MORE LIFE

Here is the place to draw.

Another great drawing session organised by the wonderful David!

Body: Model's own

Commuting Home for Christmas

Up and down the country we were hurrying home to love ones. Cheek to cheek, toe to toe on the overcrowded trains, taking advantage of the services before they are reduced for the Christmas break.

Hurry Hurry Quick Quick!

Featured here the edge of Platform 3 at Marylebone Station in London.

CONGREGATION FOR THE CONFERMENT OF DEGREES

Tuesday 13 December 2011 at 9.45 am saw the culmination of an impressive learning journey: Private primary education, entry into the Grammar School system, spiced with adolescent anecdotes, such as an accompanied visit to a Police Station and very mild alcoholic poisoning and finally through to completion of an Bachelor of Arts degree course at the University of Leeds.

Megan Baynes was ‘admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts First Class Honours - Sociology.

We had a nice cuppa in the Sociology Department after the Ceremony.

MIYAKE FOR ME

A little bit of Issey Miyake does us all a power of good! This drawing from Fashion and Textile Museum rediscovered during a recent stock take.

MARVELS OF MALCOLM

I found an audio cassette at the back of the cupboard yesterday.

A recording off air, from Radio 1 I guess. So straight to iTunes to down load Waltz Darling released in 1989 and took vogue style of dance. Fave track: Something’s Jumpin’ in Your Shirt featuring Lisa Marie.

Picture: Appropriate to the topic

NIL BY MOUTH

Laparoscopic Appendectomy: Drawing on the NHS

Bron recently underwent an operation and the recovery ward presented a good opportunity to get some drawing done.

Loads of interesting equipment, Ward Sister, shuffling patients and visitors out of place, meanwhile I am eyeing up the chocolates on the adjacent patient’s bed table.

ON A COLD AND FROSTY MORNING

Here we go round the mulberry bush, On a cold and frosty morning

Cycle chum, framer, photographer and great friend Chris and I did not find a Mulberry bush but it sure was COLD on Saturday morning - Me ‘plates’ were frozen as were me ‘German bands’

Picture credits: My iPhone

BACK TO LIFE

It was great to discover a life drawing group close to work and I went along last Tuesday! Brilliantly organised by David, excellent model called Clifford, great draw-ers and tea and biscuits at the interval. I shall return

Featured: Clifford

Link for more detail on the Group

Spens gift

I recently became friends with leading contemporary painter and printmaker Peter Spens and was lucky enough to spend time with him in his studio and Gallery close to Highgate tube!

Currently you are in for a treat if you can make the short trip to see From mountains to sea, his latest show at Cranley Galleries.

Additionally, much of Peter’s current work over recent years work brings London to life with breathtaking large-scale views of London and the Thames. When I was with Peter it was exciting to be so close to energetic pieces and see also how he translate this into monoprint.

Full details of the show is here and the address is Cranley Gallery 3 Cranley Gardens London N10 3AA

THREE THINGS I HAVE IN COMMON WITH AN EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

1. I worked with one once, when he was at McCann-Erickson
2. A passionate interest in typography
3. An obsession with keeping a drawing book

After a decade of having not worked with him and slightly less from having met up with him I was delighted to catch up with David Harris, now Executive Creative Director at Wunderman.

David has 70 drawing books, Daler-Rowney A5, the first dates back to when he was at college. Illustrated here, excerpts from his current book.

We talked of many things, great agencies we had known and he had worked in, offspring of whom we were extremely proud, creative leadership in the digital age, how to get a creative department in on time on a Monday morning, how that just some times, you have to do the ***kin’ ad yourself and other topics around we might stay connected.

During my tawdry career in ad land I hung-out in the creative department when ever I could and sometimes felt uncomfortable, yet, looking back, it was and is the place to be.

THANK YOU DAVID

Nicholas Dwan Draws

Friend from Microsoft Michael Dwan caught the last moments of my show at the Circus Gallery today with his son Nicholas.

Nicholas is brilliant at drawing and thanks to his father is already set up with coloured pencils and a Moleskine.

He drew in my book and I drew in his. Cool.

Attached examples of his most excellent work.

Cynthia's Drawings

Friend in Cyberland Cynthia Scherb recently bought a copy of DRAWING on EXPERIENCE having discovered me on BBC.com in the US.

More importantly she shared some drawings from her Moleskine which I think are great!

Landlocked but loving the sea

Some good feedback from the posting the exhibition work on Flickr

Jo Johnston said:

Hello Tim, I've really enjoyed your travel sketches.. But I love your "shoreline" monoprints. They give a real sense being by the sea, of the waves and the sea breezes! I always seem to live in landlocked places but crave the sea.. Your prints really summon up the atmosphere of the coast with elegant simplicity!

Best wishes from Jo in Berlin

AS IMPORTANT . . .

See Jo’s work here http://www.flickr.com/photos/62254781@N03/ she has done some wonderful work and I especially admire her work of the sea.

Train Times

I am thrilled to be connected with Train Faces

Train faces is a super-blog inspired by Jay Snelling and aims to put the art back into the art of travelling! Well done Jay! I will be dusting off some of my earlier commuting captures to be one of the 'regulars'

"The train now leaving from Tim's Moleskine is the . . .. . "

THE SHOW OPENS!

After nine months of work and eight weeks of intensive preparations, mishaps and turn-it-around support from my wonderful family and close friends my show SHORELINE opened on Thursday evening.

The work was well received as a press announcement commented:

‘The diversity of the English coastline, sky, shore, and quayside with a force and variety has successfully moored up Tim Baynes’ exhibition, which runs from October 20th until November 6th at the Circus Gallery in London.’

Circus Gallery 58 Marylebone High Street W1U 5HT

October 21 – November 6th 2011 Monday – Friday 10am - 5pm Weekends 10am - 4pm

Photography: Chris Worthington

Back to the line in Bedford Square

I drifted out of the office on the lunch break and into Bedford Square.

And made my first drawing for many days.

Three protestors in the Autumn sunlight from the 4o DAYS FOR LIFE American anti-abortion group maintain their watch outside the offices of the British Pregnacy Advisory Service.

A very english wedding

As Autumn comes upon us it is time to remember the wonderful Summertime. On almost the last day of August we went to the lovely wedding of Janine and Humphrey. Held at the tiny church in the village of Chilton in Buckinghamshire tucked away in the Chiltern escarpments: wonderful views, wonderful hats, wonderful company and excellent Chablis. All in all a great occasion.

Shoreline Exhibition Opens October 20

Featured here   Brighton Pier so kiss me quick

The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is often seen on TV and in film including Carry On at Your Convenience. What a carry on! Take a stroll along, go on the rides; the deck chairs are free. Enjoy yourself with a hot pie.

Brighton Pier So Kiss Me Quick      Monoprint  30 x 50 cms

Arguably the best part of Brazil is now in London!

If you wish for the best espresso just north of Oxford Street, or you need some great pastries for that early morning client meeting go here.

Maybe there is an impelling need to impress people from France with a really good croissant (in London?) then go to the Brazillian Gourmet at the bottom of Cleveland Street.

Director Manager Christiane and her team are wonderful and professional.

If you have been to Brazil you'll know what I mean. If you have yet to go to Brazil, go here! And then book that trip to Brazil.

CHORALE

I have returned to the choir and last Sunday we sung this lovely hymn.

The first verse was simply uplifting

Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness,
Leave the gloomy haunts of sadness;
Come into the daylight's splendor,
There with joy thy praises render
Unto Christ Whose grace unbounded
Hath this wondrous banquet founded.
Higher o'er all the heav'ns He reigneth,
Yet to dwell with thee He deigneth.

Text: Johann Franck, 1649; trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1863
Music: Johann Cruger, 1598-1662
Tune: SCHMUCKE DICH

When did I last wear that jacket?

The other day, in a desperate attempt to look smart I dug a seldom-used jacket from my wardrobe and fished this boarding pass from the last time I had worn it.

The memories of a few summer days and eating in restaurants by the River Nile came flooding back.

CANADIAN TENACITY AT ITS FINEST

I am sure many people like me share a love of Canada and Canadians! Recently new friend Rob Elliot took on the might of the dear Canadian banking system to get a cheque over to me for my book Drawing on Experience.

The chain of email between us reached nearly to Newfoundland before the money turned up on my door step! Check out the envelope and stamps.

This story is a testament to all that is wonderful about Canada.

And Rob has the tenacity of a RCMP.

Thanks Rob

See Rob at www.swizzlestudio.com

ROUND THE COAST WITH RUTH

My latest artistic collaboration is with walker, writer and photographer Ruth Livingstone.

Quote from her Home Page: "My name is Ruth Livingstone. I am a 50 something lady and I have set myself a task. I am going to walk around the coastline of the British mainland. Starting in North Norfolk, I will head clockwise around the coastline, following paths and tracks"

Please visit Ruth here

The arrangement with Ruth is that from time to time she sends me one her great photos and I turn it into a drawing and it finds its way up on http://ruthl.wordpress.com which is wonderful.

Example of the first drawing is here

This is a hugely exciting collaboration. Ruth's energy and flair bounces off the pages of her Blog as she walks round our coast and like my other artists she is constantly doing and creating!

Thank you Ruth x

Here is the second drawing

COLOUR ME JFK

Spotted at JFK airport last night.

Super-friend and West Coast girl Juliet Erickson and captured this retail rainbow on her iPhone. This colourful display is at the ever excellent and constantly wonderful Muji store.

Love the colour, love the store, and really love the thought!

PEMBROKESHIRE 2

Sunday Monday – each day a walk long the beach at White Sands just below the house. Few people about and I take a dip in the sea thinking that it will be sometime before I can next be in seawater swimming. We take a cliff top walk, five miles, a wonderful coastal path and look down the cliffs to the sea below rushing against rocks 750 million years old, the Cambrian age. Eventually we reach the lifeboat station at Porthstinian and here we are scooped up by Kate in the Land Rover and bounced back to the house for lunch.

I take afternoon nap, on a towel outside the house in the sun and the down onto the beach for a swim and an ice cream, chocolate with chocolate cornet.

Sunday evening: Church Beer and Fish and Chips. We attend Evensong at St David’s Cathedral. Warm grey stone sits on this town’s hillside basking in the last of the evening sun. The collects give us hope: Then, Lord, in your mercy grant us safe lodging, a holy rest and peace at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Then bump bump in the Land Rover to Porth Gain and the Sloop Inn for a goodly and godly pint! The place was packed and live music was the draw http://www.sloop.co.uk

With warm welsh bitter which we sat and supped taking in the sights and people watching. Mike and I tarried longer over out pints contemplating more at The Shed http://www.theshedporthgain.co.uk/ the fish and chip bistro in the village where I tucked into haddock and chips with a little more pale welsh beer. All in all a wonderful evening and on the five-mile ride back to Whitesands I was nicely insulated through food and drink to the bump bump of Mike Land Rover.

One of my artistic hero’s is John Knapp-Fisher. I have salivated over his work through re-reading his wonderful book Pembrokeshire. Mike drove me over to his gallery in Croesgoch only a few miles down the road. John was in and we engaged in conversation and I was able to show him with immoderate praise and as importantly to actually see his work close-up! This experience included seeing his wonderful sketchbooks and colour palettes and all the paraphernalia of his work – everything was on display to touch and feel! These three short days in Pembroke, talking to John about his work, the location and hospitality afforded by Mike and Kate has ensured that I am bonded to this part of the world and willed to return. This is a particular landscape, unpacked before me in short order: tiny fields, hedge row-walls punctuated with slate roofed farms and often a blue blue sea.

For more on Mr. Knapp-Fisher

http://www.johnknapp-fisher.com/John_Knapp-Fisher/Home.html