Sketchbooks

I've been off work with some sort of awful sickness the past three days. Sitting in bed watching cartoons has even become boring.

I tried to do some drawing this morning but couldn't decide which sketchbook to do it in. I thought it was time i actually counted how many sketchbooks I'm currently drawing in.



Too many. Way too many. The problem is i always have this dream ideal of how a sketchbook will turn out but then i draw something ugly in it and move on to something new. Or I assign too specific a role to a book, like my life drawing book (the big one at the bottom). I haven't been to life drawing in six months!

This doesn't include any of the mostly finished books I have put away. I remember when i visited my parents a while back and decided to clean out the bookshelves i'd left full there, i must have thrown away 20 or more books of drawings.

Anyway, top to bottom:

1) Little moleskine, previously my work sketchbook, which has been usurped by...

2) Softcover book with multi-coloured pages. Stays in my back pocket. Drawing and writing and lists of the first 150 pokemon (this is the game i play with myself at work when i am bored)

3) A6 Hardcover book with really nice 200gsm off-white paper. Was for "what i wore today" drawings but it only has three in it so far.

4) A5 book with bright white cartridge paper, for comics and zine drawings.

5) Older square sketchbook i took away with me last year. It has some kind of depressing things in it so i guess it is mostly retired.

6) This book was supposed to be for exhibition & painting planning. It is what i draw in at cafes.

7) This one is for illustration jobs / plans. Although it has kind of become just an every day drawing book.

8) As previously mentioned, life drawing book.


(these are all resting on a cushion from Evie Kemp )

EDIT: This was written really poorly because i had a fever.

Cupcakes

I make these all the time. People ask me for the recipe just as often, but it is super basic so i never bother (also, laziness). So here it is in all it's roughly-drawn deliciousness.


(you might want to click the images so the are readable size)

Make them and eat them because they taste good. Sometimes i put m&m's in there too, just because i like m&m's.

Geometry

Working on a some different sort of things - all are single straight-from-the-tube watercolours, at different strengths.

This one is quite big, but i only have a tiny scan. I'm not sure why. It is very mysterious.


I am also in/on the latest issue of Domestic Etch, you can preview and buy it here. It has some delightful people in it, including my all time favourite Mel Stringer.

Things are still a little rough at the moment, I finally have two days in a row off work this week so i can draw and paint as much as i want. I am also taking a mini road trip with some friends on friday to the amazing Staglands and we are going to pet so many animals. Feeding deer and baby goats and a huge aviary full of native birds.... I am very excited.

Presents for nice people

I've decided it's time I say thank you to all the nice people who look at my art and like it, so here is a little giveaway!

The prize is an original painting, professionally matted/mounted and painted in watercolours.


All you have to do is comment here, blog about it (and let me know), mention it on facebook (make sure you mention the Eating Ghosts page so i can see when you do) or tweet ( with @devonannasmith so i can see that, too). Each will get you an entry, so there's a chance to have your name in the draw 4 times.

Winner will be drawn on Sunday the 28th of August (which gives you two weeks).

xxx

EDIT: Competition is now closed. The winner has been notified (it was a sweet girl from Auckland named Sophie)

A couple of nice things

I am in the current issue of Frankie Magazine ! Just a little thing about my T-shirts, but it is very nice.


Another nice thing is a small collection of works I currently have up. They are some of my favourites from this year, and are matted nicely (not fully framed, so I could keep the prices low!) and hung in this sweet little space. Go and have a look if you are in Auckland, it is only running for a short time!

Zines

So I printed / made some more of my zine and it's up now in my etsy store. I am still so surprised at the great reactions I've had to something so potentially embarrassing / silly! It makes me very glad.

Here's a couple of sample pages... I'm already starting issue two, but i want it to have lots more drawings & details so it will be a while. I'm selling some in Wellington soon, and am a little fearful someone in it will get ahold of a copy. Maybe my drawings are just vague enough that I will get away with it. We shall see.

Home Again

Home from the Auckland Craft Fair! Bit of a whirlwind trip to Auckland, very exhausting. The wonderful Evie Kemp let Dear Colleen and I stay at her lovely house, and drove us all around, and most importantly let us play with her dogs.


This is Bonnie, who licked my feet a lot. I didn't get a good photo of Jasper, probably because i was too busy cuddling him.

The fair! All three of us were right at the back, far away from the door, on a little platform area, so i think quite a few people missed us, but it was still very fun. It was only 4 hours long, which was a great length, so i was only drooping a little by the end.


I finished my first zine, and it made it's debut here. It will be on etsy soon, i didn't expect it to sell so well but I have none left!


Craft fairs are still not really my thing (I don't actually do any craft at all...) but the trip to Auckland made this one very worthwhile, I met lots of amazing people, and had a nice break from work. I did intend this to be my very last but I may have just signed on to do another very soon....

Here's a photo of what i came home to. Bright blue skies, after rain the entire Auckland trip.
(also Wal and the cat were there but they are currently both asleep and so I shan't bother them with terrible photo-taking)