A little sketch to reassure you I'm not dead/my hands haven't fallen off

So the other day I went to see my favourite sea birds Guillemots at Koko in Camden, and the journey home involved an hour wait at Paddington for a train that was to take ANOTHER hour to get me back to Reading. I was, therefore, upon this occasion, the happiest I believe I have ever been to have my trusty Moleskine by my side, and this is the result of my boredom. This is Mr Dangerfield.

This Year's Christmas Cards

I realise this pretty much spoils the surprise for anyone receiving Christmas cards from me or any of my relative that buy cards off my this year. Having said that, since I am so incurably lazy, most of you probably won't be anyway so that shouldn't be a problem.

I have been playing with felting and knitting and enjoying it so expect to see more of this soon!

You can buy a pack of all four of these cards for £6 over on my SHOP!

When I have Fears that I may Cease to Be...

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high piled books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;

And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!

That I may never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of Unreflecting Love! - Then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.
- Keats

Chinese Tea

I have been drinking a lot of Chinese tea lately thanks to the lovely people at The Essence of Tea in Falmouth, so here is a lady sipping from a Chinese teacup. If anybody is wondering, it is oolong that she is drinking.

I will be making a print of this to sell at the Islington Contemporary Art and Design Fair that I shall be exhibiting at again this year! Also more oriental things on their way since I'm feeling that way inclined recently. Quite possibly some more screenprints in the not too distant future too!

Gee Whizz! She's integrating!

It's true, I'm getting all technical and social networky! I have been talked into creating a facebook page for my illustration on several occasions by several people so just to SHUT THEM UP (and also maybe because it's a good idea), I have created a facebook page for my illustration.

It's here: Nicola Patten Illustration

Also, the homepage of my website now has shiny new (and hideously modern-looking) facebook/ twitter/ blogspot buttons, since that appears to be the done thing these days.

They shall probably follow on the other pages some time when it's not half 1 in the morning and when I've not been living in a field for four days.

Viking makes a discovery

You might be seeing this guy around a fair bit now so please be welcoming. He's pretty friendly really.

Capture Cure 2011

Some of you may remember this lady from the illustration I auctioned off at last year's Capture Cure auction for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Well, the time has come around again and here she is sporting a brand new headscarf from her range of eccentric headgear! Also, she's grown hands! Hurrah! Maybe next year she will have arms too.

When the time comes I shall update you with how to vote for it on facebook to appear in the auction.

Website Updates!

I realise I have been neglecting you again. I can only apologise.

In my defence, I have been working really hard (at getting a tan) in Spain.

I HAVE, however, also been making some changes. My portfolio has had many things removed and added and the portfolio page of my website has since followed. I've taken away the crazy projector thing (which, although providing you visitors with hours of unending fun, was impractical; limiting the space for the actual illustrations to be shown. And I suppose, being an illustration website, the illustrations ought to come first. Sorry, I know it's boring).

I've also arranged the thumbnails into two categories - 'children's illustration' and 'older audiences', which encompasses the books market and greetings cards, along with my personal work - prints and so-forth.

I've been meaning to tidy this page up for a while so currently feel like I would imagine I would feel if I'd just given my room a big tidy (I can only speculate as to what this feels like, as I have not given my room a big tidy in quite some time).

If you spot any problems with it or can think of a better way of wording 'older audiences' please let me know!

_________

Also the 'Echoes' book IS on its way still - I'm rather busy recently so it is being somewhat delayed!

Coming Soon!

A little sneak preview of my new book. I shall reveal all soon but for now this is all you're getting.

http://nicolapatten.bigcartel.com/product/echoes-signed-hand-bound-book

Artquirk

Look what just arrived!

It's the cards I designed for Artquirk! They're up now on www.artquirk.co.uk along with a few familiar Falmouth faces. And one of my designs is on the homepage!

Guillemots

I'm not quite sure why I haven't drawn these lovely people before. But I have now so it's OKAY. Always nice to draw liney people and look through my backlog of Guillemots gig photos for 'research purposes'. Who's next to be under the quill, I wonder?

Some Sketches

I have recently been sketching a bit more and this is something I intend to keep up, despite the embarrassment of being spotted drawing people on trains or in Cafes. As long as nobody asks to SEE the masterpiece portrait you've created of them with a hook nose and wonky eye, all is well with the world, no?

easiskins

Today I went to the Apple Store and was pleasantly surprised to find easiskins iPod skins for sale bearing my instruction illustrations on the backs of the packets! And look how modern they are! Neither a top hat nor a monocle in sight!

The Haberdasher

My Human Haberdashery
Is a truly marvelous chap-
He trims loose ends
Makes do and mends,
And all without mishap.

My human haberdashery
Is always close at hand-
Without his skill
And kind goodwill
This life I could not stand.

But then one day, disaster struck!
Whilst tying off a knot-
With awful luck
He did get stuck
And break free he could not.

You see, my friends, I had no choice
But his needle to retrieve-
And continue to sew
The poor fellow
To line the inside of my sleeve.

Some Pigeons

I'm not sure what to do with them yet, so until I do, they live here.

In This Shirt

You don't have to click this but your life may well be better if you do

I've gone terribly colourful with this and may have to draw lots of brown things to recover. Or maybe it's a NEW ME. Who knows.

Illustration Friday: Surrender

So the word this week is 'surrender' and all I could think of was army scenes which really is not my thing at all. And then I thought of Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo taken in Times Square at the VJ Day celebrations. Much more me!


(Or rather Jorgensen's version, since it's public domain :P)

Illustration Friday: Chicken

One of my new year's resolutions is to draw more, and I have decided that the best way to do this is to take part in Illustration Friday every week. This week seemed like a good time to ease myself in as 'chicken' is fairly within my comfort zone. It also means my mother can have another addition to our chicken-themed kitchen.

This particular chicken is of a somewhat nervous disposition. He visits a tailor on Saturdays but wears ill-fitting suits on account of being too embarassed to point out faults in the tailor's work. He is a hasty shopper and comes accross terribly self-conscious when he feels his decision-making is being watched. He makes a considerable amount of bad decisions as a consequence. I see a lot of myself in the chicken.