Ok, so I’ve done a little bit more to the example girl picture (progress shot below), my sunburn is healing and looks like it might not peel and I went to the private view of the Chatham Girl exhibition (see post a few days ago) and loads of people said they liked my work and thought putting peoples faces on tea cozies and the like is a terribly good idea. So all is good in the world. 

However, tomorrow I have to start looking for a job again, so I’m trying to enjoy my happy place for as long as it lasts. Hopefully the electricity in my flat wont crap out half way through Father Ted again tonight, that was a downer. Hey ho. 

I’m making a present for my friend, only she can’t have it for a while because I’m making it for marketing purposes. Also, if I give it to her now then all my other friends will want one too, and that would mean making at least another two, maybe three. If any of my four friends actually read this, you will probably get a picture of yourself from me for Christmas… I was never very good at surprises…

So what have I been doing? Well, the pictures below, which I’m sure you’ve already noticed, should explain all. I apologise to Example Girl, but only a little bit because Peter the Painter thinks you’re a bit of a looker since seeing my picture of you!

The first picture is the drawing I’m working from. The second is the result of 4 hours sitting in the courtyard chatting and sewing and getting sun burnt despite trying to hide in the shade. The third is a close up of Example Girl’s right eye. I was going to fill in the gaps with red and purple but I actually quite like it zebra like, and I think I’ll get some blue cotton, coz that seems to work quite nicely too.

Anyways, there you have it. I’ll try to keep adding updates on the progress of this piece, along with updates on my soon-to-be sporadic tan. I’m still considering whether or not to put this on a tea cozy. Suggestions?

Ello

I’ve been away for a little while, I hope no one’s missed me too much! Actually I’ve been buried in a pile of job applications. Yes, the time has come, I have to find a job or a nice big box to live in (one with a view?).

It’s not all doom and gloom though, I’ve got a couple of pieces in a group show in my home town. It’s called Chatham Girl and it’s all pictures of my lovely mate Zara, who’s a poet and life model and friends with everyone. I made two embroidered portraits. They look ace, if I may say so myself. I’m thinking about becoming an embroidery portrait person by trade, since there is clearly a gap in the market for ‘your-face-on-this-tea-cozy’ type merchandise. I should point out that I can sew like a pro, but a photographer I am not. Will get some better pictures up here when I learn how to take a better picture!

Shows I went to last week:
‘Life Before Death’ at the Wellcome Collection. Beautiful photographs, incredibly sad stories, I actually cried a little bit, but then I am a tad on the daft side. Highly recommend this, if you don’t mind being a little bit depressed after. Go on a sunny day, it makes it all alright again.
‘From Atoms to Patterns’ also at Wellcome Collection. Conveniently situated to let you get your face back to it’s usual not red and wet state while learning all about the origins of that 50’s atom design style. Lovely lovely lovely, if you like that kind of thing.
‘The American Scene’ at the British Museum. American prints, learn about artists as well as American history, lots of really great stuff by artist’s I’d never heard of before as well as really interesting work from big names. I was particularly pleased with a print by Pollock entirely not in the style he’s known for and quite frankly a bit rubbish. I liked knowing that everyone has to start somewhere and mistakes get made along the way.
‘Peter Doig’ at Tate B. Really really really liked this (except the really new work, which I didn’t think was as good as earlier stuff), very glad the show was extended or I wouldn’t have seen it. Makes me want to paint.
‘Blood on Paper’ at V&A. A bit disappointing, didn’t really tell me anything new about artist’s books and at least one of the works was mis-labeled. Admittedly there were some really nice pieces but any exhibition of books is inevitably going to be alienating – it’s just not right not turning the pages! Strangely I thought some of the books made for the show on sale in the shop looked far more interesting than most of the exhibition itself.
So there you have it, I’ve been busy. I also went to a talk put on by Own-it and the AOI which was pretty good and from that I found out about concrete hermit, which is ace. Join their forum, I’m member 100!
Today I added a new page to my website, example picture below. This particular one is a self-portrait if I was part Llama. enjoy.

This week I have been mostly doing a website for a conference I’m organising. If you wanna take a look at my other life it’s www.uic-environment.org. I don’t think you’ll recognise me, though I did design the rather attractive logo. Anyways, I found the time to enter the moo sticker book competition thing. My two favourite images are below (you might recognise one from earlier this year, it’s my work, I’m allowed to recycle!) but you can see all five on pixish.com and you can vote for a couple of days. You’ll have to scroll across the pictures for a bit to get to me, I’m 34-38. It’s all terribly exciting really isn’t it. hmmmmm?

I’ve finally heard from Amelia’s magazine about a piece I made for their forthcoming issue on the theme ‘a positive future’. Of course it was not accepted, i like to think because it didn’t really ‘get to grips’ with the subject, and thus didn’t really give a ‘positive future’ vibe (what can I say, I’m a cynic through and through, there’s just no hiding it).

The exercise did, however, give me reason to look up various parties Amelia recommends as epitomising the positive future ideal, allowing me to form what are probably terribly un-pc opinions about freganism, people who object to flying and the general drippy nature of what boils down to lazy, dirty, freeloading hippies. Not that everyone on her list was so wet, just most.

Anyway, I’ve been in enough arguments about why freeganism is bad for one year so I’ll leave it at that and show you the lovely drawing, which incorporated all the best bits of Amelia’s positive future; goats, some flowers and a nice cup of tea (I had to add the last one myself, there really wasn’t enough tea drinking going on)

I entered a competition on X-FM to design a t-shirt for H&M on the theme ‘Camden’. My design didn’t win but I think it’s pretty cool none the less, so here it is, someone ought to see it.

This week I have been tidying my studio on a scale never before imaginable. Suddenly I have drawer space, cupboard space, a small mountain of old sketch books too throw out (I will try and recycle, I promise). I haven’t done a great deal of actual work but that’s ok because I’ve found things I’d forgotten I’d done which I am surprisingly proud of, such as this marvelous drawing of a suicidal cat. FYI, it’s saying ‘ow’, imagine a meow but more pathetic. I might stick it on my wall along with the rubbish drawing of a hand picking up a badge that says ‘I suck [heart shape here]‘.

Hello

I’ve been keeping myself everso busy of late. Last week I did a short course in fashion drawing, it was fun and got me out of the rut I’d gotten into as well as out of the house. Unfortunately for you all (Gareth, that means you) the work was on A2, which I just can’t be bothered to scan, so you’ll have to sit tight until a good day for digital photography comes along before you can see the masterpieces I’ve forged with my own little hands. However, I have continued to draw since then and a small pencil drawing, vaguely copied from an elle special, is below. It’s not as interesting or fun as the bigger work, but I like it none the less.

This, and many more pieces of new work, will soon be up on my website, which I’m supposed to be working on as I type… It’s hard work though, all this scanning and coding and faffing and testing. I just want to draw! On Saturday I’m going to pick up my very own tiny etching press, if I don’t get at least 1 whole week of playing with it in I don’t know what I’ll do. (cry, probably, and kick things that wont kick back.)

Hello

I realised after drawing this for my grans birthday card two things. 1. I should use colour more and 2. I should learn how to use coloured ink properly because it clearly rocks. I drew this with my fabulous Midland Bank pen nib. Antiques also rock. If anyone reading this knows where I can get antique pen nibs please let me know (or buy some and send them to me! this one was 20p!)