though

Poor, poor abused paper! Lots of fun to be had, though.

Daily Painting Challenge 4 - argyle Following the daily painting challenge with Lisa Congdon over at CreativeBug though I haven't quite managed to keep up daily. Still, it's wonderful picking the brush up again and splashing around with paint!

Into November we go… quick year is an understatement, you know?

Years ago, I sketched Gibby at work—pencil in hand, bold strokes alive with motion. I caught them from over the shoulder: just the back of their head, the soft curve of their face, and that focused arm bringing something into being. They were 9 or 10 then, already showing the spark of creativity and concentration that pointed toward who they’d become. Now in their mid-20s, Gibby is thoughtful, insightful—quick to listen, slow to speak, and wired to process the world with care. Their path has been remarkable: two degrees in 2.5 years, no debt. That didn’t happen by accident. It took grit, German immersion schooling, 16 college credits earned in high school, and testing out of 24 more once at university. That’s Gibby—quietly determined, resourceful, and steady. But their story isn’t just academic. Gibby’s always been gifted with their hands—drawn to set design, locksmithing, welding. Trades they wanted to pursue early on, and still feel pulled toward. They’re at a bike shop now. It’s not the dream, but it fits: their hands know how to build, repair, and reshape the world. There’s been frustration—maybe even anger—that we didn’t let them follow the trade route right away. I get that now. Life veers, and sometimes the path chosen isn't the one imagined. But Gibby’s resilience—their ability to adapt and press on—is what I admire most. They’ve embraced their journey with honesty, stepping into their identity as a they/them person, unafraid to define success in their own terms. That takes courage. I’m proud of them—not for a résumé, but for who they are. This old drawing isn’t just a memory—it’s a thread connecting past to present. A reminder that the creative spark, the steady hands, the deep soul I saw back then is still shining. So here’s to you, Gibby: the kid who sketched with fire and the adult who still shapes the world with quiet brilliance. Your value has never been about the path you’re on. It’s about the person you are. And I’ll be here, cheering you on—every step of the way.

This was harder than I thought it would be

A mellow peach that’s much needed after the last few days!

I call this work Lost Koi because I painted it in the 1990s. Gave the original to a friend who was terminally ill and thought I would never see it again. Then I found it on a old computer. I had to work a lot with the image. I hope it loads.

Sharks deep in thought as always...

As far as things that I can’t seem to shake off are concerned, it’s this fact that a place like Edinburgh where I live is akin to a village where everyone (artist folk in particular) seems to know everyone, and the patterns or quirks that emerge from this said thought process. In most collectives I’m a part of and/or are associated with, there’s what seems like an endless sense of crossover and overlap with fellow artists etc for lack of better words, which is lovely as it is insane... you know? All in all though, even if it drives me mad it does so in a strangely positive way and I’ve learned to live with that. So yeah, make of that what you will. :-)

Winding down on a Wednesday with more of the same... all the sharks!

I know there’s probably a few decent folks worth voting for come the general election here in Scotland I’ll settle on, though for the most part the loudest mouthpieces seem to just scream ‘bell-end’ to me... I was playing around with Google Translate and various sentences I’d jotted down, and opted to go with the closest approximation from English into German for ‘I’m voting for Muppets’, which is 'Ich stimme fur Muppets'. ‘Ich stimme’ read to me as ‘itch stim’ for whatever reason (anglophone and neurodivergent here), which seems rather fitting as the thought of the worst candidates getting in is liable to have us all come out in stress rashes, am I right?

There is really nothing more I can say about this than it is truly just a doodle on a notepad while I was on the phone. The more I do this though, the more ideas I get for larger work.

Thought of a phrase and made a comic out of it

My husband has a chronic illness and frequently spends weeks in the hospital. I have been doodling each day while sitting with him and many of them reflect my thoughts at the time. Often appearing are desperation, hope, frustration, sarcasm, fear.

What a wonderful Kirkus review! (Paired here with my favorite improper contraction.) "A thoughtful look at life, in all its beauty and strangeness. ... This delightfully deadpan musing on life urges compassion for others. Howden’s straightforward text is on the philosophical side, though also rooted in the absurd. Hahn’s spare black graphite pencil watercolor, mostly set against a white background, are imbued with humor and empathy for the pickle, with the foodstuff’s expressive eyes conveying many emotions at once. " https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-howden/the-wise-pickle/ THE WISE PICKLE by Sarah Howden ; illustrated by Sabina Hahn RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2026

Got inspired recently and made this. I thought I'd have more time to sketch out stuff, but things are busy again...oh well...

added some color to a sketch still needs a lot of work before it's finished though

Anoia is an actual Goddess, and not a Patron Saint, but I really wanted to draw her. Anoia is the Goddess of Things That Get Stuck in Drawers, a minor goddess on the Discworld (by Terry Pratchett - and if you don't know who he is, you should read his books! You can start with Small Gods -it is a standalone in the Discworld world. Or Guards! Guards! is another good choice). When someone rattles a drawer and cries "How can it close on the damned thing but not open with it? Who bought this? Do we ever use it?", even though the person might be genuinely irritated or even exasperated, it is as praise unto Anoia. Faithful Anoians (worshippers of Anoia) purposefully rattle their drawers and complain every day. Anoia also finds objects that roll under other objects and things stuck in sofa cushions, and is considering handling stuck zippers. She eats corkscrews. Her name is clearly derived from "annoy". Anoia she was formerly the volcano goddess Lela. She mentions that she has not been in her current position long, but what constitutes a long time to a god is unclear. discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Anoia #patronSaints #terryPratchett

Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) At 9:30, Tchaikovsky set to work—composing at the piano only after he had dealt with any proofs or his correspondence, chores that he disliked. “Before setting about the pleasant task,” his brother noted, “Pyotr Ilich always hastened to get rid of the unpleasant.” After lunch he went for a long walk, regardless of the weather. His brother writes, “Somewhere at sometime he had discovered that a man needs a two-hour walk for his health, and his observance of this rule was pedantic and superstitious, as though if he returned five minutes early he would fall ill, and unbelievable misfortunes of some sort would ensue.” - From Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey “Truly there would be reason to go mad were it not for music.” ― Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky “If you do not want to write, at least spit on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, and send it to me. You are not taking any notice of me at all. God forgive you – all I wanted was a few words from you.” ― Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky #dailyrituals #inktober #PeterTchaikovsky @masoncurrey

I forgot to post it here. I got better at drawing her. I tried a more '80s anime style recently but will keep at this style since that's how I draw. I love her even though she's not intended to be a main character

This is a story seed that I have not yet followed through on, probably won't for a while. I started drawing this mainly so that I could draw those front legs. I think I did pretty well on them, though my shading here needs work

This is my 2023 OC Paxton. It's hard to call him my character when he looks like several black-haired protagonists of a Shonen anime lol. I made him very young even though he's a married man and father of two children. I'm still drawing his wife she has several designs and styles

Living, breathing, and creating with nature When you wake up to the gentle sights and sounds of the pond, trees, plants, birds, bees, and dragonflies, inspiration flows effortlessly. So, when the owner asked for a menu design for @SarayaGoa Art Café, I thought—why not let nature speak for itself? Using pen and ink, I captured the beauty of my mornings here—each stroke reflecting the lush surroundings that make Saraya unique. Instead of focusing on just food items, I filled the cover and inside pages with illustrations of the vibrant life around us. Dining here means eating among the green, surrounded by the diverse plants of our permaculture gardens. This study is a tribute to the beauty that shapes every meal at Saraya.

(Gel Fineliner on A5 Paper) The central image is small because it is that small (about 4cm). It's the first of five which represents that point every artist gets to where they say to themselves: "I really CAN'T BE ARSED doing this!" and casually knock out anything. I thought it was apt for the "encouraging" nature of Inktober ;P

For day 3 of Inktober today is boots For this day I thought of drawing Sock Man with diamonds in a Puss in Boots costume because I remembered my version I made of the first and second Puss in Boots movie

I have been making a lot of thank you cards lately and I thought I’d share. Haven’t had a ton of experience with watercolor lately, but I find the best way to get back into using a medium is using it on small projects and gradually working up to bigger pieces.

"BUTTCHEEKS" The top bookmark is the genuine "Skav Art" piece which was done with a 0.18 technical pen on 110mm x 30mm off-cut card. The one below (the "bottom" one - Heheh!) was a deliberate copy I made of the first and, even though it looks neater, proved to me that those dreaded "processes" do start to creep in. The differences are slight, but they are there. Such processes can mount the further you go with them, until they totally erode the creative energy you originally had. So, it was good to do, even if it does mean I've now got two artworks with the same title!

Sonic Boom was a decent, self-aware show; though I may be giving it extra points for having a rare Fawlty Towers reference lol. Also a rare drawing I did straight digitally as opposed to drawing on paper first. Still prefer paper. Old habits die hard!

Even though I have alot of other drawing to share, here's one for the holidays.It's Ms.Chalice from "Cuphead" and Penny from "Enchanted Portals" enjoying some Christmas cheer.