Illustration Friday 'Flavour'

Pencil drawing coloured digitally. Inspired by an article I read on the BBC's website, which you can read here. Have a good weekend.

Illustration Friday 'Holiday'

Kind of set a deadline on this one to finish it before lunch. Not only to push myself and simplify the style of illustration and see if it holds together. But also because i've still got loads of Christmas type things to do and pick up family and friends from the airport. I guess that kind of influenced the illustration in the first place. Have a good one.

Ice Skating's fun until you fall.

It's Christmas week and we're starting to get excited. Em's mum and dad are coming over on Thursday with Jac then Richard, Ian, James and Becky arrive on Friday. So it's not like me and Em are spending our first Christmas in Boston alone. It will be just like being back in England. Pretty much done all our Christmas shopping too, some of the queues in the stores have been a bit insane. Especially at the weekend. I'm not the greatest shopper and find the whole Christmas shopping a bit depressing, unless I'm in Newbury Records (my new favourite shop) where I can be left quietly browsing through rows of CD's. New Year's Eve is going to be good too, there's the parade, ice sculptures and fireworks amongst other things going on.

It was our 3rd Anniversary last Thursday, 15th December. We had a really good day, went ice skating in the common, the bruise on my right hip is just starting to fade. Later on we had a posh meal at a place called Stephanie's on Newbury. Ordered puddings each when we really should have ordered one to share. Thought we could handle them but failed miserably. Thanks to everybody who sent us a card and the Christmas cards too. I’ve been getting some good responses to our card and the other illustrations I’ve been working on. Got loads more planned and ideas to develop next year. So thanks to all those who have left comments I really appreciate it.

Hope you like the pictures, credit Em for the sunset, the others are just us trying to keep warm before we went skating and the other is our Christmas lights in the apartment. We bought a little ‘Charlie Brown’ tree (that’s what they call ‘em) which is out of shot. Will take a picture of that for next time.

Happy holidays, sorry I mean Christmas and love to friends and family. Take it easy all.

Happy Christmas

This is the illustration I've done for our Christmas card this year.
Hope all those family and friends we sent one to have recieved
it safe and sound.

Happy Christmas to all those who read this Blog and thanks for your comments.

Illustration Friday 'Imagine'

Illustration Friday 'Surprise'

I started off with a 'Jack in a box' idea which just wasn't working for me. Then on Saturday evening I was watching Vh1's 'Best Year Ever' which showed a clip of President George W struggling to open a door after a press conference in Japan. He pushes then pulls but he fails to open the door then stands there for a couple of seconds which seem to go on for longer. Trying to remember how he got into the press conference. One of the funniest things I've seen this year along with R Kelly's 'In The Closet' videos. So anyway this clip reminded me of how surprised I was when Bush was re-elected and gave me the idea for my illustration. Hope you like.

Boston Weather Watch

Snow.

John Lennon

I can't remember where or what I was doing this day 25 years ago. The day John Lennon was killed, I was only 6 after all. I didn't really get into his music until my mid teens and then became slightly more obsessed through my college years. Although I would say my obsession was more for The Beatles than Lennon as an individual. Rubber Soul and Revolver are albums that will always be in my top 10. Revolver was the first to catch my attention mainly due to Klaus Voormans' artwork, then of course I listened to it. I guess I should thank my mum and dad for being fans in the first place and having these records in their collection. Now of course the songs are on my ipod and on those days when I don't know what to listen to. When I put my ipod on shuffle, and it decides to play a Beatles song, I'm happy. Their music has an ability to lift my mood and for that I will be forever grateful to John, Paul, George and Ringo.

All you need is love.

Winter Wonderland

Christmas is getting closer and the weather is getting colder. Snowed over the weekend and Boston was expecting 3-4 inches today but it didn't materialize. Heavy snow falls south of the city around the Cape but not as severe as was forcast. I've been working today and I'm getting more comfortable in the job everyday I work there, however I can't wait for Thursday and Friday to concentrate on some illustrations. Em's working tonight, it's her last night shift for a week or so. In fact she's got the rest of the week off which will be great for her.

Below is some pictures we took last Friday down by the Common and one of the snow from our apartment window.



Take it easy all.

Everything's bigger in the U.S.

As I mentioned in the last post giant baubles have appeared in Boston for Christmas.
If these things were left lying around in Leeds, some binge drinking, drunk Saturday night clubbers would be found climbing, drawing, hugging and no doubt pissing against them. I don't mind the drawing and hugging, however this could possibly lead to attemps at shagging a giant bauble if they hadn't pulled by the end of the night.

Illustration Friday 'Blue'

Is it December already

Christmas is coming! I’m more aware of this fact because I’m working retail again and another colleague is spreading Christmas cheer wearing his Santa hat. That would be Bruce.
Anyway I’m working retail over the Christmas period part time, to earn some spending money so I can buy Emma some satsumas and pay for a drink or two when family and friends come over. It’s something we knew I would have to do and it’s getting me out and about meeting people. I’m having some interesting conversations with fellow English folks on their holidays, which is making it a bit more fun for me. I’m on a bit of a downer before I go to work, however on a high when I finish because I know I have a couple of days off to concentrate on illustrating. Before I was kinda plodding along and days were beginning to drift into each other. Which was okay of course but was beginning to go stale. I appreciate the time for illustrating now and let’s not forget the perks of retail. I’m talking staff discount here, so there are a few pluses to doing it.

We went to see The Magic Numbers and David Kitt on Tuesday night at a little pub called ‘Great Scott’s’. A cool little venue which reminded us of ‘The Duchess’ in Leeds. Does anybody else remember The Duchess? Anyway also at the venue was a small exhibition featuring cover art for a free weekly newspaper called ‘Dig’. The art director was there so as Emma put it I ‘pimped’ myself. I prefer introduced myself and enquired about showing him some work. A positive conversation was had so we will see what happens with that.
The gig was good, we like David Kitt a lot. Saw him last January in Leeds, really talented singer songwriter from Ireland and you should all try to check him out. The Magic Numbers put on a good performance too, superior to the album. They’ve got a heavier sound live and are better for it. The great thing about small venues is you can stand within touching distance of the performers. Very intimate surroundings, we pretty much stood next to The Magic Numbers while David Kitt performed. You could buy them a drink at the bar if you wished. We had a fun night.

I was going to do a little illustration, design type thing to go with this entry but only got as far as some sketches of the Magic Numbers in my sketchbook, maybe I’ll go back to it at a later date. Anyway hope you like the sketches.


We are going down towards Quincy Market tomorrow evening to look at the Christmas lights and stuff. Also for Christmas these giant gold baubles have started to appear around the city which look pretty cool. Nothing like that in Leeds. Would love to take a picture of one with some legs sticking out from underneath like it fell on somebody. Maybe try that tomorrow night.

Take it easy people.

Happy Thanksgiving for last Thursday

Hello all

We’ve been living in Boston for three months now and are continuing to settle in.
Em’s working tonight so I thought I’d pass the time by writing a little.
Thanksgiving was a bit of a sad day because we missed our family and friends also because we watched ‘Field of Dreams’. We love the film it just made us cry at the end. I know we’re both soft but when Kevin Costner’s character asks his dad if he wants to play catch. It pulls at the heart strings. Made me want to go play table tennis with my Dad.
Boston was quiet because all the students had gone home for the holiday and most of the shops were closed except French Connection. The sales then started on Friday with many stores opening at five in the morning, that’s right I said five. People were queuing outside Wal-Mart and fighting with each other for the major bargains that only lasted for a couple of hours that morning. Crazy commercialism.

Well that’s enough for now don’t want to waffle on, keep it short. Going to see ‘The Magic Numbers’ supported by ‘David Kitt’ tomorrow night so check back later for that. Hope you like the pictures of Boston down by the Charles River and Boston Common, also our kitchen wall where we are sticking pictures and postcards people are sending us. So keep 'em coming.

Illustration Friday 'Small'

Illustration Friday 'Free'

I don't know what he did, but he's free now.

For those wondering what 'Illustration Friday' is go to www.illustrationfriday.com

Good things come to those who wait...

...381 days to be exact.

"I hate this country". That's the kind of thing your wife says when she's feeling a little blue and you leave the induction to your new job half an hour late. She's stood outside in the New England cold while I try to work out the American tax system.
Then it pisses it down. I mean really piss it down. We're walking to the Avalon Ballroom to see The Black Keys who 381 days ago played a gig at The Cockpit in Leeds. Unfortunately I was invited to a Halloween/Anniversary party of some family friends. Dont get me wrong we had a good time at the party, I had a good time but I was gutted that I was not going to the gig. Back at work on Monday all I hear from friends who went to the gig was how great it was. So here we are 381 days later, we now live in Boston and are stood soaking wet, beer in hand, waiting to see The Black Keys. The Avalon Ballroom is a pretty cool venue with areas that look like they've come from Stanley Kubricks '2001' and the Cantina scene in 'Star Wars'. The two guys who form The Black Keys rock for an hour or so and before we know it, they exit stage right and we're walking home. Was it worth the wait? Of course it was. To cap it off we get back to the apartment settle down with a hot brew, switch on the TV and stumble across the John Hughes 80's classic 'The Breakfast Club'. Em's not so blue anymore.

Welcome to our Blog

Here it is. A space on the world wide web for us to write and keep those who want to know, up to date with what we're up to in Boston and the big old US of A. So instead of sending loads of e-mails out, we aim to collect all our adventures and post them here with pictures and drawings to illustrate things a little more.

So hope you enjoy what we write and feel free to e-mail and keep in touch.