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.

crazy love

Hi guys, just a heads up here; my third zine How To Draw Like A Nut is now VERY limited. My shop has about twenty left in stock. And, that's it. All my zines (apart from some special limited limited edition ones) have runs of one thousand. So, if you are new to my work, and don't already own a copy now is the time to get one HERE. There's also an offer on the first two ballpoint zines HERE.

Right, that's it for the selling, for now. I hope you understand that I have to do it. It's how I get the time to draw and post all this crazy stuff. Back with more crazy stuff very soon.

please please me

One thing that I get asked a lot is 'which is my favourite drawing' . My favourite of my own drawings, that is. It's a really difficult question to answer as I've made, probably, a couple of thousand drawings over the last few years. And, you know, what I like, or dislike, in a drawing, changes all the time.

I have a love hate relationship with a lot of my work. Sometimes, if I've laboured over a drawing, by the time I've completed it, I usually despise it.

Another thing I've found is that my taste often differs from those (of you) that view my work. The drawings that other people respond to in a positive way can be the ones I dislike the most. I'm almost always surprised by the ones that get a huge response. Sometimes not, but mostly. Then, there are the ones that I love and other people hardly even notice. But, I love that not knowing.

More recently, as my drawing evolves, and I spend a lot more time sketching, the reasons why I like, or dislike, a drawing too have changed. I'm still always chasing a great image, of course (good composition, subject, etc), but now, it's the work where I have challenged or pushed myself, in some way, that I feel most pleased with.

For example, I really love this drawing. I made it in one of the large Moleskine sketchbooks (so, it's on a bigger scale than I used to work). I saw the red chequered table cloth and immediately knew I was going to get a drawing out of it. The food looked great against the cloth was too inviting (but I had to be quick as it was being moved around the table). And, then there were the people, all chatting and moving. I like to think I captured the scene.

Maybe those are the reasons I like it so much, and I'm not expecting it to set the world alight, but it just pleases me. That's all.

feathers fall around you

Later this month, the Bank Holiday weekend of 25th-27th of May to be precise, I will be exhibitng my work as part of the Derbyshire Open Arts annual event. A photographer friend and I will be showing our wares at Pear Tree Cafe in Whaley Bridge.

There is an information board just outside the cafe. You can just see the top of it in this picture. It's in the hedge, next to the road sign, across the road from the car, got it? I said I'd knock something up, you know, a quick sketch to go along with the official event poster, to tell people we'll be there.

A quick sketch, my arse.

show you the way to go

Right then, so as promised in my last post, here is the second part of the third stage of the Little Acorns project. Are you keeping up?!

Meet Archibald Twig again. The drawing at the top of this page is an original and I'm putting that on sale on Ebay (starting at a penny, as always), but that's not all. What you get is the original, the original handwritten provenance and one of the cut-out-and-make limited edition cards.

 You can find the Archibald Twig package HERE.

And, if you pocket doesn't stretch to an original, there are still a few of the printed cards available HERE.

tomorrow see the things that never come today

 Welcome back to Little Acorns. And, say 'Hello' to Archibald Twig. If you are new to my Little Acorn project, and would like to know more, you can read about it HERE. Basically, I can't be bothered explainging it all over again! It was enough first time around, and I'm no good with words - that is why I draw. Anyway, this is the third step in the project so read on...

My last drawing, the second step in this project, was put up for sale on Ebay. It sold at £38.00, which including P&P gave me a grand total of £41.50. This is how I spent/reinvested that money;

Postage (of drawing); £3.00
Ebay charges; £4.24
Printing; £25.60
Envelopes; £8.40

Total; £41.24

So what do I have for you this time? Well, there are two parts to this stage. Firstly, for the £25.60 printing costs I was able to get 25 of my cut-out-and-make Archibald Twig cards made. I'm very excited about this, because, not only because I'm pretty much obsessed with this Little Acorns project at the moment, but also because he is the first of my cut out and make Dickie Bird. This has been a long time in the making.

The card includes an Archie, a nest display-stand and other accessories including eye options and a twig. Also, included is a small piece telling you about the life and times of Archibald Twig. See more in the shop HERE.

The second part of this Archibald Twig is a very special package which will be auctioned on Ebay. That, I'll share with you tomorrow. Cheers, my dears.