this week in pictures

Little catchup...

       

eagle eyes

An eagle to add to the little series I've been working on ...

I believe it's only the third eagle I've ever drawn. Nobody asks much for eagles, it would seem.

They're not the cool kids on the block.

So that's a shame.

Below is the first eagle I drew. It was for a publisher in 2014 and they re-used him so many times (I signed a terrible contract. Don't ask) that we even gave him a name. Eddie. Cos we were VERY original.  

He has appeared in LOADS of kids books since then.

I didn't really think my style had changed much till I dug him out.

Poor Eddie looks really dated now... time to hang up his wings I think...

the popular kids

Bunny and Bear.
Probably the most 'popular' things I've been asked to draw during the last 20 years. 

Apart from bloody unicorns. Which are only believed to be popular. But really shouldn't be.

the autumn season...

Autumn...
My second favourite season when it's clear and crisp.
My third favourite season when it's dark, cold and rainy.
But my first favourite season for illustration. 

i'm cold

It's cold again ☹️

autumn in full swing

Might be time to turn the heating on folks!

autumn on hold

I'm absolutely loving that Autumn is on hold due to the late arrival of Summer.

We've just had the best weather week of the year.

Better late than never. 

Happy days!

random black birds

Drawing just for fun.

I've been very caught up lately in drawing stuff how other people want me to draw it. (People who are paying me to draw stuff. Stuff that will sell. To the masses.)

Then I've been drawing my own stuff how I think other people would want me to draw it. (People who I'd like to work with but who would probably not like the stuff I draw for the mass market people. Because it's too mass markety.)

And tbh I've lost my joy with it all. The recent drop in Instagram engagement hasn't helped. It makes me feel even more rubbish about the stuff I draw. Which is stupid, I know. But...

So anyway.

I started this blog in 2010 before Instagram even existed. I didn't care if nobody saw it. I didn't expect to catch the eye of someone I'd like to work with and I just drew what I wanted. I used to really love it. I drew for FUN.

I'm going back to that.

I'm gonna go back to drawing stuff that I like to draw, in the way I like to draw it. If people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. If they don't ever see it they won't ever know. Who cares?

Random birds I drew IN BED last night.

Cos I like to switch things up a bit now 😉

new news letter out now

Slightly lacking in news.

Lots of pictures though.

And, of course, weather chat.

OUT NOW here if you're interested...

hello september

New colours....

And new weather!!!

It's actually summer! It's 26 degrees today!

Better late than never, I say!

this was august...

The end of August usually means that Summer buggers off and the Autumn weather arrives overnight.

Not this year though.

This year it's been April since April and, apart from a week of sunshine in June, Summer gave the UK a strong swerve.

I feel cheated.

stuff I drew recently

Both kids are home.

The house is filled to capacity.

There are piles of their stuff EVERYWHERE.

I am a full time taxi driver.

And the washing machine is wondering what happened.

But it's so lovely having them home 😊

Stuff I managed to draw. Just for fun...

weather chat

My life must be really dull right now cos all I do is talk about the bloody weather. Which is shit right now. 😬

 

sun!

There's something in the sky in Yorkshire this week that we haven't seen for at least a month.

I've labelled it for anyone who's feeling confused.

You're welcome.

latest news

On Sunday we went to the coast and I had a seagull lesson. From Neil. The resident bird expert.

(They're not called seagulls FYI. They have other gull names.)

(This one's called Pete)

And yesterday was International Cat Day. 

I'm not that into cats myself. But I do seem to draw a lot of them. So I recycled a few and made a pattern. I expect the correct term is 'cattern'? 

Dunno? I'll ask Neil.