David Marsden, December 1939 – August 2009
my father David Marsden during a visit to our house June 2009
My father David Marsden died completely unexpectedly in Barbados over the weekend.
At a later time when I have gotten over this very sudden and unexpected shock, I will write a few words here in my blog about my father Dave, who was a very unique and unforgettable man by anyone’s standards.
Au revoir, Dave. We love you and miss you very much.
Au revoir, Dave.
Some friends of mine in Barbados have started a really cool new online community called COOL BARBADOS (http://www.cool-barbados.com)
Of course the site is completely free.
This is a place where native Bajans who live in Barbados can upload and share videos and pics of their favorite spots, fetes, neighborhoods, roti shops, rum shops, fish frys or even barber shops or kite flying spots. Anything and everything.
Likewise visitors to the island of Barbados and fans of Bajan life and culture can also share their photos, films and experiences, they can get in touch with locals and other friends of Barbados and find new locations and experiences they might want to enjoy on their next visit to the island.
People who have never visited beautiful Barbados can get a first glimpse and experience of some of the wonderful things they might encounter.
http://www.cool-barbados.com/
The basic idea is also that you can take a short Bajan vacation from your computer anytime you like. Take a break, a walk along the beach, sip a virtual rum and relax.
It might be snowing where you are but not on COOL BARBADOS.
Back in 1999 when I lived on the wonderful island of Barbados, I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Talma, surfer and windsurfer extra-ordinaire.
He commissioned me to create a cartoon line-art version of the ‘Irie Man’ for him.
Here is a Link to his website which is: http://www.irieman-talma.com/
An excerpt from his biography:
Brian “Irie Man” Talma
You can spot Brian ‘Irie Man’ Talma on a crowded beach from yards away. He’s the one with the sun-bleached tousled locks and the broad, welcoming smile. And if he isn’t chatting with someone or posing for a camera, he’s giving somebody a big thumbs up, accompanied by his trademark beam, “Yeah, man, action!” World class windsurfer and international sports personality Brian ‘Irie Man’ Talma is a true veteran on the Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA) world tour. In 1989, after representing his homeland, Barbados, at the Seoul, Korea Olympics, Brian turned pro and soon became one of the most flamboyant personalities on the circuit.
Brian Talma – The ‘Irie Man’
Cartoon of Pirates walking the plank © 1997 by Ian D. Marsden
This is one of several Playboy-style cartoons I submitted to Michelle Urry at Playboy Magazine which led her to think that my drawing style might be a match for Playboy. Unfortunately Hugh Hefner himself disagreed with Mrs. Urry and even though I got this close – I missed it by ‘that much’ as Maxwell Smart might say.
This was created using pen and ink, colored pencil and watercolor, gouache on Bristol Board.
Pirates plank walking cartoon (Playboy) by Ian MarsdenMenu card for the three different sumptuous buffets being offered at the Sandy Lane Luxury Golf and Spa Resort at St James in Barbados, West Indies with 3 original watercolor illustrations by Ian Marsden.
I was in Barbados at the time and enjoyed being commissioned to create this artwork very much.
Of course I had to try the buffet selections on several occasions to make certain I got just the right feel of the ambience.
In 1997 when I lived in Barbados, West Indies I was asked by my very good friend John Flann, who was (among other things) the owner of ‘Da Ark’ floating bar in the center of Bridgetown, to design the logo mascot and labels for his new product, Whistling Frog Barbados Rum.
The concept was very clever, and the bottle cap even had a frog shaped whistle built in. The labels were very nicely executed also with a blue metallic rim and embossed 3D ‘warts’ and bumps on the actual frog.
I later also designed the website for the product, the JuJu Lounge.
Unfortunately John passed away at a very untimely age and the product stopped production shortly after it had even launched.
The artwork was designed, inked and colored by hand on paper – this was just around the time when I started to use digital graphics.
