Streatham

Yesterday I went to visit Becca and Bruce in Streatham. It was real nice and we went to these botanical gardens where there were ducks and squirrels and all sorts of flowers. Oh! And we had a picnic. What a super day.

This is Spike the cat who lives downstairs from them, his head is abnormally large. You can't really tell from this photo, but trust me.

And we saw this teddy dumped outside someone's house. Tragic. I would like to re-make one as he had a really funny nose.

Over and out.

Playpen

The other week Angus George and I went to Playpen, a show put on by Camberwell Illustration Students. It was an interactive space for people to rediscover play in!

We only caught the end but there was lovely patterns on the walls made from tape, and a carboard city, and lots of people in aprons. Here we are playing a twister like thing:

The best bit for me was the venue had a big balcony with an awsome view down Hanbury Street. It was only a minute away from the flat so afterwards we sat in the amazing summer evening and had some gin and tonics. Super duper.

These were all the illustrators involved, check them out:

Bea Wilson
http://bea-wilson.blogspot.com/
Jimmy Patrick
http://jimmydontmindme.blogspot.com/
Kunyalala Ndlovu
http://kunyalalandlovu.blogspot.com/
Lizzie Towndrow
http://lizzie-scarlett.blogspot.com/
Megan Sinclair
http://meganjennifersinclair.blogspot.com/
Matthias Geisler
http://massik.de/massik.blog/
Spencer Walton
http://spencill.blogspot.com/

To The Lighthouse Poster

I've been working from the photographs I bought in Brighton to make a poster for Virginia Woolf's novel 'To The Lighthouse'. This is my first draft, without text yet.



I want to refine the actual drawing, and I would like the blue to be more of a navy blue.
What I'd like to do is have one sheet with the group of people, then a circular border surrounding them, then block colour, with two panels of text at top and bottom...maybe. But I need a photocopier for this. And then I shall go screen printing and try different colours. I was thinking white on blue coould work well- the text, the group and circular border in white, on dark blue paper.

The poster is based on something Hermione Lee wrote in her introduction to the novel- "Is the life of the Ramsays in the garden and house enclosed by the outside world as if in parenthesis, as the lighthouse is surrounded by the sea?". Thus the circle surrounded by blue.

Babysitting

I looked after Ty on Thursday morning and we drew this awsome picture of a coral reef. The morning also involved beetle hunting, strawberry picking, and butterfly drawing. Very good.

Brighton

Yesterday was my first day off since finishing the FMP on Friday, so we went to Brighton. I hadn't ever been before and it was real nice. I bought these photographs and have started drawing from them to make some prints. I really love this first one...it looks like the cat and dog are high-fiving!

And the last one, what a player.

I also bought To The Lighthouse, as I lost my copy last year without finishing it. I'd like to do a poster of Mr and Mrs Ramsey. More to come.

Holiday on Hanbury Street

About two weeks ago now Jake and I moved into our friend's house for a holiday. It's pretty fun so far.

We wondered if this family have twins?

And there is always a cat sitting in the grass as you go up the stairs to the flat.

It's been amazing not living in a box room, being able to cook with other people and play music in the mornings. Plus we are right on brick lane so can pop to spitalfields or up market very easily. It's been really interesting too as the flat is in a council block predominantly inhabited my Muslim families, and there is a mosque down the road. Totally different environment from New Cross.

99p Mason Strathmore China

A few weeks ago now I bought a full china set for 99p on Ebay!

Jake and I went to collect it.

Melody Maker

Yesterday I went up on Angus George and Tristan's roof and did some singing and melodica playing. It felt so elating to make music with someone else again. I really hope this carries on.

Amazing light rigging.

This is fun.

New Books

Yesterday Polly and I went to Deptford Market. I found some awsome books.

First up, 'Brush up your Russian- Conversations of Real Use', by Anna H. Semeonoff. This remarkable book is a series of potential dialogues you may have, should you go to Russia.

Calling at the tobaconists, nights at the opera, parks of 'culture and rest', and buying fur are all on the agenda. The whole book reads like a novel about Mr and Mrs' visit to Leningrad and Moscow. I'm trying to slowly learn how to read it from the alphabet and pronounciation guide at the back.

Second Up, 'A Lion in the Meadow' by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Jenny Williams. These illustrations are so beautiful! These scans don't really do it justice- each of these pages is part of a double spread. I will try and take some good photos some time soon to fully illustrate this.

Thirdly, 'Lawson Wood's Merry Monkeys'.

Fourthly, 'Understanding Science Volume VII- A Sampson Low Publication'. This book was too big to fit on the scanner properly, so I don't have a picture of the front cover- but these beautiful colour prints more than make up for that.

Last but not least, I found a book documenting the making of the strange 'Black and White Minstrel Show' on the BBC.

I would really love to use the information in this last book to make some sort of guide to the minstrel show, a zine of sorts. More on that to come!

Julia Pott

I have had an animal-related-music-filled past two saturday nights.

First, Grizzly Bear and Beach House at Camden Round House.

Second, a bizzare suprise gig from Adam Ant at the Southwark Playhouse.

I was going to write up something about the gigs, but when I was looking for a picture of a grizzly bear I remembered the illustrator Julia Pott, who's work I know from art fairs in Norwich. I looked her up and the entire body of her work is incredible.

She draws many lovely animals and people. I absolutely love her use of line. And then on top of that, Julia Pott may be one of the most productive people around. Visuals for Bat for Lashes, The Decemberists, animations, a vast array of printed matter for sale...

Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at Aniboom

That is a lovely animation. I love the idea of using interviews as the subject matter.

Laura Carlin

My tutor Amanda recommended Laura Carlin to look at for Final Major Project research. Her work is super duper.

Very good website

http://www.lostateminor.com/

Found this website, through which I found Matthew Woodward and Peter James Field. Has everything from food to music. Excellent!

Matthew Woodward

Chicago based Matthew Woodward does these massive, awsome drawings, usually of parts of buildings. This makes me want to start using pencil again.

Peter James Field

How beautiful is this? The bird looks as though it is made of paper, and the soft pencil colours in my favourite blue...

However, upon looking into Peter James Field further, I wasn't as drawn to any of his other work. His draughtsmanship is unarguably great, but the composition of this piece is superb.

Nearly Done.

Today I have so nearly finished my desert sparrow. Now I just need to find some toy soldiers.
Woah it feels good to have a complete image..I feel the whole drawing was a learning curve too, I started to introduce watered ink instead of my usual controlling the pressure/ink quantity of my pen, I think it had quite an effect.

Sparrow.

I have been drawing this sparrow all day, but because i'm filling in the really light parts...you can't even see a difference between one and three! Is this productive? Yes.

Carl Van Vechten

Whilst looking up Orson Wells Jake and I stumbled across photographer Carl Van Vechten. He takes beautiful, simple portraits of outstanding figures.

This is Lois Moran (1909-1990), named "the most beautiful girl in Hollywood" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was drawn to her portrait and also the signature variety of background patterns Vechten uses, this time stars, then upon researching her found the connection to Fitzgerald, with whom she had a brief affair, really interesting. Rosemary Hoyt in Tender is the Night is based on Moran, I can see why.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Busy few days. Jake and I went to the Dean Chalkley exhbition at the Book Club which was fun and full of great music and some very awsome hair.

Today we went to Hampstead Heath and it was beautiful and sunshiney cold. There was an amazing shop raising money for the Green Party and they had fossilised dinosaur eggs, floral cheese dishes and a letter signed by James Earl Ray.

We just watched Luis Bunuel's Belle du Jour, even more great hair. Made me want to be on a skiing holiday. But not do date an intense ganster.

Kathy I'm Lost

I am meant to be writing my final major project proposal and it's making me feel claustrophobic and stressed. Everything I think of proposing seems a dead end- the total opposite of what it should be- something very exciting and inspiring that will keep me working hard and researching and exploring over the next ten weeks.

All I've achieved so far today is some research on Roland Barthes' Camera Lucida, and watching youtube videos from the disney studios.

Ah dear.

She Smiled Sweetly.

Jazz, Jake and I watched The Royal Tenenbaums for the millionth time last night. It has to be one of my favourite films of all time. Everytime I watch it my eyes well up at a different point. And the love story between Margot and Richie is brilliant.