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.

a song for you

I've always thought that this drawing would make a good Father's Day card. Or, a card, in general, for dads. Doesn't have to be a specific occasion. I just think it's an appropriate image. Which I'm sure many of us can relate to.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

smells like teen spirit

Niece: Go and get some more crisps and drinks.
Me: You go
Neice: Your turn
Me: You haven't even had a turn
Neice: Go on.
Me: Ooooh you....
Niece: Go.
Me: You're such a....er...a...
Niece: Boghouse rat?
Me: Yes, a boghouse rat.
Niece: And? Now go and get those crisps.

The inspiration for this drawing was a weekend spent, watching back to back episodes of the Mighty Boosh, with my niece. It was a typical weekend for a couple of boghouse rats. Holed up in a dark bedroom. The curtains drawn. Not leaving except to use the toilet or to stock up on supplies. Taking it in turns to lie on the bed or the sleeping-bag-plus-mattress-combo that we'd set up on the floor. And supposedly, taking it in turns to stock up on snacks. Well, one of us taking more turns than the other. Happy days.

I love my niece. We have lot in common. Including our boghouse ratishness.
Happy Birthday, love.

To find out if you, too, are a boghouse rat, just answer the questionnaire below (it would have been longer but I just couldn't be bothered to finish it).

CLICK on drawings to view.

one week like this a year'd see me right

(Click on image to view)
Phew. PHEW. I'm back. I've had a wonderful, full on, couple of weeks. Full of music and laughter and wine. And fun, of course. Over the next week or so I'll try and get back to all the emails, comments, messages etc that I've received recently. Right now, I'm exhausted, after a long long drive.

Here's a little something I've been working on for approximately three months. Not a solid three months. I've been working on it bit by bit. Off and on. More off than on, I might add. It's a tribute to my best buddy. Thanks for a great time, ducky. Long may you run.

squashed tomatoes and stew

I hope you'll all join me in wishing GrIfF a HaPpY sIxTh BiRtHdAy. It's hard to know what to draw a six year old boy, as I'm ToTaLly RuBbIsH at drawing SuPeRhErOs and CaRs. In fact, gRiFf is mUcH MuCh better, at drawing those things, than me. So, I settled, inexplicably, for AlPhAbEtTi on ToAsT. You've got to love aLpHaBeTtI, hAvEn'T yOu? Being able to SpElL your NaMe with your DiNnEr has to be the cOoLeSt thing EvEr. And, when you've fInIsHeD eAtInG you can wAsH iT DoWn with a lovely CuP oF tEa like ThIs OnE.

HaVe A wOnDeRfUl BiRtHdAy GrIfFy!!!

ey up chuck

I've been drawing against the clock. Trying to get this finished before midnight. I had a request for a green Converse. This is the third attempt, and it still isn't right. There are definitely some perspective issues. Still, I'm calling it done. I did try. I gave it my best shot. What more do you want? A unicorn?

Happy Birthday beautiful girl.

you are my sister

You are my sister, and I love you.

old spice

Click on image to view.

Yes, this probably does look familiar. One of my favourite drawings that I did in my Moleskine, way back whenever, was this spice rack drawing. I've wanted to rework it onto paper and frame it for some time and so Tim's birthday (see last post) gave me a good excuse to do just that. Something to spice up his life - his forty year old life! I like it, although it just lacks some of the spontaneity of the original and, of course, that gorgeous cream colour Moleskine paper.

View my sepia set on Flickr HERE.

birthday boy

Here's a little drawing from one of my two children's books that are ready and waiting for a publisher. I'll post more on this later in the week, for there are more important matters at hand. Happy Birthday to my nephew Griff!! Hope you have a wonderful day lovely boy. I just wish I could be with you.

(The photo, above, is detail from the cutest card ever that I got for Griff. Unfortunately, I didn't draw it. It's by Petra Boase, I think I'm her new biggest fan.)

EDM#90 Draw something with wings

(Click on image)

Well, I have absolutely been dying to post this for days .I don't know how I've managed to stop myself. So I've stayed up till after midnight so that I could post it. I'm very proud of this one which combines the EDM challenge with my love of illustration for children.

AND... Happy Birthday beautiful girl. xxx