are we coming across clear?

Here's a few little drawings I got to make at our little exhibition last weekend. I've been meaning to post them ever since, but I've not even had the time to scan, upload and blog the drawings. I'm that busy.

It seems that I get busier and busier these days. In fact, I was discussing this with a friend the other day. He asked how the exhibition had gone, and I said "it went great. Very busy and lots of interest in my work."

"So, are you any nearer to giving up the day job?" he asked. "Nope" I said, "I don't understand it, I work more and more but earn less and less". Then, I probably, maybe, moaned for a while longer about how difficult it was to make a living and how skint I was (am).

"You know what you need?" he said. "Nope" I said "well apart from more money coming in". "What you need" he said "is a louder trumpet". "You need a louder trumpet".

It summed it up. It made so much sense. And ever since I've been pondering what the trumpet might look like, what it might sound like and how I acquire that louder trumpet.

after the rush

Well hello folks, how are you? It's been too long. I always feel terrible guilt when I've neglected my blog for some time. Do you know what I mean? The reason I fell of the face of the earth was because the whole of the last two weeks has been consumed by getting myself ready for a weekend long exhibition I was holding as part of the Derbyshire Open Arts. This is the second time I participated and, just like last year, it was an absolute joy. But then, there's nothing I love more than taking my sketchbooks out of the house and sharing them with people.

I even managed to do a few drawings during the exhibition so will post them, and some more photos, shortly. For now, I'm exhausted. AND, I have a publishing deadline in one weeks time! Yikes. What am I even doing on the internet? We all know how that can swallow up hours, days, your life.

I'll be back just as soon as I've had this nervous breakdown.

come a little bit closer

My poor little blog has been rather neglected of late. I do have a good excuse though; I have been very busy. Last weekend I was exhibiting my work, along with some other local artists, as a part of the Derbyshire Open Arts weekend. It was a great weekend.

We turned Catriona's little barn into a lovely exhibition space, sent out the invitations and waited to see if anyone would turn up.

I was amazed by how many did. A huge thanks to everyone who went off the beaten track to find us. They came from far and wide (hey Louisa!) to see the arty loveliness our little barn had to offer. I'll post some photos when I get them back from Snappy Snaps.

Before the event I assumed I'd have three days to do lots of sketching. But, no chance. We were busy throughout which was great because there's nothing that makes me happier than sharing my sketchbooks with people.

You know up until quite recently the only artistic community I've been involved in is an online one. Being a part of that community has been amazing, and life changing, for me. It has enabled me to set up a blog, encouraged me to keep drawing, supported me in becoming a professional illustrator and always been there for advice on all sorts of things.

I had not, however, been involved in a local community of artists. In fact, for a long time, nobody even knew I was drawing like a maniac at home. It was my exhibition in Buxton, last summer, that brought me to the attention of a local audience and then everyone knew. Joining Sketchcrawl North a little while later made me realise the great things that come from being part of a group.

Exhibiting with this group of talented and generous artists over the weekend was a joy. I'm so happy that I've connected with a local arty community because you get good things from being with people. People who share your passion. So reach out because we are, after all, just chubby babies floating in a sea of tissue paper.

Check out the amazing work by my exhibtion mates; Catriona Hall, Sandra Orme and Rob Wilson. And a big big thanks to the photographer, and my friend, Lynne McPeake for everything she does.

reminders of it all

When I found out that my work had been accepted to be exhibited at the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery I'd imagined that I'd have one of the gallery rooms. You know, the kind of thing, a nice clean white space. However, I'd been allocated the reception, or foyer, area of the museum.

And, of course, being a museum it has all sorts of objects and artifacts dotted around the place (including a very random Police motorbike that you can see above). When I went to check on the space I thought this was going to prove to be a problem.

But, over the last few weeks I've spent a lot of time at the space and now I couldn't be happier about the weird random room I am exhibiting in. In a funny kind of way my exhibition has become an extension of the Museum's collections.

The display case, above, features the work created for my woodland children's book, although you could be mistaken for thinking it was one of the Museum's natural history cabinets. I like that. I really like that. In fact, I think this was the perfect place for me to hold my first solo exhibition.

I went back there again, yesterday, to do a 'Meet the Artist' afternoon. And, I took these snaps. Unfortunately, there aren't any photos of the pictures on the walls. But that's what happens when you have your camera set at Macro. Again, I'm happy with these shots, with my drawings reflected in the glass of the cabinets.

One more thing, it got me thinking it would be good to do an 'Meet the Artist' session here on the blog. I'm always being asked questions about my work, and I feel really guilty about not replying to everyone, even though I have good intentions of doing so, I just do not get the time. So, what if we did it here? On say Monday? If there is anything you'd like to know about pens, or my technique, or my inspirations or ANYTHING then please come back and ask me.

So, that's a date. See you here on Monday.