Thursday, 26 November 2009
On display in N16
Not really - that's not my style. I have, however, just taken one of my pictures over to hang on the walls of London(the World?)'s finest patisserie, Belle Epoque (37 Newington Green
London N16 9PR) map. There will be one or two more there soon - I'll keep you updated when this is the case.
Even if you're not interested in my pictures, it's well worth going there as they make a darn good mocha. And the chocolate almond croissants are amazing. And the cakes...and...just try everything.
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Monday, 2 November 2009
Amazing Feet

Amazing feet, 2009
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Sunday, 11 October 2009
'She Laughs' at Nexus Art Cafe, Manchester
Thanks to those who came to the opening night on 11 September, and to the folks at Nexus who put the whole thing together.

'She Laughs', Nexus Art Cafe (exterior)*
'She Laughs', Nexus Art Cafe (interior)
*photo taken by 'big bozo'!
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Micro in Japan


'She Laughs' at Nexus Art Cafe, Manchester

SHE LAUGHS 11th September – 21st October 2009
Opening Friday 11th September 7 – 9 with performance
What does humour do, what does it say or can it simply function as something to be enjoyed?
Nexus is constantly changing & developing the ways in which it approaches visual art. Not being a ‘white cube’ adds a number of things to the work that is shown in the space & this exhibition, designed by Liz Gaunt & Dylan Thomas takes that forward in its installation. This space has been transformed as a heightened reflection of its Northern Quarter surroundings. There are many visual references to the shabby chic vintage shops & record stores all around making this exhibition something familiar. The visitors to this show know how to flick through records & are welcome to use the same action with the 12’ mounted pieces. Like there rest of the northern quarter enjoying the comfort of nostalgia, rummaging through like old records, absorbing their images the way you might next door or across the road.'
Monday, 31 August 2009
Exhibitionist
(I'll update this blog should I hear any additional details)
Not quite as shockingly bad iPhone art #2

Another attempt at drawing using the iPhone app 'Brushes'. Animation of it being drawn here. (and previous attempt here)
This is a pretty awful attempt from memory at drawing Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, having seen him at the Ghibli Museum, Tokyo.
I'm glad to see that the Brushes app was updated the other day with the introduction of layers, which means it'll be much easier to use, but I'll now have even less of an excuse if the next picture I draw with it is shockingly bad.
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Drawing on the back of a bus

Thursday, 2 July 2009
Antifreeze / Trade City

I'm taking part in Manchester's first 'art car boot sale', Antifreeze, this Saturday (4 July 2009), as part of Trade City and the Manchester International Festival. If you're quick, you should be able to pick up one of my masterpieces for £1 or £2 at the 'She Laughs' stand (organised by Nexus Art Cafe).
Unfortunately I won't be able to make it up there, so please take a photo of the stand for me if you do go!
Saturday 4th July 2009
12-7pm
Free entry
CHIPS Building, Upper Kirby Street, off Old Mill Street, New Islington, Manchester, M4 6EB
http://www.multimap.com/s/M7wfs331
Further details, including directions:
http://www.citylife.co.uk/arts/news/13628_antifreeze__the_alternative_art_car_boot_sale
http://antifreeze2009.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Life Drawing
Monday, 22 June 2009
Friday, 19 June 2009
Kuniyoshi

Kuniyoshi woman, black and white, 2009

Kuniyoshi woman, colour, 2009
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Illustreeous
I've photoshopped these images to clean them up a bit post-scanning, but quite liked the paper image of the second one, so I've left that relatively untouched.

Illustreeous 1, 2008

Illustreeous 2, 2008

Illustreeous 3, 2008

Illustreeous 4, 2008
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Shockingly bad iPhone art #1

Lozenge of Love, 2009
It's not easy drawing on such a tiny screen, although Brushes makes it easier than you'd think by allowing you to zoom in by 800%, and my favourite function is that of 'undo', which is probably the one I've been using the most. It doesn't have layers, which I've become accustomed to using in every other piece of graphics software, so drawing (painting?) something requires quite a different thought process. Namely, having to start with the background and work upwards. Much like a real painter might, I suppose.
I've just figured out that Brushes stores every brush stroke you produce, so you can get it to produce a video of the creation of the drawing. Pretty clever!
Not the greatest image I've ever produced, or subject matter (it was 1am, I was in bed and just grabbed something nearby to draw), but a worthy experiment and I'll possibly add some more 'Shockingly bad iPhone art' using Brushes in the near future. It would probably look cool with the New Yorker logo at the top, if anyone from that particular publication wants to run an add for a popular sore throat lozenge brand, using the latest technology?
P.S. this blog is not sponsored by Brushes, Strepsils or Apple. If anyone from those companies is reading this, I'm willing to accept your cash provided you can convince the other two companies to do the same, in the interests of fairness for all parties.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Le Marche Des Enfants Rouges - Finished version
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Le Marche des Enfants Rouges
She came back with a falafel sandwich.
I may add a bit of colour to this drawing at some point if I remember.

Le Marche des Enfants Rouges, 2009
Monday, 20 April 2009
A top tip if you're heading there soon is to visit the Rodin museum, avoiding the museum itself (which was about 8 euros to see) and just heading to the garden, which was only 1 euro and contained some amazing sculptures. One of which was a little old thing called 'Le Pensuer' ('The Thinker', to you and I). I spent 20 minutes trying to draw it and messed it up (particularly the head) due to the pressure of too many people looking at what I was doing.
Interesting that there seemed to be three stock reactions to seeing one of the world's most famous sculptures:
1) To reenact the pose for a photograph
2) Complete indifference (mainly seen amongst younger people)
3) To say "Ah...Le Penseur!" in a wise and knowing voice (seen exclusively amongst Dads)

Le Penseur
Monday, 30 March 2009
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
I'm Only Sleeping - available as a limited edition print
The print is A2 in size, and comes on fine art paper. Edition of 40, £150 each (not including postage & packing). If you'd like to purchase one, please contact me on: info (at) microsketch (dot) com.
I'm pleased to be able to display photos of this print without the clichéd use of bulldog clips or people holding them up.

I'm Only Sleeping, 2009

I'm Only Sleeping, 2009
Monday, 9 February 2009
Monday, 2 February 2009
Blanket Coverage

Blanket Coverage, 2009
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Bathroom
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Stoke Newington School flyer
Monday, 8 December 2008
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
That Sinking Feeling
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Seizure - Roger Hiorns
The flat itself had been almost entirely stripped, save for a bathtub and some lightbulbs, none of which escaped the crystallisation process. The bulbs look particularly interesting as they still function, and in some areas the heat of the bulbs has burnt the adjacent crystals to a chalky white colour.
I recommend visiting this fun and atmospheric exhibition (I believe it's been extended to 30 Nov), and they lend you gloves and wellies so that you don't stab yourself on anything. Just make sure you don't spend ages taking photos of one of the lightbulbs, only to bash your head on it the second you move away.
Below are a few of my photos, along with a drawing I've messed around with.

Seizure 1

Seizure 2

Seizure 3

Close-up of one of the walls

One of the cystallised lightbulbs

Walls and lightbulbs covered in copper sulphate crystals
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Monday, 6 October 2008
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Music Mayhem and Monsters
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Friday, 12 September 2008
New animation: Sandbag

If you happen to be reading the Guardian or listening to Radio 4 tomorrow (Sat 13 Sept) you may well see/hear mention of them.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Conspiracy theory corner
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
I'm Only Sleeping
Friday, 30 May 2008
London Plane 2
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
W.C. (Weird Commission)

* A lie. I was actually asked to draw it, but then the joke doesn't work.
** Another lie. It's taken me about a year to get round to doing this.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Monday, 21 April 2008
Self portrait
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Easel
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Newton
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
San Francisco
Monday, 25 February 2008
Life Drawing: Maggie

Maggie
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Hampstead Heath
On my way out, I spotted some very interesting trees (no idea what they were - probably something really obvious like oaks), and took lots of photos of them. This drawing was done from one such photo. What really looked odd about them was that the little balls (conkers? I don't know) were hanging from branches that had created almost perfect right-angles. These shapes seemed to go against the otherwise typically organic shapes you would expect from a tree.
TREE UPDATE: It sounds like this is a 'London plane' (thanks Jeff)

London plane
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Dodgy weeds in the Netherlands
Interesting(?) fact: if you visit Amsterdam in April, when all the tulips are out, thinking that some tulip bulbs (as sold by almost every market stall) would make a nice present...STOP! For the precise reason that it's the very time of year that tulips are looking their best, the bulbs you're buying won't do anything. Otherwise they'd already be...tulips! (fact garnered from the Tulip Museum, which explained why they had bulbs for every flower other than tulips on sale. I just thought they were really stupid.)
If anyone knows what this plant is, I'd be interested to know. Hint: I had completely forgotten what colours it really was by the time I coloured it.
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Media Tedia
British Museum Artifacts
Friday, 1 February 2008
Amsterdam

Bridge 124
(While I was drawing this one, a bird pooed on me. Presumably it was wishing me luck )

Store

Apart
Thursday, 31 January 2008
UVA / UVB
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
Furcateboard

Furcateboard, 2005

Furcateboard (detail), 2005
Women and Nanotechnology
Wilde Thing

Wilde Thing
Hirst in Reverse

Hirst in Reverse
Mycro

Mycro
Blue Hotel

Blue Hotel
Pecked
Three Men in a Boat
I kept an illustrated diary of the trip, and have included some work-in-progress sections here (I plan at some point in the next half-century to colour them all and generally tidy everything up).

'Clare'

Sample pages showing preparation for the trip

James, one of the other men, and an elaborate contraption used simultaneously to provide illumination and to dry trunks







































