the most marvelous Roald Dahl

It has been brought to my attention that we are approaching what would have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday.

 Yes, today I (and I'm guessing lots of other people in the UK) have been watching, and voting on, Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book; a programme that has taken a look back at all of his greats

Well, ten of them. Ten of his children's books that is, as, of course he also wrote for adults (we all remember Tales of the Unexpected, right?).

Not only has the programme reminded me as to what an amazingly ridiculously phizz-whizzingly whoopsy-whiffling genius he was, but it also reminded me of these drawings I made a few years ago.

I made twelve drawings that were used as backdrops for a production of James and the Giant Peach at the Buxton Festival.  And an extra one for the programme (top of post).

It was a really good excuse to re-read the book too. I find a lot of childhood favourites don't read quite as well (to say the least) when you're an adult. But Dahl's do. Try it.

As much as I love James and his Giant Peach it's not the most marvellous. That, of course, is Danny Champion of the World. Which is what I voted for, and which, incidentally, is also as good a read when you're grown up (ish).

(By the way, Matilda won the poll. But obviously everyone was wrong)

side-streets that you slip down

I've finally finished the drawings for the production of James and the Giant Peach at Buxton Festival.

These two drawings depict the two stages of completing a deadline.
Above; panic = trying to get all the work in on time.
Below; bliss = all work in on time (ish).

There are three performances of the James production, in early July,so, if you are close to Buxton then bring your kids along. I can't wait for it, myself. It'll be a new experience to see my work as backdrops. How exciting. I hope to post some photos from the event.

You can get your tickets HERE.

above the clouds

And now for something completely different. Different from all the sketch crawl stuff that I've been posting of late anyway. Here's a couple more from the James and Giant Peach project. These drawings will become the backdrops to the play. I find it quite difficult to not get sucked into all the details. After all, that's what I love to do.

The scene below is what goes on inside the peach on an average evening. As I was finishing it I was reminded of one of my favourite Spike Milligan poems which goes like this;

'Today I saw a little worm wriggling on his belly,
perhaps he'd like to come inside and see what's on the telly.'

I bloody love that.

you're here in my head, like the sun coming out

I recently completed a couple of drawings for the Buxton Festival's 2012 brochure. This one is, obviously (well, at least I hope it's obvious), for a production of James and the Giant Peach.

I do believe this is the first time I've actually made a drawing from a subject that is already so famous (I could be completely wrong, I have a rotten memory). I didn't really let that bother me, I just tried to, as every 'judge' of every tv 'talent' show says every five minutes, "make it my own". Yuk.

I can't tell you how much I want to scribble 'James and the Giant Peach' in big scratchy writing in the left hand corner of this one. I suppose now it's scanned.......