The Glower

Drawn in response to this much nicer picture of Mona Williams (Mrs. Harrison Williams of the Cole Porter song ‘You’re the Top’), later Mona Bismarck, sketched by Rene Bouche.  When I do that it's not nearly so attractive, but no matter what it may look like, I am not plotting your assassination, I promise.  Really.  The glower is just sort of built-in.

Smoking French Dishwasher Monkey

There is a context for this but it's better without it.

That's 104ºF

This temperature has already been forecast twice this summer and it's not even August yet.  Oy.

Hourly Comics, 2013

Dr Pinch and the Pinchtones

Red Barn

 

In the vain hope that anyone reading this blog is in the L.A. area:

GO SEE THIS SHOW!

The Independent Shakespeare Company usually does (obviously) Shakespeare, but they decided to branch out and make a period murder mystery tragicomic musical ... as you do.  Unsurprisingly, they bring just as much talent, charm, expertise, and pure entertainment to this as they do to their annual summer Shakespeare festival in Griffith Park.

Sample songs: Red Barn and Love

Details on the historical story on which it is very faithfully based can be found on Wikipedia.

Infinite Monkeys

Mark Gatiss had a guest appearance on The Infinite Monkey Cage, a science/comedy show on BBC Radio 4.  Why they brought on a champion of the imagination and then set about belittling imagination is beyond me, but it was hard not to pick up on the snub.

I'm a big fan of science and everything, but I'd pick Mark Gatiss over Richard Dawkins any day.

Like a Bag of Cats

Yeah, I dunno, the drawings just happen sometimes.

Richard II, King of Pop

There was a familiar strain in Ben Whishaw's portrayal of Richard II in the recent BBC production.

Hushpuppy

Hushpuppy, from Beasts of the Southern Wild.  I quite liked the movie, despite it being noting at all what I was expecting it to be, but I would have liked to have been warned it was all shot hand-liked ...

Can't Sleep, Couric is Watching

There are posters all over Burbank for Katie Couric's new show on ABC. There is something slightly unsettling about them, as though the predator is only just under the surface ...

Cabin Pressure

Thanks to the iPlayer, I have never really been able to picture the characters in Cabin Pressure as looking anything unlike the actors who play them ... this is fine for Douglas and Carolyn, but Martin in particular is supposed to be the opposite of tall and authoritative Benedict Cumberbatch, so as I was listening again, I tried to force myself to picture him in a new way, and came up with someone who's somewhere between Steve Punt and Schmendrick the Magician.

Plus bonus Arthur and poorly-executed Douglas.

Cats in the Trenches

One of the cats in our house has what my roommate describes as a 'shellshocked' expression.  Recently I just made the connection: Cats!  In World War I!  And four pages of sketchbook just sort of happened.

Bohemians

Café Vesuvio, San Francisco – if you're looking for a nice bar where you can actually hear each other talk after 9pm, this is the place for you!  My sister took me here after seeing Midnight in Paris, which was ... appropriate.

Sandi & Andy

If you spend your time doing things like this, you may have too much invested in Radio 4:


But I can't help it, I just really love the News Quiz.

Land's End

... in San Francisco, not Cornwall.  I got a sunburn while sketching this, but it was worth it.

Swashbuckling Etudes

I had to get back in the swing of drawing dynamic poses from scratch again, so in lieu of some insane figure drawing class I decided  to do some quick sketches off Pirates of the Caribbean. 

                             

I could stand to do a lot more of this ...

What I find particularly fascinating is that, dynamic as these sketches may appear, I could never get as much energy in the drawing as I saw in the frame of film. Draw from life, folks! (Or filmed life, at least ...)

St Paul's

St Paul's Cathedral, London, 29 March 2012

Hertfordshire Spinney

Things I have learned: 

A small stand of trees is also known as a 'spinney.'

Hawthorn is everywhere 

Bluebells are not

A footpath is not a bicycle track

Air New Zealand

I have never before had cause to feel actual affection for an airline, but of all the companies who've flown me to various locations around the world, I have to confess my love for Air New Zealand.  I'd always thought long-haul trips were something to be endured rather than enjoyed, but I now find myself looking forward to the flight and wishing I had an excuse to fly more often.  It is probably just as well for the ozone layer that I don't ... but regardless, well done, Flying Kiwis.