tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36246956583273069432024-03-13T12:30:17.599+00:00The Doodler's BlogOne man's struggle to survive in this world with a job considered by many to be bliss.. working as a cartoonist/caricaturist.
There's pencils to be sharpened and faces that need a doodling..
It's a tough life but someone's gotta do it!Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-11327401048272674772016-01-20T00:01:00.000+00:002016-01-20T00:01:40.219+00:00Mad Scientists & Crazed Showmen<div style="text-align: center;">
Ok, this blog post isn't strictly cartoon based but I thought I'd do a few posts on things that inspire me.</div>
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Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing the Charlie & The Chocolate Factory musical in Drury Lane with my lovely wife.</div>
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It was needless to say, truly brilliant. The acting, choreography and set design were simply ingenious and I had a great evening. It wasn't until returning home on the train that I realised why I loved this show in particular.</div>
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I remembered a teacher reading Charlie & the Chocolate Factory to us kids when I was at primary school. I was captivated by this crazy man with his wild inventions and would stop by the sweet shop on the way home, Roald Dahl's subliminal advertising working it's wonders on my 6 year old brain.</div>
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Around that same time Gene Wilder appeared on tv during the holidays and I was hooked. Yes, he was a wild and colourful character but I was attracted to the sinister element to this story with the mysterious Wonka and his factory with hidden secrets:</div>
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"Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out!"</div>
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Quite simply, the thought of a wonderful, kind and ever so slightly unhinged madman struck me as very exciting. The crazed showman with a passion for his creations.</div>
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Victor Frankenstein was another character I grew to love. I would catch double bills of Universal Horror movies at what I thought was late at night but was probably pre-watershed. This followed into my teenage years with the Hammer Horror movies. Despite Christopher Lee's booming voice and Ingrid Pitt's sexy scenes I always came back to Peter Cushing as Frankenstein, the misunderstood mad scientist with a passion for his work. Cushing's Frankenstein was unique in that his villainy was undecided. He began as a crazed and downright evil creature but in later films tried to use his work for good. By the final Hammer Frankenstein, "Frankenstein & the Monster from Hell" he was living in an asylum and good or evil didn't seem to matter any longer, only his work.</div>
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I still love a Frankenstein flick and it's good to see Victor living strong in movies & tv such as "Victor Frankenstein" and the wonderful "Penny Dreadful".</div>
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The mad scientist & the crazed showman. Elements of these characters pop up all the time and I love them all. Dr Emmet Brown and his time machine in Back to the Future, Wacky Businessman Dr Terminus in Pete's Dragon, The eccentric Crowman who created Worzel Gummidge, The evil child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with and even recently Christoph Waltz as the Bounty Hunter Dr King Schultz with his smooth speech and dramatic showmanship in Django Unchained.</div>
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I'd be willing to bet most artists love these characters or at least ones that share these characteristics.</div>
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Simply put, if you're creative, let a little madness into your life.</div>
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All the best people do.</div>
<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-69018954087180875752015-10-01T11:44:00.000+01:002015-10-01T11:44:25.797+01:00Pulling out of the Rochester Christmas MarketAh, the Government. You've gotta love them. Sorry, no you don't.<br />
I'm not one to spout political opinions. Generally I live by the words of Billy Connolly,<br />
"The fact that you want to become a politician should stop you being able to become one"<br />
The worst thing about the Government (especially the one we have now) is that they like pulling funding for things, having a knock on effect for the rest of the country.<br />
The Rochester Christmas Market, something I have attended now for much of my career as a caricaturist has had it's government funding cut. This in turn has meant that the organisers have had to raise prices for stalls... boo!<br />
Now, the Christmas Market has lots of local people selling handmade crafts and goods and maybe, just maybe they will be able to make enough to make it worthwhile. But for a caricaturist drawing pictures paid per person there is only so much time in the day to make your money... and there's little room for profit this time.<br />
It's ok, I'm getting booked solid for winter weddings and Christmas parties but it's nice to show my face at the Rochester events.<br />
But I'm afraid dear people, I bow out of this one for now.. I just hope this wont be the case for the Dickens Festival in the Summer, the place where I first began as a caricaturist.<br />
No Artful Doodler at the Rochester Christmas Market and possibly the Dickens Festival, in the town where Dickens wrote his novels?! Shame on you, Mr Cameron and your lackeys.Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-87607081277276053262015-05-13T15:42:00.001+01:002015-05-13T15:42:21.702+01:00New Look Random Doodle TimeIt's no secret that I'm a lover of classic horror films.<br />
My favourites, those made by Universal and Hammer in the mid-20th Century really knew that careful blend of horror and humour, which is rarely seen today, except for maybe in The League of Gentlemen and Inside no.9.<br />
Realising that my Youtube videos are really something I just create for myself I thought that I would have a little fun with my Random Doodle Time short films and so have changed the theme..<br />
If you're one of those strange few who share my sense of humour, you can watch my latest,<br />
'Random Doodle Time: Fangs & Lightsabers' here:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vZux7DgJU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vZux7DgJU</a><br />
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While you're about it, why not subscribe, too!Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-34040178333295132002015-04-09T14:14:00.000+01:002015-04-09T14:14:31.161+01:00Steampunk Village 2015The sun was shining over the bank holiday weekend at the Festival of Steam & Transport at Chatham Historic Dockyard.<br />
There were engines and contraptions wheezing and pumping steam into the air as multitudes of visitors swarmed the popular attraction.<br />
To the right of the entrance loomed a large building with a huge sign flapping in the breeze that read, "Steampunk Village".. and this was to be the residence of my caricature pitch for a fun filled couple of days.<br />
Those souls brave enough to venture up the stairs would have been greeted with a fantasy world of steam inventions, goggle clad lunatics running this way and that, playing music, sword fighting, singing and having all sorts of fun. These costumed folk had a wide range of outfits, some victorian, some pirate or military, some even with large impressive wings sprouting from their shoulders.<br />
For lovers of Doctor Who there were all sorts of Whovian creatures running wild, along with a Tom Baker impersonator who sounded more like Tom than Tom does.<br />
I drew til I felt like my hand would fall off, then I'd draw some more. A fellow caricaturist, Karl Lind, was working on the other side of the arena and he appeared to be doing the same.<br />
Those of you familiar with my Youtube channel will be aware of my Kermit-esqe zombie frog, Germit who makes regular appearances. Well, just because I was working didn't mean he could have the weekend off, so I had him filming scenes for a couple of films from the weekend.<br />
You can watch them below. Enjoy... and maybe come along next year for more Steampunk madness.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocuniu7TDPw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocuniu7TDPw</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hc89Mch-eM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hc89Mch-eM</a>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-15336001411642773352015-01-09T18:02:00.001+00:002015-01-09T18:02:14.846+00:00Je Suis CharlieIt's been a sad few days that have seriously affected the world of cartoons & freedom of speech.<br />
I'll admit I was only vaguely aware of the Charlie Hebdo publication and it's controversial subject matter. But when hearing about the shootings I had a look through the works of those artists that lost their lives to terrorists on Wednesday. I wanted to know what kind of cartoon could be so offensive it could justify the death of it's creator.<br />
Like most cartoons, the illustrations in that magazine poke fun at something. Cartoons do that, it's what they're for. Some are a little more controversial than others but they're a lighter way of making a point.<br />
I personally try to avoid politics in my doodles as I prefer to doodle the world of celebrity and entertainment, it's my choice. Charb, Cabu, Honore, Tignous & Wolinski chose to satire religion, politics and all manner of controversial material and that was their choice.<br />
Those choices are freedom of speech and freedom of speech is the right of every human being.<br />
Nobody has the right to commit murder, even if they do believe a higher entity has told them to do so.<br />
As I type this the news in the background announces the deaths of those suspected in the killings along with many innocent victims.<br />
..and what did all of this death result in?<br />
Millions of people who had probably never even heard of Charlie Hebdo have now seen those illustrations and articles and tribute cartoons are everywhere.<br />
It has been a sad few days that have made cartoons & freedom of speech stronger than ever.<br />
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<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-59673783284295753482015-01-02T18:00:00.000+00:002015-01-02T18:00:15.446+00:00Goodbye 2014So that's another one over huh.<br />
It's been a busy one, that's for sure.. in fact I think I've doodled at more events in 2014 than any year I can remember. Indeed in the summer it was getting to the point where my hand felt like it would pop, my back had already given up and pain had become the norm.<br />
But when I look at it there are those out there working in far more strenuous jobs than this so what the hell am I complaining about?! As I have said on many occasions, I'm truly lucky to be working in this job.<br />
Here's to a great 2015, it's gotta be good, if you watch Back to the Future II you'll see we are getting flying cars, hoverboards and pizzas that grow to ten times their original size. Can't wait!<br />
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I'll leave you with a film of one of my final creations of 2014, 'Derek's Last Supper', probably my last doodle of Ricky Gervais' wonderful creation..<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PllxAbi0iow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PllxAbi0iow</a>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-26294790637482831172014-10-20T13:35:00.001+01:002014-10-20T13:35:58.121+01:00Recovering from a Wedding Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Z3XNu6ACiu0/VEUBpXxltWI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/mtRUmO7DQuU/s640/blogger-image--373843783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Z3XNu6ACiu0/VEUBpXxltWI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/mtRUmO7DQuU/s640/blogger-image--373843783.jpg"></a></div>Though the Bluewater Wedding Show was on the same day, The Wedding Experience at the Detling Showground yesterday was in full swing.<div>I had printed up an unholy amount of sheets for the fair and yet as it approached late afternoon I was starting to run low.</div><div>Met quite a few people who have already booked me and it was nice to receive several bookings on the day.</div><div>Always fun meeting new people and getting to doodle new faces. Even met one couple who were expert dog groomers and got a few great hints for when we get a Bassett pup later in the year.. began to feel like I owed them a fee! </div><div>The only awkward thing at a fair is that I find myself having two conversations at once.. One with the people Im drawing and one with the people talking to Mai next to me... So apologies if I phased out while talking to any of you!</div><div>So another big thanks to Tina Green and the staff of the Wedding Experience.. You did us proud... again.</div><div>Once I'd finished yesterday I went straight off to work a wedding in Dartford.. and it was a busy one... Boy, do my limbs hate me now.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0Egx0vH6g5E/VEUBqxDB_JI/AAAAAAAAAWY/vHu5VHtskew/s640/blogger-image--731508575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0Egx0vH6g5E/VEUBqxDB_JI/AAAAAAAAAWY/vHu5VHtskew/s640/blogger-image--731508575.jpg"></a></div></div>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-32651950598636742512014-03-12T03:04:00.000+00:002014-03-12T03:04:45.846+00:00National Doodle DayA couple of months ago I was approached by National Doodle Day to draw a doodle to help raise money for Epilepsy Action. For someone with the pseudonym of The Artful Doodler you'd think I would be familiar with this unique and wonderful way to raise money for a very important charity. Well to my shame I didn't but now I'm very aware and very pleased to be involved.<br />
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Back when I was a teenager my brother had an accident at work which involved a hard blow to the head. While in hospital he experienced fit-like symptoms and was diagnosed with epilepsy. The diagnosis turned out to be a mistake in the end but in the process my brother lost his job and his driving licence and it took what seemed like an eternity to get his life back on track. I can only imagine how hard it must be to actually have to live with epilepsy and so it is great to see charities like Epilepsy Action out there trying to help.<br />
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Doodle Day took place on Friday 7th March 2014 and people all across the uk and beyond where getting involved. During the day I did several of my #randomdoodletimes on twitter, where people could suggest a random doodle for me to draw for them and it proved to be a lot of fun.<br />
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The auction on ebay is still going strong and features celebrity doodles from a lot of big names. You may also spot the doodle by yours truly lurking in there somewhere.<br />
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There's still time to make a bid. If you'd like to bid for my doodle you can do so here: <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Doodle-original-artwork-by-Rich-Nairn-Artful-Doodler-Cartoonist-Caricaturist-/291095952579?pt=UK_art_drawings_GL&hash=item43c6abbcc3">http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Doodle-original-artwork-by-Rich-Nairn-Artful-Doodler-Cartoonist-Caricaturist-/291095952579?pt=UK_art_drawings_GL&hash=item43c6abbcc3</a><br />
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If you'd like to check out some of the great work the creators of Doodle Day are doing you can visit them at <a href="http://doodle-day.epilepsy.org.uk/">http://doodle-day.epilepsy.org.uk/</a><br />
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May this wonderful day in our calendar continue for many years to come.<br />
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<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-79114759163857966802014-01-12T14:24:00.000+00:002014-01-12T14:24:41.674+00:00Derek CompetitionTo start the new year off I have produced two new caricatures for @GervaisFanArt's twitter competition.<br />
Competition winners will receive one of the prints below signed by stars of the show, Ricky Gervais, Kerry Godliman and David Earl.<br />
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To find out how to win, visit <a href="http://gervaisfanart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/new-derek-contest.html">http://gervaisfanart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/new-derek-contest.html</a></div>
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Competition ends Jan 30th!</div>
<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-42489574149114494932013-10-31T01:22:00.000+00:002013-10-31T01:22:22.192+00:00The Canterbury Punting CompanyA couple of years back a few friends and I went on a haunted punting tour around the waterways of Canterbury. Our host, Miguel, was full of stories told in the manner of a gentleman from the 1930s and we had a wonderful evening.<br />
With Halloween upon us we decided to return to this unique evening of entertainment and so we booked once more. Being told via email that our boat could take 12 people, we found 11 people ready to tour the darkened rivers of Canterbury.<br />
So this evening we travelled down to Canterbury ready for our pre-booked 8 o'clock tour. On the journey I received a text asking if we knew our way there. "Very nice" I thought, that attention to detail. I quickly replied saying that we were on our way and asked if they had a toilet (I knew a few of us would need it before being surrounded by water for an hour) to which they replied "yes".<br />
When we arrived at 7.50pm we found a small folk group playing music in the Punting Company's small shop and a worried looking girl opened the door. She quickly exclaimed that we were late and a gentleman with her gruffly said we were supposed to be there for 7.15. I explained that the tour was booked for eight and there was a general feeling of unease and I admit we all felt a little unwelcome.<br />
When a few of us asked to use the toilet we were told, "just one!" by the girl. We were finally each allowed to use the toilet but told to keep quiet so as not to disturb the band. Things turned a little more polite when we showed them the email with the booked time but the discomfort had settled in.<br />
After all of this I was close to just asking for a refund but as we had all travelled for 45 minutes, I didn't want to waste the evening.<br />
After a little more grumbling about the fact that they would now have to use two boats as apparently 11 was too many we climbed aboard feeling somewhat embarrassed, and were very relieved to find our previous host Miguel climbing aboard one of the boats.<br />
As we travelled down the moonlight river Miguel (whom I was lucky enough to have as host of my boat) explained that he would get a little way in before telling us the ghost stories.<br />
Five minutes later Miguel, using a long pole to propel his punting boat along the river, began his tales and the previous discomfort slipped away.<br />
We heard stories of WW2 soldiers meeting scarfaced apparitions, accused witches meeting their ends in the dark swirling waters beneath us and the hideous Jenny Greenteeth luring victims down into the water to meet their ends.<br />
At the halfway point Miguel's pole became stuck in the mud and we drifted along helpless and laughing until he pulled himself back with branches to retrieve it, making jokes the entire time.<br />
We made a u-turn a little way out of the lights of the city and slowly made our way back and at this point Miguel asked us if we had any personal stories of ghostly incidents.<br />
The only one that came to mind was a day in which I thought I had seen an old friend who had died a week previous among a group of people. Thinking I had been mistaken on that day, I had returned to my caricature pitch only to feel a tap on the shoulder. It was his wife.<br />
When we returned the awkwardness of earlier was all gone and we walked away thanking them for a lovely evening.<br />
If you're after an amazing evening I would highly recommend the Canterbury Punting Tours.<br />
I would however add a note of caution with a few pieces of advice:<br />
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1. Make sure several times that you have confirmed the times and amount of people.<br />
2. Ask for Miguel and accept no substitutes.Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-38319824666883749592013-09-05T10:37:00.000+01:002013-09-05T10:37:13.655+01:00No more commissions for now! Sorry!My work as a cartoonist/caricaturist can be pretty diverse and the projects that come my way are varied and exciting.<br />
I regularly attend events drawing live caricatures which is always great fun and from time to time I have drawn commission based pieces for customers.<br />
Lately I have been taking on various illustration projects too, from the cover of The Slipkin Papers (find it on Amazon- great book) to the @b0ringtweets vs @rickygervais project I have recently been working on, right through to some book illustration projects that are still ongoing.<br />
The problem with taking on all of these jobs is that some things have to take a back burner to make room for others.<br />
It is for this reason that regretfully I will not be taking on any more commissions until further notice. The commissions take up a great deal of time what with changes and tweaks, and for this reason are not really financially viable. I could put prices up but wouldn't want to be charging over the odds.<br />
You can still hire me for events, I attend many of these and the pictures always go down well.<br />
Apologies peeps, I'm not saying never again, just not for the time being.Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-50432087676179797312013-08-22T01:17:00.000+01:002013-08-22T01:17:32.549+01:00@rickygervais vs @b0ringtweetsThere are few bloggers out there that blog as little as me, and most 'guides to blogging' will tell you never to mention how rarely you do so. There's a mistake right away then.. bugger.<br />
But some blogs are like a machine that give the reader tons to read about a chosen subject, and one of those that I am now a little involved in is <a href="http://gervaisfanart.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html">http://gervaisfanart.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html</a><br />
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A few weeks back I was approached on twitter by @GervaisFanArt regarding the hilarious conversations between Ricky Gervais and a truly fascinating chap under the twitter name of @b0ringtweets. I had followed a few of these conversations and so was honoured to be asked to create doodles to go along with the characters. Gervais fan art have compiled these conversations in a very funny weekly blog which can promise conversations of the wonders of a Boots store card and the excitement of the Samsung SGH A300 to name a few!<br />
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I am told this blog has received quite a following and so look forward to doodling more for GervaisFanArt, Ricky and our Meticulous Hero as time goes on.<br />
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For those interested, here's Ricky talking about @b0ringtweets and @GervaisFanArt in a radio interview... <a href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=9vSs_mmIC_s&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9vSs_mmIC_s%26feature%3Dyoutu.be">http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=9vSs_mmIC_s&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9vSs_mmIC_s%26feature%3Dyoutu.be</a>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-30094728919399955892013-04-30T20:40:00.001+01:002013-04-30T20:52:35.434+01:00Feeling Stirred not ShakenSo I'm just recovering from an absurdly busy weekend which started with a wedding in Essex, followed by a corporate gig in London with a whole army of caricaturists and magicians, then the true insanity that was the Detling Wedding Show (I promise I shall respond to all those emails very soon) and ending in a trip to Birmingham for a hugely entertaining gig last night.<br />
It's not often I venture up that far, but I truly love a 'road trip gig' and this one proved well worth the journey. I visited the hotel that would be playing host to the good people of VitrA earlier in the day to get my bearings, but I had no idea how amazing the bond themed extravaganza would pan out that evening.<br />
The genius that is Jason Southard and his team at <a href="http://www.casinohireuk.com/">www.casinohireuk.com</a> had put on an amazing show that I was truly proud to be a part of, featuring casino tables, a mind reader, no end of giant Bond props and even a couple of Bond girls wandering around. Plus of course, there was me, a character maybe a little more Mr Bean than Mr Bond but I had a whale of a time nonetheless.<br />
It was an amazing crowd too, I actually drew so many pictures that when I departed I only had three sheets of paper left.<br />
I always thank my lucky stars for this amazing job and last night rates up there with the best of them. Once the RSI in my hand has eased up I shall look forward to more like that!<br />
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<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-7128292322804175422013-03-10T20:49:00.000+00:002013-03-10T22:14:31.607+00:00Ricky, Derek and a Moustached Tadpole<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Around the 21st of February my twitter account (@richnairn for those that do not know) went a little crazy for a few weeks, completely to my surprise.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This was all thanks to Ricky Gervais, not sure if you've heard of him but he's a little known actor and comedian, check his account on twitter (@rickygervais) he could really do with a few more followers. (the poor fella only has 4,192, 062 at the time of typing this blog)</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of you may know that I like to draw group caricatures of celebrities, from tv shows to movies, if the face works I'll doodle it. So I had produced a little caricature of the stars of Derek, Ricky's latest hilarious and heartwarming creation set in a retirement home.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As always with these doodles, I tweeted it across to Ricky, not really expecting a reply.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Within almost no time at all I had a lovely little reply simply saying, "Great Work!"</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a simply wonderful thing to receive nice comments about your work, but little was I prepared for the power Ricky's words have. My twitter "interaction" panel went insane. Tweets came through like crazy with all sorts of lovely peeps saying how much they liked my work and this was such a huge boost to my confidence. I began saying thank you to each of them and realised this was a futile task, so opted for broader "I would like to thank everyone.." messages.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I quickly became friends with @tadpole_hitler, a twitter user who runs a Derek fan art site at <a href="http://www.tadpolehitler.com/">www.tadpolehitler.com</a>, who wrote a lovely little article about my work and even was so nice as to put an advert for my site on their home page.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I had originally loved the character of Vicky, played by Holli Dempsey but had not included her in the pic as at the time of drawing it she appeared to be a one episode character. But while I was receiving these comments she appeared in another episode and Holli herself left some lovely tweets about the pic. And so it was destined to be.. Vicky appeared in the picture, along with an ornamental frog.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the flattery continued. In all my years of caricaturing I've never received such appreciation for my work and it was a truly flattering experience. Just when my head couldn't swell any further I received comments not only from Kerry Godliman who plays Hannah in the series, but also from Charlie Hanson, the series producer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The whole crazy experience had a great finale for me when I realised a life long dream as I got to work as a caricaturist on the set of a movie.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It just so happened that Mr Gervais was on set too so I left a couple of prints with the crew for him.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To make sure he got it I tweeted,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"@rickygervais there's an A3 copy of the Derek caricature waiting for you somewhere on set, hopefully you'll get it."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and I received the reply.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"@richnairn Got it! Amazing. Thank you."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For a show that references how nice people can be, Derek has sure lived up to it's words.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you everyone for a truly brilliant and flattering few weeks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-77213506555529024862013-01-20T11:29:00.000+00:002013-01-20T11:29:18.304+00:00Celebrity Group CaricatureSome of you may have noticed I have commenced work on a series of group caricatures of famous tv shows and movies.<br />
There will be more and more of these appearing throughout the year as I have a list to work through.<br />
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The idea came from last years Misfits picture which received lots of great comments from the stars.<br />
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The first one I drew this year was Red Dwarf X. It was great to see the boys back on our screens so I had to show my appreciation by doodling a picture of them.<br />
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I tweeted the first draft to Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) and he pointed out that he is the tallest character and I had drawn him the shortest (oops). 30 seconds later I had adjusted it and I tweeted it over to receive a lovely reply saying,<br />
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"That is just too damn clever sir, thank you most kindly"<br />
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I also hear friend of mine who knows Craig Charles passed a copy onto him and he tells me it was well received.<br />
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So next I moved onto my favourite American comedy, "The Big Bang Theory"<br />
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I tweeted this one to the stars but I believe they were in middle of receiving awards so not surprised I didn't get any feedback, but I did get lots of great comments from friends and followers so many thanks!</div>
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Last week I completed a caricature of my favourite tv show, "Dexter". Lots of great faces to draw.</div>
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This one was greatly received by a couple of the stars and friends alike and I was over the moon to receive a message of thanks from David Zayas who plays Angel Batista in the series.<br />
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So what's next? I have received a few suggestions and have a few ideas myself.. more to come soon!<br />
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<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-3704923212688372912013-01-05T15:52:00.001+00:002013-01-05T15:52:59.786+00:00Post Apocalyptic New YearWell here we are, five days into a new year despite the doomgloomers trying to wish disaster upon us all. Now is a quiet time of year for me, a few weddings and parties along with a handful of commissions. January is the manageable month.<br />
This year will be seeing a change in my business, without my wedding to organise I feel more hands on with the caricatures so I'm planning many exciting things to come.<br />
I'm currently working at the Oasthouse Theatre in Rainham, a delightful little theatre that Im signwriting and adding quirky illustrations to. This is obviously in between party and commission work but it is a fun little sideline. It's also entertaining to listen to the actors perform overhead as I paint.<br />
In May I have been asked to entertain at a party celebrating what would have been Peter Cushing's 100th Birthday. I've always been a huge fan of this classic actor, not only for his great performances in classic hammer movies but also for his charm and personality. It is indeed an honour to be involved in this event, I sincerely hope it goes well. I am booked throughout the year at many parties and weddings so am truly looking forward to every one of them. Best of luck brides and grooms, believe me, it's not as scary as you might think.<br />
Mai and I will be moving premises later in the year so I should at last have a study to work in, rather than filing paperwork in a box and illustrating commissions on the dining room table.<br />
So an optimistic start to 2013 I think, let's hope it's justified.<br />
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<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZF0MCicm-5k/UOhMWG-uu4I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/a6R-vaIn14E/s640/blogger-image--1505960200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZF0MCicm-5k/UOhMWG-uu4I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/a6R-vaIn14E/s640/blogger-image--1505960200.jpg" /></a></div>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-47051657621108142232012-11-16T16:04:00.000+00:002012-11-16T16:04:38.264+00:00Namedrop alert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think every artist, be they a caricaturist, painter, musician, actor etc is somewhat fed by their ego. Every art is a passion which comes from the artists need to communicate but it is necessary to feel as though what you create is enjoyed by those that witness it.<br />
When I work a gig drawing live caricature the quality of what I do is generally dictated by the reactions of those around me, the more laughs and pleasure I get, the better my work comes out.<br />
It's a confidence thing.<br />
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To achieve appreciation from your peers and those already in the public eye gives you an even greater sense of satisfaction, as society would have you believe that those people are harder to please.<br />
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For this reason the last few weeks have been particularly enjoyable for me.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjadBQuldw0/UKZYI802_tI/AAAAAAAAAIs/NrE_XeE4cOI/s1600/Derren.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjadBQuldw0/UKZYI802_tI/AAAAAAAAAIs/NrE_XeE4cOI/s320/Derren.gif" width="225" /></a>Mai and I recently had the opportunity to be in the audience for the filming of one of Derren Brown's latest shows, you may have seen it, the one where a girl lacking confidence in her singing ability has to confront a huge audience.. well, we were among the audience in that smoky theatre. Having just drawn a caricature of Derren in the theme of his "Apocalypse" show it was such an honour to witness his abilities first hand. Sadly I hadn't brought a copy of the picture with me and could have kicked myself when one of his crew sat in front of me. For those that don't know, Derren Brown is also a master caricaturist.. to have received critique from him would have been fantastic.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQs7MlGyzYo/UKZYU9cyHOI/AAAAAAAAAI8/SJEsMl1-cT4/s1600/IMG_0497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQs7MlGyzYo/UKZYU9cyHOI/AAAAAAAAAI8/SJEsMl1-cT4/s320/IMG_0497.jpg" width="240" /></a>A few days later Heston Blumenthal was making an appearance at Dickens World to film for his latest show. I've always been fascinated by this real-life Willy Wonka and having been asked to bring a caricature along for him to sign for the bar, of course I jumped at the chance. Heston himself was an absolute gentleman, showing such appreciation for the copy I had printed for him. To my disappointment, I realised I had drawn him with his old glasses on which he didn't seem to mind. I also put my foot in it further when asking him to sign the picture for the bar.<br />
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Concerned for his time being taken up, I said,<br />
"You're not busy at the moment are you?"<br />
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Obviously for a man who fronts a hugely successful restaurant and a popular tv series this question must have come across as absurd.<br />
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Despite this, he posed for a photo and Mai and I also had the chance to witness the events being filmed and sample a few of his dishes which I have to say were amazing.<br />
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Last week, my ego had another boost when we took a trip up to Bluewater for a signing from 3 stars of the incredible E4 series, "Misfits". Joe Gilgun, Karla Crome and Nathan McMullen were incredibly friendly and their reaction to the picture I had drawn was one of the highlights of my career. They were so appreciative and shook my hand despite the fact that their time was tight with a huge crowd waiting to meet them.<br />
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As if this wasn't enough when I was browsing twitter later that evening I was honoured to see that Nathan McMullen was using the picture for his twitter header. Much appreciated.<br />
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Am I a bit of a fanboy? Hell yeah, fanboy and proud.<br />
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<br /><br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-28441238977918310592012-09-20T15:56:00.000+01:002012-09-20T15:56:37.597+01:00Our WeddingCan you hear that? It's the sound of moths fluttering away from my keyboard as I attempt to write the first blog I have written in an eternity.<br />
Most blog sites tell you never to mention that you haven't written in a while but what the hell, I have good reason. The same reason that puts many couples in a social whirl for months on end.. that being that I finally had my wedding.<br />
Ok, it was a while back now, the 14th July 2012, but it's taken me this long to get back on track, well almost. The thank you cards have still yet to go out. Terrible huh.<br />
The day itself was incredible, despite the gods warring above our heads and a torrential downpour that would have had Noah concerned, and also despite the fact that my head was pounding from a little over-indulgence in the pub the night before. What can I say? I was nervous.<br />
We were scheduled to be married about the HMS Gannet in Chatham Historic Dockyard, followed by a reception at Commissioners House <a href="http://www.commissionershouse.com/">http://www.commissionershouse.com/</a> 200 yards away but the weather had other ideas. In a quick change around by the amazing staff we ended up having 2 wedding ceremonies for health and safety reasons, the first was an intimate affair with close friends aboard the boat and the second at the house so that our huge audience could get to see the ceremony.<br />
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Our photographer Lollypop <a href="http://www.lollypopphoto.com/">www.lollypopphoto.com</a> darted among us like olympians as we rushed from one spot to another. Mai looked stunning as she appeared beside me in the first of four dresses (it is a Chinese tradition to have several dresses on a wedding day) during the first ceremony and I got to play it casual for the second ceremony and stare at the guests as they shared my initial reaction. Not only was her dress amazing but I was adorned in a suit which could only have been improved if topped with a better face. Not only were myself and the best man suited and booted but I discovered the groomsmen were too, something which was sneakily done without me knowing. All of this was provided by our friends at Tantrums & Tiaras <a href="http://www.tantrumsntiaras.co.uk/">http://www.tantrumsntiaras.co.uk/</a> and Mai's dress adjustments made by Deisy at <a href="http://www.deisys.co.uk/contactus/contactus.htm">http://www.deisys.co.uk/contactus/contactus.htm</a>. Little did Mai know that she would be surprised with the groomsmen changing into Chinese outfits later that evening.<br />
This was followed by a tea ceremony downstairs which had me a little lost, luckily Mai was there to show me the ropes so I could at least pretend to know what I was doing.<br />
After some further chaos and running about we finally got to settle in for the Wedding Breakfast. Our marquee had been beautifully decorated by Bespoke Floral Designs <a href="http://www.bespokefloraldesigns.co.uk/">http://www.bespokefloraldesigns.co.uk/</a> and my movie caricatured table designs had been hastily arranged by myself that morning.<br />
In attempt to get the more terrifying aspects of the day over with we had opted for the speeches before the meal and so the best man and I battled the noise of the rain pounding on the marquee to generally crack jokes that would hopefully only offend on a minor scale. Our speeches were assisted by Cantonese passages from those better equipped, Mai-lin and her bridesmaid Julie.<br />
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We were then treated to an incredible selection of food including a hog roast and some impressive additions for my yeast free diet from the expert chefs at Lardercraft <a href="http://www.lardercraft.com/">http://www.lardercraft.com/</a>, and while we gorged we were entertained by my great friend and talented magician Adam Smith <a href="http://www.adams-magic.co.uk/">www.adams-magic.co.uk</a>. Desserts were in the shape of cupcakes from Cupcake Queen (facebook) and we also had a huge carrot cake as our wedding cake from Dee at Bo Peep Cottages.<br />
After informing people that sadly I hadn't hired a caricaturist and that they would have to draw their own pictures on the paper provided, I did let people know what the evening had to offer.<br />
In the upstairs of our venue we had two great casino tables provided by the AK Casino Knights <a href="http://www.akcasinoknights.co.uk/">www.akcasinoknights.co.uk</a> and a photobooth provided by Party Photobooth Hire <a href="http://www.party-photobooth-hire.co.uk/">http://www.party-photobooth-hire.co.uk/</a>.<br />
I don't think either of us really relaxed until around 9pm so when we did we hit the dancefloor to the tunes of one of the funniest DJs I know, Raf at Appollofunk <a href="http://www.apollofunk.com/">www.apollofunk.com</a>.<br />
So that's about it, it took a few years to plan but was very worth it. If you are after wedding venues, supplies or entertainment you couldn't go wrong with any of the above. Just make sure, as I have told all of the brides and grooms that have booked me since, that you find some time to breathe during your wedding day. We found the day exhausting so I have no idea how those that worked that day coped.<br />
Now I'm just off to plan the Renewal of Vows... actually, that can wait a while.<br />
<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-12527957664291586742012-06-12T03:17:00.000+01:002012-06-12T03:17:05.683+01:00The Wedding Diaries: Hen and Stag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well it's the early hours of the morning and I'm still awake due to the chronic indigestion that is the result of a weekend of indulging in copious amounts of alcohol and rich food.</div>
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Yes, it was my stag weekend at Center Parcs in Elveden Forest. Us lads weren't alone however as the bride to be was there for her hen weekend too, gothing up and sipping from straws that no self respecting man would place to his lips.</div>
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I am told that Center Parcs with it's fun family atmosphere try not to encourage hen or stag weekends but they would more likely need to fear the sound of snoring than drunken singing from a caricaturist in his late thirties. That is more than I can say for the rest of the party though, with madness aplenty among the wilderness.</div>
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Though I have a lazy demeanor, that isn't to say I refrained from drinking.. indeed I consumed far more than I intended and found that we were all going to bed when the birds started tweeting.</div>
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It was a varied group too, aging from 18 to 40 and I witnessed the bizarre spectacle of seeing people from hugely different parts of my life mingling together.. I truly shall get a shock when it comes to the wedding. Right, where's the Pepto Bismol?</div>
<br />Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-14179446330544330632012-06-04T12:47:00.001+01:002012-06-04T13:32:32.396+01:00Dickens beaten by the QueenMy first attempt at drawing caricatures was at the Rochester Dickens Festival 15 years ago. I dread to think what those first pictures looked like, indeed I am even embarrassed by pictures from a few years back.<br />
The Dickens Festival has been a big part of my life since I was 6 years old so it will be strange this year when I will be absent from the festivities. I had originally scheduled my stag weekend for next weekend thinking the festival was this week but Jubilee madness has hit the nation.<br />
So while I am getting drunk at Center Parcs, why not pop down to Rochester next weekend for some Dickensian fun, albeit without a caricaturist (as far as I know).Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-12533341409149119232012-03-24T22:17:00.000+00:002012-03-24T22:17:40.957+00:00The Wedding Diaries: Lollypop PhotographyMany people fear the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 but for a groom to be there are far more things to fear in 2012. Yes, our wedding approaches like a confetti clad steam train.<br />
So the next chapter in my wedding blog is photography. Our choice of photographer is none other than Lollypop photography.<br />
Laura Campion runs Lollypop with her partner Jody and they have a unique personal touch to their work and approach to their work. I met Laura many years back when I produced drawings that now make me shudder with horror and was immediately impressed with her portfolio, anyone that can take pictures of me looking almost human has some sort of supernatural talent. I am in a unique position with my job in that I get to see many other wedding services in action and since meeting Laura I have had the pleasure of working with her and Jody on many occasions.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5IM6KO6Uuo/T25HUkwJq0I/AAAAAAAAAHU/TFZn8T_NyCo/s1600/rdb399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e5IM6KO6Uuo/T25HUkwJq0I/AAAAAAAAAHU/TFZn8T_NyCo/s320/rdb399.jpg" width="320" /></a>Not only do they have a professional attitude you can genuinely see the love for what they do, even stopping to take photos of various details that catch their eye on a wedding shoot. I think it's an important thing when choosing your wedding suppliers that you pick people with a love for what they do not just treating it like an average day job, which indeed it isn't.<br />
Laura and Jody definately fit into the category of those with a love for their work and I would recommend checking them out at <a href="http://lollypopphoto.co.uk/">http://lollypopphoto.co.uk/</a>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-57961931132000486852012-03-13T16:10:00.000+00:002012-03-13T16:10:52.962+00:00The Abide Guide: Truly a book for our time and placeIn 1998 the Coen Brothers released a movie about a laid back, white russian slurping bowler named the Dude. This movie was The Big Lebowski. Upon it's first release it didn't receive critical acclaim, in the way of it's main character it just casually meandered it's way on to our cinema screens and didn't really achieve a cult status until it's video & dvd release.<br />
Like many cult movies, various offshoots and ideas grew from the love of the film, and probably the greatest idea developed from a movie is the subject of my blog today.<br />
Maybe it's my artistic temperament, maybe it's just living in this financially driven world, but life can get a little too heavy on occasion for us all (a perfect example of which is my last blog regarding the greed of our postal service). When I find myself ranting a little too much I've often considered reading a self help book, and indeed I have even tried. I've also read up on the teachings of the Dalai Lama and considered yoga as an option. But for me these concepts are a little too detached from the chaos around us and it is far too easy to become distracted.<br />
However, last year I discovered Dudeism. Back in 2005 a chilled out fellow by the name of Oliver Benjamin founded the church of the Latter-Day Dude, a religion based on Jeff Bridges character the Dude from The Big Lebowski. It gave me a bit of a chuckle, what a great idea.. the concept of a religion based on a movie character really seemed no more crazy than the sound of any other religion. I flicked through the pages on the website at <a href="http://www.dudeism.com/">www.dudeism.com</a> and discovered this huge following of people that just wanted to ignore life's pressures and take it easy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7mk-4Wo-tF8/T19puQDnHLI/AAAAAAAAAHM/oKwb6WRadHc/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7mk-4Wo-tF8/T19puQDnHLI/AAAAAAAAAHM/oKwb6WRadHc/s320/DownloadedFile.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Later in the year Oliver Benjamin & Dwayne Eutsey released a book called The Abide Guide, a self help guide to life using the teachings of Dudeism. I managed to get a copy and I have to say it is possibly one of the most enjoyable reads I have ever had, hilarious and informative.<br />
Worded almost in the Dude's mellow manner, this book is full of humour, following the movie's narrative and pointing out the Dude's way of dealing with life's complications.. usually by ignoring them.<br />
In all seriousness I did find by kicking back and reading the wise words of the dude life didn't seem to be quite so difficult.. ok, I know life for me isn't really that difficult anyway, I'm a cartoonist after all. But I do have a wedding approaching so many of you know how that can upset the temperament of even the most cool minded among us.<br />
So put down that 10 steps to happiness book and pick up a copy of the Abide Guide, maybe watch The Big Lebowski first, but you could soon find yourself relaxed enough to wear a dressing gown in public, sipping a carton of milk right off the shelf in the supermarket..<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abide-Guide-Benjamin/dp/1569759766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331651471&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abide-Guide-Benjamin/dp/1569759766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331651471&sr=8-1</a>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-79614651760682533672012-02-06T17:33:00.001+00:002012-03-13T16:21:55.708+00:00'Royal' Mail funding the Queens Jubilee?For 10 years now I have had a PO Box which I have used for all my art based mail and while having to deal with the odd Post Office Monkey things have worked to a degree.<br />
<div>In a world which now hypes on about internet security and keeping your personal details safe I would have thought it wise to keep my home address off of websites and such, so a PO Box serves that purpose. </div><div>Last week my yearly bill for my PO Box turned up and my eyes nearly fell out of my head. The price had gone up from £95 to £170!</div><div>I called Royal Mail's "help" number and was told to complain via their website, I did this and was then told to phone the number I'd just phoned... aaagh! Finally today I got to speak to a person and they said with the use of the internet the postal service has had to put their prices up.</div><div>Shocked, I said, "what, by nearly 100%?" and the reply was, simply, "yup, sorry"</div><div>What with Apple canceling the iweb service that creates my website, some big wedding fairs charging a fortune for people to visit and now this, I'm wondering what the world has against a small caricature business.</div><div>Pretty soon we may just need a mortgage to buy stamps!</div>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-81524014549254924332012-01-31T06:09:00.000+00:002012-01-31T06:09:49.761+00:00Call the MidwifeLast summer I had the pleasure of working as an extra on the set of the BBCs <i>Call the Midwife. </i>It has been released slightly earlier than I anticipated and so becomes an appropriate subject to blog about.<br />
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The show, following the story of a midwife in London in the 1950s stars Jessica Raine & Miranda Hart and has received positive reviews, so much so that rumours of a second series are circling.<br />
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It is always fun to work as an extra on period pieces as you get to dress up and wander among surroundings befitting a long lost period, something which I have become used to with Dickens World and my previous stint on Scorsese's <i>Hugo.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zLa0bZHM-h8/TyeCn1Riu6I/AAAAAAAAAG8/jpT2-9Bx7rY/s1600/Midwife4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zLa0bZHM-h8/TyeCn1Riu6I/AAAAAAAAAG8/jpT2-9Bx7rY/s320/Midwife4.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Even more fun when you get to sit back and see yourself as a dot or a 1/10th of a second blur in a scene such as in the photo above (that's me looking grumpy)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6KW6TUJqco/TyeCrhmvBCI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aXVHNka6S58/s1600/Midwife2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6KW6TUJqco/TyeCrhmvBCI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aXVHNka6S58/s320/Midwife2.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's even moments of horror occasionally when you realise that you really need to lose weight. My family thought my stomach in the picture above was padding... sadly not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Every time I go on a set I manage to have some sort of an accident. With Midwife I had a scene where I had to light a cigarette before walking behind the cycling midwives. This I did until I managed to burn my bottom lip with the flame. I then walked across the scene trying to hide the pain from my face and spent the rest of the day nursing a rapidly blistering lip. To add insult to injury (literally) I found when the episode aired my part in the scene had been cut.. oh well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One thing I always try to do on set is draw caricatures of my fellow extras. For Hugo I'm pretty sure I had drawn almost all of the train station occupants and I think the same could be said for most of the people in scenes in Midwife.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I believe there is still one or two episodes of Midwife left to go so check it out on Sunday evening, maybe eat your roast dinner first.. births and food never seem to go well together.</div><i><br />
</i>Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624695658327306943.post-39722907493438758242011-11-30T13:47:00.000+00:002011-11-30T13:47:26.063+00:00The Hugo Movie CompanionA couple of days until the uk release of Hugo so I thought I'd briefly mention <i>The Hugo Movie Companion </i>by Brian Selznick, author of the original Hugo Cabret novel.<br />
Having worked as an extra on Hugo I eagerly picked up a copy of this book in order to look through photos of this movie's lavish set and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.<br />
Aimed at a young audience, this book will still appeal to all ages as the cast and crew of the movie discuss their love of movies and the effect movies had on them as children. This, combined with Brian's own take on how his popular novel has been transformed into a movie makes this a small treasure of a book. I can only imagine as an artist how wonderful it must have been to see his own creation being brought to life by the master that is Martin Scorsese.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8DK_959wj88/TtYyqebAj7I/AAAAAAAAAG0/7oMZek5r1PU/s1600/Hugo1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8DK_959wj88/TtYyqebAj7I/AAAAAAAAAG0/7oMZek5r1PU/s320/Hugo1.gif" width="320" /></a></div>An added bonus for me was when I flicked through the book I noticed a certain caricaturist peering pack at me.. I'm in print at last!! hehe<br />
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Whist on set I did work on a cartoon journal of my time there.. I will finish it next week when I have finally seen the movie. For copyright reasons it may never see the light of day but copies of the first half of it are out there, in the hands of my fellow extras and I do believe, Mr Scorsese himself.Rich Nairnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360561536667053685noreply@blogger.com0