I read reviews of things and am wary of those that say things like ‘achingly funny’ or add almost any adjective before ‘funny’. Funny is after all in the ear of the beholder, and in the beholder’s mood. Many years ago I watched ‘Local Hero’ with no mirth at all and could not see what the fuss was about. I watched it again some years later and loved it. First time around my receptors were functioning differently to the second. So I’m reading a review of a film that ends with my headline above, which tells me that not only … Continue reading “…in a land where all joy has been washed away”

Well nobody of course, he did it himself, or that’s my impression, pun intended. We may never know, but do we need to know? Perhaps not. Am I comparing myself to “van”? No, of course not but as I was elbow deep in washing up it occurred to me, that as long I was thus occupied it kept me away from the drawing board. There are times when I’ll do anything not to start drawing and other times when the washing up and other such domestic stuff conspire to keep me well away from the indian ink. Even writing this … Continue reading Who did Van Gogh’s washing up?

Anyone who compares Douanier Rousseau with Susan Boyle is ok in my book, and that’s what Will Gompertz does in his brilliant book “What are you looking at” I’d recommend this book to anyone, he writes simply and amusingly about modern art and its beginnings and makes sense of it all. There’s no ‘art bollocks’ here so far. I managed to pick up my copy in the Oxfam bookshop in Cheltenham not long after the literary festival we have here each year. I suspect some local philistine has been to the festival, bought it and could not be bothered to … Continue reading Nobody was expecting that.

First flowers on my tomatoes have more hair on them than on the top of my head. Perhaps I should take to drinking “Miracle Grow”, but then it might affect the hair I have elsewhere like on my chin which grows faster than my cucumbers, which appear from seemingly nowhere to surround me. At least that was my experience last year, the young plants I have this year look ready to flower but given a couple of weeks they will be hanging around all over the place. I’ve had another burst of drawing. Sheds again. In the hope of diminishing … Continue reading Hairy Toms

It’s a way of working I suppose, though no-one ever called what I did for a living ‘work’. I can still see the the incredulous look on an accountant’s face as he asked ” You do this for a living?”. At the time I did and a good one it was for a while. I’d be commissioned to do all sorts of drawing. These days I don’t have to make my living from it, it’s become more of a religion, where I worship at the font of drawing as often as I can. “Where do you get your ideas from?” … Continue reading Seams, I’m mining one.

A day for drawing, this one of three for today. Like painting and decorating I tend to do this sort of thing in stages, stage one is find the image, ruminate, stage 2 is line up the gear: pen, ink, toothbrush and card, stage 3 is ‘attack that card’. That’s where I’ve got today. Here are some more from today. Can’t waffle on today, must get on with some more splashy splashy. If you want to see how these sort of things turn out take a look here Continue reading Splashy Splashy

Some years ago I thought it might be a good idea to do a series of cartoons on a ‘A complete waste of time’ . I can only remember one, which needs no drawing was titled: “Walking down an up escalator”. I had this habit of trying to think of series of cartoons, some happened, others, like this one did not. I did one on men’s haircuts, the only known print of it, is in my friend Robin’s downstairs loo. I did another about the weather, even less of a hit: null point. One theme: Green and Pleasant, done many … Continue reading When is it a complete waste of time?

Rembrandt Declares Insolvency Jul 26 Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn declares he is insolvent after living beyond his means and spending too much on artwork and rare items. Leads to the most experimental and exuberantly creative period of his career. Miles Sindercombe tried to assassinate Oliver Cromwell On a walk not far from the River Severn yesterday, a great day out with my good friend Robin, we looked in on this ancient church and happened upon the tombstone above. The people standing around this tombstone when it was installed would have had Oliver Cromwell at the head of Government and in the same … Continue reading Rembrandt goes bust in the same year

I call this Robin’s drawing, as it’s from a fine photo from my good friend Robin. Black and white ink drawing done some time ago now, certainly pre lockdown. I’m not sure exactly where it is but somewhere on the Cotswolds. There’s grey pastel added and one attempt at the sky was done again and the drawing glued together again. Cut out the old sky with a scalpel and transplanted the new one, with the help of today’s version of cow gum. So you should be able to see the join. It was also scanned in sections and joined together, … Continue reading Spot the join.

First of all when you do ask them a question they’ll thank you for ‘reaching out’. They mean ‘ Here we go, another grumbler ’. I come quite high in the league table of grumblers. Am I always complaining? Well no, I hope not. I think of myself as someone who engages with people, I ask check out people how they are and resist the urge to grumble at them, even when they ignore me. Which they do at times, but not often. I generally ask if they like working where they are, “ it’s alright” I take to mean … Continue reading An impression of customer service.