Thursday, August 27, 2009

End of summer
after a non stop busy busy exhausting couple of months, I've had a couple of days to catch up with myself . I need to get some more painting done, but these things can't be rushed, I like to sort, tidy, rearrange & 'footer' about between work chapters. De cluttering home & head to clear space before throwing myself into next project.

Also, the rowans are red the heather is purple, the chantrells are out, theres a colder edge in the wind - Summers over, our brief autumn and a long long wild wet winter is a coming. Which flips the craft switch in the brain- textile time! So I've been using up cones & cones of spare lambswool by making these wool & rag boas. addictive to do !

I've also been playing with words and colours, these should turn into driftwood hanger things when I'm finished.


Saturday, August 22, 2009

crafts conflict

Thursday 20th & Friday 21st August, 2 day craft fair in Church hall, Lochcarron. Generally at these, one never makes a fortune - or in fact a days wage, but that is the heady world of crafts for you. It would be folly to expect a decent wage for doing your favorite hobby out in the shires, in a city designer gallery yes. They are usually pleasant sociable days out where we catch up with our fellow makers. Here's the wee painting I did to pass time on day 1.
There is a fine line in crafts and art, especially crafts, ideas sort of migrate, we are influenced by the workers that we are surrounded by, the creative meme- but where do we draw the line between this and downright plagiarism? It has driven me nuts for years, I lie awake at nights working out a clever way of making a) into b), then other people turn up at the next sale selling their version of my groovy idea. This undermines my work, so I've had to keep chopping and changing to try & keep ahead of the pack. At least with 'Art' & painting its mine, distinct, they can copy all they like, good luck with that - but a glass shard mosaic, or calligraphy hanger, or book marker, or mobile, or lino prints, or collage, or hand made paper, or rag crocheting or, or , or...they're not things I can hang onto. At least I can do this, But one of my colleagues utilises a specific skill, and someone else time & time again copies the colour mixes, the designs, even selling at the exact same price. This day person 2, even took person 1's pitch. Person 1 blew a gasket, which is something rarely seen in polite 'jam and Jerusalem' crafty circles. Its just not cricket though, in a small village one should side step to not tread on other peoples businesses, not blatantly copy. I think I should employ a similarly open & honest approach next time I am copied instead of quietly seething to myself.

Some innovate, some emulate.

Here's the stag & cat I painted on day 2.


Thursday, August 20, 2009

Pearl Jam at the o2, London. 18th AugustNormally I try & reserve this blog for art & craft related activities. But Pearl Jam are allowed a mention as much of my work is accompanied by Eddie and the boys, their music is hardwired into my brain. This concert was my first time of seeing them, it wasn't easy getting there, the third ticket I bought didnt turn up - NEVER EVER buy from theonlineticketshop or onlineticketexchange or any of their other ticket fraud businesses - So sadly just myself and youngest daughter Iseabail headed down, two instead of three.
However we had the time of our lives, queued for 6 hours with other fan club members to get in early, got a place in second row, only feet from our heroes. The mosh pit crush was INTENSE so despite being within ( literal ) spitting distance, couldnt take photos of this incredible performance.
managed to get some crowd & queue photos which I may turn into paintings...we'll see. So until the next tour, its back to work- village life always seems rather flat and claustrophobic after something as exciting as this. Rock & Roll baby.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Mind Body & Spirit fair-Dingwall August 15th

on Friday I made a load of wee mosaics for this fair. I'm thinking towards little Christmassy gifts, yes the public are already buying for Christmas.
Heres Rich manning the table. The crafts side of the fair was organised by Jackie from Achnasheen who wins the prize for the best craft fair organising, she always has everything covered, plies us with tea & biscuits and definately deserves a link

The fair was well attended but was still relaxed enough to give me time to do a wee fairy painting.
and here's it touched up a bit in Photoshop.




Lochcarron Sketching
I've mostly been chained to the computer recently drawing comic strips, but on Tuesday I snuck off to do some sketching at a popular tourist viewpoint - spurred on by the vague hope of boosting the ailing coffers with a spur of the moment sale or two. Sadly no luck, folks politely tip toe up to watch me work, take photos & chat a wee bit, but its definately not a good spot to art 'busk'. Always nice to take time out to paint though !


Wednesday, August 12, 2009


current comic project
Heres a couple of tasters of the comic strip I'm working flat out on at the moment... Normal service painting will resume as soon as possible.





Sunday, August 09, 2009

Comic strip for 'Something Wicked'.
so when I havent been teaching everyday I've been on a comic strip marathon. I hope the small spoiler free taster image above won't incur the wrath of lovely Editor 'Bolt-01'. This Strip will appear in the next edition of FutureQuake publication's Horror Comic , 'Something Wicked' .
I've been trying a new technique, looser, more painterly, mostly done in Photoshop over scanned in rough layouts. I can't tell if its worked or not, let the readers be the judges of that !

Next project an altogether different style strip for a certain famous girls comic of the 70's.

Monday, August 03, 2009

Monday 3rd Aug, Mosaics- Gairloch
Dragon scale mosiacs, to tie into the libraries summer reading theme of Quest Seekers. found objects, treasure, recycling- Another well attended messy session with some great results.

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Saturday 1st. Comic signing Kircaldy
Travelled down to Davids new shop in Kirkaldy, Kingdom of adventure, games and comic shop. Saturday 1st was a signing & sketching day with Al Ewing & Colin MacNeil. It was lovely to catch up with everyone & Gordon Rennie popped along for the afternoon too, he & Gary Erskine will be signing there next week. Colin was producing some incredible full colour sketches with wax crayons..yes wax crayons, incredible! ( photo above ) I treated myself to another page of comics lovely artwork from 'Insurrection' recently published in the Judge Dredd Megazine. We also snagged a copy of Al's book ' El Sombre' which looks very entertaining, a clockwork nazi town in mexico?? Sold!

Here's Mr Clements, casting a fatherly eye over the young people and their gaming antics, which we also got pulling into, my first ever dice role playing game. I found it all too numbery but it was good fun playing at being a Judge in Megacity, typically I played it straight by the 'LAW'.. whereas over at the other table with Rich and Al, corrupt judges were rife.
Had a meal & drink which was cut short by stupidly loud music in pub " but it's a Saturday night" shrugged the bar boy when we requested they turn it down so peoples meals didnt shake off the tables. So we headed into the northern sunset looking for a place to camp, until we arrived at home at 1am. A lovely geek-happy day out !

ooo link to Hi Ex Interview on FP & Down the tubes.

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday..
Ullapool library, how to draw comics/manga, with some of the very entertaining children that dropped in & out through the three days. some great comics started; the mean princess, 52 ways to kill a character, the kind octopus...