Hannibal: Mad About the Boy!

http://mostlyfilm.com/2013/08/26/hannibal-redux/

Mostly Film asked me to provide an illustration for an article about Bryan Fuller's latest tv show Hannibal and I was delighted to do because this is one of my favourite tv shows, apart from Sarah and Duck on Cbeebies (I am a mum, after all, and it is delightful...)
Hannibal is a massively stylish offering; mean, moody and magnificent.  I like the twisted fairytale aspect to it; time seems out of joint when you enter Hannibal's domain and the man himself, as played by Mads Mikkelsen, seems to belong to a different era.  Yes, he's a serial killer, but he's also an old fashioned gentleman...in his way... He'd probably be the perfect house guest, provided you didn't do anything foolish like attempting to serve the cheese course too early or make him listen to your endless theorizing as to how you know you would have been absolutely bezzy mates with Michael Jackson.. He's a dandy in the vein of the Duke of Windsor (the one who married Wallace Simpson - worth googling his plaid suits, all the better if you get a full colour image - all the better to wonder at the technicolour glory of his baggy pants) and this guy knows how to rock a double windsor knot like nobody's business.
I think you have to be born a dandy -forget makeover shows; some things you just don't get from book learning - so my young Hannibal is a nattily dressed child with a keen eye for mixing pattern and colour and mother's cooking simply isn't up to scratch.
What's a boy to do?

Here's a musical offering sung by the dark haired lady from Abba, penned by Noel Coward, which might sum up the general audience reaction to this show:

Elephant Seal Emerges Victorious and Some Gratuitous Flight of the Conchords

Heres's a new illustration.  I saw this guy in a newspaper - best wildlife photos of the week sort of thing.  Even though I don't generally go in for drawing animals this one really caught my eye.

And now here's the Conchords - Steve's been telling everyone one of them is actually a large water dwelling mammal.... (I reckon the elephant seal would dig the rhymes of the Hiphopopotamus).

Goodnight My Love

My great aunt Kitty was a life long fan of Shirley Temple.  She died last weekend and her grand daughter sang this at her funeral today.  Here it is again for Kitty.  I hope there's a cinema in heaven that only shows Shirley's films and I hope Kitty has the best seat in the house. xxx

Happy 165th Birthday Bram Stoker!

Today is Bram Stoker's birthday.  This Google doodle is a nice birthday present, don't you think?

By the way, I've chosen the dancing bears "Exit Stage Left" as the raffle prize for the Cuidiu Fair this weekend.  I've added some colour to it so it's a little different to this one, but you get the idea.

Cuidiu Craft Fair

http://www.cuidiudsw.ie/craft-fair-2012/

I'll be taking part in this fair this weekend.  One of my prints will be a raffle prize (if I can decide which one that should be...)  There will be lots of gorgeous things to see and buy, so check it out if you're in the area on the day.  Could be a good chance to get a jump on the Christmas shopping.

So far my choice for the print to raffle is between these....

and various others I haven't scanned yet!
Any suggestions would be welcomed....

Exhibition "A Line Less Ordinary"

I'm currently having an exhibition of some of my illustration work over the last few years.  The opening is taking place tomorrow night between 7-9 in 15, North Frederick Street, Dublin 1.  There will be wine, two authors will read excerpts from their works and my pictures, of course!  On sale at very reasonable prices, if I may say so....Allow me to extend an invitation to you, dear reader...if you find yourself in the vicinity consider yourself invited..mention my blog at the door and you might get a 5% discount (as I've already pointed out my work is very reasonably priced!)

Phizzfest

I'm taking part in Phizzfest at the moment. I'm having an exhibition in a local beauty spot known as the Basin. This park has a real Secret Garden quality to it. I had this idea a long while back and suggested it as part of a group exhibition but that idea never went anywhere so now I'm getting to do it myself as a series of illustrations and installations based on popular fairytales and what they might be like if they took place in the Basin....

http://www.phizzfest.ie/2012/
(here's the link to the festival if you want to have a look-see)

Here's a look:

Thumbelina:
She looks surprised to have woken up in a flower.  Let's hope the rain holds off...

Puss in Boots:

He's fishing for his dinner, but no luck so far...

Hansel from Hansel and Gretel. 

The gardener's cottage reminds me of the Gingerbread House. 

Hansel has found himself in a cage made from candycanes...

The Ugly Duckling

Someone released a turtle in the Basin. 

We haven't seen too many ducklings this year (thanks to the herring gulls).

Maybe the turtle will become part of a blended family...

Little Red Riding Hood:

Which one does the wolf want for dinner tonight?

My photos are not the best quality, but they give an idea.  I worked with pen and ink, watercolours and collage.  Then I had the illustrations scanned and printed and laminated - because they're going to be outdoors for a week or two.  The installations of Thumbelina and Puss in Boots are wood block and the  figures are made from reinforced card and have been varnished.  Response has been positive since they went in yesterday.  I'll put scans of the originals up soon.