My first watercolour painting in 4 months, based upon the same visual style of my only previous curling portrait (Eve Muirhead, completed very nearly 2 years ago).
I'm not completely happy with the finished outcome here, but thought I'd share it anyway, saying as I've done so little real painting this year.
I like the graphic style, and the colour scheme works okay (certainly better than it was half-way through), but the portraiture of the face is just too graphic/simple for my liking.
I think a bit more realism in the face is all that it needs to greatly enhance the overall image: But considering how little portraiture I've done recently, I can't complain.
Mario Brothers & Gang: AKA Cammy Smith, Robert Fawns, Duncan Menzies.
On Friday 3 August I visited The Peak, at Stirling Sports Village, for the annual Summer Skins curling competition - a very colourful out-of-season event that attracts curlers from both Scotland and abroad, of all ages & abilities: Beginners, club curlers, national champions, European champions, World Junior champions, etc!
Reigning European Women's Champions: Anna Sloan & Vicki Adams.
This was my second year at the event.
In 2011 I had finished my first season as an Ice Technician at Kinross Curling Rink, and so went along to the Summer Skins to see curling in a different format, and to film it for promotional purposes.
Having enjoyed it so much last year, I returned this summer to both film & photograph the event. It perhaps wasn't quite as colourful, but there were a fair few crazy characters: The Mario Brothers, Baywatch cast, Indiana Jones, Shaun The Sheep, Little Bo Peep, and a whole lot more, all made appearances on the ice!
Sheep & Bo Peeps: Chay Telfer, Mhairi Anderson, Claire Sloan, Graham Sheddon.
My photos have been online for just over 3 weeks now, and attracted a good number of new likes to my facebook page, which is greatly appreciated.
Not sure if that's Hammy McMillan Jr or Pamela Anderson.
Last night I finished editing the video footage, which is embedded below. It's double the duration of the previous video, but takes a completely different format, which I feel warrants the extra time. For example all of the "best-dressed" characters/teams each get their own segment, with related theme songs, which equates to roughly half the video; with the second half of the video being a compilation of everyone else, much like the 2011 video.
And while I'm talking about curling...
The new curling season will be getting under way soon. It is a very inclusive sport, suitable for everyone - yes, EVERYONE - and as well as being great for your general fitness, can be as fun or as serious as you want it to be.
So if you are interested in taking-up curling as a new hobby, or just fancy having a little shot, now is your chance!
Ice rinks across Scotland will be hosting free Try Curling sessions, which are designed to give non-curlers a perfect introduction to the sport with qualified coaches, and none of the pressures that you may face by jumping-in at the deep end with experienced club curlers straight away.
Sorry for the wee sales pitch there! But as I've been posting a lot of curling-related artworks over the past year or two, I thought I'd mention it just incase I've sparked your interest in the sport.
Last night, ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Men's Singles Tennis Final that is just about to get underway (Andy Murray vs Roger Federer), I decided to give my previous Wimbledon cartoon a special make-over.
Instead of wearing his Wimbledon whites, I've painted Murray into his blue Team GB Olympic tennis outfit, and altered Salmond's caption.
Just 28 days ago, Andy Murray had the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders, when he attempted to become Britain's first Wimbledon male singles champion in over 70 years by defeating none other than Roger Federer.
On that occasion it ended in heartbreak, but the emotions shown on court had won-over the admiration of many sceptic British tennis fans.
This afternoon is a near-identical rematch of that Wimbledon final: Same venue, same players, same hopes... The only difference being the awards to pick up at the end of the match.
Today, Andy Murray is already guaranteed at least an Olympic Silver medal (in both the Men's Singles & the Mixed Doubles with Laura Robson), but he will definitely be aiming for Gold in order to add to the impressive number of London 2012 gold medals already won by Scottish stars!
Here's a wee cartoon I drew yesterday, in response to the outcome of the 2012 Wimbledon Men's Singles final between Andy Murray and Roger Federer.
Andy Murray, from Dunblane (Scotland), was playing in his fourth Grand Slam final; and the first Wimbledon final to feature a British man for 74 years.
His opponent, Roger Federer, from Basel (Switzerland), was aiming for a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title, and his 17th Grand Slam title overall.
In reaching this stage of the tournament, Murray ensured himself, temporarily at least, a legion of new fans from across the United Kingdom - no easy achievement considering previous misunderstandings between the Scot and some British tennis fans south of the border.
But his outpouring of emotion during the prize-giving ceremony may just have endeared some of those ambivalent fans to him on a more permanent basis.
It was this situation that inspired the cartoon: Britain has been waiting several generations for a new home-grown Wimbledon champion, and in the build-up to Sunday's final, it seemed we were on the verge of finally getting him.
But having just collected his fourth Grand Slam runners-up trophy, British tennis fans will be waiting until the summer of 2013 before they can hope to see Murray go all the way again, and if he fails, the wait will go on until 2014.
However...
With Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party (SNP) desperate for Scotland to gain its independence from the rest of Great Britain (a referendum is likely to take place in 2014); and with Britain having no other male tennis players ready to make a strong challenge for the Wimbledon singles title any time soon: Britain is running out of time to end its championship-winning draught.
If Murray doesn't win the Wimbledon title as a British player within the next two or three years, there is a chance that he could win it further down the line - when Scotland is an independent nation and Murray is no longer considered a British player.
With that possibility, how easily would Scotland be granted its independence?
