Moly_X_1 - in the studio!

Moly_X_1 - in the studio!
Originally uploaded by jill calder

here is a pic of the current Moleskin exchange sketchbook being worked upon in my studio (10 /10 for artistic messiness).
If you read my post below, you will see that I am involved in a Moleskin Exchange project through Flickr - so this one will be winging its way to Minnesota in the next couple of days for Marty to work his magic on.

Cellardyke Storm 2

Cellardyke Storm 2
Originally uploaded by Vivid Image

Look at this amazing photograph by Vivid Image that I found on Flickr - this is where I live! Wild seas indeed.

Holy Moly

The internet is a wonderful thing.
I joined Flickr about 4 weeks ago (maybe less) and quickly added favourites after browsing around other people's flickr sites.
I came across a Moleskin Sketchbook appreciation flickr and clicked a few pages as faves, and joined the group.
Then Marty Harris from Minnesota asked me to join the Moleskin Exchange he and some others have started.
There are 198 (and rising) artits and scribblers in this group, and exchanges start all the time. Some with themes, some just random - I believe the latest one is wanting someone from each continent to be part of the exchange group, but are having trouble finding a bod from Antarctica (though I know there is an artist and a poet down there at this minute, as part of the British Antarctic Survey)

So - I got my lovely Japanese fold moleskin books today, I need to fill 5-7 pages and then send on to Marty. In turn I will receive one from Aggole in Hong Kong. This exchange is called Moly_X_1 and there are other artists from South Africa, and Brazil in our group too.
The pic above is NOT part of this exchange. but just some drawings I did at the V&A Museum in London (Victoria and Albert) - I loved the little figurine with a clay pipe from the 17th Century!

Check out the blog created for our little exchange and follow the work:

http://moleskinex1.blogspot.com/

super duper USA portfolios

Hello all - been meaning to do this for ages - I have pics of them on my Facebook page, but it makes sense to show here what my new(ish!) folios look like.
I needed to have something extra special for the 3 USA offices, so I contacted a local master bookbinder, Bill Turnball, who took on my fancy ideas of inlaying leather from his scrap pile and created 3 absolutely gorgeous portfolios. I love them and was sorry to see them sail away over the pond...note to self: must get one made for the UK.
I designed the endpapers and printed all the pages myself on Bockingford doublesided inkjet paper. The post bindings come from Pina Zangaro and were cheaper to order from the USA.

Illustration Friday-Heavy

Done it a bit differently this week.
This is actually a page of ink drawings I did in preparation for an illustration for the Student magazine at UCLA.
So - you get an insight into my doodling methods AND see some ropey drawing too!
I really like the 2 drawings of the chubby little girl (I only used one of them in the end)

Method: dip pen, Ecoline Ink and some nice Fabriano paper.
I added the colour via photoshop.

Illustration Friday- GARDEN

Not done an IF for AGES...this one fits the bill perfectly.
What's the story? I was mucking about in summer with new inks and new paper - getting back to basics almost -
and playing around with some garden themes with birds and animals. More for something to frame and exhibit really!
Then I got a call from Simone from Friend &Johnson who wondered if I could do anything for the Chicago Children's Theatre.
One of the plays was "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde. The Giant has an amazing garden that some children play in and bring to life.
So, I adapted my original ink drawing and added some tiny children and birds via Photoshop to emphasise the difference in scale.
The original is for sale at the Frames Gallery in Perth, Scotland in a show of Scottish Illustrator's work.

I am painting again

Finally I have been super inspired to do some painting again - all these trips to foreign climes must be doing it.
The colours of the Australian outback and the work of the Aboriginal artists has got me experimenting somewhat.
I have a thing for birds at the moment too - not just the amusing bunch that inhabit my back garden but now I have all the excellent exotic birds that I saw in Oz and in Singapore too. The Jurong Bird Park was amazing, especially the scarlet ibis.
So, I am working on a variety of paintings at the moment with an Outback/bird/landscape.
Here's one - its called Rainbirds and is ink and acrylic paint on board. I actually first showed this at The Open Eye Gallery
in Edinburgh.
Check out this Aussie inspired work in progress -not got a title yet, but based in the goldfield lands north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia
More new work of mine will be on show at the lovely Fisher Gallery in Pittenweem from June 14th until July 27th this year.