Catching the Last few Rays

In Lachapelle Pearl catches the last of the sunshine before we return to London and its' weather. The pink flowers attract a species of moth which looks remarkably like a humming bird. The pool hoover makes intermittent sounds as it tries to remove wasp corpses from the surface of the water, Pearl has scooped out the worst and left them in a small pile at the waters edge.

A Struggle with Materials

In Lachapelle drawing a sunshade crafted out of coffee sacks by Angela. She has quite a way with tassels fashioned from sacking and the sunlight is very sharp on the rough fabric. I am however struggling with the choice of materials to communicate the texture, this battle is overshadowing the ability to recall anything else that is going on around me. I am conscious that the EE pencil lacks detail on the rough brown paper and so the drapery is looking very similar in tone to the background. Once again the solution lies with the white gel pen......Thanks Mitsubishi Pencil Co

Belligerent T Shirt in Auvillar

Staying in the beautiful and idyllic setting of Lachapelle, in rural Tarn et Garonne, on a trip into the nearby market town of Valens d'Agen with a short detour to the local LIDL, the aim is to find a delightful spot for le petit déjeuner. Valens is mainly shut and so we head for the lovely little hamlet of Auvillars. A place where on the previous visit, after settling at a table on the terrace of the main restaurant we were told they had "rien' for breakfast. On this occasion we head for the peaceful garden cafe where we are alone except for the "woman with mullet haircut" and her son, both of whom are eating burgers and chips for their breakfast. It is already very hot and while we wait for our sandwiches I begin to draw our fellow diners. The son of the woman with mullet alerts her to the fact she is being stared at. Since I left the Fens I have never been stared at in such a hard and intense fashion, she was totally "screwing me out". I knew not to pursue this drawing any further and moved on to the recently seated couple. She was wearing a very elaborate top with a most unusual sleeve design, he wore what was described by my friend Angela as a "belligerent tshirt"

The Small World of Animation

I am at a lecture on the Politics and Aesthetics of Animation, Simulation and Rendering. My approach to note taking is to draw the speakers- mainly because much of the research is rather complex (ie going over my head). Sitting to my right a chap comments on the drawings and during the break asks me if I am doing research, I mention that I am interested in mark making and whether it can help embed memory when used as note taking. He tells me about a recent conversation he has had about a project in a similar field that might be of interest to me. I tell him I have a blog and he asks the name of it, when I tell him he looks a little taken aback and says "oh it was you I was discussing" the person he was talking to was a mutual acquaintance.  The small world of animation.....

Almost a mallard massacre in Fulham

Bishops Palace has a very nice cafe. The garden attracts a certain type of Fulham resident. People at the table I am sharing are planning for the mothers trip to New Zealand whilst two toddlers chase a couple of fat mallards with sticks. Mothers come racing in to prevent mallard massacre in full view of gathered disapproving locals.

Sleepers on the tube....

It is a Pavlov's dog type reaction. I see them - I draw, unable to resist the urge to bring out my sketchbook when I see someone asleep on the tube.  This set are the result of one round trip to the Ideal Home Show in Earls Court. Awful Awful event but very fruitful in terms of sleepers. The show's only point of interest was discovering the "Spiralizer" a device with the specific purpose of making courgette spaghetti.
The man reading the Times was like a character from a sitcom, the lady with glasses never stirred for a moment. The elderly woman sitting next to me had no reserve and stared intently at every mark laid down. "Very good" she commented when she got off the train at Earls Court. The bald man  was drawn very quickly as he woke and was aware of my stare. The lady in shades was deeply asleep, I glanced away for the briefest moment as the train pulled in to Stockwell, I looked back and she was gone.

Revision table

Exam time again, my kitchen table carries the stains of many generations of revision. The table was originally in Kings College, it was saved from being thrown out and in the years since has seen two dissertations, reading record books, exam preparations and many many years of homework.  As well as many dinners with friends and family ....it is also my cats bed.