Katrina Gwynne-Jones

dancing with light and mischief

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about

I define the world visually (Deaf) & enjoy conveying visual language into pixels. I am a wanderlust person on hold, seeking the next adventure.
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  • Blog posts

    The Unmasking of our Mythological Language

    After watching “Grayson Perry: Who are you?” (Series 1 Episode 3) on Channel 4. I have been questioning my identity, “Who am I?” as part of long-term photography works, and here I have decided to show you my own Arts perspective on the imperative of language in our community. When asking this question via Twitter (2012):  “What characteristics would you say the Deaf community has as a whole?”

    These are some of the answers that were given – tribal, proud, family, individuality, pride, diversity, togetherness, unique, language, communication, share – language, experiences, culture, unity (not feeling disabled!), a linguistic minority due to their ‘disability’… “empowered” by unity.

    I have also researched the language (hidden meaning) or symbolism of various animals. Artists have used animals as their subjects and root back as far as a caveman and Egyptian times. Animals are also symbolic. These are meaning for each animal that I have found closest to the characteristic of the BSL community’s answer above:

    • Wolves – Loyalty, Intelligence, Friendliness, Compassionate, Communication; by not only using vocal but touch, eye contact and body movements (enduring many false stereotypes & misunderstandings)
    • Ram – Fearlessness, Power, Protection, Reincarnation, Warriors, Renewal, Determination, Initiative

    The unmasking of our Mythological language

    I wanted to express my language, British Sign Language, through the mask of various animals to describe the remarkable characteristics of my deaf linguistic community. I have disguised my muses with masks and clothes as a gesture to relay a message. I wanted to create a mythical image by carefully displaying characters within an animalistic context at its core to convey the essence of how we perceive ourselves as a community. The wolves were used due to their unique and complex social arrangements, and their heightened sense of touch and eye contact. I hope with the effect of repoussoir, in the above image I have drawn the eye of my viewer to the illuminated ram, which symbolises power, warriors, determination and fearlessness within the community. I believe this represents not only a statement of the richness and beauty of my visual language but also captures the Deaf person’s (my) personality through the very identity of this image.

  • Blog posts

    Tough Mudder (Yorkshire) 2013 – Deaf Nuts

    So very proud of this group of Deaf Nuts as they like to call themselves for completing their race with Tough Mudder, recently.
    Tough Mudder # 1

    Joseph Gwynne-Jone – Getting out of “Arctic Enema” (Tank filled with ice water)

    Tough Mudder # 2

    Mark Healy

    Tough Mudder # 3

    Mark Healy, Dean Farnham, Joseph Gwynne-Jones (my other half), Matt Royce

    Tough Mudder # 4

    Brother-in-law Ben Gwynne-Jones with my two kids and dogs

    Tough Mudder # 5

    Got to love this group of men for being courageous and fun!

  • Blog posts

    Home sweet Home (in Sweden)

    We flew out to Sweden on Boxing Day and we stayed there till a few days after New Year’s Day. It was truly a magical winter wonderland with the cosiest, most functional & picturesque home slapped right bang in the middle of the forest (almost like a scene that you have read/heard as a child, from one of the fairy-tale stories). It is so very peaceful, away from the hustle and bustle. The people there are very friendly.

    It is so easy to get to, from the airport to visiting Stockholm. The supermarkets are nearby if you ever need something. We bought enough ingredients to make homemade Nutella cookies, raspberry muffins and even Steak & Guinness pie; and all next to the wood-burning fire, it is a home sweet home. We would play one of their games every evening with music playing in the background or even watch one of their numerous DVDs, that they have stored.

    Helena Stahl (the owner/host), has been brilliant and quick to reply. (Here is the link to her home via AirBNB) She can speak more languages than I have fingers on one hand, so communication would not be a problem there. She had a hand-book on standby if you want to get to know a little bit more about the home, family or surrounding. For example, we did not know that a herd of deer would bark like dogs and YES, we would see them daily via our kitchen window some mornings or evenings before the sun set! (You will see that I have taken a picture of the two deers via the kitchen window.) What could be more idyllic than that?

    The only real downside is that we didn’t get to see a proper flurry of snow although, the snow is already there waiting for us knee-deep and the lake has turned into (the most beautiful baby blue) ice, it was more than enough for us. 🙂 (And oh, Helena even had sledges out, waiting for us to have fun on it!)

    And if that’s not enough, then they are building a sauna right next to their home. We would come back during one summer month and swim in one of the many lakes nearby, along with a picnic in hand. I, for one, can’t thank Helena enough (as I have been waiting for years to visit Sweden, and her home) and already, I can’t wait to go back.

    Stahl's home Kids on snow Out on a snowy walk pre-cookies Stahl's open plan (2) Stahl's open plan The two deers Front Door

    Here is the video with our grand tour of their home (taken on the last day of our holiday and five minutes before leaving for the airport)… (Please excuse the noise & the slow tour!)

    And here are the two short videos with the kids sledging…. one & two (Converting these videos from iMovie to Quicktime to Youtube are really pain-in-the-butt!).

  • Blog posts

    A snowy day somewhere in West Yorkshire, England…

    I have included two videos of us on the sledge too, but you will have to view it (for now) via my tumblr: http://dancingmischief.tumblr.com/
    photo (1) photo (2) photoAll the images above are taken with my iPhone 4s (and via instagram) x

  • Blog posts

    Here’s a glimpse of our trip to Sweden…

    I know, I have been a bit slow with my blog but for now, here’s a {photo} glimpse of our trip to Sweden…

    Walking in our PJs

     

    Swedish deer

  • Blog posts

    our road adventure trip…

    As promised, here is our journey around Europe (all in all, we have drove 2,980 miles in Europe but if I were to include UK then we have done 3,500-ish!). I didn’t know how I want to present this blog, at first I was going to do day-to-day diary-blog (but soon realised that my days were quickly fulfilled with family activities, if not driving. Hence, I have only managed to do day one as shown below:

    Day One: Drove straight down to London to meet an Australian man who introduced us to our spaceship campervan, named R2D2! It’s well designed, yet compact; but my other half was disappointed to discover it runs on petrol & not diesel. I have later learned (over the next following days), how thirsty our R2D2 is!! The longer we want to take our journey, the thirst is huge and therefore, it used up most of our budget! 😦

    Anyway, we made a quick visit to Brighton as it have been on my list of must see places in UK. Even though, we arrived around dusk, we all have fell in love with it; even if it’s only for a couple of hours. We all sat on the beach with our take-away in the warm night air, the kids got their fish/chicken & chips and us (parents) got Vietnamese food and boy, it was delicious!! Kids and Joe went to visit the pier whilst I stayed with Frodo (as they don’t allow dogs on the pier!). Soon after, decided to sleep in the Spaceship campervan near Folkestone, for our trip via eurotunnel the following noon.

    Instead, here are my flash feeds:

    There have been a lot of firsts on our trip:

    * Went to Brighton, UK (finally – been on  my list of must visit places in UK)

    * Ate the most delicious Vietnamese take-away for the first time (on a beach in the warm night air)

    * Drove an automatic vehicle (properly) for the first time

    * Went on Eurotunnel (Took all of us, only just 30 minutes & ate our BYO breakfast!)

    * First thing, we did when on French soil was to buy and eat Nutella with breadsticks! (Nom!)

    * Drove and visited Switzerland and North West Italy.

    The pictures below are all listed chronically by date. (Note: Not all these pictures below are taken by me.)

    Stumbled across this huge bike (in France) on our way to Geneva (Switzerland).

    Frodo first proper walk without lead (day 3) – Joe!

    Just across the border into Switzerland, found my first vineyard since arriving, along with this sign too! 🙂 – Joe

    Drove through Mount Blanc via a very long tunnel (before Italy) – Joe

    [Removed pictured for a good valid reason]

    First night/morning in Italy, searching for a campsite. (Simply far too hot to sleep in the campervan, Frodo and I stayed outside instead. Too excited to sleep anyway.) – Me

    Here’s our R2D2 campervan – Me

    Portofino, Italy (Stunning, yet crazy!) – Joe

    Miss C took some pictures of her own (just after our trip to Castlellane, France) – Me

    My two gorgeous kids (exceptionally well behaved on a very long journey!) – Me

    It was far too hot for Frodo in the car, a much-needed swim (& take ages to come out of the river!) – Joe

    Our first night at La Fruitere home, learning a variety of new card games! – Me

    Cows literally in our back garden! – Me

    P on a hammock in the front garden! – Me

    Kids playing badminton in the front garden – Me

    Chilling out before the sun set! – Me

    Our (borrowed) La Fruitere home, in France! – Me

    Joe dived in the freezing wild pool (Gouffre de St-Sauveur, France)! – Me

    And here P, too (Gouffre de St-Sauveur, France)! – Me

    Drove by and can’t help but laugh, noticing the house is for sale but look what is parked outside the garage….. a horse! – Me

    Look who is pleased to see us! – Joe

    A little house cocoon in the rock, somewhere in France! – Joe

    Miss C – Joe

    Mr P – Joe

    Frodo – Joe

    Playing a card game of “Shithead” at one of the campsites – Me

    Been at this pool from 11 till 5pm that day – just swimming! – Me

    Kids having fun with their ringos down the water slides – Me

    Seeing sunset at a campsite near Bordeaux – Joe

    Gorgeous sunset at a campsite near Bordeaux – Joe

    Never did self-portraiture with my hubby before (nor did we sat together on a single hammock until now) – Me

    * I personally love Geneva (Switzerland), it’s like a scene out of “Sound of Music” (one of my childhood movie) for me. I also love where the young (from teenagers to young adults) people come out at night with their friends and not for a boozy night out but just to meet up in the square with coffee and conversations or when families and friends meet up on a weekly food festival in various local villages with their finest knives and forks and crystal wine glasses out of their picnic baskets! It was amazing!

    ** Extremely proud when French staffs at various places have complimented my kids’ etiquettes & manners, especially for them trying to speak to them in French (& not in English). They even did the same in Italian when in Italy. **

    *** And another thing, when driving in centre Paris especially on a Friday night, be prepared! I applauded Joe (my other half) for his confidence and quick thinking with the amount of scooters and daring bikers, keep riding in front of many drivers. He was amazing that night and funny to watch the whole scenario, like I am watching from the outside!***

    **** At one of the campsite, I was (and still is) perplexed at seeing some of the stuffs people (especially European) bring with them to camping! Ie. washing machine (Why? When you got a perfectly good one at every campsite!), DIY gypsy caravan (- now that was fun to watch!), oh there are so many to even be mentioned.****

    Dissappointment:

    * Most beaches in Europe don’t allow dog, hence we didn’t swim much in the sea! (Perfect, as it’s help us to steer away from the touristy areas and headed into the wild swimmings more!

    * Was absolutely gutted to find that I have just missed the season of lavender-filled fields – they were all harvested before we came into the area

    Our family recommendations

    Campites:

    * Camping de Martinet, St.Claude (France)

    * Domaine du Verdon, near Castlellane (France)

    Activities:

    * Le Point Sublime (video not taken by us) – Walk via the miner’s cave to one of the pool by the gorge

    * Swim in the Gouffre de St-Sauveur pool in a remote woodland, near Cales. (Have discovered that its a flooded sinkhole.)

  • Blog posts

    Goodbye ‘chelle

    I was to send this post out a month ago, on the 25th of March 2012; but I was away working in London, at the time. There have been a lot of firsts this year for me, especially being away from my family; such as not being with my kids on Mother’s Day, which was exceptionally weird & kind of empty somewhat.

    Without drifting off the point, I have promised myself that I will dedicate this brief post to say my last “goodbye”, on the anniversary of my sister Michelle’s death. Even though she is long gone now, I know she is out there somewhere with this huge smile of hers, knowing that we are fulfilling what may be to come.

    Seeing other brothers and sisters out there whether that could be in person or via means of social media, is truly such a beautiful thing to see; whether they may be arguing or joking alongside each other, but most of all when they’re supporting one another (especially via Twitter). I miss that…… the most. From watching those sisters and brothers’ daily moments, sometimes, it is hard for me to find the strength to proceed. My entire family (i.e. cousins, etc.) would often comment on how they have looked up to me for being the “strong” one through all of our dramas; but over the years, it is only my husband who can see that I have become “weak” and in need of love and support too.

    This year, I have slowly discovered myself again…. finding that “fun” mum again. Both my kids need me more so now than ever and they are my strength to believe that I am not alone and that I am this beautiful soul waiting to soar alongside my beautiful current family.

    Here are these photo memories that remind me, not what I have lost but with this beautiful soul where I will keep you (‘chelle) in my heart……

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Goodbye ‘chelle xo

  • Blog posts

    2nd February 2002

    (First of all, I am not good at telling stories, but this is my story.)

    I first met my husband in the month of August 2001, and then lo’ and behold, he proposed me the following February 2002; and ever since then we don’t do the “normality” chocoloate/teddy bear Valentine thing on the 14th. As we have our own “special night” on the 2nd of February. He knew then that I have a thing with number and I knew he have terrible memory with number, so that date was pretty much (and still is) special in itself, for us.

    Well, how did it all started out – my darling Joe have planned it all out, the Christmas before that February. He have booked us that room 16 at Portobello Hotel & then hid the booking reference in a present that I was not to open till Christmas day. (And for anybody who did not know me, is that I am terrible when it comes to my surprises; because I would determinedly sneak high and low for it. Joe was good because little did I knew then, that he would hid it, inside another present.) ;

    Come Christmas Day, I was ecstatic to find that he have booked us into this fabulous boho bijou Rock n’ Roll Portobello Hotel (because I had read out to Joe, the summer before; about this famous story where Johnny Depp and Kate Moss are said to have filled their entire antique roll-top bath with champagne, but only to be empty it out by a cleaner). Anyway that February, I flew over to London for the weekend, Joe had picked me up at the airport with this gorgeous bunch of flowers (I didn’t know whether to die with embarrassment or to fell in love with him more as no-one have ever done this for me before.) For my first night, I had stayed at Joe’s aunt whilst Joe went out to work the following day before we would turned up at this hip hotel. Everyone was out and I was in the house alone with no food and I didn’t want to go down to the shop as I didn’t have the key to get back in; hence I was absolutely starving by the time, Joe came home from work.

    We had dressed up and went out to get some burger before meeting some friends for few drinks, so that we could spend the entire night alone at the Portobello Hotel. Unfortunately, lack of (almost) no food plus couple of glasses of wine have made me throw up, which was embarrassing enough. As Joe then went into the nearest shop, to buy me some wipes, water & chewing gum before we would head to the hotel. As soon as we got to the hotel, he threw me in the cold shower to sober me up before he could carry on his surprise proposal because he had (nervously) carefully planned it all out since way before Christmas previous.

    He have filled this hugemongous bath with bubble bath (not champagne) and then give me this ship in a bottle and tell me this future possibility for us, ending it with a proposal. The first word I signed out to him was “no” (as I wanted to made him sweat out for throwing me in the cold shower), then slowly but surely I said “yes”! (We kind of made a promise there and then that we would go back to Portobello or similar every year; but we never did. I am still holding out to that promise to when we are both working.)

    Dear my darlin’ Joe,

    I know that we may have our up and down or on this crazy roller-coaster, thank you for being there as of late. I did always said that you were and still is, my soul-mate (even though, you can be such a real pain in the arse sometimes. 😉 And as you have said in your vows to me, “You promise you will me laugh” and you still do. Remember this photo below, taken the following morning?

    Love you. xo

    P.S. By the way, I haven’t forgotten what you have said to me the following morning (when we had our continental breakfast), that you almost didn’t want to proposed me the night before, for being drunk! ;</e

  • Blog posts

    How do you define motherhood?

    There isn’t just one answer or word for it. For me, it is almost indescribable. How do you convey an emotion into words when it is a physical or mental attribution?
    My 13 years old son have been away for the full three weeks at the end of the summer, and in his returns, he is no longer just my boy but turning into a young man. His voice breaks whilst he was away. It’s almost like missing his first walking steps in a way but in this case, have he turn into a different person without my acknowledgement?
    One of my very first pictures with my new digital camera (then), few weeks before I enrolled myself onto HND Photography course. He was 7 then!
    I love this saying: “A boy becomes an adult three years before his parents think he does – and about two years after he think he does!”
    At this next stage of my son life, I know society & circumstances will play a very big part in his life and only he can then decided where he will go along with the current of that life. I am just hoping that he will acquaint us with his growing principles along with our guidance, because I can just see that, it is almost out of our control.
    There is this poem that I love, by Julia Johnson Davis and it’s called:
    To a Young Son
    In your face I sometimes see
    Shadowings of the man to be,
    And eager, dream of what my son
    Will be in twenty years and one.
     
    But when you are to manhood grown,
    And all your manhood ways are known,
    Then shall I, wistful, try to trace
    The child you once were in your face?
    You know, I have a nickname for him from when he was a baby, and it’s always been the same “cuddly cud”.
     

    Taken on our wedding day by my other half’s uncle. 🙂 He was 6 then!
     
    And I will, for the life of me, cuddle him so!
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    waiting at the window…


    While I was saying goodbye to Mr P, this morning. I turned around and saw Miss C waiting at the window, I just had to take this picture there and then. (And, …..I’m glad, I did.)