Cards

Have really gotten into the hand-made-cards-for-friends groove recently...

Looking for creativity

Well, its been 8 weeks since we lost Little Wind. How quickly time flies ... I could swear it was much slower when I was pregnant. Yesterday I spent the day making these two new-baby cards for the two new arrivals in our friends' circle. Felt good to be doing things with my hands again ... but also re-inforced the fact that we won't be getting any 'happy new baby' cards in July...


Also in April (since this is the blog where I was cataloging creative endevours), it was Sunshine's birthday and I made him some birthday bunting to go on his cake - which I also made (with the help of Sunshine's sister as I had never attempted making cake before); and we went for a vintage velo cycle ride here in Bristol on Bramble the tandem (see our photos here)... Bunny had to come with us too so I made him some vintage wear as well (tweed waistcoat and cravat!). I have a few more outfit ideas for Bunny - he's become a bit of a family mascot since we lost Little Wind - so more sewing is on the agenda for the summer. And hopefully a few more creative projects to blog about. And who knows, maybe even some illustration ...

Launch

This little boy ended up on my final postcards and some of my business cards. He was originally done as part of my proposed design for our London show invites - to "launch" all our new careers as illustrators. I really like these long composition versions and that's how they were printed up for the degree show (at about 200% of their original size). Here's them in context of the invite (front and back) and some closeups:



Last but not least some development sketches:

Alice's Adventures on Planetmithi

Finally ... its all over. Although "the end" was a few weeks ago, we've had a couple more shows in London, which meant that I have still been preoccupied with college life - till last Friday that is. At 5:50pm Friday I started taking down my work from the walls at the Coningsby Gallery; wrapped up books/portfolio/chair; Sunshine then proceeded to come pick me up and we stuffed everything in the car; I said my goodbyes; and we headed back to Bristol. Apart from the graduation ceremony in November - I will not need to have to do anything with the university ever again! Blimey! What a quick three years this has been ... Anyways, now I can finally sit down and spend the rest of the week updating the blog with all of this last few months worth of work.

This was my entry for the Puffin Cover Design competition to re-design Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.


I did a sneak peak of some sketchbook work earlier, but here's some more:


Over the next week I'll be putting up more stuff that was in the degree show ...

Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology vol 3 Cover

(click on image to see bigger)

This is what has preoccupied me the last couple of weeks ... Ok so it shouldn't take that long to design a book cover; but I've also had several bouts of helping with the interview process for the next batch of students coming in September; the last of my dance teaching sessions (including a intensive whole weekend workshop, and a private Charleston lesson) till July; lectures and personal tutorials with both Sarah Warburton and Gina Cross; AND it was my birthday last week :)

With all of that and also doing the illustration + design work on this - (which is a bit more involved than doing only the illustration) - the blog has been a bit quiet. But anyways, this is done and handed in. Almost the whole year have done entries for this - and they'll pick the best one to be used on the published anthology later in the summer. I'd quite like to win this, but I'm also just glad to have a good book cover in my portfolio.

Easter break is almost upon us - really looking forward to it ... but not too looking forward to the fact that I have two more book covers and two children's books to get done in three weeks ... meep!

Polishhhhhhhh...

So this is what I've been working on for the last week or so. My friend and lovely Polish studio-mate, Malgosia (Malgorzata), found a Polish children's book illustration competition. You could do your own story, or go for one of the texts they provided. Considering I only started on this about 2 weeks ago, I went for one of their texts, kindly translated by Malgosia. The title is "12 Months" and each double page spread is a month with an accompanying little poem. Each one is also about a job/vocation ... We had to do the cover and two double page spreads. I chose to do January (the forester) and September (the fisherman). (click on images for larger version)

The colours are more muted from what I usually do, but I'm quite pleased with how they came out. It feels like things are finally falling into place and coming together.

I actualy started doing a dimensional version of 'January' but realised it would take too long to do all three pieces that way and have them done and posted off by the deadline. I'm still quite keen to do January and September like that ... but will take my time over it. So watch this space!

Happy Holidays!

For Lu & Soph & Arran + Sharm & Snowball & Yngve

Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon (although I had to get the the lyrics wrong, didn't I? Its "miracle" not "miracleS" ... oh well

For all the new families ;)

The Happy Mag ...

So what were all those kids and bicycles about?


My submission for the Anorak Mag cover design competition...

Its OK, but I feel quietly dissatisfied with the outcome ...

Things I've learnt:
1. I LOVE making - and the 2D-3D crossover
2. BUT it takes a LONG TIME ...
3. And can be a whole lot of frustrating (lucky for me to have the best husband in the world and his collection of camera and lighting equipment)
4. Will go back to plain 'ol 2D and bring the scissors and glue out only for special occasions ...

Set up - oh yes, those laboratory clamps come in handy ...

For Zorka

Very belated wedding present for the knitmeister...

Protest board

My protest board for Zara Arshad's "60 Years" project (to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ... have a look at more here in Zara's flickr page.

Swordfighting with my Shadow

Part of something else I'm currently working on ...

Merry Happy Holidays!

Continuing on my theme of typographic holiday greetings, here's this year's Gocco printed card :) I made them the day I failed my driving test, so I was desperately trying to cheer myself up...

Hope those of you who actually got a copy, liked them ... and to everyone else (especially all those coming recently from pikaland.com and neo2.es), HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Merry Xmas!

Here's me printing them. Hope those of you that got them like them, and a very Happy Christmas and a Joyous 2008 to all!