Britain

Submitted to #C4ArtClub, but doesn’t really matter if it’s not chosen cos it gave me some positivity. Theme for a week on Monday is ‘Britain’, and I just immediately started thinking of negative stuff. First thing I drew was an exasperated Boudicca being pulled in her chariot by a prancing Boris Johnson.
But I wanted to feel positive. And in the end started thinking about British performers and experts. I got to thinking about people I admired, either for entertaining me, or informing me, or simply for being fabulous. In the end I only did 14 (this was last minute for the deadline!). A2 size.
It made me realise there IS good stuff out there, and each of these people, in their own way, give me glimpses of light. Some are better depictions than others, but we have….
Sir David Attenborough, for basic ‘national treasure’ reasons, and starting (though I didn’t realise it at the time) a lifelong love of nature and wildlife in me.
Moira Stuart - the voice, the grace, the trailblazer. And how come at 70 she looks the same as she did when I was a kid?
Patrick Stewart, there’s a theme of voices through a lot of this. I was always more of a Star Wars kid, but when Next Generation started… Thankful to have seen him on stage live once. I mean it was Waiting for Godot, so incomprehensible, but still…
Professor Alice Roberts, who is just awesome. A prime example of having someone who knows their subject talking incredibly engagingly.
Sir Trevor McDonald. I told you there was a ‘voice’ theme through a lot of this. Just a legend of a man.
Dame Maggie Smith is the type of actress that no matter what role, in which tv show or movie, she manages to steal the scene. Not intentionally I’m sure. She’s just THAT good.
Monty Don would be a surprise to myself of 10 or 15 years ago. When did I come to appreciate the garden? It’s all @goldingmel’s fault. I mean seriously, i now have a love of dahlias. Monty is just calm knowledge personified.
Mary Beard oooooozes intellect, and wit, and by god she has a wicked tongue. A love of her subject comes through in everything she does.
Billy Connolly gave me my first moments of laughing so hard I thought I was going to be sick. An illegally copied video of Billy and Albert…
Jo Brand - there’s just something about her grumpy humour that tickles me. I’m misanthropic to the core. So that’s probably it…
Benjamin Zephaniah is just, and I do not say this lightly, the coolest man alive. Always entertaining, but if I could suggest one left field piece of his work, check out the Blood on the Tracks podcast that he was on.
Helena Bonham Carter…. Okay…. I’ve just had a crush on her like forever. Shallow I know.
Chris Packham is just tireless in his support of wildlife, and while I might not agree with him on everything (after all, I own cats) the way he stands up to trolls as well is immense.
And finally, Susan Calman. I probably can’t claim to have ‘liked her before she became famous’, but let’s round of the ‘voice’ thing. The first time I heard her on Radio 4 (I think on the News Quiz) I was hooked (if she was on with Jeremy Hardy and/or Mark Steel then I was in heaven).

And that’s it. So many more I could have put on, but like I say, was trying to make the Grayson Perry Art Club deadline. It was nice, for once at the moment, to think of positive things, and realise I had too many to be able to list.