An Early Morning Cat, The Eisteddfod and a brilliant floating office.

  Had to get up early yesterday and as I was lying in bed trying to convince myself that I needed to wake up [I’m not a morning person] I reached for my sketchbook and did some drawings of Ming the Merciless who was lolling around on the bed. She throws some great shapes.  Continue reading “An Early Morning Cat, The Eisteddfod and a brilliant floating office.”

An Ancient Castle, Shakespeare and a Secret Garden.

Every year our council puts on some outdoor performances of Shakespeare plays in front of Oystermouth Castle in Mumbles. It’s one of those semi-ruined Norman castles and is a spectacular backdrop to the plays. We went to see The Merchant of Venice. I’d done it in school but back then I’d never really understood howContinue reading “An Ancient Castle, Shakespeare and a Secret Garden.”

A hunky male model and electrocuting fleas.

  I fancied doing some life drawing but it wasn’t life drawing group night so I borrowed Melvyn’s childhood Action Man, set up a floodlight and posed the little chap on a stool while I did this ink drawing of him. Best model I ever had – didn’t move a muscle. He’s got really bigContinue reading “A hunky male model and electrocuting fleas.”

Ming the Merciless and Melvyn catching some zzzzzzzzzzeds

  Cats are not easy to draw when they’re awake because they move around so much, so most of my cat drawings are of sleeping kitties, which can get a bit boring, so I jump at the chance of getting a different angle. Ming has always adored Melvyn and he her and she often usesContinue reading “Ming the Merciless and Melvyn catching some zzzzzzzzzzeds”

Calico cat’s comfort zone

Sparta is our youngest of two tortoiseshell [calico] cats and typically loves her creature comforts. I’ve noticed over the decades of sharing my home and life with cats that there’s a hint of the ‘Princess and the Pea’ about them. They won’t settle for sleeping on a soft settee or bed if there’s a newspaper,Continue reading “Calico cat’s comfort zone”

Waspies, Steampunk and Drawing in the Dark

  Swansea Steampunk night happens at a very atmospheric Victorian club which has developed a patina of faded grandeur over the past 150 years or so. Once a month it’s taken over by strange people in spectacular costumes and weird accessories. It’s great to draw there because I normally work with professional nude models andContinue reading “Waspies, Steampunk and Drawing in the Dark”

A Big Bum and The Berlin Bundestag

Berlin, January 2010 and a group of artists from Swansea were traipsing around in two feet of snow when I did this unflattering drawing of Sandra during our guided tour of the Bundestag. Minus 15º C meant that we were all overdressed in lots of layers and although film and video are supposed to addContinue reading “A Big Bum and The Berlin Bundestag”

Guns, Castrati and my Best British Accent at the Met, NYC

Day two at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. We didn’t cover everything on Day one so we went back and by mid-afternoon we were both shattered. I sat on a bench and asked Melvyn to pose while I drew him. He promptly fell asleep but I carried on drawing. Then aContinue reading “Guns, Castrati and my Best British Accent at the Met, NYC”

This Is Spartaaaaaaaa!!!!!

Sparta is a small ‘Naughty Tortie’ cat [that’s calico cat in some parts of the world]. She was eight weeks old when she came to us about 18 months ago and one of her favourite pastimes was trashing our net curtains; running across the room at full speed, launching herself up as far as sheContinue reading “This Is Spartaaaaaaaa!!!!!”

A Stroppy Cat, Kathe Kollwitz in Berlin, The Best Apple Strudel Ever

  Just enough time for today’s quick blog after having a fight with a small furry cat over a flea comb. She won. Ouch!   We visited the Kathe Kollwitz museum during our Berlin trip. I’ve loved her work for many years and I think she’s one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.Continue reading “A Stroppy Cat, Kathe Kollwitz in Berlin, The Best Apple Strudel Ever”