January 2018

LoNot really sure how to begin talking about this month. I really wanted to say that 2018 got off to a great start, but for me personally, this past month has been canny rough to say the least.
Me and my wife had some upsetting news regarding one of our pets. If I haven't mentioned before, we have three pets - a turtle named Chief, and two ferrets named Apollo and Luna. Early on in January, Luna had some trouble with her walking, which turned out to have been caused by a back injury. She is doing better now thanks to medication, but around the same time she got sick, Apollo also became very ill. We got him checked out at the vet, and they found that he had a mass on his spleen, which was then found to be cancerous. Both me and my wife were understandably shocked by this, and since then we have been trying to keep Apollo as comfortable as possible, feeding him liquid foods and giving him medication.
It has been really difficult adjusting to this news. When I first moved to the US, I never thought I would be able to look after any type of animal, let alone ferrets, but in the time I have known them I have gotten used to looking after Apollo and Luna, and I have grown to love them. To see Apollo looking weak and almost lifeless has been horrible, and even more so for my wife, who loves both ferrets as if they were our kids.
This situation was just one of a few reasons why this month, in all honesty, I haven't been myself. A lot of things had been brewing up for some time, and I was generally feeling overwhelmed. There was one day where I just felt like giving up on everything, I ended up doing something very stupid, and my thoughts travelled to a really dark place. It was a moment of madness, but my wife helped me pull out of the nosedive. I just need to get better at speaking up instead of bottling everything up.

There has been some light through the clouds however. Apollo has begun to recover somewhat, he is eating solid foods again and is a little more energetic. Despite what he is going through, he isn't giving up, and we are hoping that he will be with us for a lot longer than we originally thought.

I am also feeling better about things. I will never be perfect and will always have my moments of doubt, but I just need to handle those moments better. Me and my wife have also begun planning our next holiday - for a week in June, we are planning to fly back over to England to see my family. It has been too long since either of us saw them last, and seeing them again would mean the world to me, so needless to say, neither of us can't wait.

This month was also my birthday - I can't say I was able to enjoy it as much as I would have liked, because I was working for most of it, and I can't say that I was thrilled about the idea of turning 32. However my wife and her family threw a small party for me, and I really appreciated it. 

As always, I will leave you with some artwork, and I'll keep it winter themed, what with all the snow we've had this month. Hoping that February will be a better month for us all.

December 2017

Another year has come and gone, and as I seem to say every year, where did that time go?

This month became very wintry weather-wise, but it certainly didn't dampen Christmas one bit. In fact, we actually got some snow on Christmas Day (it's been a long time since that's happened), which just added to the spirit. Me and my wife spent this Christmas much like we did last year, opening presents, watching Christmas films and building gingerbread sculptures with the in laws. I was also able to Skype with my family while they were having their Christmas get-together too. Hopefully one day me and my wife will be able to celebrate Christmas with my family again - I miss them always, but this time of year makes it all the more poignant, especially this year, as December 3 2017 was the 10th anniversary of my grandad's passing - I still miss him very much, and while I'm also sad that my wife never got the chance to meet him, I like to think that he's with us in spirit, always.
There were also two other anniversaries this month - December 28 marked 2 years since I swapped County Durham for Connecticut, and it goes without saying that a lot has happened in that time (more on that in a bit). Also, December 30 marked 3 years since I popped the question to my lovely wife, it almost feels like that moment was a lifetime ago.


Looking back, this year has been very eventful, much like 2016 was, and not always for the right reasons. However for me personally there were a lot more highs than lows, and a couple of really important events happened this year - in September I finally landed a permanent job, which is still keeping me busy despite a bump in the road. And just last month, me and my wife moved to our new house, which we are now pretty much adjusted to do, and it's safe to say that we love it so much better than our first place. Hopefully 2018 will see lots of memories being made in this house.
My personal highlight of 2017, however, was back in May, when me and my wife flew down to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL for our honeymoon. For a few days we got to explore the parks, go on rides, be kids again, and celebrate our marriage. I can only wonder highlights 2018 will bring.

I'll leave you with some festive artwork - carrying on my tradition of festive group shots over on DeviantArt, here is this year's edition.
I also have some potentially exciting news regarding artwork - but I'm going to save it until I get the green light. It'll be a great way to start off 2018 though.

I would just like to end this by saying thanks to everyone who's read this blog, checked out my artworks or just supported me in any way this past year - wishing you all the best for the New Year. See you in 2018. :)

November 2017

To say that this November has been nowt short of busy is an understatement.
I've been working at my job for two months now, and even in that time I still haven't got every single thing figured out, as with any job there are days that I wish I wasn't there (and don't feel like I'm all there!) and as I said last month, I'm not a fan of the constantly changing schedule, and I never will be. However, it's keeping me busy, and I still find myself surprised how decent I seem to manage dealing with customers at the cashier. It's helping me a bit, that's for sure.
The main reason this month has been so busy for me and my wife is because of the move. With lots of back and forth between our old place in North Haven and the new place, much packing up, and tons of help from the family (cannot thank you all enough!), it's taken some doing, and while it's been stressful at certain times (what move isn't?), the new house is really looking like home now, and needless to say we both love it. We started living at the house officially on November 24. I also want to mention that getting to work from the new place is much quicker for both of us, and in my case, I get to ride my bike there instead of waiting for a bus. It certainly makes a difference.
I can't talk about November and not mention Thanksgiving - this year was only my second time celebrating it. I still find it funny that a couple of years ago it was just a regular day for me, but that's how it was in the UK of course. To be honest, this Thanksgiving wasn't so great, because most of it was spent working on organising stuff at the new house (it was the only day off we had together however, so it was the only real chance to get the bulk of the work done), and both me and my wife felt that we didn't really spend a lot of time with the family that day, which is what it's all about for us. However, we got to watch the parade, and we still got to eat dinner as a family, and as little time as it was, it was still good to be there.
I admit, on a partly lower note, that lately because of everything going on, my motivation to make artwork has been very low. Writing the next F&S comic has ground to a halt, and when I do sit down to work on something, it feels like a chore. I also keep worrying that I simply just might not have the time to make arts anymore, which I know is total rubbish. I have wondered now and in the past if I should take a hiatus from making any arts, but then I remind myself that I should make art while I still have the ability too (and I mean that as in physically able to - not getting any younger!), as well as the fact that people enjoy it, and I really appreciate that those of you do, do. You know who you all are.
I'll sign off with some Thanksgiving themed artwork - to my American followers, hope yours was a good one, and to everyone else, ditto. Let's see what the festive season brings.

October 2017

September was a month of changes, and this month was no different. I've been feeling the change weather-wise, as It's started to feel a lot more autumnal lately. In other words, getting colder and a little more rain too.
I've been working at my job for a month now, and as I said, it's been an adjustment, but that's part and parcel of anyone starting a new job, as is having work days that go better than others, but on the whole I'm pretty much used to it now. Admittedly I do wish I had a more consistent schedule, but that's retail for you.
The biggest change this month - big announcement in 3...2...1... - is that me and my wife have landed a new apartment (flat in Brit-speak)! It's been in the pipeline for a while now, and it was just at the end of September that we started looking for a new place. The first couple of places we saw didn't tick all the boxes, but the last house that we saw, a second floor apartment in a quiet suburb with two bedrooms, two main rooms, a garage and an outside deck, was the one we instantly said yes to. The real plus point about the place is that it's close to my job, and also close to the in laws' place, as well as two parks (including a certain park/beach I enjoy visiting a lot). That's not all though - we could have the keys by the start of November, so we could start moving in within a matter of days. Speaking of which, we've been packing up our stuff a bit at a time to try to make the move easier. I can't say I'm looking forward to that part, but as with any move, it will be worth it in the end - and to put it into perspective, it's certainly not as daunting as uprooting your entire life and moving to another country.
I couldn't end this blog without mentioning Halloween of course - so here's some Halloween themed artwork to see out this month. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, hope you have a good one. Until November.

September 2017

Well, it was about 15-16 years later than it should've been, but I had a major development this month, a bit of good news that I can now finally tell you...I got a job!
I say good news, though it's also bad news in some respects too. Admittedly in all the years I haven't had a permanent job, I've gotten set in my ways - having lots of free time to be able to do artwork, music and travelling. There are a lot of things I've been able to do which I probably wouldn't have if I'd been in continuous employment since school - some might say I've had it too good. I also have to admit that I will miss having all that time, and I worry that having a job means that I won't be able to do the things I enjoy anymore - including spending time with my wife. It's a huge adjustment for both of us.
This needed to happen though. I've had jobs before, but none of them were permanent, and they were all through temporary government schemes, which didn't make me very fulfilled at all. This job is my first permanent job, and while any new job is nerve-wracking at first, I'm slowly getting used to it. All I will say about the job is that it's retail, and it's hectic, but productive. I've also had to come out of my shell quite a bit for this, as part of the job involves working on the till/cashier and dealing with customers. I'm not perfect at it, but I seem to be getting the hang of it - so I must be doing something right.
My new job wasn't the only cause for celebration however - September 28 marked me and Nicole's 5th anniversary of being a couple, and it goes without saying that a lot has happened in those 5 years. I still look back and recall how I had no idea back in 2012 that circumstances would change the way they did - but as we all know, life has no script, you have to take it as it comes.
Aside from working, I've been enjoying the  spell of unseasonably warm weather this month, getting as much of my outdoor/beach fix before the colder weather starts to kick in. And despite working now, I am still pressing on with my artwork when I'm able to, most notably the Fyfe & Sparkplug comic (21 pages complete as of this blog). I've also been working on a feature length Bob & Flyer comic, which I'm aiming to have ready by next Spring, so watch this space.
Speaking of artwork, I'll leave you with something a little different - a conceptual piece inspired by a recent Jamiroquai song. Until October, everyone.

August 2017

Another summer has come to an end. I always feel down whenever summer's over, as it's my favourite time of the year. Onwards we go, though.

I've mentioned many times about the news - as much as I try to avoid it, I somehow always end up hearing about everything that's going wrong in this world, from horrible tragedies to political madness. Then I just have to remind myself that 95% of what I hear, what we all hear is blown out of proportion, sensationalised to get ratings. To quote a famous saying, and also the title of a canny good Jamie Lenman song, "No News Is Good News" - I choose to put the mute button on, avert my eyes from all the dread, and to just live my life.
In my July blog I mentioned the passing of Chester Bennington, the singer of Linkin Park - I say this as a reminder that depression is a sickness, and not something to be taken lightly, regardless of what the media might want you to believe. I'm not going to name any names, but there was a time this month that someone close to me was swallowed up by that depression, and myself, friends and family found ourselves unable to reach that person. This isn't the first time that it's taken hold of that person, and I fear that it won't be the last, but this is why it's important to reach out. I can't stress it enough - if you're feeling depressed, talk to someone. Shutting people out is too easy to do, and while it may feel like it makes it all better, it really doesn't. Aye, it's hard to see the light when you're in that hole, but just remember - you're not alone. We all have times where a dark cloud hangs over us, but that cloud always eventually passes.

To better news now - things could be looking up on the job front. As I type this, I have a job interview lined up for September 1, I will let you know how that went in next month's blog. I also helped out my wife Nicole at her workplace on  a couple of days towards the end of this month, setting up meals for the staff on their morning training sessions. It was very busy but it felt good to help out.
One of those days was August 21, which as most of you know was the day of the solar eclipse. One of Nicole's co-workers was kind enough to lend me a pair of special glasses to check it out, and while the full total eclipse wasn't visible in my area, I was still able to see a partial eclipse, it was quite a sight, but you don't need me to tell you that.
We also made the most of the warm weather this month by hitting a few beaches, including a couple we'd never visited before. Probably the most notable trip of this month was to the Roger Williams Park & Zoo in Providence RI - definitely a great place to visit with a wide variety of animals to see, and the park was very relaxing too.
We were also at Foxwoods Casino on August 4th to see Dashboard Confessional and The All-American Rejects play, both bands put on a good show, and Nicole was singing along to every Dashboard song, as she is a huge fan of them.
On the artwork front, I've been busy working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, as of this blog I have 7 pages ready to go. It's certainly a challenge and as I am planning to try and get this comic published, I really want it to be as good as it possibly can be.
I'll leave you with a bit of summer themed artwork, my Surf Club characters enjoying some waterslide action. See you in Autumn.

July 2017

Another July has come and gone once again - and something happened this month which wasn't something that personally happened to me, it was to a famous rockstar. Most of you reading this will know that I'm talking about what happened to Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park - his death was tragic and shocking to hear about.
You might be wondering why I'm dwelling on the death of a celebrity, because I usually don't like to focus on the news, especially when it's about people dying, famous or not. The reason I am is because Linkin Park were one of my favourite bands as a teenager, and were one of the bands that got me into heavy rock music, along with Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. A lot of Linkin Park's music helped me get through my teenage and secondary school years, because I could relate to the lyrics and the heavy music. It's just a tragic irony that those same lyrics couldn't help the man who sang them with the passion and the fury that he had. RIP, Chester - I hope you're in a better place now.
On more personal matters, I've still had no luck on the job front, and as always I'm still looking. Helping around the house and doing the twice monthly side job has been keeping me busy though, as well as my artwork of course. I recently completed illustrating the second of the children's book series for our close friends, admittedly it took far longer than it should've because of my procrastination on it. I'll try and do better with the next book - it's just that circumstances get in the way.
A few blogs back, I mentioned how I was getting disillusioned with DeviantArt too - that's been the case again lately. I feel like there's been a lot of immature people trying to take advantage of me in order to get free art of their characters, or just posting stupid stuff on my pictures or profile just for the sake of attention. I have no time for people like that, and I'm sending out a warning now, anyone who continues to harrass me, or any of my friends that way, will receive an instant ban-hammer to the face. I'm not playing nice anymore.
On a brighter note, me and my wife have been making the most of the nice weather this month - as well as my bike rides, we took a few trips to state parks and beaches, and not surprisingly each place was canny packed. Also not surprisingly, we spent the 4th July week in Newport, the highlights of which were a play on a mini golf course with the in laws, and a sunset cruise around Narragansett Bay onboard the MV Gansett. We also went to a music gig at Mohegan Sun on the 29th, which was our first gig since the Deftones last August - the headline act this time was Kings of Leon, and they were absolutely spot on. The opening act, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, were canny tight too.

That's pretty much it for July. As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - this surfing scene, which was an entry for a summer themed art jam that I hosted this month. See you in August.