The Random Scribbler.

My family get dragooned into posing – Lucien Freud did the same, not that I’m putting myself into his illustrious category :). My young great niece spends Monday evenings after school with me and as we’re no longer allowed to send children down the mines or up chimneys I decided to get some use outContinue reading “The Random Scribbler.”

Skinning Up In The Sunshine.

Sometimes when you’re a scribbler you have to move quickly and have just seconds to get something down on paper. This happened to me today when I was exhibition-sitting at Elysium Gallery. I glanced through the window and saw this young couple sit down on the other side of the road, take tobacco, papers andContinue reading “Skinning Up In The Sunshine.”

Mucky Little Kid

When I was little, Swansea beach used to be packed all through the summer. there were no cheap package holidays and most people couldn’t afford to go away; a bus trip to Barry Island if you were lucky. So there’d be thousands of kids on the beach, changing into those funny little shirred swimsuits behindContinue reading “Mucky Little Kid”

Rhubarb And Compost

I spent a few hours in the garden this afternoon, potting up some peas, leeks and mange tout ready for the allotment and tidying up after the winter. We collected some large compost bins from Swansea Community Farm last summer, put two onto the allotment and kept one for the garden and I had aContinue reading “Rhubarb And Compost”

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.”

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.”

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”