Soon…….

Waiting.  Can’t get in…

Feels like hours…

Getting cold out on this doorstep.

Soon…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The image above was created as part of the Photo Response Project organised by Art House Co-op.  They are the same people that created the Sketchbook Project which I took part in the other year with my piece titled Nighttime Stories.

Participants were given 5 photos and we had to pick one to create a response to.  The photo I picked was of the door to the house, it was the one that jumped out to me.  Something about it felt empty but only recently so and in my mind’s eye I saw a dog.  I wondered if somehow the dog had been forgotten or left behind.  So I drew his waiting.  I wanted it to look like he’d been waiting a long time, with forlorn hope.

I don’t know who owns the dog, or who lives in the house, or whether he ever has someone to take him home.  That’s for you to continue the story.  I’d like to hear what thoughts you have.

I drew and painted the dog (a red and white irish setter for those interested) and added him into the picture.  The longer he waits, the more faded his image, like a reversed time lapse.  I wanted to communicate the distress of the dog and the impression of not being looked after by similarly distressing and tearing the print.  I don’t usually mix drawn and photo images but this was a good project to experiment with such things!

Bristol Community Plant Collection

For all you that read ‘Zooray‘ and thought it was just a jolly, think again!  The wonderful people at Bristol Zoo Gardens wanted me to create some imagery to go towards their exciting new project – Bristol Community Plant Collection – creating a national plant collection of calendula (marigolds to you and me) with the contribution of several groups within the local community.

 

The groups involved were from a varied demographic so had to work with imagery that would be very inclusive.  The type of figures I used for the Midsummer Skinny Dip logo would suit something like this.

 

Find below the body of work produced for this; including imagery of calendula, a banner for the project and a stamp design.  I must admit, I particularly enjoyed drawing all the little characters for the banner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zooray!

I hope you appreciate my mashing of ‘zoo’ and ‘hooray’ together for the title of this here entry – I felt it summed up the entry well as  I was able to spend the afternoon at the wonderful Bristol Zoo Gardens last week; like a kid in a candy store, stuffing my sketchbook with visual goodies.  Unleashed into the zoo I didn’t know where to start first!  A couple twists and turns found me some birds, the only one that sat still enough for me to vaguely capture it was a special magpie thing that I forget the name of…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it was an Azure-winged Magpie, at least that’s what oh-mighty-google informs me it might be.  There was also a  delightful collection of black cheeked lovebirds too.

Daffodils are always good fun to draw with their wiggly trumpets -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found feeding-time at the meerkat enclosure.  There were little babies scuffling around, they were so cute!  I bet they’d look cuter in my pocket…  As it was feeding time and they were twitching scampering meerkats, my sketches of them didn’t turn out so hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apes and monkeys seemed better at holding still for a wee bit longer -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a go at some mark-making with the different types of trees I could see, as well as playing with blending, getting the right colour, for the tulip tree flower I drew.  Some other plants featured too:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the zoo was emptying out and the zoo was within minutes of closing, I couldn’t not get some lion action!  Although considering the image I got, I don’t think action was much on his mind…

 

 

Hamburger Watching

At the risk of having made my last post ‘Ich Bin Ein Hamburger’ too long for my liking, I have a section two for my Hamburg adventure.

 

I had found myself with some spare time on my own so settled down at one of the outside tables of M&V Bar.  Here I drank tea and drew people that walked past and inspired me.  Please peruse the fruits of my labour:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I liked how angular this guy’s face was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This lady made me think of some fly with her sunglasses so huge they almost eclipsed her face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not so pleased with old man face but I think I caught his life-bothers-me-but-not-as-much-as-your-face-does-right-now expression

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really liked this scruffy trampy dude.  He was most interesting to draw and I think came out best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was quite impressed how vertical this lady’s hair managed to stay!

Ich bin ein Hamburger

Ok, so I’m feeling a wince at the incorrect German but for comedy effect, it’s staying.  Having felt quite chuffed 10 years previously at the end of my German language G.C.S.E exam I thought a holiday would be a great way of seeing what I remembered.  After a series of awkward hand gestures and fading at the 3rd syllable of incredibly long words I quickly realised my Deustch was the wurst.  Fortunately for me, the friend I had gone to visit spoke German fluently and was able to help clear up my car crash of sounds.  Thank you kindly Amazing Miss Alice.  I had the pleasure of meeting her lovely little hamsters – Hannah and Sophie – in a previous post, you can meet them too if you follow the Amazing Miss Alice link.

 

If you thought my holiday in Hamburg was just a jolly, think again!  We spent lots of effort on moseying, kicking back, hanging out, mooching and swinging. And drawing.  Don’t forget the drawing.

 

My first picture of St. Marien Cathedral was a bit of a warm up, which is why it looks representative of the leaning tower of Pisa opposed to a cathedral…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hand cramp and numb fingers told me it might be a good idea to head inside.  Pew numbers and a stained glass window took my fancy -

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst drawing the window, I was lucky enough to be treated to the organist’s practise time.  The dramatic music penetrating every bit of my head made me feel like I should have been in Mordor or something but I always manage to leave my Ring at home, dammit.  I couldn’t decide whether an elf leap or a hobbit waddle was more appropriate but I made my way to a good view of the dwarfed musician.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was truly incredible; the sound of the organ filling every corner of the cathedral, filling my head, every space as I walked to the door and into silence.

 

Well, the relative silence of outside.  I later drew the train station Hauptbahnhof (a few stops down from Hasslehof):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the spire of St Georgs as viewed from Hauptbahnhof:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hannah and Sophie get skyped

I was chatting to a friend via skype who introduced me to her oh-so-cute hamsters, Hannah and Sophie.  Despite their frantic scrabbling around as hamsters are known to do, especially when needed to sit still, I managed to get some drawings.  You can read more about their adventures here: The Amazing Adventures of Hannah and Sophie.  Please may I introduce to you -

Miss Hannah…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… and Miss Sophie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie ran around a hell of a lot more so I got several views….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zombie Jesus Day! Burlesque Poster

I was asked to design a poster for Pink Kitten Dance School’s student cabaret this Easter; I was inspired by an image from their ‘March’ image in the Pink Kitten calendar and worked from there.  I wanted it to be tongue in cheek and fun to look at, hence Zombie Jesus Day!  but I got cold feet and made a differently titled one for the final.  Although I’d be interested to hear if you have a preference title-wise….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like bright pink and teal but after discussing it with a colleague at the dance school, I changed the colour palette and I think it does work better for the Easter theme.  So below you can find the final version, with all the tweaks.

 

I’m biased, as I work for the company and that I perform in their showcases, but they are a blast for an evening’s entertainment, you should come along!