Mariner's Way

This gorgeous old house is full of gorgeous small people. They are my lovely neighbours, a pebble's throw from me and a pebble's throw from the seashore. The plasterwork on the front of Mariner's Way says 1624, but apparently the inside dates from even earlier. I'll do some finding out and let you know...

This is how alot of my work begins; I draw then I chop, stick, and chop again, re-sizing, scribbling and jiggling until I am happy. Then I draw it all again!

B is for Beatrice

Meet baby Bea, I like her alot. She is destined for a nautical life, so I made her a little picture,
and here she is in her lifeboat jersey, lovingly knitted by brilliant Lil.

Quiet Expectations

The trouble with a long silence is the growing pressure to break it with a post that is brilliant. Here is a lovely old postcard courtesy of the wonderful Graphics Fairy.

Boat Sewing

I'm feeling a bit cold turkey-ish (in a boaty sense).

I have been lucky enough to have had a few commissions lately which is a great thing, but none of them are boat related so here's a quick boat fix (well actually it's some sewing).

This is one of Ed Burnett's gaff cutters, but Ed's are real and not made of silly sewing. I am rather pleased with the ric rac sea.

mural thumbnails

Some of the rest of it.

I am delighted to report that I have nearly finished. The boys are still footless and all sorts of bits and pieces are not quite as they should be, but soon they won't be (or will be, as they should be). If you screw up your eyes and imagine that that enormous in-the-way telly isn't there, you will see a puppy behind it.
I'll report back with my favourite bits when I've finished completely.

Ben and Tom at the Seaside.

I've been painting like billy-ho and feeling too tired most evenings to post up my progress, but here I am at last and Ben and Tom now look like this...
I'm having trouble with their feet, and Tom's stance (lefthand figure) took a while to get right. I'm still not happy with his skin tone, but there are bigger things to get right before I fiddle about with that.

The whole mural is quite a mad one. There is a lot more going on than Ben and Tom at the seaside. There are to be skiers and cricketers and Russian onion-dome churches, French chateaux, the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, a cracked globe like a Faberge egg, champagne, golf clubs, Jamon Serrano (that's Parma Ham to you and I), a tarte aux framboises and a leonberger puppy. It's rather a challenge.

Ben and Tom at the Seaside

My year has started with a mural commission...