Thursday 25 November 2010

On the way home

Spotted this on my dash home last night. Great drawing, but did find a bit creepy.

Friday 19 November 2010

Wear more orange, please!

Was so pleased when this guy came in and sat right in front of me, in this fantastic tangerine coloured hoody. Before he arrived, was scanning around the cafe and everyone was wearing such drab colours! The coffee shop was a sea of understated black and grey neutrals, which may be easy to match, but that monochrome mob was so visually monotonous.

I find that lack of colour so depressing, particularly in the winter when we're all battling with lack of daylight too. Am becoming more convinced that a splash of colour does elevate your mood. No science here, just purely personal observation. When winter arrives I can guarantee I'll watching films like Frida and searching out books based in hot countries.



And then, after Mr Orange... an absolute gift! One of the most amazing quiffs AND a rockabilly jacket. Life is sweet after all....

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Dark evenings = knitting evenings in our house

The one saving grace of the dark winter evenings, for me, is my knitting and crochet emerge again.



I have only learnt to do both fairly recently, but my mother is a master knitter, who can read newspapers or watch telly without every looking at her needles or knitting. I have to check off every row completed, whereas decades of knitting seem to have left her with a natural ability to keep track of the most complicated pattern repeats without even trying. I can only aspire to that!

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Drawing in the rain

Well...actually mainly drawing in a range of cafes in Brighton and Hove, as the weather has been so wet. Have also had a visitor staying, so that is an even better excuse to visit more cafes!

I loved her specs, like Thelma off Scooby Do

"I am trying to read the paper...."

This couple were from a band, I think. They were wearing the most fantastic 40s/50s vintage clothes and were absolutely engrossed in animated chat, while sipping their huge teapot full of lapsang souchong tea.



This is the same couple. The chap's head and hat are rather strange in this drawing, but I love it more for that. May use as the basis for another idea I have brewing.

 This traditional tea shop with the bunting and plates on the wall is in Hove and is called Ethel's Kitchen, on Blatchington Road. Looked like they made fantastic breakfasts and packed with locals, as well as being near the several charity shops on George Street, which are always great for poking around. Managed to pick up some lovely fine wool for 50p a ball.



This final drawing was this was done in the office where I work part time. All the systems were down, so had a few mins for a quick sketch . You can just see my co-worker, Fi's head over the top of the partition.

Friday 12 November 2010

More hot chocolate please!


Have been carrying on with my little and often drawing (inspired by Michael Nobbs fun ebook that you can see in the background) whenever I have a free mo. This one was while I was waiting for a friend - fun to see all the different legs and footwear queuing up for hot drinks. Was hoping for some patterned wellies, but none came in, despite the lashing rain that day.

If the weather is bad this weekend, may repeat the process. Particularly as the hot chocolate in this Brighton cafe, Red Roaster on St James Street, is spectacular. Is thick, velvety, gooey chocolatey gorgeousness in a cup!

Personally, has been a tricky week. Like an ill wind blew through our house and while nothing major has gone wrong (fingers crossed), we've had a steady series of disasters everyday. Some include my computer and scanner, so hope to resolve this weekend and post more drawings next week.

Hope you enjoy a great weekend!

Monday 8 November 2010

Moving furniture

We have been busy clearing a relative's house of furniture and belongings. Has been a strange process to go through. All those cherished items that have been regularly polished and protected for years, are suddenly without a purpose and they change almost overnight, into being a burden rather than a prized asset. If we had an enormous rambling house, we would have kept more, but as it is, most of it has now found new homes.

Drew this while I was squashed in the back of the car, between a chair and trunk, hoping we wouldn't be stopped for overloading.



And as time has been rather skinny, I have just being doing odd drawings here and there, still working on the basis that doing a little regularly is worthwhile. So no overall theme to the next drawings, just pieces done over last few days.

Kitchen table (I do love a tablecloth, even though am sure that is horrifically old fashioned)



Sitting on the sofa, hiding behind a scarf



Coffee shop lady talking seriously about plastic surgery.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

The train is very bumpy and the sky very blue

When I was commuting everyday, I didn't particularly enjoy the train journey of 2 hours + everyday. Now the train is more of a treat - bit of time to read, draw, listen to a podcast, gaze out the window.


I like these small moleskine drawings for their bumpy wiggliness and their skewed perspective. More genuine to the Southern trains experience!


Tuesday 2 November 2010

Looking up


As the short days have arrived here with the change in hour, I am making a point of looking up. Particularly when I am usually on autopilot. It makes me feel more energised and I notice and appreciate all sorts of everyday details I have missed for months, things like the tiles on a building and the fallen autumn leaves.

The first drawing is a street corner on my walk to work. I never noticed just how many chimney pots there were before. Dozens! And they are mainly the original, tall Victorian ones.



The next drawing is a small terraced street which has the most spectacular telegraph pole, with loads of telephone wires spiralling out to all the houses, slicing the sky into segments. Fantastic!

And I have passed both of these places for months without really seeing them properly before. A good case for looking up a more, I think.