I have had an ongoing project called Hybrid Mythologies. Inspired by stories and mythological creatures, tales from different traditions and parts of the world, I have been playing with emergent stories, characters and creatures that incorporate different elements. It is really a kind of spontaneous, intuitive journey and play of associations - oftentimes surprising to myself in what emerges. This year I am planning to publish an artbook entitled Hybrid Mythologies and if it all goes according to plan, it should be done some time in May. I will post process from this book.
After the initial shock of creating my first sketch, I realized that I could do better. And after about a week this one was finally finished. (Would have done it sooner, but I had school.) And I once again managed to amaze myself. I never thought that it would be possible that I, who has basically no hand eye coordination, could create this.
These are my drawings for Inktober 2018. I had set these rules for myself; Making a drawing every day with a dip pen within 15 minutes. Some succeeded, others failed completely, but I enjoyed the challenge!
Sometimes I like to challenge myself and draw something completely different and full of details.... this was a bit tedious :) but I am glad I did this, it was a great workout for the brain!
A reminder to myself:
On rough days when I feel lost, rudderless, overwhelmed or without direction, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through tough times is 100% so far. And that’s pretty darn good in the scheme of things.
About a year and a bit ago, I bought myself a copy of the very first Miffy book by Dick Bruna from Paper Tiger because as I often say, why not? And as many of you know I’m still a big kid at heart, hahaha.
More to the point, the style’s similar to my own and naturally… inspiration intensified today!
When you take a punt on a blind sticker bundle for your art… because, reasons!
Can’t say I’m a huge Britney fan but I don’t dislike her though. Millennials like myself couldn’t escape her no matter how much we switched the music TV channels over as kids hahahaha! If I ever encounter anyone who doesn’t know who she is, I’ll tell them she was the Tate McRae of the late 90s/early 2000s…
Sometimes the quickest drawings hold the deepest truths. During an after-sermon discussion about understanding the love of God, I found myself listening with one ear and drawing with the other. Frank, seated across the room, made a natural model—relaxed posture, thoughtful presence, and a face full of character.
With a pen in hand, I traced his form in a quick contour line, following the folds of his shirt, the tilt of his jaw, the stillness of his hands resting in his lap. Contour drawing asks us to see more than just the surface—it demands patience and presence, a slowing down until the line itself feels like prayer.
Frank became more than a subject; he was a reminder that the love of God is often revealed in ordinary moments and everyday people.
For a long time, I always misheard the lyrics in the song ‘Torn Green Velvet Eyes’ by The Magnetic Fields as ‘Tom Green Velvet Eyes’… told myself that one day I’d draw something inspired by this mishearing of things and well, here you go!
A great deal of upheaval in my personal life, including making steps to better my mental health as well as reflecting on changes in my work life (potentially) and also my living situation, have dominated my headspace as of late.
Long story short, Buddha reminding us all to still any madness in life got me to work here as did the obvious itch to get some drawing done!
Kept myself occupied during a quiet day at work earlier by getting a head-start on things here, and my word it was quiet! Well...ish (towards the end that is).
Something warm coloured for the incoming spring. Also befitting of the feelings a lot of folks in my life (and myself included) seem to be feeling right now! Much cobweb detangling figuratively speaking this month past, that much is true...
Whenever I’m channel surfing, I often find myself stumbling into a film midway through it’s running time, and tend to stick around if there’s elements that pique my curiosity and just catch my eye etc. My Girl 2, of all films, was one of them this time around.
A line about “barbaric customs” or roundabouts prompted me to pick up my drawing kit...and here we are!
” Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul to waste ”
I have had an idea for a long time to illustrate Sympathy for the Devil from Rolling Stones.
This start from free sketching of cloud looking lines and soon i realise they look like atom bomb cloud. Original idea was more landscape version but maybe later.
This time last year I was in the midst of starting off my (then) new sketchbook...
And what do I find myself doing tonight? Sticking to the same script with yet another one, that’s what!
A fairly special one for me this week, as today’s post is inspired by what would have been the time of Beltane celebrations. As it is, we celebrated at home in our own little ways, and in the case of myself indulging in my usual habits! Drinking and of course drawing, the usual stuff...
I had something bum me out a little bit today. Nobody’s fault but it is what it is. So I decided to draw this up. I’m ready for fall and fall beers! I love to sit out under the moon once the temperature drops a bit and have some marzen lagers and other fall drinks. I felt like this captured the moment perfectly. I am excited for music fest in @havertownlife havertown tomorrow. I heard @levantebrewing will be pouring at brick and brew so I’ll be there sucking back some suds. I’m glad I forced myself to learn #adobeillustrator I’ve come a long way. Since then I have been able to help other artists that don’t use Illustrator or vectors and I am pretty proud of that, because when I was in their place it always felt like a huge struggle.
