have you ever had it blue?

Damn, I'm going to miss this place this year. These are drawings of Clermont Ferrand. They're a kind of mixture of realism and imagination, fact and fiction. I like that place in between both. I have an idea for a small series of these drawings. So, if I will not get to physically visit this year, I will travel there through drawing.

lost in France

I started this drawing on New Years day. It felt good to start the new year drawing. I really needed to. With everything else I've had going on, I haven't really got lost in a big detailed drawing in a long while. This is the first in what I hope will become a series. It was drawn from a mish mash of photos, and memories (and a bit of imagination) from a trip to France in November. I've always loved France. When I was young I used to wish I was French. My favourite film is French. It's the country, outside of the UK, I've visited the most. For the last few years I've exhibited my work in France. And, now, of course I've had my book published by a French publisher.

So this is a love letter to France. Je t'aime.

and finally...

 You know, when I started out drawing I never imagined where that would take me. I was just doing it for the love of drawing. And, then after a while I began to believe that it could become something else, something more, it could be what I want to do with my life. Then things start happening and you get to a level of success. And then, you end up doing all sorts of other stuff that keeps you away from the drawing. That's how I've felt recently.

But then you have to take a step back and take a second to see where the drawing has actually taken you. I don't know if any of that makes sense. I'm tired. But I think I know what I mean.

Signed copies of my book (!), a book about my work (!!), is now available HERE.

carnet de voyages immobiles

So here's another thing that's been happening for me recently.

Here are some photos from the printers who are printing a new book. My book.

 When I went to Clermont Ferrand's wonderful 'Rendez-vous Carnet de Voyage' exhibition last year I got to meet some publishers.

And one of them took a shine to me - well, took a shine to my work.

 These photos tell the tale of what's been happening since then.

 Next week the books will be at the publishers and I'll be back in France in November to promote it.

It's insane really. When I started drawing a few years ago, this would have been one of those things I would have dreamt of happening whilst not really believing it actually would. It still seems a bit odd. But that is indeed a book about my work and I really will be going to France to promote it. As I said, insane.

he was really saying something

A few posts back I told you about a recent trip that I'd made and how I'd achieved one of my goals by journalling the whole thing, from start to finish. I'd hoped to share that journal on my blog, however, I hadn't anticipated the sketchbook not actually fitting on my scanner (epic fail). That was because I'd made majority of the drawings as double page spreads. I did make a few on single pages, though, and here are a couple.

The drawing, above, is of my nephew Griff. Throughout the long journey, to EuroDisney, by coach (oh, the joys) I drew Griff over and over again. There's a lot of time to draw from South Wales to Paris. Here's is one thing that I wonder; those of you who draw portraits, do you find that drawing people you know best, your family and friends, is more difficult than drawing strangers? I'm still new to drawing people but I always find this is the case. This drawing of Griff, was the best, but I'm still not sure there's a likeness.

Below is a drawing that Griff and I made together. Actually, a large percentage of the drawings in the journal were joint efforts. I think this one shows what fun journalling can be - for the whole family! We were very lucky that we also had a muse; the chain smoking driver, who we were sat behind. He kept us entertained with his tall tales and his excuses for stopping (just so that he could have a cigarette or five). These included 'stopping for the kiddies to stretch their legs', 'stopping so the kiddies can get some chips' and, the best, 'stopping so we could get some fresh air'.

I absolutely love this drawing. It takes me right back to that time - which is something an illustrated journal can do so much better than a photograph ever can. Plus, it never fails to make me laugh. Thanks for the memory, Griff.

you've come a long way baby

When I began my first travel themed journal I filled it with the souvenirs I'd brought from my trips. Because back then I would never draw in front of people, and so I could draw the souvenirs from the privacy of my own home. In fact, when I made my second little zine I wrote inside "I am a reluctant public sketcher. Actually, that is a big fat understatement. The thought of drawing in public fills me with horror". That was about three years ago.

 And, here I am today. drawing on planes, and in airports, cafes, parks and streets. I made the sketches, above, on the way back from France. I was sat with a really nice French guy who watched me draw through the whole flight. He commented on my sketches and even suggested the passengers who I should draw. The guy who is asleep in the middle of the page was looking over my shoulder at what I was doing (when he'd woken up, obviously!) and the flight attendant came over to take a look. I didn't mind. At all.

 I don't know what has changed in a relatively short space of time. I'm certain it's not one thing. Sure, my confidence has grown and I worry less that people will think my work is rubbish. When I reflect on how far I've come it inspires me to keep on going. And, to keep pushing myself in directions that I never thought I'd go. Roads I never thought I'd travel down. Learning as much as I can to become the best illustrator that I can be. 'Cos, I love drawing. It's as simple as that really; I just love drawing.

it was raining outside but my love still shined

Hello folks. Once again, I am apologising for the lack of recent activity on my blog. I'm not blaming my drawing funk this time, but I do have a good excuse. I have been in France exhibiting my work at the wonderful Rendez-Vous du Carnet de Voyage exhibition. A big HELLO to all the lovely people I met there and a big THANKS for showing such an overwhelming interest in my work. There is nothing better than being able to share my sketchbooks with people 'in the flesh', so to speak. Nothing.

Anyway, more on that shortly. I need to unpack and catch up with my mail and all that stuff that goes on when you are in another world and another country. For now, here's a drawing I made on the plane back home.

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.

etched forever as a moment

Another one of those things that I would really like to do is to write and illustrate (mainly illustrate!) a graphic novel. I have had this idea for a storyline, which I've been playing around with , in my head, for some time now. Just another thing to add to the list.

i've been whistling down the street

It wasn't until the day I was leaving Clermont Ferrand that I realised that I hadn't bought any souvenirs of the trip. We'd been so busy at the exhibition that I'd forgotten - which is ironic as I was there to exhibit my travel sketchbook that was themed 'souvenirs of my travels'. So on our final day we had an hour before we had to be the airport to find some souvenirs.

Luckily my stadar (a kind of radar, or gaydar, that detects stationery outlets in the vicinity), which had been going off for the whole trip, pointed me in the direction of a great big stationers close to our hotel. Now, for me, stationery plus souvenirs ticks so many boxes I couldn't have been happier.

So, here are my souvenirs of Clermont Ferrand; a half blue and half red pencil, two stencil maps of France and a ruler. Mission accomplished.

I'm not so happy with the blue and red drawing, above. No doubt I'll mess around with that some more in the future.

Of course, there are also all of the sugar packets, napkins, tram tickets, receipts, bills and business cards I also collected during the trip, but hey that's another drawing. Or six.

These drawing are a part of my aforementioned souvenir themed sketchbook. You can see the rest of the series HERE.

using words i never say

Wow.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

What an amazing weekend I've had in Clermont Ferrand at the Biennale Carnet de Voyage exhibition. I was there to show my sketchbooks, specifically the travel sketchbook, to (what seemed like) the whole of France. The event turned out to more than I could ever have imagined. It really was amazing.

No doubt I will go on and on about it for some time, but right now I just need to say some big 'thank yous'. Firstly to the organizers of this brilliant exhibition, specifically Anne, Anais and Marie who looked after us so well. Merci girls.

Of course a huge HUGE thank you to everyone who stopped by to look at my work. This is the first time these sketchbooks have been exhibited 'in real life'. Obviously, I have shown the drawings here on my blog, to a great response, but nothing beats seeing that response first hand. To see the look on peoples faces and hear the reactions was a beautiful thing and quite overwhelming. I returned to the UK a very happy person.

Finally, a big old thanks to my friend, and manager on this trip, Tim. I couldn't have done it without you mate. It certainly wouldn't have been SO much fun. You were great despite your appalling French.

Over the next few weeks I'll bang on about it a lot more, and I'll post some of the drawings of the souvenirs and memories that I brought back from Clermont Fernand. I hope you come back to see them.

Merci beaucoup.

for such a long time now

Another from the travel Moleskine.

I'll be exhibiting my Moleskines, including the travel Moleskine, at the Biennale; Carnet de Voyage event in Clermont Ferrand this coming weekend. If you are planning to visit the exhibition stop by and say hello.