A question for any of you technically minded people...

I am re-designing and updating my web site and rather than just linking to this blog from it  I would like the blog to appear as part of one of the pages. So the header and tool bar of my site will appear as normal on the top and left of the page, but the blog will be inserted within the rest of the page. Is this possible and if so how do I do it?

Any advice would be much appreciated! :)

Current Mood: busy

This seem to have been the month of the fairy!

Here is a winter themed snowflake fairy that I have recently painted as part of a set of fantasy artworks that were commissioned for Yule cards. The cards will be available later in the year and I'll post some more of the artworks from the set when its a little nearer to the festive season. The cards have been a really fun project to work on, just a bit odd thinking about winter and Yule themes in June.


This next fairy has an Autumn (Fall) theme. It was commissioned as a female t-shirt design for Spiral and as such fades out to what will be the dark colour of the shirt.
I tried to make the fairy dance amongst the leaves and give a kind of magic look to the image. She was just going to be dancing in the forest but they requested a more fantasy look so I added the castle in the background. I think this also gives a little added interest to the design.

Woot! Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition has been released! I was really happy to have been hired to work on this project. Wizards of the Coast are a great company to work for and I have been a fan of the game for many years. I remember studying the artworks of Larry Elmore and Jeff Easley in the D&D editions that I had when I was a teenager and wishing that one day I could work as an artist like them. They are both true masters of fantasy art.
I am going to update my web site with loads of D&D art soon, but it needs a bit of a redesign to accomodate them. In the meantime I'll be show off some of my works on Deviant art in my gallery page there - you can see this at http://ironshod.deviantart.com/

Here is an illustration that I did for the Monster Manual of a drider - a sort of half dark elf, half giant spider. Wouldn't want to meet one of these!
 

Current Mood: excited

Some definate progress on the pumpkin front. Lets hope they are enormous by October! :)

Current Mood: excited

We had a great time at the UK Games Expo where Ralph and I were both guest artists. The event was very well run and there were loads of cool thing to see and do.
Here are a couple of photos. One of Ralph and I behind our stand and one of Ralph being interviewed by Martin Hulme from rpgmp3.com for a podcast about our work.

We had a very enjoyable holiday weekend larping.  Here's Ralph and Leo. Awww ;)


Leo playing with a spear ( made from rubber! ). He really enjoyed all the new sights and of course lots of people telling him how cute he was. We bought an enormous new tent and it was nice to have the extra room for him to play in.


Here's one of me with a dragon! :)

As part of Wizard's 4th edition D&D promotion they have a film interviewing one of the game designers for the Adventurer’s Vault on You Tube, and one of my picture is in it ;) My image of some amulates is around 6min30secs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMoNuF28vng

Today I'm working on some ideas for the set of Yule cards I've been commissioned to paint. Looking at christmas imagery and snow scene reference photos is kind of weird in April.

In my spare time... (with a 9 month old baby to look after and a full time art schedule this is a rare commodity!) my web site redesign continues. It'll be cool when its done but alas html code makes my brain hurt. The format I have at present works ok but the images appear quite small and I think it is time for a new look. I have loads of 4th edition Dungeon and Dragons paintings that I will be able to show soon on my site as the product launch is begining of June :)

A short while ago I planted some pumpkin seeds (with help from Izzie and Lydia from next door :) which have just begun to show signs of life. I am very excited about this and I am hoping that this year we will have many home grown giant pumpkins for Halloween!

Current Mood: excited

I've just been down to London with Leo to visit my parents and a very good time was had by all :) I went to see the company I am doing a range of dragon greeting cards for, and I am pleased to report that the response to my design was favorable. Most of the cards will feature reworks of my existing artworks, but below is one of the set that I have painted especially.  I hope the design base and woodland theme will work well on the card.

I am pleased to have been also asked to do a set of 4 fantasy style Yule cards for the same company. Although Christmas is a long way off, pre-orders and print run time demands that the art is ready by July. I'm thinking winter dragon, snow fairy, angel, holly and mistletoe, snowflake six point design (obviously not all on the same card design!) If anyone has any cool ideas please let me know - they'd be much appreciated :)