I do like drawing

Well, It was bound to happen…. I wrote a feature article in a fashion magazine. Zoot Magazine, based in Lisbon, asked if I would write an article for them, at first it was a small one, but somehow it grew. I had no idea.. 4 pages! Anyway, I have long been a fan of Ian Stevenson’s work it’s quirky and delightful, and it always makes me smile.

Here’s an excerpt:

It’s an old English tradition to find whimsy in daytime television and mundane conversations. The bizarre nature of common life creates fertile ground for London-based artist, Ian Stevenson, to draw a world of mutant characters that comment on our every day lives. Or rather, that’s the somewhat intelligent way of putting it. Honestly, when I first encountered Stevenson’s work, it was like the character Shaun, from Shaun of the Dead, casually going about, completely oblivious that the world is falling apart…

Let’s talk about your characters… where do they come from?
All over the place and some appear from nowhere as if by magic. I’m creating a world where some will live and that should be fun. I wonder what it will look like.

Which ones are your favorites?
The stranger and more freakish the better. I like it when I can imagine them talking and walking.

You have said that you hear snippets of conversations on the bus, or on the street, and you write them down in a book… what is the strangest or most interesting thing you have heard?
I did hear two middle-aged women talking in the supermarket and it was the most pointless thing I had ever heard. They were talking about how quickly children grow up and the price of beans or something and it made me want to lie down on the floor next to my basket. I think they were just moving their mouths and probably not even aware of what they were saying. Children have a great way with words too but in a more creative way.

Can you tell us a little about your latest project? (I’m guessing it’s the art/recycling project, giving discarded objects new life).
The latest project has been working on some animations with another writer and an animator. It’s great working on the voices and then when they move it makes us all happy. There will be more of these oh yes. I’ve also been drawing on more rubbish and plan to publish a book of the photos.

What is the one thing you’ve been itching to grace with your drawing?
It would be nice to draw a big face on the moon.

ianstevenson.co.uk

To see the rest of the article, you’ll have to get the mag…zootmag.com