...nature meets architecture...

Commencing the selection of possible subjects to draw for next year's forthcoming Ely & Downham Market 2015 Calendar - opening my reference file of photos I'd taken on numerous visits to Ely seemed a good place to start.

Start being the operative word. It turned out that I had a plethora of Ely images from historical architecture, waterways, narrowboats, sculpture, fauna and flora. 

I also had a huge selection of photos taken at the previous year's Eel Day celebrations. Ely being the multi faceted place that it is offered an almost inexhaustible mine of fabulous and inspiring subjects to draw and paint.

Having already drawn, well - part of Ely Cathedral, and recently completed a drawing of Cromwell's House that I began several years ago, I started the new project with the Remembrance Arch...

Ely's wonderful Remembrance Arch opposite the market Square.

What really appealed to me, apart from the many architectural features such as the gridlike arrangement of paving stones, the wrought iron railings, the classical design of the arch flanked by regimented brickwork and random stones - was the fabulous contrast of the trees behind the wall striking a beautiful organic counterpoint to the solid ordered arrangement below.

When the drawing had been virtually completed bar the trees, having spent a good deal of time on the drawing - I was in two minds whether to go ahead and draw in the trees, or leave them out entirely - who would know?

I had to remind myself that the main reason I chose to draw the Remembrance Arch was the appearance of the trees above the arch below.

Handwritten script on the stone tablets.

 OK - having left the script on the tablets within the arch till the very last minute - after I'd lettered all the books and posters in shopfront window of the 'Toppings & Company Bookshop' illustration, I felt confident enough to attempt to letter names on the stone tablets within the arch itself.

I hope you're as pleased with the finished artwork as I am.



Andy.

...not quite meeting merry Marvel's mutant master of magnetism!...

...or the return of Blog Master General...

What a surprise when I arrived at Ely Cathedral for my 'photo shoot' with the Ely Weekly News, to see what for all intents and purposes was a veritable army of bright white transits, vans and box wagons occupying the entire green beside the entrance to the cathedral. 

I'm a modest chap, but this was really pushing the narrowboat out. Clearly the Ely Weekly News conducts itself with style and panache - and perhaps in this instance uses an elephant gun where a flyswatter would do.

And me buzzing with just two easels, five pieces of original artwork, and a handful of this years calendars - gulp. 

Pen & Ink illustrations of the titanic Toppings & Company
bookshop and the memorable Ely Remembrance Arch.

All was revealed when photographer Keith appeared amongst the hubbub and explained that preparations were underway for the filming of Macbeth in the Cathedral. As we were joined by various Cathedral personnel, it came to light that filming might indeed take place this afternoon, featuring none other than the X-Men's magnificent Master of Magnetism - the man you love to hate - the Mighty Magneto!

Or back in the real world - the one and only Michael Fassbender!

Aka Lt. Archie Hiscox in Inglorious Basterds, David in Prometheus, and more recently Edwin Epp's in 12 Year's a Slave. In this Macbeth remake, Fassbender appears in the leading role alongside Lady Macbeth played by Marion Cotillard.

Original artwork for the Ely Remembrance Arch and this year's Downham Market & King's Lynn 2014 Calendar featuring the wonderful Victorian facade of the King's Lynn Corn Exchange.

Anyway, back in the other real world I posed, cameras clicked and lights flashed! My digital self was on it's way to the  newspaper office, and subsequently all print and virtual points beyond. 

All I had to do now was return to my studio and get on with the production of the remaining Ely and Downham Market drawings to complete the forthcoming Ely & Downham Market 2015 Calendar.

Five or six more pen & ink drawings and watercolour illustrations? Since I'm planning for a July printing - if not sooner - drawing board, here I come!

Preliminary cover design spotlighting a festive mist-laden Ely Cathedral.
Pen & Ink and Watercolour.

With the sale of the Downham Market 2013 Calendar I raised money for a handful of local charities, and sales of this year's Downham Market & King's Lynn Calendar have raised 50p per sale for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The forthcoming Ely & Downham Market 2015 Calendar will see money donated evenly toward the reinstatement of it's sails to Denver Windmill, and toward the continual upkeep of Ely Cathedral.

Please help us. By purchasing a calendar which will accompany you through next year with pen & ink and watercolour illustrations of local landmarks and points of interest, you will also support these worthy causes.

Updates and previews of the calendar artwork will be available on my blog and also the AndyScordellisArt facebook page.

As the weather becomes warmer I'll be in Ely and Downham, easel and drawing board in hand producing additional drawings for the calendar, and associated cards and prints.  Please feel free to come over and say 'Hi' and see what I'm up to.

Arch - villain Magneto as he first appeared in 1963
by Jack Kirby and the multi talented Sol Brodsky.

...the return of Blog Master General!...

Well, after I'd been away for so many months, I thought I'd better bring along a colourful half bakers dozen of superheroes and villains to help me on my way.

Apologies for the prolonged absence, and with the production of the Ely/Downham Calendar, and generally catching up with posts for work and projects I missed since my last post and this one - I expect the blog to be cooking on all V12 cylinders!

Andy.