Heads And Faces

Husb and I went to a gig at the Arena in Swansea a few nights ago, I scribbled some random faces and heads in the interval. It’s good practice.

Sketchbook Archives: 56

Here are some old sketchbook scribbles, from March 2015 and it seems that I was out on the beach a lot, again. It must have been quite dry. I don’t mind going out and drawing when it’s cold, but I don’t want to be soaked.

A Slow Road To High Mountains

Way back in 2007 I was lucky to travel to Pakistan for a two-week visit with friends from Wales, Denmark and Pakistan. We travelled the country in a large minibus, taking in it’s extraordinary and varied geography. We spent a couple of days travelling to the Hunza region in the Karakoram Mountain range in the North East. The Mountains reach up to over 8,600 metres (28,000) feet but taking our time travelling along the often precarious road acclimatised us to the altitude. This is our first stop, Besham, which was beautiful but tragically some of the village had been destroyed in a recent earthquake.

View from my window, early morning, Besham, Pakistan.

When I came back home to Wales I created a full-colour monotype from my original sketchbook drawing. After travelling from Islamabad, through Abbotabad, we arrived in Besham at night in total darkness and when we woke up the next morning this fabulous view of the river and mountains greeted us.

Just A Quickie Or Two

I didn’t have my mojo with me this evening, or my spectacles, so I found the life drawing session quite difficult. For the last half hour I just made quick sketches of the other people there into my little A6 Indigo covered sketchbook with graphite.

Pakistan, Portraits And Recycling

Back in 2007, Husb and I went on a two week trip to Pakistan, travelling across the country with a motley group of companions in a large minibus. When I came back I did a lot of work based on that trip. I did this suite of 9 portraits, carved and printed from signwriter’s board offcuts; a recycled and cheap alternative to lino and vinyl.

Once Upon A Time…

Way back in 2007, Husb and I went on a two week trip to Pakistan, travelling across the country with a group of Welsh, Danish and Pakistani companions in a large minibus. It was truly magical. Here are a few of the sketchbook drawings I did when we were up in the mountains in the Hunza Valley, using Faber Castell Pitt drawing pens and watercolours. I can’t believe it was almost 20 years ago!!!!!! Where does the time go?

A Random Head

Just a random head in graphite into my Indigo-bound A6 sketchbook. I like the way he looks, he suited my scribbly style.

#Caturday Archives: 40

It’s #Caturday Saturday again and back in November 2015 I printed up some plywood that I had carved with some stylised images of my cat, Sparta Puss, climbing a net curtain. She threw some great shapes. I based the woodcut on sketches I had made.

Last Week To See…

It’s the last week to see the Queen Street Gallery Open Art show 2026. There’s so much excellent artwork there, as well as a gallery shop and lovely café right next to the gallery (Number 46). The gallery is just a few minutes walk from Neath railway station, which is on the mainline from London to Swansea.

I have a small linocut portrait in the exhibition. I did the original sketch during a life-drawing session at Swansea Print Workshop, and simplified and carved it into a block of traditional grey lino. I printed it with Cranfield Caligo Safewash black litho-relief ink onto a plain white postcard.

Sketchbook Archives: 55

Looking back at sketchbooks from February 2015 and I took a walk on the beach, visited a hospital and a couple of cafés, and hung out at an art gallery opening.

I’ll be running a weekend linocut course based on Dewi Bowen and Olwyn Pritchard’s book, “Hunting The Wild Megalith” on February 28th and March 1st at Swansea Print Workshop. Please click here to find out more.