Horay for Love

It's almost Valentimes ladies and gentlemen (and anyone who does not identify as a lady or gentleman), I did this reworking of a collage card but with bonus classical romance shtick piece above. There is also a really cool (if somewhat cheesy) love themed comic that I made that I'm not allowed to show you yet, but hopefully will be able to give you all that as a Valentines gift. 

Do NOT be forgetting to head along to my Etsy Shop if you are interested in one of the alternative Valentines cards or Love Zines for one of your loved ones, or to encourage your loved ones to buy them for you.

 If you are not in a state of loved bliss per say, or that is to say, a singleton by chance or design. I am sharing this story for you which I stole from Invisibilia. I don't believe in it at all, the idea of soul mates that is, or this particular creation story. But I enjoyed it anyway.  

The story is by Simon Rich and it's called "The Children Of The Dirt." from the book The Last Girlfriend on Earth

 According to Aristophanes, there were originally three sexes - the children of the moon who were half-male and half-female, the children of the sun who were fully male, and the children of the earth, who were fully female. Everyone had four legs, four arms and two heads, and spent their days in blissful contentment. Zeus became jealous of the humans' joy so he decided to split them all in two. Aristophanes called this punishment the origin of love because ever since, the children of the earth, moon and sun have been searching the globe in a desperate bid to find their other halves. Aristophanes' story though is incomplete because there was also a fourth sex - the children of the dirt. Unlike the other three sexes, the children of the dirt consisted of just one half. Some were male and some were female and each had just two arms, two legs and one head. The children of the dirt found the children of the earth, moon and sun to be completely insufferable. Whenever they saw a two-headed creature walking by, talking to itself in baby-talk voices, it made them want to vomit. They hated going to parties and when there was no way to get out of one, they sat in the corner, too bitter and depressed to talk to anybody. The children of the dirt were so miserable that they invented wine and art to dull their pain. It helped a little, but not really. When Zeus went on his rampage he decided to leave the children of the dirt alone. They're already f*cked, he explained.

Happy gay couples descend from the children of the sun. Happy lesbian couples descend from the children of the earth. And happy straight couples descend from the children of the moon. But the vast majority of humans are descendants of the children of the dirt. And no matter how long they search the earth, they'll never find what they're looking for because there's nobody for them, not anybody in the world.

In other news here are some new Facebook Project drawings for you to see. This is Jerson with a spoon on his nose. And Jess radiating peace and love. Both the photos they were adapted from were from weddings. So it's kind of on theme.

Horay for LOVE

It's the time of the season for loving

So yesterday I was at the Jumble and Pearls Valantines Fayre at the Book Club.

As well as selling cards and prints and bits and pieces I did some live portraits and I thought you might like to see them so here they are.

Every portrait event I do is different and like any fair or market there's always an element of unpredictability. Last time I did a vintage event almost everyone wanted watercolour, and this time everyone opted for a pen portrait - these are quicker and cheaper so it may tell you something about the denizens of Shoreditch over those of Islington. Live drawing is also always bringing me new surprises and experiences - at this fayre I drew 6 beautiful french girls at once - a record - and was also asked to do a portrait of a bicycle. 

Exciting times.

 This is the lovely and talented Q of Maiden Found - you should def. check out her hats. 

 A portrait of a bicycle - a BRAKE bicycle to be specific 

I didn't even notice the great expression Rachel of BRAKE bikes is pulling in the background here - makes the picture all kinds of awesome on top of les belle dames

 Also guys - do not be forgetting to order your Valentines cards and zines from the shop by the end of the day on Monday - the cutest cards you'll see anywhere with a sting in their tale. And the new zine compilation with the best of the last 2 years designs.

HORAY FOR LOVE

So I managed to choose 8 cards to print - they are now available to buy in my Etsy shop I chose these ones.

And also and of course as promised - I have made the second installment of the Because You're Worth it love zine. Featuring all the best alternative valentines I have made since I first published the original zine. 

That is available also - buy them for your nearest, dearest, secret admireee etc and usv 

This is them both. 

SUPER EXCITING VALENTINES VOTE COMPETITION

HELLO

So I've been making alternative collage valentines on and off since moving to London 5 years ago (wow, really? 5 years?)

After a few years of this I compiled my favourites into a mini-zine which I have been selling online and at various real life venues ever since. I also did a limited edition entirely pink version of this to use up the excess ink in my broken printer, as something special for you guys. 

I've made 7 new designs this week, but I want to step up this little corner of my 'practice' you know. As well as offering the originals for sale and making a second issue of the Love mini-zine, I want to print 100 Valentines cards to sell using some of the best designs from all 5 years, and sell them at a much cheaper price point (£1.70). I want to send these to print this Sunday in order to have a few weeks of optimal Valentines selling time, 

but this is where I NEED YOUR HELP.

I'm not sure which designs are the best to print. 

So I thought I'd ask for some help, and throw in a cheeky little competition to make it worth your while. I'll run this here and facebook too, to make it super easy. 

WHAT YOU COULD WIN:

one randomly selected entrant will win: a copy of both old and new Love zines, and a printed Valentines card of their choice. And a two finger KitKat. 

Two additional entrants will win their chosen printed Valentine card. 

WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO:

In order to be in with a chance of winning, please tell me which designs (up to 6) you think I should print, 

be sure to say which design you would want to be sent to you if you win. 

you can do this in a comment on this blog post, or on the corresponding facebook photo album. 

Deadline is Saturday 18th January

HERE ARE THE CARDS

I've narrowed it down to the 23 designs below - go click through them and see what you think

I advise you to make sure you read all of the words on the card before deciding you like it, because some of them have a bit of a kick in the tail. If that's the expression that makes sense. 

Forty Forty Forts

I can't write the word forty and convince myself it's spelled right. surely that means something that resembles a fort? not four tens, why would that not be fourty? 

Stupid English language. 

I'm actually probably not dyslexic. 

Although I've never OFFICIALLY been tested. So who knows. 

 Anyway. What I meant to say was, here is the one hundred and forty first drawing in the Facebook Project. (yes I am still doing that, slowly, really really slowly), and I liked it, so I thought I'd show it to you. 

It is of James.

Also here is a picture I did of Micah P Hinson with the Yellow Bird Project bird on his head for Amelia's round up of Best Christmas Indie Tunes for 2013

Also also also also. I am making collagey alternative valentines again, and I almost have enough for a second edition of the Love mini-zine. Which is exciting. Expect details soon, hopefully even in time for me to get some printed in sensible time for Valentines Day. Horay! 

hi kids, i just made the website all a bit more sexy and stuff. make sure you check out the new birds and valentines sections. Recently I've moved house, started some new day jobs and grown my hair a bit. so its all change.

Soon I'm going to have a project i'm masterminding featured in creaturemag which i think i'll be pimping all over the place (facebook) so look out for that. It'll look a little something like this:

I'm also putting together some stuff for an exhibition (in a shed apparently) with Ellie Cryer at Henfield Gardens and Arts festival. Thats in the village what I'm from. I'll be selling paintings, cards and probably some other stuff like shoes and purses. The valentines cards were especially successful in Camden, but i havn't been back since then, depending on whats left after G&A i'll be there in a month or so.

Here's some special new art to make you feel nice.

blue skies