Spoiler alert- I’m still not rich or famous
Another instalment of ‘True Stories from the life of Kate Hazell’
This is not actually a comprehensive list of jobs, because some things are best left unsaid (like the time I worked at All Bar One and got a rash on my boobs from hiding my own tips in my bra. Karma.)
What’s the moral of the story here? I suppose it’s work hard and persevere! What’s the best/worst job you’ve ever had?
To coincide with Bristol Harbour Festival 2025 I decided to create an illustrated A-Z of the city I call home, Bristol!
A homage and celebration of some of the best known elements of the city, as well as shining some light on a few of the lesser known places on the map.
I live in Knowle, South Bristol so the alphabet features a few extra places from that neck of the woods.
The artwork is all hand drawn and digitally coloured to create a colourful, humorous eye catching design.
Next Saturday 19th is Marina Market where myself and fellow Dockyard Studio pals will be touting our wares. I’ve made a new A-Z of Bristol print and H is for HARBOUR FESTIVAL which is conveniently the same weekend.
There will be all sorts on offer including
@lucaslovesthis
@coffeeclubbristol
@screwy.art
@limbo_tapes
@talkclubcharity
And more!
Come and find us at Bristol Marina, Hanover Place, BS1 6UH
Saturday 19th July
11-4pm
Toot toot!
This is an excerpt from a sketchbook diary page about when we went to see Devotchka at Thekla in March. It was a really great gig and I meant to finish and post it the next day but here we are!
We first went to see them in London TWELVE YEARS AGO and I have no idea where that time has gone but my respect for the sousaphone player has only deepened. That’s one big old bit of brass and thanks to Ed I now have a way of remembering how to pronounce it!! 🎶
I had the pleasure of creating the wintery wedding stationary for Becca & Josh who got married in December 2024. Their table names were all after their favourite pubs. What a lovely job!
A weekend where the tonsillitis took hold.
Here’s what we got up to!
I created a bundle of self promotional goodies to send out to clients. It shows the breadth of my portfolio.
I started writing down some of the conversations I have with my children on the way to school, and this is one example. Talking about survival skills while trying to survive the school run.
A little diary comic about going to see Poor Things…!
Diary comic of a different time!
Sometimes the only drawing I do is for commissions so it’s refreshing when I find time to get a sketchbook out and draw for the sake of it. However, as I’m used working to a brief, I often get stuck on what to draw so sometimes do the ‘daily drawing’ prompts to get things going.
I loyally pack a sketchbook every time I go away and 99% of the time it stays in my bag the whole time. Sometimes it comes out and it’s lovely stumbling across old sketchbooks with little snap shots of forgotten adventures! Here’s a random selection in no particular order from lockdown, India, Greece, France, and Wales.
On 16th October 2021, to raise money for Samaritans, myself and a group of about 14 people organised by my sister Jo , set off to hike up Mount Snowdon setting off at midnight. Disappointingly however, due to inclemently wild weather conditions we didn’t quite make it to the top. The amazing guides, quite rightly decided that it was too dangerous so at Clogwyn Station (about three quarters of the way up) we turned back. We collectively raised over £8,000 for a great cause so I’ll take that.
It was such an amazing experience and actually really fun and exciting (if you like 40mph wind and rain in your face). My brother Pete, aka Titus Twelve co founder of Limbo Tapes summed it up perfectly in his ‘Thrilling Trek Report’ (see below)!
I found it really exhilarating and wanted to try and capture how it felt and made this narrative illustration with pen, ink and pencil crayon. It follows the journey of seeing the dark silhouette of the mountain, the colours of the wet stones, a startled sheep and frog through to the street lamps on the return. I’ve tried to express the sensation of the relentless wind and rain using texture.
Considering it was pitch black, I remember it seemed quite colourful, what with head torches lighting up glossy waterproofs, wet grass and the flashy lights we had strung around us so we could tell who was in our group.
This illustration is part of my WINTER’S BRIGHT exhibition currently on show at Serchia Gallery Bristol.
“Thrilling Snowdon Trek Report:
If like me, you enjoy distant landscape silhouettes and the sound of boisterous wind, then the trek was off to a winning start.
We left Llanberis at midnight and walked quietly through the drizzly residential roads before tarmac turned to stone and grass, and we were heading up the invisible mountain.
The higher we hiked the wetter, windier and darker it got, and after a couple of exciting hours our waterproofs and balance were being tested by the 45mph gusts.
The visibility started to close in as horizontal rain and cloud met us higher up the track. After a couple more stops to do head-counts and check we were all good, we "sheltered" behind a train track embankment. A guide went ahead to measure the wind speed, knowing that the next section was where conditions would only intensify.
The right call was made at Clogwyn station that to go on to the summit was "No fun and a whole lot of risk to manage" as the wind speeds would be greater, with zero shelter.
Although certainly a shame not to reach the top, to be 3/4 of the way up a mountain at 3am, and be told it's too dangerous to continue because of the intensifying weather conditions, is certainly one of my favourite walking experiences I've ever had. Let alone life affirming encounters with nature.
Thanks again to everyone who chipped in and helped our team raise over £8,000 for Samaritans - LEGENDS.
Big up to the other trekkers and guides for being solid crew, and love to those who need the charity's services the most.
Till next time, Snowdon...”
PETE HAZELL 19.10.21
So close!
Quite colourful despite the darkness
Very excited to announce I’ll be showing an exhibition of original drawings opening at Serchia Gallery, Bristol this weekend. Please join us on Sunday 5th December 3-5pm for a private view.
https://linktr.ee/serchiagallery 24 Elmgrove Road, Bristol, BS6 6AJ
Feast your eyes on the colour and brightness found in winter. Including this little owl.
Barn owl in coloured pencil
Photos courtesy of Serchia Gallery: https://serchiagallery.square.site/winters-bright
Slightly late to the party, I’ve just finished watching the BBC’s The Terror. I loved it! Before that I’d watched The North Water which was also great. Despite having now had my full quota of seal butchery and cannibalism, I loved learning about how the poles were first explored (by non natives).
I did a bit more reading on it all and it inspired me to draw James Clark Ross. He had successfully taken HMS Terror to explore both the North and South Poles before it’s doomed expedition to the Northwest Passage. Ross was sent on one of the search expeditions to find the lost ships Terror and Erebus. Ross has several things named after him including an island, a moon crater and a seal with disproportionately large eyes. Cool!
Jame Clark Ross: “the handsomest man in the navy”
Had to draw some Ross seals. They are both weird to look at and very cute. I cracked open some wax pastels which I’ve never used before and it was fun!
Sketch: a view through a telescope
Playing around with ink on tracing paper and colouring on the back with wax pastels
