The Estonian Philosopher.
- Thread starter Stanley Edwards
- Start date
Gave my Bovril to a very special firend. And, gave my Golden Syrup to the man I envy most in the World 
He better fucking well enjoy it!
I always enjoy Sitges. It has a very friendly relaxed vibe at this time of year. Everyone except policia local are being very nice to me. What the fuck is the law that says I can't sketch in the streets? There is no law. It's pathetic and it's annoying me to the point where it's time for me to denounce them and see what explanation they come up with.
Enjoy my Bovril! I fucking love her to bits. Enjoy every second in her company and always know it's not going to be anymore. Happy sad sort of stuff.
Life hey?
He better fucking well enjoy it!
I always enjoy Sitges. It has a very friendly relaxed vibe at this time of year. Everyone except policia local are being very nice to me. What the fuck is the law that says I can't sketch in the streets? There is no law. It's pathetic and it's annoying me to the point where it's time for me to denounce them and see what explanation they come up with.
Enjoy my Bovril! I fucking love her to bits. Enjoy every second in her company and always know it's not going to be anymore. Happy sad sort of stuff.
Life hey?
Right. I'm on a new mission. I need to ask favours of people firstly, but...
I have never been on a cruise ship. It's looking like I might make enough money here to take a cruise from Barcelona to Tenerife where I will spend the winter months.
I met a guy here a couple of years ago who uses off season cruise ships at less cost than renting appartments and paying for life on-shore. I need to find him again.
The plan is to find a discount ship stopping at Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca and Arrecife before getting to the Canary islands. I can pick-up enough cash en-route (hopefully), then I just need to average €40/day to have a very comfortable winter
Scruffshyster artist is gonna go mix it with the cruise ship crowd. Will they let me on?
I have never been on a cruise ship. It's looking like I might make enough money here to take a cruise from Barcelona to Tenerife where I will spend the winter months.
I met a guy here a couple of years ago who uses off season cruise ships at less cost than renting appartments and paying for life on-shore. I need to find him again.
The plan is to find a discount ship stopping at Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca and Arrecife before getting to the Canary islands. I can pick-up enough cash en-route (hopefully), then I just need to average €40/day to have a very comfortable winter
Scruffshyster artist is gonna go mix it with the cruise ship crowd. Will they let me on?
I wouldn't risk it - those ships are breeding grounds for every bug that's going.
Having said that, if you want to take your chances, at least try to look reputable. Those cruise ships try to sell themselves as providing luxury and glamour. Good luck.
Having said that, if you want to take your chances, at least try to look reputable. Those cruise ships try to sell themselves as providing luxury and glamour. Good luck.
Like private geriatric hospitals that float.
I'm intrigued. Also, I reckon among 900 on a floating hospital I could find at least 1 good customer a day on a 10 day cruise. I think I can more than cover my costs. Of course, I'm going to have to be respectable laadeeda artist. I can do that for 10 days.
Probably worth mentioning a bit about the reality of working life ATM.
I'm working for 2 clients. The new restaraunt have already framed 2 huge sketches. They have asked for plate design proposals and I've been commissioned to paint a mural. They have pumped loads of cash into this place - it's a very nice french resto in an audacious art deco theme. They have to be sure I'm not going to fuck the scheme up
I'm doing this job at no more than cost plus a bit of pocket money. €100/day. Doing it at cost because I like the guys and they are teaching me much about what expensive restaraunt owners expect from an artists proposal. This evening I am sketching pictures of parakeets from the internet in my hotel room.
The other job is for an export company based in Barcelona. Don't know the details yet, but they want art for their reception foyer.
If I'm working outside I also leave a sketch on display to try and sell to passers by.
As ever, my biggest expense is bed. Currently €35/night (the cheapest I can find in Sitges). They're nice people who know me, so they're happy to give me credit until pay day.
Cruise ship prices can be from €40/night fullboard. It is not a stupid plan by any description.
I'm working for 2 clients. The new restaraunt have already framed 2 huge sketches. They have asked for plate design proposals and I've been commissioned to paint a mural. They have pumped loads of cash into this place - it's a very nice french resto in an audacious art deco theme. They have to be sure I'm not going to fuck the scheme up
I'm doing this job at no more than cost plus a bit of pocket money. €100/day. Doing it at cost because I like the guys and they are teaching me much about what expensive restaraunt owners expect from an artists proposal. This evening I am sketching pictures of parakeets from the internet in my hotel room.The other job is for an export company based in Barcelona. Don't know the details yet, but they want art for their reception foyer.
If I'm working outside I also leave a sketch on display to try and sell to passers by.
As ever, my biggest expense is bed. Currently €35/night (the cheapest I can find in Sitges). They're nice people who know me, so they're happy to give me credit until pay day.
Cruise ship prices can be from €40/night fullboard. It is not a stupid plan by any description.
Weren't you planning to buy your own ship a while back, Stan? Something about a ship with girls on it and some dodgy parties you had planned.. 
Sweet Meiga
From far off lands
What has happened to the Estonian philosopher?
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
There's just no tallin.
Mista Blank
Banned
That's too good to be good.
A very good friend of mine tells me that Mr Edwards admits there was no Estonian Philosopher, and he is currently living in an ocupado on the South Coast of Spain (lovelly, big 1930's building with beach views he tells me) whilst saving enough cash to get to Granada, then to Cadiz to get a €60, 33 hour ferry to Gran Canaria.
Thread end. But another will start. Probably by someone else who we don't know.
I'm never sure what to believe about Stan, but I don't believe you, Corax.
Corax
Luke 5:16
Not even my tagline?
Me neither. It's Billericay.
Corax
Luke 5:16
No, that's just where his regiment was based.
I'm getting stuck on the home leg Rain, rain and more rain. I have a €90 hostal debt to clear before I can move on. All this way without a single dip into savings, and now I'm stuck! No way am I giving in and going to the bank. In less than a year...
Morocco, Algeria, Melilla (all briefly) back to Spain, France, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain without a single penny from my limited savings.
Not a lot went to charity this time. Looking like it will be about €3.5K. Better than nowt, but I was hoping for much more.
€4 in my pocket is going to buy a train ticket back to Barcelona to make cash to clear debt and take the night train to Granada.
It was actually relatively easy. Only low point I can recall was arriving in Strasbourg on a wet night with no cash, but that turned around very quickly. I have free bed now in a squat, so if I get 2 good weather days in Barcelona I will be sorted.
My 2 top tips. The most important factors.
1. Work big - get seen.
2. Be happy always.
On the publicity front the free sheets are invaluable. 20 Minutes etc. Regurgitated news that people ignore. If you get just 2 column inches of human interest in there people read it and remember it. Local papers are useful also. most journalists are more than happy to receive a ready made article. A simple email of text with a jpeg almost guarantees next day publicity.
The majority of my income came from jobs rather than sales on the street. Lots of commissions and the fabulous Amen project in Lower Saxony.
Here in Sitges I leave a large mural in the towns coolest resto with 2 large framed sketches, and 2 murals sketched in private homes.
It's about who you meet on the streets - not what you sell on the streets.
And, although it's raining and I'm pretty skint today, a very nice couple from Ireland invited me to join them for an English breakfast.
99.999999% of people in this World are actually fucking cool, nice people
Rain, rain and more rain. I have a €90 hostal debt to clear before I can move on. All this way without a single dip into savings, and now I'm stuck! No way am I giving in and going to the bank. In less than a year...Morocco, Algeria, Melilla (all briefly) back to Spain, France, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain without a single penny from my limited savings.
Not a lot went to charity this time. Looking like it will be about €3.5K. Better than nowt, but I was hoping for much more.
€4 in my pocket is going to buy a train ticket back to Barcelona to make cash to clear debt and take the night train to Granada.
It was actually relatively easy. Only low point I can recall was arriving in Strasbourg on a wet night with no cash, but that turned around very quickly. I have free bed now in a squat, so if I get 2 good weather days in Barcelona I will be sorted.
My 2 top tips. The most important factors.
1. Work big - get seen.
2. Be happy always.
On the publicity front the free sheets are invaluable. 20 Minutes etc. Regurgitated news that people ignore. If you get just 2 column inches of human interest in there people read it and remember it. Local papers are useful also. most journalists are more than happy to receive a ready made article. A simple email of text with a jpeg almost guarantees next day publicity.
The majority of my income came from jobs rather than sales on the street. Lots of commissions and the fabulous Amen project in Lower Saxony.
Here in Sitges I leave a large mural in the towns coolest resto with 2 large framed sketches, and 2 murals sketched in private homes.
It's about who you meet on the streets - not what you sell on the streets.
And, although it's raining and I'm pretty skint today, a very nice couple from Ireland invited me to join them for an English breakfast.
99.999999% of people in this World are actually fucking cool, nice people
Ho hum!
Didn't even make it to the train station. It is dead here. Just gave my last € and cigarettes to a homeless guy after he gave me a freebie from the Chinese. That will be turned into a nice seafood paella for all in the squat this evening.
Looks like I'm here for another weekend. Another mural to sketch on the wall of a housebound women who wants her favourite paseo in her living room.
I like it here TBH. I'm not desperately trying to leave!
Special friend is close by even though I'm not quite as special to her as she is to me. Weather is relatively gentle. Free bed in a friendly communal setting. I'll stay until I have enough to clear debts and pay for train. Don't want to work Barcelona unless I have to. I hate the place.
Didn't even make it to the train station. It is dead here. Just gave my last € and cigarettes to a homeless guy after he gave me a freebie from the Chinese. That will be turned into a nice seafood paella for all in the squat this evening.
Looks like I'm here for another weekend. Another mural to sketch on the wall of a housebound women who wants her favourite paseo in her living room.
I like it here TBH. I'm not desperately trying to leave!
Special friend is close by even though I'm not quite as special to her as she is to me. Weather is relatively gentle. Free bed in a friendly communal setting. I'll stay until I have enough to clear debts and pay for train. Don't want to work Barcelona unless I have to. I hate the place.
It's a beautiful city. No doubt about that.
It's the way it functions I hate. The police (mossas) are notorious. Theft on the streets means I can't work without being careful to the extreme. It's just a false tourist city. There are no real people doing real stuff. Tourism and tourism servicing only. People living on mummy and daddy's credit cards pretending to be artists, actors, or muscicians.
The street statues on the Ramblas control the place to the extent it's Mafioso.
People live in Barcelona to be seen to be living there. They don't really play a part in the city.
It's just all false. Very false.
Thread resurrection
I am stuck in Barcelona - my least favourite city in Spain. I can't get home. I seem to be forever just €50 short of target.
However, I have loads of special work lined up here for next April, and I've just hit on a new winning idea to try this weekend. Good for €25 in 5 minutes on a test run this evening and just a €3 investment. This is good, very, very good, and very simple.
I shall video tomorrow evening
I am stuck in Barcelona - my least favourite city in Spain. I can't get home. I seem to be forever just €50 short of target.
However, I have loads of special work lined up here for next April, and I've just hit on a new winning idea to try this weekend. Good for €25 in 5 minutes on a test run this evening and just a €3 investment. This is good, very, very good, and very simple.
I shall video tomorrow evening
Erm...
I'm in trouble! Met someone in the city I dislike most. She is full of empathy and very beautiful. Rollerblading anarchist from heaven.
Not sure where this will all lead. May come to nothing. May go to Granada. May stay here. Who knows? We're still 'sounding each other out' ATM
No video. Camera is borked. I don't care.
I'm in trouble! Met someone in the city I dislike most. She is full of empathy and very beautiful. Rollerblading anarchist from heaven.
Not sure where this will all lead. May come to nothing. May go to Granada. May stay here. Who knows? We're still 'sounding each other out' ATM
No video. Camera is borked. I don't care.
Too epic
Making very slow progress. Still stuck in Barcelona and a very tempting job offer has just tempted me. Mural for a hotel somewhere on the beach. I will find out tomorrow, or I may ignore and just get the train. I couldn't live here happily even if anarchist rollerblader from heaven wanted me to (she doesn't - obviously).
TBH, I think I'm a bit apprehensive (clueless) about I'm going to do for income back in Granada, and I don't want to let go of the idea of winter in the Canaries, but I have shit to deal with back in the real world.
Fuck me! Look at that...
I'm fucking well going!
I'm fucking well going!
extra dry
Happy to be here
You have to not really think about the next few days..I guess if the weather people are right just paint and draw your way to 500-600euros.
Good to see you're still alive
I want warm weather. I also want cash. I think the Canary Islands offers both for winter.
Could go back to Granada and 'survive' day to day whilst relying on patronage, or summat. People I want to catch up with (seduce) also, but my plan is to head to Cadiz and take the 33 hour/€60 ferry from there.
Hostal fees to clear here first though, then overnight train to Granada for as long as, then bus to Cadiz. I'm really looking forwards to this trip. Plenty of contacts. Head full of painting ideas. Tent if needed
Nice end pic to this trip. Sort of explains how I've been making cash and connections on my travels. Someone just emailed this to me. About 16 shots stitched together. Not looking my best It was fucking cold today!