New blog!

My new blog is up and running – not finished yet, there’s still more to add, but I’ve made the first post today. After a false start, I’ve actually gone over to Typepad – I can do pretty much everything I want to with it, and it’s rather easier than setting up a WordPress blog with a host. So I’m sorry WordPress, I loved you, but we must part because I’m not a techie

Anyway, please come and say hello!

(I’m leaving this blog up though, as it’s an archive of my direct response drawings).

Plagiarism

I’ve just discovered that one of my favourite contemporary illustrators has had her work stolen and used by a young British designer by name of Samantha Beeston. Not only that but Beeston won an award for the work – but of course, it’s precisely because she won the award that she has been discovered – poetic justice, I think.

You can see Lauren Nassef’s extraordinary drawings here: http://www.laurennassef.com/

And some photos of Beeston with the stolen images here:

http://www.texprint.org.uk/2009/winners_2009.htm

http://www.newdesigners.com/page.cfm/Action=ExhibitorLibrary/LibraryID=3/ProductID=327/viewHiRes=_self/

I’m appalled that she did this and staggered that she thought she could get away with it.

Since copyright law applies regardless of whether one displays a copyright statement on one’s blog or not (or so I understand it anyway!) I have never displayed a statement, but clearly there are people out there who need constantly reminding that plagiarism is not only morally repugnant, it isTHEFT.

Persephone according to SuziBlu

Give yourself a treat – SuziBlu’s hilarious but salutary re-telling of the story of Persephone. Must see viewing for all girls (no matter how old) everywhere. You will see hats at first, then Suzi gives a little intro. It does take a while to load as the whole film is about 30 mins long, but it’s worth it!

London Trip

Looking at the Art

I went to London last week with my partner – we went to Tate Britain to have a look ak The Sleep of Arthur and there was also a drawing exhibition on. I fell in love with a drawing by Micheal Landy – it was of a 1960s sculpture by Tinguely made of junk and huge. I could have looked at it for hours. We went to the V&A afterwards – somewhere I’ve never been before, then on the London Eye, which made me feel a bit sick and then to Chinatown for a fabulous meal. A really lovely day. This drawing is of a group of people in the Tate – just a quick line drawing.

Barbeque

Went to a barbeque last night and did a few sketches. I ‘modified’ them – I did look at the paper occasionally.

Drawing with my eyes closed

How I feel

Self portrait with eyes closed & vertical lines

Circles

In order to liberate his drawing  from representational marks, Cy Twombly began drawing in the dark shortly after he left art school. I love Twombly’s work, it is so enigmatic and I feel, if I study it for long enough, I might be able to decipher his personal code. His huge, mysterious canvases really draw me in and move me – they seem to be strange communications from his soul directly to mine. He is the only abstract expressionist  I really relate to and I think it’s because his work is as much about drawing as painting,

I thought that I would try drawing in the dark – but I’m usually asleep, so I did  the next best thing and drew with my eyes closed. It was liberating and fun – definitely something else I want to explore further.

Continuous tone

Click for a better view.

No lines, just continuous tone. No plan – I did not know what I would draw I just let the marks be my guide. I started in the middle of the paper and worked out. I don’t think I’m going to analyse what I’ve drawn though!

Not looking at the paper

Blind contour drawing of a pepper in coloured pencil. Looks a bit strange as I had to increase the levels so you could see the drawing. I think I’ll be doing quite a lot of these.