You know how they say there’s a bullet somewhere with your name on it? In this case it was a giant arrow and it definitely had my name on it. Anyway, there I was minding my own business ambling to the shop when I hear an odd whooshing sound behind me getting swiftly louder. I stop for a second and am just turning around when something flashes behind me and lodges itself in the pavement with a concrete rending crunch. For a second I’m in disbelief. Then I realise that my old nemesis has broken the ceasefire and loosed a first salvo of their house busting giant arrows… THIS. MEANS. WAR!
With a rare day of sunshine predicted for last Saturday in London town it was time to hit the streets and get a little work done. A swift call to Global Street Art later and we even had somewhere to paint so we packed our stuff up and went in search of WRDSMTH who was over from LA for a few days and was eager to get something up whilst in town.
As we reached our spot the sun was shining and gloves and hats weren’t even needed but, according to the LA based WRDSMTH, it was bitterly cold. It was the warmest day for weeks. Oh how we laughed. A swift bit of paint chucking later and we had this magnificent looking character staring down at us with his glowing eyes whilst we decided what text would go best. The only thing left to do after that was to tidy up the background a little and tie it together with WRDSMTH’s typewriter piece a bit and, hey presto, it was time for a beer and whatever other amusements we could find. Win all round.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth we were in Camden painting when we noticed the large wooden desktop propped nearby that had probably just been dumped that day (otherwise it would surely already be covered in paint). A couple of beers later and a little doodle seemed like the best way forward. So, in between getting the other piece finished and quaffing cold beer whilst trying to stay warm, this little bad lad began to reveal himself. Once he was there the text just seemed to suggest itself and seemed quite fitting as the whole area is due to be demolished this week. You can probably find him in a nearby skip by now…
With a load of wall space in Camden about to get redeveloped we thought it only fair to get up there and get something up before it all gets knocked down. A quick call to The Real Art of Street Art and, bingo!, wall space arranged.
Given the trackside location and it’s imminent destruction we thought we’d go with ‘The wrong side of the tracks’ and a fairly spangly looking character whose arms are flailing all over the gaff. As we were finishing up some of the builders who were working at the bottom of the road took great delight in informing us that it would all be gone this week. Ah well, c’est la vie. It was never going to last forever…
Michael Bay has a lot to answer for really doesn’t he? Just the other day I made the unfortunate decision to watch the 2007 Transformers film starring none other than Hollywood oddball Shia LeBeouf. I shan’t be watching any more. Even though I started with pretty low expectations to begin with to say I was disappointed when the end credits rolled would be an understatement.
Despite the fact that Michael Bay seems to think that explosions and CGI can cover up a paper thin plot my main problem was with the design of the robots. Perhaps it’s just me but I thought they looked dreadful. I would have encouraged the military to blow them all up. And it would have given Bay a good excuse for even more explosions. The last time I saw a Transformers film was the 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie featuring the classic 80’s style of Autobot and Decepticon. Now, perhaps I’m just being sentimental but if you ask me that’s how you design an alien robot. Anyway, i’m rambling. This piece is our reply to Michael Bay. Now let’s just see what he gets back with – and I hope it’s not another sequel…
I was going through my computer recently looking for images to use as inspiration when I came across a folder of photo’s from a friend’s wedding. There were some great pictures contained therein so I decided to play around and sketch a few. This picture is based on a friend’s dad who has always been known by the slightly mysterious nickname ‘Chuffy’. I’ve never been able to ascertain why. Anyway, as I was finishing sketching I came to the somewhat shocking realisation that we hadn’t got my friend a present for her wedding or, more recently, her birthday. With a picture of her dad in hand I thought this could be corrected with a simple trip to the post office. Since I’ve posted it I have thought that perhaps it’s a bit weird to send her a picture of her dad? There’s not much I can do about it now anyway…
Bonus fact: I based the Chuffy text on the famous Chupa Chups logo. Which, I was surprised to learn, was designed by Salvador Dali. So there you have it.
Cheers
id-iom
Title: Chuffy
Materials: Paint pen, acrylic, ink, charcoal and Tipp Ex
Size: A4
In ancient Sparta, whilst all other Greek city-states had begun electing their officials, they stuck with their system of two kings who shared the throne and ruled at the same time. These dual kings would work in partnership and share official duties and it is thought the nature of the arrangement was to ensure that no single man could obtain or abuse power over the affairs of state. The fact that the Spartans are still much revered today goes to show that this was, at least, a workable affair.
Recognising this as a cromulent idea id-iom decided to rule their modern day fiefdom with a similar principle in mind. Hence the whole power sharing scenario that plays out at id-iom HQ each and every day. Now we just need to find some loyal subjects to lord it over…
Cheers
id-iom
Title: The two kings
Materials: Paint pen, watercolour, acrylic and pencil
Size: A4
In keeping with our ‘anything goes’ style of making pictures today we’ve gone for something of a classical pencil study of the bust of the famous Egyptian queen, Nefertiti, complete with annotated poem about her and fancy gold coloured lettering to give you a clue if you weren’t sure as to her identity.
Like Elgin’s marbles controversy surrounds the famous bust of her that was found on the banks of the Nile in 1912. By 1913 it had been spirited away to Germany and has remained there ever since despite claims by successive Egyptian governments for its return. It’s currently on display in Berlin.
Mainly because of the discovery of the bust she has become an icon in popular culture along with Cleopatra as one of the two famous queens of Ancient Egypt that most people could name. For a lady with such fame that she is still known over 2,000 years later, I thought there would undoubtedly be songs sung in her honour. And I was right. Although my exhaustive search only took me as far as youtube I was probably expecting something a bit better known:
Cheers
id-iom
Title: Queen Nefertiti
Materials: Paint pen and pencil
Size: A4
I think ‘The Desperation of Tomorrow’ sounds like the title for the next James Bond film. It does, in fact, refer to a feeling which I’ve just given name to and can only really be described as a twisted cousin of ‘l’esprit de l’escalier’ (which is french for ‘spirit of the stairs’ and means the feeling of coming up with a perfect retort about 5 minutes too late).
We’ve all had that moment, usually the morning after, when we have a dawning realisation that we’ve possibly behaved in a manner that does not become a gentleman (or indeed a lady). That moment of fear and desperation whilst trying to work out exactly what you said/did to whom can be summed up perfectly with ‘the desperation of tomorrow’ or as I’ve just christened it in French (as it sounds more profound) ‘Le desespoir de demain’.
With Valentine’s around the corner we can only guess what this lady’s ‘Le desespoir de demain’ is all about. Answers on a postcard please…
Cheers
id-iom
Title: Le désespoir de demain
Materials: Paint pen, acrylic, ink, charcoal and Tipp Ex
Size: A4
We’ve all seen the nature programs where polar bears come in to towns during the summer in the arctic circle looking for food. But what do they do during the winter months? Well if you believe these nature documentaries you’ll think that they spend a large time hibernating waiting for those glorious warm rays of sunshine to come again. But alas that is not entirely true, they do actually go in to burrows and look like they are going to hibernate but in fact sneak out the other side and scurry away to the luxury polar bears winter retreat. Here they lounge about frittering time on the internet, reading the latest novels, drinking cocktails and generally having a good time away from prying eyes. That is until the seasons over and they have to go back to the real world. What a life!!
Cheers
id-iom
Title: The Polar Bear Winter Retreat
Materials: Paint pen,pencil, ink and watercolour
Size: A4
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