Daily Sketch 31/01/2013 Belt Buckle

Daily Sketch 30/01/2013 Gill Sans

My favourite sans serif typeface designed by Eric Gill in 1926

Daily Sketch 29/01/2013 Iris

Daily Sketch 28/01/2013 Olive Oil Can

Daily Sketch 27/01/2013 Eye

Daily Sketch 26/01/2013 Newspaper, Scissors

I think you can probably see where I'm heading with this one.

Daily Sketch 25/01/2013 Door Knob

Daily Sketch 24/01/2013 Specs.

This one was inspired by a lovely little poem by John Hegley if you've not read his poetry before [where have you been?] do check him out.

Daily Sketch 23/01/2013 A-Z of Design

A real lucky find in Waterstones the other day was this little book 'The A to Z of Design' by Stephen Bayley & Terence Conran.

Daily Sketch 22/01/2013 - Whelk

I decided to use my little printing set again on this one, amazing how it miraculously turns a simple sketch into an illustration. I may be doing a set of these.

Daily Sketch 21/01/2013 - Jasmine

Daily Sketch 20/01/2013 - Trabant & Paintbrush

My lovely little model Trabant from Berlin, alongside a paintbrush in my studio.

Daily Sketch 19/01/2013 - Tea Towel

Just a pattern today, more or less. We use one of these everyday but rarely appreciate the design.

Daily Sketch 18/01/2013 - Orange Mug

Daily Sketch 17/01/2013 - Cornish Stones

Today's sketch of some stones we picked up from the beach at Crackinton Haven in Cornwall back in 2009... time flies!

Daily Sketch 16/01/2013 - Across 'Buzzen' Towards the Packing Shed

Snow & Frost Return To Mersea

Yesterday afternoon about 3.30pm we got a flurry of large cotton snowflakes which was much less than we had expected but enough to dust everywhere with white. Just up the road in Norwich where artistandtartist junior now resides the story was very different with the city being brought to a standstill by about eight inches of snow. It is however very cold during the daylight hours here by normal standards and colder at night.

This was the view from the house this morning so prompted by fine clear blue skies and sunshine I decided to head outside once more for my daily sketch.

A favourite spot of mine at the end of the beach looking across Besom fleet (or 'Buzzen' as it's more familiarly know by locals) towards Tollesbury. With cold fingers and watering eyes I made my sketch.

Daily Sketch 15/01/2013 - View Across Hove Creek

Daily Sketch 14/01/2013 - 1950's Jacket

Daily Sketch 13/01/2013 - Our House from the Studio

Daily Sketch 12/01/2012 - Birdhouse

As I was sketching this one I had an earworm by way of a bit of musical nostalgia... "blue canary in the alley by the lightswitch, who watches over you" etc. etc. Who remembers that little gem from They Might Be Giants? Slightly surreal and ever so catchy, the tartist and I used to have the album on cassette tape and almost wore it out, it was late eighties I'm guessing.

So in case you don't remember, or have never heard it here are They Might Be Giants with 'Birdhouse in your Soul' deep lyrical surrealist joy!

Daily Sketch 11/01/2013 - Doc. Martens

Daily Sketch 10/01/2013 - Garlic & Poison Bottle

Daily Sketch 09/01/2013 - View Towards Wigborough

Because there was no sketch yesterday I'm giving you a double dose today! In fact this was the first fine day for quite some time here on Mersea Island so I was afforded the luxury of a bit of sketching in the fresh air. I took myself off in the direction of the seawall in what became apparent were totally inappropriate shoes. The footpaths have been reduced to a quagmire with the recent rains and the tartist had driven off with my walking boots in the car, so I squished my way through the mud towards the Strood where a large flock of Brent Geese were gathered on the field just behind the seawall. Their constant cackling was a welcome bit of background accompaniment to my drawing.

Daily Sketch 07/01/2013 - Three Shells

Steal Like An Artist

I have been the lucky recipient of a marvellous little book entitled 'Steal Like an Artist' by Austin Kleon, a gift from my good friend and erstwhile fellow musician/artist/blogger Peter and have been itching to share some of the brilliant ideas and advice contained within. If you're a creative type (and maybe if even not ) I think you will do well to get hold of a copy, as this is the type of 'dip in and out' reference book that could become a very firm friend. Why? Well here are the ten titles of each chapter...
1) Steal like an artist. 2) Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. 3) Write the book you want to read. 4) Use your hands. 5) Side projects and hobbies are important 6) The secret: do good work and share it with people. 7) Geography is no longer our master. 8) Be nice. (the world is a small town.) 9) Be boring. (it's the only way to get work done.) 10) Creativity is subtraction.
That surely must have your appetite whetted. This little book is full of wisdom gathered from creative people from all walks of life ie:- "Be regularand orderly in your life so that you can be violent and original in your work" - Gustave Flaubert "We don't know where we get our ideas from. What we do know is that we do not get them from our laptops." - John Cleese and this one I love; "In the digital age, don't forget to use your digits!" - Lynda Barry. You get the flavour, I'm finding it very inspiring already and I strongly recommend it to you if like me you often find yourself in a creative cul-de-sac, or worse still up a certain creek... it may just unlock your creativity. Thanks again banksyboy for introducing me to this little gem.

Daily Sketch 06/01/2013 - Bathroom Tap

Daily Sketch 05/01/2013 - Cupcake

This is in fact a porcelain cupcake salt shaker from a novelty salt and pepper set we've had a couple of years. Purely on impulse I bought myself a little rubber stamp set a while back and wondered when I would get to use them.

Daily Sketch 04/01/2013 - Yo~Yo Box

Daily Sketch 03/01/2013 - Gigas Oyster

Daily Sketch 02/01/2013 - G and T?

A Daily Sketch for 2013

To kick things off in 2013 I've decided to proceed with the idea muted in my last post about making a sketch a day for a year. You can call it a new year's resolution if you wish, I'm calling it 'a daily sketch', for two reasons really, 1) because that is what it is, and 2) most new year's resolutions are hastily made in a boozy haze on new year's eve and often falter fairly soon afterwards. I've been pondering this a while and from what I can see from other people's daily painting and drawing projects it can be a really helpful and interesting exercise. We'll see.
From my own point of view, with limited studio time at the moment because of my commitment to our business I'm hoping that the somewhat monastic, regular 'drip, drip' of sketches will at least keep my eye in and at best open up some new ideas for larger works when the time will allow, so, happy new year friends, and here goes...