Bearded Ladies

These Bearded Ladies aren't finished, they need some organising but I got so involved in the background stories behind these hairy dames that I needed to share them! The top dame is a lady called Madame Delait, a Parisian lady who was an avid member of the French Bicycle Club 'Cycle Thaonnais'. She apparently let her beard grown for a bet and became a national celebrity!

Big Chief

I haven't yet posted any of my work from Camberwell so far. I think because I have been busy in the library and print room formulating projects and feverishly drawing, I have been waiting for a point when I am content and happy with the way my work is going. So that's about now. I've been screen printing this Chief in two different 3-way colour compositions and fallen head over heels back in love with silkscreen.

ZINESWAP 2nd BIRTHDAY

All this weekend Concrete Hermit will play host to ZINESWAP, for their second birthday celebrations. Expect a full-blown birthday party on Friday night (6pm-9pm at CH's Kingly Court store) complete with cake, mulled wine and a exhibition of the best 'zines from their extensive archive. There will also be an ALL NEW PUBLICATION to get your inky fingers on, printed by MANYMONO and including a discount voucher for Concrete Hermit, it will feature some of Zineswap's favourite spreads from the last two years. The exhibition/zine library and swapbox will continue through the weekend. So come down, say hello, read + swap + buy some sweet self-published stuff....

Bookcase Discovery

Oh what a find.

I think it was this very book that made me start drawing in the first place. It's pages are browning and the stitching is loose and it smells incredible, that lovely historical smell. Notice how I've named all the animals, well, most. At seven I apparently didn't think that the pigs and sheep were worthy of personal names. I distinctly remember copying some of these pictures and I remember particularly enjoying drawing the hair-fringe covering the shire horses hooves. It has tea cup ghost stains on the front cover and my grandma's old address inside. I read a book years ago about a girl whose dad was a novelist and he kept his manuscripts in the salad drawer of his fridge in case of a fire. I'd definitely keep this book in my fridge.

Old Prawn Brows

I drew this fishy old bachelor for my boy's 25th birhday. Pictured here without the ridiculous birthday rhyme that filled his hat. Out with antlers and in with wrinkly old men with stories to tell.

MM

Here he is. The final logo design for Merrimaking. I think this might be the start of a new wave of work. I can feel my drawing style changing a little. Watch this space.

Right Then

Right then. A tremendous amount has happened since my last post. I moved to London, found a job, started a Masters, found a new running route around Victoria Park and finished the George Lucas biography that has been sitting on my bedside table and glaring at me for a year and a half. I have made a promise to myself to never neglect this blog again. It may also serve as my diary and thought-cupboard for these coming years.
Above is a severely overdue drawing for my dear friends at Merrimaking. In it's final stages on my lightbox, it will serve as an illustrated logo for their glorious business of hood-making and more, find them at www.merrimaking.co.uk they are SERIOUSLY MERRY.

Food Pervert

At present I am in between houses and jobs. Having tied up all loose ends from all commissions based in Nottingham, and waiting to move in my new pile of bricks in East London (next wednesday!) I seem to have a lot of time on my hands. So I've been busying myself in the kitchen and in the nearby vegetable patch. I am a little closer to one of my Life Long Ambitions; to know each and every herb and spice and know exactly what dish it compliments. Here are some of my creations. Tonight: mackerel with chilli and lime. Tomorrow: Vegetable Calzone!

From top to bottom: fresh raspberries from the garden, roasted red peppers stuffed with spicy cous-cous and goats cheese for the Bank Holiday BBQ, garlic-roasted vegetables all from the garden then plum bake with a cheesecake swirl.

Sea no Evil

I have been doing some work for the noisy boys of Ocean Bottom Nightmare. The beast below is the Cover design for their forthcoming EP Panicdote. Since drawing this I have been paying more attention to the supermarket fish counter than deemed normal by the obliging staff of Sainsburys.

The Last Taxidermy

Here is the latest reason for my ink-stained fingers. A private commission in a swish pad in The Park, Nottingham. A very enjoyable project, the beautiful view from the balcony helped a little too. I do have to say that this might be my last bit of Taxidermy drawing for a little while. It's time to tackle the unknown. Starting with moving house to East London in less than a week. I'm truly excited and almost fully prepared for a diet consisting mostly of dry weetabix.

Overdue Antlers

Below is a Posca Pen Painting for a fine friend of mine who also delights in dead things. So much so that part of my payment for this painting was indeed a (properly preserved) squirrel's tail.

Barbershop Mutant

I have spent most of June and some of July working at a welcome leisurely pace on this complex beast of an ink drawing. It is applied to the walls of 28 Girls and Boy Barbers in Hockley, Nottingham (who, may I add, are expert fringe trimmers) and it stretches 10 feet up, covering the entire wall of old German maps. This was a really fun project, though installation could only take place when the shop was shut which meant my dinnertimes usually consisted of a bowl of muesli in a hairdressing chair. It was well worth it though.

Door envy

I aDOORe this.

Tweet

Just recently discovered the joys of a punchy one-liner through Twitter.
I'll be Jenniewebs.

Shrewd.

I have spent most of the month of June flitting about and not doing too much of any one thing. Apart from getting anxious about my fast approaching move to London but then realising that nothing can be done at present. All this sunshine has meant that my productivity levels are at an all time low. Chilled watermelon and cloudless skies are just too hard to resist. I have been making some (smallish) inroads to my ever growing to-do list however. See above for two drawings for a pal's publication (more information soon) and below for a little shrew.

Drawings: Bodega Social Club, Nottingham.

You can see the result of my Studio Hermit Days up in The Bodega on Pelham Street now. I felt a little over-exposed all weekend, with a slightly nervous tummy every time I walked past but kind and lovely comments and emails have been pouring in so now I feel a lot better. If you happen to be in the area at a loose end, order a pint and see if you can locate the 14 animal species (2 doubles) 3 vegetables, 2 insects, 1 skeleton and 2 mutants. Good fun :)

I am a Studio Hermit no longer.

Above is just one of the projects that has turned me into a Studio Hermit for most of the Spring/Summer transition period. Luckily, this week will mark the end of planning my days hour by hour and waking up thinking about frame sizes; just in time for me to increase my freckle count. And get back to pondering over my favourite Mini Milk flavour. It's between Strawberry and Vanilla at present, with Vanilla just getting the edge. Chocolate flavour doesn't get a look in. But back to business....

Above is the final plan for the wall installation at 28 Girls & Boys Barbers, found on Goosegate, Nottingham (well worth popping in for a trim). To be done with brush and ink on a wallpaper of vintage maps. I'm very much looking forward to getting started.

The project that has been the largest contributing factor to my Hermit Status is the selection of framed drawings for the Bodega. I posted some tidbits below. The work will be going up in full by this Friday 28th May. Do pop along if you're about for Dot to Dot festival. Do try to avoid me though, I will almost certainly be drunk and probably try to cover you in glitter.

Happy Sun Days
:)

Bodega Business

Here are some sneaky snippets from a forthcoming project with the Bodega Social Club, Nottingham. I will be decorating the downstairs bar with my drawings of dalmatians, deer, deadly mushrooms and dilapidated treehouses, as well as a great many things that don't begin with 'D'. The work should be going up around the 24th May, just in time for Dot to Dot festival.

Good times.

BirdBook

A Crossbill and a Blue Jay drawn for the 'BirdBook' Poetry Anthology, to be published through Sidekick books this summer (release date tbc) more details to follow.
I got slightly obsessed with lines here, and completely indulged myself.
Very satisfying.