Other things I have done recently: - Saw The Hold Steady live and enjoyed them. - Played some basketball, which looks like it might become a semi-regular thing. Really enjoyed getting back into playing. - Had a family meal which turned out to be very positive and affirming in various ways. - Watched Control which was I thought was well done. - Caught up with some more episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and really liked the 'Wagner orchestra' one. - Watched 28 Weeks Later which was enjoyable in a pretty harsh way. The weekend promises to be good -- it is Rachel's birthday and also 30 Fest happening, which means bands and drinking and hopefully some table football here and there. (7 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Friday, June 27th, 2008
2:30 pm	Cream Crack I am knackered... I was up at half six to get suited and booted for a meeting in Huddersfield... I have tonnes of photos and other things to upload but just haven't had chance. Busy, busy. I am really starting to long for mine and Rach's holiday in August... I need lazy beach time. (prescribe me something nice)
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
1:54 pm	Good Times / Bad Times Good times: I picked up the framed prints and they look great! I am very pleased. I also dropped off another set of "bottle opener" & "box opener" prints to be framed in order to submit them to a summer exhibition in N Yorkshire which might be quite posh. There is a judging panel and potental prize money. Bad times: I got headbutted in the mouth yesterday playing 5-a-side and chipped a tiny bit of one of my front teeth, as well as sustained a nasty gash on the inside of my lip. That side of my mouth has swollen up but worse than that... there is a weird "white thing" which is poking out of the cut! I am going to see the doctor with it, and am slightly worried it will need poking back in or stitches. (3 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
10:48 am	My Diptych Was up until the small hours (although not too small) finishing the design for another print last night. Designed to go with the other long print, making a diptych. ( BOX OPENER ) Last thing on the agenda is a painting, although once all the prints are framed I think I'll have enough to fill the walls nicely anyway. Maybe I should have a week off. Looking at everything in one place makes me realise, wow, I've really done a lot of work here... I'm also finding it interesting seeing which pieces appeal to different people, as a couple which I was initially unsure about have had positive comments. The last couple of things I've worked on have actually given me a very clear idea for another print-project I'd like to do perhaps later in the year. Champions League final -- I was working pretty much all evening, so listened to it on Five Live online. What a nailbiter! Poor, poor Terry... he must feel like utter dogshit. (prescribe me something nice)
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
11:42 am	And then it tightened up it's tentacles The designs for the 12, 9"x9" prints are now done, although the final 4 have yet to be printed... I was supposed to be in the studio at the weekend but they had some kind of open day happening, so I'll be in next weekend instead. You can see larger versions of each of them here. 9 of the prints are at the framers, and since they're mostly all the same size, he's making the frames for the ones I've yet to print so they're ready to go when they're done. The framer guy has given me a really good rate for the framing, so I'm dead pleased and can't wait to see them all finished and on the walls... DRINKS!!!: The "drinks with the artist" night has been inked in for Friday the 13th June and I'm trying to arrange some complimentary drinks, as is the tradition for exhibition openings and that. In other news, last night I cooked a Woodpidgeon which I bought from the farmer's market on Sunday -- I even found a tiny pellet in it from where it had been shot! (18 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
11:41 am	h i d d e n s I realised last night that my exhibition starts a month today, so I really should start letting people know. I've had a list of words and phrases in my sketch book in order to come up with a name for my exhibition but was initially struggling to commit to something... I figured short and snappy was best in the end. "Hiddens" is an example of something I do frequently with words, i.e. deliberately and incorrectly pluralise a word for no better reason than to make it seem odd. For fun. Sad I know. I use the word 'hiddens' in exactly the same way one would use the word 'secrets' ("That's where I keep my hiddens!" etc.) and I think it's apt for the work I've put together for my exhibition, since keys, locks, precious gems, and things emerging from boxes and bottles and trumpets and holes are all dominant features in the imagery. Anyway, here's a little image I knocked up to advertise the exhibition: ( and here's one of the main illustrations featured, which I finished up last night. ) I'll be printing more exhibition work on Saturday, and then hopefully have time for another printing session in a couple of weeks. Then I'll get everything framed and ready to hang. I'd also like to have an official exhibition launch night, where everyone is invited out for a few drinks, but am still sorting out the best date for that... I'm actually a bit nervous (though mostly excited) about the whole thing. Having agreed to the exhibition dates before producing ANY work for it was initially quite daunting but has really forced me to work hard at what I've produced, and to explore different ideas, to not kill stuff by overdoing it and basically not be afraid of just going with something as soon as I think of it. (3 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
2:18 pm	Sun Madness Every year I think this -- As soon as we start getting some sunshine, some people seem to act a bit nuts, like they are instantly overcome with a mild form of sunstroke. For example: Yesterday, I stopped at the Lloyd's Bank on Armley Town Street to withdraw cash. Two youths (chavs) came down the street, shouting and throwing a binbag full of rubbish around. The street was very busy and lots of people were obviously looking at the youths, including the older lady qeueing behind me. Just as I was slipping my debit card back into my wallet, the binbag was suddenly flung at the cashpoint infront of me and one of the youths snatched at the wallet in my hand. Knocking his tracksuited arm away, I kept hold of my wallet. There seemed to be a bit of a scuffle which ended in the youth taking a swing at my face, which I dodged. The woman queueing next to me screamed out and everyone strangely froze. I looked at these two lads, who almost seemed suddenly embarressed, and simply asked, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" I think they screeched something along the lines of 'speccy dickhead' and promptly walked away. I turned and collected my cash from the machine, which had remained untouched throughout the episode, and watched them waddle off down the street. People nearby just stared, aghast. The woman next to me was probably in her 50s and visibly shaken up, much moreso than me. "Oh, love - are you OK? I can't believe that happened. I'm absolutely shaking." I put a hand on her shoulder to steady her, because for a second I thought she was going to collapse. I assured her I was fine and told her to take care, as I walked home. I honestly do not believe the two cockends had planned to rob anyone, considering it was about 5:30pm on a very busy street. They had probably had a few Stellas sat in the sun somewhere and then wandered down the road, baying at each other like animals, and just reacted to seeing the wallet in my hand. They honestly seemed out of their tiny minds. On the walk back to the house, I saw two cars narrowly miss each other by inches, both clearly going about twice the speed limit. As I arrived home, I thought two things: 1) The sun comes out and certain people just seem to go berzerk; and 2) Chavs/Hoodies and other violent children are a pestilence and need culling. (4 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Monday, April 7th, 2008
10:30 am	Weekend F(r)amery My framed prints arrived on Saturday, which I'm mega pleased with. Posters and other screenprinted art just looks so nice when framed, it's really quite magical how it works. ( FRAMED PICS ) The final two are now hung up in my studio room and I have already got my money's worth in terms of outright staring at them (especially the Horkey). Considering I've had an "art collection" for a few years now, it almost seems daft that this is the first time I've got things properly framed but it's so worth it. I love 'em. Saturday, a few of us went to a comedy night in town where I ended up being sat too close to the stage, and knew straight away the compare/comedians would 'pick on me'. Which they did. I handled myself quite well by giving a fake name and job, of course (actually the name and job of a friend of mine sat next to me), but the laughter of my friends gave me away and the comedian figured out what I'd done and referred to me as 'Fake Dave' from then on. I later had to get up on stage and generally participate in ways that most people would find embarrassing. The compare asked if I was involved in show business and I replied no but my friends shouted yes, "He dresses as a bunny!" and it all got quite weird to be honest. Later, I was chatting with the main comedian (who was pretty funny) and a guy came up to us and said, "Yeah! Fake Dave, you were well funny mate!" without saying anything to the main comedian, who seemed a bit pissed off. A weird night. The rest of the weekend was spent working on some stuff I have to finish up. (2 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
10:34 am	Battlegoine Last night I found myself reading through very old lj entries and it struck me -- it would be great if livejournal had the facility to produce a nice, bound, journal style book of your entries which you could buy in volumes as needed. (I am probably the millionth person to think of this and for all I know something like this exists already.) LJ is mostly just a handy distraction to pass the time but it's also quite a large volume of information and experience, if you take it all into account. There's very few other projects people would spent years contributing to. It would be something of a loss if LJ went down the shitter one day and everyone's past entires were lost forever. It's weird reading my very early posts. They're quite horrible. A cocky, forced persona wrote them. Sometimes I am envious of the time that that character seemed to have on his hands. Anyway. Last night was a night of finishings. I completed Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on the DS (which Rach and I have both been playing through - she'll probably finish it today) which was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure. Then in bed I finished reading Love Remains, by Glen Duncan, which I'm sort of glad to have got out of the way really. It was engaging enough but you can very much tell that it's an earlier work of Duncan's as a lot of the themes are explored in later books and expounded upon with a bit more literary prowess. Oddly enough, I also visualised the ending before reading it. I've never read a Douglas Copeland book before but I have one on the shelf, so that might be next. At the weekend just gone, I took four of my favourite prints to a local framers. Two Jay Ryans, and two Horkeys (including this one). Despite having many posters/prints, it's the first time I've gone and had something custom framed. The old framer chap was very nice though, and I was reasurred enough that the frame job would be of archival quality to protect the prints. Still, as I left the prints with him and walked home I was actually a bit nervous of the potential for them to be damaged. I'm sure they'll be fine and look great in the house. Time for a coffee. (8 prescriptions | prescribe me something nice)