The Adventures Of Charlotte Khan..... book cover

It took an awful lot longer than I originally thought it would as I woefully miscalculated just how long 'doing the Hong Kong skyline' would take, but here is the approved cover for Julie's (Mulholland) new book. Actually the text hasn't been approved but I only put that on to show the general idea of the finished article. The book is called 'The adventures of Charlotte Khan.... Charlotte goes to Hong Kong' and will be the first of many episodes, knowing Julie's 'hot nib' prolificacy! I had word from her saying just how much she enjoyed the cover idea and it was exactly want she wanted. This bodes very well for future collaborations which I am hoping for, as Julie is one of those people with boundless energy and enthusiasm for life, and sunny temperament to boot. A lovely lady indeed. I do hope her book gets the break it deserves- and no, not just because I have a vested interest!

New website alert!

My husband is a very talented man. He has just completed a full blown, bells and whistles garnished professional photography website for me to house my ever growing collection of local scenes. I know I am biased, but I think it is a fantastic effort and it all looks professional, modern and easily navigable. A job well done indeed. This new site will run alongside my main art site which also has a more worldwide photography section, but as mentioned before the new website will house photos taken of places in the West Country, my inspirational stomping ground. Hence the name 'West Country Photographs'- a ' it does exactly what it says on the tin' style name! If anyone is interested in having a look here is the link

www.westcountryphotographs.com

As ever, all thoughts and comments will be gratefully received, and if any of you out there want your own website why not get in contact with Mike through here- he is very friendly as well as clever!

p.s. Thank you Peps for proof reading it all for us!

The Adventures Of Charlotte Khan.....

Not so long back in Blogland I posted a couple of cartoon-style illustrations for a new children's book by Julie Mulholland- the lady I had previously worked on book cover ideas for (The Iraqi, and Guns and Roses.) Well, to cut a long story short (can I hear a collective sigh of relief?) she has approved of the designs and sent them off to her publisher. I can show the rest off now without fear of hexing it all. I had an inordinate amount of fun doing these as illustrating a children's book is quite a way removed from my ordinary works; not only was it a liberating media to attempt, but whilst I was immersed in the drawings I kept reliving parts of my childhood long since forgotten... embarrassing moments at school, fun days out and copious amounts of daydreaming the weird and wonderful, all came flooding back. Further more I have been asked to do the book cover too, so it looks like I am gainfully employed in this game for a bit longer!

Another dog portrait...

This space is fast becoming a doggy blog! As promised here is the second of the two ladies I was commissioned to paint. I am so pleased with this one and how it turned out. Black is such a hard colour to get any life into but I've managed it well, I think. She wasn't a natural in front of the camera and kept putting her ears back whenever I moved the lens towards her, looking more like a sea lion than a dog. Luckily I have a good zoom, so managed to capture her unawares while she played. Now all I have to do is frame them up and hand them over- although I wouldn't mind keeping this one for posterity!

Dog portrait.....

Hot of the press a commission I have been working on of a beautiful young golden retriever. She is the palest one I have seen to date, with just a smattering of straw around her neck, ears and eyes. She has a friend too who will hopefully be gracing the blog in a day or two when I have finished her. She is the other end of the scale being a glossy, black labrador... I will certainly be tested on my contrast skills! It's been nice escaping away into my drawing of late- we have the roofers in at the moment doing what they do best, so this is proving a welcome distraction!

Ah.... but is it art?

The prodigal has returned! Apologies for lack of posts recently, but when a girl is busier than an umbrella firm during our summer, then you know something has to give. Alas, the blog 'bought it' for a while. I have had so much to say and show you all, but that was days ago and I have moved on from all the gossip of shows, commissions and wotnot now. If I don't write about things in the moment then I'm afraid it gets consigned to my erratic memory banks for eternity, while I concentrate on the new ( that's a round about way of saying there is only room in my head for one thing at a time! )

Seamless link alert... Ahem, 'talking of new' (did you like that? No visible joins hey?!) the photos I have posted above are the current creative bent that I have found myself engrossed in. I am most sincerely an avid photograph taker, and find great pleasure in lining up a view, setting a scene with light, capturing a split second of life, the finding the beauty in the natural etc, with my camera. I am quite a traditionalist as you have probably garnered from my art postings, so was pleasantly surprised that I found myself enjoying 'altering' and blending photos together, or just bending colours around to suit. The cynic in me says this is just another commercial route to keep the roof over my head but that is only 49% - the other 51% just loves to keep on creating in whatever way, shape or form it may take. I also still have all the associated memories of taking these pictures au natural, as well as the bonus of a sense of achievement by making something new. Whatever your views on altered art I would greatly appreciate your feedback about the photos- and it's o.k. as I am after all, a big girl now!

Bradford on Avon work in process

(Silent scream.) This painting still needs a large amount of work doing to it.... and I have to give it in midweek. Guess who'll be painting through the night again then? I think a small ripple of applause for the person who came up with fast drying oil paints. The paints caught me off guard to start with (...easily done...) with the drying times. They act like a slow acrylic, and areas were setting before I had a chance to 'do my thing' which was quite unnerving. I don't like to be rushed at some things but I have struck up a working relationship with the little tubes of life-saving now. Hurrah.

O.K. What have I done? Somebody please put me out of my misery. How did I get this underlining to happen.... and more importantly, how do I turn it off?! I have looked through all my blog tabs etc and still no clue, so is it something I have touched on my 'puter? There are going to be so many people thinking ' surely she is having a Steffi- everyone knows about underlining!' But I genuinely don't. I know other things instead... like guinea pigs have only three toes on their back feet, and not four like the front ones. Stuff like that. Stuff of no particular value really. Well, unless you're a guinea pig trying to find some well-fitting Jimmy Choo's. As a thank you for showing up my disgraceful secretarial skills I will send out a Butterfly print to the first person to put me right- but there are two conditions...

1. The answer has to be on the blog here and not the Facebook copy feed,

2. There must be no alluding to the undeniable fact I am a bit of an eejit.

There. Fancy helping a lass out and getting a free bit of art to boot? I'll sort posting via email to the clever and quick.

Mm. Just had a terrible thought. What if this blip doesn't show up on posting. If this happens I'll switch to plan B- could you kindly disregard the second part of my posting please!!!! I'm going to push the publish button now.... here goes