A short blog with three nice things: one messy, one marvellous, one for the makers.
messy – some sketchbook pages or a new character for my messy parade
marvelous – a spotlight on a good thing that happened or happens
one for the makers – a tip for me to you
Published irregularly — I aim for bi-weekly, but let’s see.
1. The Messy Parade – the messy
Meet: Senior Always Right
This week’s trash-find was a soft piece of foam. I think it used to be part of a shin guard. I came across it in Diemerpark, near the football and hockey fields. It’s worn, a bit squishy, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be an easy one to turn into a character: a big nose, a small smile.
I imagine him as that guy who’s always lingering far too long on the terrace, going on about football, parsley, and politics — and, of course, always convinced he’s right.
Found: Diemerpark, Tuesday morning
Material: foam with a bit of dirt
More Messy Parade: you can find the team here.
2. This Happened & It’s Good – the marvelous
June 25, 1984 – Prince released Purple Rain
Purple & sexy tunes poured into the world — and stuck.
There’s something wildly hopeful in that mix of drama, soul, and velvet. It changed my teenage days, which often seemed so grey and dull, into something so hopeful and colourful.
image: Estee Zales
For the Makers
On July 1st, illustrator Estee Zales is hosting an online workshop (8–9.15pm BST), full of colour, texture, and natural inspiration—think birds, flowers, scraps of paper, and oil pastels. She’ll guide you through her intuitive process, from loose sketching to layered, mixed-media pieces. I’m a huge fan of her work, and this feels like the perfect excuse to play. Will I see you there?
workshop: organized by Still – Estee Zales
date & time: 1 July 8.00–9.15 pm BST
more Estee Zales: this is her Instagram, website and substack
That’s it for now
I hope you enjoyed this first post of Three Nice Things.
Let me know if you have ideas, weird facts, beautiful trash, or anything worth celebrating.
I’d love to include your finds in future posts.