country file[s]

More photographs for Etsy, but tomorrow I will definitely draw...

a wise, wise owlie giveaway!

To celebrate my 50+ followers (wow, now 60 :)), the return of the pet portraits, my first Etsy sale, my feature in the current Juno mag AND the fact it's almost spring, I'm having a wise, wise owlie giveaway!

The prize:
The very first artist's proof print of the wise old owl. He's a pen and ink owl sitting on a 'branch' bearing the super wise words "the more he saw the less he spoke, the less he spoke the more he heard". The print is A4 (around 8" x 12") on gorgeous 167gsm Epson archival matte paper and I'll sign it with a teensy owl pencil doodle. The winner will also get an owlie bookmark.

Three runner up prizes:
I'm also giving away three mini prints of the same wise owl on Light Me Metallic smooth 250gsm paper - one each of silver, copper and gold. The mini prints measure 4" x 6" and are wonderfully shimmery. Frame it and hang it, stick it on a mirror, pin it on a bulletin board, prop it on a windowsill or bookcase, you could even stick a stamp on the back and send it as a postcard.

And finally:

I also have three of the owlie bookmarks to giveaway. This graphic mini print on a bookmark measures just under 2" x 8" and comes on a plain white or blue background on claywhite 250gsm Impressions recycled paper.

(Gosh, can you tell from the above I have a total paper fetish thang going on?). Anyway....

Want to enter?
Post a comment with your name, telling me what's your favourite item in my Etsy shop.

Want some extra credit?

You can do either of the following, just make sure you leave me another comment for each one.
1) Follow my blog.
2) Blog, tweet or FB about this giveaway, and leave a link to my blog.

Oh, and you heard it here first - until the end of March there will be a free owlie bookmark with any larger print purchase from my shop (8"x12" and 11"x16" prints) AND if you add the code WISEOWL at checkout, you'll also get 10% off!

All comments go in the hat for a draw at midnight on 05 March 2011! Good luck!

new direction [or back to my graphic roots]

I have been messing around with this pesky owl for the last few days now and I think, after a shaky start, me and him have finally reached a tentative understanding.

Right now he's a pen and ink illustration with a smidge of digital chucked in, but I reckon he'd be much, much happier as a linocut. Then again perhaps that's me projecting... I have been having a creative crisis of sorts lately. After much soul searching and angst (mostly involving the poignant midnight munching of mucho Mini Cheddars) I've come to the conclusion I'm in a rut and in dire need of a new and exciting way of working, and printmaking is something I've always had a hankering for. Unfortunately as time, responsibilites and funds don't allow for a 5-day workshop in the Italian hills darn it, I'm thinking some linocutting tools might be the very thing. Watch this space.

But this is by way of preamble, because my little feathered friend is about to become the subject of my fabulous, incredible, spectacular (and wise) 50+ followers owl giveaway, so watch this space x2.

book list

Sticking with a bookish theme, here's me in book heaven. These are now on my ever growing list of books I simply must have! I did buy this one (below) by the fabulous Suzy Lee though.

Ooh, P.S. the giveaway plan is taking shape, I'll be posting more shortly (53 followers is awfully exciting).

And P.P.S. do you see how I'm shamelessly cranking up the anticipation? Do you?! I'm shameless me!

shelve it

I'm plotting another giveaway as I have fifty fabulous followers (ooh, now fifty-one!) and I said I would, and I have something new and owlie I'm working on so I think I will combine... details soon...

Meantime, check this out. All the fabulous picture books I buy for Jack (ahem, ok, and me), this is so obvious howcome I didn't think of it before? So much better than sticking them in the bookshelf and hiding all those wonderful covers. It's artwork and books combined, what could be better? (I found it and lots of other good stuff over here).

historical

A blast from the past, really and truly, found amongst my old sketches during a blitz this afternoon. It's Dunnottar Castle, just outside my hometown and famous for all sorts of worthy historical reasons, but also as the setting for Mel Gibson's Hamlet - my sister served Franco Zeffirelli at a local restaurant during filming. I can remember doing this one as part of a project in eeek! - 1995! I can't decide if I like it or not. There's something slightly unnerving about looking at your work years later, as if it might possibly have been done by someone else entirely. Which in a way I guess it was. I remember doing another version of the castle too, in watercolour only... I must try and rake it out.

8th Feb Update: Ahem, as proof I am absolutely NOT the best judge of my own work - I just sold my first print on Etsy (whoop!) and it was this one!

year of the rabbit (or dog, cat... or iguana!)

Having taken some time out (gosh, a whole year! Time flies, I had no idea it had been that long!) to concentrate on my illustration projects for a while, I am tentatively updating the pet portrait site. The last time it got kinda too successful for it's own good, which meant I ended up having no time at all for my personal work. I have learned my lesson though and this time round I plan to only take on a few at a time. What I'd really like is some weird pets to draw though! Maybe some ducks, or a rabbit, or a goat... or an iguana would be cool!

(ooh, I'm now on twitter! And facebook! How much technology can I handle? Only time will tell... Link on the right hand side of this blog...)