Dunce Puss

I would like to introduce Dunce Puss, a mini comic and one of my creations now available online. 

We may be entering Autumn here in 'Old Blightly', I am also aware that Australia, a place that I lived, worked, travelled and adventured for a year in my early twenties and love, is now enjoying Spring! 

Kids loved Dunce Puss when I offered it as a treat instead of a trick for Halloween in 2013!

Dunce Puss steps in at such contrasting times!

£5.00 plus 50p postage and packing...

Leica commission and AOI support

This is the front of a brochure I have just been sent, commissioned for a client campaign: Leica Microsystems. This is one of my first big commissions  as an illustrator. After seeing some of my illustrations in the AOI images 35 catalogue, the commissioning agency: Learner Adams Bones invited me to their offices to show them some more of my work. 

Following discussions about variations of an idea of tree roots; and some from my graphic novel sequences, Ed Bones came up with the final concepts and I received some great micro direction from Lucy Pyne and the team whilst drawing the whole set which took under a month during February last year. There are many more variations of the root system inside the brochure. I am just going to show the front cover here on the blog.

Without associations like the AOI, illustrators can be at sea, I am pleased to have had their support over the last year of membership especially seeing me through the period of a commission, they have been making massive changes and developments to their services.

So nice to see it all finished, a great job!

Parallax in February 2014

I was initially invited to be part of Parallax last October '13 after Chris Barlow (an art historian) got in touch with me and said that he had seen my illustration work on the AOI portfolios. 

I was glad to be asked to be part of Parallax again in February, it was good to be among such a range of artists; a Spanish sculptress, a Spanish painter, a Swedish painter, a Jeweller, a Japanese artist who makes beautiful lamps using a very old Bizen style pottery, a sculptor from the Netherlands, some great print makers...the list is long. There was a good spirit and I think the whole event with it's new affordable format for artists to get out there could really take off. The private view was packed full and I have never felt so hot in my life, really great to catch up with some professional friends who I am thankful to for making it along.

I enjoyed introducing people to my work over the three days, it was a buzz to talk about it now that I have presented a fuller scope of the whole Domestic Bliss Graphic Novel series. I exhibited originals and also sketch book narrative as well as copy's of episode one and two, I made a few sales too.

Let me know what you think...

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Photos from last Parallax Art Fair in Oct 2013

Giclee high resolution prints on Hahnemuhle Pearl paper 290mm x 420mm

£25.00 each.

                                                                                                                      Photos by Nick Rathbone

Domestic Bliss series orginal drawings at Parallax Art Fair, Febuary 21st-22nd

I shall be exhibiting one or more original works from the Domestic Bliss series at Parallax Art Fair again in early 2014: Friday 21st February 1pm-8pm and Sat  22nd February 11am-5pm.

I am emphasising individual pages from the series with a focus on drawing and colour. The graphic novel, which is an unfolding epic story also acts as a catalogue regarding single pages and sequences.

Venue:

Chelsea Town Hall on The Kings Road, London, a short distance from Sloane Square and the Saatchi Gallery.

Here are a few links to posts I wrote about it; one from the exhibition in October this year http://gwenturner.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/parallax-art-fair.html and another with some thoughts I had after the event on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=642510602466067&id=101785636538569

'Be lovely to see you there!

End of season Domestic Bliss...

I have decided to feed finer specific news bulletins onto my Domestic Bliss graphic novel series facebook page from now onwards...

Here go's: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Domestic-Bliss/101785636538569?ref=hl

Moebius, Venecia Flotante

I feel I am in need some reflection time for this flurried year of 2013. I have learnt so much. 

For my contemplation I turn once more to Moebius. I found this picture on a blog about five years ago and I have had it on the desktop of my computer ever since. 

I kept finding clues when Andy and I were in Venice this time last year for our honeymoon. I was pleased to find an actual print hung on the wall of a second hand book store (Marco Polo), located near the famous Rialto bridge in Castello, it was similar to this picture and also depicts another little character who looks like a Doge from way back in the 13th century. The pictures he drew are of a Venice seen in the 1970's by our dear Moebius. I saw the place for the first time last year and was captivated. 

Something that Moebius manages so well here, is to make Venice and this passage under the Bridge of Sighs look like it is on Mars or something. Several passages to choose from and I feel that I am going to go right under the bridge with that little guy.

Venice reminds one so starkly, how we all discover things in our own way. It's churches provide a network of quiet retreats away from the layers of tourists that wash through the place. 

Boats full of people smiling and amazed.

Here's the reference: http://floppybootstomp.wordpress.com/tag/moebius/

Turned to Stone

Goodnight October...

When Andrew and I were in Venice this time last year for our honeymoon, I was hypnotised by this sculpture. If only I could recapture my innocent approach, as we had been in Venice only a day when we found it. It took us a few more days to discover many of the Biennial exhibitions, which were all about architecture last year. This piece was not part of it.

I find myself at times like these, needing to cling to a physical object. Rather like when the character Laura, played by Julia Roberts in 'Sleeping with the Enemy', swims for her life and is saved by clinging to that buoy out in the rough sea.

I feel the need to give my discovery back again with the pictures I captured. 

This is possibly the last in the turned to stone series.

We found him at night.

We had to return.

The above photo is taken from a-far at the top of the bell tower on Piazza San Marco. 
There he is, standing at the very tip of Punta Della Dogana.

A year later I am disappointed when I google it.

Broken hearted even.




Here is a link to previous editions of the 'Turned to Stone' series...

Parallax Art Fair

I shall be exhibiting individual original works from the Domestic Bliss graphic novel series at Parallax Art Fair this weekend. 

Thursday 17th Oct: 7.30pm, private view

Friday 18th Oct: 1pm - 8pm

Saturday 19th Oct: 11am - 5pm

Venue:

Chelsea Town Hall on The Kings Road, London, a short distance from Sloane Square and the Saatchi Gallery. It is a well known venue for such events and Parallax is very excited to host the event there this year.

Parallax AF grew from an international exhibition conceived and curated by the art historian Dr Chris Barlow. It is based on new ideas drawn from the philosophy of Art History, and a serious platform for international and national artists to present their work to dealers, collectors, critics and buyers. It provides artists with the benefit of affordable show space in a central, high profile location and allows artists to present non-commercial work, ideas and also further developed and established work.

Further information and tickets can be obtained for the exhibition days via the website below:

www.barlowfinedrawings.com/parallaxaf.html