'Meet Me Under the Mistletoe'

December 23rd in Covent Graden, London.

The Covent Garden Christmas decorations this year (2015) were created by celebrated production designer Michael Howells, they are themed around, 

'Meet Me Under the Mistletoe' with the Market Building illuminated by more than 40 magnificent mistletoe chandeliers. Each ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 metres in size, and adorned with close to 700 glistening berries.

The Apple Market

Christmas Reflections

On the 23rd December I had a slight crazy moment and found my self walking down Long Acre, turning right at Covent Garden tube station, in to James Street, greeted by the festive swam of Christmas tourist shoppers. 

The voice in my head was shorting "What have you done. This is suicide"

I could have walked round the back streets and gone to the Moleskine store but I wanted to se the the decorations inside the market, and London's biggest hand-picked Christmas tree, decorated with red fairy lights and silver ball-balls.

Self portraits at Christmas 

The Tree in Covent Garden, Christmas 2015.

Scrap Book #4

Mirror mirror on the wall...

The reason I kept this image was I love the mirror. The oxygenation on the glass and frame... such a deep beauty in such and shallow reflection.

Scrap Book #3

Scrap Book #2

Paint used: Daler-Rowney, Acrylic Paints in Copper (imit) 230, and Ultramarine 123.

The picture dose not do the Ultramarine justest here as it makes it look more turquoise.

Scrap Book Page #1

Fashionary Traveler's Notebook Sketchbook.

Fashionary is a company that produce design sketchbooks for fashion/costume designers and students. As well as planners and notebooks that come with different cover colours and designs their range is simple, and stylish.
Each of the male and female figure sketchbooks has 32 pages of fashion dictionary and 130 pages of 400 barely visible figure templates, allowing you to use as many or little as you want.
I am not a fashion design, I did do costume design at school, and I wish I had had these then.
The paper in them are lovely to draw, write and paint on. They expensive yet worth the money.

In side the A5 sketchbook, some of the 'fashion dictionary' pages

For nearly a year I have been using a Traveler's Notebook for work, drawing and for my blogs and writing. I find them a grate size to carry around. On shopping trip to the London Graphic's Centre, I found their small section of the Fashionary books. On  of the items they had in stock was the Fashionary Panel for men and women.

These packs are the perfect size to fit in side of my traveler's notebook. Each panel is perforated so that you can detach each of the 72 figure templates, (there are 72 front/ back template and on the revers of each a side template).
My first idea was to carry some of these in my notebook and use as and when I wanted. Then I had a brain wave. Using two of each of the panels, I went round the faint out line of the figure so that I have back/front and side of both the women and man figure templates, and laminating them to make them a little more durable. Making it possible to put them under a page in my sketchbook and create my design, in my own sketchbook

All I need to do is to buy or make a craft folder so that they can be kept safely in my black Midori traveler's notebook, along with some blank panels. (The sketch above was done quick just to give you an idea. Not my best. Hope to be shearing better one's with you.)

I am currently using a plain notebook from paperchase, as the paper is thin enough to see the figure but thick enough to take pen, you could also use the Midori branded notebooks number 3, plain paper or number 13, the light weight paper. (check out the Journal Shop to see the books)

I also picked up their Neon lights set of three sketchbooks, these have 4 pages of information and 36pages female templates. the pocket size book measures 9cm by 16cm, a perfect fit for one of the ZLYC traveler's notebooks. Which I am very tempted to buy one.

Neon Lights set of 3 sketchbooks next to the A5 fashionary Sketchbook.

Both of the above journals are from ZLYC on Amazon.co.uk. The one on the right is their:

Handmade refillable leather travelers journals pencil case set of two in dark brown 

and the one on the left is:
Vintage handmade refillable leather traveler's blank pages journal diary Notepad. Notebook with Strap in dark brown. 

I can not decide weather to get on and if so which one...

My Theory Of The Crows Sketchbook.

At the beginning of the week I went to I went to the Natural History Museum, (London) Among the the photos that I took with my digital camera, (and on my 35mm film Olympus camera) I took four photos of the heads of crows in their Birds section (with in the Green Zone). A lot of this beautiful cabinets which are as old as the building were empty, as they were working on cleaning the displays. A little disappointed as the signs did not read:

“ We have flown south for our holidays”. 

It has to be about two years since I was last in there, and the Green Zone Which follows the planet's evolution, uncover the relationships between life forms and their environments. with exhibitions of rocks and minerals, creepy crawies birds, fossils, and mammals, which I could not help but notice how dusty the displays had become, which was a shame as it covered the colours of the animals. Making them look rather sorry and sad. But they are something you can't just clean with a Dyson hover. So looking at the freshly cleaned display with Lion, Leaped, and polar bead they looked like freshly brushed stuffed toys. I can not wait to go back and see the bird section once it is completed. All that currently remains during the cleaning are half a dozen small displays, On of which contains the crows heads, and wings and claws of other birds, an owl, the Humming birding case and some other small items.

The Humming Birds

It was not until I got home after I had put the photos on to my computer and when I was looking at posting one on Instagram that the idea came to mind to use one of the crows as my new avatar on Facebook, Tumblr and any where else I did it. Which I am kind of liking. It is plan and simple, I my play around with it a little more but for now it is the one at the top of this post.

The Crows

Artists Notes: Things To Come

Last year I filled up 17 sketchbooks, this year I have so far filled up 2 and I’m working on my third, apart from my photos from Venice I haven’t really done any. I have a film in my camera with about 9 frames left, which has been in there scene late March. You could say I have had a case of creative block (and writers block). I have a collection of unused sketchbooks on my shelf and loads of creative ideas, of things that I want to draw, paint, design and photograph.

• In my Camera I currently have a 35mm, 400 ISO, 36 exposure Lomography, Black and White Lady Grey film. And I have two of them in the fridge. I am thinking of doing a roll on street photograph. shop fronts, side streets, Graffiti. all in black and white printed as 5 x 6.

• Haven't done much polaroid photography, as the camera seems to be a little temperamental and keeps jamming, and resulting in me losing images.

• I have wanted to do this one since March, Its a sketchbook of drawings and water colours form my photos of Venice. this is to be in a A5 sketchbook.

• About a year ago I was listening to Now thats what I call music 35 on my iPod, and I was inspired by a song by The Light House Family, ‘Goodbuy heartbreak’ manly by the second verse: 

Do you remember as a girl,

You had a picture of the world

And you'd think about the great things you would find?

The thing is 9 to 5

And a struggle to survive

Ain't exactly what you had in mind.

But that's the beauty of life,

It takes a while to find,

And you can't have things your own way all the time

The idea for this one is in two of the lines ‘You had a picture of the world. And you'd think about the great things you would find?’ The sketchbook would have a would map, weather I’ll draw in it (or stick on in). 
When I was a child my aunt had this amazing atlas and I would copy the Islands and masses, labelling the capitals and the city’s. Looking back at it now i was her way of educating me and cousin while we were on the school holidays. But anyway, The pain is for me to have my own map of the would with drawings of buildings, flags, art from all over,

• 99 red balloons. we all know this one. I want to do a sketchbook which has a total of 99 red balloons in. It will be a mixed media, a combination of pencil sketches, water colour paint, and colour pencil.

• I have recently purchased a Midori Traveler’s Notebook, Which I want to carry on with my Lost sketchbook art.

• I have recently brought a selection of acrylic inks which I have just stared using to create more of my Lost Sketchbook art.

• #AntiArtJournal I got brought one of these from my secret santa, and I have only just got around to using it. I have also purchased a second one, as I complete pages I will start posting.

I’m still working on My little Book Of Skulls sketchbook. 
And Concept art which I have stuff to post. 
Also I still have my Fashionary sketchbooks to start using.
I also want to do some reviews on the sketchbooks I use and the film I’m using

All in all I enough to keep me busy for a go few months. But with the busy period fast approaching for work I will not be getting a huge amount done, but I will be using my sketchbook to escape the madness during my breaks and lunch time.

Stone Walls. Fantasy World Concept Art.

Artists Notes: Pens Paint and Paper.

In the past I used to get all 90% of all my art supplies from W H Smiths, I still do get a lot of my paper form them, but as there is not a Smith near were I live or work I have now stated to shop in Cass Art. Buying Moleskines and Leuchtturm sketchbooks.

For pens I normally go for Stardtler or Faber-Castell, which I have used since I was in college.

On my last shopping trip I picked up the Derwent line makers (nib; 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.8) and line painter pens (nib 0.5). Partly because they were a pound cheeper and the case looked cute. 

But they are great pens not much deferent to the Stardtler pens which I like.

The only thing that I find with all art pins is that as I am quite heavy handed, I ended up  wearing down the nib before the pen has worn put, there for I get through a lot of pens. So far the Faber-Castell pens have stood up to my hand, and it will be good to see if the Derwent pens do the same.

Looking forward to get into using these especially the line Painter's as I've never used any pen like this. 

Water Falls In My Moleskine.

I have moved in to moleskine sketchbooks. The paper dose not like all ink pens, but it dose like thin tip pens which is good for these drawings I have been doing.

Stomp Poster

The following designs are on A4 paper.

The back ground for this came from a privouse piece of art work  for painted glass. I used it in this as i reminded me of  part of the set where they attach random signs and things to use with in the performance.

Traveler's NoteBook

I have recently been using Traveler's Note books for work and blog planing and other stuff. My visual merchandising work book has a book with hyperdex in to track my day, along with todo lists.  But I found there was a lot of space at the bottom of the page so I found myself filling with my art.

I can't wait to put in more sketchbooks, I find these book note just inspiring to want to create, but there is something really nice about taking it out in a cafe dying my lunch to jot things down, or even on the shop floor.

If you would like to know more about My Traveler' NoteBooks please click HERE

Stock Room Folder.

The Blue stock room folder was looking a little dull and needed some artistic attention.

Why My Theory Of The Crows?

I have been asked a lot recently why I call my site ‘My Theory Of The Crows’. Along with my Instagram and Facebook, therefore I thought that I would put it in a post.
It goes back to 2000. My Collage (and high school) was on a huge piece of land which backed on to a wood and golf corse, and we were lucky enough to have a fair amount of trees on campus, which meant we had a lot of birds flying around, along with sea gulls .
During my second year of collage we discovered the we had a pair of crows living and nesting on sight.
Mind you I think it took us 2 or 3 months to decide if they were crows or ravens, but it turned out they were crows, by which point they had become a bit of a case study for me, and a small sketchbook become home to my drawings of the crows, 
They were pretty brave creatures as they would walk a long the balcony railings of the common room and study area, which were always full -with the windows open and at lot noise and antics- they would stand there and watch us, which was a little freaky, but it gave me time to draw them.
The book got called ‘As The Crows Flys’. Your’d be sitting their working, next you would be being watched by one of them. Sitting on the rail almost as if they were trying to work you out , for you to respond to them, if you banged on the window it would frighten them, they would just flap their wings.
As the summer faded in to autumn the two crows turned into a flock. A crowd of squawking birds, shouting at each other over everything and nothing 

When it came to me to set up my blog and page my favourite song by The National came to mind, ‘Theory of the crows’ and the lines 

“I need you to disprove 

My theory of the crows.”

“As The Crow fly’s” crossed my mind but “My Theory Of The Crows" caught my imagination.

Its all about word play. Anything thats makes me, that is encouraging my brain to be creative I like.

Yet it was the crowd of crows that made me want to have some kind of reference to crows or crow in the tittle.  It has crossed my mind to change it to 'My Theory Of The Crowds' But for me it represents people, portraits and figure drawings, which for me it was not what I want.

So, Why My Theory Of The Crows?

Crows and Ravens, in popular culture are meant to be mystical animals, some times referred to as the messengers or eyes of the devil. They are believed to remember people, and communicate between then selfs if someone has been kind to then (sounds a little crazy). and the legend that if the Ravens vanish from the the Tower of London the monarchy will fall.

Its the superstition and myths that surround these birds that fascinates me, the same as religious beliefs (more so the darker side of them-I'm talking devil, witchcraft, fallen angels,).

Every thing that I have posted on here is far from dark, and so far I have not posted any of my crows, something that I need to do. some of them have a little more of darker vibe, its my theory of what crows are and what they represent in the world, Past an present...

(Updated on the 31st of May 2016)

Fantasy Art. #5

Fantasy Concept Art. #4