Shrewsbury
2013
Ink on a map of Shrewsbury, UK.
Original sold.
Prints are available from my studio store on Bigcartel.
NASA lunar map Chaplygin (2017)
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One of my all time favourite map finds, part of a series of orthophotomaps of the lunar surface published by NASA in the 1970s. I have a couple of these tucked away.
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The Chaplygin crater is the large circular pattern to the left, following the structure of the neck. As a key feature it forms the basis of the whole composition. In reality, the crater has a diameter of 123km, which is roughly the distance from New York City to Philadelphia, as the crow flies.
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Original is painted in Dr. Ph. Martin's black star ink (4/4) - this is the 'hi carb' version, which is excellent for covering very smooth or non-porous surfaces. The ink is permanent and dries fast.
6 days ago
Details of Paris (2022) - a private commission crosshatched in ink over an original map of the city. This post shows the uncropped map along with some close ups.
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Thank you all for the love and kind comments on my last upload - it's so uplifting to know that so many of you are interested in my process!
1 week ago
Detail of Denver, Colorado (sold 2015) - a throwback to an iconic USGS quadrangle hijacked in ink.
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The geography of this part of the city is a mix of elevation and urban sprawl, which allowed me to combine my two favourite approaches to generating a tonal range.
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If memory serves I used an isographic technical pen loaded with a permanent ink, most likely @drphmartins black star ink.
1 month ago
"Where do you find your maps?"
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Earlier this year I welcomed a film crew into my studio to record a short documentary for the Turkish channel @trt2 - my work was featured in a series of shorts looking at artists who recycle/upcycle rubbish. I've never thought of the maps I use as rubbish (and actually most of them are very collectible), but the general idea of repurposing existing (and often discarded) materials is central to what I and the other artists in the series do.
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This is an excerpt answering my most frequently asked question. For anyone interested in watching the full episode the link is in my bio
1 month ago
River Thames; Abingdon to Wallingford.
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Crosshatched in ink over an original unfolding map.
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Sold
1 month ago
Details.
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Ink drawing over an unfolding map of the River Thames - this is the Richmond to Staines section. The full map stretches from Richmond all the way to Lechlade in Gloucestershire.
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Sold
1 month ago
Philadelphia will be my next major print release, and the next addition to my Collier's US cities series. It doesn't strictly belong in the collection as it's not a map from a Collier's atlas, but it's very similar in terms of scale and aesthetic so I thought I'd include it.
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I'll be sharing some process footage and other details in the coming days. The print release will likely be timed so keep an eye out if you're interested!
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The original is crosshatched in ink using a mapping nib, with some of the flatter details inked by brush.
2 months ago
Manchester (2018)
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My conservatory is the only room here large enough to get a full photo of this map. My studio (the adjoining room) isn't small, but it's not exactly huge either - it has its pros and cons. Ideally I'd love a warehouse-sized studio, large enough to be able to avoid keeping things organised. I would just move around the space in the same way a gardener might rotate crops in an allotment. I think that says more about my personality than it does about the art I create. In all seriousness though, I do appreciate the importance of keeping a tidy space - a tidy space is a tidy mind - it's just much easier to keep a space tidy if there's a lot of it.
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"Working in a home studio is not the same as working elsewhere, leaving work at work, and coming home to a different life - and actually, I often think of my arrangement as living at work, rather than working from home - my daily commute is two left turns and a staircase. That sounds resentful, but it really isn’t - I love being immersed in what I do. Most of the time, it’s one of the best things about being an artist. It can be difficult to switch off but why would I want to?" (on the ups and downs of life as an artist: part of my response to a student's research inquiry)
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How does your space affect your work?
2 months ago
My favourite technique... and my favourite anatomical detail.
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Selection of crosshatched works (2015-2022)
2 months ago
I can just about fit these into one post! This is the full collection (to date) of a growing series of miniatures which I started back in 2020. Most have sold but there are a few still available - DM for details.
3 months ago
A few stills of the reel I posted last week, showing the cropping, mounting and framing process. This original is now complete and off to the 2022 Spring Exhibition at @parlorgallery in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
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There are one or two steps not shown here, including varnishing. I treat the majority of my work with several coats of aerosol matte varnish, which I gradually build up in layers - it not only provides additional protection against UV, but also deepens the blacks and reduces the natural glare of the pigment inks. The mattifying effect is the opposite of those 'varnish porn' videos which we all know and love. I tried to show just how matte the finish is in the last photo, by placing a shiny object (a surgical scalpel) over the artwork, and catching both in the light.
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Parlor Gallery's Spring Exhibition opens April 30th from 6-10, with work on view until June 13th.
3 months ago
Sharing this insightful interview with @mymodernmet for #throwbackthursday - it was released a couple of years ago but my response is just as relevant today, and is a perfect introduction for any new followers.
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As always, your questions are welcome in the comments below!
3 months ago
A throwback to my most miniature drawing, a tiny portrait over a map of what is now Mozambique - the design of a Portuguese postage stamp (Mozambique was an overseas territory of Portugal until 1975)
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It's been a busy couple of weeks and with nothing new to share just yet I thought I'd post (no pun intended) a favourite creation from last year.
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I collect stamps as well as maps - and naturally, maps on stamps. Maps, monarchs, flags and famous figures are some of the most common themes in my collection, along with 'bundleware' (not to be confused with 'bundleware' referring to software) - tiny 'bricks' of stamps usually packed in stacks of 100, all identical. It sounds like an odd thing to collect but I love the repetition and possible patterns made using the same stamp over and over.
3 months ago
Selection of London locations - a mix of commissioned and self initiated work.
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Is Chingford (3/4) in London or Essex? It's a controversial topic for locals but Chingford is a part of London. Prior to 1965 it was a town in Essex - now, along with Walthamstow and Leyton, it makes up the London borough of Waltham Forest. It's one of those tiny but significant historical details that help put a date on a map (there are lots of other ways to do this, some involving hidden codes or strings of letters - perhaps one day I'll make a post on the subject)
4 months ago
"Marquette, Michigan: Sheet XXIX"
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The second of two portraits of @barbisubotic_ crosshatched in carbon ink, off to @abendgallery for an upcoming exhibition.
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Again, just like my last post, this still photo accurately depicts the colours of the map, more so than my previous reels which were recorded under late night studio light.
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I have a total of 34 maps in this series, all from a single geological atlas dated 1896. The atlas is originally from the US, but found its way to my studio in the UK via Germany. It's now going full circle back to the US, specifically Denver, Colorado.
4 months ago
"Marquette, Michigan: Sheet XXVI"
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One of two portraits of @barbisubotic_ crosshatched in carbon ink, off to @abendgallery for an upcoming exhibition.
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This photo accurately depicts the true hues of this map, specifically those vermilion-ish flashes of colour which appeared more orange than red in my previous (video) posts. I suspect the orange hues in my reels were the result of late night studio lighting, and possibly video compression - whereas this still photo was taken under daylight on an overcast, cloudy day - nature's very own softbox. Nothing beats a cloudy day in the studio, and we're never short of cloudy days here in the UK.
4 months ago
Brooklyn (2021)
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I'm currently working on the next installment of this US cities series - any guesses?
4 months ago
"Marquette, Michigan: Sheet X"
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A full view and details of the geological map I shared a few days ago, as a short process video. Scroll for a closer look.
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This was an enjoyable study of light and tone - a portrait of @not_core crosshatched in my favourite carbon ink, paired with a Monami Olika EF fountain pen.
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Base map is a page from an original 1896 geological atlas of the Marquette iron-bearing district, Michigan. The two bars at the bottom of the page are cross sections represented by two different lines on the map. The map itself shows a two dimensional area, and each cross section shows depth. All colours represent different geological formations.
5 months ago
A commission from last year - the cover of Resonance Lines, a solo album by cellist Hannah Collins. The base map for Collins' portrait covers Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast, a significant location for the development of the album.
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"The excellent Resonance Lines (Sono Luminus) sees American cellist Hannah Collins performing solo works that unite the ancient and the modern" (John Lewis, The Guardian)
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Video credit: album trailer for Resonance Lines from Hannah Collins on the @sonolummusic label.
5 months ago
A closer look at Austin and Vicinity, one of two new Austin prints going live tomorrow, Friday 28th January.
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The original is drawn in ink over a USGS topo map of Austin, mostly following lines of elevation but also working in the spaces between streets, preserving the road network and shape of the city. The original map scale is a standard 1:24,000 although the overall map size is much larger than the usual USGS quads, in order to show the city as a whole.
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Prints are limited to an edition of 50 and will be available from 6pm UK time (that's 12pm CST or 1pm EST) - full details of each print are available to view via the shop links in my bio. Edition numbers are sold sequentially starting at 1/50.
5 months ago
The US is one of the most 'visited' locations from my studio here in the UK, which I'm always grateful for as the country has some of the most varied geography and is exceptionally well mapped.
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Here's a small selection of commissioned works from around the US, from Los Angeles to Manhattan, 2014 to 2020. Some of these maps were commissioned as part of private collections, while some were commissioned by brands for various applications including wall-sized coverings for office and retail space.
5 months ago
Print drop of Austin and Austin - two different approaches to two different maps of one place. Which is your favourite?
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Both are drawn in ink over USGS topo maps - the first is "Texas; Austin Sheet" and the second is "Austin and Vicinity"
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I'm releasing limited prints of both of these works this Friday, 28th January at 6pm UK time - that's 12pm CST, or 1pm EST. I've set this specific time to offer all collectors an equal chance of obtaining an early edition number.
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See the links in my bio for full details of each print.
5 months ago
Using a small nib size to cover a disproportionately large area is a bit like cleaning a floor with a toothbrush.
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I'm working on this self portrait for myself - it'll be my first in almost a decade.
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I'm drawing with a Uni Pin pigment liner (0.03) over the opening page of a service manual of an English Electric Lightning, for no real reason beyond aesthetics - although also because I find old papers more welcoming than a perfectly clean support. I'm so used to working with old maps, sometimes I struggle to start anything on crisp, plain paper.
5 months ago
Throwback to a selection of space related maps (2013-2017)
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Scroll through to see a few of my own 'maps' of the cosmos - photos of our moon, a half decent shot of Jupiter and its moons, a couple of star trails - mostly photographed through a reflector telescope from my back garden here in Dorset.
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Sometimes I go outside in the night to catch something specific, other times I just like to freestyle and move the telescope around until something catches my attention. I try to be quiet although last week I managed to set the neighbours' dog off from the noise of the camera shutter - the echo of the click through the optical tube is surprisingly loud.
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I feel like I've said this before but I will, at some point, be working on more celestial maps. Space exploration is a huge inspiration to me and besides, celestial maps are just stunning.
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Who else is super excited about the James Webb Telescope?
6 months ago
"Essentially the whole map is already a mid tone, it's already a mess of noise, colour and tone, but usually in a fairly consistent way. And if it's not consistent there are all sorts of focal points or certain areas from which I can build a framework"
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Excerpt from an interview with the Geomob Podcast (episode 90), discussing my process, how it all started, and where it's all going. This aired last year although I realised I never shared a link! The link is now in my bio for anyone wishing to listen to the full interview.
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Image: Western Front (2013)
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I have a print of Western Front here in my studio - she's affectionately known as 'drinking straw girl' for reasons that once you see, you'll never unsee.
6 months ago