IF. Hatch

Here’s a Christmas card I’ve illustrated for my niece. She and Floppy (her sleeping companion) ‘hatching’ plans while asleep to make Christmas perfectly pink this year.

Apologies for the very tenuous link to this weeks theme, Christmas preparations have taken over but I was determined to post something.

If I don’t get chance to post again before the big day, a heartfelt thanks to everyone of you talented and inspirational folks who takes the time to visit and comment, I wish you and yours a Happy Christmas and all the best for the coming year.

Cheers!

IF. Crunchy

As the big day draws closer thoughts turn to Christmas dinner.
Turkey with all the trimmings, roast potatoes, stuffing, chipolatas and most importantly veg with a bit of bite.

Mmmm…crunchy carrots!

IF. Entangled

It’s that time again.

Tree…check!
Baubles…check!
Lights……aaarrrghhhhh!

No matter how carefully they’re packed away somehow, in the intervening 353 days they have once again become a virtually unfathomable mess of cable and bulbs?!

It’s become our favourite pre-Christmas game.

IF. Music

True…though sometimes it takes a little bit more.

IF. Blur

These energy saving bulbs just arn’t bright enough!
There’s something wrong with this screen!
This is really poorly printed!
This type’s too small!

It’s no good, I’m running out of excuses.
Years spent hunched over a pad with pen, pencil, paint brush and marker followed by more years staring at a monitor for hours on end have finally taken their toll, time has caught up with me.
I NEED TO WEAR MY GLASSES!!!

IF. Skinny

Skinny jeans, skinny T’s…Huge mistake! It’s all got to go somewhere.

IF. Germs

I’VE GOT PLENTY!!!!


First (and hopefully last) cold of the year has laid me low so stand well back from your screen people, it’s a stinker.

IF. Pattern

Too much?

LINSEYS’S BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Linsey,
Happy Birthday tooo yooooo!



She really is my star.

IF. Shaky

A fantastic effort in the ‘Race for Life’ last weekend by Lins and Mel, raising nearly £500 so far for Cancer Research. I think a night out on the town with Mr Shaky would be well deserved!
WELL DONE GIRLS!

Craving 2

Some time on my hands so here’s another.

IF. Craving

Shooooes!

My sister-in-law is getting married in January.
Venue…booked. Wedding Dress…bought. Bridesmaid dresses…sorted. So Linsey’s hunt for shoes has begun!

IF.Contagious

Infected, contaminated, smitten…LOVE!
Illness, disease, colds, germs…BUGS!


I made the printing blocks from rubbers cut with a scalpel and a lino cutting tool (spot the mistake), printed, scanned and colours manipulated in Photoshop…


… Messy but good fun!

IF. Parade

Inept fat cat bankers, money grabbing politicians, terrifying pandemic scares and grotty weather…but we keep smiling!

IF. Hierarchy

Spring has well and truly sprung and with it comes a TV program here in the UK called ‘Springwatch’.
A peek into the world of our native wild life via hidden cameras and patient cameramen, creating a compelling nightly life and death drama. Watching newly hatched chicks establishing an often all too real ‘pecking order’ can be quite traumatic, there’s no interference from the film makers, real hierarchies are established and often nature runs its unsentimental course. I’m no outdoors man but Linsey and I have become hooked!

Brush and ink line work coloured up in Photoshop.

IF. Theatre

So much pressure on us all these days to be characters we are not.
For every ‘nip and tuck’ there the risk of ending ‘six feet under’.
Tubby or not tubby? That’s the question!


Hand drawn with dip pen and ink then coloured up in Photoshop.

Spring!

Took a quick shot of a daffodil as I’m just waiting for some paint to dry on my mothers day gift on a perfect early spring day.

IF. Legendary

A legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in ’56, seen by nearly 60 million people and a legend was born…even if it was only from the waist up!


I’m not a fan but found myself drawn to the image of Elvis, as contemporary legendary figures go he’s pretty hard to ignore.

IF. Intricate

This is an pen sketch I did just after I’d left work. I was feeling the need to draw something as I hadn’t sat and drawn anything like this since collage in the early 80’s.

IF. Intricate

…more by default than by design?

Whilst away on her trip to Canada, Linsey and her colleagues went ice skating. She tells me she was a natural, performing intricate, pre-determined moves with consummate ease…I have my doubts.

IF. Intricate

Got the word for the week. The tub cocktail sticks I’d used to do the dots on ‘Breezy 2’ were sitting in front of me so I snapped some quick shots. I thought from above they looked fairly intricate.

IF. Breezy 2

BRIGHT AND BREEZY
This was another image I had in mind for breezy and with a little time on my hands I thought I’d dig out the acrylics (which I don’t do as often as I should) and get it down.



Style wise it’s an homage to James Caraway who’s illustrations are always an inspiration.

IF. Breezy

Spring is in the h-air!

IF. Instinct

Thoughts sprang to our friends Mel and Nige, their three cats and stories of carnage and torture visited on the local wild and on one occasion, not so wildlife!!

Domestic they maybe but inside each lurks the spirit of their wild ancestors.

Time…poor.

Well bang goes that resolution!

With an enquiry about some work and Linsey’s trip to Canada I ran out of the aforementioned and did’nt get this uploaded last week. I am determined to get back on track though for this week.

IF. Flawed

The best laid plans…


Don’t know why, it was just an image that got in my head and wouldn’t go away.

IF. Climbing

In just over a fortnight Linsey takes off on her trip to Canada!

She is very excited and just a little nervous (I’m just jealous). It’s no secret, she‘s not the best flyer so a trip across the Atlantic without my hand to hold/crush is a real test. The hardest part will be climbing on the big bird and waiting to get in the air but after a couple of glasses of something red I’m sure she’ll be fine. So if anybody in Montreal spots a group of chilly looking teachers from England out and about from the 14th of Feb say Hello.

IF. Pale

…imitation!

Contained

After two days of trying to get my Internet connection back up and running (including over two hours on hold!!).....BARELY!!!!!



Had a very relaxed Christmas and new year and finally dragged myself away from the fire, TV and sofa but not quite in time to get this finished for last week so here’s my Resolve offering as well.



Hope everyone had a good break and all the very best for 2009.