hanging out my old love letters

The problem with having lots of illustration work on is that all of one's own projects get pushed aside. Not that I'm complaining about having lots of work on. I live to draw. I did, however, take a little time out, from the paid work, to make this drawing above. I got the letter, and felt heart, through the mail the other day. It had to be drawn and I haven't finished with it yet. Nope, I just cannot resist Air Mail. And just to prove it, here are some of my old love letters...

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.

i was thinking about what a friend had said

Now that I've (tried to) explain what this new travel journal is about it's time to get stuck in.

I would love any help or participation from Scandinavians for this particular chapter. All comments would be much appreciated.

For this first page I referred to the dictionary for the meaning of the term 'Scandinavian'. But what does it mean to you? Is this dictionary explanation a a fair description?

And, do you recognise any of these sweets or 'candies'? Can you tell me anything about them? Which are your favourites, for example. Contributions will make their way into this journal and become a part of it. That's what this project is all about.

Cheers, my dears.

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.

wish i knew you well

I was going to say that this is the finished version of the drawing I posted part of a little while back. But now looking at it on the screen I think it could do with more shading; a little sepia to give it an antique feel. That's how I had seen it in my head before I began. Also, I always intended adding a handle because it is supposed to be a drawer full of souvenirs. Or, the handle could have made it look like a suitcase. And, I love that ambiguity.

I'm often asked how long my drawings take. Well, at a guess, this one took a mere fifty hours. To appreciate the obsessive attention to detail click on the drawing and stick your conk in. Please do; FIFTY chuffing hours.

Oh dear, it seems that some of you have having trouble enlarging this image. I'll try to fix it, until then you can see the bigger version HERE.

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?

makes me feel i'm from another world

Not content with just drawing on air mail envelopes I've actually take to drawing the little buggers too. I was going to take this opportunity to have a right old rant about the Royal Mail. I am seriously fecked off with them right now. There's been a much higher percentage of people not getting their mail from me this time round. Specifically the stuff I posted before Christmas. I'm not sure how they can justify this. Or how they expect small businesses, in a difficult time, to soak up the extra costs of resending orders. Plus, when I think of all the time I've put into getting this stuff out it just makes me furious. And, that's not the half of it. It's, perhaps, not so bad when you actually have the stuff to resend but when an original drawing goes missing then that really hurts. To anyone who has not yet received their order (if you ordered over a couple of weeks ago that is) then please get in touch and I'll put it right. Big apologies, once again. So, I'll save that rant for another time. I still haven't started the tax returns.

how a fool begins

As, it seems, I've taken to of pinching things from the wonderful Suzanne Cabrera (you know; quotes, ideas, her signature, her identity) I have decided to continue in that vein and am using a theme she chose for the amazing but almost dead MoleyX group we were involved in for my brand new Moleskine. Although Suzanne chose 'mail' as her theme I have expanded on that a little. My theme is more a mail/travel/air mail/letters/pen pal themey theme. Look, I know what I mean.

This Moleskine will have some kind of narrative running through it (I hope). Which starts with the story of a friendship. I am looking for some help with this project specifically from any Scandinavians out there.

If you are Scandinavian and would like to contribute please could you leave a comment and I'll get in touch with you. Cheers, my dears.