Wedding! Over there!

Take a look at this – a recent commission for a couple’s wedding. A wedding attendee sent me some photographs of the man-and-wife-to-be and I selected a particularly expressive one and produced a simple ink drawing for them. I felt that the ridiculous nature of their stances atop a craggy mountain were at odds with a more sober illustration style. I enjoyed the challenge of a proper commission (proper in the sense that they are people I have never met) and hope they enjoy hanging it up in the marital home, in the smart black edged frame I selected. (With thanks to Jamie at Light Grey, Edinburgh for that!)

This seems a fairly opportune moment to mention that I am available for commissions – in this style or others, just get in touch!


Happy one hundred!

A challenge to mark my one hundredth Daily Drawing, continuing each weekday since March – this is a personal Coat of Arms, at least, it is well on its way! If you’re interested in the meaning behind it all, scroll down a little to underneath this image. I had a lot of fun thinking it all up and I feel a personal pride in the fact I’ve practically managed a drawing every weekday for one hundred days. A small milestone, but I feel it requires a certain amount of commemoration, hence the Heraldry! Enjoy.

The motto was supposed to read ‘gullible’, but not finding a suitable Latin word, I opted (via an online translation tool, I’m afraid) for this; Trusting in Every Word and Image / Fides in Sulum Vox Quod Statua.

The main colourings denote loyalty and truth for the blue, then hope, joy and loyalty in love for green. These were better than the somewhat spurious other choices! The Tawny tertiary colour is for worthy ambition. Here’s hoping I qualify. The wavy line separating the two halves is a ‘nebuly’ line, connecting me with water (I am a Pisces) and also with the sea, which I love and have never lived far from.

To the images themselves; the Rosemary is there for my name. The rose of England and the thistle of Scotland are my parentage, one English, one Scottish – also being born in Carlisle I was a Borderlands baby anyway. The globe is for travel, which I do whenever possible and for *ahem* worldliness (OK, pushing it there!). The artist’s palette is quite obvious, connecting me with my employment and the last panel with the monkey riding an Ox is a less clear reference. The Ox is a nod to the Chinese Zodiac animal under which I was born, but looking into Heraldry, an Ox stands for valour and magnanimity – traits I aspire to. The monkey, as ever, is cheeky; according to the rules of Heraldry, a monkey or baboon hides their wisdom and perhaps magical powers with their amusing antics. The apparently include mimicry, agility, buffoonery, cunning, satire. Ta da!