FEBRUARY

february has been one of those strange months that you expect to be really quiet and then everything sneaks up on you and you suddenly find yourself at the end of the month thinking what the hell just happened and why is my face so grey. my day job has been manic, and my freelancing has been manic. i can't complain, being this busy leaves me feeling exhausted but extremely content at feeling like i've actually accomplished something.


so let me show you what i've been working on this month. the illustration above is taken from a project i started working on with matthew knight called the a-z of technology. the project is a blog collaboration, wherein each week matthew writes an article on a particular technology, and i illustrate it.


ABOVE: here's a cheeky little flyer i made for them lovely boys over at ice breaker promotions. yes, i'm hugely biased, but they've been successfully hosting gigs for and promoting local and student bands for over two years now, that one must give credit where credit's due.
ABOVE: a fun logo i was asked to create for crafty up-cyclers cheeky tiki island. their creations are beautiful, daft and completely unique, i highly recommend a little visit!


ABOVE: le gasp! a tiny preview of a private commission i was asked to make earlier this month. that's all you're getting of that one for now ;)


ABOVE: something a little way away from my usual style...an illustration produced for a 2-in-1 split poster design for lakeside theatre. see the full poster design here on my portfolio.


ABOVE: lastly for now, a little character from a big project i've just begun with elves and ovens, as part of a brand overhaul.

as well as that, in the last week i have also taken on two other projects, one branding/logo based and the other band merch based, but i'll wait until i've finished them to show them off :) thank you for reading - phew!

jumble sale

it's been a bit quiet here lately. this blog post is a little bit of a jumble i'm afraid - i've been quite busy so haven't had time to regularly update.

my life has had a few changes recently and it's all been very exciting! i guess my biggest news is that i have a new job. i'm still illustrating freelance on the side, but it wasn't realistic for me to continue attempting it full-time, especially as i am keen to move out next year.

i am assistant manager at a new print shop opening in colchester called my icon art & clothing. we're a specialist printers selling t-shirts, canvas prints, bags, mugs & hopefully more. i've only made a few designs for them so far as everyone's mostly been busy preparing the shop for opening, but here's one design inspired by my favourite film:


you can buy one (if you'd like!) here and also have a look at my other star wars inspired design here.


i was asked by the colchester circle magazine to design an invite for their up-and-coming birthday party this month. when a client gives me a completely open brief i tend to meander towards my safety zone of pastel colour palettes and a fun 60s vibe. party times!



the end of september saw the grand opening of the most exciting building colchester has ever seen (jn my little ol' opinion), firstsite. it's beautiful golden exterior has been teasing the town for months and we've all been eagerly waiting to see what it was hiding behind it's lovely shiny doors. it certainly didn't disappoint. with work from some amazing artists such as andy warhol, barbara hepworth and henry moore, the building is just what the town needs - a contemporary, fresh and exciting social space that doubles up as a beautiful gallery.

i was lucky enough to be asked to help design some of the promotional and informative leaflets before the grand opening. i haven't seen one of the leaflets in print yet but will be sure to share photos as soon as i do. i got to work with the creative co-op and nial of harringtonmoncrieff producing little illustrations & devices for a cute booklet for children and families about the art in the building. my input wasn't huge, but still, it was a lovely thing to be a part of:



another exciting event i got to be a part of was the wivenhoe church ale festival. the day was cold & windy but the atmosphere completely made up for it. i got to spend six hours live drawing and painting the event as it happened. all i have is a silly photo of myself during the day, but no pictures of my final pieces? i don't know.



this is just some of the stuff i've been up to. i have lots of other work to share with you but it either has yet to be signed off by the client or hasn't gone to print yet so i'd be naughty to put it online.

what a terribly messy & rushed blogpost! i do apologise.