inktense and softness

Check out the new and first colour portrait I've ever done during my 5 years of professional sketching! I am very proud and it now hangs duly in my gallery. But my word do they take longer than graphite!?

Also on the 'to do' list is pastels, I may attempt a human portrait with these as I started one in coloured pencils and managed to completely botch it up, poor little subject looked like he had jaundice..These pencils are bound to take some getting used to having worked with one medium for so long.

5 years is a long time to stick to one choice of medium, as an artist I should be experimenting more, I guess I was just affraid to try something different incase I was no good at it. I don't know what's come over me all of a sudden, I've even gone out and bought a new set of coloured pencils.....

a grand day out..

Excuse me while I blow my nose.......It's typical that I was suffering with a virus the same day we were going to the city of Manchester to watch the stage production of Mary Poppins. It was really a late Christmas treat for Mum and I and my two Grandmothers. We couldn't get tickets before Christmas naturally they were all booked up!

The show itself was a visual spectacular, costumes and set props were an absolute delight! And the choreography...well what can I say, I've never seen such complex and difficult dance routines performed to perfection.

Pity I wasn't well, in the darkness I just wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep- I was aching like mad from head to toe and my headache just wouldn't go away! The grandmothers seemed to enjoy themselves, they never stopped talking all the way there and all the way back! We didn't mind though as they don't see each other very often. We grabbed a bite to eat in Pizza Hut on our way out of the theatre having not had much to eat before we left, Gran had made sandwiches for us all to eat on the bus ride, Nan had brought sweets for the theatre and during the interval we all had an ice-cream!

all is white and bright

An unexpected turn in the weather took us by suprise today as we wern't due snow until tonight...still makes the day brighter!

let it snow!

It's what you get when you live on a hill....

just for laughs...

having fun with the computer....

Stick 'em up!...

I just love motorbikes!....

Model issues....

Would you buy your copy? haha...

Cooling off in Davidoff.....

magnifico!....

My future godson

The little cuddlebug.....

Clayton crew

Another 50th birthday was celebrated in style. Jacqueline and the family had organised a suprise party for him at their local, Jacquie going through so much trouble and telling so many lies to keep it a secret! We were all there by 7pm and they walked through the doors at roughly 7.30..by the time Alan and the gang had mingled with friends and family we were all starving!! Jacquie and Hayley opened the buffet and everyone tucked in. I was due to meet Sam later in the night for a few drinks round town..funny as some of the girls there were heading that way too.

Hayley gave me a propostion too, a question where I even started to cry..she asked me to be the godmother of her baby boy, Jenson who turned 1 last October. It came as quite a shock as we don't see each other often but when we do we get on like a house on fire. I hardly know the baby and missed his first year growing up but because I'm family and she just quite simply told her folks she wanted me as godmother, I was very flattered.

....so around 10.30pm I headed to town, having been out so early in the night- by 12am I was ready for home..but stayed hoping the music would pick up! Drinking is always fun with Sam, we're always on a high just dancing, drinking then drinking and dancing..although we do get fed up when people in general just barge into whilst you're trying to dance. One club in particular is noted for its overcrowding- The Bridge, good music (well usually good) but too many people!

Our window grafitti......yeh..we were bored!

I was camera shy, honest!

black & white vs colour

Having used black and white pencils for so long- 5 years to be exact! I thought I would try my hand at colour. Especially for portraits and pets. The previous artist at the mill used coloured pastels and they were pretty effective and I believe they flew off the shelves! Well they must have done if she was there 15 years!! She can't have done that bad...

This will be a pretty big experiment for me- I've always thought colour can ruin a portrait especially of a person- black and white is so much clearer, and having had gotten used to it, it will be a real challenge to compare the two mediums. These pencils I'm using however look good, well they're from a good make. I've been informed that Derwent provide the best equipment for an artist..and if I make a great job of it then I could even inform the company to see if they are interested in sponsoring me, that way you get the materials you need for free!

These pencils are simple 'drawing' pencils- very subtle colours that will work well with my drawings and frames etc...here's hoping they live up to their name!!

a good laugh

Need I say more....

matted prints and cards

Well they finally came! I ordered these ages ago. The cards came last week and my matted prints (which I have been dying to see) eventually arrived. I must say I am so pleased with them but they are a little bigger than I expected..now comes the big work of selling them!

catching up

I'm coping well considering the madness with work at Christmas, I knew I wouldn't be sat wondering which picture to do next in the New Year- having 5 commissions in January alone is pretty good. But what comes next? I only started back at the mill officially last week, having had a couple of days off in between. It's been so quiet there recently, I was informed Januarys usually are but surely not this quiet!...

I was slightly peeved that I had to reduce many of my pictures for almost £50 considering the work that has gone into them, they're all framed and mounted etc..plus the mill takes their cut too, and it's a damm big cut! If I could sell a couple a week I would probably make a profit but at the moment I'm doing squat, good thing the commissions are in the bag and still getting plenty of interest which is very suprising! I just need to sell a few more off the wall then I'll be sitting pretty.

It's been so quiet without Dan around, starting to really miss him now. Having not seen him for almost 8 weeks! We missed him terrible at Christmas but now we know it is the job situation for him that's stopping him coming to see us. Deep down we just want him home.

lighting up LaaLaa land!

Our trip is booked and we go June 11th till 29th, roll on Summer!! Will be saving big time now, Mum and I will be planning our schedule. It will hopefully be more relaxed this year- a far fetched dream in L.A! But we will probably do a couple of tours again, I've always wanted to see the city lights and night, take plenty of pictures. San Diego and Palm Springs are on the list, hopefully see Lois and the family more this year, the Way Out West meeting is planned for Stan's birthday on June 16th so we will definately make that. Seeing Bob and the Wileys would be a real treat.
Putting all the hard work in at the mill I can now- I'm determined to get more hotels and country houses interested too!

Here we come LA!!!

how to use your hands....

Teaching pensioners how to use their hands when it comes to art was a true challenge. Many of them had no experience whatsoever with drawing- but yet they knew how to paint. I was pretty confused as I was always taught to walk before you leap, that is to draw before you paint! They had basic skills but more like a child draws in school. Don't get me wrong some of them were good but don't think half of them were listening to what I was trying to explain...or maybe they couldn't hear!

Anyway enough popping at the elderly..Poynton (near Manchester) was a nice little village, we had no trouble finding it either which was a suprise. They had booked me in for 10am although I was running late- I was so nervous my palms were sweating! They all sat in a semi-circle while I positioned myself at the front of the group. The tutor introduced me and, thankfully, said to the group that it was my first time so be gentle!

From 10 till 11ish I chatted about my life as an artist, our friendship with Stan Laurel's daughter, Lois and the materials I use everyday. They were shocked of how little I used but I make up for it with techniques!

They were generally interested in what I did and for one so young too, these were people who just did art as a past time so to meet someone who did it for a career was enthralling for them. I was pleased to interact with them individually, pointing out corrections and advising them with what they could do next etc...

The best part was they paid me to stand in front of a group, talking and demonstrating what I love doing best. Maybe a possible career move...just maybe...

Happy New Year!

Here's to a great 2008 and start of a prosperous 2009! Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!