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!

The colour world of hand-cooked crisps

The in-store merchansising/display teams for Real Crisps have been doing great work around London with these wonderfully colour displays at many food shops in the West End of London!

The full story on the appetising art is here

Out of Africa

Shepherd's Bush of a lunchtime seems more like a foreign destination than ever. The perfume shop, standing in line for my bag of chips and spotting this vehicle that has seen better days.

Every inch of this part of London fascinates.

Bedtime reading

As Megs continues to blaze a trial through the hallowed halls of the Social Sciences Faculty, in her final year at Leeds University her book stack/reading list continues to impress.

In awe of Auerbach

Super clever daughter Bron, currently at Leicester doing art foundation goes to life classes a couple of times a week.

The other day she sent me this wonderful study (full length nude) which immediately reminded me of Frank Auerbach's expressionist - impasto style. Wonderful and full of energy (both pieces)

Featured on the left is an Auerbach portrait.

Auerbach, born in 1931, was at St Martins, then the Royal College.

He was the darling of my tutors at the Slade.

More on Auerbach here

Travel talk

Here, here (link)are the 200 or so drawings, pulled together in a few folders, America, Canada, Europe and Asia.

They represent the privilege and joy of travel across the world. Travel, time out - quite wonderful. Average - four drawings every seven days (must try harder).

A basilica in Bombay

Yesterday evening I ventured out of the hotel and discovered The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount five minutes walk away!

Oh just so Catholic, as as if someone had pulled a cracker and the contents had created glittering interior, with, and not limited to Mother and Child surrounded by neon, so devote and almost intoxicating.

I did some drawing and took some secret photographs and wept (prior to the drawing and photography).