Lights On/Lights Off

After a busy month of work and moving house I have escaped for a wee break, over the border and down by the sea. Flybe and their terrifying hand baggage regulations have meant that for the first time in months I am without laptop, scanner and wacom tablet - eep! This has turned out to be a good thing. I think...

I am drawing for fun. No brief, no theme, just doodlin'. Yesterday we went to Salisbury. There is a big cathedral. We arrived to find a candlelit advent procession kicking off, the first half of which was very nice. Pretty candles, nice singing, I was warm. Then I have to admit things got a bit...drawn out. Let's just say I was strongly empathising with the fidgeting, whimpering kid in the row in front. To avoid looking like an overgrown child finding it hard to behave in the adult world I whipped out my sketchbook to draw. You may have realised by now that I love a good building, and this cathedral really is something to see. And therein lies my problem, as not long after I started the whole place was plunged into darkness (this was planned, don't panic). So I was unwillingly forced to try out a new drawing exercise:

1 - draw with the lights on

2 - draw the same thing with the lights off

Here is the result:

Guess which was which? I have to say that the lines on the left are going to be fun to colour in. A new pattern perhaps. My favourite bit is the man to the left who looks like his eyes are popping out. Maybe he was as shocked as me when they turned the lights out! Anyway,  it was good to be drawing again and at the very least  it stopped me throwing a tantrum and demanding sweets.

Busiest. Month. Ever.

So August, we are having fun eh? After a whirlwind week or so at Oasis and some extra visits beyond that, I can show you this:

(The finished window complete with castle backdrop)

And this:

(The finished window complete with castle backdrop CLOSE UP. oooh)

And this:

(A photo booth screen that I drew all over and is now in store for customers to sit in front of and say cheeeeese)

And finally this:

(A photo of my bag in the 'Wardrobe must-haves' section of the Scotsman on Saturday. Yes, really!)

But it doesn't stop here. I finish at the book festival in one week, before which I will be live drawing (eek) with the lovely amazing author Viv French at the book festival's "Are you sitting comfortably?" storytime session this Sunday. THEN I will be diving headfirst into my residency at ECA and I can't wait. Got a few exciting commissions and meetings lined up. It's all go! Speaking of which, I start work in half an hour....

Announcement!

Since the last post I've been holidaying, but the kind of holiday where you don't really stop working/thinking about work. Mainly because I didn't want to, because I really really wanted to get myself a residency for next year. And some portfolio surgery, an application form and a skype interview later...I am very pleased to say I will be 'Illustrator In Residence' at ECA from Sept 1st. That's right, they ain't getting rid of me yet!

Also - the degree show was FUN. I liked it. I moaned a lot about the work, I lost a lot of sleep and I became a bit obsessed. I'm going to throw this out there: I think it might have totally been worth it. There are a few exciting projects in the pipeline and I have some big plans. In the meantime I would very much like to show everyone some work that is, for once, not mine. These are some of the colouring in sheets left behind at my show - by far my favourite thing to come out of the exhibition and my project. People coloured in! And left me nice notes! Good work everyone, you indulged my desire to get people drawing and my lifelong love of colouring in.

But that's because colouring in is brilliant (and HOW COOL IS THAT DRAGON?)