Tuesday 31 January 2012

'Jim Jarmusch' illustration

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery — celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.”"

Jim Jarmusch made Down By Law. That is all.

Monday 30 January 2012

'The Wagon' illustration

Here's a leftover illustration from my Wolf People poster - most of it got lost in the design but it's sort of nice on it's own.

I've been up against it working on a new illustration and print for a forthcoming exhibition in LA that I'm super excited about hence the relatively low-key/regurgitated blogging. Sorry about that. Plenty of rad stuff coming though not least 'The Book One' - just waiting on a couple more subs but I'm hoping to have it laid out and printed in the next fews weeks.

Thursday 26 January 2012

'Karen Dalton' illustration

"Maybe another day you'll want to feel another way, you can't stop crying,
You haven't got a thing to say, you feel you want to run away
There's no use trying, anyway.
I've seen the writing on the wall,
Who cannot maintain will always fall,
Well, you know, you can't make it without ever even trying."

I first heard 'Something On Your Mind' via Jackie-O-Motherfucker's cover years ago courtesy of a mix tape by a friend (cheers Jason!). Then I heard the Karen Dalton original not long after. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Occasionally I forget it exists and then come back to it a few months later and it hits me even harder just how beautiful it is.

My portraits were getting a bit cock-heavy and I had a spare couple of hours last night to make amends - the face is well wrong but the left hand is probably the best thing I've drawn in weeks. If you don't know about Karen Dalton you should seek her records out now and fill that massive void in your life.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

'Krohs' print session

I've been doing some screen-printing for Devises studio recently and here are a few photos from the print session. It didn't go entirely to plan as I exposed the artwork too close to the edge of the screen so couldn't get the necessary force on the squeegee towards the top of the artwork and the coverage of ink on some of the prints was a bit patchy. I'll have to have another pop at it this week.

I suppose it was to be expected really as I decided I'd listen to the Smiths for the session and given the Satanic leanings of the illustration and band I probably should've gone with something a bit more death/doom/sludge and made a pact with Satan beforehand. My bad. Bloody Morrissey - fucking everything up as per usual.

Friday 20 January 2012

January Sale

Look! Sad bear is sad and wants you all to buy some of my prints. He knows if I run out of beer and crisps I'll turn nasty and punch his cute hairy face in. So don't do it for me. Do it for sad bear because he is really sad.

What I'm trying to say is I'm having a small January sale in my shop to make some room in my studio. Obviously I'm not going to beat him really. Quite the opposite in fact - he beats me if I don't buy him expensive [and may I add quite tasteless] sportswear and bear porn. It's not like he actually does any exercise either to justify the sportswear. What's up with that?

Thursday 19 January 2012

'Mat Pringle' illustration

Carrying on the black and white portraits I thought I'd change it up (down?) a bit with a self portrait. I've not done one of these since school - it's all a bit narcissistic innit? Kurt Vonnegut, Woody Allen, Ernest Hemingway and me... It came out okay although I think the contrast in the ink wash is a bit tame compared to the other portraits I've done and the head shape is a bit on the piss.

In keeping with the family input my uncle just saw this and commented "what an ugly bastard" - there's definitely a zine developing here and I can take some joy in the fact he obviously recognised me. That's good right?

Wednesday 18 January 2012

'Woody Allen' illustration

"If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative".

This illustration is unintentionally a little too far down the caricature road for my liking but there's still something about it I'm happy with. I'd like to think my frequent fails were down to my desire to be so innovative but frankly I'd be kidding myself.

My mum chanced upon these black and white illustrations the other day and was initially very kind about them and then proceeded to point out where I'd gone wrong for each and every one of them. After I'd stopped crying I thought actually that would make an amazing zine. So basically if I manage twenty of these portraits I'll put out a zine and accompanying every portrait will be my mum's critical response to it - "the face is too narrow - it needs to be wider", "his nose is too long", "looks like Albert Einstein" etc.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

'Ernest Hemingway' illustration

"I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?"

Monday 16 January 2012

'The Day Texas Sank to the Bottom of the Sea' awesome fan!

Last week Gamble Anderson sent me this photo of his brother standing next to his truck with my sweatshirt on and a framed print of 'The Day Texas Sank to the Bottom of the Sea'. Needless to say it made my year.

Dood lives in Texas and looks like he listens to the Melvins and drinks High Life which is okay by me. I could be wrong of course but either way next time I'm in Texas there will be beers...

The sweatshirts are sold out now but I've got a couple of prints left - here.

Friday 13 January 2012

'The Fishermen of Southwold II' set of prints

Here are the new Southwold fishermen prints as promised - available now in my shop. More details on the inspiration here.








Thursday 12 January 2012

'Kurt Vonnegut' illustration

As I mentioned on Tuesday I went a bit mental over Christmas but I did manage to do some black and white portraits of people what I like that I think are quite good renderings considering the near-breakdown they emerged from. Hmmm - too much information?

This is Kurt Vonnegut - I think he must've been using some deep nourishing volumising shampoo or some shit 'cos his hair has got BODY. Obviously not in the photo I was working from - that's what I've brought to the party. Again hmmm...

And with that I leave you with a nice Vonnegut quote. There are literally hundreds but this one is new to me and I'm hanging onto it for dear life right now. So dramatic.

"Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something"

I would add I don't think he was referring to those kooky types that make knitted owls and such.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

'The Fishermen of Southwold II' printing session

This morning I screen-printed a second set of Southwold fishermen using another three illustrations from last summer. It's not the most fascinating print session seeing as they are a relatively simple one colour print but they turned out well. This afternoon I'm going to apply some ink washes and they'll be available to buy from tomorrow.




Tuesday 10 January 2012

'The Seventh Seal' illustration

I went a bit mental not drawing over Christmas so I decided to do some black and white portraits in attempt to stay sane. I didn't stay especially sane but some of them look alright including this one of Max von Sydow in the Seventh Seal. I watched it for the first time just before Christmas - I can't say I was well keen on the idea but it's the masterpiece everyone says it is. I owe Paul Bommer a wee nod too for his stunning illustration in 'The Film One' (curently sold out but I'm just waiting on a new batch). He's promised to make some prints of the piece in the next few months and I'll be the first in the queue for one - watch this space.

Monday 9 January 2012

'Kuedo - Severant' illustration

Here's the finished cover version I did for the competition I ran just before Christmas. There's me thinking I'm gonna be reconstructing a Mo Wax classic for Anders when he throws a curve ball with a Planet Mu record I've never heard of. I used to know about Planet Mu records. Just saying.

Anyway this is a Kuedo record that came out last year. The cover was an illustration and I played it dead straight pretty much rendering the whole exercise pointless but then in music terms covers that don't differ from the original very much are utterly fucking pointless too so you know - I'm okay with it. But it looks good and I'm happy with the little bits of colour too. So what I'm basically saying is I'm Boyzone. When really I want to be Rotary Connection.

Friday 6 January 2012

'The Giant Blue Bear of Santa Cruz'

In the absence of new work here's another giant spirit bear of California left over from my sketch book.

Thursday 5 January 2012

Wolf People print on OMG Posters!

OMG Posters is the best resource for screen-prints and gig posters there is. And today Mitch has kindly endorsed my Wolf People print. I really should do more concert posters shouldn't I? Do you hear that promoters? Now form an orderly queue...

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Pictoplasma Paris monster

As promised here's my contribution to the Pictoplasma Paris exhibition. The best article I could find was this one featuring lots of pictures from the shows and also lots of beautiful Parisian girls mooching about looking all beautiful and sophisticated. Wish I'd gone now - I could've sat in the corner eating an entire multi-bag of Wotsits, drinking cheap lager and creeping them out.

The illustration was something I did dead quick one afternoon - stylistically it's sort of mine but I've managed to channel some ye olde (early naughties?) skate art too which I'm not especially pleased about. The colour version is a bit too clean. I prefer the black and white ink drawing which has mad clean line-work.

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Wolf People tour print available now

Happy New Year!

Right that's enough of the festivities now for the hard sell - the Wolf People print for their up-coming Leeds show is now available to buy in my shop here. And if you get the chance to go the gig you should because they seem to get better every time I see them and goodness knows I've seen them a quite a lot. Check their website for more tour dates.

I've got half of the print run to sell and the other half will be available on the night in Leeds.

Oh and I'm also having a low key sale in my shop - if you look closely you will find many of the prints are reduced in price for the next few weeks.