Pirate Wench wip.

A pirate I'm working on...


Just been listening to Ninja Mountain, the illustration podcast, episode 67 (again some relevant discussions went on, including what to say and not-say online). Sorry to hear Jon Hodgson is leaving it due to work commitments. His wit and enthusiasm contributed much to the show. Still, if it means more art that's a consolation. Thanks to all the 'Ninjas' for their past and continuing efforts.

Dashinvaine Designs: Shop from the comfort of your own home...

Done more consolidating on my big main shop on cafepress, which now has a wide range of my stuff in several sections. If you like that sort of thing, it should be exactly the sort of thing you'd like. It can be found here:

We're All Doomed!

This struck me as amusing and suitable twist on the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster from WWII. Get it on teeshirts and stuff...

Crusader Tattoo Design

This week I've had time to complete a commission to design tattoo for a brave soul who wanted a crusader battle to cover his whole back. Ouch! The design can be seen here:
Crusader Battle by *dashinvaine on deviantART

I was initially a bit reticent, as my comment makes clear, about the idea of putting an angel and a devil with the Crusader and Muslim sides, as there wasn't much to distinguish the two creeds in the era in question. I would have preferred to leave supernatural participants out of the equation.

Cafepress shops

I've recently opened several more cafepress shops...

Adderbite

Assassin Demon

Board to Death


Older shops linked to from here

All's well that ends well.

It always puts things into perspective when terrible things happen or almost happen in real life. Concerns about what an illustration of a ship's reflection should look like, or gripes about the new interface on deviantART suddenly seem relatively trivial.

A female relative of mine was jogging in a park in the city where she lives, early this morning, when she became aware of a man seeming to follow her, matching her speed, stopping when she stopped, pretending to walk. And then he dropped his stuff and started running after her as she tried to get away. Fortunately there was a knight (on a shining bike) who saw what was happening and intervened. Something unthinkable might have happened had not this other guy been around. Thanks to him, and to whatever fortune or providence caused him to be there. I feel an abstract gratitude beyond the personal and am greatly relieved that the outcome was not worse. I would say 'thank God', but for the knowledge that many other victims have found themselves cornered by perverted predators only for no saviour to appear in the nick of time, with consequences that don't bear thinking about.

Hare today gone tomorrow?

In between working on a game project, I've started this odd oil painting based on the mysterious motif of the three hares joined by their ears. The intention was to get it done for a local exhibition on the theme of nature, but that starts on this coming Friday and there's no way it will be dry. I've been more experimental with this one (intuitive even) but I think it might be a failure, and I can see myself wiping all that wasted paint off tomorrow. There really is no substitute for proper planning and having a clear idea what you want to depict from the offset.

V&A

Went to London again yesterday. The day included a picnic in Hyde Park, and the discovery of the source of the Serpentine. Then we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, sketched a pretty statue of Eve by Thomas Brock (indifferently) then visited the Strawberry Hill exhibition, with some of the artworks and artefacts collected by Horace Walpole for his extraordinary gothic revival house at Twickenham (which is currently being restored, and which will be worth visiting). We then looked at some authentic gothicry in the medieval bit. After an unplanned detour we ended up at an Italian restauraunt in Leicester Square.

Recent Stuff

This week a fairly major, on-going illustrati project on got going, and I'm quite pleased to have my instructions. Meanwhile the UK had an election. I spoilt a good walk by going in and voting, so some I have to take some of the blame for what transpired. There again it's probably for the best. Labour need to be put out to pasture for a while to get their act together. (Governments are like nappies, as someone said, they need to be changed regularly, and for the same reason). The Liberal Democrats should counteract the worst excesses of Toryism, and vice versa with some of the sillier aspects of the Liberal agenda. The coalition's the best that could have been hoped for, and I wish it well.

Speaking of crooks and unlikely alliances, I've started reading a book about Barbary pirates. I was interested to discover the career of Sir Francis Verney as a renegade, apostate and corsair in Algeria. I visited his family home Claydon House last year, but he was evidently not the ancestor they liked to talk about. They are keener on Edmund Verney, who had his hand cut off while holding Charles I's banner during the Civil War. (I went to Bradenham also this week, with another big manor house that was apparently the home of Benjamin Disraeli's father. Some beautiful woodland around there, good sniffing country for the dog.)

Also rather enjoying the new series of Doctor Who, which has so far treat me to the spectacle spitfires in space and (supposed) vampires in Venice. What more could anyone possibly want? Thanks BBC! I'm toying with the idea of getting a tweed jacket.

Sadly the world of fantasy art lost its granddaddy Frank Frazetta this week, famous for his conan illustrators, and his death dealer horseman, who has finally come for his maker...

Hats and art

I've had the three paintings I entered accepted for an exhibition at a new art gallery in my home town, the Rebecca Hill Modern Art Gallery. The Old Vicarage, Market Square, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire UK. HP27 0AN

The exhibition is themed on Hats and Shoes. It opens on Fri 7 May.

Sergeant Dan

I spent the day racing to finish the latest Character of the Week contest on Conceptart.org, in this case the indomiatble comic hero Sergeant Dan. There have been some very good entries for this contest, really capturing the spirit of the old pulp comic covers. Mine is here...



I was pleased yesterday to confirm the sale of a couple of older pieces, actually from the old version of my website dashinvaine.co.uk . A link to the archived pages and the more extensive galleries of older work can be found from the new site by going to the links section.