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couldn't attend Jaroslaw.

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Seasonal* greetings from Edinburgh.

(* Edinburgh has two seasons: Fringe and Hogmanay)

 

Notice the finest sketch of Edinburgh Castle in the background made after a hundred years of seeing it every day. Petty dashed good.

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 spring time doodle.

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Another emo piece done in November and since November it was sitting in my 'unfinished'. I may as well label it as finished, now that November is so distant and irrelevant anymore. And this blog needs attention.

------------

told you it was real emo.

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been very very busy doing everything for everyone in January, and of course all of it top secret (love that secrecy of my trade), I've not had time to eat not to mention update any blogs. Still not finished really, but nearly. 

That's some part of it greater scheme of things - scary scary train (not mine this time, just illustrated by me), rather old one really, from the summer.

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I've done it, but then as I turned away I started laughing at both him and myself, so in the end I have smiled.

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I don't want to say anything about it yet. Maybe later.

I'm ill again.
:(

9222

 Just as I get over the post-festival cold and exhaustion, I'll be back among the living. I thought I was due an update on my bitchy bar-tender alter-ego, especially that it's in her skin I spent most of August. Quick one from yesterday night:

Like, you don't go to, for example, a bank, or a post office, come to the counter and then turn to chat to your friends for few minutes. First of all, because there's a bunch of people waiting to be server behind you, and also, it's a bit disrespectful, isn't it? For some reason these rules don't apply in many bars.
Also, I don't know why some people think it's a good idea to mess with those who are supposed to be taking care or your drunken self, like bar- and door-staff.
£1 for every minute you ignore me, biatch.
(I am evil) 

9208

Here's what I'm doing this August:

 

Rolling over and back again the map of US (very educational), animating dandelions on the moon, cutting out fairies and other things soon, drawing vicorian war trains, washing mountains of glass and pouring pints with the other hand till 5 in the morning. Unblocking sinks, cleaning sick, visiting embassies, coping with the festival traffic in Edinburgh, certainly not sleeping, not nearly as much as I'd want to. And on top of all this, the world is full of vicious people who peer pressure me to go for a drink.

One would have thought I'd be fine, but being in the ramming centre of town, and working in hospitality, I can't handle Edinburgh in August, I really can't. 

If I ever get out of here

thought of giving it all away

to a registered charity

all I need is a pint a day
if I ever get out of here.
If we ever get out of here.

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There was an idea behind this, until my friend Zane came around and the drinking started again. Then it became just another doodle of colourful things.

I never thought I'd say that, but damn, it's too sunny recently. I only have windows in the roof where I live on the top floor, and I'm not even sure how to cover them.

I've been actually animating a bit recently (sadly, it seems that I need to start working again), meaning: on paper, with a peg bar and stuff. It feels funny, I don't even have a desk, just a coffee table. Not having anywhere to line test I had to flip things to kind of see them. Proper 'back to the roots' fun with cider and spiders. I'll go to the Edinburgh college and get on their rostrum some time to check it, but it will be fine. My ego's too big to doubt it.

9145

Back home, and God I hope to stay here for some time now, please...

Annecy was good, we've seen a lot, we've meet lots of folks (very nice and interesting ones, more interesting that any of the films), it's been sunny and warm, full of blooming roses, the water was wonderful, and I've learned things. About France: that for some reason, they keep their grocery shops hidden (no joking, really hidden), that one should better give away their fags to whoever asks them for it, and that you can drink in the park, that was wonderful news for us. Another thing I learned would be my limit of how long I can stay surrounded by people 24h a day. Yeah, I must be antisocial, and I admired my friend I was with (Will Anderson, who won student category, by the way!) how he could cope with so many people everywhere, all the time. Exhausting. Yeah, I'm an artistic wuss. 
Here we go, Annecy was very educational. 
But overwhelming. I'm still overwhelmed. Oh my…
I have temporary fear of people now, and I need to get over it soon, back to reality: my bar, and my silly animation. 

That's some random Tosca, because I - like most of us bloody 'artist' - have to force myself to produce something every day, and then I end up with random hardly ambitious drawings. We've been to see 'Tosca' for my birthday two weeks ago.

9135

am I being a real bad loser for not being bothered to go to Hiroshima Animation Festival? I've been taking to my friend about it, and I was a bit like: noo, I'd need to get a passport, I don't have a passport. And it would cost a lot of money (good point, but she got me with: you can get that money back), and it's so far away, I hate flying, I absolutely hate flying, and I need to do so much of it anyway, and Japan is soooo far. It's probably soooo cool too, but… soooo far.
Now that she pointed out I'm just being outrageously lazy bum not to take this opportunity, I'm having second thoughts.
Yeah, it probably is a great place to go. On the other hand, I'm really bad  with 'travelling' in general, by train, plane, whatever, I didn't got to Glasgow for BAFTAs or Glasgow Short Film Fest, in a way because I'd rather avoid travelling, and that's just an hour away in a train!
I think I'll wait till they develop teleporting a bit.

And here's my Jubilee contribution, and my general political opinion on the whole Scottish Independence idea: oh really people, can't you see how beautiful Union Jack is as an image? I think it may be my favourite piece of graphic design ever, and I'm simply worried that if Scotland gets out they may get it changed is someone's too zealous. That would make me sad.

 

9105

 I like old things, and I like beautiful things, and so I like "Valerie and Her Week of Wonders". I've been 'being disillusioned' (as the acclaimed director Neil Jack put it last time we spoke, and I couldn't help noticing: does that mean that 'illusioned' /deceived/ would be artists' default mode?), so I tried to look into inspiring things.

In a way, it is quite relevant. In art college I've been trying to learn film-making: perhaps organising and labeling things makes it seem manageable, a bit safer. Is there a 'safer', more 'manageable' way to do art? Bullshit. And that's what things like "Valerie" remind me of: they'd take me for some insane ride and give me a beating until all of these so-called principals crumble, until there's nothing to understand, nothing to comprehend, nothing to write essays about. Just the world to experience.

that's some weird drawings, sorry. I'm tired.

9102

 bits of stuff I've been doing when I'm actually being creative, bits of storyboard (although not in story order, they looked better re-arranged) I've been doing some time ago. Actual story is something I've been working on years ago, on my Foundation year at MMU, but I only got to develop it now:

perhaps that will get animated some time in the summer.

hopefully I could be putting more here. It's quite hard to do anything, I don't have a scanner, I don't have Internet, and too often I'm not in a fit state, and then I often can't even publish what I do anyway.

Party season, and going away places season had started. I'll do some happy things, I tell myself.  Life's either bleak and scary facing our insignificance, or it's strawberries, love and dances.
(and a bit of hang over following)

PS. Worker's Day. I totally didn't realise it's May already. I'm not here with the real world. (Nostalgia)

9052

that's a scan from my old sketchbook, from some years ago, college days. I've been going through them, sketchbooks, to look for something that would remind me why exactly I become an animator, but I failed. Oh my. I found other stuff tho, like this:

and this one it's more current, just from few days ago:

9042

yes, their staff does shine.
I wasn't in that particular one since then, and I shan't for the rest of the month. Somehow, I don't like the idea of being recognised. Luckily, living in the very center of the town, I'm spoiled for choice of coffee houses. This one was just the closest one.

8814: bar doll

I'm posting so much recently. Just cos I draw more. I used to draw a wee comic about a barmaid (based on my own experience of that wonderful job) in my third year in college. Now that I'm back in that bar, I may get back to drawing. Only that this time, I may as well publish it.

No, his question was actually rather boring and disappointing. No, it wasn't about where the toilets were, tho.

8810

that's how it is. Another stop-motion commission to work on next week. I'm running here and there, not really fitting anywhere.

yes, life's funny. One can become a hypocrite stop motion animator just like that. Ok, I guess you need to be an animation graduate to get the "joke", and I can't afford to explain it now. It's rolling. I'm sleepy.

8808

Back in the bar, flat and job hunting still. Freelance life - things get turned around from day to day. I can't tell the up from down. Or maybe it's that vodka. Oh yeah, did I mention I was back in the bar I used to work before? It's not bad.


a sketch of Cat Bruce, my classmate. I drew that like two months ago, but never got around to scan it.



here you can watch the video I was working on recently. Sorry for youtube quality. Considering it took me two days to make, I'm quite happy with it. Bright colours, everything happy and sparkling.

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