http://www.ogmastudios.net en-gb ogmastudios.net 2012-1-22T00:00:00Z ogmastudios.net http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#110920 Happy New Year one and allWhat an eventful year 2011 has been my lovely fiance became my even lovelier wife we have moved house giving me lots of DIY to do I finally started illustrating the Clan Saga and in a few weeks we are expecting our first bornWell what does 2012 hold apart from lots of nappiesFor starters I have a number of changes planned for the site reflecting a change of emphasis my work has recently undergone. My research and writing for the Clan Saga has inspired me to write for others and I will be sharing some of these projects over the coming months.I also hope to finally finish the Clan Saga this epic project has taken me 23 years so far and it will be great to finally share my vision with everyone. There is only 20 or so illustrations to go...I have quite a few others projects both for myself and others some of which I cant talk about right now. Suffice to say I will be very busy so heres looking to another great yearI hope 2012 brings you all what you needCheersOS 2012-1-22 21:24:40 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#98151 I first started reading this book a few years ago when I was working on my dissertation at Uni. Unfortunately I didnt have the time then to read the whole thing so recently I dusted it off and ploughed through.Ploughing is the right term here. This is a great book but its let down slightly by the repetitive nature of the writing the same points are gone over endlessly using basically the same arguments time and again. Having said this the arguments and ideas presented are very informative with a number of interesting photos and wolf inspired artworks.The text is broken down into 4 chapters each exploring different points of view and opinions of the wolf the scientist the Native American the hunter and the mythical. The author uses a number of myths fairy tales and stories as well as his own experience to highlight his points. By the end of the book its clear that to humanity the wolf is many things beast hunter killer murderer teacher mythic evildoer sexual predator fool herald of the... 2011-7-11 17:18:07 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#95318 Hi allI realised the other day that I still had some tees to put in the shop so with a week off it seemed like the perfect timeThe first is of the horse design but printed pink on white and pink on cream which avaliable in medium and a childs size.Horses enjoy high status in many cultures around the world. For the Ancient Celts the horse was a fearsome weapon of war and was seen as a symbol of power wealth nobility and freedom of spirit. Many divinities and heros in both Celtic amp Norse myth are associated with horses the great god Odin rides Sleipnir an eight legged horse and Cuchulainn the great Irish hero rides to battle in a horse drawn chariot.The other new design is a black wolf on a white tee again available in medium and childs size.No animal has had such an unsettled relationship with man for some the wolf is a merciless predator that should be shot on site yet for others the wolf is a cunning and intelligent teacher. Often the wolf is seen as the sh... 2011-6-2 12:12:29 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#92962 Hi allIts been a busy last few weeks with our wedding and a very relaxing honeymoon but now we are back. I spent the weekend knocking off a fair few odd jobs that have been hanging around and am hoping that next week I might be able to start some sketching for the Clan Saga...at last.I have come to realise that my plans for the Clan Saga are growing and my realisation of just how much work would be involved is sadly way off. As such I will have to forgo the idea of a deadline the volume of work needed is just too big for me to complete any time soon especially with all my other projects commitments and my day job. This is a real shame as I was hoping to have it finished before my wedding but then Im sure the journey will continue to be fun and informative so all is not lost.Tying in with the recent revelations over the shear volume of work needed is a book I read while relaxing in bars on our honeymoon Glencoe by John Prebble. My Scottish Grandfather recently moved home and while helpi... 2011-5-2 16:21:55 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#91574 Two post in one day...surely notWell after little or no new work for aaagggeeesss 5 new images come along at once. Sadly Odin has been pushed out from my new deviations window by the arrival of my last 4 dyslexia images. I say they are the last but what I really mean is they are the last for now. Im sure at many points in the future I will feel compelled to vent myself in an artistic image.Hope you enjoyOgma 2011-4-12 16:43:13 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#91551 Well the site has been a bit quiet recently as the wedding draws near but I finally have a new image for you check it out in my gallery here.Every Yule for the past 5 years possibly even 10 or more years I have wanted to draw Odin in his guise as the original Santa. This image was started earlier this year and has been a bit on and off ever since. Finally I have done it.I am also hoping to get the last few images from my dyslexia series scanned this week so I can put them up here and on my deviantART page.On top of this I am planning on finally starting the images for the Black Clan Saga in just over a week...after my wedding amp honeymoonThe saga itself has received quite a rewrite with a large section added at the back as a bit of a whos who and more importantly a pronunciation guide.OS 2011-4-12 10:30:19 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#87931 Well progress has been a bit slow the last couple of months and we are now only 7 weeks away from our wedding.Ive been working on the Whos Who for the Saga complete with a pronunciation guide. This is nearly complete now I just need to check it through to make sure I havent missed anything. While talking about pronunciation I just thought Id share a great site I spotted recently a free resource for Irish translations and pronunciations Irish Gaelic Translator.Before I start the illustartions for the Clan Saga I am going to return to the Odin image I started in January as this too has fallen by the wayside. This should serve as a warmup for the many images I need to create for the Clan Saga.I am going to return to my dyslexia project later today and hopefully I can complete the last two images so make sure you keep an eye on the gallery page as well as my deviantART account.So long for nowOS 2011-2-27 12:20:10 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#84042 Just a quick update to let you all know I now have a Deviant Art account which you can see by clicking here.I started to break up the Clan Saga over the weekend and boy have I underestimated the amount of work needed before this project is finished. There is no way it will be finished by April at least not in the way I envisioned so I may well try to get one version done for the wedding with a more detailed version finished later in the year. I will just have to see how it pans out.Another little bit of news is that I have just started a quickish pic of Odin the Norse Allfather. I have chosen to depict him riding Sleipnir with his wolf amp raven companions and with a hug sack of goodies he was a big influence on the Father ChristmasSanta myth. I found some small sketches I had made last year and thought I might actually try and get him done he should also serve as a good reintro to using my wacom tablet and photoshop.OS 2011-1-6 17:19:00 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#83272 Well I finally finished the first draft of the saga hope you enjoy...fontface fontfamily 6532565331 2612626397 fontface fontfamily 6532565331 2612626397 fontface fontfamily 124981252112462124943528212468 Pro W3 p.MsoNormal li.MsoNormal div.MsoNormal margin 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt fontsize 12pt fontfamily Times New Roman p.Body li.Body div.Body margin 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt fontsize 12pt fontfamily Helvetica color black .MsoChpDefault fontsize 10pt fontfamily Helvetica div.WordSection1 page WordSection1 Gael whose father is said to be the god B237le was a mercenary from Iberia he and his followers plied their trade in the Mediterranean. While working for King Reafloir of Scythia Gael married the princess Seang and together they had two boys named Donn and Eremon. The king became increasingly suspicious of Gael believing that he wanted the throne of Scythia for himself. One night he attempted to poison the mercenary leader but it was Seang who died instead. ... 2010-12-23 14:16:08 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#82905 2010-12-16 22:03:48 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#82904 I have managed to get access to an A3 scanner so I have replaced my recent graphic images in the gallery with new scans which Im sure you will agree are much clearer.I have also added another 5 images to the gallery continuing with my exploration of my dyslexia. Difficulty relating to and interacting with other people is something that is fairly new to most people when considering dyslexia. I am realising that the problems caused or thrown up by dyslexia extend far beyond the classroom and learning they are a lifelong cause of frustration anger and isolation. I hope that these images go some way to expressing this as words always fail me.OS 2010-12-16 21:53:30 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#79728 Hi allI have finally finished the outline of the Clan Saga and the Leabhar Gabh225la 201ire Book of the Takings of Ireland. I am now kind of shellshocked as this is something I have been planning for a looong time. I was rummaging through some note books earlier today and found notes on this from at least 610 years ago so I am glad to finally get there. The plan now is to start to polish the Saga and work on some sketches to mull over ideas for the final result which is likely to be a graphic novel. Once the Clan Saga is done I would like to have a go at the Takings of 201ire as well. Who knows maybe that will be something I can market as there are no real editions of the myth out there other than in more academic texts.I have also been working on a new art project. With extra duties at work I have found myself struggling a lot recently and have been busily sketching a lot of small graphic panels much in the vein of my Graduation Project check out the gallery page see above for an exam... 2010-11-7 21:01:16 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#78961 Hi allits been a while since I posted anything here as my day job is taking up most of my time at the moment. However I have been on a half term this week so have managed to get some art work done which I should be putting up over the weekend. Its not directly related to my overarching long term projects and yet...at the same time...it is. All will be revealed soon...On to the reviews with the first being The Atlantean Irish Irelands Oriental and Maritime Heritage by Bob Quinn with a foreword by Barry Cunliffe. This is quite an interesting read Mr Quinn puts forward the idea that Ireland should look less to its Celtic roots and more to its relatively unrecognised Islamic heritage from North Africa and the Middle East.For the most part Ireland and to a certain extent Britain has been seen as being on the very edge of the world when looking at the Ancient World due to it being an island towards the north of mainland Europe yet Mr Quinn proposes that when seen from the sea Ireland is just... 2010-10-28 09:04:43 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#75654 Well after a busy summer I am now having a busy return to work so I havent managed to do much recently. I have just finished compiling what I have so far though.I have the outline of the Clan Saga down now and am returning to the Leabhar Gabh225la 201irenn the Takings of Ireland to explore this sweeping epic. This work will then feed back into the Clan Saga. After this I can then polish the Clan Saga and hopefully start work on an illuminated version. At the moment I am unsure if I want to do a modern graphic novel or try to go the route of the oldschool illuminated manuscript...I have a sneaking suspicion it will be somewhere between the twoOS 2010-9-16 19:12:47 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#73004 Well the research is slowly moving forward. I am trying to reconcile the Book of Invasions with Scottish myths from the Scoticronicon as well as attempting to remove the overtly Christian parts of the tale.I have been reading a book titled The Atlantean Irish an interesting read exploring the influence spreading from North Africa and the Arab world up the coast of Spain and western Europe to Ireland. This theory goes some way to support the basic ideas of Ireland being colonized by people living in Iberia. I have yet to finish the work but it the author seems eager to dispel the myth of races particularly the Celts and their association in Ireland Scotland and Wales.I want to create a primarily family focused origin myth and it can be difficult to avoid getting too waylaid by sometimes bizarre myths Christian and colonial propaganda as well as modern theories ancestral migration. I need to find a way of juggling these aspects to identify and retain the poetic core of the myth.I am stil... 2010-8-16 19:41:11 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#71049 Just finished another great book The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes. This interesting book explores the genetic matriarchal link from mother to daughter through mitochondrial DNA. During his research the author and his team have identified 7 distinct genetic groups or clans from whom 95 of Europe can claim ancestry. His work also explores the human clans of the world and how they have migrated from Africa since the dawn of time.Most of the book looks at the evolution of the authors work and how he reached his conclusions with the information presented in an easily understood form. The later part of the book narrates a glimpse into the life of each of the 7 Clan Mothers. These ministories really help to bring the lives of these people to life though obviously they have to be taken with a pinch of salt.The most interesting thing this book brought to me was the idea that the Black Clan origin myth really is part of a larger story. Obviously I knew this anyway but still it really di... 2010-7-22 21:06:46 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#69447 Just finished a great little book a colleague from work lent to me A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong.As the title would suggest this book explores the evolution of myth which is broken down into 6 periods Palaeolithic Neolithic Early Civilisations Axial Age PostAxial and the Great Western Transformation. A history of myth does seem a little bit of a contradiction especially for me as I feel that myth gives a more accurate portrait of what was than written history.I really enjoyed this book it works as a nice counterpoint to the writings of Joseph Campbell who is very scholarly in his style of writing whereas Karen does embrace the spiritual more readily. This spiritual leaning does bring up the only problem I had with the book a bias towards the religions of the Middle East which comes to the fore in the Chapter on the Early Civilisations and onwards. This is hardly surprising as Karen is a former Nun in a Roman Catholic Order. The last chapter suggests the growing spiritual ... 2010-7-3 08:57:47 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#69250 I have the basic structure to the Black Clan origin myth. I actually started this a while back and have had it just about finalized in my head at least for now. The last few weeks I have been researching into the Milesians and their invasion of Ireland. Few what I have so far...The basic creation myth with Dana amp B237leI may include a bit about other invasions of Ireland but I doubt itM237l hears of the death of his nephew Ith at the hands of the three sons of Ogma and decides to set sail to Ireland where he will conquer it as revenge. M237l dies en route but his sons and wife Scota continueThe sons of M237l wage war against the D233 Danaan and Scota is killed. Peace between the Milesians and D233 Danaan who enter the Sidhe mounds the Milesians divide 201ire Ireland between themOver time the Scots or Irish spread to Alba and fight against the PictsThe arrival of the sons of OdinThe Highland Clearances the clan scatters and my branch heads south to Northen EnglandObviously this is a ... 2010-6-30 17:08:50 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#67930 Hi allIt occurred to me that it might be a good idea to share some of the cool and inspiring books and films I have seen with you. All the items I will review in this blog will all have something to do with Gaelic Celtic or Norse myth andor history. As you can imagine my research is leading me to all sorts of interesting texts so I thought I had best make a start.First up is Outlander which is directed by Howard McCain a cunning reworking of the Beowulf myth. Set in ancient Norway a space ship crash lands releasing a fearsome stowaway. Kainan the only survivor of the crash is caught by a group of Norse and attempts to convince them to hunt the beast down. We find out that Earth is an abandoned seedcolony of Kainans people and it is they who hunted the Moorwen the beastie to extinction. At least they thought they had untill it kills Kainans family and stowsaway on board his ship.The Norse are understandably reluctant to go on the hunt when Kainan starts talking of a dragon but soo... 2010-6-14 18:44:37 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#67388 Wow such a simple word yet such a lot to do.The research for this project is like a flower bud opening...the more it opens the more there is to to see. Its so unbelievably complicated as different versions of the myths share some similarities then shoot off in different directions not to mention the addition of Christian influences who added their own flavour.Characters are dropped and never heard from again while one character Bil233 appears to be both the son and father of M237l as well as the God of Death. Slowly though I hope to bring all together and pluck the story strands needed to bring some sort of harmony. Having said that I would still like to keep in elements of anarchy...for without which their would be a lack of flavour lol. 2010-6-8 16:34:36 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#67159 I can reveal my new project is something I have been wanting to do for many years...an origin myth for my family I have been looking into this for many years but I have finally started to stitch it all together.I am in the process of compiling all the info I can find and have done a few simple storyboard sketches like the one shown. My aim is to use this research to write a script and so create a graphic novel detailing the origin myths of my family and out ancestral heritage. Everything that will go into it will be genuine myths though a certain amount of creative licence will be needed to fill in the gaps I am going to be covering two and a half thousand years hereI will be working on the research over the next few months as well as lots of sketching to get me back into the flow. I have no idea when this will be finished as there will be a lot of work involved but I hope to produce something that I will be able to share with my family and my eventual children in short it is a life lo... 2010-6-6 15:26:30 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#67013 I have reviewed and reduced the price of the tees They are reduced from 16317.50 to 16313.50 thats an impressive saving of 1634 each. I have also decided to give away a free shopping bag if you buy two or more teesThe revisions to the website are nearly done and hopefully will be finished by the weekend. I have also started a new project and am hoping to have something I want to share with you by the end of the weekIts all go today. 2010-6-4 15:39:09 http://www.ogmastudios.net/page2.htm#67006 I am currently in the process of reworking this site as my life and direction has taken quite a change right over the last year or so. This website is going to become more of a project log for my personal work and I am hoping to keep it updated regularly with my progress so stay tuned for the changes happening this week Take a look in the gallery to see my latest work The Rescue of Etain. 2010-6-4 14:20:12