Rolling Over

A couple of drawings that I made a little while back.

Originally, I made a similar one for the branding and logo of a yarn shop.

 I think 'yarn' is what the serious knitters call wool.

But, I have no clue. I don't knit.

 I just draw.

 I really enjoyed this subject matter though. That's why I made a couple more drawings when I'd finished the job. There's something quite abstract about these. And calming.

I guess that's what both knitting and drawing does. It calms us down.

They are also both for sale in my shop HERE. Plus, there's 20% OFF all originals and prints until the end of the week.

For the love of Tove

No. No. No cat. Not on my drawing of Tove Jansson.

Oh, you are.

The Letters

I am brimming over with creative ideas right now. Here's another one that I'm bringing to life. I have no idea if it'll work but I'm going to give it a shot. 'Teddy' is the first in a series of letters, each one is a little piece of flash fiction. But, this is flash fiction graphic novel style. Yes, (I've just realised that) I've created a whole new genre. 

The thing that excites me about this idea is (hopefully) how it will unfold in front of me. Now, I am pretty sure that this is not the correct way to go about writing a story, but, I've been creating stories in this way for a couple of years in my Drink & Draw series. In these events, through models, poses and props, I tell a story for sketchers to draw. These stories always unfold, change and take unexpected twists as each model brings their own thing to it, plus poses may need to be cut, on the night, because of timing, that kind of thing. The changes then inform what happens in the next episode.

I recently read the Stephen King book 'On Writing', in which he described how a story should take you on the journey, rather than the other way around. I completely relate to that, it is actually the way I used to build my big drawings too. I'd let them tell me what to do next. I love the idea that a story has it's own life and you're just there to get it on paper. It would be a dull process if it wasn't that way, I think.

Now I'm not sure he'd recommend putting your first bit of the story out there before anything else has been written, but I'm experimenting here. During the time I was creating this letter all sorts of ideas about who the letter was from and who it was too came up. I think I always knew these characters but during this process I got to know them a lot better. And so, the next letter kind of wrote itself.

Anyway, enough talk. 'Teddy' is available HERE.

Thanks for calling by my blog.

The Red Case

 In my last post I mentioned about my new obsession; creative writing. It's not really that new. Well, the writing bit may be, but my passion in life is story telling. It always has been. Over the last couple of years I've put a lot into that particular area of my creativity. Running workshops and events, for sketchers, that involve building stories.

One of those stories was called The Red Case.

 And, I've had this idea, born out of that story, for making a little case full of writing prompts (I just didn't know that they were called prompts back then. I do now, that I've been on a creative writing course) for a long long time.

 On Saturday I was at Sheffield Zine Fest peddling my wares. As always I need to have a deadline to make any of my ideas come to fruition. You know how it is, right? So I spent the days leading up to it building a production line of little red cases.

 And, after lots of drawing, cutting, printing, gluing and packing, here they are.

 Little handmade red cases, each containing eight handmade illustrated cards all with characters on the other side (I can't show you them as it'll make your stories less spontaneous), and a little handwritten letter.

 All ready to be mailed out with instructions and in a little gift box.

 The idea is to see how many different stories people can come up with from the same bunch of characters, a letter and a red case. WHAT is in there? Well, that's up to you.

The Red Case is now available in my Etsy shop right HERE.

these dreams of you

A little while ago I signed up to a Creative Writing class. It was a course about creating short stories.

The reason I took the course was to give me a push with a graphic novel that I've had hanging around, in various sketchbooks, for a few years. Also I was really interested in learning some of the tools for building stories as I felt they could be transferred to the graphic novel. The same rules must apply, right?

Plus, I wanted a new challenge.

Well, it was all that and more. I have loved every minute of it. In fact, I've become a little obsessed. I can't stop writing and the main character, from my graphic novel, has been following me around wherever I go. I've been thinking about her in almost everything I do and wondering whether she would do the same thing, spend time with the same people, like my favourite coffee shop (she would).

Now I'm finding that I have to divide my time, not just between myself and her, but also between writing and drawing. All of those times when I'd normally take the opportunity to sketch are now writing opportunities too. My graphic novel originally, in my head, had been all pictures. No words. But, after the course I've changed my mind and I want to get some text in there somehow. I want her voice to be heard. I'm sure I can manage that. See above.

I like to think that this is the push I needed. One way or another I will have to finish this book. Because, whilst I love Marci, I want my own life back!

to the moon and stars and back

Aw, I found this a drawing whilst looking for something else.  I made for my Art O Level  many many moons ago. Around thirty years ago. I did this and some studies of denim with blue ballpoints. I'd never have imagined then that I'd become known for drawing with a ballpoint pen. Or that I'd have a drawing of a pair of converse in ballpoint that would go viral. Although, I was a real dreamer so maybe I would have imagined that. Well, not the bit about it going viral. I couldn't have dreamt up the Internet. Even my imagination couldn't have come up with that!

the most marvelous Roald Dahl

It has been brought to my attention that we are approaching what would have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday.

 Yes, today I (and I'm guessing lots of other people in the UK) have been watching, and voting on, Roald Dahl's Most Marvellous Book; a programme that has taken a look back at all of his greats

Well, ten of them. Ten of his children's books that is, as, of course he also wrote for adults (we all remember Tales of the Unexpected, right?).

Not only has the programme reminded me as to what an amazingly ridiculously phizz-whizzingly whoopsy-whiffling genius he was, but it also reminded me of these drawings I made a few years ago.

I made twelve drawings that were used as backdrops for a production of James and the Giant Peach at the Buxton Festival.  And an extra one for the programme (top of post).

It was a really good excuse to re-read the book too. I find a lot of childhood favourites don't read quite as well (to say the least) when you're an adult. But Dahl's do. Try it.

As much as I love James and his Giant Peach it's not the most marvellous. That, of course, is Danny Champion of the World. Which is what I voted for, and which, incidentally, is also as good a read when you're grown up (ish).

(By the way, Matilda won the poll. But obviously everyone was wrong)

the creative space

So here I am sat in my studio/workroom/office typing this. While I appreciate that may not be big news to you, it is to me. It's huge. Its profound, intense, overwhelming, fervent, ardent (yes, I'm just copying out of the thesaurus now). But it is BIG.

This is the first time ever that I have had a space designated to my work. Up until now I've balanced sketchbooks, laptops and Etsy orders on my knee on the settee or amongst printers, guillotines and plates on the kitchen table. But one of the benefits of holding an Open Studios (in my case open house) exhibition, which I did last week, is that it forces you to focus and get things in order.

That's been one of my problems since going self employed (well, since, always) is keeping focus. It's one of those things I didn't think about beforehand, but now that I have all the time to give to my art and to my business, how best should I use it? And, I'll be honest, the first year and half, of going freelance, has been trying to adjust to that and it hasn't been an easy thing.

My mind is always so FULL of stuff. It never switches off. Ever. It's just full of creative ideas, millions of them. I find being organised really really difficult. The ideas seem to get in the way of getting things done. But now I'm self employed I NEED to get things done because I need to make a living.

So, this is why actually making a room/space for my work has been so massive. I'm hoping it's going to help with how I manage my time and my business. I hope. And, I'm open too, and appreciative of, any other suggestions that may help me focus on the task at hand rather than the million little ideas knocking at the door wanting to take up my time.

Now, back to work.

advanced procrastination

Ah, my gosh. Somebody please run my blog! I just will do just about anything but do it.

I make myself so mad sometimes. I frustrate the hell out of myself.

Anyways, I'm going to endeavour to update it with some of the things I've been doing whilst I've been away. I can only but try.

COLOURING BOOKS?! I have made colouring in books. It was not something I'd ever intended doing. It all felt a bit, well, you know, done. But when my printers started a new range of colouring books it got me thinking about some of my drawings that may be cool to colour in. And I tried thinking of ways of putting a twist on the whole colouring book phenomena.

 I'm calling it 'advanced colouring' but really it's for any ability. But, if you're already used to wielding the pen then I've added tips to take your colouring to the next level.

There are two sizes of book, you can find them HERE.

See you back here in about six months time!

*I will blog more often. I will. I will. I will....*

Valentines cards, made with love

Nora and George.

I drew Nora maybe three years ago. George is much more recent. I always wanted a companion for Nora and a couple of weeks ago I brought George to life. Both were based on two well known fascinating characters in the history of tattoo art. Nora Hildebrandt was considered the first tattooed lady and toured with the Barnum & Bailey circus whilst George Burchett had an equally amazing life and went on to become a world famous tattoo artist who even tattooed royalty.

It's been just over a year now, since I went full time as an illustrator and I won't lie, it's been tough. Great, and the best decision I've ever made, but it's been really tough financially speaking. So if 2015 was the year of transition, then 2016 has to be the year where I try to turn my illustration into a business. But that's really hard, right? Thinking of your art in those terms. But I need to eat and I need to pay bills and I need to keep a roof over my head. And, I'll do anything that means that I can draw for a living. Well, not quite anything...

I made both of these drawings with the upside down technique. Nora took me a while and quite a few attempts to get 'right' (or how I wanted her). I got George first time - but then I have had a LOT of practice with this technique as you can see in this sketchbook project. So Nora had a companion at last. I love both of these drawings. George and Nora are actually very dear to me.

I never ever saw myself making Valentines cards. I've never really done anything for a particular market or an occasion. Recently my sales in my Etsy shop have plummeted. I'm part of a local Etsy team and this seems to be something of a trend and not exclusive to me. There has been a huge amount of discussion on forums as to why this is but that's a whole blog post of it's own. I've spoken to people who have weathered that storm and asked them what they've been doing to keep afloat. A lot of those people have a good range of products at different price ranges. They also take holidays and markets seriously.

I couldn't though. I couldn't make something for a market. Not me. But Valentines day was coming up. Could I? Could I really? Surely it would be selling out. Surely it would mean I'd have to dilute my work and make something with hearts and roses and oh no. It was already making me cringe. But also, in another part of my brain, it became a kind of challenge. And then it made sense. I didn't have to do anything I felt uncomfortable about. I had the perfect pair for my Valentines cards. So George and Nora went to print.

I printed them on both white and cream card. I also made a sheet of different messages (see above), based on vintage tattoo designs, to put inside the cards and printed those off too. Then I hand cut them all out (this is where my great ideas always become very complicated and end up taking ridiculous amounts of time to create). Yes, I decided I wanted them to have almost a pop-up feel to them, so I cut around George and Nora and all the tattoos.

Then I bought some smart white and cream blank greetings cards and envelopes and hand stuck, with a little of that sticky foam, the romantic pair onto either side of the card and stuck the message on the inside. Finished them off with some cellophane bags and handmade labels and, hey presto, I had Valentines cards. Just like that.

And they went on sale. In my Etsy shop and at local galleries and art cafes. So, it is possible to make things for a specific occasion or market without compromising your art. When it comes to the amount of money I laid out and time put into each one I probably won't make my fortune on this range but I made something I'm proud of.

And, on another note, this is the kind of attention to detail and care that you buy into when you make a purchase from an independent maker. Products made with love and passion, where every single sale is appreciated. Now, I'm off to come up with my next money making world domination art project.

George and Nora. Made with love.

Available HERE.