The Veritable Shiz

Practice Piece

2012-02-20T13:56:00.000Z

WOW how did I manage to forget to update my blog for so long! I do apologise. It's not for lack of drawing I assure you! I've recently been trying to improve on my watercolour technique as while I love collage I can't really carry all my bits of paper around with me, but my little paint box fits right inside my pocket. As always click through for a better view over on flickr.

(inspired by a few bits and pieces I've found over on my tumblr)

I've been missing the countryside back home a lot recently, I want to find a way to encorporate it more into my pieces.

And this little guy is just to say thank you to you guys for sticking with me despite my awkward updates. I've been drawing an awful lot recently on my commute (some of which I'll be scanning in today) and I'm going to force myself to draw even more so I have even more to share with you guys.

xxx

a good jumper

2011-11-27T23:46:00.000Z

Well the weather has given in (and so has my nose) and I realised I have made the rather ridiculous mistake of not bringing my warmest jumpers with me when I moved back to London. So my new wonderful chunky Pull & Bear cardigan has been keeping me warm and inspiring me to look to illustrations featuring knit in all its glory and I thought I would share a few I've come accross.

edadid 02

via hellojenuine.

via doodlersanonymous

Jacquards

via antoine caeke

” It is of a god with a fantastic jumper taking a peek at a sailing ship.”

via unicorns and lungfish

New Fall Hangtag

via yokoo

My Eyes...

via milkywellsanctuary

and lastly this bizarre little jumper swaddled thing by Day Alexandre

via alexandreday

stay warm x

Underway

2011-11-15T15:30:00.000Z

Y'know that thing I've been saying I'm going to do for a ridiculous amount of time? I'm calling it The Darjeeling Project. And it's finally begun...

from hot to cold

2011-11-15T14:55:00.000Z

I promised I would share more of my favourites from my last roll of film from Iceland and Singapore. I then realised I'd somehow forgotten to upload them. So, now I've remedied that! (as always click on the picture to take you to flickr to see them in slightly better quality)

up a hill in little Grindavík on the longest day in summer on our way to the Blue Lagoon.

A creepy house out on its own overlooking the sea in Ísafjörður.

A picture of pretty much all that goes on on beautiful little Flateyri.

Onto hazy Singapore.

The ever present blocks of apartments.

Now an again in Singapore you'll stumble accross something that's a little older and a little more traditional.

The view from the 57th floor of the Singapore Sky Lounge.

This last one I snapped quickly from the taxi window stuck in a traffic jam.

still sleepy

2011-11-06T21:13:00.000Z

So I've been ill, (still am ill really) but my time in bed has given me some time to dedicate to spending more time in my sketchbook painting.

Fingers crossed I feel better soon?

Continuing the Commute

2011-10-30T20:56:00.001Z

So between quitting my old job and grabbing a new one (which I like a fair bit more than the last) I've been scratching away in my lovely little watercolour sketchbook. However I only just realised that I've actually been drawing scenes featuring the tube (that aren't sketches of other commuters) on my commute.

It has taught me to get myself out of bed in the morning...

....but I'm always tired...I'm sure my body will get into the swing of things soon though.

I quickly scribbled this little scene on my tube journey home late yesterday evening. Was really funny seeing the commuters in their smart suits next to the kids in their costumes. I saw some amazing ones this year including a very accurate Mad Hatter (Tim Burton version) and one of the creatures from Avatar (in a full body sock dyed the right colour an sewn together, very impressive!)

Happy Halloween!

back to the streets

2011-10-16T17:58:00.000+01:00

Well I desperately had to do something to get the creative juices going again and fell back onto my old favourite of street fashion to get a good quick piece done an to make myself want to sit in front of vast stacks of paper and far too many scalpel blades again. I think it worked! I still really like how they look before I ink them up, but yeah I'm still not a big background fan so a handmade collaged background like this...probably not on the cards anytime soon. (unless i FINALLY make time to do my goddam overdue Royal Tanenbaums project...)

(found the girl over on this beautiful blog http://www.missmoss.co.za/)

MINT

2011-10-02T19:04:00.000+01:00

I've wanted to blog about my trip to the Mint Museum of Toys in Singapore for a while now. I was really blown away by it. I can't believe I'd never heard of it before considering I get out there every year.

I LOVE how toys from Japan an China were so colourful!

The Mint Museum is a collection of over 3000 toys from all over the world dating from the mid 19th century up to today.

I totally fell for the patterns that featured on a lot of the older toys from more eastern reaches of the world.

There were a few odd things in there!

This panda's face had me laughing to the point where I think I probably embarrassed my dad.

There were a few recognisable bits around (why is there no Star Wars jewellery?)

Loads of astroboy stuff,

Including this massive statue as you came into the museum (taken with my old film camera). I really want to get into Astroboy more. I love the way he's drawn, it seems so cheerful but it's such a sad story too!

It was really fascinating to see how culturally ambiguous alot of toys have become nowadays. Back then they were produced, of course for a mass market, but took on more characteristics from the culture from which they came from and were less interested in appearing "western".

I'm always a sucker for a creepy toy....

The toys are owned and collected by Chang Yang Fa, there's not much about him online, an there isn't much about him in the museum either. But I'm greatful he's decided to share just a fraction of his collection with the public!

The Commute

2011-09-28T21:09:00.000+01:00

so I have started a new job. I gotta pay for my upkeap somehow, an it involves a grand old commute, so i've decided when the train isn't incredibly frighteningly busy i'm going to try an get some good sketching in. It's already got my creative juices flowing, just gotta find time to get some good stuff finished up!

Be Strong

2011-09-19T23:42:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the silence. Things have been very unstable recently but hopefully are finally looking up! Just need to stay positive, which is not my strong suit but I'm trying hard an I'm finally back to churning out some more work. I also have some more rather beautiful photos to share with you. In the mean time I'd like to draw attention to a good cause.

My boyfriend will be taking part in a Night time Walking Marathon to raise money for Cancer Research UK. I have lost several family members to different types of cancer over the past couple of decades. Everyone I know has a story about someone close to them who has been effected. The smallest amount still goes towards such a good cause and it’s a cause close to so many people’s hearts so I thought maybe posting the link here might be a good way to get Rob’s sponser page a little more attention http://www.sponsormetoshine.org/robertpearson

Singapore Cider

2011-08-26T05:25:00.000+01:00

I keep VERY IRRITATINGLY forgetting to take my sketchbook out with me. I think with the weight of two cameras in my bag I assume it's already in there. But I managed to remember the other day so while I was enjoying a glass of "festival strength" cider I worked on this little drawing of Royal Tenenbaum and Chaz Tenenbaum's kids. Can't decide whether to watercolour it or digitally colour it. What do you think?

in grain or shine

2011-08-20T10:44:00.000+01:00

So i'm hoping to not let things clog up and get slow. My life plan just had a major knock so now i'm unsure of what direction to go in. I was going to go back to london all guns blazing but now i find myself without roomate and without much of a want to get a job an indeed a lack of inspiration. Thinking of going abroad and doing some sort of volunteer scheme. Truth be told even though I hated the cold I really did love Iceland and it did make me want to draw. I took my new old Halina out for another learning experience in film and these are the best ones of the first roll (i'm still in the process of finishing the second roll here in Singapore).

Might be an idea to go back for a longer period of time to clear my head, just wish it wasn't so expensive!

Simple Pages

2011-08-10T14:18:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I got my camera charged and ready to go again and took some pictures of my sketchbook pages from Iceland. As always click through to go to my flickr to view them in more detail.

I also scanned in some photographs I took with my old Halina in Iceland yesterday so expect a nice little holiday post.

late post

2011-08-09T14:29:00.000+01:00

So i thought i'd already made this post! It would appear i'm a worse blogger than i thought! Anyways I recieved an INCREDIBLE package from Kelly quite some time ago. I love how her people are all kind of astronauts meets gangsters.

She sent me this amazing little spaceman and a rocket i had to assemble myself (!!!)

drypoint etchings and intaglios that are really beautiful!

Even a moon! And it all came in a beautiful little pack.

Thank you so much Kelly! You can see more of her work on her blog and her website.

excuses

2011-08-08T14:33:00.001+01:00

ok so i know i promised to update more but i do have an excuse...but it is an awful one...so i recently moved from my uni place in London back to my parents' house for a chunk of summer. I've had a lot of unrelated to illustration stuff going on and keeping me from my sketchbooks however this isn't the excuse. The excuse is that after two days of packing and finally managing to load everything into my stepdad's car i got a text from my boyfriend telling me i had left my (read HUGE MASSIVE DSLR) camera on the lounge table....clever....and my sketchbook i have managed to work a little in doesn't fit in my scanner...great. So my dear boy held onto it for me an i did a prompt trip down south to retrieve it, so i will finally be able to share a few things with you again! In the mean time, here is a picture from my sketchbook from when i was supremely hungover (and considerably more broke than when i arrived...) for a more full story click the picture.

Warm Up

2011-07-20T14:10:00.003+01:00

So i got it finished up, i'm not 100% happy with it, but as a warm up piece i think it serves it's purpose. I had fun paper shopping yesterday so hopefully my Darjeeling Project will get off the ground some time soon.

Bum

2011-07-19T00:12:00.000+01:00

sat down to plan some Darjeeling Limited and ended up with...Lost In Translation..I blame Scarlett Johansson. I like these little lines i've made up for the curtains, i hope i can use them for something else.

Little Tenenbaums

2011-07-18T14:44:00.000+01:00

(as always click the picture to go to my flickr, I actually update that properly, with less rambling, hooray!)
So on my way back from Iceland I watched The Darjeeling Limited. I somehow managed to forget how much I love Wes Anderson films. I'm pretty desperate to give myself some huge project collaging key scenes from it (key scenes/bits i like/bits i reckon i might be able to collage). The problem currently is that The Darjeeling Limited is so highly patterned and it has recently come to my attention that my paper supplies are running low...an so is my bank account. Oh dear. But i shall persevere! Probably by just spending what little money I have or trying to photoshop my left over papers to how I need them. In the mean time i shall do watercolours on crap paper (why did i do that?) late at night of Royal Tenenbaum characters. Expect more of Chaz, he's my favourite.

Back into the Warm

2011-07-12T00:01:00.000+01:00

ahh it's good to be back in the country! I should have some nice photos and a few sketchbook pages for you from beautiful Iceland but they are currently copying over from my memory card. While I was away a couple of exciting things happened though. My Camden Passage book appeared in New Blood, I'm so annoyed i didn't get to go and see all the amazing work being shown but I'm glad my little book got to be a part of it. And when I got back I found out I had been put into the New Designers exhibition.

It was nice chatting to people as they came by.

I snuck in another one of my little books.

If you picked up one my cards and found your way here from them thank you! I promise to update more!

iceland!

2011-06-16T09:49:00.000+01:00

just a quick note to let you know it's going to be a little quiet around here for a few weeks as i'm off to Iceland in a matter of minutes! Wish me luck in getting some good drawings done, i plan on living out of one sketchbook for the whole trip. I shall leave you with this beautiful photograph belonging to Ghostpatrol, who's work always reminds me of mountainous reaches.

we.are.live!

2011-06-15T11:11:00.000+01:00

Rebecca French Illustration

my website is finally off the ground! go have a peek! It's still in the beginning stages but it's up!

The Show

2011-06-15T11:02:00.000+01:00

So this is my little patch at the degree show. I think it went well, despite having to chop up my Dead Alphabet and put it in the portfolio. My business cards went quickly which can only mean good things!

The show in itself was a real success. On on one of the private views we saw Meera Syal milling around! Very exciting!

all my little artist's books

Thank you to all the friends and family that came! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to meet all of you but I hope you liked my work.

The Woodland People

2011-06-03T15:15:00.000+01:00

So my degree show started up last night and i'm starting to realise that without masses of degree work I have odd pockets of time to work on a few other pieces I've been neglecting over the past few months. I'm looking forward to getting a free day somewhere to work on my website too, i'll be sure to post a link once that's up and running (hopefully very soon!). In the mean time this little piece is something i've been coming back to for about three months and it's FINALLY done! I actually have a couple of versions of this printed on some good paper so over summer i plan on getting a little print shop going.

Pictures of the degree show should also be posted soon!

Finally

2011-05-19T12:44:00.000+01:00

So it's nearly over! All work for my final year is finally complete. I'm actually really pleased with my final major project so I thought i'd share a few of my favourite pages with you. As always click the picture and it'll take you to my flickr where you can see a little more of the project.

(a closeup of the one above, probably my favourite in the book. I hope to get a few of these printed out larger and sell them as prints)

Quick Break

2011-05-12T14:50:00.000+01:00

Well things are pretty hectic at the minute! But everything is sort of coming together (I've probably jinxed that now). Everything from this year has to be done and dusted an ready to be assessed by Monday. Scary stuff but my final major has finally come together an now I'm hurriedly making changes to a few resubmissions to be printed tomorrow. I desperately need a little break from staring at my work all day so I thought I'd post a few little pieces of inspiration I've come accross recently. (there's a bit of a pattern thing going on here, I hope I can explore drawing my own patterns over the summer)

Hollis Brown Thornton via hollisbrownthornton

via iojoijjoijjojoihoijoiojoihoijoihoijoioijojjjj

(my illustration penpal's inspiration tumblr)

Audrey Cantwell via if i had the money

Jerry N. Uelsmann via jordanpordan

Sara Orme via blooming leopold

via hel-looks

via sugarcreamdeath

(from an amazing film I watched recently called Tekkon Kinkreet , get rid of your preconceptions about anime, this was something different) via iojoijjoijjojoihoijoiojoihoijoihoijoioijojjjj

via iojoijjoijjojoihoijoiojoihoijoihoijoioijojjjj

katie scott via Pikaland

Jake Stangel via Miss Moss

Erin Rei via into_the_trees

The Waistcoat Maker

2011-05-01T19:53:00.000+01:00

Ahh sorry neglected blog! Between travelling,resubmissions and my final major project I haven't had a lot of time for proper blogs. I managed to snap a few pictures today of one of the pages I've been working on.

I really liked how this one looked before i inked it up. Might be nice to try doing a few without ink over the top in the future.

More from the Passage

2011-04-05T22:37:00.000+01:00

Just a few more from Camden Passage.

For more info on each of the drawings just click them an it'll take you through to flickr where i've talked about them a little more.

that's a mammoth bone at the front there. It took all my strength not to run away with it and add it to my steadily growing collection of strange animal things. ( i should post a picture!)

this is a background an will have two men talking collaged in front of it

love those dogs!

Final Major Project

2011-04-02T08:15:00.000+01:00

Well it's getting to the end of my time at uni which means Final Major Projects. I have done quite a few drawings, it's easy to get your teeth into something when you enjoy the subject matter, plus now the sun's out drawing the pub an the shop fronts sat on the pavement is really pleasent. These are the ones I've got scanned in but hopefully I'll have time to scan in the rest of the ones i've got finished before I head back to Salamanca next week. Hope you like them, I'm feeling pretty pleased for once!

Resubmission

2011-03-25T16:20:00.000Z

Well I need to get my resubmissions of work I'm unhappy with underway so I took the first of the three Mangan articles I need to redo apart and started over. I think I prefer it now, it's definately more interesting if anything. Still think the background needs a rethink...

Continuing in the collage vein, our little uni zine had the theme "vintage", and I've desperately wanted to use my paper bag from Lauderee for something so it seemed like a good oppurtunity.

Cat Hill

2011-03-21T21:55:00.000Z

Our little Cat Hill campus at uni is being demolished soon and will be packed off to Hendon. So we're putting together a little book to remember it. It's a shame really, Cat Hill has so much character but hopefully the new place will gain that in time for the next lot of students. Anyways here are my submissions for the book

Also it would be all kinds of amazing if you went and liked me on facebook?

Rebecca French Illustration

Salamanca

2011-03-21T00:54:00.000Z

So, I got back from Spain on Monday. Salamanca's historical centre truly is beautiful. I'm so glad I get to go back in just a couple of weeks! I speant my little time out there lounging in the sun, going to galleries, wandering around little historical pueblitos with some new friends and even played an open mike night!

I hope I have time to draw more of this university

We didn't get to experience as much of little historical La Alberca due to the weather but it did mean I got a chance to sit an sketch in a little cafe.

I always go out travelling with a plan to draw all the time an other things get in the way,but I think I have a lot of time in cars and on trains on my next trip so hopefully i'll get some good people sketches done.

Pegged

2011-03-02T20:26:00.000Z

Thought it might be kind of nice to do a quick follow up of that previous post showing how I display my own little scrap of Maier. I peg things above my desk and they join a rotation of things that I move around the strings and things that get put into the scrapbook or moved to another part of the room.

In it's full glory. It has been a bit more colourful in the past but I recently did a reshuffle in a spring cleaning fit. There's cutouts from a paper my roomate brought back from Rough Trade, zines an originals from my illustration penpal Kelly. A vintage bunny postcard from Chile, letters from the boyfriend while he was travelling, a leaf from Chile, a bag from the best chocolate shop I've ever been to from Bariloche, Argentina. A print from a zine fair (I've lost the card of the artist : x if you recognise that little eskimo on the far right let me know!),badges and art work from Mel Stringer, plane tickets to Spain, a photograph of my grandmother in the WAF, and glittery reindeer heads from where I used to work.

It might be quiet around here for a week or so but I should hopefully have some nice sketchbook pages to share (from hopefully sunny Salamanca, Spain!) when I get back.

Vivian Maier

2011-03-02T20:12:00.000Z

I got a few more followers! Thank you! Well the illustrator Dan Haskett came to speak to us at uni about a week ago. His illustration really blew me away, I had seen it before but I must have not taken in his name.
Love illustrators who put sketchbook pages up on their websites.

This book was my favourite of the pieces he showed us.

(photos via http://www.danhaskett.co.uk/ )
He also showed us some photographs by Vivian Maier. A few months ago my mother offloaded her usual stack of Sunday Times supplements on me for my scrapbook an collages and I came accross the most beautiful set of black and white photographs. I don't know much about photography but I desperately want to learn. These photos were taken by Vivian Maier and her story is incredible. Vivian was a nanny on the North Side in Chicago, she took photos from the 1950s through to the 1970s. John Maloof bought 100,000 negatives, prints and undeveloped rolls of film from an auction house when researching a history book. From what I have read she was never known as a photographer but my word she was incredibly talented. John Maloof attempted to track her down but she died only days after he started to inquire about her.

(photos via John Maloof's blog )

Offload

2011-02-23T20:40:00.000Z

Just thought I'd offload a few pictures I've had floating around.

A few weeks back I recieved a few zines and a lovely little card from the fantabulous mel stringer, I've lost count of how many of her little zines and bits and pieces I own now.

A life drawing I was rather pleased with done today. Nice to have a more interesting model every once in a while!These are taken on my grainy blackberry, sorry about that.

There's a little sketchbook display up in the library at the min, it's nice to see a couple of my travel diaries getting a little attention. Hannah, a friend of mine also studying illustration has one of hers in the cases too.

Enid and Becky

2011-02-21T00:01:00.000Z

I recently gained a few followers! It means a lot so thank you! I shall try to update more. Well for our little uni zine Meow, the theme this month is idols. I was working on something but I really didn't like it so I started over. I wouldn't normally work in black and white but the zine calls for that. The artist Daniel Clowes is my biggest inspiration. His more realistic comics I find incredibly relatable but in a way that you don't come across too often. It may be the popular one but Ghost World remains a firm favourite (hence my icon). These are his characters Enid and Becky, Clowes is more of an idol to me, but the girls are a little more interesting looking.

yay!

2011-02-18T22:42:00.000Z

Ok so I LOVE the blog what i wore today an the adjoining flickr group. I used to do a lot of blogging involving outfit posts and I'm almost definately going to start doing it again in the near future (not over here though, probably over on tumblr) but when I noticed the incredibly talented illustrator gemma correll (click that link, seriously her website front page is sooo good) was painting her outfit posts and had set up a blog for us to get involved I knew I wanted in. An the other day she picked my most recent outfit picture, hooray!

If you aren't following me over on flickr already, click the picture an you can go do that!

I wish I could promise you that I will have more serious things to post but I'm currently working on the Macmillan project an I'm pretty sure I read somewhere we're not meant to post any of it online. SO you'll probably have my odd street fashion doodles/paintings that I like to do to wind down. Also over the weekend I plan on setting up a twitter and possibly a website, time permitting. So when I do get that up and running remember to follow me over there too.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T00:37:00.000Z

What will you be upto tomorrow?

I have a looong day at uni and then will probably be working hard on the Macmillan project. How romantic!

Features

2011-02-09T17:06:00.001Z

I was featured over on DEER BRAINSrecently. My little ladies are getting some nice attention! The lovely illustration under mine there is by emma block who is actually in my class and let me know that I had been featured which is nice of her!

Also back in December my Burberry girls were selected in Imaginative Bloom's flickr picks. Good ol' flickr. I've been painting/collaging street fashion photos in my spare time, the plan is to do a few more and put them all together like a crowd, maybe make a zine out of them. No idea when i'll have time but it's nice to have some ideas milling around. For now though I am starting work on the Macmillan project, again!

The Purloined Letter

2011-01-22T01:10:00.000Z

My last project of the four I've been working on for a while is a short graphic novel adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Purloined Letter. It's not really my bag but i'm quite liking drawing men with old hair styles. Here are a few closeups from the pages i've got done. Still not sure how i'm going to add the odd bits of text.

Finished Editorial Project

2011-01-22T01:06:00.000Z

Last of the editorial drawings are done, they look cool in the article format.

Lucy Mangan editorial work

2011-01-16T16:51:00.000Z

I have to complete four illustrations for Lucy Mangan's column in the back of the Guardian. Here are the first two I've got done.

(Resolution's gone a bit funny..irritating flickr)

Really loved this article, about how she gives books to a little girl and hopes that instead of being rowdy in the playground she hides in the loo and reads.

NHM

2011-01-16T16:45:00.000Z

End papers and final image done for the Natural History Museum book...shame i appear to have forgotten the cover..early morning drawing tomorrow so i can get it printed and bound by next Monday.

New Year, New Project

2011-01-10T18:36:00.000Z

SO, getting all the travel posts done before Christmas...that happened...anyways! It's because I have been writing my dissertation which has yielded me some amazing illustrations such as this lovely veiny system.
I hope you all had a lovely christmas, I got some rather practical presents (I seem to be in the minority at my excitement over a long reach stapler). I started yet another project where I get to draw specimens. This one will become a little book based on all the things you can find in the Natural History Museum that fit in a matchbox. I think I have nearly all of them done. These are my favourites

If you click the image it will take you to my flickr where you can see more of this project as it develops.
There will hopefully be a drypoint goldfinch egg on the front of the book as this was the smallest (not a rock or a crystal of some sort) thing I came accross when I was there.

Three out of three

2010-12-12T11:38:00.000Z

The final one (complete with strange lines, thanks flickr) This is all printed up an ready to go,not as perfect as the other two but it does the job. The only picture i have is on the Blackberry an i'd rather wait until i lug the SLR back into uni.

2 down

2010-12-04T15:56:00.000Z

Think i'm finally getting the hang of this screen printing thing. Really pleased with this one (and spealt correctly this time!) Just the bags to go now.

Carlos Pellegrini

2010-12-04T15:18:00.000Z

OK so i need to get on with these if i want to get all the places we visited done by Christmas! Our next stop in Argentina took me on the longest bus journey I hope to ever experience, 23 hours odd i think it took.

We passed through odd little dusty towns that looked like they were stuck in the 70s.

3 coaches and one 4 hour off road bus journey later we arrived in the wetlands in the tiny village of Carlos Pellegrini.

Carlos Pellegrini is built next to the wetlands reserve, 4 hours from anything by dirt road and about 8 blocks by 8 blocks with one house to each block.

It took us a while to figure out the map as it told us on certain blocks there was a horse ranch, a restaurant and a hostel...an we discovered that one house catered for all of these needs.

Even on the bus we had seen ridiculous amounts of wildlife, storks, vultures, capybaras, possible cayman, little owls. So on the first day we decided to hit the lake with a guide to see what we could spot.

The animals luckily weren't shy!

It was confirmed that we did indeed see caymans on our way there.

The first of hundreds of capybaras.

This amazing little blue kingfisher gave us a show, from here on in i got my 10 year old geeky birdwatching side going. We saw these amazing birds called Guida Cuckoos that looked like dinosaurs but unfortunately they moved quicker than my camera.

Proof of my geekery. I'm looking at a hawk sitting on the post.

All the roads looked like this, wide and unending and like they go to nowhere.

Pretty magical to feel truly like you are in the middle of nowhere after living in London for so long.

These little grey foxes weren't too fussed by us.

This little cat is called "Geoffreys cat" and rubbed itself up against the people working in the reserve an tried to get into their office, they had to keep pushing it out again so it doesn't become tame.

I'm not sure the capybaras even knew we existed.

We happened to be here for one of Argentina's world cup games and got into the spirit.

It was amazing being in such a little place for such a big event. These kids were running up and down waving flags.

On our final trip into the reserve we had one animal we had heard about but were yet to spot.

Okay i promise that brown blur in the middle of the leaves is a howler monkey. There was a family of them we managed to find but they were hard to spot an even harder to photograph.

We packed alot in in our few days in this little spot. I used to horseride when i was younger but it was nothing like this. You sit with your legs quite far out, now I know why cowboys walk so strange. You sit on a sheepskin over a saddle and you only hold on with one hand. Considering the last time i was on a horse i injured myself it was a little nerve racking at times. But our guide was great, he kept us talking and laughing and showed us around the outskirts of the village.

I think we both fell in love with the place a little bit by our last day.

With its strange epic open ness.
Unfortunately we both suffered a pretty horrible case of illness probably due to the water and instead of moving straight on to Buenos Aires so decided to spend a night in the nearest town, Mercedes.

Luckily we had passed through Mercedes on our way to Carlos Pellegrini in order to sort out getting the little bus and our hostels with the fantastic Graciella. She told us where the hostel she ran was and we decided to recover there. She cooked our dinner and checked on us, she was the mother figure we needed. Mercedes is actually pretty cool,

It's full of cowboys or "gauchos" who walk with their legs spread out at the knees from being on their horses all day and wear these amazing hats that look like normal cowboy hats but worn sideways and flattened.

We wandered around trying to spot them amongst the other locals,

In the square we made friends with some turtles

After a night (and a couple of sleepy days) we caught the next bus to Buenos Aires.

Millenary

2010-12-02T00:42:00.000Z

(flickr keeps putting lines across my work, this is the 9th time i tried to upload it, this is actually the only one that had only one line across it..)

Next one ready to go, should be in screen print form by Friday evening, fingers crossed!

One Down

2010-12-02T00:38:00.000Z

Phew, one screen printed poster down, two to go. It was tricky but I'm pleased with this

Liberty Poster

2010-11-24T18:17:00.000Z

Well the project I'm working on currently will eventually be 3 A2 screen printed posters advertising accessories at Liberty's. I'm actually feeling okay about this one. They have to only be 3 colours but since i can't seem to go without black lines i've been cheeky an i'm going to use the white of the paper as well...really hope she doesn't get nit picky about it.

I-SPY Edgware Road

2010-11-18T20:26:00.000Z

My entry for Kingsgate's I-SPY Edgware Road exhibition.

Procrastination, inspiration?

2010-11-17T00:17:00.000Z

So while the book covers weren't some of my favourite things I've ever produced I am pretty happy with the prepatory drawings that became them. (if you click them they take you to my flickr, can't believe it's taken me this long to figure out how to do this. Ridiculous.)

I'm liking this whole texture thing. I put a lot of inspiration up onto my tumblr, but a lot of the blogs I like often cross the two over and I thought it might be nice to do that (I'm also procrastinating from working on my dissertation) So here's some illustrations and photographs that have been keeping me going.

via http://www.flickr.com/annajanesearle

via http://www.flickr.com/photos/fullarton/

via http://www.flickr.com/melstringer/

via http://www.flickr.com/hollisbrownthornton/

via http://www.flickr.com/brettisagirl/

via http://www.flickr.com/illsean/

via http://iamthemymble.tumblr.com

via http://candy-injection.tumblr.com/

via http://gemtrav.tumblr.com/

via http://haterina.tumblr.com/

Martien Mulder via http://www.booooooom.com/

Aya Kakeda

Advent Calendar

2010-11-13T00:31:00.000Z

A weeny couple of illustrations for an illustrated advent calender a friend is putting together at uni.

Gerald Durrell Covers

2010-11-04T19:03:00.000Z

First project of third year done. Not my favourite project but definately not the worst thing i've done. An i do like how that galago came out.

Gerald Durrell illustrations

2010-10-22T19:52:00.000+01:00

preliminary sketches and drawings for the first new uni project

We have to come up with covers for three books by the same author as well a box slip thing for them. Really not sure what i'm going to do for the box.

I need another one involving him for Durrell's "The Bafut Beagles" but I haven't managed to read too much of it yet. I braved the Natural History Museum (i would normally have just gone to the nice quiet Grant Museum but they are shut while they move to a different location) in order to get the patterns and proportions of these animals right (as well as a giraffe and a gnu for the illustrations above but i haven't decided which i prefer yet) an then came home to finish them up.

Back to School

2010-10-18T20:36:00.000+01:00

Well uni has well and truly begun and the piles of books around my room are already mounting up. At least one pile is of some zines I've printed out an put together and are looking good and ready to go.

Of course lots of work means I've been procrastinating. I've already started making Christmas cards, inspired by Miu Miu...I love Christmas, I can't help myself!

Puerto Iguazu

2010-10-18T20:23:00.000+01:00

The plan to keep these holiday catchup posts to last until Christmas is going well. Our first stop in Argentina was Puerto Igauzu, home to one of the largest waterfalls in the world.

We learnt that it's actually bigger than Niagara, Niagara just has more water going over it.

We wandered around on these walkways built high up around the waterfalls.

We were chased by these amazing little things called coatis.

and these beautiful jays.

We were told by some other travellers at our hostel that we had to visit the part of the falls known as Garganta del Diablo (the devil's throat)

Up here the spray forms clouds that gradually descend on you every few minutes and generally soak you.

We decided to make full use of the park and go see if we could find any interesting animals. We managed to spot that toucan hiding up in the branches.

I was so happy when we managed to see a few more as this was Robert's birthday an it really made the park seem even more perfect.

Since it was Robert's birthday I decided to take him out to one of the nicer places in the little town/village of Puerto Iguazu.

Robert being the shy and retiring kind quickly informed the entire restaurant including the band it was his birthday which ended up with the band and staff singing Happy Birthday and presenting him with this AMAZING little cake.

We were already impressed by Argentina but I was really touched by the people's generosity and enthusiasm that night.

The next few days we took it pretty easy. We discovered this amazing old market.

Selling all the kinds of food we liked.

We needed that platter as after this we walked to the point where Paraguay, Brasil and Argentina meet.

I had already started falling for Argentina. But nothing could prepare me for where we ended up next.

Next stop, Esteros del Ibera, the wetlands.

Claydon

2010-10-02T21:20:00.000+01:00

A few weeks back my aunt, mother an I visited Claydon House for lunch.

We unfortunately didn't go in to the main building but google tells me it features 18th century rococo interiors so I definately hope I can go back at Christmas.

I've only been back in london a couple of weeks and I already miss the countryside.

THAT jacket

2010-09-29T11:08:00.000+01:00

photos from http://www.style.com/

deer kick

2010-09-29T11:01:00.000+01:00

Poor little reindeer boy.

I was working in the christmas department of an old garden centre back home. I couldn't resist these guys.

Woburn Antiques

2010-09-13T21:39:00.000+01:00

Visited the antiques emporium in Woburn (http://www.townhallantiques.co.uk/)

They recently had clothing sections put in and I sort of fell in love with this 1920s hat.

and this one..but where on earth would I wear them.

Always think this place is great for presents but then always end up thinking what on earth would they do with something like that.

Have to do a piece around these two at some point.

Another addition for my collection of pharmacy jars?

"Urinary and Intestinal Antiseptic"

Going on the birthday list!

hans and the ewok

2010-09-13T21:31:00.000+01:00

I have been doing a lot of drawing I swear. But a fair amount of it has been for my two year anniversary present for the boyfriend. I'm sending him a rather ridiculously huge package. Anyways, it's been a few weeks of drawing inside jokes. This one sort of makes sense...

ger muffins?

2010-09-13T21:27:00.001+01:00

tried to make banana "muffins" they tasted good but they look like gers

Buns

2010-09-07T23:11:00.000+01:00

big big claws

and big big teeth.

Big big eyes,

and big big feet.

This is Holly

an this is Ivy;

my cousin's rabbits. I went to stay at my aunts for a while.Definately going to end up stealing one of these little buns.

Baking and Drawing

2010-08-30T21:07:00.000+01:00

So the summer project is coming along.

Think I might do one more.

also finally got off my arse and made up the boyfriend's little zine.

Baking really is a good way to procrastinate....

My mother an I used to bake these back when it was just us two.

Old Barn

2010-08-30T20:57:00.000+01:00

I like to go and visit this old barn when I go home. It's hidden in the woods an I thought it had been forgotten about.

But the beams have been removed now and now there's so much standing water that it stinks.

But I still love the strange derelictness of it alone in the woods.

I wonder how much of it will be left in the end.

draw goddamit draw!

2010-08-28T11:36:00.000+01:00

ergh motivation was at a peak an now it's gone gone gone. I have gotten alot of work done though. These are some of the pictures from the summer project based on my favourite pieces of my collections

don't really understand why that last one is paler.

I'm house sitting for my parents while they are in Scotland and I took the oppurtunity of having a big clean kitchen to learn to bake cookies.I have very little cooking ability normally but I wanted to learn.

don't most people wear a bowtie when baking?

proof that I did indeed make them myself an didn't just buy some wobbly ones from the bakery on the high street.

really pleased with my efforts. Next time i'll make them smaller as they spread a bit more than I realised they would.

one of the big ones became this immense ice cream sandwich. I felt so sick though after licking the bowl an this monster!

Trindade not Trinidad

2010-08-24T14:56:00.000+01:00

So the next stop on our travels was a tiny high up jungly spot called Trindade, a little way along from Paraty (the southern coast of Brasil). It fealt like being on a tropical island.

We were told on Trindade that we must go and see the natural pool. It's an area on the beach sheltered by large stones which means there aren't really any waves and it's very calm.

It was beautiful but absolutely packed. Also nothing against brazilians, but man they wear skimpy bikini bottoms. I'll stick to my high waisted 50s style one thank you!

I found a rock shaped like a canoe and set up camp. I basically read Middlesex and sunbathed for an hour or so, i'm not the biggest fan of the sea :/

Bob did get me in the sea but he's a bit more enthusiastic than me (in general really.)

I really liked this big rock and how it was just out there on its own like that. If I had been braver I would have swum out to it. Ah coulda woulda shoulda!

Our hostel was owned by a lovely couple but yes it was a bit ramshackle. I did enjoy Brasil but nothing could ever compare to our next stop, Argentina.

But now back home in the countryside, things are a little boring but by choosing to stay here instead of London I'm saving money and the travelling really drained my account. I'm just sitting around panicking about my dissertation and procrastinating by drawing lots. I went into London an retrieved my scanner I should have some new drawings to come.

I got a tripod for a fiver that's actually not too bad so in the next few weeks I want to go to my parent's allotment and learn the ins and outs.

I also like going to see the donkies that live in the field next to the allotment. They might be fun to sketch on a hot day.

When Bob an I get our own place next year I have a list of flowers I want to grow. Red sunflowers are definately up there.

an we will live here!

Getting on with getting on

2010-08-09T19:53:00.000+01:00

So while I have a fairly quiet couple of months or so ahead of me i've done quite a bit recently.

My mother took me to the summer exhibition as well as to Dennis Sever's House near Spitalfields.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside but it is crazy. It hosts rooms from the 1700s and shows where a wealthy woman lived in the middle two floors, where the cook lived in the bottom floor and where the poor weavers lived on the top floor. It's only open two days a month for two hours. It's nothing like a museum, nothing is under glass but you are expected to respect the house and not touch anything. It's as if the people who have lived there have just left the room. It even smells authentic.

The summer exhibition was good as usual. Not as striking as it was a couple of years ago but the prints were strong this year.I very nearly bought an artist's book that was going for £40.

We then went to Richoux, this amazing little place near the Royal Academy.

On the work front I gave in and bought a moleskine. I was boycotting them because the paper didn't seem worth the price but this one does indeed have lovely paper.

And I've also got cracking on the summer project set by uni.

finally printed up some zines that i've been working on. There's a mini one called "Make Love to Me Now" and a larger one inspired by the animals of Argentina called "The Tribe and the Tourist"

These are a few of my favourite bits from "The Tribe and the Tourist", now i just need somewhere to sell them.

also working on a teeny weeny zine for the boyfriend while he's away in Chile.

I'm still really loving being at home.

These were outside one of the schools.

i love their wierd faces.

I'm definately going to eat lunch in the middle of that bunch of trees before summer ends.

Pretty Paraty

2010-08-07T15:09:00.000+01:00

So on with the show. I'm trying to blog a little more prolofically. I follow an awful lot of blogs, i think i should really start commenting more and get more posted on my own and maybe actually participate instead of just gazing at other people's wonderful photos. Anyway carrying on in the vein of my last post i shall cover the second place we went to in Brazil-Paraty. Paraty is on the coast of Brazil and was truly beautiful.

like something out of an anthropologie advert.

I really liked this boat, you can just about see it says "el tigre" on it. My spanish is bad to non existant but i'm pretty sure i understand that.

these little birds were everywhere. We called them lemon marshmallow birds but we found out the are called Greater Kiskadees. Which is an exciting name for a bird but it's not got quite the same ring as lemon marshmallow bird.

We wandered down a little forest path and ended up on this beach. Just us and this one fisherman. It was quite a relief to have it all to ourselves as I had just accidentally stood on an ant's nest and looked down to see my entire foot and indeed shoe encased in ants.

Robert discovered the continuous shot function on my camera, i like the ones where he is about to fall over best. I shall try and animate them all together at some point.

Paraty is very small, but even in the larger villages people still get around by horse and cart.

It also rained an awful lot. We were warned that in winter (yes this is winter) Paraty can flood. We didn't realise quite how much until we were sat in a restaurant watching the pavement next to it flood to the point that some ducks swam by and a heron flew down!

On one of the days there we got lost a long way from our hostel and on the spur of the moment decided to get the bus to the next beautiful village over called Trindade. And my next travelling post will be about that!

It rained alot that day as well...we also got caught out at high tide...never get the inside of doc martens wet!

MEANWHILE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

so i'm back home with my parents. I did go back to london for a while and got my zine i started out in Argentina finished up. I've made up a few zines myself but when my cashflow is back to what it was I shall get a run of them printed. I'll post some pictures of that zoon to but im hesitant to post too much. Anyways i don't want to go back to london anytime soon. I have to go back on Friday but then I think i will come home.

I've miss the english countryside so much when I'm in London. I think after three years of the big city I'm about ready to let it go.

straw hat-vintage (found at home)
shirt- present from my mother
skirt- per una
plimsols- victoria, kingly court
satchel-artesian market in Chile

jet lag

2010-07-20T21:30:00.000+01:00

Something about being back home in the countryside makes me want to blog. I've just got back from a month and a half of travelling around South America with my boyfriend. Unfortunately i didn't get a whole lot of drawing done but that's because most of the time we were hiking, trekking, stumbling upon crazy animals or finding some of the best vintage shopping the world has to offer. So i'm gunna post a few pictures from each place I went to until i'm totally up to date, and blog normally at the same time, to get me back into the swing of blogspot.

Starting with some amazing graffiti i saw in Rio, definately illustration related!

i saw a few pieces by the guy on the right here

Rio definately wasn't my favourite place we visited but it was lovely on Copacabana beach. That day we fell asleep watching the big pterodactyl like frigate birds

and gazing at the sugar loaf.

We wandered fairly aimlessly around finding odd hidden treasures while trying to avoid the favelas. However this set of steps is by an artist who collects tiles in rare colours as well as ones featuring countries from all over the world,

He also wanted to bring attention to the authenticity and way of life of the favelas, that they are not crime filled, poverty stricken neighbourhoods, but a lifestyle that people define themselves by.

Pretty moving stuff. We also visited a national park known as Tijuca.

see the secret elephant with it's flowery eyes?We did this amazing hike, it was difficult for me, i love walking but hiking is a whole new kettle of fish, but i handled it. At the top we had to push through overgrown bushes and hanging trees until we found this incredible view of Rio. So scarily high up,

definately a moment i will remember for the rest of my life.

We sat and watched the big black dinosaur like vultures and this strange inflatable UFO drift by until it got chilly.

A few days later we headed to Paraty on the coast and I shall cover that in my next post!

In other news, ive been back nearly a week and it's very odd as I've lived with Robert for basically two years and now he's studying in Chile for 6 months. But it's ok, i've come home for a bit to get away from things, my mother's vegetable patch is looking amazing but i'm too early for the tomatoes unfortunately and these look like one of the best lots we've had.

The last few places we visited were approaching winter (or were in the Andes so in a perpetual winter) so its so good to be back in the beautiful british summer time.

When I'm not drawing dead things...

2010-04-04T16:15:00.000+01:00

i like to draw round shapes and type when i'm not on my normal morbid kick. I rediscovered my massive Copic marker collection from my old 14 year old manga loving days an got back to grips with them

really like this one, i got the patterns overlapping idea from http://milkbbi.com/ Justin's patterns are pretty inspiring.

Right i'm off to finish packing, off to singapore tomorrow!

Dead London

2010-04-04T16:11:00.000+01:00

more dead things, the new project "DEAD LONDON" involves drawing specimens from around london. These are some of my favourites from the Grant Museum.

this one isn't actually from the Grant Museum this is my own rabbit skull

he was a real cutie

procrastination situation

2010-03-25T13:02:00.000Z

i have a bit of a badge situation going on

large cushiony badge from Mel Stringer, the little red one is also from here but he's coming to pieces as he's lived on several blazers and bags for i think 2 years now. The other little girl comes from Dannybrito (http://dannybrito.com/) who sent me it with one of his zines a while ago .

Listening… just like honey- Jesus and Mary Chain

Reading… Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier, it belonged to my grandmother and it smells like her and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Watching… my creative centrale for my Creative Zen struggle to locate songs

Buying…a good new swim suit and a dress for the boyfriend's mum's birthday party.

Wanting… acne or jeffrey campbell shoes, the perfect romper, and to go to the Sketchbook pop up shop to see Susie Bubble (i'm however leaving london when it starts ¬¬)

Trying… to get as much of my Dead London project done before I leave for Singapore, be organised an have a proper timetable and not feel guilty about not going to uni this morning.

Loving… that spring is trying to burst through the grey and wearing shorts again without having to wear leggings, tights and three pairs of socks on!

Planning…to print my new heads project onto tote bags tomorrow, go to the Grant Museum to draw more animals and brave drawing in the Natural History Museum on sunday.

Making… hopefully a good lot of drawings and as always, a mess

Writing… .lists...i should say my essay but eeeergh

Cooking… yesterday i marinated some salmon an then cooked it with noodles and courgettes, i was very pleased with my efforts considering i dislike cooking and i made the marinade myself.

Inspired by… girls who look good in chinos, humidity, educational macabre and coconut water from actual coconuts (i could buy about 3 young coconuts for the price of the coconut water here, god i can't wait for sinigapore)

wait a minute mr postman!

2010-03-24T18:54:00.000Z

aah i love post. I got a lovely thick zine from the fantastic Mel Stringer (http://melstringer.blogspot.com/) i've loved her work longer than most i can tell ya! I think i bought my first original piece from her when i was 17-18. I also have a few little zines from her and a little fabric badge. Now i have another one, which is good as my other one is falling apart now (i wear it alot) and some stickers!

also yaaay new bag. I love you new Mr Bag. You are perfectly canvassy for beaches and hot weather, but brown enough to satisfy my want for a satchel (which i'm sure will be seen to when i hit singapore in a week or so) you also only cost 66pence. Which makes me very happy (an understanding in that you are indeed very very fake an have a bit of a hole in your bottom)

My Pet

2010-03-12T20:30:00.000Z

my entry for Meow-our uni's illustration magazine

(http://meowmagazine.blogspot.com/)

the theme is pets...i don't have any pets..well i have a dog back with my parents but black spaniels, cute as they are,aren't the most fun to draw, so Jonsi my dead but beautiful 1920s mink will have to do. Might try an get something with moles done for them ..i think monday is the deadline

what i do with my weeks off!

2010-03-12T20:24:00.000Z

(that's not me btw, that's my other strange dead animal fascinated roomate)

if you couldn't tell from my current header i really like things that are a little macabre. I love the Huntarian but i also recently discovered the Grant Museum, which is in the Zoology Wing of UCL. It was nice to go into such a large an old looking uni. I love Middlesex but the building is far from impressive. Anyways, unlike the Huntarian, they allow you to take photos without a flash, these are a few of my favourites.

crab in a shower cap!

(not sure if you can tell but my pictures all look sooo much better because I got a new camera for my 21st!a beeeautiful Canon 500d)

huge jar of moles???i'm kinda into moles at the min. I recently travelled around Catalonia an up in the Pyrenees we found this amazing display feauturing some spectacularly bad taxidermy

yeeah that's me.

london

2010-03-12T20:14:00.000Z

wow so my blog is so unloved!Gunna do a few little updates i reckon.
I'm finding myself defending london a lot at the minute. I recently moved in with my boyfriend an he is struggling to love it. I've wanted to live here since i was 14 years old so i'm pretty sure of my love for London, stereotypes an all!

Nearly 21

2009-12-07T16:56:00.000Z

My mother came to visit me in London and to go an pick up my 21st birthday present that's been eight years in the making. I've been wanting a Viv Westwood bag for about 8 years now, since i started to get interested in fashion. i'd seen my favourite one from her recent collection, we'd rung all the shops to make sure it would be avaliable an we were told they were selling out fast soooo we went to get it a week before my actual birthday! My aunt came to an when were in there asked if i would like a purse as well, i wasn't about to turn down that offer!
Then my mother told me she wanted to go into some posh homewear shops on Kings Road (she works in display). I’ve never been there because it’s much too expensive an area for me really. We were hurrying, an i couldn’t figure out why when i thought we had the rest of the day, It turned out my amazing mum had prebooked a champagne high tea at this place called the Botanist on Sloane Square. Being nearly 21 feels pretty dam good right now.

Holborn's dead animals

2009-12-07T16:51:00.000Z

wow my blog is so neglected. Here's some work done in the Huntarian Museum (an amazing place full of animals in jars, skeletons and medical strangeness-it's one of my favourite places in the world)

a woodpecker head and a skimmer's head

some sort of frogmouth

a sparrow with it's testicles revealed to show how large they get during the mating season

a mouse with its skin peeled back to show its nipples (i know i couldn't see them either) and a calf born with such extreme curvature to its spine that its head is inside its stomach.

and my favourite-a baby pangolin (spiny anteater)

also had to draw something else to do with Holborn so i chose here

i believe this place is a japanese tailoring and shoe shop now. It's always bloody closed.

hel-looks

2009-09-18T11:38:00.000+01:00

Heta (23) "I always wear ugly cardigans like this. I like pleated skirts, too, and clothes that the Moomin character Mymble would wear. Pipe smoking women inspire me" i kind of wish i was her.....i love girls like this more than anything...

Recent purchases

2009-08-05T13:41:00.000+01:00

i'm putting off doing the new project for uni by posting. Today i went to the Ampthill Antiques Emporium. It's amazing, I normally go in before we do the food shopping and i always forget my purse, today i speant about 2 hours trying on clothes and milling around. I decided to make an attempt to save money though as i have two train trips ahead of me. From the Emporium i bought this little plasticky 70s case, an old boater hat (i was fairly adament that i would be getting a real boater an not a topshop one), the jar is apparently victorian, the pharmacy jar is victorian an from the pharmacy within the shop, they don't sell the nice ones just the skanky looking ones but i'm okay with that. I almost bought this one full of crystals but the cork was moudly, an the little blue edwardian cobalt bottles (sooo cheap!) . The belt and the tassle brogues are just from Asos. I also bought some harem trousers but they are too big :(

second floor, where i got most of my things.

the original pharmacy-nothing is for sale OH HOW I TRIED

the outside-the bottom sign is a sign for a pizza place called "Flying Pizza" i swear that was in Back to the Future or something.

new flat

2009-08-05T13:36:00.000+01:00

this is kind of a test, i have a love hate relationship with blogspot an posting pictures. My text will be all straight an normal on the preview an then will come out higgeldy piggeldy in the main post, an no amount of editing seems to fix it. So here's some pictures of my new flat (note the amazing retro red chairs in our little lounge) i haven't moved in yet, but the plan is to have it pretty twee looking when it's done with lotsa old glass an my shoes on display.

travel journal

2009-08-03T18:03:00.000+01:00

these are my favourite pages from the travel journal i made on my travels around Singapore and Mallorca this month.

finally finished the neighbourhood watch project

2009-07-05T19:56:00.000+01:00

So i got the project about the houses around my village done, i also included people i saw around the buildings. Some i did from life an some i asked to photograph an then worked from the photos. I decided to post my favourites! Also we are supposed to illustrate the packaging in which we send things an this is the back of the envelope i sent the piece in. It's supposed to be me but the way i had the glasses made my nose look a whole lot longer than it really is haha!

this house was intriguing. We were showing my step-grandmother a house at the bottom of the heath an this house was opposite the little complex. It's very old an incredibly overgrown, it has white gates, balcony bannisters an window frames an they are all crumbling. The estate agent, a friend's dad, told me he's been inside an everything inside is all the same period features however the man has stuffed some rooms so full of newspapers you can't get inside. I'm desperate to see the man who lives there.

embroidery love

2009-06-27T19:14:00.000+01:00

yay so i got really into this whole sewing thing. It's pretty obvious to everyone that i miss the boyfriend(he's travelling throughout summer) sooo i decided to embrace it instead of bottling it up. I wanna do more but these two will be for the uni project.

an i finally finished my portrait of my grandmother, i was trying to take pictures of it hanging up as it's big but they aren't coming out very well, the fabric is quite thin (it's an old pillow case) sooo this is a scan. I'm going to put "in loving memory" in script sewn on the bottom somewhere. It was very very hard but i definately want to do more sewn illustration.

little photo dump

2009-06-19T22:14:00.000+01:00

hmm this image is supposed to be big oh well...it's about sex dreams , my illustrations are talking to eachother. Also it's been years since i considered fashion illustration but i'm liking it again. soo i finally buckled an bought samplers. Since then my nan's portrait has come on alot more, soo much easier than the rickety home made thing i was using. Annoyingly i went to craft world an bought loadsa crossstitch material an there's a second hand craft sale in my village tomorrow...still gunna go!

the houses are also coming along nicely.I moved on the buildings we forget about in this little blob of country village, this is the old mansion that's being rebuilt in nasty red brick

this is my favourite so far. the abandoned barn in the woods.

in my previous little blog i was talkin about the fash blogger i drew-this is one of the two i did of tavi.

dam bloggers and their blogging

2009-06-17T23:17:00.000+01:00

wow ok so i do have shiz to post but right now a short thing. So susie over on my favourite fash blog http://stylebubble.typepad.com just made this post about how it's vaguely creepy that people make fanart...an i just drew two pictures of the girl who owns my other favourite fash blog - http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/ an i was nervous enough about actually showing her. Tavi's alot younger than me but i think that makes her even cooler an thus just a tad intimidating...i'm not a creepy stalker i'm just enthusiastic :S also holy crap man i wanna make zines but i need some help....i need better paper but i don't think my printer will take thicker paper-..an i was hoping to make a zine of observational summery drawings for uni and another of skinny boys (i seem to draw alot) an try an sell it via my tumblr and flickr...but i need some advice!

whatcha doin

2009-06-09T12:42:00.000+01:00

ok so wow this needs updating. An i actually have stuff to update with that isn't just sketchbook puke. (if you have any interest in my sketchbook shiz it's all on my flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/23501549@N05/ ) also

yeah wow blurry...these shorts are my second skin this summer. LOL summer as if...so when the sun has been out i've been drawing the houses on my road

however i'm kinda bored of them now, i'm gunna draw a few more on my road an then move on the more interesting buildings around my village. My favourite is this totally overgrown house with a balcony where a senile old man lives and never leaves. An estate agent friend told me everything's all victorian an totally untouched inside but some rooms you can't get into because the man who lives there has just stuffed them full of newspapers. I'm going to have to photograph it as there's nowhere to sit to sketch it (unless i sit in the sheltered housings's garden opposite) an i'll put the photos of it up when i have them(aka when it stops raining)

Apart from avoiding the rain i've been working on this sewn portrait in memory of my nan who died recently. It's time consuming but i like how it's coming along. When i've finished and ironed it i'll post more pictures.

I really like how the eyes look at the minute .

In other news i'm kinda obsessed james jean (http://www.jamesjean.com/) coincidentally my friend Polina over on her blog (http://polinaff.blogspot.com/) has just made a post showing some of his work and i felt like posting some of my favourites.

He has these amazing creepy pictures

But it's his sketchbooks i'm in love with, can't wait for july when i'll be out and about more an have more stuff to look at and sketch.

sketchbook number one

2009-03-08T20:05:00.000Z

SO I've decided to make this blog into a sketchjournal as i've kinda always wanted to keep one and i haven't done very well at syncing this with my lj! So i've scanned in the best pages of my first sketchbook since i started my illustration degree. I've got another on going observational one third filled with stuff from my trip to vienna an then more from just around london and my general doodling *crap in my head* sketchbook. Both of those i'll get up what i have in them soon! This one is a culmination of projects from univerisity, research for projects then continued on other paper and personal work.

The type on "want" is taken from a shop in Kingly Court off of Karnaby St called "Fur Coat No Knickers" it's this amazing little vintage type shop. This is a piece of personal work fused with the street project.

This was for the street project but based on people. I knew from the start i wanted to draw this guy who works for Red Mutha and this other brand I totally forget the name of now. He allowed me to take a few pictures as he preferred that i didn't draw him and so these are quick sketches to get an idea of the layout of the final piece i needed to produce. I love how smiley he looks!

On foundation i lived in south london and worked in camden. I had a project called "skin" an i knew he had this massive septum piercing so i went around camden asking people for pictures of their piercings and he asked if i needed tatoos as well. I said yeah why not! an he then took his top off to reveal the periodic table tatooed on his chest!

these were drawn during a long lecture an then worked on and inked while watching Obama become president haha!

i then saw this picture in a SuperSuper magazine of these wierd people with pipes and wires.

this is a drawing of the supersuper shoot lotsa JD Castelbac or however you spell it going on here. the other two i did with the wires and messeges.

bit of radiohead, bit of tracing paper, i dunno twas an experiment.

trying out a new style and my mood picked up

over christmas i got into drawing images i found on my tumblr (electricalgloom.tumblr.com)

and i got into drawing couples, that cheesy quote i found on tumblr as well.no idea where it's from.