drawing - cectimm

drawing of a waiting room

What I’m drawing today

Pencils on Art Spectrum Draw & Wash paper

equality does not mean you HAVE TO pee on the seat

I often wonder if some women are making a statement about equality when they leave pee on public toilet seats… or are they just lazy bitches. I can’t decide… maybe both? Some people – due to injury or disability – cannot hover over a wet toilet seat and are forced to clean up after said lazy bitches… not cool girls, not cool at all.

If you want to make a statement about equality then lift the seat next time you squat… all we have to do now is close the wage gap!

happy straya day 2015

As any true Aussies knows… it’s pronounced “Straya”

Stay safe and have a great Australia Day xo

chip life :: benjamin :: balsamic & rosemary

I’m back – first post for the New Year… getting back into all things illustration 🙂

Benjamin had always been a bit of a blue-eyed pretty boy and he became an accidental hipster… one day he became aware of the working conditions of coffee plantation workers and the next thing he knew he was a full blown hipster. He really really really hated the Bondi Hipsters… they just took the piss out of anyone who cared about their food and the earth. He even considered shaving but he loved his beard too much to go that far

This is the last in the current round of “Chip Life” profiles. I will be making a new series in the weeks and months to come. Get in touch if you know any great Chip Life ideas… someone you know might be just right. Send me a description of what their chip involves and how it affect them I’d love to bring it to life for all the world to share 🙂

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je suis charlie… je suis liberte… ju suis l’unite

I don’t have many words, just sadness and sorrow for the loss of talent at the hand of fanaticism. The courage of those both living and dead who fight with their Bic pens and 2B pencils inspires me… the ancient and wise words of novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton are as relevant now as they were in 1839 “The pen is mightier than the sword”.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

santa can be potentially terrifying

Driving around at Christmas time I am always struck by the dramatic change from day to night in local festive garden scenes. At night a tall, fat and proud Santa can dominate and enchant a Merry Christmas scene and the same garden during the day can look like a crime scene with a sad and very dead santa lying on the lawn.

If as an adult it is disturbing to me, it must be confusing and terrifying for some children.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Merry (dead Santa free) Christmas xo <3

chip life :: leonard :: dill & pickle

I think we’ve all known a few Leonard’s in our time. I first came across a few at uni and it took me a while to figure out that their bitterness was just a cover for a fear of being rejected. It can seem easier to lash out rather than wait around to be rejected… but if we all did that we’d never be available to exciting new experiences.

I think it would be very difficult for someone who has always been very good looking to all of the sudden age and lose their visual appeal. Most of us have a range of social skills we’ve cultivated over the years to attract a mate, find friends and connect with likeminded individuals. Imagine if you only operated on looks, what would be left if it all went away… hooray for average looks coupled with brains + humour + a personality 😛

Get in touch if you have any great Chip Life ideas you’d like to see

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ho ho… hoe (a true story)

Last Christmas as I walked down George Street, Sydney City, I saw an ‘older scruffy’ man with a pile of boxes selling Christmas hats. I smiled at him (I’m a serial smiler) and just kept on walking by. As I passed him he said “Ho Ho…” and naturally I was expecting to hear the third “Ho”. Instead his tone changed and when he realised my smile was not signifying an intention to buy, he spat out a nasty “Hoe” instead.

This story is 100% true.

I laughed my head off. I thought this was brilliant and creative.

After all he is entitled to his opinion (even if it’s very misguided).

Merry Christmas shopping and here’s hoping your run-ins with angry individuals are as creative and comical as mine 🙂

you’re in our hearts

No one in Sydney, Australia and our friend nations can stop thinking about the siege currently holding our citizens and our attention for the last 14 hours. I can’t sleep thinking about those people still trapped when they thought today was just another Monday.

I had to draw it out in the hope of feeling a bit better about it but… alas.

My heart is with them all, and their loved ones. I can only imagine what they are all going through. I would hug them all if I could <3

chip life :: hannibal :: salt & pepper

Although I’ve never known a cannibalistic serial killer (that I know of) I have met a few people who have potential!

It seems that some people try so hard to prove their worth but never really feel worthy meaning you can easily deeply offend them with a lighthearted quip. A flippant comment made in jest can deeply wound and in silence they wait in the shadows to get their revenge much much later when you least expect it. Revenge can take many forms from dagger eyes, slanderous lies all the way up the psycho chain to violence and shallow frying.

While this is clearly based on Dr. Hannibal Lecter from the 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs there are real nut jobs like him in the real world. It’s scary to think that they walk among us so just be careful who you put down or pick a fight with… you don’t want to end up on their dinner plate.

Get in touch if you have any feedback or great Chip Life ideas to share

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high heels or high iq… you choose

I love to watch people and I often conduct my own research… such as observing heel height v’s facial expression. It’s not exactly scientific but it does impress me that some of the best ‘resting bitch face’ I see around town are on women who are wearing high heels. The higher the heel the bitchier the ‘resting bitch face’.

It seems that western women are addicted to suffering! I personally don’t get it. Perhaps it’s because I’m tall or that I can’t wear heels, but to voluntarily suffer for no real reason is beyond me. A lot of women I know say that they feel sexier and more attractive when they wear heels but isn’t the benefit of longer looking legs and calves that ‘pop’ lost when the facial expression is not at all enticing? Maybe there is an evolutionary link that I’m not aware of that drives the obsession with artificial height despite the high cost of comfort + happiness + face-appeal.

I know a lot of women will not like my views on this – perhaps they can educate me on the enlightenment that can be obtained from wearing heels (at least on a daily and non-special occasion basis). I feel for their feet 🙁 poor puppies.

chip life :: river :: spicy guacamole

It can be hard to live on the fringe… just on the edge of what is considered ‘normal’ by society. But for many people they have no choice as they can’t bring themselves to join the rat race. An alternative lifestyle can be very appealing and have many benefits but it also brings with it a set of prejudices that can make fringe dwellers feel even more isolated and pushed out of the main stream.

It seems that anyone who is willing to challenge what is considered ‘normal’ will attract some ridicule or derision. Just because someone is living an alternative life or a hippieish existence does not mean that they are a push over. Someone who gets kicked around enough will eventually come out kicking. It’s not all peace, love and mung beans.

Life would be so boring if we were all the same and these spicy gems bring colour and flavour into our world.

Get in touch if you know any great Chip Life ideas you’d to share

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chip life :: margaret :: french onion

It sometimes seems amazing that our early years on this planet can hold such a long lasting impact on our lives. Regardless of how long we live there is always something that will keep popping up from our youngest of years.

We can learn a lot from listening to our oldies and perhaps that is where some of the secrets of life are hidden 🙂 I have known many women and men like Margaret who bring up their hard learned life lesson. While we can not fully appreciate them due to our charmed existence we can still learn from their hard earned wisdom.

Our beliefs along with our “chips” are a product of our experience and we don’t seem to choose the ones that impact us the most.

Take time out to chat to someone who may have a pearl of wisdom to share – it might just make your day.

Get in touch if you have any great Chip Life story 🙂

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chip life :: jessica :: jalapeño

We always assume that hot people have it easy but apparently there is a down side to being too attractive.

It would be one of the better curses to have but I’m sure it can be a barrier for some. Hot face and body does not mean someone is dumb. I guess it all comes down to the old saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”

Get in touch if you know any great Chip Life stories to share

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r.i.p. phil hughes 🙁

So sad… had to draw about it. This really hurts my heart as it seems to have done for so many of us. A beautiful man killed just doing his job 🙁 Hug your loved ones EVERY DAY.

chip life :: jon :: smokey bacon

Perhaps a bit appropriate being ARIA week and celebrating the glitz and glamour of everything music… we often forget about the underdogs working behind the scenes. It must be very hard to grow old and no longer feel relevant.

We often joke about old people telling us stories that start with “when I was young” but if that was the best time of their life who are we to judge them heading back there as often as they need.

Get in touch if you have your own Chip Life story to share

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chip life :: anthea :: chilli & lemon

Some bitter Betty’s don’t realise that they have a role to play in the hand that life deals them. I’ve known women who complain that no one gives them attention but won’t make an effort to look nice or even be friendly. Some people just choose to be bitter and don’t realise that they can make a change at any time.

I hope I never choose bitterness as it is a yucky feeling and it makes any beautiful person instantly ugly.

Get in touch if you have any feedback or great stories to share

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chip life :: andy :: bbq

I think we’ve all met ourselves a few dooms day enthusiasts who carry on about the inevitable end of the world. Why they think it will happen in our lifetime is beyond me. They can be very entertaining if not a touch scary. They usually have more than a few conspiracy theories as to how the end of civilisation will come and I try my hardest not to get too involved in those conversations.

You never do know though… there is a very slim chance they could be right so best to not offend them should you one day need to crash their tent village. Best to just nod, smile and move along while avoiding eye contact.

Get in touch if you have any feedback or stories about your chip

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chip life :: sandy :: salt & vinegar

In high school we had a teacher who had a chip on her shoulder. She would always pick on our group (or so it seemed in our teenage minds) regardless of whether we were being good or a bit cheeky. After a while we knew that she would single us out and while she made her rounds at lunchtime we would try to reach an imaginary chip on our shoulder (mime protest). We discussed the flavour of her chip and then brushed imaginary crumbs off our shoulders. She had no idea what we were doing and this probably added to her idea of us being trouble.

This idea of people walking around with a chip on their shoulder has stuck with me throughout my adult life and when I see someone being arrogant, angry or annoying I can get distracted by what flavour their chip might be. It’s a great distraction from their bad behaviour and my story telling/writing mind can get lost in the narrative of their Chip Life.

I have done a series of 10 illustrations of people wearing their chip… some of these are people I’ve met, some are characters from TV shows and some are people I watch on the train (in a totally non-creepy way) and imagine their life story + Chip Life.

This is Sandy. We all know someone who has gone into teaching for altruistic reasons who end up getting beaten up by the ‘system’. This is true in many countries… not just Australia. Perhaps some teachers lord their power over their students because they’ve realised they will NOT be the great change maker they once dreamt they would be. Perhaps the teacher who inspired Chip Life was herself a disillusioned educator grabbing on to any sense of power she could – or maybe, just maybe she thought we could be much more if we applied ourselves rather than acting like a bunch of clowns.

I will publish the remaining 9 illustrations in the days to come.

Get in touch if you have any feedback or great ideas to share 🙂

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vision of greatness… some inspiration for satsumas

I recently did a commission for Satsumas – a data company that helps clients get easy access to their information. They wanted to adapt an old + daggy low res image into a bright and inspirational poster for their staff… “Vision Of Greatness”

It’s so nice to get great feedback from clients and photos of your work in situ… this is how it looks in their North Sydney office.

I got it printed at Pronto Print in Neutral Bay and they were great – very professional and fast – they did a marvellous job with the block mounting too.

Get in touch if you have a vision of greatness you need to turn into an inspirational poster 😛

just paint… fuck the world (NSFW)

My mother said this once and it stuck – I wrote it down and it stayed with me. I just have to find a way to practice thia philosophy more. At times it is very difficult to turn off the mean inner critic in all of our heads (easier for some than others).

So put down the remote + put down your smartphone and JUST PAINT… xo

i’m a hot little potato right now – mugatu, zoolander

Got to love the fashion mogul and Derek Zoolander’s model agent Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) in Zoolander (2001)… so many great lines and such a great (no stupid – no great) movie.

Life is too short to be serious all the time.

Pros & Cons of seeing Kanye West Live in Concert

I recently saw Kanye West in concert and was filled with equal parts admiration at his undeniable talent and disbelief at his seemingly boundless arrogance.

Just in case it was lost in translation… I love Kanye’s music and I would totally see him in concert again 😛