Scooter McKenzie's illustrations

Full colour version of the book

2011-07-12T15:22:00.002+01:00

I've mentioned my book on this site before, it's a project close to my heart. So when I got the chance to produce a full colour version of it, I jumped at it. Most of the illustrations leant themselves to being coloured up quite easily but it still took a while as it's nearly 100 pages long. After it was completed, I worked out that it was now far too costly to offer for sale. The only saving grace was that I could have a limited edition of ONE hardback colour book made for myself to keep. It's still in production so I'm waiting impatiently for it to arrive.

More exhibitions

2011-06-13T16:43:00.003+01:00

On Friday 17th June, I'll have a couple of pictures in an exhibition at a groovy underground restaurant in Oxford. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say where it is as this sort of thing is borderline illegal... ooh, edgy.

A week later, I'll have a picture up in Cornerstone Art Centre's 'Coast' exhibition. Didcot isn't the first place you think of when the word Coast comes up but that's the theme of their show and I've got this picture accepted by them.

There's also an exhibition of unsigned, postcard sized work this autumn. The show is in aid of Abingdon County Hall Museum which is currently being renovated. Each piece of work is, as mentioned, postcard sized and only signed on the reverse so visitors to the show won't know who has done which picture. I've contributed something but as it's a secret affair, I can't show you it here.
Not sure where the exhibition will be or the exact date but I'll let you know.

Artweeks - the next exhibition

2011-04-07T09:50:00.006+01:00

In May I'll be taking part in Oxfordshire Artweeks exhibitions for the first time. For those who don't know, Artweeks encourages artists and craftspeople to find a venue to use as a gallery and open it to the public to sell and show their wares. Together with another seven artists, I'll be showing my illustrations in the lovely village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, just down the road from Wallingford. We're in the Stewart Village Hall from 13-15 May so if you're in the area, please drop in and say hi. I'll be showing my latest illustrations along with greetings cards and copies of my graphic novel. I'll also preview some of the work on this site to give you a taster of what to expect. The work of our little group covers a wide range of styles so there's something for everyone to enjoy in our beautiful, well lit venue.
I look forward to seeing you there.

Charity exhibition

2011-03-08T10:03:00.006Z

Towards the end of February, I took part in a charity exhibition organised by a friend of mine from Abingdon Artists: David Bage. It took place at The Fishes in Botley and a percentage of everything sold was going to Heart FM's Have a Heart Appeal. One of my pictures sold on the night, the one that I had only just finished drawing ninety minutes before the exhibition opened!
Thanks to a popular raffle, the evening raised several hundred pounds and was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for both guests and artists.

2010-12-23T14:28:00.000Z

D. Cypher book competition

2010-12-10T15:10:00.003Z

To drum up a little more interest in my book, I'm running a prize draw on my Scooter McKenzie's Cartoon Page on Facebook to win a signed copy. Weirdly, it's attracting an awful lot of people who make a hobby of entering competitions. Where did they find out about mine? No idea but I've been swamped with them. On the plus side, numbers of people who 'like' the page have nearly doubled in two days. If you'd like a chance to win a copy, pop onto Facebook and leave a message on Scooter McKenzie's Cartoon Page.
Good luck.
PS, it would make a great Christmas present for anyone of teenage years or older.

Unique hand-drawn gifts

2010-10-21T15:33:00.008+01:00

I've been thinking about a product I could offer for sale that would appeal at Christmas and for general gift giving throughout the year. Something personal, unique and affordable. Is it possible? Well...

Here's the idea: you email me a favourite photo of a family member, partner or friend and I draw you a portrait of them. There are various price options, starting from an A5 sized black and white pencil sketch for just £40 plus P&P. Larger sizes and colour versions will also be available.

I wanted to make these affordable because how many people ever get their portrait drawn? It's an experience that doesn't happen to most of us but by starting with a small and simple option, it cuts down on my time and materials, meaning I can pass the saving on to you. Your favourite photo can be emailed to me to work from, meaning there is no additional postage charge and no chance of losing that treasured image in the post.

Christmas isn't the only opportunity for gifts like this; perhaps you have a relative that you don't see too often who would appreciate a picture of your offspring. Perhaps a friend is getting married and you have a favourite image of the happy couple. You might have an ancient picture of a family ancestor from years gone by or maybe a relative from more recent times who is still remembered fondly. These are just a few of the options and I'm sure there are many more.
Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you full details.

New Cartoon Workshop session this Sunday

2010-10-01T11:48:00.002+01:00

Very much looking forward to my next Cartoon Workshop session on Sunday 3rd October in Kidlington. I haven't done one for a little while so hopefully it won't be too rusty.
It might be nice to try something new and push it forward a little. Haven't decided how yet but it should be fun.

Surprise leaving gifts - double whammy

2010-10-01T10:51:00.004+01:00

Recently I was contacted by a friend of a friend to do a drawing for a leaving present. His sister was leaving London to return to America and the picture was to be in a fashion sketch style, showing the sister and her dog in a London street scene.
Whilst this was going on, I received a second call, this time from my new client's colleague. He'd heard about the fashion sketch picture and thought that, as my client was also leaving for America at the same time as his sister, perhaps I could secretly draw a picture of him as well. This one would be a caricature, showing an occasion that was particularly memorable from his stay in England.
If you're still with me at this point, let's just say that the second picture was successfully kept secret from its recipient and both parties were pleased with the results.

Autumn Exhibition at St. Helen's, Abingdon

2010-09-01T17:07:00.006+01:00

Abingdon Artists' Autumn Exhibition begins on Saturday 11th September and continues until Saturday 18th September. A great opportunity to take a stroll down by the Thames and look inside the beautiful St. Helen's Church. The exhibition is open from 10am to 5pm each day (from 12.30pm on Sunday) and admission is free.

Inside you'll find the work of several talented painters, illustrators and printmakers, both amateur and professional. Most of the pictures are available to purchase or you can simply help us choose the public's favourite in our fun vote. Enter the raffle and you may even win one of the most popular paintings from our last show, as voted by you the public.

If you don't want to splash out on a wall mounted work of art, there is a selection of greeting cards and merchandise created by society members at a price for all pockets.

Above are the three images I'll be exhibiting. They were originally created as cover illustrations for Steadycam Movie Newsletter and were included in my Normandy exhibition earlier this year.

Mentioned on 'This Abingdon' blog

2010-08-12T10:53:00.002+01:00

Today I spotted that my work had been mentioned and pictured on the Abingdon Blog. This is the design and illustration work I've done for the local council on their new town maps. Follow the link and scroll halfway down the page to find it. The maps, or information boards are not finished yet as I'm still awaiting the feedback from the general public before making the changes they'd like to see. They look pretty good so far though, if I do say so myself.

A painting in a new exhibition

2010-08-10T13:56:00.003+01:00

Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot have kindly agreed to exhibit pictures from Abingdon Artists Society throughout August. I have one picture in the show, my only oil painting which I did several years ago. It's called The Path Home and I'm quite proud of it.
If you're nearby, please drop in from 11th to 29th August, the exhibition is in the Chalk Room and is free to enter.

2010-08-06T09:59:00.003+01:00

As I enter the third year of 'Peter Bellingham Illustration', interesting commissions continue to come in. Lately these have been from Cartoonstock who, as well as hosting cartoons for publication, also act as agents and take private commissions from clients. Two this week, one from a new charity that wanted cartoons to use on a Powerpoint presentation and another from a cricket club to commemorate a member who has played for them for sixty years! Well done George!

Who spoilt Nick's party?

2010-07-22T16:53:00.002+01:00

It seems that the BNP aren't welcome at the Queen's Garden Party after all.
It's a shame as I'd drawn a little cartoon about Nasty Nick.
You can see it here: www.cartoonstock.com

2010: an update

2010-06-11T11:56:00.013+01:00

Here's an update on what's been happening in the world of Scooter McKenzie's cartoons and Peter Bellingham Illustration.

Awards: Two at the end of last year from Mensa - The High IQ Society, recognising the work I've put in, editing their regional newsletter for the last five years. I wasn't at the award ceremony and therefore missed the chance to accept my trophies from TV's own Johnny Ball.

Design jobs: I've recently been working with a couple of marketing agencies, producing storyboards for their clients' websites. I really enjoy this sort of work as I get to cover my desk with marker pens and get scribbling. One visitor to the studio looked over my shoulder and said, disapprovingly "Admit it Pete, your job is just 'colouring in', isn't it?"

The logo that I designed for a Care Home recently will soon be appearing on its promotional material. St. Clare House approached me after a recommendation from a previous client so I'm very pleased that 'word of mouth' advertising works.

Computer game: another exciting project was the Daybreaker Dash game for local charity Helen & Douglas House. I illustrated the backgrounds, characters and obstacles for the game and Ash from the technical team at Torpedo made the whole thing work. It's fiendishly difficult.

Leaflet designs: earlier in the year I was asked to design a leaflet at short notice for a new parliamentary candidate. With only a few hours to work on the project, the leaflet was designed, printed and sent out on the campaign trail. The good news is that the candidate won and has now taken her place in the Houses of Parliament, all due to me of course.

I also got the chance to design the marketing material for a well known comedian's forthcoming Edinburgh Fringe shows. Greg Davies is perhaps best known for playing the teacher in Channel Four's The Inbetweeners and is an occasional panelist on Mock The Week. We first met way back in 1979 when he complimented me on a drawing I'd stuck on the classroom wall. The posters for his Edinburgh shows will also catch the eye, as you can see above. We tried several options including cartoons and caricatures but in the end he wanted this one. He's a brave man.

Facebook Page: Scooter McKenzie's Cartoon Page continues to go from strength to strength, currently with 80 fans who get to see new cartoons and news before anyone else. Please feel free to join them. My new strip cartoon 'The View From The Shed' was premiered there and currently I'm feeding through my new England Squad caricatures as soon as they're drawn.

Town maps: I'm in the final stages of supplying illustrations to White Horse District Council for their new Abingdon town maps. There are six maps at various sites around the town for tourists and locals to use and I've contributed three previously completed pictures and three newly commissioned works to the project.

Exhibitions: In the past six months I've joined the committee of Abingdon Artists Society and look forward to helping this charming group of people put on their lovely exhibitions. The next one is in September, I'll keep you posted here.

Some of my favourites from the Argentan exhibition

2010-06-08T17:09:00.023+01:00

The exhibition in Argentan was an amazing experience; a chance to meet new friends, make valuable contacts and be inspired by art and France. The artwork was of a phenomenal standard as you can see here. One day while stewarding, I made a wishlist of my favourite ten pictures and jotted down the price. Sadly I didn't have eight thousand euros going spare or I'd have bought them all.
As well as exhibiting, I also got the chance to do a cartooning workshop to a class of five year olds. I was probably the first Englishman they'd met and they thought my accent was hilarious; still, I struggled on with my creaky GCSE French and they seemed to enjoy themselves.

After ten days, I returned with an awful lot of unburnt calories and luggage. We put all the bags that I'd carried up and down the huge ramps of the ferry onto the scales and they came to seven stone. After all the fine food and wine, I wasn't brave enough to get on the scales myself.

My artwork at the French exhibition

2010-06-08T16:47:00.002+01:00

The French exhibition

2010-05-16T13:16:00.004+01:00

It's my third full day here in Argentan and in the nicest possible way, it feels like a week. I've travelled here by ferry, carrying 25 framed pictures, all of which survived the trip. I was delayed by industrial action but arrived Friday morning and was taken straight away to hang my pictures in the huge Exhibition Hall. Yesterday was the grand opening and I think I made a pretty successful speech to around 150 people including the Mayor, who apparently said some kind words about one of my pictures. They even gave me a medal! Apart from that, it's been a non-stop gastronomic onslaught. Weirdly, the ferry journey seems to have made all my clothes shrink slightly. I can only imagine this will get worse as the week progresses. I'll keep you posted.

Updated cartoon.

2010-05-13T10:41:00.002+01:00

Something topical....

2010-05-05T23:30:00.003+01:00

We're nearing the end of the election race. When I say those words, this is how I see it in my head.

The big news: my first international exhibition

2010-04-26T17:00:00.002+01:00

A couple of months ago, I was at our local Artists Society committee meeting when they mentioned the chance to go over to one of our twin towns during their Arts Festival. No-one else seemed interested but I thought this was a great opportunity so enquired further. Soon I got an email saying that if I went, I would be Guest of Honour! Not only that but they would collect me from the ferry and drive me on the 90 min journey to Argentan in Normandy. Once there, I'd be accommodated by their Art Society members for ten days. The only downside was that I had to exhibit 25 pictures and they wanted details of them sent by email in just four days time!
Somehow I managed this and am currently framing and touching up all the pictures, ready to go in mid May. I'll keep you posted how I get on.

Follow me on Facebook!

2010-04-06T15:41:00.004+01:00

Did you know you can now join the Scooter McKenzie Cartooning Page on Facebook? Become a fan and I promise to (try to) supply a fresh cartoon every week for you to review. Be as nice or as nasty as you want - some of you need no encouragement! Currently I'm airing my new series called 'The View From The Shed' which shows life from the viewpoint of a man of a certain age - unsure whether to cling on to his youth or embrace mid-life and run (slowly) with it.

Here's a link:
www.facebook.com/pages/Scooter-McKenzies-cartoon-page/209086123936?ref=ts

Over 70 fans can't be wrong...

...can they?

New illustration to be shown at exhibition

2010-03-16T10:14:00.004Z

Abingdon Artists are holding their Spring Exhibition from Saturday 20th to 27th March at St. Ethelwold's House in East Saint Helen Street. Entry is from 10am to 5pm and it's free. I'm putting a couple of my Abingdon Angles pics in, one of which hasn't been exhibited before. It's a scene of St. Nicholas' Church as seen from the bottom of the Guildhall steps. As usual, it started off as a pen and ink illustration, before each individual drawn shape was pieced together and given a colour on screen. There will also be greetings cards featuring this image and others from my Abingdon Angles collection. Please come along.

Review:
The exhibition was a great success, thanks in no small part to the lovely venue. I did some stewarding on the Sunday and Thursday and was in attendance when a senior gentlemen leaned up close to one of my pictures and said "I like this one. I'm nearly blind, you know." A little while later, he and his wife had bought it! The first sale of the exhibition. I also sold around 18 greeting cards and took part in some enthusiastic networking at the private viewing so it was well worth it.

Need to use a cartoon to brighten up your work?

2010-03-04T11:48:00.004Z

I've attached a link to my stuff on Cartoonstock, the world's leading collection of stock cartoon images in the top right corner of the page. If you'd like to use an image, browse through and see what you find; there are topical cartoons on the latest stories as well as more general subjects. Hopefully you'll find something suitable.

Join me on Facebook

2010-02-27T17:47:00.002Z

Just to let you know, you can receive regular news, along with cartoons old and new at my new page on Facebook. Type 'Scooter McKenzie's cartoon page' into the search window on Facebook and join up. Membership is now hotting up as we passed the 50 mark earlier in February. I'll be posting any news and events, plus my latest topical cartoons as soon as they're finished. Join in with the Virtual Hellfire Club and add any comments (nice or otherwise) to my regular Friday cartoon. See you there.

Graphic novel - stop me and buy one

2010-01-27T16:36:00.006Z

My graphic novel is now available to buy directly from me. 'The puzzling cases of D. Cypher, Private Eye' is a 98 page puzzle book in the style of a 1950's detective novel. It contains over 120 original illustrations and six stories in which you can collect the clues and help Cypher solve the case. It's available at only £7.50 which includes p&p. Contact me at the email address on the right if you'd like a signed copy. It's also available at Mostly Books in Stert Street and Local Roots in East Saint Helen Street, both in Abingdon, Oxfordshire (price may vary).

In the presence of the Masters.

2010-01-04T11:16:00.005Z

I'm delighted to have some of my prints in Abingdon County Hall Museum's current exhibition. 'Art & Artists of Abingdon' runs from 16th January 2010 to 9th May and features artists ancient and modern from the area; I'll leave it to your discretion which category I fall into. My range of pictures feature iconic buildings in the town, alongside merchandise such as greetings cards and postcards. I've just been to see the exhibition and my work is being displayed in the same room as Turner and Constable! I knew it would happen one day, just not so soon!
Here's the webpage:

http://www.abingdonmuseum.org.uk/museumnext01.htm

Steampunk! An inspirational exhibition

2010-01-04T10:19:00.003Z

Happy New Year. In search of inspiration, I visited the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford yesterday to see its 'Steampunk' exhibition. What is Steampunk? It's difficult to explain but as I see it, it's the imagineering of new objects and machinery as if made by Victorian boffins. Confusing, yes but brilliantly mad. Each object is machined and manufactured by modern day artists in copper, mahogany and other materials typical of the age and show a vision of what Victorian i-pods, webcams and other devices may have looked like if the inventors of the time had been granted a brief glimpse into the future. It feels like a trip around a film set, perhaps 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' but also the whole thing fits perfectly with the genuine pieces of Victoriana in the museum. In fact, I took a close look at the items on several floors in the museum before eventually discovering the Steampunk section in the basement.

Merry Christmas to one and all!

2009-12-17T14:00:00.005Z

To everyone who has helped me in business this year, either as clients, with support or advice - a huge thank you and a Merry Christmas to you all.

Fully revised book

2009-12-17T11:26:00.003Z

I'm relieved and excited to say that the total revising of my book 'The puzzling cases of D. Cypher, Private Eye' is now complete. With the addition of story number five, this brings it to an eye-watering eighty pages, lovingly filled with funky illustrations and words.
Download it to read at lunchtime, it's only £2.99. Go on, what's stopping you?

http://www.lulu.com/content/download/the-puzzling-cases-of-d-cypher-private-eye/7423924

Funny in German

2009-12-11T10:12:00.003Z

World domination continues at a much slower pace than I'd first envisaged. Two publications in Taiwan have published my cartoons so that's the Far East sorted, now for Europe.

At a craft fair a few weeks ago, I spotted a lady reading the joke on one of my greetings cards and then reaching into her bag. She's going for her purse, I thought but I was wrong. She pulled out a small device with a screen and keypad and began typing, all the time glancing back at my cartoon. With one final click, she gazed expectantly at the screen and then began chuckling.
I caught her eye and asked 'Did you just translate that?'
"Yes" she said, "it's very funny."
'Which language?'
"German."
So never let it be said that our European friends lack a sense of humour.
Look out for my new German range of cartoons coming to a shop near you soon.*

*maybe

A gift for Garraway

2009-12-10T14:02:00.001Z

I just found out that the town council presented GMTV's Kate Garraway with one of my framed prints of Abingdon as a thank you for switching on the Christmas lights!

Bonfire Nightmare

2009-12-02T12:26:00.003Z

So I turn up at the venue (see previous post); a smart pub twenty five miles away, having got lost along the way. I locate the bonfire which I'll be doing my cartoony stuff next to and am told that the canopy that I was to be under has just blown away across the field.

My only alternative, apart from going home is to set up in the pub. At first this looks promising, the pub is full of families on this special night so I create a makeshift stand, erect the easel and start scribbling. Almost instantly, the pub empties. Nothing to do with the quality of my work (I hope), they've all made their way out to see the bonfire and fireworks.

Now I'm left with a handful of bored regulars who couldn't care less about having a cartoonist in the corner. One guy even rolls a fag on top of my merchandise and then puts his pint down on my stuff. I'm not happy.

I decide to wait to see if people pop back in after the festivities and while I'm drawing, a very drunk man wobbles over to my stand.
"So, why are you called Scooter?" he asks.
I give him the short answer: "Because I've got a scooter."
"Yeah? Well..." he slurs, "I've got an ensuite bathroom but, y'know?..."
and with that bit of wisdom dispensed, he wobbles back to the bar.

Bonfire Night scribbling

2009-11-02T10:01:00.002Z

This week I have a gig drawing cartoons at a Firework Event in Aston Rowant, near Chinnor. This is a result of applying for a stall at a craft fair being held at The Lambert Arms. Unfortunately I'd left it too late but the events manager suggested I come down and draw at their firework night. I thought it would be quite topical to do some Bonfire Night related cartoons and set to work thinking some up. Here's the first: I imagined that Guy, being the explosives expert might have damaged his hearing along the way so he's misheard another of the plotters and brought along a sunflower, some treacle and a bottle of pop.

My first all-day cartooning workshop

2009-10-30T10:46:00.002Z

Thanks to all at Henley's River & Rowing Museum for a lovely day. It all started pretty eventfully for me as I prepared to saddle up and ride my scooter the twenty or so miles from Abingdon, only to find my front tyre completely flat. My wife kindly gave me a lift to Oxford, from where I caught two buses and then ran the last quarter mile to arrive with one minute to spare. From there, it was all plain sailing (excuse the pun). The kids were great and really worked hard, from the youngest to the eldest. The staff at the museum are lovely, it seems a fun place to work. I hope they'll ask me back one day.

Fun In The Park!

2009-09-14T10:23:00.000+01:00

Thanks to everyone who came down to Abingdon's Fun In The Park event and visited my cartoon workshop, especially as I was listed at the bottom of the posters simply as: '...and lot's more!!!'
Charming!
Two and a half hours of scribbling and teaching was fun but exhausting - this was the first time I'd ever had to attract people to my demonstration which was competing with many other attractions for their attention. Luckily I had Claire on hand to man the merchandise stall and chat to the punters which helped no end.

Here's a link to some photos of the event:
http://www.abingdonblog.co.uk/

Go to the entry for Sunday 14th September.

I had interest from the Women's Institute for a workshop in the future so lets hope that comes off. A few of you know how much time I spend in the kitchen so I'd be tempted to do it for nothing to learn some of the culinary secrets of the famous W.I.

Big in Taiwan!

2009-09-02T17:20:00.005+01:00

You may remember I said I'd been accepted onto www.cartoonstock.com which supplies cartoons to publications, websites and individuals all over the world. Well it's taken a little while but I'm delighted to say that three of my images have been sold, one to an individual, one to Worcester Mental Health and the last to The Taipei Times. So if you were in Taiwan in July you may just have spotted a Scooter McKenzie cartoon in the paper. If you were wondering, it was the top one; perhaps a little tasteless but very topical.

Update: It seems Taiwan is going Scooter McKenzie crazy. I'm sure if I ever went there, I'd be revered as a god as now I've heard that not one, but two; yes TWO of my cartoons have been published over there.
Strangely both were cartoons that I thought weren't really up to the mark and almost didn't submit them but as I've learnt, somebody somewhere will appreciate them, even if that person is halfway around the world. The cartoon was based on the premise that elephants never forget (shown above).

My first book!

2009-08-03T14:31:00.001+01:00

Over the last few years I've been writing and illustrating a series of stories. First they were going to be a comic strip, and they still might be but in the meantime I've collected the first four and made them into a book.
It's called 'The puzzling cases of D. Cypher, Private Eye' and as the name suggests, the stories are full of puzzles that can be solved by the reader, helping them to catch the criminal. So that makes it a detective story/puzzle book/graphic novel.
Each story is fully illustrated; the book contains over 120 illustrations so it's been a real labour of love. Although it's available now in glossy paperback, I plan to add more stories and re-release it before Christmas to make it a real stocking filler.

In the meantime, the whole thing can be downloaded to read onscreen at the special price of just £3.50. I hope you like it.

UPDATE: I was interviewed about my book in September's Mensa Magazine by Editor Brian Page. I'd contacted him as I thought this might be the ideal place to plug a book full of puzzles. It also didn't hurt that I've been out drinking with Brian on several occasions and he's a very nice chap. So with my foot already in the door, Brian rang me up and asked a few questions. It's a process that sharpens the mind as you're aware that every word you utter could end up in print. I didn't have to worry though as the whole thing turned out very well. Let's see if it translates into sales.

Vote for my TEA-SHIRT design!

2009-07-22T14:48:00.001+01:00

I've submitted a design to the huge and influential Threadless teeshirt website. It's called 'Teashirt' and is a heartfelt tribute to everyone's favourite beverage. Please go and vote for it, then it might get printed, you might get to wear it and I might get rich. Everyone's a winner.

Teashirt: because everyone likes a nice cup of tea and a biscuit, don't they?

Update: although everyone may like a nice cup of tea and a biscuit, sadly not everyone likes my teeshirt design and voting finished early after a disappointing showing. Oh well, I can think of the perfect thing to cheer me up...

'Peter Bellingham Illustration' is now TWO YEARS OLD

2009-07-10T17:03:00.000+01:00

Images above:
• topical cartoons on www.cartoonstock.com
• a frame from my forthcoming graphic novel
• jumping the gun on the Jacko comeback gigs
• Clint on the cover of Steadycam newsletter

I’d like to say thanks to everyone who has used my services or given advice and support so far.
If only I had a celebration cake, I would share it with you all.
Of course that’s not strictly true, I always have a cake close to hand.
“Mmmm nyom nyom nyom... delicious.”

Two years in business has led to assignments I never dreamed of when I first started. I’ve mentioned a few of these previously but they include illustrations of:

• A knee implant being fitted
• Santa towing a self-storage unit across the sky
• A smiling zebra leaning over a wall
• Talking, walking medical infusion pumps
• An entire book on breastfeeding

In the past few months, the business has been mentioned on a couple of blogs, including a Q&A session with Catherine from Warrilow PR which you can read here:
http://warrilowpr.blogspot.com/2009/05/cartoon-workshops-for-all.html

I’ve joined the online digital networking revolution and got a presence on both LinkedIn and Twitter, although by the lack of ‘tweets’ I upload, there’s little chance of me becoming the new Stephen Fry.

You can find my work on various gallery sites on the web - the latest being:
http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/PeterBellingham

There’s this one too:
http://scootermckenzie.carbonmade.com/

Regular cover illustrations for movie newsletter Steadycam provide fresh, interesting images for my portfolio, including Clint Eastwood, Daniel Craig and Arthur C. Clarke.

The cartooning workshops continue to gain pace with a recent one for Steventon Beaver Scouts being a fun and hopefully educational evening. I also entertained a gathering from Mensa at a 4th of July American themed event by teaching them how to draw Bart Simpson, Fred Flintstone and other cartoon characters.

There have been more opportunities to work in front of an audience at local craft fairs where I’ve been selling greetings cards which are drawn ‘fresh today’. Everyone gets an original signed piece of art and can tell the recipients they watched it being drawn.

The latest change to my business has been being accepted to join www.cartoonstock.com
This is the world’s largest site for stock cartoon images and impressively, is in the top two thousand most visited websites in America and the top five thousand in the world. It’s too early yet to say if it’ll make me rich but I’m enjoying finding out. More importantly, it’s got me back in the groove of producing topical jokes about national and global issues. It’s interesting trying to to anticipate what will be big news in order to create topical and saleable cartoons. Sadly I jumped the gun with the cartoons I drew to mark Michael Jackson’s comeback tour.

I’m also extremely excited by the fact that my graphic novel is nearly completed. I’ve been working on it for over five years on and off and am planning to self publish sometime in late July or early August. There are four stories featuring a Private Eye who invites the reader to help crack each case by solving word puzzles dotted throughout the story. I’ll keep you posted when it’s ready.

Having clocked up around ten thousand miles on my (sometimes) trusty scooter getting to and from the studio, I can honestly say the last two years have been quite a ride.

Who knows what the future will bring but if it’s as interesting as the past twenty four months,
I say ‘Bring it on!’

Diet or fry it?

2009-04-21T11:22:00.000+01:00

Here are some examples from my latest range of cartoons, entitled 'Diet or Fry It?'
Our heroes always want to make the right choice in what they eat and drink but somehow the willpower is lacking. Besides, being happy is healthy and cake makes you happy. Also, wine has no calories because it is a liquid and not a food.

Work gallery update

2009-02-23T15:01:00.000Z

Here's a little gallery to show you the sort of things I've been working on in the last few months. It includes magazine covers, postcards and Christmas cards along with other images. Scroll down to see the major project I've been putting together to promote Abingdon and down further to see examples of earlier work.

Abingdon Angles - update

2008-09-01T09:36:00.000+01:00

The pictures below are available as high quality prints on heavy textured paper. Each is mounted, tastefully framed (frame size is roughly A4), numbered and signed. They can be purchased at the special online price of £40 each by emailing or phoning me.
Email: peterbellingham@postmaster.co.uk or telephone: 07900 681891.
Each picture is limited to just 200 reproductions.

Several pictures from the collection are also on show and for sale at 'Local Roots', a gorgeous shop in Abingdon town centre. The shop only sells goods produced within a thirty mile radius, which includes craft items, jewellery, art and even organic food from local farms. Local Roots is located at the top of historic East St. Helen Street, just behind the museum if you're standing in the square and not far from the delicious Patisserie Pascal. Go on, treat yourself.

Update 1 :
The picture of the flag flying on the roof of the museum has been purchased with the intention of presenting it to the Mayor of Abingdon, Virginia. A group of 44 members of Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society are travelling there, taking the picture as a gift from our town to theirs. (28 September 2008)

Update 2:
The picture of the Unicorn Theatre and passageway to Abingdon Abbey has been purchased by the Mayor of Abingdon to present to our twin town of Argentan. (16 April 2009)

Abingdon Angles

2008-08-27T12:00:00.000+01:00

Starting in September I'm putting up an exhibition of pictures featuring scenes from Abingdon. These will initially be part of Abingdon Artists Society's 'Artist of the Month' promotion and will go into two venues in town during the month of September. These venues are: Wells Stores at Peachcroft Farm Shop and the Dentists at 6 Bath Street. Whilst it's great to be offered free venues, these are not places that will generate a great deal of passing trade. Therefore, I've decided to continue the exhibition in various places throughout the town when September is over. These might include a pub and the town's most popular guest houses which will target my potential trade directly. Stay tuned for more details as they happen. Meanwhile, here's a sneak preview of the exhibition.

Work examples from my second six months in business

2008-07-03T12:46:00.000+01:00

Here are a few examples of work, almost all of which are hand-drawn first and then converted to vector graphics for colouring up. The exception to this is the final piece, a wedding invitation created in pens and markers.

New year - new challenges

2008-02-01T14:18:00.000Z

Six months have flown by and with the new year here, it's time to set myself some challenges. What would I love to do in 2008?
* Have a range of greetings cards in the shops.
* Get a regular cartoon slot in a weekly or monthly publication.
* Illustrate a children's book.
* That'll do for starters.

Greetings cards: Having approached a small local company and been brushed casually aside, I learnt to do my homework before seeing anyone else. Now I have a themed range of cartoons ready to show to a publisher. Next step is to target the right ones. The GCA website (Greeting Card Association) is a good place to start. It's time to start sending some work out.

Regular cartoon slot: Over the past few years I've been frantically scribbling away at ideas for cartoons and comic strips. Hopefully this will prove rewarding when I pitch one of them to local publishers. I've got a range of Oxford based cartoons, a detective story and the range which I'm also pitching to greeting card companies so all I need to do is put them together in a portfolio and target my publishers carefully.

Children's book: I'm already working with someone who has an idea for a children's book character. I've put together some sketches showing the character from all angles and in action situations and the people I'm working with are enthusiastic and planning for world domination!

My other idea on this subject stems from seeing a book by Harry Hill. 'The further adventures of the Queen Mum' sees the dear old QM going up to heaven where God calls her over for a chat. He says her work on Earth is not yet done and sends her back to be a crime-fighter from beyond the grave! Maybe only Harry Hill can get away with having a hope of seeing stories like this in print but I think I know someone who could write something that children would love. If nothing else, it's an excuse to get together in a pub and having a laugh whilst telling everyone we're doing some serious work.

Wedding cakes, Christmas cakes and cat litter

2007-11-02T16:47:00.000Z

Four months on and the range of work I've been given has taken me by surprise. The publishers asked for illustrations for the book 'Household Tips'. The deadline was tight but everything got finished and sent to China on time. Part of the problem was that instead of drawing, I was reading the entire book. How to get oil off your drive (sprinkle cat litter on it)and how to remove stains in your toilet bowl (pour cola into it).

The 'birthday we do not mention' came along; I even baked a cake and drew a cartoon on the top to distract people from the poor quality of the baking. This backfired when I was asked, quite seriously as it turns out, to make and decorate someone's wedding cake!

I've just sent my second Christmas card illustration job to the printers so by 2008 I should have a nice little portfolio of them. Coming up with a festive angle for each client is fun. I've done one for a storage company and another for an accountant.

In between assignments I've been continuing to create new merchandise for my online shop at http://www.spice.co.uk/scooter_mckenzie
The latest range is called 'Fry it or diet?' and features a little round character who answers that question the same way every time. Can't think who I might have based him on!

Two months on - books, birthdays and bulges.

2007-09-13T15:07:00.000+01:00

It's September 07 and after an initial flurry of jobs, now comes the time to go out and actually chase some work. The series of books that I was illustrating blossomed from two to six and kept me busy for a number of weeks. These were on wildly varying subjects; everything from 'Horse and Pony Care' to 'Barbeques' and 'Freelance Writing.' It was a great experience working with a publisher and I'm told there's another series of books to come in 2008.
After this, work slowed up and so I entered the world of networking. This involves going to meetings full of business people to whom you attempt to sell your wares. It's scary stuff but it works. At my very first one, I got a commission for a portrait and at my second I got a company Christmas card job and a series of illustrations for an import/export website.
The other thing I've been working on is promotion for my birthday party. After hiring a room, I was asked how I planned to decorate the tables. Well why not a few cartoons on the theme of reaching the dreaded age that we do not mention? Above is one of twelve which will hang suspended from large helium balloons. That's if it's not too heavy; if it is I'll just have to draw the cake a little smaller.

One month on - a flood of work

2007-08-02T17:24:00.000+01:00

It's been one month since I became a freelance illustrator and designer. What's changed? Everything.
I'd always wanted to see my illustrations in books and in the past month I've illustrated two books which are now being sent to China to be printed. Deadlines were tight and things weren't helped by the fact that our house came close to flooding this month. We escaped without damage to the house but it was close. The nearest house to be wrecked by floodwater was just four doors away.

Another big change in my life was getting my scooter. The Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) was stressful but I passed, despite getting lost when I was taken out on the road for the first time!

Within two weeks of getting the bike I set off for Rugby for a freelance commission - teaching cartooning at a social function. Whilst the seminar itself went well, the journey there and back was a nightmare. I rode for 4 hours each way when it should have taken 2 at most because I got lost in every town I rode through. Never again.

For the cartooning seminar, I drew a special cartoon and uploaded it to a merchandising site. The event was put on by the East Midlands regional branch of Mensa UK, the high I.Q. society. The cartoon was called 'The Society of Evil Geniuses - East Midlands Division' and they seemed to like it as it is now selling on t-shirts and bags.

Two days left until I become a freelancer

2007-06-27T12:28:00.000+01:00

On this blog you'll find all the latest news on my work, my new designs and details of various off-shoots and sidelines.

Firstly, here's my online gallery:
http://www.peterbellinghamillustration.co.uk
which went live just over a week ago and I'm very proud of it.

The other important website to mention at the moment is:
http://www.spice.co.uk/scooter_McKenzie

which contains a selection of merchandise featuring my cartoons. There are t-shirts, mousemats and linen carrier bags (very green and eco friendly). There are plans for many more designs in the future too.
In an effort to publicise them I sent the image above to 'Beers of the World' magazine
telling them that a professor had invented a lager with all your daily vitamins and nutrients in it and gave a link to the teeshirt website.

The next day the Editor wrote back:
"Thanks for getting in touch. I love the inventive marketing technique and
can probably find room for this in the magazine."

So it pays to be cheeky. Cheers!