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?
An incorrectly oriented version of "London Flora," a watercolor and marker work I did to show many of the flowers I encountered during a three month stay in London. It is available (right side up) as a print on products on Redbubble, Society6, Fine Art America, Zazzle, and Threadless . Use this link for easy direction to all sites: https://linktr.ee/okhismakingart
I have always liked drawing with wild pastel colors and finish with a black pastel on top. Then use a needle to put put the image. Off course it is even more easy on a devise, when you don't get all the mess.
“Beware the wild rushes”, my mother told me. “They grow on the bank side along the salt sea!”. But I, being young, I heeded her none. (Inktober inspired by the Decemberists!!)
I took an hour or two and drew some owls while watching the 7th Harry Potter movie. The black (it's actually dark purple) ink is in a Platinum Preppy refillable marker (I SWEAR BY THESE -- you just need the ONE and can keep putting ink in it) (https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/other-writing-instruments/products/platinum-preppy-refillable-marker-black?variant=11884751487019) and the green is in an extra-fine Lamy Al-Star (https://www.gouletpens.com/products/lamy-al-star-fountain-pen-bluegreen?variant=11884855885867).
The (i think) 12th and final butterfly for the Literal Butterflies Project. Wow! thats a lotta flutterflies. This one was certainly tedious with such elaborate markings, she wasn't easy! ... That said, none of them were. With such beauty, and intricate wing pattern and design, butterflies are a very difficult subject to work with. But somehow we managed to get through all 12 with some of my hair left! Loved every step of this journey :)
