I keep pretty busy and I look busier than I am. It’s a few years since I had to earn a living from drawing related activity. So the temptation these days is to create my own self imposed work load and recently that has been light. Every now and again I get enthusiastic about an idea. I had one about haircuts of all things and did loads of drawings of the male haircut. I’m not sure quite why now, but it was fun to do. Names was another ‘thing’ and I have quite a lot of drawings in the desk, … Continue reading Am I in a creative rut or just bone idle?

My good friend and fine printmaker Rosalind, lives on Spetses and has made some wonderful prints of olive trees, so I m a little reticent about putting my own out there. The competition is a little on the hot side. No matter, here they my trees. I can’t remember now if these were from Crete or Spetses, Crete I think on a walking holiday. These trees are probably many years old and make a natural subject for almost any artist. Given that the light in these areas is bright and crisp it’s no wonder. Spetses is one of those Greek … Continue reading Olive Trees: I’m reticent about this.

It’s non-news really. Rain in Sheffield. A bit like three coming after two, or that a politician might have been flexible with the truth. Perhaps best not to go in that direction. This drawing too managed to make it through to colour and you can see it right here. In many respects I like the simple line drawing. Speaking of rain in Sheffield, then if you happen to be there, feel free to go here and get yourself one of their brilliant coffees, and the brunches and cakes are worth a detour to the summit of Walkley just on the … Continue reading Just outside Sheffield, there’s been rain.

I only recently had any sort of connection with Sheffield in Yorkshire. A few years ago my son went to live there, for no reasons that was apparent to me but it seemed like a good idea to him. He loved the place and still does. He’s even opened a coffee bar there. If you go up to Yorkshire drop in and sample very carefully crafted coffee by a master coffee maker. In our family the mantra is: ” Don’t mention coffee to Joe, or he’ll talk about it until your eyelids droop”. He is seriously knowledgeable about it. Sheffield … Continue reading How do you draw snow in Sheffield?

Here’s another of my drawings from a photograph taken on a superb trip to the very West Coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. In Canada the Group of Seven is a much lauded collection of artists from the early 1900s and Tom Thompson was said to be a member of the group. Although you can see from the link that he died, quite young and in mysterious circumstances before the group really was formed. Of all the works in the group I was really taken by his beautiful atmospheric landscapes with the strong graphic style. Visiting the area that he … Continue reading Tom Thompson and the Group of Seven.

It’s one of those words heard a lot on arts programmes on Radio 4 when worthy people talk about the very latest art, and it’s a word I try to avoid as it always reminds me of, those arts programmes on Radio 4. So I’ll just use it once in relation to this drawing which is, like the others in this series, taken from a photograph when on our travels. This one is in Crete and is of a fishing boat with a broken down factory in the background. I wonder what the factory did with its tall chimneys and … Continue reading Juxtaposition, not a word to be used lightly.

This is the second of my series of black and white drawings and is where Gavin Maxwell wrote the book of the name. We went there as part of a walking holiday, and this, like all the drawings in this series, is from a photograph taken at the time. My memory of the place is of almost copmplete stillness and peace. Difficult to imagine anyone living there really, and it must have been tough. Like the first in this series of drawings this has yet to reach the colour stage, and in some ways I’m loathe to bother, or should … Continue reading Ring of Bright Water

This is the first of a series of line drawings done in last year and intended as a bit of a departure from my cartoon stuff. See how I hesitate to call it “cartoon work” in an effort to make it sound less than it is. Cartoon work is work, but it’s hardly coal mining. Any sort of drawing is a kind of therapy as most people who do it will tell you. So I’ve been in therapy since the age of about 7. This is Beaumaris the home town of my late father and it’s in North Wales. It’s … Continue reading A drawing a day for a week, plus back story.

These are the words spoken by my brother at our father’s funeral that have stuck very close to me. What he had to face is in this image. That’s him under the black dot. It’s quite a famous photograph from the invasion of Normandy and was taken in June on the outskirts of Cagny and features the advancing Guards Amoured Division that by September the 2nd was liberating Brussels. On my father’s left is another Davies who sadly never made it out of Normandy. The officer pointing is Major Syrett, killed the day after this image was taken. Our father … Continue reading “We’ve had nothing more frightening than a VAT inspection”

I went to art college before they became polytechnics and then university wishing to go into advertising as it seemed to be populated by cool people. While in my humble job in advertising it became the habit of friends to ask me if I could “do a leaving card for so and so cos you can draw a little bit”. I did loads and when I was made redundant I seem to remember that I did my own. I loved doing the cards, as it gave me the excuse to be rude to some of the humourless people ( very … Continue reading Here’s where it started really.

I don’t do a lot of political cartoons but the unseemly scramble for the leadeship of a party that is sinking, or at least heading for the rocks was too much for me, and I suspect for most of the population. Whoever gets to captian the battered vessel has some navigation to do. Continue reading Rats rejoin a sinking ship