Personal thoughts before illustrating my next book.

OK.. I have the story-line and general format…

I know what it is I have to do… illustrate.

So why… why… the procrastination and hesitancy?

I think it is because I know me. Many times in the past I have immersed myself so completely into a project that everything else (and I mean everything) is put aside. The project dominates so completely that after a while I become a zombie-like survivor of the apocalypse. Living on nothing but coffee and biscuits I delve into the creative depths neglecting all distractions. Unshaven, living in the darkness. The only light a dim lampshade throwing a lazer through dusty air while the quiet hum of the old PC drones on.

Well, that is a slight exaggeration, however if it turns out to be this way, it will become an ordeal I seriously do not wish to go through. But does it have to be like this? Does focusing on a project mean having to lose focus of everything else?

I want the books I’m creating to be about life and balance. About enjoyment and freedom. About the love of God, and to loving our world and the people and creatures that live here. I want the stories to reflect a certain reality even though they are works of fantasy, or else they might become just nonsense stories... and I'm not really interested in books that don't actually say anything real. 

But I also want to create something that reflects the joyous imaginary freedom and innocence of children. The courageous steps they take every day and the way they express that with bold flowing lines that evolve into Robots wearing gasmasks, wielding flaming swords that have curly-wurley bits on them whilst wearing armour that protect them from everything. The imaginary world they create becomes so alive, that sounds of spaceships’ exploding and guns attacking are often heard as the creator becomes part of the drama of their own world. They fully enter their creative world.. and this is sometimes what happens to me, except it goes on for days and sometimes weeks… and that is not helpful.

Kids are a burst of energy whilst growing in all areas of life when they are directed by a caregiver who knows what is best for them. Kids need this discipline.. Going to school, learning manners, eating tea with the family etc. etc.   All these things make them put aside their own creative fun and desires to do what’s necessary for living. And it is a necessary distraction, because reality is ultimately more important than fantasy. The relationships we form and the work we must do to survive and live is the real world we all share and live in. But without the imaginative flair of our personalities, what a humdrum boring world it would be. I’m so glad that God gave us this gift of envisioning different worlds beyond what we see around us whilst giving us a common reality to share it.

As I approach this next project, I need this childlike boldness in creativity .. whilst also being free to live a balanced and healthy life… placing first devotion to what.. or should I say … who… are the most important relationships I have, and also the tasks that need to be done so I can live in the real world and yet enjoy the God given ability to dream and create.

May it happen.

2000 year old Biblical Mystery Finally Explained...

Hi Guys.... 

Here's a new YouTube I have just completed. It's called... Dot to Dots - Awesome for Autism... 

I made this, not only as a promo for my book.. but because I have found dot-to-dots amazingly effective for kids with special needs... however... many think that kids are "beyond" dot to dots and see these puzzles as something elementary, and possibly not appropriate as they are too basic.

Well, that all depends on how far you take them... This video hopefully shows that with a little creativity, students can find amazing success and enjoyment from these fantastic puzzles. 

A Few Crazy Comics from the Archives.

A Few from the Archives.

...for the hairdressers or those with hair

....for the evangelicals 

...and for the unscrupulous.

(The dudes face in the bottom left frame

on the left always cracks me up for some reason)

A Strange Hallelujah... a tale of something ridiculous

Something strange happened to me whilst praying at church the other day. 

After a time of inspirational singing, the congregation was led into a time of quiet prayer. I was in a place of tranquil reflection when all of a sudden… 

“Hallelujah”… Someone exclaimed from the congregation.

“Amen” I silently prayed.

Then again, with more intensity. “Hallelujah”

“Ah yes. God is good” I quietly agreed. I started thinking that someone in the congregation was about to erupt in spontaneous praise when…

“Hallelujah, HALLELUJAH” …a heavenly eruption.

“Hang on a minute” I thought. I leant over and asked my wife. “Was that a sneeze I heard just then, or a hallelujah?”

“It was a sneeze” she replied.

“Oh” I said, suddenly feeling very ridiculous.

“Did he use a hanky?” I asked.

“I think so”

“Hallelujah”

What happens when you use the wrong font.

I had this crazy idea for a cartoon at church the other day... so... I decided to draw it up. ..
... no computer graphics. . Just watercolour and pencil... took a photo of it with the phone. .. Then uploaded it via phone... good thing I had a phone.  

The wonder of Abstract Art.

Following on from my earlier blog about the necessity of filling our hearts and mind with wholesome and pure things, I wonder about the way and direction of “art” in this modern era. Recently I attended an “art”exhibition, from artists displaying their creations funded by government grants. I must say that I was stunned and bored at the perversity and lewdness of it all; to me a reflection of the direction of mass media and the sexualisation of everything. It seems that all artists are doing these days are taking the two extremes of holiness and perversity (or other topics… say veganism and meat eating) and merge them together to make a shock statement. What are they saying exactly? Well, often it’s up to us, the interpreters of the image or form and the mental dialogue that occurs in our mind as we apprehend what it is.

I have always loved art… majoring in Surrealist art in my final year of school gaining a High Degree of Mastery.  I also love Abstract Art… and it is because of Abstract Art that the idea of “Polly’s Little Kite” seeded in my mind. I’ll talk about that in another post…

The thing about abstract art, is that we see in the expression, what we think we see, not what the artist is trying to express. If our minds and hearts are full of healthy, wholesome and pure things, then it is more likely that what we see in abstract art will be a reflection of those beautiful things. If our minds are full of other things, well, that’s the art we will see. Peace.

(Here are some pics of me with some abstract creations I did a few years ago).