Happy Winter Solstice!

It's the first (official) day of winter, so have a happy winter solstice! :)

Aurora borealis

Grim Lairy Tales - The Billy Goats Gruff and the Troll: 2016 Edition

Decided to revive an idea for satirical takes on fairy tales and other classic stories, often pertaining to current events and trends. I've actually made a Tumblr for them here (Tumblr isn't a place I usually use, but seemed fitting for a web comic series).

In the light of the 2016 US election, the rise of the alt-right and the problems caused by fake news sites, this take on The Three Billy Goats Gruff only seemed appropriate to kick them off.

The World Tonight

What the world is doing/how the world is feeling right now on Tuesday 8th November 2016...

Inspired by Stravinsky

Tried out some of these gouache brushes from Kyle T Webster, and came up with some pieces inspired by "The Firebird" and "Petrushka", two Russian themes adapted into ballet scores by Igor Stravinsky at the beginning of the 20th century.

Somewhat Mary Blair-esque, but I also wanted to capture some of the bold colours of Russian folk art.

One Thousand and One Nights

Once upon a time...

A piece inspired by The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (commonly known in English as the Arabian Nights), in particular the intelligent queen of stories, Scheherazade. I will admit that I took liberties with culture - it's a mix of Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Oman and Armenia...

Little profound to say, except...

...saying that I fear for a lost generation.

Vote Remain

There are countless reasons why to vote remain today. Whether you're an economic realist, critical of previous government's failings to provide satisfactory welfare to those who need it most or against Rupert Murdoch getting his way, there are many, many reasons to vote to remain. However, perhaps the best reason may have been pointed out by actress Sheila Hancock last night. The video in this link isn't in full, but the full clip is making the rounds on social media. In any case...VOTE REMAIN!

Happy Easter!

Throwback Thursday: Various book-related things

Since it's World Book Day today, here are a few book-related items...

Grim Lairy Tales (2012)

The Clever Prince (2012)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Epiphany

Happy Epiphany! / Bonne Fête des Rois! / ¡Feliz Día de los Reyes Magos! / Frohes Dreikönigsfest!

Now go and put all your Christmas decorations away or the Spirit of the Christmas tree will haunt you and cause you bad luck for the rest of the year! And have a slice of galette des rois too.