Ani's Spider

I'm off to Asia next week so once more I'm starting to pack up my life.  I've been at the family home in London for two months which has been just enough time to procrastinate and then throw out and tidy up all of the rubbish I've held onto from my childhood.

I've rediscovered a pile of sketchbooks from my time in the USA back in 2010.  Back then I stayed with Ani and Bill, friends of a friend, who live north of New York by the Hudson River.  They were by far one of the kindest couples I've come across and were kind enough to let us sleep on  their sofa for as long as we needed.  Ani is Ukranian but had been living in the USA for about forty years with her American husband - although she still had her accent and plenty of stories of childhood and famine in the Ukraine.  Living in the leafy part of New York, on a large plot of land with deer, wild flowers, her dogs and cats, she had a love for nature and life that I found truly inspirational.  We spent our evenings eating large home dinners and drinking copious amounts of wine and spirits which often led to long arguments about politics, the kids these days and American life.  I doodled down some of her nuggets of wisdom which I am now trying to do justice to and create into something worthy.  This is, as ever, a work in progress.

Cambodian Dogs

In Cambodia it is customary to leave your shoes outside, unfortunately the stray dogs like to take advantage of this.  I was woken up one night by the sound of dogs fighting outside my room and in the morning I found one of my shoes in the garden and the other one missing! Backpackers with only one pair of shoes - beware!

I've set up shop! Free shipping till 14th April!

Hi everyone! Exciting news - I've set up shop at Society6!

You can find my shop here.

This amazing website makes high quality prints of artwork as well as t-shirts, hoodies, laptop and iphone covers, and my favourite - cushion covers! Check it out, there are some great artists on there too.

 

 

If you see anything you like, click on the link below to get free shipping! 

(Until the 14th April, so get in there guys!)

http://society6.com/JennyMcEvoy?promo=a34968

I'm working on some new things right now so keep an eye out for them!

- Jenny

Stolen!

So this year didn't start so well... my last week in the UK and I stupidly had my bag stolen.  Luckily I didn't lose anything valuable, I reckon the thief probably got a bit of a surprise with my handbag full of random junk (like my purse with just a plastic dinosaur and some change in it!).  I didn't realise quite how attached I was to all that random stuff until someone just took it all from me.  I like to think that maybe it all found a good home, maybe they DID post the postcard with the stamp on it - but I'm also pretty sure it's in a bin in somewhere in Victoria station.

Fox & Wren 2011

This was my best friend's Christmas present for this year.  As part of our workshops we've been given the names Fox and Wren - which I rather like, especially as my friend Rachel has some very foxy hair.

It took me ages to complete, mainly because Rachel started a job at my work and I couldn't do any more lunch time sewing!  At least I managed to finish the most important part, the fox.  The rest of it is a bit scrappy and unfinished but I hope you like it Rachel!  A little something to commemorate our hard year together :)

Beni Baby!

Spent the last week or so travelling with the Girl on the Pink Bike and friends.  Headed to the Benicassim festival and then onto Valencia too.  I'm not really sure if these pictures will make much sense to the big world out there, but to me these pretty much sum up the trip and most of the weird stuff that happened to us!

Stayed in a beautiful apartment with an amazing view.

Spent most of the daytime doing nothing. 

By which I mean drinking, eating, beaching and generally lazing about.  

Awesomeness.

And at night time the craziness started!

Experimented with ways of sneaking cold alcohol into the festival, and found out just how wasted some of the people were when we got there. 

Nice bit of drawing by the Schmanderson.  Plan B were amazing.

Festival security...

 

Brits abroad definitely know how to complain when a bus gets lost.

Unfortunately, they don't know how to complain in a way that gets results...

I loved the festival atmosphere, bubbles every night.

Cooking code-words. The Girl on the Pink Bike has mad cooking skills.

This seemed to be a catchphrase for the trip.  Kieran has mad disappearing skills.

Eventful bus ride home, we sure know how to make friends. (Get a beard!!) 

The Girl on the Pink Bike and I discovered that we are some sort of delicacy to mosquitoes... argh still itchy!

Pants optional:

One guy using his life guard shirt to maximum effect.

And then back to Valencia for me while everyone else moved on.  Stayed to do some drawing, discovered that if you sit in the same place for more than 20 minutes, Spanish men will talk to you.  

This particular Spanish man being one of the many.  No me gusta!

Holes Sketchbook 2005

Tidying up my stuff, I found a sketchbook from 2005! I forgot just how awesome it is.  I made it all in one night listening to late night XFM and thinking about space... aah those were the days... 

Chickies

While on placement, we had chicks and ducks as part of the Easter theme.  There was one chick that was always falling over.  He was my favourite.  Didn't last very long though poor fella.