Moving

So, the time has come for a new website. It's a little bit more focused, I hope, and excitingly includes details of my new Etsy shop where you can buy prints of some of my work.

Thank you to everyone who's read the things I've posted here over the last few years - you're all very much appreciated! And please come and visit me at the new site: www.jenrussellsmith.co.uk

Please bear with me...

I know it's been rather quiet round here recently, but there is a (fairly) good reason. I'm in the throes of creating a sparkly new and hopefully less cobbled-together and more focused site for myself and it's taking up all my internet-time. Link to follow as soon as it's ready!

Sunday Sketchblog #63

On Tuesday I found time to pop along to this month's Art Macabre drawing salon at Cass Art Islington. The theme was A Midsummer Night's Scream...

Either I mistake your shape and making quite;

Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite

Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are not you he

That frights the maidens of the villagery;

Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern

And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;

And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;

Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?

Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,

You do their work, and they shall have good luck:

Are not you he?

Sunday Sketchblog #62

If I'm not feeling very inspired, or just want to warm up my drawing fingers, I like to open up Pinterest and just draw the first few things that catch my eye. Hence this alarmed llama, terrifying clown-child, man vs chicken selection. 

Illustration Friday: Worn

This week's Illustration Friday topic is 'worn'. I was thinking about things you wear than then get worn out. And how hard it can be to throw those familiar old favourites away.

Sing a song...

A little choir sketch from a poster I've been working on. I think the chap at the end might be a frustrated chorus dancer, longing for a life on the stage...

Sunday Sketchblog #61

It's Nick's birthday today, and I usually give him a hand-drawn card.This year's features Vince and me in our usual pose, with him looking as uncomfortable as possible...

Illustration Friday: Children

I'm a Tuesday child myself, full of grace apparently... 

Sunday Sketchblog #60

Still thinking about swanning about in that lacy frock, clearly...

Visit Emma to see what lovely green things have grown in her sketchbook this week?

Illustration Friday: Sweet

To be honest, that much cake would probably be a little bit too sweet...

Flowers in her hair...

The sun is finally shining and all I'd like to do is swan about in a lacy frock with flowers in my hair. Sadly, real life intervenes and the reality is more nude tights and hair stuck in lipgloss. Oh well...

Sunday Sketchblog #59

I've had one of those weeks where nothing I draw seems to turn out right... sometimes trying new things is just exhausting and frustrating! So I ended up reverting to something familiar and straight forward, a self portrait. 

Lucky

A little thought for today.

(Apologies to anyone who now has that Britney Spears song stuck in their heads...)

Sunday Sketchblog #58

I've decided to try and fill the next few pages of my sketchbook with illustrations rather than the usual drawn-from-life studies. Interpretations of whatever image or idea happens to catch my mind's eye.

Whilst whizzing through my blog reader, trying to catch up on three weeks' worth of posts, I happened to notice someone (can't now remember who, of course) talking about emerald green and how it was thought that the dye used to create the colour in wallpaper may have contributed to Napoleon's death. Hence this sketch, and what seems to sound a bit like a Sherlock Holmes story title.

Pop and see if Emma has any more puppies in her sketchbook this week.

Illustration Friday: Liquid

Clearly all the recent celebrating has gone to my head, because my interpretation of this week's topic, liquid, has ended up like this.

When I started drawing her, I think she was going to be in blue and drinking water. But it turned into Champagne. Or maybe ginger beer? That could explain her slightly confused expression... trying to figure out just what is in that glass.

Back to reality

So, the wedding and honeymoon are over (all successful and and lovely!) and it's back to real life. Whilst it's a bit sad to pack away all the wedding paraphernalia, I'm very excited to get back to having time for other things and other interests again.

A little sketch from one of our wedding photos

Sunday Sketchblog #57

I often wondered why planning a wedding seemed to be such a big job. I still do, as I'm not sure what's taking up all our time, but take up our time it does. So this week's sketch was just a quick one whilst attempting to sort out the music... nothing like a bit of multi-tasking!

Sunday Sketchblog #56

Usually I try to make sure my Sunday Sketchblog is something I've drawn from life, but not this week...

As you read this, I will hopefully be recovering from my 'hen party'. I have no idea what we're doing, except that I've been told to organise myself a 1920s outfit. I'm pretty confident there won't be any L plates or strippers, but I'm not sure we'll manage to comport ourselves as elegantly as these ladies...

Illustration Friday: Egg

A very seasonal topic again, although I've tried not to give in too much to the obvious Easteryness.

For those who might not be familiar with some of the rarer types of egg I've featured here, a Scotch egg is a hardboiled egg wrapped in sausage meat and breadcrumbs, a curate's egg is one that is 'excellent in parts' and a century egg is one that has been preserved for a terribly long time.

Tea

Especially when the question is 'how can we ever get warm during this never-ending winter!'