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! 

Brother Sun Sister Moon finals/ Macmillan competition.

Well I'm done... for now anyway. One day I'd like to work out the kinks and finish the other spreads but for now I have seven full colour spreads including the cover. Had a few problems photographing the originals but think they came out ok in the end! Here is the story and the colour spreads that go with them:



Cover



Far, far away on vast dusty plains, Brother Sun was fed up of the unbearable heat. He wished there was somewhere cooler to live. Many, many mile north, Sister Moon felt much too cold. If only there was somewhere where the sun shone more brightly and I could be warmer she thought.

So Brother Sun collected his belongings together and set off into the wide world to find cooler lands to call home. And Sister Moon gathered her things together and started out into the big world to find warmer lands.

And they walked, and walked and walked. Through all weathers.



Up mountains and down.



(No text. Going round a large rock. Animals acknowledge each other but humans don’t see each other.)



Until they found themselves in a new exotic land. Where the world is icy and cold and the land is covered with a strange white powder.

Where the sun shines bright and hot and the ground is covered with gold.

At last the children felt they had found what they were looking for.



But Brother Sun soon found himself shivering with cold. He longed for the golden sands of his home.



And Sister Moon found the hot sun burned her soft skin. She wished she could be back among the icecaps and snow.

So they both decided to head back, taking a small reminder of their journey, some glittering snow for Brother Sun and some golden sand for Sister Moon.



Once back among their family no-one believed their fantastic stories. And the only evidence was now gone…(Picture of Brother Sun with dripping hands and Sister Moon with an empty pouch).

But at least they had finally found somewhere perfect to call home.

(No text, things left behind being sniffed by creatures).

Final updated Puffin!

Here it is with changes! Wish me luck!

Brother Sun, Sister Moon. Help please!

So right now I'm working on my final major project/ Macmillan entry. Its a story for children called Brother Sun, Sister Moon, which has a kinda folktaley feel. My tutor wants me to do this in hand coloured lino and I am pushing for collage. I would really appreciate peoples feedback (in fact I might put a little poll in the blog sidebar). I'm aware that neither are perfect yet but personally feel that collage is more friendly... anyway views appreciated!

Contagion by Spike Milligan

Contagion

Elephants are contagious! Be careful how you tread. An Elephant that's been trodden on Should be confined to bed! Leopards are contagious too. Be careful tiny tots. They don't give you a temperature But lots and lots - of spots. The Herring is a lucky fish From all disease inured. Should he be ill when caught at sea; Immediately - he's cured! Spike Milligan The last of the poems. Again it needs a few tweaks and the text as they all do. Also think I might try photographing them all, instead of scanning them. Scanning seems to play with the colours a bit!

Look At All Those Monkeys!

Look At All Those Monkeys!

Look at all those monkeys Jumping in their cage. Why don't they all go out to work And earn a decent wage? How can you say such silly things, And you a son of mine? Imagine monkeys travelling on The Morden-Edgware line! But what about the Pekinese! They have an allocation. 'Don't travel during Peke hour', It says on every station. My Gosh, you're right, my clever boy, I never thought of that! And so they left the monkey house, While an elephant raised his hat. Spike Milligan Another poem, this one was one of my favourites to do, although it was also the most work! Lots and lots of tiny bits of paper, my studio looked liked it had been subject to some kind of hurricane!

Philip Le Barr by Spike Milligan

Philip Le Barr.

Philip Le Barr,
Was knock down by a car,
On the road to Mandalay.
He was knocked down again
By a dust cart in Spain
And again in Zanzibar.
So,
He travled at night
In the pale moon light
Away from the traffic growl
But terrible luck
He was hit by a duck
Driven by an owl.


Spike Milligan

Jumbo Jet by Spike Milligan

Jumbo Jet.

I saw a little elephant standing in my garden,
I said 'You don't belong in here', he said 'I beg you pardon?',
I said 'This place is England, what are you doing here?',
He said 'Ah, then I must be lost' and then 'Oh dear, oh dear'.

'I should be back in Africa, on Saranghetti's Plain',
'Pray, where is the nearest station where I can catch a train?'.
He caught the bus to Finchley and then to Mincing lane,
And over the Embankment, where he got lost, again.

The police they put him in a cell, but it was far too small,
So they tied him to a lampost and he slept against the wall.
But as the policemen lay sleeping by the twinkling light of dawn,
The lampost and the wall were there, but the elephant was gone!

So if you see an elephant, in a Jumbo Jet,
You can be sure that Africa's the place he's trying to get!


Spike Milligan

Another of Spike Milligan's lovely poems. More tweaks and text to come!

On the Ning Nang Nong.

On the Ning Nang Nong.

On the Ning Nang Nong
Where the Cows go Bong!
and the monkeys all say Boo!
There's a Nong Nang Ning
Where the trees go Ping!
And the teapots jibbers jabber joo.
On the Nong Ning Nang
All the mice go Clang
And you just can't catch 'em when they do!
So its Ning Nang Nong
Cows go Bong!
Nong Nang Ning
Trees go ping
Nong Ning Nang
The mice go Clang
What a noisy place to belong
is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!


Spike Milligan

Another spread for Spike Milligan's nonsense poetry. Again a few tweaks needed and the text needs to be added!

Granny by Spike Milligan

Granny

Through every nook and every cranny The wind blew in on poor old Granny Around her knees, into each ear (And up nose as well, I fear) All through the night the wind grew worse It nearly made the vicar curse The top had fallen off the steeple Just missing him (and other people) It blew on man, it blew on beast It blew on nun, it blew on priest It blew the wig off Auntie Fanny- But most of all, it blew on Granny! By Spike Milligan For one of my four major projects I was asked to illustrate 6 of Spike Milligan's nonsense poetry. Here is one of the spreads. It still needs a bit of work and I eventually will add text!

Update on Folio.

Well, my folio society entry is now in the hands of the judges! I've looked around and there are some beautiful images out there, (some are here, Ben Hendy, and here, Eileen Kai Hing Kwan) so we will see what happens. Anyway here are the updated images with a few little tweaks here and there, plus the rough binding for the book.

Animal Farm.

Over the summer I did a few different covers for books I love. Animal Farm was one of my favourites as a teenager. These were my first ever attempts at colour linos!

Pig King.

Finally catching up with my posts! Here are the image I mentioned a while back from second year. It was a joint project with the fantabuluous Eileen Kai Hing Kwan (check out her amazing work!). We created a book of two similar fairy/folk tales, "The Pig King" and "Beauty and the Beast". One story ran in one direction and then, if you flipped the book, the other story ran in the other direction.
Here are some of my images:

And the final bound book:

Folio society- The Bloody Chamber.

This year the Folio societies competition is to illustrate some of Angela Carter's wonderful stories; The Bloody Chamber, In the Company of Wolves, and Puss in Boots. Here are my submissions (the scanner once again has foiled me by messing with the colours slightly but Cest La Vie!) I still have to cut the cover, so will upload that later!

The Faraway Tree.

I loved this book when I was young. Here is a cover I've done for it.

Alice in Wonderland.

A cover for Alice in Wonderland.