Life Drawing...

I swung on by the Channel 4 on Demand website today, to have a go at their Life Class programme. I have attended life drawing classes before and personally found older gnarly bodies are better to draw than younger 'perfect' ones, the process being more fulfilling than the end product. Having worked with art directors in design and animation, the ability to draw the human figure accurately is held as a high mark of quality drawing. Life Class is interesting but I felt like I was copying a photograph from my computer monitor. You do get examples and advice from the tutor of the day and watching other people draw is always fascinating.

'Die at Midnight' Sketchbook...

I am working on an idea for a story called 'Die at Midnight', based on a Midsummer's Night storytelling walk and ramble I did with Helen on June 21st. Lieing and making stuff up around the facts of the day to make my story plausible. It was only at the point where I describe how I transformed into a werewolf that Helen said "...wait a minute!", which was quite satisfying. My que to take the story right off road with magic trees and hidden creatures with copper belts, asking for their teeth back. I have been working in my sketch book with a black Pental Colour Brush and a cheap dodgy water brush to dilute the colour ink to create the ink wash. I watched the David Hockney Imagine programme on the BBC iPlayer last week and was taken by the brief glimpse of a landscape Chinese scroll book. I think this is the format I want to do 'Die at Midnight' in.

I am busy this week working with Faceless on a performance piece which involves talking about 'architecture'. I am doing a lot of texture painting.

Agbrigg Banners...

Finally got around to taking a photograph of the Agbrigg Banners I designed a few months ago. You can see the full set of 13 on my website.

While taking the Banners photo I noticed me and my bicycle in shadow.

While Cruising the Internet...

Found this video of Quentin Blake talking about his picture book design. As always, an inspiration.

Sunday in the Sun...

Live Drawing at Quest Conference...

Spent today sketching people at the Quest Conference (A national conference for Outdoor Artists, Practitioners, Arts Development Officers, exploring Outdoor Arts in practice and its impact on people and places) at Peel Park, Bradford. I spent a few hours in the morning hanging around the refreshment table drawing away in my sketch book listening to the speakers. In the afternoon I enlarged the drawings up onto a 5ft x 12ft sheet of heavy duty cartridge paper. Hopefully, photos of me doing that are to follow...

Not Alone in the Shed...

Sitting in the shed at the bottom of the garden as a form of meditation. Jack comes to join me and after a bit of mutual grooming we get down our allotted roles. Me sitting on a plastic box drawing and Jack sitting in that cat way of sitting, arms tucked beneath him.

Drawing From The Shed...

No Drawing Today...

I am walking around Willen Lake for the Hospice.

No Drawing Today...

I am in Little Brickhill at a barbeque... It's freezing

Meanwhile, Down in Milton Keynes...

Studio. Shelf. Sketch.

Studio View...