Street Portrait commission

Delighted to complete this recent Street Portrait commission.  Here are my stages form rough sketch to final image. Includes Chorlton Health Centre Oswald Primary School and part of the former Gaumont.

Detailed sketch

Rough sketch

Detail of Health Centre

Final print

Illustrations for Stories2Connect

Sequence for 'The Serious Business of Hiding the Ball', Stories2Connect

original b&w version

Thrilled to see my illustrations for The Serious Business of Hiding the Ball', part of Stories2Connect Project, are now online. These stories will also be part of a phygital project, where digital stories will be put into physical projects.
see http://stories2connect.org/our-stories-2/the-serious-business-of-hiding-a-ball/

Here is the blurb about the story:-
The Serious Business of Hiding a Ball was co-created by young people and the author, Amy Lee Tempest, using ‘story-making dice’ designed by the Stories2Connect project team. The story features a dog called Baxter who dreams of becoming an astro-physicist but feels anxious about his first day at school. Baxter has a special ball that helps him to cope when he is feeling nervous. In fact, his ball is his world, but Baxter is worried that the other dogs at school might not understand. On his way to school Baxter meets a new friend who helps him to realise that the solution to his problem was right under his nose all along…

This story was illustrated by Anna Violet and is aimed at young children and families. The story is especially relevant for children and young people who sometimes struggle to cope with change or new situations.

Bumble bee sketchbook studies

Some of my sketchbook studies of buff tailed bumblebees.

Easter primroses

Primroses in full bloom for Easter in Manchester gardens

#SketchOMatic

Blurry sample from my 30 whizzy portraits last friday, my head's still spinning! #SketchOMatic  
Held in mock photo-booth at Home in Manchester http://homemcr.org/

Sketch-O-Matic is back!

Sketch-O-Matic is back in Manchester at Home!
http://homemcr.org/event/sketch-o-matic-2015-2/
Also in Manchester Evening News http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/sketch-o-matic-booth-returns-10537513
55 artists will be doing quick 5 min portrait sketches from inside a mock-up 'photo' booth.
My slot is tonight 6-8pm. Do come along if you can!

warm-up sketches Anna Violet

Huddersfield visit

So impressed with the public art trail in Huddersfield town centre and the colourful market that I got my sketchbook out. The statue of Harold Winston had so much movement in it.

Also found these amazing narrative paintings in Central Library (painted by Reg Napier and his students), based on stories of typical English folk tales often told in one village at the expense of another. In the Slaithwaite Moonrakers, the villagers are pretending to rake out the moon to divert attention from liquor-smuggling. In The Scapegoat Hill Band, the band are returning home late one night after celebrating and have taken their shoes off so as to not wake up the sleeping villagers. However, they continue to play their instruments full blast! In The Marsden Cuckoo, the villagers are trying to capture a cuckoo in order to hold on to spring and summer.

The Slaithwaite Moonrakers 1940 Reg Napier

The Scapegoat Hill Band 1940 Reg Napier

The Marsden Cuckoo 1938 Reg Napier

Boy and Barrel

Rising sun on former Sun Inn, Cross Church Street

Harold Wilson statue by sculptor Ian Walters 1999 outside Station

sketchbook studies Sheffield

I came across the pretty former Wharncliffe Fireclay Works building (Devonshire Street) on my last visit to Sheffield. I love the curved corner sweep and the beautiful ceramic details. Corner now home to shop Within Reason.

Orkney sketches

Spent a week based in Stromness (Orkney mainland) last month with plenty of sunshine. Here are some of my quick sketches.

Berridale, island of Hoy

diving boat

ferry boat to Hoy

Scara Brae

Stromness

view south towards Hoy fromabove Scara Brae

A townie's trip to the Cheshire Show

I had a townie's trip to the Cheshire Show last week. 

Middle-whites & Saddleback pigs, Shirehorses

I was fascinated by the judging of the farm animal breeds. The shire horses looked magnificent with their rosettes, plaited manes and well-groomed hair, while the shire foals were all legs and tiny curls. The Jersey cows were surprisingly bony, but their udders were very full. The Saddleback pigs and Middle-whites were being guided around a small ring with the curved end of a walking stick, and a big board was  used to block them from going the wrong way. Suddenly, it was all action in the neighbouring ring, when a large male duroc pig reared up against its handlers! This breed has long legs and looks quite fearsome. Afterwards, the judge made hand gestures suggesting the pig was only fit for slaughter, so no rosettes for him.

Suffolk & Jacobs sheep, Jersey cows

It was very calm in comparison in the sheep rings. The black-faced Suffolk and Jacob's sheep were waiting patiently while they were examined by the judges. They looked very neat and chunky with their close-textured wool. But it was the black and white Alpine English dairy kids that I fell in love with, with their way of half-climbing up the bars to get a better look at each other and any passers by.

Here are some of my sketches of my favourite characters.

Alpine English

Earls Court Exhibition Centre

I went to the London Book Fair for the first time earlier this month, held at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, but I was saddened to learn the fate of this venue. This handy and iconic art deco style London landmark has been London's main exhibition hall for many decades, but it's to be demolished to make way for a new development. 

I'll miss the distinctive sense of place and history associated with this building and it's proximity to the tube station. These sketches are my homage to this special place.

sketch from tube station bridge

sketch from steps to exhibition centre

Life drawing

Trying to capture movement in a walking figure. From last week's life drawing session.

Sketchcrawl in Manchester March 2014

Sketchcrawl in Manchester on 29th March 2014, organised by SCBWI (Society Book Writers and Illustrators). Hosted by children's book author/illustrator Lynne Chapman. Open to interested illustrators and writers, unpublished and published.

from my sketchbook

Cheshire County Show 2013 sketches

Watching the animals being judged was fascinating. Here are some of my sketches from the second day (19th June)

Cornerhouse sketch-o-matic

I will be sitting in the sketch-o-matic box again this year for a couple of slots this wed 17th Oct (1-2pm) and this sun 21st Oct (1-2pm) at the Cornerhouse, doing 5 min sketches of sitters. It's like sitting in a photo-booth, but you get a sketch at the end. I'd love to sketch you if you can make it those times.

Also other artists and poets throughout the week Fri 12 Oct 2012 – Sun 21 Oct 2012
Here's some info from Cornerhouse
http://www.cornerhouse.org/david-shrigley/david-shrigley-events/sketch-o-matic#

"Following on from the huge success of the first Sketch-O-Matic last year, when 40+ artists, illustrators, poets, doodle-makers and pensmiths created instant-ish portraits of almost 1,000 sitters, we are happy to announce that the booth is coming back! It will launch for the Manchester Weekender on Fri 12 October for a 10 day residency. You are invited to sit inside the booth as if for a photograph and make a minimum donation of £1 to an artist through an anonymous slot in return for a self-portrait. But where the machinery should be is a tiny, fully equipped artist studio. Wait five minutes (give or take) and the image will appear. It may be a pencil drawing, doodle, cartoon, collage or even a word-poem. Take it, frame it, consider it. Now you are both patron and muse!"

Party sketches

Some fast-sketching for a friend's 50th birthday party, with band, ceildh, card tricks, roll-a-pound-at-the-whisky, singing, candles, bar, cake and good company. What a wonderful evening!