Merry Christmas!

From me and from Liza Pigelli, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Illustration Friday: Mail

Posting Christmas cards, hoping they arrive in time!

Piano possums this time

Just me in the studio today, hogging the heater. I finished my Christmas card, which I'll put up next week when I've sent them out. I'm not feeling super Christmassy yet, although I am feeling virtuous, having for the first time in my life managed to do my present shopping before Christmas Eve. A relief to be avoiding that particular freak out next week.
I'd like to go to a piano bar this holiday! And sit atop it, and have a possum accompany me.

Pigs who fly

Have been working on my card for this year - this idea didn't seem to work, though I'm not sure why exactly. I don't think it came out funny. There was a suggestion of "Pigs on earth, goodwill toward men", but it still seemed not ideal...

Illustration Friday: Sneaky

This may be a bit of a stretch... he's a sneaky villain. But it seems to be more about the hero, and the sneaky villain gets to play second fiddle.

Illustration Friday: Burning (Love!)

It's 1968, and here is Rhinocelvis Beetle at his peak - poured into his carapace, mandibles glinting under his curled lip. (Actually I'm not sure Elvis actually sang Burning Love in the Comeback Special, but Rhinocelvis sure did!)

Singing in the rain

It's cold today in the studio, we have the Calgar gas heater doing its best, but I'm also wearing a wool poncho, big blanket and have two pairs of socks waiting in case things get desperate. But I really LOVE it here!

Admiring Daan Botlek's brilliant work via Drawn.

A Cat May Look at a King...

but only if he has a mirror. Ho ho!

Working on story characters, feeling very keen on cats at the moment.

Illustration Friday: Spent

Unlucky 7!

Dungarees

Chitty Chitty

I found these in my auntie's old copy of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, illustrated by John Burningham. I'd never seen the book before, but I really loved these drawings of Paris.
I don't remember much liking the film when I was little, too long and creepy, but the book was written by Ian Fleming! Which seems pretty cool to me.

Illustration Friday: Racing

Racing hearts

And dancing...

More animals playing instruments!

O when will I be sated? When will I have seen enough animals on instruments?? Will the joyous day ever dawn? I suspect not.

Poor Maurie!

I have a new desk in a studio! Very exciting. Here is a picture of some malfunctioning plumbing to celebrate.

Things in jars!

This morning I took my (mild) hangover to the Huntarian Museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields, where The Big Draw was putting on an event. It was very busy, and I sat on the floor getting giant pins and needles and trying to commit some of these jarred guys to sketchbook. There were several artists from the Institute of Medical Illustrators taking part and helping out, and I overheard some riveting conversations about specialist techniques and how the job works.

I went by limo - that's not weird, right?

Who are you calling a troglodyte?

I like the way I accidentally made the guy on the left look like he's lifting his skin up like a skirt to show you his insides. And looking kind of proud about it too.

The Huntarian is a super, interesting place, and entrance is free. The displays are beautiful and informative, and some of the animal foetuses (foeti? foetopedes? foetie foets?) are astonishing - there's a walrus there about the size of my hand, and although he's got no tusks you can recognise him straightaway by his tiny walrus face.

Illustration Friday: Beneath

Happy Birthday Mum!

Liza Pigelli wishes her a very good year.

Illustration Friday: Old-Fashioned

Mudchute City Limits

Today I went with my friend Elfie to Mudchute City Farm, London's largest, on the Isle of Dogs. Stepping out of Mudchute DLR station it felt like countryside, apart from Canary Wharf looming from a distance. Today was extra autumnal, the sky threatening and yellowish, and bonfire smell in the air, which turned out to be coming from the farm itself.

On the way on the DLR


Down a long path to the farm - a bit scary, where IS the farm?


Sheep and Canary Wharf


The ferret that bit me (a little) and tried to get up my sleeve


Chewing on his pen, chew chew chew

Bedtime for sheep - being herded somewhere mysterious


Brilliant goats, they were being very vocal and talking to each other at bedtime - see how exotic the one on the right is? They are Nubian goats


Darn you animals, why won't you stay STILL

Run to the Beat

Yesterday I took part in the Run to the Beat half-marathon, which began and finished at the O2 Centre in Greenwich. It was a really super day, and my first time competing in anything like that. I was happy with my time and enjoyed the whole experience, and if I feel a bit broken and battered today, feel it was totally worth it! This is me, wrapped in my exposure foil at the finish, sporting my favourite new thing - my medal!

Moles

Practising my moles for a possible character in a story, maybe a set of twins.

Illustration Friday: Acrobat

Some monkeys on a unicycle for Illustration Friday, which I'm finding a really useful and fun thing to try and do each week. I used to have a unicycle, but only ever managed about two metres on it. I couldn't commit to the bruises and fear, but I always envy the people who stuck with it!

Illustration Friday: Proverb

Illustration Friday: Dessert

A sexy Dita Von Teese pig, enticing you with her cherry eating ways.

Madame

Bye Bye, Mein Lieber Herr

"Don't dab your eye, mein Herr, or wonder why, mein Herr.
I've always said that I was a rover.
You mustn't knit your brow.
You should have known by now,
You'd every cause to doubt me mein Herr!"

Not those piano pigs AGAIN

Repetitive, but good colouring practice!

Ventriloquist

The Magician and his Wife

CAT CAR

Culture Corner
Listening to... Aaron Neville: I Don't Know Much (But I Know I Love You) (Wrong, but I like it)
Reading... PG Wodehouse: The Mating Season

PHONECALL

GETTING READY

Preparing for her date.

WRAPPING PAPER

Looking at colours from Ezra Jack Keats and thinking about patterns...

SOUTHBANK

I met a friend to do some drawing from the terrace of the Royal Festival Hall yesterday. I was keeping my eye out for the cosmic clouds, and thought I'd spotted some likely looking ones, but I think we were a little early.