i wanna say, i wanna tell you

 On Saturday I got to be part of a lovely event in Covent Garden, which was brought about by Moleskine in collaboration with Urban Sketchers. I was absolutely stoked to be asked to contribute, to the event, in way of presenting a 'learning session' to anyone interested in Urban Sketching. I was surprised, to be asked, too, as I'm not normally recognised for that kind of sketching - although I am an active member of Urban Sketchers Yorkshire - I suspect I was invited because I am a prolific Moleskine user and fan.

And so, I found myself up at an ungodly hour and on the six o'clock train down to London.
Which is, of course, when I started drawing.

 My first stop, on arrival in the city, was a Timberyard café in Covent Garden, where I met the Moleskine team and the other three sketchers, Adebanji Alade, James Hobbs and Olha Pryymak, taking part in the event. This, too, was a privilege as I have admired these guys work, from afar, for years. Then we were joined by members of the press and bloggers to discuss all things Urban Sketching, before moving on to our venues.

James and I were based at the wonderful London Graphic Centre for the day. I'd never visited before, but it really is a must for pen/stationery/notebook geeks (you know who you are). If you're in London, and you are such a geek, don't miss this place. Three or four stories of awesomeness, I have no idea how I didn't spend a fortune. Well, I do; I was kept busy, drawing the day.

In the afternoon it was time for my Learning Session, in which I talked about my journey from being a secret private drawer to taking that leap, joining an Urban Sketchers group, and drawing outdoors and in public. I also discussed some of my coping strategies for making that move, how it has changed my drawing and how it's changed how I view the world (now EVERYTHING is a drawing opportunity). Then we took to the streets for some more sketching.

It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon. And, again, it is another reason I love 'sketchcrawling' - just getting in that zone with a bunch of people who are passionate about drawing, talking, not talking, but always sketching. There were sketchers of all ages, too. Above are a couple of my sketches of the youngest sketchers.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and, no, there aren't that many moose roaming the streets of London. This one was on the wall of a flower shop - the one that Emily is drawing above. I know it's not what you might expect of Urban Sketching, but that was part of my class; there are no rules when it comes to creating. Just get out and draw.

If you feel intimidated by the big picture, by drawing a whole scene or street or building, then start by drawing little bits of it. Just draw the signs, or the bins, or the windows, or the people. The rest will come. You can add the rest of the scene in later. If you want. But, if you are curious about drawing outside, stop putting things in your way. I speak from experience. I came up with so many excuses for not doing what I wanted to do, but finally letting go of that was the best thing.

I don't have all the drawings that I made, to share, here, as at the end of the day we tore them out of our books and hung them at the London Graphic Centre and the Moleskine shop. We didn't just tear up our sketchbooks though. No siree, we'd been drawing in Moleskine's new square Sketch Album which has perforated pages. Another great idea from Moleskine. Above are a couple of drawings by James and myself.

And, finally our day was finished. It was exhausting but exhilarating. There is nothing I enjoy more than talking about and sharing my love for drawing. I wish I could do this every day of the week. I guess I, kind of, do that online - which is great and all well and good - but, there is something about doing it with real live actual people!

As Adebanji finished his last sketch of the day, James and I went for a final coffee before I got my train home. But, as always with obsessive sketchers, a view from the window of Stanfords bookshop café proved to be too tempting. So, I squeezed one last drawing in before departing.

A big thanks to Moleskine and to Urban Sketchers for letting me be a part of this Moleskine Story, to the other artists and everyone who came along to sketch on the day. I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks y'all.

 Did, I say that was my last sketch of the day? I was lying. What else do you do on a train journey?

One observation I will have; if you are on the same train, in the same carriage, as a VERY drunk man then it's very comforting to be sat at the same table as a huge tattooed body builder. Even if he is wearing pink.

take me up to the top of the city

So, it's nearly time to say goodbye to August, and summer, and Hello September. I like September. It feels like a month when changes can and will happen and I always welcome that. Plus, autumn is most definitely my favourite season. Even the word 'autumn' is lovely.

September, before it has begun, has a theme to it. I am paying three visits to our capital - which feels exciting and sounds expensive. At the end of the month I am going to see, and I can't quite believe I'm saying this, Kate Bush in concert. I know, how crazy is that? I hope she hasn't had a big strop by then and called the rest of the dates off. You wouldn't put it past her. And, I love her for that.

Mid month I am finally going to see my bookbench. It's been a long time coming, but at last, just days before it retires from the city, I'll get to see it, in situ, on the streets of London. Well, actually, in a churchyard in Greenwich. The photo, below, was taken by, and of, a couple of friends who recently visited.

Then there's next weekend and a rather fabulous opportunity that presented itself to me. You know, sometimes, a little gem of a 'job' pops up in your inbox? Sometimes, you don't even take it seriously because it sounds too good to be true? Yeah, that.

Next weekend, on Saturday 5th of September, I will be drawing for, and representing, MOLESKINE and URBAN SKETCHERS in COVENT GARDEN. It's true! Please come along. We're there all day for a big old sketchathon. Come! Draw! Plus, rumour has it, that there may just be free Moleskines. Oh yes. You'll need to get there early to catch one of those lovely worms.

Oh, oh, and I forgot to mention the rest of the Covent Garden sketching team. I'll only be sketching with, ahem, Urban Sketching correspondents Adebanji Alade, James Hobbs, Olha Pryymak. Eeeeek! I already feel like a fraud.

Full details of the event can be found HERE. Even though our Learning Sessions are sold out still come along. We'll all be hanging out, sketching, all day. Hope to see you there.

what am i doing here? what am i doing here?

I made this drawing on the plane home from France a couple of months back. This girl, who I was sitting next to, slept for most of the journey and so I got to draw her a few times. I added a bit of colour when I got home. I can't decide whether I like it or really dislike it, but hey ho - that's the way it goes.

A huge thanks for the big response to my last post about protecting one's artwork online. It seems that watermarking is probably the best option but I'm still undecided. I'm not a fan, in all honesty. I always want to give the viewers of my work the best way to, er, view my work. I guess, I now have to weigh up the options of watermarking, resizing images or just continuing to post as I always have.

Plus, I have to work out how to use Photoshop, which, I can tell you, is NOT coming easy. So, bear with me, and excuse my images being too big, too small, unreadable, etc. And, excuse me for being an ignoramus.

songs are like tattoos

I think this was my favourite sketch from last Friday night's Dr. Sketchy. The scaling is all wrong; the hands, for one, are way too small but I don't really care. I'm a little bit obsessed with tattoos at the moment. I'm loving drawing people too. So what could be better than drawings on people? Not much.

and we were rolling, rolling, rock and rollin'

Saturday the 14th of July was International Sketchcrawl day and whilst most of the world's sketching population were in Santa Domingo some of us (Sketchcrawl North, specifically) were out on the mean, and equally exotic, streets of Tideswell.

Well,actually that's a bit of a fib.

No, we weren't on the streets at all. We were mainly in the church where some (amazing) musicians were practicing for a concert. So we spent most of our time there. I did, however, sneak this little drawing of some architecture. Just to prove that we did actually go out sketching on the big day.

The rest of the day we just spent in the cafe eating. Now, that's one thing Sketchcrawl North are VERY good at.

time passes

For one reason or another I have found myself spending quite some time in various cafes and tea rooms over the last couple of weeks. It, of course, is no hardship. I am not complaining. In fact, it's passion of mine. I love food. Good quality food, that is. I just don't usually get enough of an opportunity to eat out being a poor artist.

I like to think I have high standards when it comes to these types of eateries. For me a good cafe, or tea room, must have good homemade fare, locally sourced ingredients (wherever possible), good coffee and a laid back vibe. These drawings are from a couple of the local cafes I've been hanging out in recently. As you can see, for one reason or another, some experiences have been better than others.

motorcycle emptiness

This is a pretty rotten drawing. I wasn't feeling it from the moment I started it. I just saw this bike, at the Crich 1950s day, and thought it looked interesting. I wanted to do something interesting with it. But I didn't. Then when I got home and started cross hatching the hell out of it I was still not feeling it. So, I just got it finished and wrote some nonsense on the page. You can tell by my hand writing I wasn't even feeling that.

However, despite the fact that I've just slated it, there is one moment in this drawing that I like. You see when I've made a drawing that makes me cringe I feel that as long as I create a little magical moment within it - whether that be a line or a texture or a detail - I can forgive it. So, yes, there is one moment that makes me smile. Can you spot it?

many dreams have been brought to your doorstep

Over the years I've heard many people say that they find starting a new sketchbook the hardest part. They become frozen with the fear of messing it up. Especially, it seems, when it comes to Moleskine sketchbooks. Why is it that they are so intimidating? Is it because of the history of Moleskine? The prestige? Or is it just 'cos they are not cheap that makes you want to take extra care? Funnily enough, I never have that problem. I LOVE to start a new sketchbook. I (almost) cannot wait until I get home. I'm scribbling my name in it in the car (almost). No, I have the opposite problem.

This is the last but drawing of my travel themed Moleskine. There's just one more little page to fill. It's a travel sketchbook with a bit of a twist as I've created all the drawings at home with the souvenirs and memorabilia that I have brought back from my trips. Actually, not just my trips. This book also contains souvenirs from my friends travels too. That's the good thing about being a memorabilia artist; people always seem to bring me bits and bobs back from their trips. For example, a friend brought this back from the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, London, earlier this year.

I started this Moleskine on the 29th of April 2009. I cannot even begin to think of how many hours work, and love, have gone into it. I think that it is my favourite sketchbook so far. In fact, it most definitely is. I am very proud of it. And now there is just one more page to go. Will I ever finish it?

You can see the whole of the sketchbook (minus that last blank page) HERE.

resurrected

This has been in one of my sketchbooks for a while. I had no intention of posting it, but with The Stone Roses being all over the news this weekend (well, they are in this neck of the woods) I dug it out. Some time back I found this great photo, in old edition of Q magazine, of Ian Brown. The photo is by Jamie Beeden. I wasn't really looking out for anything to draw but as soon as I saw it I wanted to have a go.

I drew it using the upside down technique - no, I wasn't upside down, I turned the image upside down, see below, and drew it that way up (down?). Everytime I see a great balck and white portrait I want to draw it in that way. Black and white seems easier. With a colour pic it becomes too confusing, too distracting. I know it doesn't look like him. The eyes are huge (they always are when I use this technique. I don't know why?). The mouth is wrong too. Perhaps I shouldn't have even mentioned who it was supposed to be. But hey ho.  And, anyway, if you think this is bad then you should have seen what I did to poor Richard Ashcroft.

you gotta roll with it

 These are the final couple of drawings from the rock n roll day last weekend. Actually, there's also a motorbike but that might take some time to finish. I must say that I'm pretty pleased that in just one day I produced so much stuff.

 I'l let you into a secret about the car below; it most definitely wasn't that shape. I started off at the front of the car, which was going okay. Not great but okay. Then I realised that there was absolutely no bloody way I was going to fit the whole thing onto the page. It was, after all, a big long Zodiac! So, I had a decision to make and, yes, I did. I squashed the whole thing into the space I had. Ah well, as long as we keep it to ourselves nobody else ever needs to know.

 Throughout this drawing I was thinking of my friend France Belleville and her 'ladies'.

jive talking

So, here's the last few drawings, I'll post, of the jiving (thanks, Elaine!) from the day I spent at the1950s event at Crich Tramway Village. This was a really great excercise in drawing people. You have to work quick - especially when the music was as fast and furious as this. Emmercing yourself in the whole atmosphere and getting caught up in the pace, and the beat, comes through in the drawing. I hope. I couldn't get enough of this whole scene; from them rockin on the dance floor to them watching from the sideline, waiting to be asked to dance.

whole lot of shakin' goin' on

Yesterday I went to a 1950s weekend at Crich Tramway Museum. It was great. I went there with all intentions of drawing those stunning big ol' 50s cars (cars, and vehicles in general, have always been one of those subjects that scares me so I've decided to tackle them just because they scare me). However, I came across the marquee where all the dancing was taking place and lost about three or four hours in there. What is this dance style called? Can anybody tell me?

If anyone had told me I'd be out in public drawing people dancing a year a go I'd have thought they were nuts. But once I'd sat down and got over my initial self consciousness I couldn't stop. I came home with over 30 drawings. Most of which are little sketches, like the ones below, but also a few more 'finished' pieces. A lot of them seemed to feature the couple above, Elaine and Paul, who not only looked really great but also danced for the entire afternoon.

And, AND, I did manage to draw some cars. In fact, unebeknownst to me at the time, I drew the car that belonged to the couple above. Who I really wasn't stalking. Honestly!

Anyway, those drawings of cars to come soon.

feelin' devilish

Another from Dr. Sketchy Sheffield. No a cat did not walk into the pub during the pose. The drawing just told me to add a cat. I have no idea why but I always listen to the drawing when it speaks to me.

under the bridges of Paris

A couple more from this week's Dr. Sketchy event. In fact, I think I might just dedicate this whole week to lovely ladies and Dr. Sketchy.
Life drawing is all new to me so I have to ease myself into these drawing sessions. I start by sketching each new pose in my 'warm up' note book (the blue lined paper). If I like the pose, and the composition it makes on the page, I'll then re sketch it into my Moleskine sketchbook. I often then play around with the Moleskine sketches at home. Pimp them up, if you like.

So, that's what you have here; two versions of the same pose by the lovely Miss Pixie Parfait. The bottom is the warm up and at the top of this post the worked up version.

c'est si bon

I love Dr. Sketchy. I really do. Last night was another great session at The Greystones in Sheffield. We got to draw some stunning models to an Eartha Kitt soundtrack. What could be better than that? I was right in the zone too and produced a load of sketches. Sketches I'm pretty chuffed with. Here's one. It's my (ahem) prize winning drawing of the fabulous Miss Hells Belle. I'll post the rest soon. Cheers!

up the shambles

Here's another from a recent sketchcrawl in Chesterfield. It did not take place at night. It was just that the sketch was looking a bit bland, a bit empty, so I kept playing with it. I started with the idea of a dark sky and then decided on some colour. I'm not sure that it works - but you'll never know if you don't try. The green light looks like some ghostly apparition. And, as I found out, when doing the research on the Royal Oak (Chesterfield's oldest pub), there are actually ghost walks held around the The Shambles' ancient narrow streets. So, it seems, it's quite appropriate.

you are a look in your eye

Above is a drawing that I made at an exhibition at Buxton Museum recently. Well, I made part of it there and part at home.

Below is a drawing of me, making the above drawing at the exhibition, by my friend Lynne McPeake. Pretty cool, huh?

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.

and if the flowers are in bloom

 I'm playing catch up at the moment. Not on the drawing front (I have NOT stopped drawing recently) but on all the other things that go along with that. Like blogging. These are a couple more drawings from last weekends sketch crawl in Buxton. And very shortly I'll post the drawings from this weekends sketch crawl in Chesterfield. Our group seems to have a very busy schedule because there's more planned for next weekend. Phew. Exhausting, but great too.

I did this little one in the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery where I held my exhibition last year. This is of the mantelpiece in the Victorian room. At least I think it's the Victorian room. But don't listen to me I seem to think everything old is Victorian. I have no idea why.

in those cold cold moments

Yesterday we were in Buxton for a little sketching and a lot of sitting in a cafe (it seemed). It was a lovely day, despite it being freeeezing, and I got quite a few sketches done. I'm desperate to get my (cross hatching) hands on them but this week I'll be drawing nothing but peaches.

In the meantime you could visit the Sketchcrawl North group on Facebook for lots of gorgeous drawings from the day and news on our future get-togethers HERE.