Snakes Tongue Kissing

 This picture started as the reverse of a portrait of a lady. Some ink showed through wear her hair was. A friend asked what I would make THAT into, so here it is. I have other alliterating animal cartoons lurking in my brain.

Morticia Adams Pruning

 Yes, I know it is not a close resemblance as I drew this in my sketchbook when I did not have access to a picture of the lovely Morticia. However, the sketch was also inspired by my cousin's concept of garden pruning with an electric hedge trimmer and her colorful response when I suggested she might want to leave a few flowers.

  I always loved The Adams Family but my observation is that they were, ironically, a loving and relatively wholesome family and Morticia would never swear!

On The Trains

 

A Day At The Beach - Sandy Jellyfish Invasion

 As a keen swimmer I thought I might take advantage, at Sandringham beach, of the warm weather. However, after jumping in and swimming a few stokes I soon found out that the sea was swarming with jellyfish. After receiving several stings I made  hasty retreat to the sand.
    Instead I got my sketchbook out. yes, there is a LITTLE artistic licence.

Today I was sketching with the portrait group. Noela sat as our subject. The pictures were 20 minute sketches done over three hours. I used a few different styles, including caricature.

                                                      

                                                         Below: brush-pen caricature

                                                                  Naturalistic HB pencil

                                                                        Cartoon style

Naturalistic line brush-pen

Des Darvell Portrait With His Art As Background

 As a boy I had some very nice and interesting uncles. One of them was Uncle Des, my mother's only sibling. He was a 'dabbler'. Des did sign writing, managed art galleries and was a photographer. He also did abstract paintings I call 'splatter paintings' and pictures that combined his painting and photography. I decided to redo his portrait with one of his paintings in the background.

   I know that Des, if he was still alive would love to see this. He always encouraged me in my art.

Ned Kelly, Australian Icon

 Ned Kelly is a hero to many and a villain to others. He was a bushranger akin to America's outlaws, Jesse and Frank James. In both cases large elements of their communities helped them because of perceived injustices from the authorities.

  Sadly, it has been revealed that he probably never, on his pending hanging, remarked 'Such is life'. But it is the kind of thing that he would say.

  Below are three versions of my portrait of Ned.

      

Mind Your Fingers

 

Mrs Lawnmower Man (Staphny) & Her Special Toxic Spew

 

This picture and other cartoons are now available from Zazzle on t-shirts, mugs and caps.

When a Pensioners Rescue Dog's $45 Dog Licence Becomes Over $400

 

Raven's Eye View

 Oh dear, I've gone all dark and stuff! When the French knights, mired in mud, were fallen from their horses the English bowmen rushed forwards with daggers and mallets to find weak spots in their armour. The battle's aftermath would have provided a feast for ravens and other scavengers. There will be at least one more related picture.

Materials: gel and marker pens, coloured pencils, water colours and Games Workshop acrylic paints.

For those interested in this 15th century battle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt

Devil Tree

 

I painted this yesterday when I was camping. This is drawn from a real tree with just some minor embellishments. My original colors were digitally changed to sepia.

Favourite Campsite

 

Holly With Portrait Group

This is yet another of my quick sketches of the Portrait group sketching.

 

Another Page From My Travel Journal Zine - My Grandfather I Never Met

 I used watercolour on this one. I'm quite pleased with the result. My Zine festival zine is quite a mix with m passing through the tiny 'town' of Powelltown being part of my trip. It was a homage to my father's family. My paternal grandfather was a tough cookie. Once he was chopping firewood and cut his leg with the axe. He just kept cutting wood and when he entered the house his wife removed his gumboot, which was full of blood.

My newest Zine - The Journey, Zine Daze, Healesville

 My latest zine is a bit of a departure as it is a kind of stream of consciousness about a trip I toll to a zine day.

 Here are the first three pages. Yes, it is a true story although the 'Muse' did not wear an ancient Greek helmet...

I am selling the zine so if you want to know what else happened you will have to buy one from me!

Portrait Group, Holly

 Today, at the portrait group I did this cartoon picture of our model, Holly.

Sekhmet

 The ancient Egyptian lion goddess by request...

Stevie Nicks & Songs

 Here are the answers to an earlier post quiz.

The Romanovs

 I have been intrigued by some old photos of the Tsar and family prior to and during WW1 and the Russian Civil War and Revolution. I have been rendering some of these into gel pen and coloured pencil.