Sign Writing

Well, I got the Christmas card designed, painted and uploaded into an online template and it was printed and ready for collection the very next day – brilliant. Since then, with cards written and posted, I’ve been working on a commissioned dog portrait by daylight and a design for a restaurant sign by artificial light! The light in my makeshift studio (our friend’s dining table) was a bit troublesome - changing frequently from brilliant winter sunshine to a dark December gloom. The sign design is for our local restaurant who’s existing one is worse for wear after several welsh winters. My clients wanted a new logo and left it to me to come up with some ideas. My inspiration came from a local landmark on the Berwyn hills – a group of pine trees planted in 1815 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. Having drawn the tree motif I turned it into a vector drawing using Adobe Illustrator to create a crispy and sharp silhouette that I could experiment with.

I then mocked up a few different designs for my clients to see using a font of their choice. Next I will get my trusty aforementioned printer to print out a scaled black and white image for me to transfer to the nicely painted wooden sign (Henry's contribution). Quite how I will transfer it I don’t know, but I need to work it out and get splashing with gold paint before the year ends!

Liver Bird

It's been a couple of weeks now since the Great Liverpool Art Fair, but I have only just downloaded my pictures (busy 2 weeks!). A great day, lots of people through the door and many positive comments, not to mention a room full of inspiring creative people. All my business cards disappeared so I'm hoping some will turn into commissions. I've just finished a portrait of a wee doggy that I started at the show - the final of a quartet that I've done for someone who I guess I can call a collector, since I've done about 8 portraits for him so far.

Mirror, Mirror.............

Back on planet earth after a few weeks of manic activity - The Great Liverpool Art Fair, a pile of commissions and preparation for a big adventure (which I’ll reveal next year!) and to top it all, a breakdown in internet connectivity. I have entered the world of android phones, spent a whole day working out how to use one and am firmly in the 21^st century, connected to the information and gadgets that I now need in order to function! As usual I have left the design of our Christmas card to the last minute and am busy creating an image that encapsulates the adventures of the Simpson household for 2012! I should just about get them printed and out before the last posting day........