A Bit Like New York?

Yesterday was the official opening of the new Elysium Artists’ Studios on Mansel Street. We’ve all been working on the building for the past couple of weeks to get it ready for the public and I did my best to tidy up my own studio and get work up onto the walls. It was goodContinue reading “A Bit Like New York?”

Open Studios Coming Up.

  Getting into some serious drawing lately, using fairly large discarded prints because the paper is good quality, usually Somerset or Bockingford, along with charcoal, compressed charcoal, chalk and transparent oil bar. I worked up this large [A1] drawing from a tiny life drawing in my sketchbook. I covered the paper with loads of randomContinue reading “Open Studios Coming Up.”

Chooks At The Vetch.

Had a nice diversion this afternoon after picking up my niece for babysitting. We went down to The Vetch Field, Swansea’s old soccer ground in the city centre, which has now been cleared and turned into allotments. There are chickens there too and the sprog and I spent an hour with sketchbooks, charcoal and pastelsContinue reading “Chooks At The Vetch.”

A Comb-over In Tenby.

Had a busy day today visiting Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire with an old friend. It was a glorious day and after stopping off in Pontyates, Carmarthen and Narbeth, we ended up in Tenby, walking along the lovely beaches and strolling through the old town, which is partly Medaeval, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian. We stopped for aContinue reading “A Comb-over In Tenby.”

The Furry Face Of Evil!

  Sparta Puss here. I’ve snuck onto the computing box while no-one’s looking. I’m a feline goddess and I share my life with another feline goddess called Ming The Merciless and two fur-less monkeys who serve us. The monkeys are strange creatures but quite entertaining. Do you know, they clean themselves by immersing themselves inContinue reading “The Furry Face Of Evil!”

In The Footsteps Of Marco Polo.

I travelled around Pakistan about five years ago in a bus with a handful of other artists from Wales, some Pakistani friends and a sizeable group of Vikings. It was wonderful and it was the first time I had made a real effort to use a travel sketchbook instead of  taking photos. I’d had aContinue reading “In The Footsteps Of Marco Polo.”

Little Orange Kitty

  Mostly I work with human figures but now and again, for a bit of light relief I use animals as my subjects, usually cats because they have enslaved me and I get plenty of practice drawing them. This is a small lino block print I did of Sparta. It’s a reduction block print, aContinue reading “Little Orange Kitty”

An Assyrian Kneecap

  So this is my last sketch from my trip to London last week. When I’m in the British Museum I like to wander around and just happen on stuff. I was having a good look around the Egyptian section and turned a corner and discovered The Assyrian stone friezes. Totally mind-blowing. Such beautiful andContinue reading “An Assyrian Kneecap”

Spying and Scribbling

Here are some more sketches from my London trip earlier in the week. I had a great afternoon at The British Museum, but tramping round galleries is really tiring. I know, people will be thinking, “Yeah. What a wimp. Try some real work!” 😉 But you’re on your feet for hours, pacing and looking atContinue reading “Spying and Scribbling”

Masks At The Museum

  Had a quickie visit to London earlier this week and spend an afternoon at one of my favourite places on the planet, The British Museum. Oh Joy! I’ve visited many times and still haven’t seen it all. What to choose? Where to go? I started off in the African section, downstairs. Beautiful. Exquisite art,Continue reading “Masks At The Museum”