you are perfectly reflected

I've been working on some commissions recently, a couple of which were for visitors to my exhibition in the summer. I was very interested, during the exhibition, to know which drawings people liked the best; not for any particular reason, just for curiosity, I suppose. The drawings of collections of little things always seemed to come out on top.

This is one of two 'small thing' drawings I have completed since then. I love these drawings. It's kind of like doing a jigsaw. There's so much satisfaction in finding another piece that slots perfectly into place.

There is one issue I have with being commissioned to complete one of these drawings though; the moment when I have to ask "would you like me to include the pube?"

squashed tomatoes and stew

You know I should never ever mention anything I have lined up. It's it the kiss of death. This is not the exciting project update I mentioned in the last TWO posts. My excuse this time is that something else popped up. A birthday to be precise. My little old blog's birthday. Apparently this blog is actually five years old. Well, it was about two weeks ago. I forgot. Again. Which, my family and friends will tell you, is also very typical.

So I'd like to say a Happy belated Birthday to my blog and I. And, I'd like to say thanks. Thank you for all the visits and comments over the past five years and 568 (!) posts. I appreciate each and everyone of them.

some of them like to tell a story that is long and old

I thought that I'd finished this drawing about three days ago, but I added a little more today. I say that I added a 'little more' when, in fact, what I actually mean is that I've spent probably another five or six hours on it. Believe it or not it had started out as quite a minimalist piece!

Plus, now that I see it on screen I can see a couple of places where I'd like to add something else. To make the composition flow more freely. But, for tonight, I am putting it down. And giving my mince pies a rest.

trying to remember just what for

Although everything has been quiet around here lately I'm still busily beavering away at this one. So, I thought I'd share another stage of this mammoth drawing with you. So far I've been drawing all the bits and bobs in with colour ballpoints and fine liners. I still don't know how, or if, it'll come together as I rarely do a full-on colour drawing like this. I'm thinking it's nearly there. The final stages will be to get the whole drawing down in pen and then I'll add the final details and, hopefully, a little more 'atmosphere' (is that the right word?) with some soft pencils. That's the plan anyway.

Then what I'd most like to do is get back to blogging. It's just that these days I have lots of things coming at me from every direction. Again, I'm not complaining. Exciting things are happening. It's just that I'm not getting the time to spend with you guys. And, I miss that.

where sleeplessness awaits

So I started this drawing about two or three weeks ago but unfortunately it's going to have to be put on the back burner for the next few days as a new, more pressing deadline has emerged from nowhere.

This is one of the most ambitious drawings that I've undertaken yet. It's on A3 paper which is double the size I normally use. Plus it's full colour. Thus far it has taken approximately 20 hours.

Anyway, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you how I make these big mad drawings as it is a question I'm asked often. In the past I've been asked if I set up the compositions or whether I draw from a photo. The answer to both of those questions is no. I almost always draw from life.

What I do do is start with a couple objects (in this case the tram ticket, the Mary and baby Jesus and the seahorse) and then add the rest around them. I place the other objects on the paper, mapping it out piece by piece. It's almost as though the composition works itself out. I love drawings like this. I love the way they reveal themselves to me, the way they unfold in front of my eyes.

the world is turning

Unbelievably, people sometimes ask how I me how I make my drawings. Here's a little insight. Actually, not so little. Yes, this is the biggest blog post in the worldiverse.

So, as you can see, with this one I started by mapping a little bit of the drawing on the page. Not too much, just somewhere to start, because I like the rest to unfold. I like the drawing to reveal itself to me.

Contrary, to popular belief, I actually am rather inpatient and usually want to jump right in. So already I've started drawing the bits and pieces. For this spread I am treating each card as an idividual drawing. I'm mostly using colour ballpoints and colour pencil. Ah, Bangladesh Airlines. Now that was an interesting airline. And, an interesting flight. It was cheap, though. VERY cheap.

Actually, it was the red and yellow of the Bangladeshi baggage label that first appealed to me when it came to turning this collage into a Moleskine drawing. I love the pop art colours. Ooooooh, British Columbia and Alberta. Probably, still, after all this time, my most favourite place I've been lucky enough to visit.

I know, drawing wise, this kind of subject matter isn't much of a departure for me, but this drawing in itself was certainly challenging. Emotionally speaking, that is. I do believe this was one of the most emotional drawings I've ever created.

Obviously it took quite some time to complete, and it was spending all that time with all these memories. All the places and people I've left behind. All the things I've done. Some joyous and others not always easy to be with.

And there are times and places and people I'd never have remembered if I hadn't made this drawing. Most of these cards and tickets came from a five year period between 1991-96. There was so much I'd forgotten about (probably a selective memory lapse). But still, I think there is something really symbolic, I suppose cathartic about laying all these things down on the paper.

Back to the drawing, and the latest addition - the green Koh Phanghan card showing a map of the island is probably my favourite bit. Not sure why that is, but I do enjoy drawing those little details. I love the handwritten phone number on the card, and the food stains. It's those kind of tiny details, that you might never have noticed, that really float my boat.

By this point of course, there are things that are starting to annoy me. I'm not happy with the addition of the comic strip and that Jasper Taxi card is really starting to get on my nerves. I am happy with the texture on the pink card for SP Resort, though. I did that with pink pencil and ballpoint. I think it works. And again, I love the yellows, which were both done with a yellow ballpoint and finisheded with a yellow pencil.

What the hell and how the hell did I get a card from a Canadian Mountie officer? I was a bit wild back in the day but I don't remember getting arrested! In Canada! By a Mounty! Surely that is something you'd never forget. And ,where on earth is Nyah Village Caravan Park?

After a little Googling I find that Nyah Village caravan park is in fact in Australia. I've never been there so how did I get that card? Who gave it to me? I like these kind of questions, even though they'll probably never be answered.

By this point I really want to finish this drawing but I keep obsessing over what should be the last things to be added, and how should they be placed. The best thing to do at that point, I find, is to just stop thinking and put something down . Anything. When I started this drawing I never imagined that my own little ballpoint card would turn up, it's next to the Vancouver book store card. Do you know that I had four days in Vancouver and on the first evening I went out for a Chinese meal and spent the rest of the stay with violent food poisoning? So basically, I didn't go out of the motel. The motel bathroom to be specific. Of course, there is absolutely no reason why you would know that.

Now I must stress here, I did NOT draw the picture of my mother and father. I am not that good! This photo, though, was the reason for making this drawing. I really wanted it in my Moleskine. Forever.

I deliberated for ages where I should place the photo. It was originally meant to hide the Vancouver book store card, but the Jasper taxi card was annoying me so much it ended hiding that. Unfortunately, it hid some of the pink card but, again, I think there is something symbolic about what is lost from the drawing. I don't know what it is symbolic about it, but no doubt it'll come to me one night when when I've just fallen asleep.

So there we go, that's it. Finished. Finito.

If you've liked this, you might like to order my new zine - the travel Molezine one. This is one of the drawings featured in it. You can buy it HERE for a very small price. You can be guaranteed that a whole lot of time, energy, emotion and love went into it. Thanks.

i want you, i want you so bad

Still not a great deal of drawing going on around here. So here's a little doodle I did, a while back, with one of THESE PENS. It wasn't my pen, I'd borrowed it to doodle with. However, finding this drawing has reminded me of how truly amazing those pens are. In fact, I do believe they are the greatest inventions of all time. Why don't I have one?

I'm off to source four colour ballpoint multi pens....

don't look at my shadow

Now be honest, are you laughing at the cat paw? It's a bit rubbish, isn't it? Did you even know it was a cat paw? I actually drew around the actual paw. Which, as you can imagine, the cat was thrilled about. I nearly lost an eye for this drawing. And you're laughing. Thanks a lot.

Illustration Friday; Strings.

this woman's work

As you might imagine, it is a rather sophisticated and professional setup here at AJ head-quarters. Recently, I have relocated my studio - from the armchair to the kitchen table.

Also, recently, I have been rediscovering the work of a childhood hero of mine Ronald Searle. His work had such an effect on me when I was a kid. It was around that time I fell in love with illustration - the magic of illustration. I was thinking about all of that when I did the bottom of the two drawings.

Anyway, you know the drill; click on image to view.