'Pineapple'

'Pineapple', a notebook drawing by John Vernon Lord drawn in 2011

and published inDrawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, pages 276 and 277.

The pineapple drawing was a challenge set by my illustrator-son-in-law Leo Hartas. He and I, and my granddaughter Freya Hartas (who has just completed her illustration degree course with a First Class Honours at Falmouth), took up the challenge and the three of us set up a pineapple before us.

'Foundation'

'Foundation', a doodle drawn by John Vernon Lord in 1980.

Four Birds (Music, Fiction, Theatre and Sport.)

Four Birds

These four illustrations of birds were drawn around 1985.

They represent, Music, Fiction, Theatre and Sport.

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Pess, 2014, pages 164 & 165.

 Music

Fiction

 Theatre

Sport

'A blackbird sang throughout the meeting'

'A blackbird sang throughout the meeting', a pen and ink doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn in 1976 and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 131. 

This doodle was carried out during a Faculty Board meeting at Brighton Polytechnic, during which a blackbird sang outside in the garden. I often tended to doodle during the frequent and endless committee meetings that I used to attend at Art College, Polytechnic and University. Many times I would think of the American Comedian Fred Allen’s quote, that “a committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling to do the unnecessary”. Another American comedian, Milton Berle, declared that “a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours”. 

Train tickets ‘In omnibus requiem quaesivi...’

Train tickets ‘In omnibus requiem quaesivi...’, notebook drawings 

by John Vernon Lord dated 1 June 1975 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, 2014, pages 126 & 127.

This includes a drawing of a rail ticket, which I used to do habitually at the beginning of most long train journeys in case I lost it. I would then have the evidence of having once owned such a ticket if I did lose it. One day I did indeed lose my ticket somehow and I showed the guard the drawing of the ticket as evidence. He was neither impressed nor amused, with the result that I had to buy a second ticket. Needless to say I don’t draw tickets anymore!

The complete Latin sentence by Thomas à Kempis is, “In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro”, meaning: “Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book. ”  Another translation is: “I have sought tranquillity in everything but found it nowhere except in a corner with a book.”


'Pen Nib/Only Draw'

'Pen Nib/Only Draw', a notebook drawing by John Vernon Lord drawn in 1969 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 108.

'BA Association, Self Validation'

'BA Association, Self Validation', a notebook drawing by John Vernon Lord drawn in 1976 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 133.

Still life of lamp, ruler, screwdriver etc

Still life of lamp, ruler, screwdriver etc drawn by John vernon Lord in 1963 

and published in Drawn to Drawing by Nobrow Press, 2014, page 55.

Cock Crow

Cock Crow, a mono print by John Vernon Lord carried out in 1964 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 97.

Buildings in a landscape

Buildings in a landscape, a drawing by John Vernon Lord drawn in 1961 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014,

Staples Inn, Holborn

Staples Inn, Holborn, Sketch by John Vernon Lord drawn in 1961 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 57.

'22, Princeton Street, Holborn, London'

'22, Princeton Street, Holborn, London', a drawing by John Vernon Lord drawn in 1961

 and published in Drawn to Drawing, 2014, page 54.

I lived here for nine months between 28 June 1961 and 31 March 1962. It was where I ended my student days at the Central School of Art and where I began my freelance career as an illustrator. The building no longer exists and has been replaced by a new one.

'A breathless hush pervaded the concert hall...'

'A breathless hush pervaded the concert hall...', a collage by John Vernon Lord 

being a page from an unfinished graphic novel 

put together in 1987 and this page published in 

Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 175.

'Those heavenly bodies...'

'Those heavenly bodies...', a collage by John Vernon Lord 

being a page from an unfinished graphic novel 

put together in 1987 and this page published in 

Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 173.

'Ink and Conkers'

'Ink and Conkers', a collage by John Vernon Lord being a page from an unfinished graphic novel 

put together in 1987 and this page published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 173.

'Andrew's Illustration Option Paper'

'Andrew's Illustration Option Paper', 

a doodle drawn during a Graphic Design course planning meeting at Brighton Polytechnic in 1981 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 145.

'Vessels'

'Vessels', a drawing by John Vernon Lord, drawn in 1985 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 160.

'CNAA Principle Three'

'CNAA Principle Three', a diary drawing by John Vernon Lord, 26 May 1985 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 156/157. 

During the 1980s the Council for National Academic Award’s Committee for Art and Design spent some considerable time giving attention to the implementation of its Principle 3, which was concerned with the overall balance and aims of programmes of study for art and design students. 

I was on a Working Party of the Committee that looked into the relevance of this principle to courses in Art and Design. Hence I wrote out the principle here in full as a way of getting it into my brain, believing that writing such things out often aids memory. It was an educational principle that was keen to make sure that students perceived their studies within a broad perspective and to appreciate disciplines other than their own, as well as avoiding narrow specialism.

Fine Art Exam Board II

Fine Art Exam Board II, a doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn during a Fine Art Exam Board at Brighton Polytechnic in 1986 and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 166.

The meeting lasted 4 hours and 37 minutes. It was chaired by Bill Beech and the occasion marked the retirement of the artist Gwyther Irwin, who had been Head of Fine Art between 1969 and 1984.

'Fine Art Examination Board'

'Fine Art Examination Board', a doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn at Brighton Polytechnic in 1986 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 166

'It's a nice day not to be here'

'It's a nice day not to be here', a doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn at a Printing Board of Studies
at Brighton Polytechnic in 1985 and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 162

'I used to have brainwaves in the old days...'

'I used to have brainwaves in the old days, but not anymore. I only hope that experience and wisdom rest on my shoulders'

a drawing by John Vernon Lord drawn in the 1980s and published by Nobrow Press in 2014, 21.

This is the 500th image I've posted on the blog at this point after 433 postings.

'Staff Student Meetings',

'Staff Student Meetings', a doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn during a Graphic Design course meeting at Brighton Polytechnic in 1985 and published by Nobrow Press in 2014, page179.

'Apple Pie and Motherhood'

'Apple Pie and Motherhood', a doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn during a meeting at Brighton Polytechnic's Faculty Board for Art, Design & Humanities in 1990 and published by Nobrow Press in 2014, page 223.

'A meeting of the Graphic Design External Moderation Committee'

 

'A meeting of the Graphic Design External Moderation Committee', a doodle by John Vernon Lord drawn during a meeting at the University of Brighton in 1985 and published by Nobrow Press in 2014, page 178.

"I don't know what isn't going on"

"I don't know what isn't going on",  

a doodle by JVL drawn during a Course Review Committee meeting at Brighton Polytechnic, 

and published in Drawn to Drawing, Nobrow Press, 2014, page 222.

The statement is a double negative perpetrated by the person in the chair at the time. But a better one than this was when a different person said, at another meeting - "Don't think that I am not unaware that nothing isn't going on here" - a glorious quintuple negative!

A BA Graphics Association meeting in 1985

A doodle drawn by JVL during a BA Graphics Association meeting in 1985 

and published in Drawn to Drawing by the Nowbrow Press in 2014, page176.

House of Illustration Hoardings at King's Cross

 

Yesterday evening (1 July 2014) the opening exhibition took place at the new House of Illustration. The exhibition was entitled 'Inside Stories' by Sir Quentin Blake. It included a wonderful range of his work with notes about how he goes about his work.  There are hoardings in King's Cross, alongside the walk from St Pancras Station to Granary Square to promote The House of Illustration. Here are three of them - Left - by Emma Chichester Clark, middle 'The Daddy-long-legs and the Fly' by John Vernon Lord and right by Matthew Clark

'The Daddy-long-legs and the Fly' by John Vernon Lord.