Our little boy has a lovely little toy car. In the flesh, its red, and this drawing doesn’t do it justice. But I’ve admired it often since Father Christmas bought it for him. So I thought I would draw it. This drawing reflects some of the experimenting I’ve been doing.
After watching BBC’s ‘Human Planet’ last night, I was overwhelmed to draw jungle leaves. A strange desire, I admit.
Commissioned ‘Reef Knot’ Wedding Congratulations Greetings Card
Printed on Brilliant White Linen Cardstock 260gsm, these New Baby birth announcements, shown here in Blushing Pink, are also available in Baby Blue.
Accompanied with a luxury matching envelope.
These announcements are available to buy in my Etsy shop.
In the middle of November, I made a split-second decision after seeing a tweet from The Art House Co-Op, for the deadline to sign up at midnight that night, to sign up to the Sketchbook Project. I’m very behind, and it’ll be submitted late (I was unwell throughout December) however, I still hope to submit it – I can’t let myself not submit it! (Although it feels a huge shame to send away so much work which I won’t get back. At least it will be in the Brooklyn Art Library.)
These are a few of the pages I’ve been working on the last few days.
On Friday, I volunteered to illustrate a piece of work for Amelia’s Magazine. I’d been motivated to do this because of a tweet from The Mighty Pencil, a Twitter feed I follow who spread words of wisdom in the world of commercial illustration. This particular tweet read:
“As a freelancer you have the scope and freedom to take risks, without being reckless. Test your boundaries and learn from your experiences.”
I’m not a freelancer, but I thought I should try something ‘unsafe’ – ie, not pretty, bird or floral related. You get my drift.
So, I responded to a callout from Amelia’s magazine, not knowing the brief. When I received a mail back, and realised the depth of what was required, at first, I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew. The brief was to illustrate a piece representing The Ratcliffe Trial, a highly organised protest which was hijacked by the Police before it could start at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire, in which Amelia, herself, was one of the activists. Hopefully you now realise why my perspiration glands had started to work on overtime.
I didn’t have time to come up with any initial sketches, because the illustration was due today, Monday. I did some research and set to it. After submitting it last night around midnight, I just received a message from Amelia, letting me know that amongst others, she has used my illustration, and I am mighty proud.
Thank you very much to Amelia for using my illustration and I would also like to thank The Mighty Pencil for its words of wisdom. I am sure I would not have volunteered had I not followed their trusted advise.
Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station – Mixed Media Collage
The green chimneys represent the paradox of green as a pure, natural colour versus green often used to represent poison or something poisonous.
The background images of the smoke clouds hide the face of Charles Darwin, a Native Indian Tribesman and Darwin drawings relating to the evolution of man. These have been used to illustrate our roots and these historical peoples beliefs of evolution and the sacred, precious land.
Hand-cut mixed media Wedding Acceptance card accompanied with a matching lined envelope.
A set of 18 illustrated, digitally finished ‘Mr Owl’ Self-Adhesive Bookplates, enclosed within their own handmade envelope*.
Simply peel off the backing, and stick firmly into your own books, or a thoughtful addition in the front of a book as a gift.
Also, a lovely gift as a set for a little bookworm.
£6.00 + P&P
*Please note, envelope design may vary to the envelope shown in the photo.
Illustration Friday is a weekly creative outlet/participatory art exhibit for illustrators and artists of all skill levels. Here’s my first submission.
Freehand illustration using a white gel pen on A4 black textured card.
In the run up to leaving my job, I became even more lost in my world of thoughts and fears. I was exhilarated, excited, weightless yet slightly fearful. Eight years at the same place, at the age of 31 is a fair amount of time to have worked in one place. A huge amount of change had happened to me in that time. One husband. Two children. Three houses.
The end of a chapter was closing and I felt the urge to record this via the old fashioned medium of pen and paper. I got scribbling. Half way through, I decided I wanted to donate my sketch to some of my work friends, as a little token of something to remember me by. Or rip up.
It was a page of doodles. Little sayings. Little thoughts. Some things I already do. Some things I would like to do. Y’know, rules to live my life by, life’s little instructions. I think the people I gave them to liked them. They said they did. Secretly, they probably think I’m a right weirdy. A try-hard hippie.
And for the second part of today’s Show & Tell, I also picked up a flyer from the nursery the children go to, advertising the Magical Menagerie, as part of the IF: Milton Keynes International Festival. Originally commissioned in 2008 by the French newtown of Sénart, The Magical Menagerie – or Le Manège Carré Sénart - has toured through Europe including Spain, Portugal and Belgium, charming visitors with its mechanical herds of strange beasts from exotic fish and brightly coloured insects to oversized buffalos.
The flyer caught my eye, not only because it winked at me, but also because of the style of illustration. Its the epitomy of French Art-Nouveau, so nicely created. It’s even got an old grainy tea-stained back drop.
