2012 is off to a flying start

January 1st, on the day this blog reached its 2nd birthday I was cycling with Judge Ricardo.

Here we are taking a well earned rest towards the end of an arduous ride. As ever, in these rare off duty moments, I am regaled with tales from this country's brilliant legal system.

Happy New Year!

MORE LIFE

Here is the place to draw.

Another great drawing session organised by the wonderful David!

Body: Model's own

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 . . .. . "

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!

Driving in Dresden

We caught up with close friends Chris and Liz, part of which included a photo tour of Dresden from where they have just returned. When they are out and about both have a keen photographic eye and this picture caught my imagination!

I of course visited the website and downloaded this picture of happy employees!

The surprise of a great book.

Other peoples' journals never, ever, cease to facinate! The journal which is constant companion of David G Allan is a case in point.

David is the Editorial Director of BBC.com's super new travel site . In the course of collaborating with him, about using of some of my drawings the new blog section on BBC.com/travel which went live this week, I discovered David's remarkable journal. I persuaded him to send me a few samples to share here.

The first illustration is Sleeping Beauty's Castle for a piece David did for the New York Times and second, an exciting experiement to capture trees of the forest by creating an illustrated daily calendar. Enchanting!

A better Biryani in Bombay

Another wonderful reason for working in Bombay is lunchtime. For three days now, working with the best sales team in all of India, I have had the priviledge of lunching with them and enjoying great food and excellent conversation.

To 26th is Republic Day in India and actually a Public Holiday . . .

Happy Republic Day! God bless us all.

Journeys End

Saturday was the last day at The Circus Gallery . Several pieces from my ‘back studio’* were snapped up which was especially pleasing.
Better still a good crowd of people visited:
In the morning super-friend Katherine, painter-husband Oliver and baby Rocco. Attached to this delightful entourage was Katherine’s father, poet Gene Stevenson. Gene and I chatted about how we both celebrate the world of travel, me in print-making, and he in poetry. Bonus: Gene was acquainted with Thom Gunn**

Rocco was awarded the Youngest Visitor to the Show .

Photos feature Oliver Katherine Rocco and Jo Bergdahl, Partner at Circus

*Back Studio – I picked this useful phrase up from Juliet Johnson, Director at the Frost & Reed gallery who the other day told me how artists often bring out work unsold from previous exhibitions in the hope of selling in a current show. All rather grand I though, must give it a go. ** Thom Gunn (1929 - 2004) In Praise of Cities – a poem I discovered earlier in the year, that was a critical in inspiring my show

Gallery refresh

Last Saturday friends Natalie and John came up to London help out at gallery. It was a slow Saturday so we played around with the display and hung some new work, small pieces: New York, Seattle, Cairo and Cambodia. Nice work both of you. Thanks for tackling the travel of the Commercial Road.

DO LOVE DUBAI

Luck is a lottery. My number came up the other week – I got to go to Dubai; on the cusp of British Winter Time. I slept two nights on a plane and worked two days in Dubai. Two blue skies, two wonderful sunsets and working with a great team of people. Yes, I love Dubai.
By the way, a big reach-out-hug to the super-fan in Pleasant Valley CA who poem-ed (verb?)
the Chocolate post - love ya!

VIP Gallery Guest

My show has been open for a week.

Today we had super-guest Lilianna, who completed a wonderful drawing in my current Moleskine . She also demonstrated the correct use of Anglo Bubbly bubble gum.

Enchanting, wonderful: Lilianna, thanks for coming to see my show!

Full details of the show? - least I be eclipsed by L, visit http://www.timbaynesart.co.uk/

And Lilianna's drawing in my book will be featured shortly - when I cease to be threatened by her .

Additionally: Impressive roll of pencils in photos - artist's own.

Back at the Lock Press

Saturday 9th October 2010

I have returned to the printing press. Left all the fuss and bother of mounting this exhibition.

We (Christine sits on my shoulder) created some very good work this afternoon. Christine made a lovely Orange Cake too (featured).