Pharmacy - Moleskine Art

What would I have done a century ago? Six different daily medications just to be on par with normal people. The packaging is interesting though... a small compensation!

More Moleskine pages anyone?

Sketches of people on the street, in queues, walking around etc. The one exposing her tits is a 'retired' street walker that was resorting to flashing her only asset for loose change.

The pain of infertility, the loneliness and feeling of redundancy and uselessness. Among other stuff like complicated relationships and ensuing power plays. Human relationships are strange and hard to fathom.

Fresh Moleskine pages

As part of my artistic discipline, I try at least to fill a double page spread in my current Moleskine sketchbook. I don't seem able to use any other brand as I have become used to the paper texture, the way it copes with water colour washes, and the general robustness of the books as I do put them through some rough treatment.

 

The beauty of the Moleskine books, (I am not paid to say any of this, but I wouldn't say no to sponsorship and free books as they are costing me a fortune.) Is their quality. I have heard some say the size on the paper makes it difficult to use washes, but I've never found that. I quite like the way the paper initially repels the water but eventually absorbs it leaving subtle changes that really add something to the work.

In my ' Five artist material must haves,' I neglected to deal with paper and sketchbooks. This post will go someway towards remedying that. I have in the past used just about every brand of paper and sketchbooks, and I still look out for anything new on the market. When I was using coloured pencils as a main medium I needed very smooth paper, Bristol board was my favourite. I found I could only get that in sheet form or in spiral bound sketchbooks. I would never use a spiral bound book for daily work as it would fall to bits in five minutes. Daler Rowney make some very good hardbound sketchbooks in different sizes, but the texture of the paper was very inconsistent. I was driven to distraction by it's unreliability. When I finally succumbed to the Moleskine after much resistance, ( I thought they were rather pretentious and needlessly expensive) I realised why they were so popular.

 These days I keep a couple of A4 books for working at home, One large 21cm x 13cm moleskine book for my daily prayers, and a small satellite pocket book for carrying around. I am covered for all occasions.

My current book that I started on January 16th is slowly filling up. I am posting some up to date images of the latest work. I am shocked by the change in my work from my first Moleskine begun in 2002 when I was at The Royal College Of Art. I'm sure to a lot of people it all blurs into one . One day I'll exhibit all the books in chronological order, or have them published in one volume in a way that will make the changes easier to see. Until I do, I shall publish the images here. I may do a post on my early books if there is enough interest

My Studio

My main working desk, with all my coloured pencils, a very under-rated, under-used medium in my humble opinion.

 

Another view of my desk, a pile of fat moleskines can be seen in the corner.

Boxes full of rubber stamps, collections of images for collage, boxes of words cut out of magazines, precious things that have no value to anyone else.

My beloved books! I started collecting books at the age of eleven, my kids have the same bug. we had to move out of our last house because it was stuffed to the brim with books.

my pristine printing press! I've had it for years and have barely used it. I have big plans for it now.

Ready cut pieces of illustration board in every size I could possibly want .

A selection of old shop-keepers lettering boxes. They are getting hard to find at reasonable prices. Happily, modern versions, although not as aesthetically pleasing are widely available.