all our yesterdays

 Do you ever have those drawings which, you feel, spoil your sketchbook? I do. I always view my sketchbook as a whole, as opposed to a series of individual drawings, and so when one of the drawings goes wrong it really depresses me (I know, I know, I should get out more). This is what happened with the drawing above. I did say, in a previous post, that there was no way I was going to show it on my blog, but what the hell. Plus, I've heard that sharing the work that didn't work out helps you grow as an artist (not that THIS artist needs to grow anymore; I no longer fit into any of my jeans).

Anyway, I made this drawing at the Imperial War Museum on one of our recent sketchcrawls. Now despite somebody telling me that 'it was the best drawing of a flame thrower that they'd ever seen' (I think (I know, rather) that that somebody was taking the Michael) I just couldn't stand it being in my book.

 So, armed with a Pritt stick, a page I tore out of my Moleskine diary, a rather blurry photo of the wall of suitcases (yes, a wall of old suitcases. How amazing is that?), memories and buckets full of inspiration from the museum I set to work. I'm really pleased with the outcome. But, you know, why stop there? While I had the Pritt stick to hand I thought I'd go the whole hog and make a secret foldy flap thingy that hides yet more suitcases. In colour. And why not?

I can now live with my sketchbook again, and am safe in the knowledge that nobody will ever know about the awful drawing hidden behind a wall of suitcases.

Oh.