I Want This Blouse, So I Drew It. Image Used For Reference (a Rarity!) So Definitely Maybe Don't View

new ways of living (i)

the looking for trouble exhibition - mentioned in my last post - opened in nottingham today. at long last (& it really has felt like forever) i can post some new work online.

i produced a small body of work for the show, collectively titled new ways of living; the pieces are an illustrated exploration into the notion of simplicity in modern life. a hint at how convoluted things can get & perhaps a reminder to step back & evaluate. or something like that.

above is a piece titled haircut, an edition of twelve (because at the time of drawing it'd been twelve months since my last haircut) giclée prints. i'll be posting the rest of the work over this coming week.

hands up if you like free stuff! it's been three whole years since i've had a giveaway, so i thought i'd have a shot at doing one on this here blog. to be in with a chance of winning the little package of goods above (a giclée print, lino print & badge), just leave a comment on this post saying hello plus a way for me to get in touch (twitter/email etc) if you win. i know tumblr as a rule is pretty into its re-blogging & likes, but i miss the good ol' days when blogs were for commenting on (y'know, like in 2010) . i'll pick a winner at random on sun 6 october. good luck! EDIT: giveaway closed! thanks for all the entries. will be in touch with the winner soon.

a lucky white rabbit with a little golden tail.

something from last week. p.s. giveaway!

new year

a slightly belated happy new year! this little blog has lacked updates over the past few weeks for various reasons (working, living in two places, festivities, getting tinnitus) but i feel it in my bones that this is the year for getting back on track, blog-wise & otherwise.

there have been a couple of big changes that have been stewing for months. firstly, i'm finally living in glasgow. whilst quite a bit of my stuff is still residing on the east coast (including the contents of my desk), i'm now in this city full-time. our new flat is lovely, quiet, bigger, better. we live close to big parks, transport to the city centre, a greengrocers & lots of good places to eat. i'm very excited to be somewhere new.

secondly, something that isn't full-time anymore is my day-job. i'm really happy i can still work part-time (it's a bit of a commute away) but i'm also really happy that there's more time than ever before to spend drawing, making, printing. this is something i've been dreaming about for years, & now it's time to get to work.

2012, i have high hopes for you.

this post is slightly different for me, as i've deviated from writing about things that aren't work-related over the last couple of years. however, the image above is related to what follows, so there's a connection to my usual blogging.

christmas 2011 was simultaneously my best & worst christmas (in fact, i think christmas 2012 has trumped it as best as nothing bad happened). alongside all the good stuff on the day, my left ear randomly started ringing later in the evening & it continued to do so as i lay in bed that night. dealing with the unknown when the unknown is something i can't control is quite the catalyst for my becoming an anxious wreck, so when i woke up on boxing day & the sound in my ear was still there, i began my decent into a week or so of fretting, not eating & basically solely looking forward to going to sleep, which was the only time i didn't have to listen to the constant noise.

i could go on about the situation (the doctor's predictively dismissive tone; on how i found comfort in sounds that aren't usually enjoyable, such as the washing machine, the extractor fan in the bathroom and the humming of my computer at work), but after a while i realised that the best way to deal with the noise was to keep busy & listen to lots of music & podcasts. i'm not sure whether i simply got used to it or if the ringing did actually get quieter, but for the greater part of the year i thankfully didn't really notice my tinnitus. in fact, it was mostly only audible when i was stressed out about something unrelated, & it usually quietened down again once i'd chilled out. i feel like i've been pretty lucky with the whole thing.

so why has it come to the forefront of my thoughts again? well, the last couple of days have seen the sound of the ringing being dialled up & the noise is also now available in surround-sound - joy! alongside the original ringing in my left ear, my right ear is now emitting a variation between two tones that are less likeable than the original (& i didn't even like the old ringing to begin with). however, the increased ringing has coincided with (what i think is) mild tonsillitis that i've had since mid-last-week, & i'm hopeful that the sounds will fade along with my other symptoms.

anyway, since the start of last year i've wanted to illustrate my tinnitus somehow, but i've not been sure of how to approach it without just doing a drawing of me feeling sorry for myself. then, earlier today, i listened to the latest episode of this american life, entitled mapping, that had a story about mapping ambient sounds (the kind of sounds that i originally found some solace in when my ear started ringing). you can listen to the segment here.

throughout the piece, a keyboard is used to demonstrate the notes that are emitted from objects. & i realised that the noise in my head sounds a bit like a little keyboard, constantly playing the same note. & so, the above image formed.

the concept of the story - that sounds can affect the mood of a person - is a little disturbing to someone who has no control over the noise they're subjected to. however, i'm focussing on enjoying the piece as an interesting story, rather than something to worry about. plus, i got a drawing out of it, so it's not all bad.

re-carve

if at first you don't succeed, carve another stamp.

a postcard that i sent off to urban graphic last week for their big draw charity postcard auction. as you can see, i played it safe with the topic (a girl! with a plant! woah!) but got out some colouring pencils that i've not used for years, & scribbled with abandon before inking with a brush on top. i also added a little gold to the plant pot, because i just want to add gold to everything lately. gold gold gold. so there's you have it. she ain't nothin' fancy, but i like her. ps. couple more days left of my sale! 15% off until sat 1 june.

i'd wanted to turn my circle pattern into a notebook for a couple of months & i finally finished them. they turned out exactly as i'd hoped. it's nice when that happens.

a black cat has crossed your path, what luck! this little screen-printed chat noir can be found over in my shop.