Being CRATE ive

I found this image from a link on a friends blog. Have a look at the blog below there are more fun images. Don't you just wish you had come up with such an original idea... I do
http://www.thisblogrules.com/2010/03/huge-crate-man-invades-australia.html

Illustration Friday Linked

Not the most obvious link...a cat and baby birds leaving their nest.

I am always worried when birds nest in our garden because I have two cats.

Illustration Friday Dip

Ip Dip Dip my blue ship

sails on the water

like a cup and saucer

Ip Dip Dip

you're not IT

This illustration is a little bit different from my usual style, but I have enjoyed doing it

Sanding down sculpture

I took my idea for my sculpture from this illustration I created for the BBC Philharmonic Manchester.

I think it looks more like a snowman than a bird! but when it is off the base and maybe in a nest it might look ok

I have spent quite a few hours over Easter trying to get my sculpture smooth but have not succeeded. This is a learning curve as I think the cement was not mixed properly. The next one I make I will certainly be getting the finish a lot smoother before it begins to dry. I was thinking I could use the same tools I use when trying to get icing flat on a cake!

The eye of the bird has also not been as successful as I hoped because I did not use enough colour before it was fired. Although the idea of putting white plastic tubing through the middle of the sculpture so the light would shine through has worked well.

Cement Sculptures

What fun - a trough full of sand and cement and 3 mad women. Maria, Ann and I have spent several days making cement sculptures. We started off with wired polystyrene and secured them on bases and then the fun began. Polystyrene can have a strange effect as the video shows.

They are now at the drying out stage and we will have to spend days sanding them down.

I will post more photos when they are finished.

(Notice the packet of choc chip boosters, necessary requirement for sculptors)

Illustration Friday

Rescue is this week's topic for Illustration Friday.

One already in the pot - please rescue the other two.

Illustration Friday

I thought I might try entering Illustration Friday as it will give me a mini brief to work to each week. The topic this week is Brave and I thought a beach hut leaving the ranks to go snorkelling is very brave.

Nick Dewar

I was shocked to read that Nick Dewar had passed away in February. I loved his illustrations and the humour he used influenced my way of working. When I corresponded with him at college he was very generous in the time he spent replying to my questions.