Sketchboard artworks

Can art be scary?

2012-01-07T09:01:00.005Z

...Because it certainly made me nervous when i did this.

Focus

2011-11-26T14:53:00.005Z

I agree with my friend Rich. When your a young kid, a skateboard is a precious thing that has to last you as long as possible. There was no way my parents were gonna fork out for a deck when they thought it was a waste of money to begin with.
Basically, if you focus boards, your a spoilt prick.

The Animals and Children Took to the Streets

2011-11-06T21:08:00.004Z

Just got back from seeing the excellent 19-27 production of 'The animals and children took to the streets'
Set in a desolate tenement building, the play follows the bitter struggles of a handful of characters as they cross paths in a world of juvenile delinquency, prostitution and shattered dreams. The downtrodden caretaker counting his pennies for a one-way ticket out of his bleak world provides many of the laughs, and as always the combination of animation and performance is amazing. Paul Barritt and Suzanne Andrade are both very talented.
You can catch the show til the 12th november at the Bristol old Vic, then til January at the National theatre London.

The Animals and the Children took the Streets, Trailer.

www.19-27.co.uk

vintage ride

2011-10-31T21:12:00.004Z

A vintage vehicle is a beautiful thing.

Bristol bridge banks

2011-09-22T09:07:00.001+01:00

Greenman 2011

2011-08-22T21:28:00.007+01:00

Just got back from the glorious Greenman festival in wales, where amongst all the visual splendour on offer I added my own touch of nonsense by plastering skurfboard stickers everywhere I could. signs, chairs, pub bars, beer barrels, andyloo toilets (every visit), more signs, fence posts, and bins all got sticker bombed.
Thank you Greenman for a wonderful weekend, and my appologies go out to whoever has to clean the 3rd toilet from the left by the perimeter fence. No, the god awful mess in the pan wasn't my doing, but I put a fek load of stickers in that one, and i'm not sure someone can hold their breath for that long whilst picking them all off.

The 'Cornish pasty open'

2011-07-06T10:54:00.002+01:00

The boatman

2011-06-20T10:04:00.001+01:00

Standing stonethings

2011-05-29T21:15:00.001+01:00

Summertime in England.

2011-05-20T21:12:00.002+01:00

Wheal Busy evening

2011-05-10T21:37:00.001+01:00

100 Temple Street

2011-05-03T21:56:00.004+01:00

from an original picture by Smiffy

2011-04-27T21:33:00.000+01:00

lloyds

2011-04-05T21:06:00.001+01:00

Skateboarding flamingo

2011-03-15T20:06:00.001Z

under the cover of trees

2011-02-27T20:57:00.003Z

2011-02-20T21:17:00.000Z

The old railway line (3 & 4)

2011-02-01T20:28:00.004Z

(top) Buried sleepers
(bottom) The viaduct.

The old railway line (2)

2011-01-30T20:23:00.003Z

With the track long gone...

The 10 commandments...

2011-01-24T22:46:00.004Z

There is a new addition to the carpark at Godrevy this year, in the form of an ancient tablet inscribed by the National Trust, educating us mere mortals on the correct decorum in the water.
'The Ten Commandments' is a nice gesture by the Trust to go to the effort of compiling this list of rules (or guidelines) in the first place. Its clearly aimed at people new to surfing who may not be aware of these things, all I know is there is now no excuse for those wrong doers, as its now set in stone!!
its also cleary aimed at dwarfs as the sign is on the floor, so you have to kneel down in dog shit to read it.
The commandments read as follows:
Rights of way (1 to 3)
1) furthest out or waiting the longest.
2) furthest inside (eh?) or closest to the peak.
3) first to feet or first up on the wave.
courtesy (4 to 6)
4) communicate, call left or right.
5)please do not drop in..
6)...or snake.
safety (7 to 9)
7) paddle wide away from surfers.
8) caught inside, stay in the whitewater, do not paddle into the path of riders.
9) for your own safety & that of others, do not throw away boards.
and finally...
10) respect the beauty of natures playground, and give the same respect to those who share it.

Amen.

In the post...

2011-01-16T22:00:00.005Z

...arrived this collection of original sticker art from piKerUsT...legend.
Thanks mate.

find...

2011-01-16T21:57:00.002Z

not mine, but funny, so deserved a post...

New Graphics

2010-12-21T20:32:00.008Z

New board graphics designed by me for Flavour skateshop are available now.
I designed a wheel graphic too for the shops 15 year anniversary.
The designs were based on the traditional Cornish arms (but mixed up a bit) wheres the chough? not on these arms. Its a seagull sat on some chips instead...

Moving hands

2010-12-14T20:24:00.003Z

anyone for stickers?

2010-10-14T09:16:00.007+01:00

If you want some free stickers of my 'skurfboard' logo sent to you via the good old fashioned postal service, e-mail your address to: john@sketchboard.co.uk

hay bail

2010-10-06T15:32:00.003+01:00

Tail tap

2010-09-29T15:34:00.002+01:00

Seadog fin

2010-09-08T11:09:00.002+01:00

Blue suit bombers!!

2010-08-18T20:09:00.004+01:00

My attention has just been drawn to this incredible video of Patrick Rizzo and Noah Sakamoto haulin' ass like you wouldn't believe on a crazy downhill run. If the fear of speed wobble wasn't enough, they keep swapping the camera to each other and the road is still open to oncoming traffic!
Downhill videos are two a penny, but this one is a gem.
Enjoy.

Yes, it is nice in the surf. But...

2010-08-09T21:45:00.001+01:00

(original WWII Australian recruitment poster)

Reasons to go camping

2010-07-11T22:51:00.002+01:00

Reasons to go camping by Mathew De Abaitua.

It provides relief from the screens that surround you.
Gaze into the fire. It will change you.
It comes with low expectations, and so spares you the rage when your expectations fall short of the reality.
It is a negotiation between yourself and the environment. You can neither perfect nor control it.
It gets your children out of the house and into nature.
Nature is where children learn to take risks and where those risks have consequences, unlike computer games.
It opens you to a life with less stuff.
It puts you in a place where preparation is more important to well-being than money.
You discover the land and its moods.
You learn how to train and use fire, and so control the element required for survival.
You negotiate with your enemies; the rain, the mud, and the cold, cold ground.
You realise you are neither helpless nor in command.
It punishes greed.
It confronts you with waste.
It takes you out of domestic comfort.
It is a break from people trying to sell you stuff.

I-path is heading your way

2010-07-09T23:26:00.002+01:00

Buy Moss a pasty when you see him.

Redgate beach

2010-06-30T22:17:00.008+01:00

Anstey's Cove (otherwise known as Redgate beach) is one of the most breathtaking beaches I have seen in the UK, and is now completely inaccessible to the public.
Situated between Babbacombe and Torquay on the south Devon coast, it became a tourist trap for the Victorians, who incorporated the beach within an extensive coastal walk, as well as bathed in its perfect turquoise waters.
Throughout the last century development took place on the site, erecting facilities for beach goers and so on. But as recently as the last decade all but the foundations of these buildings now remain as they were destroyed, along with the wooden boardwalk from Anstey's cove.
Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust had the difficult job of declaring the beach unsafe for public use due to increased rockfall from the cliffs behind.
However, the absence of people and buildings has given the cove back to nature.
There is a definite peace there, it truly is a very special place, that for the time being at least, remains closed to anything but wildlife.

Above: picture taken 1970s (note the wooden boardwalk linking to the beach)

Above: pictures taken looking over the railings to where the boardwalk once was.

The robots have landed.

2010-06-18T22:08:00.002+01:00

vintage fairground art

2010-06-04T08:50:00.003+01:00

Paignton Pier

2010-05-26T19:55:00.002+01:00

No3 'stop'

2010-05-07T09:43:00.001+01:00

The old railway line...

2010-04-29T21:12:00.004+01:00

...used to be here, but now its long gone, along with the old iron bridge.

wax on, wax off...

2010-04-27T22:44:00.003+01:00

2010-04-18T20:03:00.000+01:00

Make your own

2010-04-12T22:55:00.004+01:00

A young grom brought this monster of a homemade set-up into the store today and earned much praise for his efforts.
Bodging together your own ride is unfortunately in these disposable times, a rarity.
The average skate kid these days wouldn't have the knowhow or initiative to put a board like this together, instead they'll just come storming in the shop with their mums credit card and demand the latest graphic by johnny dicksplash.
So if you see the young visionary out on this board getting his DIY rad on, give him a shout, because building shit is the new shit.

Desillusion Mag

2010-04-05T20:14:00.002+01:00

Desillusion Magazine april issue.

Wood house

2010-03-30T21:03:00.002+01:00

Deckades

2010-03-28T14:02:00.002+01:00

April 17th is a date to add to your calender, as the beginning of the 'Deckades' skateboard exhibition at the Howies store, bristol.
The gallery consists of board graphics from across the last three decades, for this one off show running for only one month.
There will exclusively be new artwork from Jim Phillips, Pete Fowler, Geoff McFetridge, French and Kev Grey. As well as well as Jago, China Mike, Gav Strange and a host of others who have kindly donated a board each to be auctioned for UNICEF.
Miss this at your peril.

In less than a week...

2010-03-25T21:02:00.004Z

...The clocks go forward, and if you've got any life left in you from working for the man, you'll get outdoors and get busy.

Cycle Zombies

2010-03-25T20:37:00.006Z

I'm a big fan of the Cycle Zombies, so i'm more than stoked that they chose to post one of my scribbles up on there blog
Thanks guys.

No2

2010-03-21T21:37:00.002Z

"Kapow"

No1

2010-03-12T20:23:00.002Z

The evolution of musical listening pleasure

2010-03-07T21:14:00.003Z

Brings us somehow to this point.

Beautiful losers

2010-02-28T20:05:00.000Z

Beautiful losers film trailer from PR1ZM on Vimeo.

Henge (also)

2010-02-21T19:41:00.005Z

Published here in response to Mr Smiths jawdropping picture of Stonehenge seen here.
As the pre-historic people of these isles would have said:
"well thats the scaffolding up..."

Dont miss a thing this summer.

2010-02-14T20:19:00.002Z

alternative cutlery

2010-02-04T19:10:00.001Z

Its all a ride...

2010-01-27T19:58:00.003Z

...In whatever form, so ride something today.

Macho tail drop trailer

2010-01-19T20:34:00.003Z

In the true spirit of skateboard cult movies that include 'Thrashin' and 'Gleaming the cube' that seem to come around once every decade, this years offering arrives in the form of 'Macho tail drop'. With pro appearances including Rick Mccrank and John Rattray this should be well worth a look.
Films don't always need a plot/acting do they?
Can't wait for this one...

Sketchbook ramp obsession

2010-01-15T20:06:00.008Z

I found a couple of old sketchbooks that I used to scribble down ramp and transition designs when I thought of them.
They are literally cover to cover full of drawings and descriptions of ramp and pool designs from a period when I clearly could think of nothing else!
Of course much of it is utter toss that would be unskateable to anyone, but looking back through these books I've found a few gems that could work out real good.

What goes on in my head...I have no idea.
Here's a small example of what can be found on the pages within.

The Kindling family

2010-01-05T20:57:00.006Z

New years resolutions

2009-12-30T21:25:00.003Z

This year instead of compiling a list of specifics that usually begin with 'I will..'
I thought I would encourage myself in the right direction with a list of 'less' and 'more' new years resolutions.

2009-12-18T21:39:00.007Z

If you can snowboard to the beach...

2009-12-14T12:18:00.005Z

...No, I don't think i'll be going in the water.

Near the Dalvik mountains, Iceland.
Photo: Gosta Fries

How to make 15 guitars for your childrens school play

2009-12-07T21:05:00.009Z

First of all grab some thick card suitable for the job, draw your guitar shaped outline on them, and then with a bloody big knife cut them out thus:

Then you'll be needing lots of paint, so you best be getting under the stairs to find that old tin you once painted the hallway with.
Mix it with some more paint like you know what your doing, and not at all like your making this up as you go along:

Then several (what seems like thousands) of hours later you will have a collection of cardboard guitars:

At this point you may question what on earth your childrens school would want with fifteen guitars for a christmas nativity play.
I'm fairly sure that in the nativity at my school the three wise men weren't a travelling band, and even if they were, who's gonna use the other twelve? Maybe its set in rural Ireland this year, and their holding out for a folk jam session when they eventually get to the stables.

I was further confused when they asked me to produce 16 horses heads.
Not fifteen, but sixteen.

This could only mean that not only must this be some kind of spaghetti western, but one of the cowboys is allergic to playing guitar.
So here's my collection of horses heads:

I can't wait to see this play. It sounds mental.

Cornishman crosses the Tamar!

2009-12-02T10:59:00.004Z

Newquay bred ripper Adam Moss has relocated to the big smoke for the winter months, sofa surfing at the death house. Good on yer young man.
Here he is shredding the gnar at stockwell.

CJ photo

e-bay tee's

2009-11-29T19:59:00.008Z

This is your last chance to purchase the bolekta t-shirt design I did for Ekta skateboards, as Big G has put the last remaining stock on e-bay along with the other t-shirts by French and Travis Millard.
link here!

Four circles

2009-11-21T19:48:00.004Z

That's brilliant! (I wish I thought of it)

2009-11-17T20:18:00.005Z

unfortunately its not one of mine (its far too good) Damn, I wish I thought of that...

#5

2009-11-15T19:50:00.005Z

Aha, I see...
Make art not war? art or die? no, that all sounds a bit lame.
'Take aim' I think...

#4

2009-11-14T19:00:00.003Z

Oh, hang on a minute...

#3

2009-11-13T20:08:00.004Z

Yep, thats definitively a brush on a stick, with a canvas on an easel.

#2

2009-11-12T20:03:00.003Z

Brush on a stick and a canvas.

#1

2009-11-11T21:19:00.004Z

Its a brush on a stick...

What can you see at work...

2009-11-09T21:32:00.005Z

Because I can see this...

Of course its not all gravy, as its bloody freezing there too. but still, the views nice.

I love stickers

2009-11-03T21:29:00.003Z

hanging five

2009-11-01T10:44:00.005Z

Just got my copy of the film 'Hanging five' with features on Andy Davis, Alex knost, Julie Goldstein, wolfgang Bloch and Tyler Warren.
Watch, then draw a line somewhere.
Trailer here...

Samhain

2009-10-31T19:48:00.006Z

Halloween as we know it today derives from the ancient celtic festival once called Samhain. It would have originally been one of four major celtic festivals, with Samhain being a feast and fire festival marking the season change into winter, and the begining of the celtic year.
It was believed that the at this time of year the division between our world and that of the 'otherworld' was at its most tenuous, which is the suggested link with ghouls and witches that still remains with halloween today.
This is my fire...

And we went for it this year with doorstep pumpkins too...

Happy halloween/samhain!

Skips ditch, Romford drawing

2009-10-20T20:37:00.008+01:00

2009-10-15T19:55:00.004+01:00

I think my kit needs a sort out.

2009-10-14T20:41:00.003+01:00

Surely thats a tad harsh.

Wires drawing

2009-10-07T21:15:00.005+01:00

Wes rips

2009-10-07T12:08:00.005+01:00

My friend Wes of rock solid distribution, hucking one over a ghetto built bank to bank.

dreaming...

2009-10-06T21:12:00.002+01:00

The blue meanie

2009-10-02T20:20:00.002+01:00

Some more of my failed attempts at Goldsworthy sculpture

2009-09-29T10:47:00.006+01:00

Gwithian

2009-09-25T09:34:00.009+01:00

last night. Bit choppy, but still worth it.

If you grip a lot of skateboards...

2009-09-20T20:53:00.002+01:00

...This is what your file will look like.

The ten worst album covers of all time.

2009-09-18T20:42:00.012+01:00

Kassia Meador

2009-09-16T20:04:00.004+01:00

I just can't help but stare at this picture, everything about it is just...perfect.
Perfect poise, perfect wave, and of course, perfect Kassia...

Winter trees

2009-09-11T20:51:00.003+01:00

New work.

Plus one magazine

2009-09-02T22:08:00.005+01:00

If you haven't had the pleasure of flicking through the very excellent +1 magazine, their latest issue will be your only and last chance. After 14 issues of the skate/art/music mag the plug has been pulled, which comes as a cruel blow to anybody (including myself) who saw it as the golden child from 'Document magazine's closure.
If it was in fact the same people behind the shutting down of both magazines, they should be ashamed of themselves, and go and stand in the corner facing the wall.
+1 was a shining light of new art combined with great Sam Ashley photography, as well as introducing the world to new books and obscure bands.
I am waiting my issue to arrive any day now from those lovely people at fusshop.co.uk
get hold of a copy before they are history.

Bens project

2009-08-25T20:44:00.003+01:00

This is young Ben Jackson who, for a school project chose to duplicate a piece of my art. (Bens sketchbook on the right)
Bless.
Not only does Ben (like all teenage boys) have hormones coming out of his ears and feet growing a shoe size every week, he also cleeearly recognises good art when he sees it. (ahem)

What did you do last night?

2009-08-19T21:38:00.003+01:00

Matt, very much enjoying, not watching television.

When I thought I was Andy Goldsworthy...

2009-08-11T21:00:00.008+01:00

I found these old photographs from my old art college days. I clearly thought I was the next Andy Goldsworthy.Oh how wrong could I be...
There is only one Mr Goldsworthy of course. A lot of people (myself included) adore and follow his work.
If you don't know, you really should. Look him up. (In a library).

weapon of choice

2009-08-04T21:17:00.003+01:00

The current artistic weapon of choice is this little fella.
It takes a long time to carve away, but very therapeutic.

Port Elliot festival

2009-07-27T21:15:00.005+01:00

Check the double decker caravan complete with veranda!

I went to the Port Elliot festival this weekend with my good friend Katie.
Some of the stuff we saw included British Sea Power, The magic Numbers and the Lovely Kathryn Williams, who we had a nice chat with afterwards.
Everybody needs to have some of Kathryns music in their house, here's a little sample for you until you go out and bloody buy some.

Simo sketchbook.

2009-07-23T09:56:00.002+01:00

This is a page from Simo's (simon luxton) sketchbook, (kindly held up by young Mr Watts).
I've seen artwork in exhibitions that doesn't meet this standard, and this is in Simons sketchbook!
Keep up the good work Simo. I'm humbled.

In todays post

2009-07-16T23:20:00.003+01:00

This came in todays post (oh how I love Amazon) and to say I was excited would be putting it mildly, I nearly had a wee.
You can rightly assume that this little beauty will be the soundtrack to me drawing for the rest of the year.

New works in progress

2009-07-10T21:58:00.003+01:00

A detail of some new works in progress at the moment.

"Can you tell what it is yet?" - Rolf Harris

Found

2009-07-07T22:29:00.003+01:00

I found this on the beach in Penzance,

whoever is responsible is a genius. (I have my suspicions who it may have been)

Pebbles can smile.

2009-06-11T21:36:00.002+01:00

Online feature.

2009-05-15T20:38:00.000+01:00

I have an artists feature running for this month, on a music/art/review website called monkeyboxing.com.
Go take a peep. You will find it at:
http://www.monkeyboxing.com/content/may-09-john-dimery

Nice.

Newquay game of skate 2009

2009-05-15T19:51:00.001+01:00

Last saturday was the newquay game of skate comp. organised by Cyrus and Christian, with me as the referee! It was a lovely dry windless sunny day, and here are some shots I took of the contest. Well done Cyrus, thanks for the invite. And well done Moss for bagging the winnings.