Valentine Mark Herman's Blog (133)

..the Mini.

Car, not skirt.

But he might have invented that too.

What he did say that is 'relevant' (I use the word with some hesitation here) is that "A camel is a horse designed by a committee".

Thank you, Sir Alex.

And now this Great Big Collage (# 15 in the series, in case you have lost count) is about animals -- animals of the "Pushmi-Pullyu" type (supposedly, a gazelle-unicorn cross with two heads) of Dr Dolittle.

I managed to sneak a…

And then, many years later, Coca Cola came along.

And there was Light.

(Or even Lite in some markets)

And there was Zero.

And there was Life

And there was even Cherry Cola, as in.....

"I met her in a club down in old Soho/ Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola/See-oh-el-aye cola."

(It was originally Coca cola, but the Coke people wouldn't let the kinks call it that -- but…

Bonjour!

I play (badly) rock'n'roll guitar.

I play (slightly better) the alto recorder.

In France, the recorder is known as the 'flu(^)te à bec'. [The ^ is supposed to go over the u, but I can't seem to manage that].

There is another type of flu(^)te, a 'flu(^)te traversière'. This is a flute -- the type of flute that Wolfgang Amadeus obviously had in mind when he wrote 'The Magic Flute' opera ('obviously' because he didn't mess around with…

Bonjour!

Here we are again.

This one is about bikes -- pedal-type bikes, not motor bikes.

Let's start with the Great Big Collage ...voilà!

And now let me introduce you to some members of my Fan Club Sigean Ladies Bike Club. Here are 9 members of the Club getting ready to go for their Sunday morning…

"My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.

Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,

So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?":

Thank you, Janis.

Great Big Collage #12 is about cars, mostly British vintage cars -- many of them made by companies, that hélas, no longer exist.

Here's the Great Big Collage in its great big magnificence:…

Here's another one,  folks, based on cartoon comic magazines:

The magazines I used came from Britain, the US, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, China and Norway.

Why is it called "VLADABOM!!! DANDY 100% FUNNY", Fanny? Well, leaving aside the fact that anything of mine could be less than 100%, the title can be found in the bottom left hand…

Almost every summer since I moved to the South of France, I have gone to watch the Tour de France.

A typical 'Tour day', involves driving to some isolated spot between the Alps and the Pyrenees,; getting there 3-4 hours before the race arrives; setting up a picnic table -- and then sharing your food and drink with your neighbours; waiting for the Tour's promotional caravan to pass, and collect as many 'souvenirs' as possible; waiting some more, and then, as the race gets nearer come…

Here is another Great Big Collage/ (#9, and still going strong, folks).

And, in the words of the song:

"When it's Spring again, I'll bring again

Tulips from Amsterdam.

With a heart that's true, I'll give to you

Tulips from Amsterdam.

I can't wait until the day you fill

These eager arms of mine.

Like the windmill keeps on turning,

That's how my heart keeps on yearning.…

Bonjour Happy followers of my Great Big Collages series!

We are now up to number 8.

This one looks at where Little Nicolas spent his summer holiday this year.

Here's the Great Big Collage, it's called in French 'Petit Nicolas passe ses grande Vacances à Sigean';

Sigean is where I live. It is a small village in the South of France, between Narbonne and Perpignan.

Katerina, Dean and Jeanette have spent petites vacances here in recent years.…

You don't know, Jim?

Well here's a clue in my latest Great Big Collage, and that's called "Doors".

There are 76 Doors here. I took photos of them in France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany (both East and West), Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Morocco and Hungary.

Here's two details of the "Doors" Collage:…

I started a circus with my very good mail art friend Mevrouw Jarina Renz!

And here in this Great Big Collage (#6 in the series in case you have lost count) is the one and only Circus Herman Renz

I'm sure tht you'd like to see Jarina and I in our circus costumes -- well, not to disappoint you....…

A new chess game: CIRCULAR CHESS.

The board consists of two circles.

Here is the circle for the white and brown pieces (side and aerial views):

This is the circle for the black and white pieces (again side and aerial views):…

This Great Big Collage is slightly smaller than the others in this series being only 150 x 90 cms, or 60 x 36 ins: usual rules for postage and envelopes apply.  I agree with Monsieur Balzac -- The bar of a café IS the Parliament of the people.…

Here is another Great Big Collage. This one shows some surprising similiar poses bertween Monet, Manet et al's and Heffner's model harems.

Most of the Ladies in Red kept most of their clothes on.

Which is more than can be said for the next few young ladies.…

Bonjour!

Here is my latest Great Big Collage. It is called "Great Big Collage 3: Is it Art or Sex?"

Here are some close ups of it (the Great Big Collage, that is, not, certainly not, the sex):

Another Lady in White; This one is wondering 'What…

As you know, the Sigean Standardisation Committe (SSC) has spent the last 5 years, months, days, weeks, minutes considering a possible revision to the size of ATC's , that is, at present, 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

The SSC has concluded that this size is way too small, and is recommending a larger size to be immediately adopted throughout the artistic community.

The new, revised size for ATCs is from now on 71 x 39…

It is called 'Great Big Collage 1: Eyes'.  If you want it, then please send me a large stamped addressed envelope. (NB it will have to be a very large stamped addressed envelope as the GBC is 1m80 x1.00m/5ft11ins x3ft3ins big, and it weighs about 2.5kilos/5 1/4 lbs. First come, first served...

It is made up of something like 180 pieces, and this is what it looks like....…