Drink and Draw - July 2013

There have been Drink and Draw nights in Peterborough before now, in various locations. I first heard about the concept about a year ago, and thought it sounded brilliant. Arty people sketching round a table in a pub, with drinks. What's not to like?

With the event of Find me Keep Me in Peterborough this May, I met loads of people in the arts community, and the idea for a drink and draw was tossed about then. People seemed keen. I was keen. So when the dust had settled in my new home, I decided to take tentative steps towards organising it.

I've never organised anything before. Well, not strictly true, but I had never organised anything completely on my own, where I stood what felt like a very real chance of no one turning up. 

Firstly I put out feelers on the Creative Peterborough Facebook page. After just 24 hours I had some encouraging 'likes' and the offer of a pub to host it. Following a Friday night drink there with a friend and a chat with the landlord, Ian, I had myself a venue. Nice. Now for getting people to come.

I shouted out on Facebook and a couple of other sites, and Ian also did his bit of promoting. But in typical fashion, I felt I'd left it a bit late to spread the word, and when Wednesday night came, I sat down in the pub, heart pounding, and waited.

If only one or two people turn up, then that's fine, I told myself as I sat there, still beetroot red from the bike ride. Better than nothing. Slow grow, etc. Besides, it's your own fault for being so shoddy with promotion. Then the first person turned up!

In the end, 11 people came. Some left early and others came later on. I had advertised it as a laid back, do-your-own-thing kind of night, but I'd also made up miniature projects on little slips of paper, which people could pick up if they wanted. These turned out to be well received - one obvious danger is that Drink and Draw can easily become Drink and Talk, with very little drawing being done, but people said the mini projects were good procrastination-busters, and I tried to cater for the doodler as well as the more experienced artist -  we had both types last night, which was so lovely.

Ruth from Metal came along and interviewed me about the night for the website with a camcorder. I squirmed my way through a little explanation about what Drink and Draw is about, smiling fixedly and making far too many hand gestures. I met some great people and really enjoyed chatting and drawing, getting to know people and seeing different styles (or 'visual languages', as my old lecturer used to insist). Cycled home with a huge smile on my face and already looking forward to the next one - after the success of last night, hopefully it can become a monthly thing. 

Peterborough Drink and Draw, every first Wednesday, The Palmerston Arms, Oundle Rd, Pboro. Facebook page coming soon. :-) 

Find Me Keep Me - Peterborough 2013

What a buzzy Easter weekend. I was involved with an Arts Council funded project last week: Find Me Keep Me. It was a month in the making, and involved hiding art in the centre of Peterborough, UK, for members of the public to find. It was inspired by Free Art Friday in London, which you can educate yourself about on Youtube, should the mood take you.
There were 52 artists involved, and we were divided into teams according to our discipline - I was put into the 2D art team. We met each week in the pub to discuss potential themes for our art, promotion and how we would hide our art on the special day. Do I even need to say that there was much more laughter and messing around than proper discussion?

But we DID manage to come up with a nifty promtion idea - a folding zine that showcased all our work, to be given out and hidden on the day. Here’s us with scalpels and stuff, showing off our folding skills.

Our theme was ’treasure’, and I produced this illustration of various keys.

On the day I hid it on the steps of the Guildhall in the square... turned my back for 30 seconds, and it had gone. Excited shiver...

On the day we alternated between hiding the art, and telling the pubic about  Find Me Keep Me. We had all leafleted beforehand, as well as facebooking and tweeting about the project, but I was still amazed at the level of response. People had come into town especially to take part in the hunt, and I saw people running across the square with a map when they thought they’d found something! The whole thing was amazing, and I was lucky enough to see some delighted people discovering some art. 

So, so cool. Thanks to the organisers of this, I want to keep meeting up with all the people I met on this project, and hopefully organise some other stuff off the back of it! I hope it happens next year!

Literary A-Z: C is for Chronicle

I’m taking part in a liteary A-Z project with my fellow illustrator and friend Carly Allen Fletcher, a very prolific and talented artist. I won’t be posting every entry here as I’m hoping people visit the PirateUnicorn blog to see for themselves. In true Hannah style I’ve had to submit some of mine rather late, but this is C - Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

This Thursday I’ll be attending a meeting in a pub (where better?) to discuss the next stage of the Find Me Keep Me project I’m glad to be part of with Creative Peterborough and Arts Council England. More to follow! Hope you all had a good weekend. :-)

Cool stuff is going to happen

Tonight I went to a meeting with a bunch of other artists, poets, performers and sculptors, about a great new project that's launching next month in Peterborough: Find Me, Keep Me, organised in conjunction with Creative Peterborough, and with funding from the Arts Council England. The idea is we all create a piece of art and leave it somewhere in the city for people to find. Tonight we divided into groups and discussed what we would do, and how we would promote it. Very exciting and I can't wait to get started! If you follow my other blog, you'll see I love to hide bits of art in places for people to find already. At university I used to hide drawings or poetry in parks, fastened in jars, hidden in trees or under benches. It's going to be so great to do this with a group of other creative lovely people. Only 4 weeks to create, promote and hide, so I'd better get planning. :-)

It's about time I shared some of my 365 day project on here as well, seeing as it's nearly March!

This has been an excellent project so far, even though some days I've fallen off the wagon and had to play catch-up. It's worked like a journal, so when I flick back I can remember what I was up to at the time. The first few days were hard whilst I struggled to get over the 'mustn't ruin the new sketchbook' hang-up, now I love it. Some sketches are rubbish but other days I produce something I'd really love to take further, so it's completely worth it. :-)

Lastly, if you're intrigued by the concept of found things, you might find this book interesting:

Another job

My latest commission, just finished. Lots of fun, a tad daunting at first coming up with something original, given that Christmas is such a popular subject. But I think I managed something different, and hopefully it will make people want to come along. :-)

Overground Arts Fest, July 2012

Saturday can only be described as a day of pure happiness. I went along to the Green Backyard at 10am for the Overground Arts Festival, now in its third year. Luke Payn, one of the organisers, had invited me to be one of the guest artists there. Basically they get artists from all over to come along on the day and paint onto a wooden board. Most people there were graffiti artists of amazing talent, but there were some painters and collage-ers too. I’d been allocated a nice, un-intimidating 4’x4’ board, and I’d decided to do a grid based composition featuring one of my favourite things in the whole world: hand-drawn typography.

For those of you who don’t know or who are maybe reading from a far-flung place, The Green Backyard is a beautiful piece of land in the centre of Peterborough, and it is home to a number of amazing projects, like sculptures, allotments, a pond, a bee mound, free-range chickens, green energy, live music, art… the list goes on. It is run tirelessly by a father-daughter team as well as volunteers. Oh, and our city council would like to get rid of it. And replace it with a coach park.

Yes, you did just read that right.

So, outrage is plentiful round here at the moment, especially on a day like this one, where the sun beats down on delighted English people who have endured more than two months of sodden misery thanks to a mischievous jet stream. Why would the council want to get rid of such an amazing, popular community project? Especially as in the past Peterborough has led the way in green living, so I thought. In bleak economic times, a place that encourages sustainability and companionship, and shows us an alternative to consumerism must be a good thing, surely? If you want a coach park, can’t you dynamite Liquid or another ghastly nightclub?

Sigh. But the mood on Saturday was peaceful, and happy, mostly. I did have a strop mid way through my piece – the sun was beating down and I hadn’t had a beer yet. The colours were looking mucky and the brushwork was looking clumsy. I was on the verge of packing it all in, unfinished, and flopping on the grass with a drink, when someone cheerily approached asking me if they could buy it. I cheered up slightly. Five minutes later my neighbour who was also painting a board came over and asked if she could buy it. ‘I know exactly where I’m going to put it,’ she said. I cheered up a lot, and pushed onwards to finish it. Just who will end up with the final thing I don’t know, I didn’t pay for the board so it’s out of my hands. Here it is, all finished.

Oh, and in other news, I’m fully signed up to start a PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) in September, which I can do at night around work. Very, very happy. Nothing like learning to shake life up a bit!

Peterborough Lions - complete

So, the lions are all done. It took a total of three whole weekends, two afternoons off work, about one hundred bottles of innocent smoothie ( I kid myself that they can replace proper fruit and veg), three flasks of hot water, many many teabags, six paintbrushes, fifteen tubes of paint, one special black pen and a roll of masking tape.

I loved it so much, but it would be a lie to say there were no challenges. I love painting but I don't get to do as much of it as I'd like. And when I started painting, it soon became clear that if I carried on at that pace, the lion would never get finished in time. So I had to adapt, and become looser, more chilled in my approach.

I don't normally use black. I believe when mixing, it kills a colour, and I'd rather find another way to achieve darker colours. BUT, in this instance, nothing was helping me acheive a clean, clear distinctive outline, until Stuart leant me his black pen, and a big obstacle was overcome. It sped up the process and allowed to get the look I wanted without faffery involving tiny paintbrushes and lots of swearing. Thanks Stuart!

I'm an illustrator at heart, and my work has a friendly, colourful look to it, which I suppose people must like if I get hired now and then. But I had to overcome some insecurity about my work: Would people like it? Will they get it? In the end I just have to do what I can and let people decide for themselves. My work isn't especially cool or profound, but hopefully I've given Peterborough a vibrant, energetic piece that people will want to walk around and explore. Let's hope so anyway.
Peterborough Museum were really accommodating and I loved pretending this magnificent venue was my studio for three weeks. Stuart and Cain were great neighbours too and I loved seeing them decorate their lions, not being familiar with spray art I was suitably awed.

So, the lions will welcome the Olympic torch when it comes into Peterborough tomorrow (3rd July) and then mine will be on display for a year. If you're local, come and enjoy them. If not... enjoy the photos.

Peterborough Lions

I'm really excited to be blogging about a great artistic opportunity, and it will all be kicking off this Saturday at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery.

About a month ago I was contacted by Stuart from Peterborough's Blok Collective, a group of local artists. He'd seen some work I'd done for a local competition and wondered if I wanted to be one of four artists who get to paint their own design on a life-sized statue of a lion. Guess how long it took for me to leap into the air, shouting YES!!!

For those of you that haven't seen, it's become a bit of a craze in the last couple of years to have statues of various animals dotted about British cities, all uniquely decorated by different artists. In London there were elephant statues all around the city, highlighting the plight of the Asian elephant. Go here for the whole story. There's also been gorillas in Bristol, as well as the SuperLambBanana statues in Liverpool some years ago. 

Now my city is getting Lions and Unicorns! They will all be standing on the platform to welcome the Olympic torch when it arrives by train into Peterborough on July 3.

This is the lion I will be painting this weekend. Isn't he a beauty?

I've got some preliminary ideas shown below here in acrylic, basically I think my lion is going to made up of many different brightly coloured illustrations, all connected to Peterborough, spread over him like a patchwork blanket. The illustration of a pomegranate represents Katherine of Aragon, who is buried in our cathedral. To this day people still leave flowers and pomegranates (the symbol of her family) at her grave.

if you live in Peterborough, come to the Museum this weekend to see me and the other artists painting our lions. I'm nervous but also really excited. The painting will be taking place over the next couple of weeks. I'll post pictures of his progress as I go.

Latest new stuff

I've been busy lately with a handful of commissions, as well as getting my new zine, Any Old Iron, out into the world. I've had some terrific,, encouraging feedback which has really put a smile on my face, and issue #2 is already underway. In the meantime here are some of the things I've been working on.

Preliminary sketch for a new colouring book for The Green Backyard, Peterborough

I was very fortunate to be asked to do the branding and overall 'look' for the Fenland Poet Laureate. The awards are this Friday night. This flyer is one that I developed alongside Atelier East. They wanted a definite 'fenland' look, so I used the huge skies as a background. I also developed the title font, great fun.

This is a little sneak peek of an unfinished flyer for a local competition. I'm having tons of fun along the way working with a new client. I'll post the final image when it's done.

I'm also going through the first steps in supplying some of my cards to a shop, very exciting, although I don't have a clue what I'm doing, so it should be interesting!

Oh gosh...

Cake eaters at The Green Backyard

I haven't written on here in ages. So much has happened, you know what this time of year can be like. I hope advent finds you all well and not too flustered! This time of year I like to try and stay contemplative, not get too rushed along with all the flotsam that gathers around the true christmas period. My Christmas colouring books have sold well this month, as have my bereavement Christmas cards, so I'm glad I tested the water with them.

Highlights of this month include: Going to an architectural drawing class at St. Johns in Peterborough, then afterwards walking out into the cold night and hearing beautiful singing underneath the city guildhall, whilst marvelling at the white christmas lights strung in a net across the square. Peterborough City Council, you have done us proud this year. Also I was at The Green Backyard again this month selling my stuff, I wandered the stalls and bought some gifts (mostly for others with some cheeky treats thrown in for me), see the above illustration. I was right next to a lady selling home made jams, jellies and cakes, at one point our little gazebo was full of happy cake eaters. Also I've been investigating several professional leads as well as battling a nasty cold/virus thing, hence the lack of posting on here. I'm gutted to have lost the plot but hopefully it's only temporary.

So far the Secret Santas I have been involved in have yielded: some Mister Men coasters, and a novelty extension socket shaped like four lemons (yes, really). I also got a handmade (cheer!) brooch from my friend at Atelier East, a cardinal bird. The person who made it obviously did it some time ago, the handmade packaging looks fairly vintage. I LOVE it.

Some things I have bought this month: some earrings from Phascination Millinery, 'Typewriter', a fantastic art zine from HighwayCharlie, and these amazing PDF fold-able cameras from Mel Stringer. Really looking forward to having a go at these.

I hope you are all prepared and ready for a peaceful happy christmas. :-) Don't forget to read Lucy Farfort's interview below, and find out more about her beautiful illustrations!

Whew...

My first craft fair of the year, and I had the best time of it. The day flew by. It was chilly, but bright and clear. I was at The Green Backyard in Peterborough, what a fantastic place. I met some totally lovely creative people, explored the vegetable patches, the chicken coops and tea hut. Feeling weary but happy, people reacted well to my things and I sold a nice amount. I'll definitely be back next month. Check the photos out. My friend was too shy to be photographed but I can be seen grinning inanely in front of our stall. The pink table I fished out of a skip last week and brightened it up to hold our wares. Good eh?

In Preparation

Next week I am doing my first craft fair of the year. I've learnt some lessons from last year; namely not to burn myself out. In 2010 I spent many sleepless nights getting stock together for various fairs I'd signed up for, and as a result made myself unwell, and never wanted to look at fimo ever again. It took me until this summer to get my enthusiasm back.

This year I've got it right I think: I've chosen two fairs to do. The first one, next week, will be at a really exciting venue - the Green Backyard in Peterborough. It's a piece of reclaimed wasteland and one of our city's major success stories; the land has been converted into a place for growing vegetables, carving, murals, sculptures... there are some buildings which have been made from scrap bits of other buildings... I went there today to check out where our table would be and I fell in love with the place. I can't do it justice on here so I'll take some photographs to show you all, and if you are ever in Peterborough, trust me, you have to check it out. For now, here's the website.
Next week my friend and partner in crime Carly will be at the fair with me, we will be showcasing our new products from our illustration collaborative Pirate Unicorn. Stay tuned...
The next fair is at King's School, Peterborough, on the 25th. I'm really looking forward to this one. The kids last year were very excited about my stuff and I had a great time chatting to them, their enthusiasm was so encouraging and refreshing. That was the fair that culminated in me being poorly, but I think it was my frenzied fortnight of preparation beforehand rather than school germs.

Some of you will know that I have two outlets online: the fimo/plushie/kawaii side, and the arty illustrator-y side. I have decided to lay the online kawaii shop to rest as of January 2012 to focus on my cards and illustrations. I have a tough time promoting two shops, one usually ends up neglected plus the listing fees start to bite when you have a total of three shops (Two Folksy, one Etsy). So SweetSuzy will be put to bed in a couple of months time. Everything is reduced. The stock in there tends to do better at fairs, perhaps it has something to do with people being able to see the items there in front of them?


My Zines have sold well this week, giving me good reason to grin. And the Midlands Zine Group on  WeMakeZines are hopefully going to hold a meet soon, which I am majorly excited about too. Almost too much excitement!


And last of all, a shameless plug: my latest illustration available as a postcard on my shop. Go have a lookie.

Off to watch Merlin on the iplayer...

Rambles, Musings, Ponderings

In a way, I think it really counts for something to be a creative in a city which struggles to make room for the arts. It means you have to go underground, organise things yourself, look harder for beauty and inspiration. All of this makes you a better artist, I think. Whoever said "Calm seas don't make good sailors" never spoke a truer word.

In case you're wondering where this random musing came from, I was just reading this article in the guardian about my home city and it was encouraging. People where I live are fighting for the arts to come out of the cracks and I applaud them. It makes me excited and happy, that people here give a damn about where they live and what goes on here. More please!

My first Zine, a sneak preview

In other news I am so, so excited about my first Zine, I'm currently working on the drawings for it. For those of you that don't know, a Zine (pronounced 'zeen') is a mini publication, usually A5 or smaller, designed to be printed, photocopied and distributed easily. It has opened up a whole new world of underground publishing and I haven't been this fired up about something in ages. There are lots of good websites about Zines out there, in particular We Make Zines, as well as Zine World and Fall of Autumn. Mine is going to be on the theme of grief and grieving, based on my own experiences in late adolescence (I know it doesn't sound like a barrel of laughs but it's not as grim as you may think), and it should be out very soon, so watch this space...