it ain't necessarily so

Previously I mentioned that I thought that end-paper artist would be one of the most the perfect jobs for me. Here's another; font designer. I couldn't be happier than when I am playing around with words and letters.

One of the reasons it's taken me so long to post this drawing is that, as some of you may know, Blogger have been making changes. And, apparently it's now much easier to make posts. Apparently so.

how do you stop?

This is an example of one of those drawings that pisses me off. Actually, it's myself that pisses me off. I cannot blame the drawing. I piss myself off for not knowing where to stop. Originally, I set out to draw a nice piece of lined paper, a pen and a little bit of a brainstorming doodling session. That was it. But part of the way into it I started seeing a brain, and then the sea, and some land, and I just kept adding layer upon layer until I ended up with what looks like a bloody pirate's map. Not that I've ever seen a pirate's map. Then, I was so annoyed I smudged it all with my sleeve. Purposely, I should add.

I don't know what else to say.

she's in my head, she's in my mind

This is an X-ray of my head right now. That's exactly what's going on in there at the moment. I get into a project and I live and breathe it.

I was hoping to post this drawing over the weekend but it took far longer than I'd anticipated. I reckon there's, at a guess, around 16-20 hours work in this spread. I suppose in the grand old scheme of things that's not so long. When you think of how long people take making books or albums then it's a drop in the ocean.

I often think about such things, like the making of an album, when late at night and the world is dreaming and I'm scribbling away creating this crazy stuff. I suppose it's a way of comforting myself. Have you ever seen the film about the making of a Springsteen album ('The Promise; The Making of the Darkness at the Edge of Town')? It's all about that crazy obsessive manic compulsive demanding compelling destructive beautiful creative drive. I bloody love that film, mainly because it reminds me that I'm not alone.

I also think that if I were making an album I would not want to listen to it for at least a year after it's completion. I'm just putting this sketchbook away for a couple of days now.

like a long forgotten dream

I was sent these sweets from my friend Tine, in Sweden, about a year ago. Of course, I had all intentions of starting this new journal back then, but you know how it goes? Finally I'm getting around to it and working my way through the airmail envelopes of loveliness that I received from some kind folk in Scandinavia.

The sweets came in a little green tub and just looked so, er, sweet that I ended up putting them in my one of the display cabinets at my my exhibition last summer. Back when I received them I had intended to eat, draw and journal them at the same time. After all the trouble Tine went to in sending them to me I felt that I shouldn't let the fact that they are now past their sell by date put me off. All in the name of research, folks. All in the name of research.

This new travel journal can be viewed HERE.

then your life becomes a travelogue

So, lets get this show on the road. As I promised in an earlier post I'd share this new project I'm embarking on. It's basically a new sketchbook idea. A travelogue.

But, it's so much more than another sketchbook to me. When you consider that some of my Moleskine projects have taken as long as four years to complete then you might get an idea of how much I invest into them.

I always theme my sketchbooks too. I know it's obsessive but I see them as a whole, not a series of drawings. So, this is a project that I intend to get lost in. To obsess over. All for the love of it. I can't think of a better reason to do anything.

The idea is that I create a new travel journal. A carne t de voyage. But with a twist. I'm going to journal about places that I have never even visited. Yes. If you'd like to read more then click on these drawings. This is the story so far. Hope you join me on this trip.

a stranger to my eyes

This is a little taster. A little trailer, if you will, for a new project I've been desperate to get up and running for some time. Actually, it's not necessarily new; it's been simmering for a year or so now. I like a bit of simmering. Time for all those flavours to really come out. I hope you'll return for the opening of the envelope.

Plus, a big thanks for all the comments. adds, likes and favourites in response to yesterday's post. Touched is not the word.

i'm hanging on the wire

I'm so tired these days. I'm exhausted and need my bed as I type this. I just cannot keep up with everything I have to do. When I started this blog I guess I just wanted to start drawing again. Then some time went by and I realised that I might just have some skill and, who knows, I could actually turn my hobby into work. Now I'm at the stage where I can't keep up with it all. I know that all small businesses go through this transitional stage and this is where they can flourish or, for want of a better phrase, go tits up.

I just wasn't expecting to get to a stage where I hardly have the time to draw. These are two pages from my new Moleskine project; the airmail/penpal/Scandinavian themed one. I managed to sneak an evenings drawing in earlier in the week. At this rate this book will be finished in 2036.

Any advice?