mark smith
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gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
mark smith
@gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
210 followers 460 following 910 posts
Still owned by a cat. Graphic designer-ish/illustrator, mainly within the model-hobby industry. Cow-botherer. Somerset badlands, twixt Bridgwater and Glastonbury. Am GCU Grey Area on theafterword.co.uk forum/blog.
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gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
From the instructions of our new Hotpoint cooker, in steam-assisted mode. Ready-made water?
The text reads ‘Refrain from using distilled or filtered water. Use ready-made waters only.’
December 17, 2025 at 6:43 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
‘Marine Blue’. Work very much in progress. Wall tiles to follow, ditto final paint, tbd.
A kitchen cupboard, in Howdens Marine Blue, all set off by bare plaster, empty electric sockets, abundant Howdens cardboard, heating pipes and broom handle.
December 7, 2025 at 8:51 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
I received proofs for circa 30 1/72 scale sheets yesterday. The artwork is derived from 1000s of profile drawings I’ve done. Price per A4 page is about £15. High-quality, waterslide with true white. Varnish/carrier layer is continuous but under image, not over like silkscreen.
The image shows seven sheets of special paper arranged in a fan. The sheets are waterslide transfers - decals - for 1/72 scale model aircraft. There are about thirty individual decal sheets imposed on the paper. The subjects are mainly RAF fighters of the 1950s and aircraft of the Central Flying School, Little Rissington, from 1950 to 1976.
November 28, 2025 at 8:24 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Trump on the phone images always remind me of the original of this cover. With apologies to 10CC and Hipgnosis.
The cover of the 10cc album 'How Dare You?' with Trump replacing the man on the phone in the left hand panel.
October 29, 2025 at 8:39 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Coastal Forces developed Light and Dark Schemes, which in this instance used three colours in an attempt to 'flatten' the boat. Areas in shadow were painted white and highlights pale grey.
A profile drawing - by me - of a British Power Boat Company 71ft 6ins Motor Torpedo Boat 476. It is painted in a variant of the Admiralty Light Scheme, with decks in B15, and vertical surfaces in White and the pale grey known as G45. The G45 sweeps down the port side of the boat in a sinuous curve.
October 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
There are two pre-‘Warboys’ road signs in Glastonbury, and this is one of them;
The photo shows a street in Glastonbury, Somerset, with an old road sign in the reveal between two houses. It is a sign from the time before ‘Warboys’, which redesigned all signs. The sign shows two children crossing, with a red triangle above.
October 19, 2025 at 7:06 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
'I've got a Porsche'. Emma Thompson in 'The Young Ones - Bambi'.
Screengrab of Emma Thompson playing 'Miss Money-Sterling' in 'The Young Ones' episode 'Bambi', featuring Footlights College versus Scumbag College on University College. She wears a strapless dress, pearl necklace and earrings, tiara and fur stole. In her gloved hand is a glass of champagne, on the desk in front of her, the team's teddy bear mascot.
October 10, 2025 at 10:40 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
‘Oh Dear, How Sad, Never Mind’. #shouldersbackgunnerreeves
An image of Windsor Davies as Sergeant Major Williams in the BBC series It Ain’t Half Hot Mum. Only done in the style of Shepard Fairey’s poster of Obama, with the wording ‘Oh Dear. How Sad. Never Mind’.
October 9, 2025 at 6:24 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Possibly...
The photo of the cast of the recent Oh God What Now? podcast, turned into mostly monochrome. The text top right reads xRemainiacs xOhGodWhatNow, in a similar font to the xPropaganda cd 'The Heart Is Strange'.
September 27, 2025 at 2:14 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
SWAN!
A still from the film Hot Fuzz. Police car interior, letterbox format, looking in from the front. Left to right; Danny Butterman, SWAN!!, Sergeant Angel.
September 25, 2025 at 10:38 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
I've 'enhanced' the faded bits to reveal some detail. Pretty sure it is St. Ives, looking from somewhere along The Wharf.
The background in the faded postcard - converted to monochrome - has been darkened.
September 18, 2025 at 12:15 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
'You have device. Stop.'
A small black and white cats puts her paw on a hand which is operating a tablet, and is not giving her fuss.
September 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
@ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social Listening to the latest podcast, and Marie's idea that Dorian became an 'Existential News Reporter'. Dorian-'Dorian' Lynskey, perhaps?
A screengrab from the BBC series 'The Day Today', featuring commentator Jaques-'Jaques' Liverot (played by Patrick Marber).
August 22, 2025 at 8:27 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Scrumps - aka Little Puss, 2007? - 2025. We hope there's cheese in the cat afterlife. Any cheese will do. Oh, and butter...
Our late black and white cat, sitting and staring intently, hopefully and possessively at my cheese on toast, which she guided through the process of it being made, from freezer to small plate.
August 21, 2025 at 10:19 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
@lakesstiles.bsky.social Went to Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary. Loved the donks, but the only photo I took was this gate/stile combo. With a dog hole!
A metal gate, with built-in metal plates at right angles forming a stile. Also incorporating a gap to allow dogs to pass through without having to go over the stile.
July 20, 2025 at 6:13 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
New Tesla on sale next week, with built-in Grok.
An illustration showing Hitler - saluting - and various Nazis (sitting) in a six-wheel G4 staff car. The illustration comes from a 1975 plastic kit, in 1/35 scale scale, from the Japanese manufacturer Marui - also known as Tilt.
July 10, 2025 at 1:21 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
From Nigella’s ‘Nigella Bites’. Made these many times.
A recipe for Chocolate Pots, from Nigella Lawson’s book ‘Nigella Bites’.
July 6, 2025 at 12:20 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Little puss the other morning. #proofofcat
Small black and white cat on a stripey duvet, half curled asleep, on top of me. Who was also asleep.
June 25, 2025 at 7:25 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Solitary bee, nesting in a Pelargonium in our back yard. She’s bringing privet leaves in, from our hedge.
June 20, 2025 at 9:07 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
'Close-order swanning about'.
Monty Python's Graham Chapman in British Army uniform, against a pastiche of the 'Keep Calm...' poster, which reads Stop That It's Too Silly.
June 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
I think Musk’s designer had a long look at some of the really angular Italian concept cars of the 70s, and also the Aston Martin ‘Bulldog’.
The Aston Martin Bulldog concept car. Extremely wedge-shaped.
June 15, 2025 at 7:52 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
@rosamundi.bsky.social The Wellington might have looked like this. If 'T' was the second aircraft in the line, then I think the serial number may have been DF460.
Profile artwork of the port side of a Vickers Wellington III, of 30 OTU at RAF Hixon. It is shown in Dark Earth and Dark Green on the upper surfaces, and black underneath. It carries the squadron codes TN, with the aircraft letter T aft of the roundel. These are in dark red, as is the serial number DF460. On the nose, is artwork of a bugler playing, and the name Top Note Tommy. Artwork is in flat colours. © Mark Smith. 2025.
June 4, 2025 at 12:17 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
@rosamundi.bsky.social The photo is of 30 OTU Wellingtons, at RAF Hixon. They have the earlier squadron codes of BT & KD. BT-T may have become TN-T. I can’t make out the serial. More in alt, increasingly nerdy…
A photo from the IWM showing 30 Operational Training Unit Vickers Wellingtons, at RAF Hixon, Staffordshire. The nearest air craft is being refuelled by an AEC 6x4 tanker. The aircraft would have been Dark Earth and Dark Green on the upper surfaces, and Night (black) underneath. The large squadron codes and the small serial number were dull red.
June 2, 2025 at 5:42 PM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
HMS Vanguard didn't want to leave Portsmouth Harbour. The Still and West pub - the nearest to her bows - has a quite fantastic view of the entrance. Big ships really are big that close. Photo from 'Portsmouth News'.
An oblique aerial view of Britain's last battleship, HMS Vanguard. Her bows are stuck on the east side of the harbour mouth, immediately south of the Still and West public house. She was being towed out of the harbour when her bows slewed off course, on her way to Scotland to be scrapped.
May 23, 2025 at 9:56 AM
gcu-grey-area.bsky.social
Or?
'So Mrs Teal. If you send us £15 - by return of post, please - and your husband Trevor, and your lovely children, Diane, Janice and Juliet need never know the name of your lover in Bolton'.
A scene from the Monty Python sketch 'Blackmail'. Terry Jones is the organist, naked save for a shirt collar and tie. His head is turned towards the viewer, his hands descending onto his organ. An illuminated sign in capitals behind him says 'BLACKMAIL'.
May 15, 2025 at 1:58 PM