An article/rant/annotation to an illustration. A #Hackney bar and its flies.
This picture is not as sad and blue as it might at first seem, I promise.
It is early in the week and the pub becomes the territory of the most outspoken drinkers. Raised somewhere between Churchill and Harold MacMillan, a night such as this is time for them to spin out a yarn of nostalgic fantasy. Encouraged by the lack of a crowd and with space to fill, statements start to fly.
In the opening rounds the barman athletically hits back with factual blocks and reality-check haymakers; statistics and personal experiences are given. Two histories cross examined, one where 1982 means Thatcher and the Falklands, the other renders Reagan and the AIDS crisis. Stoicism and national pride vs mental health and realism.
In the latter rounds the barman is fatigued, swaying on the backbar, glasses begin to stack up as form begins to drop. The older men seem stronger than ever.
The barflies come in close now, they scrutinise his generations work ethic and make wild political comments on poverty, immigrants and the minimum wage.
The barman is close to sheer bloody despair, he maintains his defence and focuses on breathing while maintaining his professional stance.
But at the end of the night the barman knows HE will ring that bell, they will politely leave and they will return again in a week and maybe, just maybe there will be a change, common ground or maybe at least polite silence.
But what these interactions have given despite the salt in the eye is community and an exchange between generations, culture and class of those participating. No home is ever straight forward, no relative without their good and bad traits and in a world where we often slide into echo chambers online or in our physical environments, the pub is still a place where society is family, face to face, pint to pint. Or maybe it's just a room with alcohol on tap?
One of my botanical abstracts, this one centered around a pond. Though I will be selling the original locally, the print is available on thousands of clothing and home good products across my many websites. Browse them all here: https://linktr.ee/okhismakingart
Yet another plant abstract. This one was built around the red outlined flower in the semi-center, and that’s where it gets its name. Colored pencil and pen on paper.
I created this card for someone to bring to a Law of Attraction event. I drew the flowers, came up with the phrase, and then set the type. The blue background is iStock.
I created this card for someone to bring to a Law of Attraction event. I drew the flower, came up with the phrase, and then set the type. The blue background is iStock.
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Had fun trying to capture this. Someday I'll figure out how to get the watercolor gradient I want. Meanwhile this was a fun way to practice and I freaking love these Daniel Smith watercolors. I definitely need to get some full tubes of certain colors. (Moonflower, Lunar Violet, Opera Pink, Cerulean Blue, all the Cobalts, i think all the Primateks - I haven't tried them all yet... *Sigh*)
I don't know why these all upload sideways, but here's my latest work for the sketchbook. I created the electric field pattern and printed it on photo paper then doodled these rainbow trout (at the suggestion of my friend Andrew) and glued them on.
