Friday, August 29, 2014
take me up to the top of the city
September, before it has begun, has a theme to it. I am paying three visits to our capital - which feels exciting and sounds expensive. At the end of the month I am going to see, and I can't quite believe I'm saying this, Kate Bush in concert. I know, how crazy is that? I hope she hasn't had a big strop by then and called the rest of the dates off. You wouldn't put it past her. And, I love her for that.
Mid month I am finally going to see my bookbench. It's been a long time coming, but at last, just days before it retires from the city, I'll get to see it, in situ, on the streets of London. Well, actually, in a churchyard in Greenwich. The photo, below, was taken by, and of, a couple of friends who recently visited.
Then there's next weekend and a rather fabulous opportunity that presented itself to me. You know, sometimes, a little gem of a 'job' pops up in your inbox? Sometimes, you don't even take it seriously because it sounds too good to be true? Yeah, that.
Next weekend, on Saturday 5th of September, I will be drawing for, and representing, MOLESKINE and URBAN SKETCHERS in COVENT GARDEN. It's true! Please come along. We're there all day for a big old sketchathon. Come! Draw! Plus, rumour has it, that there may just be free Moleskines. Oh yes. You'll need to get there early to catch one of those lovely worms.
Oh, oh, and I forgot to mention the rest of the Covent Garden sketching team. I'll only be sketching with, ahem, Urban Sketching correspondents Adebanji Alade, James Hobbs, Olha Pryymak. Eeeeek! I already feel like a fraud.
Full details of the event can be found HERE. Even though our Learning Sessions are sold out still come along. We'll all be hanging out, sketching, all day. Hope to see you there.
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
This is the last but drawing of my travel themed Moleskine. There's just one more little page to fill. It's a travel sketchbook with a bit of a twist as I've created all the drawings at home with the souvenirs and memorabilia that I have brought back from my trips. Actually, not just my trips. This book also contains souvenirs from my friends travels too. That's the good thing about being a memorabilia artist; people always seem to bring me bits and bobs back from their trips. For example, a friend brought this back from the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, London, earlier this year.
I started this Moleskine on the 29th of April 2009. I cannot even begin to think of how many hours work, and love, have gone into it. I think that it is my favourite sketchbook so far. In fact, it most definitely is. I am very proud of it. And now there is just one more page to go. Will I ever finish it?
Friday, February 24, 2012
Roll up! Roll up! Come and see the amazing bearded lady (oops no, that was my last post)
The unfinished drawing followed the page below, in which I am having a little rant about how upsetting I find seeing animals performing for humans. Of course, I'm not talking about our pets here. I regularly get my cat to juggle knives, and in a way I feel that's how she earns her keep. No, I'm being selective with my disgust.
Anyway, the other day I was flicking through this sketchbook again when it suddenly came to me. I knew exactly how I should complete the page. Rather than being concerned about my state of mind my first instinct was to draw it, and that's how I came up with a circus of performing (drawn) animals that are actually souvenirs from my travels. It all made perfect sense.
Actually, I do think that this is a way of dealing with those pages that sit unfinished, the ones that you feel are spoiling your sketchbook; just throw as much at it as possible. Give it all you've got.
Just one more page to go in this sketchbook! One more page and my first carnet de voyage, volume 1 (because there will be another) will be finished. How will I pluck up the courage to start that final page? What will I put on it? Hmmm, the possibilities are endless, if a circus of performing souvenirs are anything to go by.
I have two mini travel sketchbooks on offer HERE. Pop them into your the pocket of your Moleskine sketchbook for when you need a little bit of inspiration. Cheers, my dears!
Friday, March 25, 2011
wish i knew you well
I'm often asked how long my drawings take. Well, at a guess, this one took a mere fifty hours. To appreciate the obsessive attention to detail click on the drawing and stick your conk in. Please do; FIFTY chuffing hours.
Oh dear, it seems that some of you have having trouble enlarging this image. I'll try to fix it, until then you can see the bigger version HERE.
Monday, March 14, 2011
get it on
This is another spread from my travel Moleskine. You can see the rest of that 'carnet de voyage' HERE.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
where sleeplessness awaits
This is one of the most ambitious drawings that I've undertaken yet. It's on A3 paper which is double the size I normally use. Plus it's full colour. Thus far it has taken approximately 20 hours.
Anyway, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you how I make these big mad drawings as it is a question I'm asked often. In the past I've been asked if I set up the compositions or whether I draw from a photo. The answer to both of those questions is no. I almost always draw from life.
What I do do is start with a couple objects (in this case the tram ticket, the Mary and baby Jesus and the seahorse) and then add the rest around them. I place the other objects on the paper, mapping it out piece by piece. It's almost as though the composition works itself out. I love drawings like this. I love the way they reveal themselves to me, the way they unfold in front of my eyes.
Friday, December 17, 2010
i've been whistling down the street
Luckily my stadar (a kind of radar, or gaydar, that detects stationery outlets in the vicinity), which had been going off for the whole trip, pointed me in the direction of a great big stationers close to our hotel. Now, for me, stationery plus souvenirs ticks so many boxes I couldn't have been happier.
So, here are my souvenirs of Clermont Ferrand; a half blue and half red pencil, two stencil maps of France and a ruler. Mission accomplished.
I'm not so happy with the blue and red drawing, above. No doubt I'll mess around with that some more in the future.
Of course, there are also all of the sugar packets, napkins, tram tickets, receipts, bills and business cards I also collected during the trip, but hey that's another drawing. Or six.
These drawing are a part of my aforementioned souvenir themed sketchbook. You can see the rest of the series HERE.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
your smiles and shells
This one is one half of a pair of drawings. You can see the other half, and the rest of the travel sketchbook set, HERE.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
for such a long time now
I'll be exhibiting my Moleskines, including the travel Moleskine, at the Biennale; Carnet de Voyage event in Clermont Ferrand this coming weekend. If you are planning to visit the exhibition stop by and say hello.
Monday, November 08, 2010
my little box at the top of the stairs
Actually I've probably wanted to use this blog post/drawing title for even longer than I've wanted to draw his little box, so to speak.
Monday, November 01, 2010
the way i feel from day to day
You see, I absolutely love endpapers. I've bought many a book on the strength of the endpapers alone. They are often my favourite part of a book. Just Google image 'endpapers' and, if you are anything like me, you'll be drooling for hours.
It got me thinking that my most perfect job in the whole world would be an endpapers illustrator. Seriously, I couldn't think of anything better. So, if you hear of any endpaper-drawer jobs going please let me know. In the meantime here's a couple more from my travel Moleskine.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
brought to your doorstep
I say I added some colour but really, I've never actually been to Scotland when it's been anything but grey. That's not a complaint. I love a grey sky. And, I'd probably be disappointed if it wasn't that way. Especially when you are taking a boat trip on Loch Ness. It should be nothing but grey, dramatic and spooky. Not that you aren't spooked enough, of course.
Also, please don't laugh at my Mona Lisa. I did copy her from a fridge magnet. I got it in Amboise, France, which, I believe, is the town where Da Vinci died. If he didn't I was being lied to.
In my drawing she seems to have a touch of the Princess Anne about her. Which really is ironic, on my first attempt at drawing her she ended up looking exactly like Prince Charles. It's true.
Monday, September 13, 2010
she's in my head
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
there's a thousand things i want to say to you
So, anyway, here's a couple more spreads. Today, boys and girls, we will be covering London and Italy. In a roundabout sort of way. And, just out of interest, does anyone know of a UK stockist for this licorice? It's amazing.
Now, children, I won't tell you again, click on the drawings to view.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
where'er you go
These are a couple of pages from one of the themed Moleskine sketchbooks I have on the go at the moment. This one is a kinda sorta travelly themed Moley. Sorta. Kinda.
You'd have thought I'd had enough of keys after the last drawing. But, it seems not. My friend, who'd heard about my thing for drawing keys, came into work with the most gorgeous old tin of the tiniest keys you could imagine. I cannot wait to get stuck into drawing them. So, more keys at a later date.
It's funny how these things happen, though, isn't it? Last night, I only popped out to the pub for half an hour and ended up coming home with a huge Tupperware box full of sea anemones, conchs, pebbles, lava, snail shells. And, a seahorse. Yes, a seahorse!! Cannot tell you how excited I am about drawing the contents of the Tupperware. But, more of that later, too.
Can't chat now, I have way too much to draw. Cheerio, my ducks.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
everybody needs a friend
Sunday, November 19, 2006
welsh dragon
I bought this little ceramic Welsh dragon while on holiday in Snowdonia. I was going to post it for the 'souvenir' challenge but I have a whole list of souvenirs that I intend to draw. I do like to come home from everywhere I visit with at least one piece of tat.
And, in answer to a question I was once asked when holiday in the States; NO, there are not still dragons in Wales!