Odds 'n' sods

While working as a reporter on the Evening Post and later the Eastern Province Herald in the late 1980s I did numerous drawings in my notebooks, or on other bits of paper on my desk. I kept those pictures, which are a reflection of my state of mind, while the documents themselves contain references to some of the people in public life in Port Elizabeth at the time.

As with most of these drawings, the notes I took can be seen "shining" through. But who's to account for this strange image from my subconscious? In an ideal world I would have worked all these drawings up as fully fledged paintings. But somehow I doubt I'd be able to capture the essence of any of them.

It looks like I started this by drawing a line around the time, 9.30, then saw the hat shape and built on that to create a Chairman Mao-type face.

The typography is an integral part of this composition. How's that angry sun?

This is much magnified, since this tiny drawing is on a corner of printing paper.

Another tiny profile.

Standard Bank have long been sponsors of the Grahamstown National Arts Festival - and here their invite is itself presented as art - and possibly Africana, too.

Here a phone number becomes what? A moustache?

Somehow this guy with taped fists, boxer-like, finds himself next to a differential, or maybe it's a complex drill.

Dorothy Shaw's signature is immortalised alongside an elongated head.

Another tiny drawing done around the logo of the old University of Port Elizabeth.

Some sort of hairy animal finds its legs, Escher-like, becoming the heads of birds, as an upside-down primate looks on.

Andre Erasmus was my news editor on the Herald, and led many a campaign to get a press club up and running.

Not sure who this cigar-head is.

Peter Myles is still active today in the tourism world in PE.

Another name incorporated into a drawing.

And here, on the back of the picture above, the news desk itself is flattened.

Don't check the arithmetic. It's sure to be wrong.

This is interesting for the price of booze at the time. A bottle of whisky for under R20!

I had to include this wee Scotsman.

And this hangman.

And this, uh, camel, or giraffe, or what?

I'm still not sure I've scanned this the right way up. Might look better as a vertical shape.

Who was EVA007, I wonder?

This is definitely the little guy who stuck his finger in the Dutch dyke.

And these birds watched him.

While this oke basked in the heat of a blazing sun.

Which melted the little creature behind this rather bold construct.

As Gollom looked on.

How's this oke's eyes - on stalks, literally.

This fella is leaning against the edge of the page.

And this chap's got a foxy face.

An exercise in shapes.

And a two-mouthed creature.

This tiny fellow looks lost on his page. Click on the picture to get a closer look.

I definitely have a thing about bread, as another loaf hits the page.

This chap would be quite at home in a Star Wars film.