Bunny in the making

Playing around with more bunnies, tried a Disney influenced drawing named 'Thumpy' (not wanting to infringe copyright). Surprisingly involved for the simplicity, gives me a new found respect for animation.
Sadly on the completion of this little fellow Inlé-rah visited one of our real-world bunnies, in the form of heat exhaustion, (yes, even in Tasmania) hence the tear. Farewell Sweetie, run free and far. 

Neighbours dogs

Christmas card I painted for my neighbours. Not really my usual cup of tea, and it shows.

Buffalo Dreamtop

Buffalo Dreamtop: part of the Tomahawk Toys range. Strongly influenced by my previously talked about love affair with cereal toys, as well as a particular present once given to me by an Auntie who resides in America.

I recount it now, having only just recalled this long forgotten memory.

At the age of around 10 my Auntie from America arrived back for a holiday to her home state of Tasmania, where I lived. It was a highly anticipated visit, partially because my cousin was also coming, only a few years older than me, partially because she was always very generous, and bought wonderful presents. But mostly because she usually stayed at the Wrest Point Casino, at the time  (mid 1970s) one of the nicer hotels in Tasmania, home of the revolving restaurant, that, for someone my age, was akin to a real sized spaceship spinning in anticipation to take off, (as well as create its artificial gravity). 

But I am wandering, this new found memory recalling so many wonderful icons from that time, and I think it is that very reason why my Aunties' present was so evocative to me in later years. Wrapped in plain brown paper, a curious long, thin 'stick' was presented to me amongst the other gifts, that I can now no longer recall. On opening I found a 'replica' Native American spear. Painted black, with feathers below a rubber spear tip, shaped a little like a flat Christmas tree, bright red, blue and white lines around its edge. Not an amazing relic, perhaps even a little politically incorrect nowadays, (heaven help us) but for some reason that floppy rubber tip, smooth black wooden rod and neon red and blue feathers seemed from another world, the same place the Six Million Dollar Man ran, where Apes ruled the planet, and cops drove Bright red, white striped Torino's.  

Ratsy Malone returns

When I was young the first full comic I drew was called 'The Ratsy Files', a 1920's gangster story, strongly influenced by the discovery of Will Eisners' 'The Spirit'. 

Starring a character called Ratsy Malone, who, along with his gang, R.S, B.S and C.S, scratched a 3 page trail of havoc, machine guns blazing and Bakelite radios blaring, before being double crossed and steering his 1925 Cunningham V8 into a telegraph pole, intending to kill his traitorous friends.

Throughout the years my mum regularly lamented not seeing this little fellow back in print, even though I thought I could 'never go back', for some reason, to old ideas, used characters or dated concepts. 
Why?, I do not know. Some silly purist attitude that included the idea that copying another drawing, even for reference, was cheating. Redrawing anything was also, well, cheating. In fact there were so many things in my isolated little world (this is the 1970s' remember, no internet tutorials, only a local library with two 'How to draw' books)  I considered 'cheating', planning out a page, tracing your own work, using another persons ideas.... it is a wonder I allowed myself to even use a pencil or paper. This INSANE and bizarre behaviour still  rears its ugly head today, but I recognise more and more the silly limitations and incredible handicap these 'rules' caused, and probably set back what little drawing skills I had by many years.

Anyway, long story told, this Christmas I thought  I would give mum her wish and resurrect dear old Ratsy and the gang, as a Christmas card, for one more peak out into the now fantastic world of 2013. Hope you enjoy.

Couldn't resist making an age appropriate photo. Ha ha 

Go Go Bunny Mural

Go Go Bunny poster ready for its two story reproduction. 

On the side of its building, now complete with graffiti and weathering from about two years of standing.

Website animation

 A quick run down of the, almost, finished animation for my websites front page. Robot and Dinosaur face each other atop a building, the robots arm holding a ray gun slowly raises up and down,

 When it is pointing at the Dinosaur it fires and the blue  neon rings light one at a time towards him,

The Dinosaurs' arm and jaw move up and down, as the last neon ring lights his red flame comes on, flickers a little, then turns off, each blue ring also turns off in the reverse order they were lit, the robots' ray gun lowers and the sequence starts again. 

S'no Bunny like Snow Bunny

Slowly been working on this for a few months now, turned from a bush bunny into a snow bunny. My partner thinks composition could be better, and as usual she is right. She was probably too kind to point out all the other flaws I can now see having posted it up. ha ha.

Bat Mask - full face

Adding to the top section previously posted, here is the full face mask.

Currently we have a rather large bat, circling nightly around our house and paddocks nearby, singing its beautiful song of sight. A mix between insect and bird, directionless and everywhere.
Does it hunt for food or mate? Is it the first or last? In ten years I have not heard or seen another. 
Beautiful creature, this mask is for you, songster of the dark. I hope you will not sing alone too long.

Carrot Vending Machine

With a shiny new pennyrabbit  piece little bunny is about to indulge in one of his favorite  nibbles.
Combining two of my favorite loves, bunnies and vending machines, this weekend was taken up with this piece. Just a bit of fun, having a break from working on the Popular Mechanoids Card Set.

Pencil roughs

Lambcicle Licks

Found this old tin sign behind my bubble gum card collection. How well I remember enjoying a refreshing Ice Cold Lambcicle Lick, on the way home. These were tough competition for Sherbet Sheep, which used to have a little packet of sherbet you would pour over the icy pole to make the sheeps' 'wool'. Many a day would I keep extra packs of sherbet to give my Sheep an extra thick winter coat, though most of it always ended up on the ground, anyway, as the poster said, Mmmmmmmmmm!
(Any memories of The Lambcie Lamb Show, Lambcicle Licks , and Sherbert Sheep are entirely fictional, and the latter bear little resemblance to any Iced Lollies consumed in my REAL childhood, with the exception perhaps of Lime Splits)