We were in the same ‘group’ on the graphic design course at Manchester School of Art, which is what it was called back then before ‘people’ got hold of it, changed it to a polytechnic and then morphed it into part of Manchester Metropolitan University. Peter Green was one of eight of us. Two groups of four in the illustration department. Peter, Ed, Roy and Terry, then me, Julia, Jenny and Diane, and there was another girl who popped in now and again seemingly just to put her feet up, gossip and smoke. As I recall she wore knee high … Continue reading Shooting the breeze by the river.

A walk through the woods yesterday, and my good friend Mike and I came across this dancer in the woods. Stepping through the wild garlic on tiptoe, head held back in a pose transfixed. A magnificent day out. Today is spent in recovery, as my glowing feet would probably be visible from Artemis. It’s probably all that dancing I do as well. Continue reading Dancer in the Woods

My bird recognition software on my phone went into meltdown on a terrific afternoon on the top of the Cotswolds. It heard 23 species of birds, including a Willow Warbler, but excluding the fine Red Kite, who was keeping his beak shut whilst he swirled over us, checking out if we might be a healthy snack. What a brilliant afternoon in every respect, the constant change of light with the scudding clouds. Lots of material to draw and paint in the days to come. One of the things I like about this sort of thing is the opportunity to share … Continue reading Some day!

I recently heard of the death of Paul Sample, one of the country’s finest cartoon illustrators. He made his passion for motorbikes part of his story, drawing Ogri, his biking character, for years. Why not make your living drawing what you like most? Clever idea. He was also responsible for many book jackets, in particular the paperback covers for Tom Sharpe’s books, which were, to my mind, one of the pinnacles in a fine career at the nib! In no part thanks also to the Art Director who commissioned him back then: Gary Day Ellison. I never met Paul, but … Continue reading Paul Sample: Top of the League

That area of the duvet that stays warm when you get up to make a cup of tea in the morning. Climbing back into bed with the tea handy, it’s always good to find some residual ‘down ampney’. Somehow, if it has dissipated completely the day does not get off to a good start, and the tea seems less than satisfactory. The area of Down Ampney is close to lakes and waterways. On a Spring morning, pockets of warm, damp air can cling to the land in a sort of mist. This dissipates after a relatively short time. Sometimes it … Continue reading Down Ampney