Feeling Rock N Roll

Sometimes you just encapture a moment with a picture, and the picture tells a complete story that simplistically reflects that moment and place in time. A month travelling in West Coast America took me through towns, cities, desert, mountains, forests and to the coast. They merged in to each other with beauty and a feeling of hazy, lazy free days. This photo was shot in San Francisco and sums up the all American adventure with its rock n roll beat and bright vibes, laid back but making a very permanent mark.

My week...

It's been a busy (Christmas-free) week, with some determined efforts to get back in to normality and some sort of routine again. And this is what I've been up to:

• Worked on animal illustrations
• Developed self-inflicted creative block Find out more >
• Shelved a book project
• Started a new book project
• Sent myself back to (sketching) school
• Finalised a colour palette for my new book
• Got two lovely mentions in The Art Daily Take a look >
• Revisited going into labour (maybe) in baby business blog
• Posted a host of doodles in 'I did a doodle today' blog Check them out >
• Received my new supply of books to read (loads of them)
• Started Alison Moore's 'He Wants' (and almost finished)

 

Baby Business: Week 39, Overcoming all the bump challenges

Ready to have a baby. Tick

Well, my little girl did not listen to her mum and she is still firmly ensconced in her warm secret world. I guess I should have known really, after all she is very like me... and there is absolutely no telling me what to do or when to do it!

This week’s blog is a little later than normal as I have (according to the midwives) gone in to the very early stages of labour. Hold on – don’t get too excited! This actually occurred on Sunday afternoon, and here I am on Tuesday with nothing much more happening and apparently this could go on for a good few days. Ho hum.

Pregnancy has been all about adapting to the daily demands of our bumps and each of us mums-to-be dealing with our individual challenges. We grow (literally and metaphorically) and develop a whole new world that is less about meals out, shopping for handbags and going out for drinks, and more about buggies, expandable waistbands, food cravings and blood tests. How things change so dramatically in such a short time.

The last 8 months have been challenging in so many ways. I have been changing - my body has sprouted outwards (lost sight of my feet a while ago now), I have not had an alcoholic drink since I found out and I have worried about my business whilst continuing the drive to grow it. The baby business challenge has been exactly that – a challenge, but not one that has been insurmountable. It has been one that I have taken on with great joy and devotion.

As everyone has been telling me all through the pregnancy, having a baby changes you and your life in ways “you cannot image”, but you know what? I have already been going through it and love how things have changed, and I cannot wait to experience and encounter what is to come. This Friday is meant to be ‘d-day’, so bring on my new life...

In the meantime, my mum and friends have got me on a great distraction – cooking! Ensuring I have plenty of food in the house for all the visitors. Priorities hey!

On the ‘to do’ list:

Have a baby!   

Self Inflicted Creative Block

With a thousand ideas jamming up the tunnel in my head, my creative demon shouts out to stop. But quietly and persistently, with calm and enthusiasm, my creative angel urges me on. Do I stop or do I go on? Do I take a different turn or plough on head first?

I have hit creative block, or illustrator block to be more precise. I have put myself in a stupid cage of a (in hindsight) ridiculous time frame for completing my project and now I keep attacking it with near-on desperation. All my reason and process have quite frankly been tossed aside, discarded like unwanted wrapping paper after Christmas.

WAIT!!!!!
I AM one of the most organised people I know.
I AM capable of doing this.
I AM of sane mind.
I AM under no obligation to finish by my (blatantly preposterous) deadline.
I AM going to do something about this.

So that project now finds itself neatly obscured on my concepts shelf, tucked away between the-one-I-never-finished and the-one-I-am-too-scared-to-start. I have opened a new file, written down my new project title, concept and initial brain dumps and am happily going to walk away from my desk. My head is swimming, but not with manic demonic-angelic voices or irrational overload, but instead it's full of wondrous colours and characters that will again open up the creative, slighty bonkers, part of my brain.

Little additional note - I have also sent myself back to school with sketching tests... forgot how rusty I was! Check out the random attempts >

Bleak is beautiful

When you come across a windmill on a grey, slightly drizzly day, you don't automatically think 'how pretty, isn't it beautiful'.

However, hidden in the bleakness of the day, on the exposed hill amongst the scrub, lies something of strength and character, full of history and purpose. The sails may not have been turning, but the windmill stood out in its own glory.

Birkenhead, 2014

I did a doodle today, and yesterday, and the day before that...

Four days in and my new blog is ticking along nicely, with daily doodles taking a different form each day. It's a nice surprise when I sit down with my pad and pencil as I discover what has made its stamp on my day.

Take a look at swirly dancers, decadent cakes, a long drive and guessing the future. All fairly average days so far!

I did a doodle today... take a peek

I have even set up a Pinterest board to record all the doodles...
Check out the board here

I did a doodle today

 I'm excited this morning! Not because I am strangely hangover-free or that it is the start of a new and exciting year, but because I am launching (quietly!) my new blog 'I did a doodle today'.

Take a peek at my 'I did a doodle today' blog

I am going to keep a 'doodle diary' through a drawing, sketch or scribble illustrating something that has made an impression that day... Who knows what that may be as my days are always different and very often unexpected!

I hope you enjoy my new blog.