The Flute-Nosed Thermometer Fish.

Drawing for a prospective bestiary.


The HEINOUS Flute-Nosed Thermometer Fish. A tenacious and unruly beast of aquatic nature. So called because of its curious snout and its ghastly propensity to surprise a gentleman waist deep in water by trying to take his temperature not unlike a veterinarian surgeon takes the temperature of an unwell dog.

Ball point pen on hot-pressed watercolour paper and stained/aged with cold tea and watercolour paint.

Casawara sketch

Sketchbook sketch of the curious casawara bird. Must do a full colour version.

Graphite sketch

An old Pencil illustration for the mythical Bird Man complete with various vague symbolism.

Wastwater - Western Lake District

The epic gloom of a storm rolling in across Scafell Pike and over Wastwater Lake. The rain had just begun to fall and I was irked that the drops were spoiling the glassy sheen on the water. Two minutes later we were in a monsoon-like downpour and retreated to the car to drink tea as the rain drummed heavily on the roof. There's something distinctly foreboding about Wastwater. It's probably the looming shadow of Scafell and the dark shale that cascades down one side of the lake. Its brutal beauty appeals to me more than the pretty picture postcard landscapes of the other lakes in Cumbria. 

Rising Sun Park

An early morning shot of the Rising Sun Park after a blanket of snow.

Watercolour

A watercolour and gouache pebble study on hot-pressed watercolour paper. A preliminary study for a much bigger illustration.

Tulip shot

A shot of a black tulip taken in the opulent surroundings of Alwick Gardens. The gardens adjacent to the epic-looking Alwick Castle. The castle is used in the Harry Potter films I believe.

Stepping stones in Jesmond Dene.

A shot of the ancient stepping stones outside of a cottage associated with my family four generations ago. It's now a very desirable residence with a shiny vintage car parked outside, but apparently my errant ancestors turned down the humble abode because it was damp and inhospitable. I wonder if I should knock on the door and tell the current owner that after thinking about it for a while, my family has changed its mind and would like to move in as soon as posible.

Sunday.

Sunday saw us take our lives in our own hands and venture off to what could only be described as the FERAL and arctic-like conditions of the north east coast. It wasn't long before digits went numb and talking became laboured due to our quickly freezing jaws. Thomas enjoyed climbing around the ye olde ruined priory like an irked viking while wrapped up like a cautious inuit.