A fine book launch for Laura Dockerill and Lauren Child’s picture book GREY at Battersea Bookshop. A good time was had by all, with impressive words from the authors and even a book reading by the writer.
Serious lounging and smoking.
“Creativity is magic. Don’t examine it too closely.” – Edward Albee
Working on the computer constantly reminds me of the importance of working in a real space, with real spacial awareness and real scale. Inhabiting the world of the application one is using can be the kiss of death. How satisfying it is to see the work on the table in front of you, with the edges of the paper in reach and the imperfection of the surfaces in full view.
A constant reminder.
My Dog, Hen is shortlisted in the Victoria and Albert Museum Illustration Awards 2024, in the illustration for children category. What a nice surprise.
Bologna Book Fair, 2024.
The Perseverance rover drawn for a forthcoming book on life on earth and beyond. The initial drawing – in primitive biro – was done from memory in 1g.
I have seen photos of the Perseverance rover before, but was surprised to learn it is the size of a van. I had not seen anything relative for scale next to it until seeing some scientists or engineers standing alongside at the JPL.
On Mars, there’s no way to tell what scale it is. If only there was a tree or a bus stop or something to make it all make sense.
Cave drawing found on Mars.
One of many drawings on paper, thanks to NASA.
The finished drawing. 1:16.
Drawing smiles is not as easy as I once thought. But after drawing a lot of them, it’s now a piece of cake.
Lauren Child’s new Clarice Bean book ‘Smile’ has a few pages of these drawings and we spent a day arguing about which smiles meant what. As the author, she knew more about it than me (she’d written a book about it) so it was no contest.
Scenes of Belfast. Cloudy with chance of rain.
The Hindenburg’s menu impressed me. And it was all prepared for passengers in an aluminium galley, 200m off the ground.
For passengers at this altitude, enjoying the flavours of the food wouldn’t be the problem it is in modern pressurised aircraft cabins where taste buds may as well be put in the overhead lockers. Here is a selection from the menu of a three day flight:
Breakfast
Coffee, Tea Milk, Cocoa
Bread, Butter, Honey, Preserves
Eggs, boiled or in cup
Frankfort Sausage
Ham, Salami
Cheese
Fruit
Lunch
Consommé Gutenberg
English Prime Ribs of Beef with Young Turnips
Stuffed Tomato
Plum Potatoes
Richelieu Pudding
Demi-Tasse
Dinner
Tapioca Soup with Julienne Vegetables
Boiled Halibut
Mousseline Sauce
Salted Potatoes
Capon a’la Brussels with Mixed Vegetables
Assorted Cheese Platter
Pumpernickel Crisp Bread
Westfalian Dark Rye Bread
And after the meal, one could peacefully and luxuriously enjoy a cigar or cigarette within the 200 million litre hydrogen balloon.
