Saturday 1 December 2012

Sneak peak at laser cut christmas decorations.

Some decorations I designed for christmas of a reindeer in a christmas jumper... the laser cutter didn't really work on the red felt I'm using so a lot of this is hand cut. They still have a bit of work to do on them...

(Pics are from my friends mobile so aren't that great. Will update with some camera pics soon!)

Saturday 24 November 2012

Lewis Carroll show... dates for your diary.

I promised you more info so here it! The official invitation for the show. A combined effort of Eileen, Alex and I, with beautiful front artwork courtesy of Maj Abrahamsson. The back artwork show a variety of artists images (can you spot my dodo?) which are also going to be in the gallery window. O yes, it's all coming together!

The show runs from the 24th of January until the 30th at the Curious Duke Gallery. We are also having a private view on the evening of the 24th, complete with Mad Hatter's tea party. I really hope to see you all there (but don't worry I'll be dropping plenty of reminders before the big event.)
For more information you can check out the website or the Facebook event page.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Two birds with one stone...

I really should be holding off posting this... for one thing it's actually part of a set of two. However, I was pleased as punch the other day when I finally finished it and just couldn't hold off! It's unusual for me (in other words once in a blue moon) to be happy with my artwork or feel it looks how I imagined it. This was one of those rare occasions! (Although annoyingly my scanner was still playing up and made the colours slightly off... Updated! It's better but still not perfect!)
This is my dad's girlfriend's dog, Billy. It was a birthday present for her but also came out of an idea of something I wanted to do for the Lewis Carroll show (based on a incident in "Sylvie and Bruno" where the pair visit dogland). It is also a development of the images I did way back here, where I took animals and combined them with portraits from the fab National portrait gallery (this was based on a portrait of Henry Pelham by John Shackleton). 

I'll probably post it again with its pairing nearer to the show but for now you can enjoy it as a single image in all its glory!

Friday 9 November 2012

Lewis Carroll show window.

Last week was a gryphon and now I bring you... a swimming dodo! Enjoy! 

I have to say the images we are getting from everyone for this window display are absolutely wonderful...
Looking forward to putting it all together for the show!

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Lewis Carroll show!

This is something I wanted to bring you over the weekend but my scanner has been playing up again (I think it may have a disliking for me, everyone else insists it works fine!)
At the moment I am working on some stuff for a show a few of us are putting on in January. It's called "Curiouser and Curiouser"; An illustrative re-imagining of the life and works of Lewis Carroll. More details and stuff to follow soon!



One of the things we are organising is a window display to showcase everyones styles...
I'll keep the whole concept under my hat until a bit nearer the time but I will show you the Gryphon I've lino printed for it!

Monday 29 October 2012

Sancti Clandestini Undercover Saints.

News on the Saints book I did an illustration for earlier in the year! The book is being published and there is going to be an exhibition of all the work that is being included. Some of it, mine included, will be on sale (here's a link back if you want a reminder of mine, the Patron Saint of Eco Warriors).


The exhibition is at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden from the 29th of October to the 16th November. It would be lovely to see some of you there! 

Sunday 21 October 2012

E17 softies!

A while ago I was at the E17 fair. Here are a couple of cuddly toys I made for the occasion!




Wednesday 3 October 2012

Costumes in the jungle.

My plan now I'm back is to attempt to keep up a weekly update of this blog... we'll see how it goes!
While I was away it was one of the girl's in my group's birthday, the lovely Juliet! We decided to throw here a surprise 'jungle themed' fancy dress party. We all made costumes and arranged food (I made a chocolate birthday cake... with a microwave! But that's another story...). I set out to make Juliet her costume as well, without her knowing.

I paper cut some butterfly wings and then filled the gaps with sweet wrappers to give the wing effect.

And this was the result!
Here they are before the wrappers were added...
And once the wrappers were added!
Here a very dark pic of everyone in their costumes!
My costume was a bit of a disappointment. Not up to my usual standard at all... I just didn't leave enough time to make it after Juliet's (although I suppose it was ok for being made in the middle of the jungle!). I was a crocodile, and here is a picture of my mini-group, Miriam the leech and Nat the firefly!

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Monkey Business (although orang-utans aren't technically monkeys!)

I'm back from Borneo! It was an amazing experience and I was so lucky to get such close contact with the orang-utans and have such a lovely group of girls to share the experience with. I miss them all so much. The orang-utans are incredible creatures, so clever and so naughty. If you take anything away they literally beat their hands on the floor, scream and throw a mega tantrum... just like children.
I didn't forget, while I was way, to take my trusty moleskin and do a bit of sketching... it's been a while!








Here is my lovely group!

Me and Chiquita.


Me working hard while Tomtom (in quarantine) relaxes!

Saturday 7 July 2012

A pause in posting....


This will probably be my last post for a couple of months. After years of waiting I am off to Borneo, Malaysia to volunteer at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Very nervous but it will be an amazing experience (and hopefully I can get some sketching in too!). The photos above are of the orang-utan I've adopted, she's called Lumiyud and is 18 months old.
At the beginning of 2011, the monsoon season arrived  and floods were reported across the state, including at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Later as a local fisherman was checking the fishing nets that he had cast in the raging Kinabatangan River he happened to notice a small furry figure clinging desperately to a tree on the bank.  As he moved closer he realised that it was a baby orangutan, squeaking in distress - her mother was nowhere to be seen.  Amazingly the baby orangutan allowed the fisherman to take her down from the branch.  It was obvious that the baby was starving hungry as well as shivering from the cold, and she was in desperate need of comfort.  The fisherman took the baby to his home and she was then taken to the sanctuary.It was decided she should be called “Lumiyud,” which means Flood in Malay.


I'm away for 2 months but if you miss me too much you can always head on down to Baron Art in Holt, Norfolk where my prints are being sold. The gallery also has some other beautiful works from other artists. If you're nearby, drop in and take a look!

Wednesday 27 June 2012

3x3 Magazine and other news!

Well what a month! Yesterday I received an email to tell me that my entry for the  3x3 student show edition of the magazine has won a place. I have been awarded a merit award which is absolutely amazing! My piece, "Look at all the monkeys" from the Spike Milligan series of pictures I did earlier in the year will be featured in the autumn edition of the magazine.
3x3 is the first and only magazine that is devoted entirely to the art of contemporary illustration. Published in the United States and distributed worldwide, it interested in what's shaping international illustration. Check it out here: https://www.3x3mag.com/aboutthemag.html.

In the meantime here are some lovely pictures of my friend Tavi sporting one of my temporary tattoos. This one is of Buster and is from the Battersea Dogs Home series!

And here's me applying one to Maj at the degree show (her beautiful work is in the background).

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Book of Nasty Endings.

One of the four projects from the beginning of the year. Black and white lino illustrations for the The Oxford Book of Nasty Endings. I actually enjoyed illustrating horror/scary stories a lot more than I thought I would (even if they were just for kids)! Who knew I had such a dark side!
Hey, you down there! By Harold Rothseth

Call First by Ramsey Campbell

The Landlady by Roald Dahl

Such a sweet little girl by Lance Salway

The Statuette by Kenneth Ireland

Those Three wishes by Robert Scott

Thursday 14 June 2012

The end... or the beginning....

It's all over. The degree show has been and gone and now all there is to do is wait and see what happens!
It went pretty well and there seems to be some interest in my work, which is always lovely! I had my two walls and a little plinths and after a bit of hassle with how and what I was going to put up it ended up looking quite good... if I do say so myself! I also made some little temporary tattoos (of the birds from christmas and of the battersea dogs) which I gave out with my business card and they all disappeared really quickly. I have a few more around so feel free to contact me for one if you missed out!
The Truman looked great and there was tonnes of fab work up from the other Middlesex illustrators (to check a few out take a look here: http://www.boxsetmdx.com/)




I also found out after that I'd been featured here:
and also here,
which is really flattering! Thanks guys!

Lastly, I just wanted to add, at the risk of being ridiculously slushy and sentimental, how much I've enjoyed the last few years. I'll miss the course and the tutors, particularly Martin and Andrew who have really influenced me over the years. The other illustrators on the course are all really talented individuals and I hope they all get the success they so truly deserve! They are lovely people and I couldn't imagine these past three years without them.

Monday 14 May 2012

Battersea dogs home!


One of my four projects (along with the Spike Milligan stuff) was to create postcards advertising Battersea dogs home in lino.
The idea I had was based on a conversation with someone in which they said that they wouldn't want a dog from Battersea as "they wouldn't know what the dog had done to be put there."
I felt people lump rescue dogs with 'problem' dogs when in reality this isn't always the case! My strap line on the back of the cards was: We are not Criminals!