Well courtesans shed no tears when you leave them high and dry...

 

Emma Ridgway (c) Copyright 2010

The Cats Mother

This my mothers day card. Its from a phrase which my mum quite likes: "Who's "She"? the cats mother?"

Its also my first attempt at screen-printing in about 7 years...I think I still have a lot to learn, but it is really about using the right kind of paper, the right paper for stencilling, and getting the amount and consistency of paint right. But I quite like the looseness of the patchy areas.

(Perhaps also inspired by the frustrated tom cat who has taken to visiting our back garden every night wailing loudly for a lady companion.)

Moth in the Motor at The Foundry Gallery

 Announcement from Broken Sound Music:

Following on from Rachael Dadd's Moth In The Motor art exhibition & album launch at Cafe Oto, we're very happy to announce a second week-long exhibition and pretty special night on Thursday 18th!

Many of the amazing sleeves created for Rachael's new mini-album will be going on display at The Foundry gallery (Old Street) running from 16th-21st March. Entry is free!

We'll be celebrating the exhibition on the evening of Thursday 18th, with incidental music from a very special lineup of Rachael Dadd, Tristram, Ben from The Mariner's Children and Jo Burke. Entry for this is free too! Hurrah.

You can see and buy the special limited edition sleeves (all original art by some of our favourite artists, including the vinyl 10" and free downloads) over at www.brokensoundmusic.com/moth.htm

I really wish I could go, the Foundry sounds so interesting, and its great that Rachael's music and all the work is getting more attention! How exciting!

Papery poppets

Emma Ridgway (c) Copyright 2010

Meet my new assistant, le typewriter. As a child I used to draw pictures with a typewriter (I remember using @ signs for eyes and creating wavy hair with rows of alternating brackets) so it was very exciting to find this beauty hidden in the loft. It is mysteriously without a "1" key, an exclamation mark, or any sign of an asterisk, but that's not really an issue when its primary function now is to create patterns and textures for illustrations (and love letters to a certain boy in Amsterdam)

The split pin puppet reclining on this marvellous contraption is none other than Cap'n Quote Man, who was dreampt up by Pip Chorley and I in our first year at Falmouth and grew into a graphic novel called The Paper Shredder Person which we continue to work on.

Pip and I have recently joined forces with Line Lorna Grytvik Tessem and Beth Hague to form The Little Egg Collective - do have a peek at some of our combined efforts on the Little Egg blog: http://thelittleegg.blogspot.com/ 

I have returned from Amsterdam with a fractured arm, so unfortunately I won't be drawing for a little while. It is all the fault of an impatient man in a Land Rover, and slightly my fault for thinking the heavy dutch bike I'd borrowed might agree with going up curbs as part of an escape plan. Luckily I have been really well looked after by my wonderful man. We've had two glorious weeks of cultural exploration:

De Kattenkabinet (Cat Cabinet), a museum dedicated to cats, curated by 3 tabbies and a tortoiseshell

FOAM photography gallery, which had an expansive and very interesting exhibition of Alexander Rodchenko's work, (which is very inspiring in the handling of tone and composition)

The Outsider Art Gallery, which made us both eager to get drawing

The Filmmuseum, where we saw Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending and Shanghai Blues by Tsui Hark

The Rotterdam International Film Festival...

where we saw two very unforgettable Chinese films: Spring Fever by Lou Ye and Oxhide II by Liu Jiayin.

The Marionette Theatre which put on a production of The Magic Flute

Filmage - Jia Zhangke's Still Life, Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon, Almodovar's Live Flesh and a rather melancholy anime called nieA under 7.

Bedtime stories - Will Eisner's A contract with God and Joe Sacco's Safe Area Gorazde 

and the best lasagne ever made

I wish I'd never had to leave. Coming home is the hardest thing when somewhere else has become your home.

Today is my birthday, I've had some lovely presents from my Mum, who seemed to get me all the little things I kept meaning to buy - including some nice cosy over-the-knee socks - and Dan surprised me with a screen printing set! It was so exciting! (My cats were especially excited about the huge box, which a wide-eyed Hebe proceeded to use as a den, upturned against the coffee table, and was all claws for any approaching bare feet.) I can't wait to try some ideas out with it and post them on the blog! I have dreamed for years of a screen and squeegee! 

I have nearly finished one of my little books, so once it has reached its intended owner I will post some pages from it here.

And now I am going on a trek through the snow!

You can now visit http://www.brokensoundmusic.com/moth.htm to see the wonderful variety of covers created for Rachael Dadd's new EP Moth in the Motor. 

Many of the artworks involved will go into an exhibition at Cafe Oto (London) on the 26th of February.

Ho ho ho

(example from a handmade book I've been working on)

No blog posts lately...I have just finished watercolour portraits of two delightful little boys called Oliver and Fin, which has been commissioned as a Christmas present for their mummy. I spent so much time working on these paintings, and its been a great opportunity for me to get to grips with using watercolour as well as capturing character.

I'm also making a set of books which are post-Christmas presents for some of my friends (Thats how organised I am) I think they're going to take some time to make. But I've had some lovely things in the post lately and I want to repay the excitement! 

Artist books are probably my favourite form of illustration - I love Henrik Drescher's books especially...I am constantly amazed by his work. I have some examples of his stuff on my wall and I look at it every day with the same sense of wonder. Its just dazzling. 

When me and Line were in Paris we found a great artist bookshop called L'Art de Rien which was full of handmade books...I wish I had bought one! There is also Boekie Woekie in Amsterdam which I hope to return to in January. 

I love how personal handmade books are. Theres so much love in them. I especially like rough edges and collage and layering.

Anyway that is what I'm up to at the moment. I will be kept busy for now, but I will post when I can!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Emma

PS: A warning to any illustrators drawing snowflakes this Christmas (don't go upsetting those pedantic scientists)

Moth in the Motor

my cover design for Rachael Dadd's Moth in the Motor EP

Visit Broken Sound Music for more information

so... instead of printing the group photo of all the hardworking Back 2 Bikes volunteers standing beneath my banner, this week the Express and Star printed a picture of local MP David Kidney riding a bike.

(NOTE: David Kidney just happened to be visiting Back2Bikes)

It makes me so mad!!! Everyone there works so hard - my little brother has worked there for free for 3 years now! Its time they got some recognition.

We're hiding like elephants when they're happy

(Jean Seberg always reminds me of my friend Pip Chorley)