Merry Christmas.

 

The family Christmas tree always had a glass Santa (which aged with me), and a Christmas Fairy (which aged with my older sister). I thought it would be a good idea to design two new original characters, making ceramic Christmas gifts for my sisters and brother. The face masks are an obvious reference to the current pandemic.

All artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

Landscape sketches.

 Sketchbook studies made from Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park, Oxton, and Newstead Abbey. All using Faber-Castell Pitt pens.

All text, pros, photos, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

Self portrait and pies.

 

 

All text, pros, photos, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig

#thedailysketch 2021

 

Top: My favourite place to sit is a bench in the shadow of those trees, Thoresby Park.

Middle: Thoresby Hall.

Bottom: The Witches Bench, Sherwood Forest.

All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

#paintseptember 02. 2021

 

 Paint September was a Twitter art challenge.

All artwork copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

#paintseptember 01. 2021

 

 Paint September was a Twitter art challenge.

All artwork copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

Bridges over the River Trent, Nottingham.

 Top to bottom: Wilford Toll Bridge, Wilford Suspension Bridge, Trent Bridge, and Lady Bay Bridge.

All artwork copyright ian gordon craig.

Newstead Abbey.

 

I find it hard to make something creative out of formal gardens. Hence converting my Newstead Abbey observations to moonlight.

All artwork copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

Thoresby Park.

  I have decided the best days for a stroll around my favourite Dukery sites are those which threaten rain showers and deter the public. I had the place almost totally to myself today.

 All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

A little more stable.

 I seem to do so little at present, that it’s difficult to post any kind of meaningful update.

I had my 2nd Astra Zeneca vaccination, after the shingles had cleared, very lucky to have had only a mild case. My general health and state of mind has improved of late. Looking back a few months, I think I was in quite a “dark” place without realising it. So many things changed all at once: I remember happily sitting in the sun outside the Harley Gallery, Summer 2019, having been exhibited and sold there, after which a veritable tsunami of distressing events swept in, culminating with this covid epidemic.

Ironically, it was getting ill with shingles, which seems to have helped sort me out. With nothing much to do but rest, I kept repeating to myself: “Stop thinking about anything right now. Just rest. Get better, and then decide what it is you WANT to do”. More significantly, what things do I NOT want to do any more. That’s when peace of mind started to settle in. Long may it last.

Never dwell on the fact that things will never be the same again. Ask yourself, “How much of it would you even want it to be?”

All text copyright ian gordon craig.

Shingles.

 

I am on Aciclovir anti-virals. Had to delay my 2nd Covid jab. Government's own Yellow Pages site indicates Shingles side effect from vax. No-one will ever accept the responsibility.

All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

Early evening catch-up.

 It’s that time of the year, at that time of the evening, when the seasons could as well be slipping away from winter as moving into it. Walking back from the garage shop I see vapour trails once again in the evening sky, which have been absent during the lockdowns. I kind of missed them, and the familiarity of the patterns they leave as they descend to far away Midlands Airport.

I’m not sure when the current lockdown ends. I think quite soon. Even so, I doubt that will change my life all that much from what it has recently become, with its pandemic concerns. Last year, what with all the duties associated with Power of Attorney and Probate, my nose was pressed to the computer screen and its endless paperwork. I think it was stress and exhaustion which brought on the night sweats and palpitations. Now the paperchase has ended, the sweats and palpitations seem to be over. Moving on…

All text copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

Illustrations.

 I have re-worked these two "intended illustrations" for “my intended novel”. Having kept the individual scans, I only had to drop them all into Photoshop, and clean them up a little so as to be clearer for possible Kindle publishing. Truth be told, I think I am extending the "intended project" too far. The chapters would be enough.

All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

More lockdown sketches.

 Above: Forest Fields, Nottingham, where I was tested for Covid and received my 1st vaccination.

All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.

 

Sketching inside & outside.

 

 

All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.