BOOGIE WONDERLAND?

i drew a silly dancing lady tonight whilst working on some actual work. it's made me want to make a little series about how different drinks affect your behaviour (particularly on the dance floor - i love drawing people gettin' down and shaking their tail feather, if you hadn't already noticed).

i know that i certainly enjoying a punching my fist in the air when i've had a rum cocktail or two (see fig. a)

now might be a good time to mention i gave my portfolio an overhaul a few weeks ago: tinysketchbook.com

DRINK LIKE A FISH

isn't the illustration process a strange thing? you start with an idea in your head about how you want something to look. so...sketch. erase. sketch. erase. sketch. lightbox. ink. scan. play around for an hour. decide on a colour scheme. play around a bit longer. then realise that there is no way that it will ever work like you want it to. my goal this evening was to design a two-colour screen print for a run of t-shirts for v bar, in colchester, but because my idea wasn't working the way i wanted it to, i made this instead.

a blue-skined, slightly zombie-esque (shudder) martini-drinking pin-up inspired young lady.

back to the drawing board, as they say.

WALT & WINNIE'S WONDROUS WORDS!

i only found this out two days ago by accident, but a children's educational book i illustrated over a year ago has been published!

it's called Walt & Winnie's Wondrous Words and it's written by Charlie Chaleco. it's described as "a new approach to learning vocabulary - a sure way of building up a huge memory bank of wondrous words". it was a huge project to work on (the book is 100 pages long), a totally new experience and learning curve.

you can buy it from amazon HERE.

UNCONTAINED - HIGH SPIRITS PT. II

and so the colourful army of paper-shaped positivity took over the little store in box park and if the only thing we achieved today was making someone passing by glance in and smile to themselves, then that was all we wanted.

what a jolly fun day :) thanks again to shellsuitzombie for the opportunity and to 55dsl for hosting us and for being generally top chaps, and anyone who popped by to make a bird.

(i forgot my camera memory card. these photos were taken on an old blackberry phone, ha.) EDIT: shellsuit have just published a lovely write-up of the day, including some far superior photos. read it here.

UNCONTAINED - HIGH SPIRITS

"In June and July, ShellsuitZombie is taking over the 55DSL store in BOXPARK, Shoreditch, and getting thirty creative individuals, groups and companies to take a day each.

The lucky few will not only get a blank box in which to create or show off whatever they want to but also get a feature in the next issue of ShellsuitZombie magazine which goes out at the end of May.

We will have everything from illustrators and creative directors to live bands and festivals, all in one place. This won’t just be another exhibition - workshops, parties, creative get-togethers and crowd participation are not only encouraged but expected."

i was super chuffed to be asked by shellsuitzombie to take part in UNCONTAINED this month. i worked with them last year at the D&AD and have gone to various events they've hosted - they're basically the coolest and nicest people in the creative industry, and can throw a damn good party to boot.

my favourite designer/thinker heather and i are going to be spending our day (wednesday 6th june) folding, creasing and stringing up a flock of tiny colourful birds containing messages of positivity and happiness. it sounds over-the-top hippy, i know, but our intention is to create a bright and happy, constantly evolving environment that anyone can walk into and contribute towards.

find out a little bit more about what we will be doing here.

we would love everyone to get involved so even if you can't pop along on the day to write/draw/make, we'll be using the hashtag #highspirits on the run up to and including the day itself for you to submit your happy thoughts. we'll make them fly for you!

lions, dragons and type...oh my!

last month i successfully packed twenty-four years of my life into many boxes and moved into a flat with my boyfriend, jack, and now we're finally (almost) settled and i am well and truly saddled up and back on the ol' freelance horse. hello again!

and so, for now, here's a few bits and bobs that i have been working on...(what's that? a blog post that has no real narrative and is just a mish-mash of drawings? what a surprise).

here's a bonkers thing: i was shortlisted with a few other artists to potentially help with the rebrand of one of my favourite magicians/comedians/mythical creature piff the magic dragon (i was lucky enough to catch his show at the edinburgh fringe last year - he is truly daft and puts on a wonderfully grumpy performance - please do look him up if you don't know of him). nothing has been confirmed yet & it probably won't happen but to be emailed was enough. very chuffed! the above illustration was a sample i submitted.

i was also approached by euston estate, as they needed to update their logo (their current one can be seen on their website...)

as it turned out, my style wasn't what they were after so unfortunately i couldn't see the job through to the end (can't win 'em all, eh!) but this is one example of what i produced for them.



finally for now: mentor me. this is a project that not only am i involved in (as one of the mentors), but have also had a part to play in the branding of it. marc of the creative co-op asked me to design the logo as well as the hand-drawn type that accompanies the mentor photographs on the website. this is a seriously lovely and important project to be a part of, and i'm very grateful that i am.

mid-march

just a quick little post. i wish i could be more careful with this blog rather than using it as a dumping ground. i guess it is just something i need to practice and be more disciplined with.

first up (top image, and below) is a logo and flyer for the up-and-coming junk jamboree in colchester. i am genuinely gutted that i won't be around for the event (i have to be at work at the shop), it looks like it's going to be so cute!



second up is another flyer for them lovely fellas at ice breaker promotions (i may be a little biased) - they recently took on the very exciting move to a shiny new venue in town (RELAUNCH TOMORROW!) so they wanted a new flyer to go with it. jack & gary are doing absolute wonders for the town's local music scene & i'm super proud of them, as well as really chuffed to be a little part of it.



lastly, and i hate to be one of those illustrators who are all like I AM WORKING ON SUCH A COOL PROJECT RIGHT NOW BUT I CAN'T SHOW YOU, but. you guys. i am working on such a cool project right now but, and i'm sorry, but i can't show you (not at least until it's finished and what-not). but here's a preview! you know those jobs where you can't believe this is a job because you're enjoying it so much? yeah, that.



i'm not taking on any more commissions for the next month or so as i'm (fingers crossed) moving out next month and want the transition to be as smooth and stress free as possible, so things may be a little quiet around here. rest assured i will be back and hopefully (maybe) if i'm a lucky, with a fancy new studio space! ta-ra!

KIDS Gala

i've been really excited to tell everyone about this project, and it finally got signed off to print last week so i can finally share it! i've really enjoyed working on this.

last year the lovely nial of harrington moncrieff asked if i would provide the illustrations for an invite and programme for the kids charity KIDS 2012 fundraising gala. i loved the little challenge of working with a strict colour palette to echo the KIDS branding.

if i manage to get my hands on copies of the finished items i'll be sure to share them.

nom nom nom

last month i was asked by locally based vegan-friendly and frankly delicious baking geniuses p.s...it's vegan! to revamp their logo. i thoroughly enjoyed working with company owner jen to produce a sugary sweet and fun logo that i like to think it reflects their personality and cakes all in one.

they even got the final result printed on t-shirts (from my beaut of a workplace), which jen & her husband were kind enough to model:

hello twenty-twelve

happy new year! i didn't make any new years resolutions, as i'm a firm believer that if you want to change something about your lifestyle/try something new/accomplish new things, then why not just do it. but if i did make one, it should probably be to blog smaller blogs & more often, instead of MASSIVE BLOGS & once on a blue moon, as i am wont to do.

regardless, here are some more things i have been making! above is an illustration i produced as part of the redesign of the 'complaints, comments and compliments' leaflet for colchester institute.


this little fella is a new t-shirt design i did for work. you can buy it here, in my little section of the shop (ooh-err!): my icon art & clothing.



this year for our little group's secret santa, i got katie of paint it rouge fame, so for a lovely extra-personalised gift i created a crafty illustration and stuck it on a mug (another perk of my day job!) for her, as i know she's a bit partial to a nice cuppa. craft-tacular!

...well at least it wasn't an axe.


(eleven of us partook in this year's secret santa. four of us got axes. is it funnier if i leave it out of context? yes, yes it is.)

another lovely thing that happened is that those delightful folk at colchester circle magazine did a little feature on me! not only am i chuffed to be a part of their frankly gorgeous new-look mag, but they have also been super nice :') you can read the latest issue online here (i'm on pg 26 if you're interested).



lastly, and so this isn't just another sporadic blog post full of silly drawings & equally silly shenanigans, the lovely heather & i went for a jaunt to the minories gallery in colchester today to see a charming little exhibition on the work of abram games. if you have twenty minutes to spare it is well worth a look, his work is bloody good. it's on until saturday 18th february this year. GO!