Okay, more blogging.

So last week, in a joyfully busy evening the kind of which I could never get away with if I had to teach in the near to middling future (this may be the rest of my life. don't laugh. till you see me at a mid week gallery opening drinking water - then congratulate me) I spent a joyful hour drawing and (not as begrudgingly as I'd have you believe) participating in an instance of the One Hour Plays as presented by the amoresome Matey Institute.

that was a very long sentence sorry. I have a job interview on friday to be an english teacher. Yeah that's right laugh.

Anyway. The show is basically sort of reduced shakespeare crossed with who's line is it anyway. There's lots of speedy improv which obviously is a bit risky if there isn't a lot of good quick witted and talented heads on hand - which there pretty much was. So I really enjoyed it.

The fantabulous Lorna Watts hanging bunting pre-show

The idea of the show is that starting from nothing the director Brendan Murphy and writer Bec Boey take a selection of actors and audience suggestions and create a ten minute play in an hour and perform it at the end. Costumes are made by Lorna Watts during the hour on stage using a singer sewing machine in an antique pram, and props are made by the audience using a limited selection of crafty bits and pieces. I can tell you a little what happened that night - but not what will happen if you get to see them do it again - the show is at the Edinburgh fringe for a week at Underbelly and at a variety of festivals over the summer - check out the listings here

putting together audience suggestions into 'The Balls in Your Court' a Greek Romantic Comedy set at a 1920s French Tennis club starring a wine seller, an alien and a 'naughty man'

character development

the great Bec Boey does a spot of performance poetry as an additional filler while the cast put on their new costumes. I'm sure there was a reason why I drew the cat in pyjamas. Pretty sure it wasn't actually there.

The final rendition of the play - an epic romance that will last forever in the hearts of those lucky enough to be there for its single rendition.

blogety blogety blog blog

I have too many things to write about. one big blog post or lots of little ones? I'm inclining towards the little ones. maybe because I am little myself. Also because I have to scan things and I can't be bothered to go in the other room and do that. So here is SOME news.

firstly did you see my featuredness on Ideal Bride Magazine?

you probably did, because I have been putting it about a lot. Its all about me drawing people at (or before, or after) their weddings. I'm thinking about posting a special discount code on here soon, so if you do know anyone who's getting hitched - def tell them all about it and say I said hi.

Dave

I'm still drawing Daves in the facebook project, just a few more to go then I get to draw girls again. Not that I've anything against drawing boys AT ALL - did I mention that I also offer a commissionable portrait service? you can probably have a discount on that too. if you tell me a good pun.

Dave

Also and as well. I am so close to completing my teaching qualification I can taste it. It does not taste of chalk dust.

In about 3 weeks at the end of the course we had a visual component thing, so I wrote and illustrated a 36 page book about the internet for art teachers and students that are not so hot on it.

I drew it with birds. Cos I like drawing birds.

I mean, for a complex and pretentious symbolic reason.

If you are inclined you can see it all here if you so desire, I'm happy with the pictures but the words were pretty rushed - so some are a bit mental.

My Summer of Love and Arctic Cod (see above - it's about overfishing - gettit?, makes me sad tho) illustrations were featured in a pop up exhibition in sunny Leigh on Sea by the lovely and talented Annabel Dee. - another serendipitous twitter connection. I was so busy with PGCE stuff that I sadly didn't make it down, but as her plans include many more exciting ventures in her new ceramics gallery on the same spot I'm sure I'll go take a look at some point.

In other news, look out for my contribution to the Creaturemag Endangered Creature Alphabet.

Also in the somewhat more distant future I will be contributing to Solipsistic Pop 4 (awesomeness maximus)

Quickly, before I pop out to the International Alternative Press Festival here is a drawing I did of the awesome Zarina Liew (aka cobaltcafe) and Paul Shinn at the opening party for the same last night. They are both super talented illustrators and zinesters that you owe it to yourself to check out.

so this is my plan:

Jenny Robins - Live Weddings and Events artist.

this is my flagship image - painting of Michael and Lucy outside St Paul's Cathedral.

I really really love drawing from life and doing portraits from photos. Both of these things are joy, and I'm good at them.

So today I revamped my website a bit to include pages on events drawing and portraits. (go check it out, I rejigged the fashion section too to include some of the last crop of LFW drawings).

On offer is live watercolour portraits similar to those done at the ACOFI launch, also a sort of reportage service where I can record your event for posterity in a unique and exciting way, pre or post event paintings from photographs are also on offer separately or as part of an events package.

The next part is me contacting wedding magazines, event companies, venues and such. If you know anyone who is getting married, or throwing a ball, or who might like a portrait commission, please do mention me, I'll be looking to do a couple of bargain basement events gigs to start off with to boost my portfolio.

I think if I can make this work it's going to be super acecakes and awesome. Horay!

Here to whet your appetite is some Royal Wedding sketches I did off of the BBC coverage (some coloured versions featured on Amelia's Magazine here and here), and a painting of Will and Kate from their engagement. There is also a version with laser eyes. You can see that here.

fyi I did not go to a street party. But I did eat a lot of sushi that day.

belated post, in which sketches of the Bolney Pram Race, and Femi/Fara's favourites

On Easter Monday, I went to a small village in Sussex where my other half hails from, and watched men in dresses, a pope in a boat, numerous wallys that were where they should be, min mouse, jasmine and aladin, some gangsters, and other people I don't remember run around pushing each other in souped up prams and downing pints of beer.

You'll never hear me say Britain doesn't have a fine cultural heritage.

It was brilliant.

In other news, a long time ago I did some children's book illustrations for Driver Dan's story train. It was a brilliant commission, I really enjoyed it and it paid for my holiday. I am finally 100% sure that the episode has been aired so I'm now posting a few of my pictures here. I will put them in my portfolio on the website when I have a spare moment. So probably in about 2 months. The story is about a little girl who goes to visit her granny and who has a lot of different favourite colours.

I've been mostly drawing facebook friends instead of making big plans, I will be doing that today so hopefully will be unveiling soon!

Dave Bain

Daryl

It's almost summer kiddywinks. get your pinky toots out.

by which I mean toes. obviously. not anything inappropriate.

blog blog blog blog blog

obviously I am a bad person and have not blogged recently. I could post-date and fake it now and be all like, oh you have not read my blog? well it was here, full of stuff. But because I have respect for you, and myself, and because such a rouse (sp?) would require some planning to hang together, I'm not going to do that. However. stuff has happened. so prepare for epic stuff. And probably I will forget something so will have to post again anyway.

firstlymost here is a recent TheyDrawAndCook.com design I did, I am particularly proud of the fig leaves, although why I decided to include the rhino I honestly couldn't tell you. It must have been due to some tacit knowledge (that's a pedagogical theory joke, well, not really).

In February I went to visit my darling sister Hazel in Lisbon where we were blessed with optimal tourism weather. I recommend it. Here are some drawings I did of some Fado we went to see in a restaurant in the old part of the city, where these sorts of things traditionally take place. It is a cultural thing where everyone is very depressed and grumpy and moved to sing about it.

Before this, I had some London Fashion Week fun, which I wrote up in some more depth on Amelia's Magazine here. I drew pretty things and met fashiony people. Below are some of my favourite illustrations and sketches from my A/W 2011 haul. For the non-fashionistatastic among you, that means clothes what they invented last year for next year that you can't buy yet but should be the only thing you are thinking about apparently. All for Amelia's Magazine.

Bora Aksu also featured the above illustration on their facebook page

I got to see the Jasper Conran show where I sketched at lightening speed - see my write up and sketches here, my favourite works in the show were def. these sturdy jumpsuit sort of things.

I'm pleased with the atmosphere in this Clements Ribeiro piece

Live sketches of Edward Finney and Nicole Murray with their dresses.

This is Eun Jeong, elegant innit?

In Facebook Project news, I did this manga style portrait of Danni, because she just looks like an Oh My Goddess character, and everyone is all over it. Which is nice. But, not to sound whingy, I am not a manga artist. This is not my thing. Do not expect more. Unless specifically requested. They warned me about this at illustrator school. Why it's not good to be flexible. Which really begs the question why I am posting about it if I don't want people to notice. Um. well I've written it now.

A while ago I promised to draw a free commission for my 750th twitter follower. probably a little prematurely tbh, as the flurry wasn't really going to happen till I was pretty close. Although I plan to do something similar for my 1000th follower, watch the space of hereness. The lucky winner was Acronia Lyubov (not her real name, apparently) - I lucked out here as she is stunning! (see below) and wanted me to draw her in my favourite style, so this was a joyful undertaking.

In other news, my illustration will be included in the amazing memories project, an art book about the experiences of poetic cancer survivors (when I got the story to draw from through I proper cried, this will definitely be a worthwhile purchase when it comes out - chock full of beautiful art and heart rending true stories) to raise money for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres.

Poppy Cleopatra has featured my live portrait of her in her blog banner, looking lovely.

Also, I have been dieting. Which I have a lot of complex feelings about so I might write a blog post about that when I have finished. I'm not sure how I'll know when I've finished. I might not last past Easter. Or maybe I will just stop when i am a size zero. ha.