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vale Joan Campbell

In the early hours of this morning my Wise Old Rosicrucian Friend, artist and spiritual mentor Joan May Cambell died. I am so sad - not for her, for myself - Joan was 85 and lived a rich and fruitful life. She became ill a few months ago and her passing was testament to the way she lived that life. Like her husband and fellow Rosicrucian Allan Campbell, she left without a fuss, as nature intended – the body had had enough and she went quietly. I spoke to her recently about how she had worn out her old body and needed a new one:

I’m sure I will be back - there is much work to do and this is where the work is.

I know I’ll see you again Joan - I will keep an eye out.

Yes, we recognised each other this time around didn’t we?

Yes, we did.

I saw Joan in the hospice 3 days before she died. She was drugged up and a bit vague, but still very keen to join in the conversation – about art of course. When I left I knew it was the last time I would see her – in this life anyway. I had a hell of a night, I couldn’t sleep and at some point had a waking vision of a black bird whose large wings fluttered around my head. I actually felt it and heard the rustling. I knew then that Joan was leaving soon.

There is too much to tell of Joan’s life here. In the months leading up to her illness I helped her a bit with her memoir – mainly to get it formatted to e-mail out. It tells the story in her own words far better than I could.

If I had to encapsulate what Joan gifted me it is this:

‘there is a virtue greater than Truth, which can be relative and even hurtful, and it is COMPASSION’. 

As a lover of truth above all else, I realised I had to change my thinking and I did. I will never forget this piece of wisdom and I will never forget Joan.

halftones & watercolour

Watercolour effects using filters, layers and blending modes (thanks Chris Spooner)

Quick halftone pop portrait.

more rough stuff in AI

rough pop portraits

growing old disgracefully

Still flat out. Juggling on-line study, lecturing duties and fitting in a surf at every opportunity. Who'd have thought this time, after 8 years of relentless effort to finish my PhD, would end up being yet another intense learning period. I have been catapulted into a world of saturated colour, typography, digital software and a whole new way of looking at the world. For someone of my vintage this has to be a good thing, right - if learning fends off altzheimer's then things are looking good for me in my dotage.

I don't expect any sympathy - it's clearly my own fault - my decision. But I have to defend myself - I am now of an age considered by many to be 'too old', 'dispensible' and probably even 'surplus to requirements' in a clamouring workforce. But dammit, my motto is: 'evolve or die' and I'm not  ready to give up just yet. It's a matter of necessity as much as anything - the retirement age is a goal post that keeps getting moved further away every year. Even if I wanted to retire I couldn't - I am going to need to keep working.

Unfortunately the graphic design industry seems to be a young person's domain. I teach in that field and I wonder how much longer I can stay there. If the funding holds out, my university lecturer duties at least allow me to be 'old and wise', but in the commercial digital media age I get the impression that anyone over 40 should move over and think seriously about retiring. Except that my generation is the first to wholeheartedly reject the 'generation gap' and insists on growing old disgracefully.

I accept that life has it's own rhythms and stuff happens I can't control. But until or unless that happens - for those of you who think I should lay down and die - sorry kids, it's a big 'fuck you'.

images: some of my latest work - Photoshop, Illustrator and vector self-portrait (top).

1980s text

I'm not very good at following instructions. But there are some great free tutorials on the net so I forced myself. 

This is my interpretation of a special type effects tute by Digital Tutors. I had to create the word as a vector for the first layer because I couldn't download the file from the site (maybe because I needed to be a paying customer!)

It didn't turn out quite like the one in the demo, but I am pretty happy with it. Using the airbrush for splatters and a couple of highlights was instructive too.