Mr Doodle is an artist who knows Ashford well. It's his home town or at least it's the nearest home town to where he lives. Now, riding high on the side of Edinburgh Road car park, it's the biggest artwork he's ever created in the town.
Part of the Ashford Unframed festival Mr Doodle wanted to re-create one of his doodle sketchbook pages on a wall. Constantly doodling, he has notebooks full of doodles so what would one of those look like painted huge on the side of an old car park.
Mr Doodle mural on the side of Edinburgh Road car park on Park Street in Ashford
Sketchbook on a Wall
"I wanted that when people walk past to feel like they'd opened a page in Mr Doodle's sketchbook" explained Mr Doodle. Totally freestyle the work only started with the shape of the page. Then, as with all of Mr Doodle's work, it just evolved on the wall. Some of his characters make an appearance. The artists cartoon alter ego joins Mrs Doodle and Dr Scribble, who is Mr Doodle's evil twin. You've got to look closely to see them all but they are there alongside a range of characters he has developed.
Interview with Mr Doodle
Immersive Doodles
Also known as Sam Cox, Mr Doodle has long been known for his immersive seemingly endless doodles. Growing up he would doodle on everything. Walls and furniture got no escape and he would harbour an ambition to one day doodle over an entire house. It's a dream he's actually achieved and now even his own home has been transformed into a kind of giant liveable doodle.
A giant doodle
Early Ambitions
"When I was 16 I drew over my bedroom at my parents house and I used to go to sleep and then wake up in a room full of doodles. I realised that one day I just really wanted to do this to a whole house and just have a great big space to express myself and show my artwork". It's a dream that eventually would turn into reality and now the Doodle house has become a remarkable artwork in its own right.
Mr Doodle at the Ashford Picturehouse cinema
Graffiti and Street Art
From early on he's dabbled with different types of art forms including graffiti with Banksy being an early influence. Ashford, as the nearest town to where he lives, would often be the destination for graffiti painting trips. Alongside friends Mr Doodle would search out derelict or abandoned spaces in order to paint. Later, his style would be honed even more. Making visits to places like London where he would paint extensive doodle murals in more public settings.
Concrete Cluster by Mr Doodle
Obsession
When speaking about his work, Mr Doodle often describes it in the terms of obsession. A kind of deep rooted yearning to draw and to create art no matter where it might be. It's an approach that has worked out well with his work now highly sought after.
Mr Doodle's 'Concrete Cluster' was painted as part of the Ashford Unframed street art festival. It was supported by 'Love Ashford', 'The London Mural Company' and 'Accent London'. The artist was interviewed at the Ashford Picturehouse on 1 April 2023.
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