Much consuming.

It has been a while since my last blog post. Not a massive 2-year-while like the site has been subject to before, but I have been aware of my neglect!

I've been on holiday since the last time we spoke! T'was a beautiful little get-a-way in sunny Brighton! It's the first time I've been on an official holiday in around 4 years and it was sorely needed.

However- it's back to work, as usual, but I've been spending a lot of lunch breaks taking a short trip in to the city centre to rummage through the arts, graphic design, graffiti and graphic novels sections of the major booksellers in Oxford.

I've surprised myself with this newly realised fascination for hunting out new inspiration. It's so easy to get swept up with what's current, new and fresh in the illustration world. Especially with the help of Twitter (which I will mention later) and it's very easy to get lazy. To stick with what you know. What is safe.

I think I'm at a little crossroad in my head in terms of what I want to express in my art. Everything from the subject and content, to the style and execution. That's not to say I'm turning my back on what I've been doing the past 5 years or so. I just feel I've been quite easy on myself. What I draw (primarily) has been a pastime. Something to enjoy, and therefor I've been seeing it as something I don't want to "read up on" or "educate" myself in.

So for the past month or so I've been reading, and browsing, and buying books! There's some really fantastic stuff out there! For instance, R.Crumb. I've probably come way late to the party but his style, detail, humour is.. amazing. I can read his stuff for hours, re-read and examine each picture in great detail.

Joe Matt who was someone else who caught my eye. Quite different in style to Crumb, much cleaner lines, more simplistic, but I love the content and execution of his sense of humour. Very addictive.

I've also order a Scott McCloud book, and been reading up on the likes of modern day greats such as Keith Harring. And this is only scratching the surface of what's out there...

My mind is quite a big scrambled mess. I look at all this stuff, and it's so easy to get overwhelmed by it all. Where do I fit in? What can I offer that's not already been done a thousand times over? And that's what I'm still thinking about.

I've been spending most of this weekend (the first in *ages* where I've had time to spend on myself) on just sketching and reading. And it's been great!

I know I say it over and over, but my day job saps the energy out of me. Where do people have the time to have a full-time job, a life and then fit in their Hobby? I can't seem to concentrate on one without neglecting the others.

BAH.

I have managed to complete one picture since we last chatted though.

I don't think there's much to explain about this. It was a sketch I thought looked cool and a bit messed up so decided to draw it up on the computer.

Oh. Almost forgot. Twitter. It's bloody addictive. If you don't already have an account, sign up, and then follow me! I'm tolii on there (with two Is - toli was already taken by some French guy).

Done! I need to go now. Speak soon!