nicola ellen illustration

F1 Driver Series - #1 MARK WEBBER.

2012-01-28T18:17:00.000Z

If you've been following me on Twitter, you will have seen that at the end of the 2011 F1 season I decided to draw the F1 drivers, starting with the winner of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

After a manic Christmas, I finally found the time to get drawing. So, here it is, my drawing of Red Bull driver, Mark Webber.

The next driver in this series is going to be Jenson Button.

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THIS IS IT..!

2012-01-18T00:53:00.002Z

Don't get me wrong because I love my job and the company I work for, but it is not where I should be two and half years after graduating from University.

I envisaged a junior job in a design studio, running round and learning everything I could. That is no longer where I wish to be either.

So, where do I want to be?
I want to be working full time by making a living from my illustrations. I do not, however, want to be working long hours in isolation. Due to my current contract, this is what I do now for up to five days a week. I need to be seeing and speaking to people or I feel like I am going crazy!

After a long look at what I am qualified in, what I am really good at and what I have learned from my current job, I came to the conclusion that I should make my own job. One that suits me, that means I can meet new people and not spend an unhealthy amount of time on my own.

I had an idea. One that I thought was a bit silly. I spoke to people about it and instead of them laughing or saying 'that'll never work' like I expected, I was met with great enthusiasm and encouragement. I won't give away too much about my new adventure yet though! :)

So, what is next?
I have the first half of my business plan completed and I have a general direction I am heading in. The direction will no doubt change before I get to where I want to be, but that will all be part of the fun. The plan I have will merge my love for illustration and all my retail experience. The short term plan will unfold this year and the long term plan will unfold over the course of three to four years.

So for those that are accompanying me on this journey, THIS IS IT! No going back! To those who aren't, keep your eyes on this blog and my new shop at Stylistic Gallery.

HERE'S TO 2012. THE YEAR THAT WILL MARK CHANGE! :)

The Doodle Swap Project #11 - Hybrid Animals.

2012-01-02T16:17:00.001Z

Here are my seven hybrid animal cards.

I made a list of my seven favourite birds from my little bird book and matched them up with seven random animals. I had so much fun creating these little creatures and they've given me some inspiration for my Christmas cards this year!

I was sent the addresses of seven other doodlers to send these to. These are the ones I received in return.

Rosa Valentino

Patience Ward

Courtney Ballauer

Emily Armstrong

Amanda Scheid

To see more of the Hybrid Animals and past doodles, visit The Doodle Swap Project Flickr group.

Find out more about The Doodle Swap Project and how to get involved in the next swap on their blog and on facebook.

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The Collage Swap Project!

2011-12-18T17:42:00.000Z

Sara Barnes of BrwnPaperBag started up a swap of collage scraps and because I love collaging I thought I'd give it a go.

I was partnered with Max-O-Matic and we sent each other the paper scraps that we work with.

I got quite a shock when I received mine as they were black and white photos of Royalty, Politicians and Religious people along with Spanish writing. As a none Spanish speaker and someone who works with A LOT of colour - this was quite a challenge! One that I really enjoyed!

Here is a link to Sara's blog mention of my collages :) http://www.brwnpaperbag.com/2011/11/24/thanksgiving-and-the-collage-scrap-exchange/

Lady Umbrella OLE!

2011-10-23T11:50:00.000+01:00

I always love the designs from the Lady Umbrella duo. With their designs, fun illustrations are always on the menu! So I was very excited to see the news designs and tee styles too.

This is the tee shirt I bought last time:

I am a big fan of the slouchy style at the moment because they are so easy to wear and incredibly versatile too! Mixed with everyone's favourite signature lady, what more could I ask for??!

To get your hands on your very own shirt and to check out the new jeans range and the lovely accessories, get yourself to www.ladyumbrella.com and you can follow them on twitter @ladyumbrellaltd

OLE X

Michael Van Der Ham at London Fashion Week

2011-10-08T16:50:00.000+01:00

Here are my two illustrations from Michael Van Der Ham's London Fashion Week collection for Amelia's Magazine.

You can read Georgia Takacs' review here London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Michael Van Der Ham

Enjoy! :)

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London Fashion Week Illustrations.

2011-10-01T22:36:00.001+01:00

So London Fashion Week came and conquered and yet again excited all us fashion illustrators with a fantastic array of colours, textures and designs.

I was sent some amazing images of John Rocha's collection by Georgia Takacs (@heyprettydivine) and Fashion Shenzhen/ Deng Hao by June Chanpoomidole (@Junesees) for their Amelia's Magazine articles.

First up, the John Rocha collection. I loved the simple colour palette, the weird wire headdresses, the massive shoes and most of all illustrating my favourite pieces.

I really wish I'd been at this particular show. Check out Georgia's review of the show at London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: John Rocha

Then there were the gorgeous patterns of Fashion Shenzhen and Deng Hao.

The see June's reviews go to London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Fashion Shenzhen Deng Hao and London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Exhibition Review: Fashion Shenzhen.

Thank you girls, I had so much fun illustrating these images. :)

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Illustration Rally - Typography!

2011-08-15T15:21:00.000+01:00

I love Illustration Rally and I've taken part in some of their fantastic rallies before, but I can't tell you how I excited I was to see they were having a TYPOGRAPHY one! :)

These are the pieces I entered:


This is a piece from an old University project on bullying.

Red, Yellow AND Blue Make Black.

My pieces are HERE and you can see the other hand drawn entries along with the digital typography pieces on the Illustration Rally blog HERE!

Follow Illustration Rally on twitter to find out about future rallies at twitter.com/Illustration_R

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Nunnington Hall.

2011-08-15T15:08:00.001+01:00

These are some photographs I took of the gorgeous Manor House in North Yorkshire. (see last blog post!)

Kid Acne and Jane Pinkney.

2011-08-15T14:24:00.002+01:00

On Friday I went into Sheffield with a friend to see Kid Acne's exhibition, Kill Your Darlings at the Millennium Galleries. This is his first exhibition in his home town and boy does it make an impact. From brightly coloured walls and canvasses, two cabinets full of his sketchbooks, massive floating ghosts and even a hanging copy of books and zines with his work in. I am a huge fan of graffiti, zines and art and this more than meets my expectations. I left feeling so inspired! The exhibition is there until the end of October and is really worth checking out!

Kid Acne's Blog.
Millenium Galleries - Exhibitions.

On Saturday I went to Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire to see an exhibition of Jane Pinkney's illustrations. She creates gorgeous little mice characters in very different scenarios. The exhibition spans two upstairs rooms and a corridor in this amazing manor house. You know when everyone says 'don't use to lots of colour and don't overcrowd your image?' That's exactly what Jane does but it works so well and you can see just how much everyone loves these mice from their smiles. 'Awww's' can be heard all around too. There are pictures of mice cleaning and eating and some are lost and some are roaming the bedrooms of the hall itself!

I bought 'The Mice of Nibbling Village' featuring Jane's work and with verses from Margaret Greaves. There are little poems to describe the daily lives of mice and Jane's illustrations accompany each one so well.

You can find out a bit more about the exhibition HERE and find out more about the minuture house collection there too :)

Roche Abbey and Gainsborough Old Hall.

2011-08-10T16:10:00.000+01:00

So yesterday I went out exploring with my best friend, camera and sketchbook. First we visited the Medieval Manor House, Gainsborough Old Hall. It is 'over 500 years old and is one of the best preserved timber framed manor houses in the UK.'

Roche Abbey is one of my favourite places. Sadly it wasn't open to explore. It's all been fenced off since I was last there :(

'Beautifully set in a valley landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th Century. Roche Abbey has one of the most complete ground plans of any English Cistercian monastery, laid out as excavated foundations.The soaring early Gothic transepts of this Cistercian monastery still survive to their original height and are ranked in importance with the finest early Gothic architecture in Britain.'

A quick sketch of the ruins entrance.

The Lake District and some pretty ribbon.

2011-08-10T13:05:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I went to the Lake District. It was really strange as it was the first holiday without my younger sister. But never mind, she's sunning herself in New Jersey so we're even :)

We stayed in a tiny and beautiful village called Grasmere. We had a lovely week and I left feeling so inspired and full of ideas! It's no wonder that Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth and Alfred Wainwright fell in love with the Lakes.

Here be a few of my favourite places...

Bassenthwaite Lake.

Easedale Tarn

Boat Sheds on Lake Windermere

Lake Windermere

A waterfall at Elterwater.

My parents took me to a lovely garden centre full of lots of quirky things. My favourite was a bright red tea pot with white polka dots. Sadly I don't drink tea, so I couldn't justify buying it! I did however buy a couple of rolls of ribbon.

Enjoy! :)

there is always HOPE.

2011-08-03T19:41:00.000+01:00

Here's my latest typographic piece. The most time consuming I've ever done. Also, the most rewarding.

Secret Garden Party Review with Married To The Sea.

2011-08-03T16:15:00.001+01:00

I've been at it again, illustrating for Amelia's Magazine! :)

This time for Jessica Cook's review of The Secret Garden Party. She asked me to illustrate quirky band, Married To The Sea. If you haven't checked this band out, click on THIS LINK for videos and more information.

Along with some lovely bright images, Jessica gave me this information about the venue. [It is] "an interesting one as the entire room glows with red light and the room is filled with sofas, chairs, cushions and sleeping inhabitants. It also only serves tea, crumpets, and all things quintessentially British." - Sounds like a great atmosphere to me!

This is my illustration:

You can read Jessica's review at the link HERE and see the other bands and other Alice in Wonderland-esque pictures from the festival.

Enjoy! X

Twitter Giveaway.

2011-07-26T13:51:00.001+01:00

So as I've already mentioned on Twitter, I am having a giveaway when I get to 500 followers. Initially I said if I can get to 500 followers by the end of this week but I think that's a bit too ambitious... but we'll see ...

There will be two prizes; one for the 500th follower and one for a follower that I will pick at random! Maybe if I reach this milestone by the 31st of July, I will give a third prize away.

The prizes will be a small collection of things that I am working on at the moment, including gift cards and small soft toys.

So what are you waiting for??? Retweet this and a bag of goodies could be making their way to you soon!

www.twitter.com/nicolaellen

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Album Review: Gazelle Twin – The Entire City

2011-07-13T21:56:00.000+01:00

Gazelle Twin's eagerly awaited album is now out and I cannot wait to download it. The intriguing samples on Elizabeth Walling's website are haunting and beautiful and promise for an inspiring album.

Take a read of Amelia Gregory's album review HERE.

There are some fantastic illustrations sitting along side the review in Amelia's Magazine.

This is my contribution. I was inspired by the different layers to each track and the freedom that they have.

Enjoy the read and the listen!

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Vandaveer Interview.

2011-07-06T10:12:00.000+01:00

So following on from my last post, I have done another music illustration for Amelia's Magazine. This time the band was alt folk-rock band Vandaveer.

Here's is my illustration:

This is the link to the interview RIGHT HERE!

Enjoy! X

Gazelle Twin Interview.

2011-07-02T13:02:00.000+01:00

Just over a week ago there was an illustration call out on Twitter from Amelia Gregory of Amelia's Magazine for a music illustration. It was for an illustration of a fantastic new band, Gazelle Twin.

As with any brief I am given, I did as much reading on Gazelle Twin as I could. Reading about Elizabeth Walling and her inspirations were fascinating, especially when you then look up things like the cover to the original of The Fog, Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo and Fever Ray. From these you can start to see where Elizabeth gets her inspiration for her haunting music and incredible costumes.

I Am Shell I Am Bone is beautiful and haunting and I cannot wait for the release of Gazelle Twin's album 'The Entire City'. It is the kind of music I can get lost in while illustrating.

So this is my illustration that accompanied the interview along with other great illustrators work.

Check out the interview with Gazelle Twin for Amelia's Magazine RIGHT HERE ...

Until next time!

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Ursula Mascaro boots!

2011-06-09T20:57:00.000+01:00

So with That's Logic zine now released into the world and selling well, I decided to catch up on a spot of illustrating! In my last blog post, I showed you this image....

I was very undecided on whether to add colour or leave it as it is. In the end I dug out my chalk pastel pencils for the first time in at least 2 years and started experimenting. I didn't have the exact purple so I had to mix the colour I ended with. I am really happy with the outcome :)

This image was drawn from a lovely blog post of My Bag and Shoes. I totally want to get my hands on a pair of these but I think I'll be saving my pennies for a long time yet!! The original blog can be found HERE! :)

Aaaaaand, this is what My Bag and Shoes thought about my illustration. www.mybagandshoes.com/blog/?p=387

Until next time :)

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Sketchbook Peek featuring MEEEE

2011-05-30T16:06:00.000+01:00

The lovely and talented Rachel Shillcock (also known as missrachilli) has a great new feature on her blog that takes a look into a variety of designers sketchbooks. The first feature was of amazing fashion illustrator Dee Andrews with a collection of sketchbook pieces along with captions.

I was lucky enough to be asked if I was interested in being featured :) So here's the link to the lovely feature. Sketchbook Peek: Nicola Ellen

The sketch above is one of my favourites that I have done recently and will be adding a bit of colour and working it up properly in the next week or so!

Thank you to Rachel for the really kind words and for featuring my work. I can't wait to see who's work will be featured next :)

Twit terwooooooooo!

2011-05-27T21:45:00.000+01:00

So err... HI! Happy New(ish) Year!

Well, I haven't been the busiest of bunnies creatively and life has certainly got in the way of things, but that is about to change. This bank holiday weekend is going to be full of finishing of my zine, That's Logic. It's been over a year in the making due to family issues, financial issues and work commitments so I am very excited to be finally letting it out in the world!

In other news.... This week I made these owls. I was given the set to sew them together from a friend for Christmas. and absolutely LOVED making them! Here's a couple of photo's :)

So, hopefully I can get back into the habit of blogging, buuuuuuut we'll see.

Til the next time.

X

Glaciers melting in the dead of night, And the superstars sucked into the supermassive

2010-12-03T21:18:00.000Z

Weeeeeell, where to start....

Lots has happened in the past month, so here goes with a few pictures...

Lots of goodies I have received and bought.

My parents went to St. Ives to visit family and left me behind to work :( They did bring me an AMAZING mug back though with my favourite character ever from my favourite book ever.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Eric Carle is also one of my favourite illustrators. I love the collage effect that he uses.

Next up is an ongoing project by Oyunga Gombo-Ochir. Her obsession with beards has led her to make her own. Check out more about the project HERE and I will be blogging more about it next week!

A lovely ginger beard to match my new(ish) red hair.

The Foxtrot Collective - the big machine.

"Released on 18th July, the first issue of The Foxtrot Collective combines the talents of 26 young designers in one unique print set." This is a project put together by Sam Perkins/ @TheCubb

The mix of designers is great and below are few examples of my favourites :)

by Stickypop www.stickypop.co.uk

Miss Miah www.sumayah.co.uk

by James Pryor www.jpryordesign.co.uk

Simon Wild colouring book

After seeing this nifty little book on Thereza Rowe's lovely blog, I IMMEDIATELY sourced it down and bought one. Sadly mine hasn't seen any colour yet, but I may start taking it with me on my journeys to work :)

Get yourself one from HERE

Tigz Rice - Bitten

So last but not least, I bought Tigz Rice's amazing new picture book that is loosely based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I say loosely based because any of you that know Tigz's work, will know light heartedness and happy endings very rarely, if ever, feature in her work!

So that covers my month really.

Til the next post ! X

A year on....

2010-10-25T14:24:00.000+01:00

I've just been looking at my old posts and came across this post from November last year . It was the day before my 22nd birthday and I'd set a few goals for myself.

1. Eat lots (because my doctor says I am severely underweight :/ ) A month ago I discovered that I am lactose intolerant and swapped from drinking normal cows milk to LactoFree milk (which takes out the natural sugars in cows milk!). I have put 4lbs on in weight because my body can digest the milk properly :) Yesterday I reached a milestone weight and the only way is up from here on in!

2. Explore lots (because there are a lot of amazing places around Rotherham and Sheffield that I never knew or had forgotten all about.)
In January I went to Manchester for the first time, to see a musical. I've been twice since then to see bands play. I went to London for a few days for a proper visit (mainly to see The Gaslight Anthem play!) and can't wait to go again. I went to Durham to visit a friend and explored the Cathedral. I went ice skating in Leeds with a friend in February. I went to Leeds Festival in August and I went to Leeds again last week for some staff training! I love Leeds. So, I'd say I've done a fair bit of exploring and visiting this year.
I will be going to Durham again next month and then visiting America in December! There's no wonder I never have any money, is there?!

3. Experiment lots (because I just can't settle on one style of working and will go through the contents of my room before settling!)
I'd love to say I've been experimenting more, but I haven't been motivated enough. I am getting back into drawing again now though.

I don't think I've done too bad with these resolutions. There's so many more places I want to explore and I really want to start collaging properly, so I shall add them to the resolutions for the year to come and will hopefully be able to update on progress this time next year :)

x

I Remember When You Told Me, Live Like I’m Dying…

2010-07-04T17:20:00.001+01:00

Well it has been ages since I have blogged so here’s a bit of an update.
The deadline for That’s Logic has come to a close, I have picked the final pieces and made a running order. The next step is to add it to InDesign and give it a proper format. It has been great to see all the different takes on typography from a wide range of designers and artists from around the world. I can’t wait to get it printed now. It will be available for a small charge, hopefully at the end of July/beginning of August……
I went down to London last week for a few days, mainly to see The Gaslight Anthem who were INCREDIBLE! So incredible that I hope to see them play in November too…. We went exploring anywhere and everywhere. The Tate Modern threw up some interesting surprises and I was particularly inspired by the works of Julião Sarmento and Alberto Giacometti.

“Mehr Licht” (Goethe’s dying words - in English ‘More Light’)

We went to see The Clothes Show live, which was a great hour of a fashion catwalk show mixed with some great dancing, a bit like a theatre show! The London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, China Town, Soho, Covent Garden, The GIGANTIC Topshop……. all of it was just fantastic!
I loved London so much that when my search for design jobs lead to London, I was more than happy to explore the possibilities. So who knows, this time next year I could be blogging from the Capital :)
Off to put the finishing touches to my CV now.

T’ra!

(Oh! and the local competition I entered….. I won the Under 25’s award. So proud and excited. I won £75 worth of vouchers to spend in an art shop! Could be very lethal ……..)

I fear God because everything dies babe, got a gun in the back of my car.

2010-05-02T22:12:00.000+01:00

So how is everybody this bank holiday?

On Friday night I went to see Biffy Clyro at the O2 Academy in Sheffield. It was one of the best gigs I have seen! I mean, I am aware that I say that every time I see a band play, but I was watching from the balcony with two lots of 20 hanging speaking right in my view. We could see the drummer, Ben, perfectly and occasionally his brother's hair could be seen. Unfortunately we couldn't see the main man in his purple jeans as much as we would have liked. He was hard to miss when he was in view though, especially kneeling at the front of the stage, playing his guitar, with his microphone on the main floor and swinging it round for the crowd to sing in to. Given all this, it was still an immense gig. I don't know if I could have been as positive had it been a different band playing. I have to say though, I do love Simon Neil and his purple jeans.

The main highlight for me was the stripped down version of 'Machines' . This song reminds me of some really hard times from last year and never fails to make me cry. Seeing it live blew me away. It really is one of my favourite songs of all time. I really cannot wait to see them play again at Leeds Festival this summer.

Yesterday I went to see my work in this year's Rotherham Open Art Exhibition. I drew a picture from a photograph of my Grandma from when she was 20 years old. It is a drawing that means a lot this year as my Grandad passed away in March and it is a photo he has had by his bedside since my Grandma died 16 years ago. We were given a pile of photos of my Grandads. Some of them I had never seen before, others I had. I don't remember my Grandma that much as I was only seven when she passed away, so seeing all these photos of her was like getting to know her all over again. It was a strange and emotional feeling looking at my Grandads belongings; letters he wrote from Burma, his wedding certificate, but having a photograph that meant so much to him of someone that we all love so much, means so so much more. This is why I felt compelled to draw it for this years competition. It won't have the same meaning next year. For now, it is the perfect time.

I always feel proud to see my work hanging in a gallery space, but this year means even more than ever. I love the sense of achievement, especially after the buzz of meeting a deadline right at the last minute. :)

A few weeks ago I bought a pack of three mini moleskines and decided one will be for patterns, one for general sketching and the third for text. Yesterday I filled most of it with quotes and my plan is to take a different style or typographer and use it on each quote. My aim is to fill it in a day at a time, so watch this space, I may just actually get round to it this time.......

Enough from me tonight, might watch the snooker for a bit longer then I'm off for some sleep before a day of work tomorrow.

Night all x

Illustration Rally blog and project.

2010-04-24T21:20:00.000+01:00

I came across a great little blog last week on the alphabet.

"Illustration Rally is a massive international rolling collaboration which takes a theme and runs with it!"

And roll with it they do. Having seen all the letters so far, I was so eager to join in and very disappointed to find I'd missed the chance to enter into this theme. However, I've got my name down for the next theme and very much looking forward to it.

You can find the Twitter page here and the actual blog here.
Go look and get involved!!

Being as though I LOVE LOVE LOVE collage at the moment, I couldn't help but show you the 'B' entry by Natsuki Otani, one of the creatives who started the experimental collaboration, along with Joanne Young.

Here's to hoping there are many more running themes for the blog!!

And over the sirens of the police cars, you can hear us shout, the streets are ours!

2010-04-21T22:43:00.000+01:00

So, I'm not very good at the whole blog thing.
Or churning out lots of work and ideas thing either for that matter!

I have had plenty of hours at work over Easter at the chocolate shop and it has kept me from working on anything other the That's Logic Zine. The zine, however, has been picking up pace rapidly. I have been receiving submissions for it and it has now been featured by the fantastic @KatyCowan on the Creative Boom website here. Get involved if you haven't already, there's still time left!

I have a couple pieces of my own work in progress. Well, very very slow progress....

I have a new piece of work in the Alas_Icannotswim zine, well it's the front cover this time :D

In other news, I got to go to Durham last week to see a friend from uni and we went to see The King Blues in Newcastle. Going back to the O2 Academy brought some great old uni memories back. The band were incredible. The floor was bouncing well before The King Blues even came out. I haven't stopped listening to Save The World Get The Girl album yet and I am certainly looking forward to the new album being released! A definite must see if you get the chance!!

Bring on Biffy Clyro next Friday night!!

Til next time!!

x

That's Logic.

2010-02-12T15:37:00.000Z

So it has been quite a while since my last post and while there isn't anything particularly important to report, I have been working on a zine project over the last few weeks. Yes, that's right, I have been creative aswell as spending my time eating good chocolate ..... um I mean WORKING with chocolate!

It pretty much came about when I was reading

Indie Publishing: How to Design and Produce Your Own Book and was completely bowled over by the green and pink zine that Michael Perry and a group of creatives created on 'Science' in the space of a weekend.

I have taken the name from my university Final Major Project book based on typography and Alice in Wonderland and have put it to a zine I have been inspired to make!

'That's Logic.' is going to be a zine based on many interpretations of words/type/letters. The response so far has been bigger than I expected and there are some great designers involved. I am very excited now to see how this is going to turn out.

I am still looking for any kind of creative people (writers, graphic designers, poets, illustrators, typographers etc......) so if you are interested please take a look HERE and get involved.

Please SPREAD THE WORD :)

A daily addition of pattern and type.

2010-01-07T15:04:00.000Z

Ahh, the moleskine. Too expensive for me to buy but a great gift.

My attempt is to fill the book with as much colour, pattern and typography as possible, with different media and each day if possible....

Till next time .. XX

Wreck This Journal.

2010-01-07T14:27:00.000Z

Happy New Year!!

Well, seen as though everyone else is back in the swing of blogging, I thought I would show some care to my blog too. I have even revamped it a wee bit.

About 8 months ago I saw a website encouraged people to wreck their journals/sketchbooks, so I decided I would chuck mine in the washing machine to see how much damage I could cause. The journal then met with the tumble dryer and it became a bag full of crinkled page and scraps. Some bits were glued back together in various ways, the other bits are in bag in the corner of my room waiting to be looked at....

As a Christmas present, I got an actual journal with destructive instructions on each page. This journal is currently being put through its paces by myself - I fear for it once I get taking it outside .... actually, no I don't at all hehe

So, here is my current progress ......

Above: Said Cracked spine, selotaped up at present to make life easier :)

It seems I had quite a collection of stamps from my uni collage project!

*In Progress*....

And last but not least (for now anyway.....) .....

I have drawn in glue, but glue is clear, so you'll just have to take my word for it that I have done it !!

Kind, kind people.

2009-12-01T21:41:00.000Z

Sooooo, I haven't got very far with my last month's goals after a really good start! Think I am going give the goals a miss now and start again in January. It has been hard to fit anything round the hours I have been working, though I have had a couple of productive mornings so far this week.

I have been very lucky to have had my work featured in the second edition of successful 'zine, Alas I Cannot Swim, run by one of my friends from uni, Katy Shambles. It is worth trying to get your hands on one of these as it showcases the work of young writers and designers from around the country.

I did some design work for Sheffield Music Scene's 1st birthday mixtape and the design actually got printed to disk. Very exciting stuff! Sheffield Music Scene are a group of people working to showcase Sheffield's best music, putting on gigs and spreading the word where possible. Visit their website to see copies of their online magazine, news of gigs and some other mixtape covers by moi.

Annnnd finally, designer Ky Wilkinson has very kindly featured my work in his blog, along with some very kind words about my work. See his great work at his website here at http://www.kywilkinson.co.uk

Thanks to everyone mentioned above. To say it means a lot is an understatement.

T'ra! X

Dave Leonard.

2009-11-18T20:15:00.000Z

I got some great postcards in the post today from illustrator, who was the year above me at the University of Sunderland, Dave Leonard. I love his characters and the huge amounts of bright colours.

To see more of his work visit his website or facebook page.

"The great thing about your last journey is you don't have to pack"

2009-11-18T12:13:00.000Z

I found the above quote when I was reading an interview with Tony Benn in the Guardian earlier this year, probably when I was packing up to leave university life and Sunderland behind. I hate packing with a passion, but this quote by Benn's mother is very very true. Thankfully!! :)

I found a lot more things when I was de-cluttering my room at the weekend. I found photos of my GCSE work (below) and I remember feeling very happy with it at the time but looking at it now it looks a bit rubbish. The picture here is of my display shown in the great art hall that used to be in the middle of all the class rooms at our Comprehensive. Unfortunately they re-built the inside of the art building to make the classrooms bigger and took away a great displaying space.

I have uncovered many many quotes that I am going to work into typographically and a also some ideas to try out in regards to adding more pattern to my work.

I am still trying to get last week's typography piece finished but it's being proving very hard. Having spent all weekend clearing out my room, I then started a great new job on Monday and worked most of yesterday too but hopefully I will get it finished this week.
My plan to go to Clifton Park and draw every week this month has been put on hold this week as today has been my only day off and it has rained most of the day. I also had to wait in for a delivery guy so I could sign for a parcel. Said parcel didn't arrive until 3:30pm so it has been a bit of a wasted day.

And with that, I am off to tidy up the house and ink some letters.

"Justify your reason and want to go out and draw. Find a subject of interest." - Mike Ritchie

Why?

2009-11-09T12:26:00.000Z

Well it is only 9 days into the new month and I am getting on well with my goals this month. I have already finished The Mighty Book of Boosh, which I have had a year and it was well worth the wait. It feels very wrong to say that I am not too clued up on The Mighty Boosh, but after reading the book I think I will be adding some of the DVD's to my Christmas list. I found the book to be very inspiring and just as funny as the few episodes that I have manage to catch!

Also last week, I went on a training day for my new job which was very exciting and now I can't wait to get started. I went to see Muse with a friend from university on my birthday and they were just INCREDIBLE. I never used to like Muse. I am so glad that I gave them a listen because I would have missed out on one of the best concerts I have EVER seen! I got to see my best friends for a meal to finish off an amazing birthday week.

Another target was to complete one piece of typography a week and last week, this is what I did; completed a piece that is very similar to my final major project work that has been in progress for a few weeks now. So, here's the final piece...

I am pretty happy with it but I know once I get back into the swing of things I know the quality will be increased.
This week I am going to be working on a letter which has his own little character that I started when I was sat on a train back in June.

Also on the cards this week is a trip to York or Leeds to visit the art galleries there and also some Alice in Wonderland drawings. This time, instead of taking the poems and working on them typographically, I am going to draw the characters in my own way. I am looking forward to the challenge!

I best get a move on!!
T'ra X

Happy New Year (ish)

2009-11-04T07:47:00.000Z

So, I am 22 today and I am making today the start of my New Year with my 3 resolutions of

1. Eat lots (because my doctor says I am severely underweight :/ )
2. Explore lots (because there are a lot of amazing places around Rotherham and Sheffield that I never knew or had forgotten all about.)
3. Experiment lots (because I just can't settle on one style of working and will go through the contents of my room before settling!)

Looking back on my goals for October, there weren't many things that I could tick off but the main thing is that I have a job! Four months of spending most days on my own when my family have been out are about to come to an end and I cannot wait to get working. This month really is the beginning of really good things to come!!

These are my November goals:

1. Finish reading The Mighty Boosh book.
2. Visit Leeds City Art Gallery.
3. Visits Western Park Museum.
4. Visit photographic exhibition at Graves Gallery from 26th November.
5. Draw at Clifton Park once a week.
6. Personalise blog space to something a bit more exciting!
7. Continue with collage prep and experimentation.
8. Make Christmas card list and make Christmas cards.
9. De-clutter bedroom.
10. Complete one piece of typography each week.

With a bit of luck, I will combat these goals more than my October goals. I am feeling more optimistic and really looking forward to what this month brings.

And with that, I am off for some breakfast and getting excited for the Muse concert tonight!

X

What I Wore Today.

2009-10-12T21:50:00.000+01:00

Another great group I found a couple of days ago on Flickr. What I Wore Today
.Set up by illustrator Gemma Correll, it encourages people to draw what they wore in a day. It has reminded me how important it is to draw everyday and also how I lack at this!
The state of my first two attempts aren't great but I intend to get better. I am also going to spend time just drawing each day, even if I am experimenting with other materials.

How Old Is Too Old To Sit On A Lion's Back?

2009-10-05T11:25:00.000+01:00

I came across Racheal Anilyse and her latest blog post of October goals. Although I am getting my motivation back, I thought this would be a great idea for me to try to push myself now that I am not working or at uni with someone else piling on the pressure.

So. Here is a list of my 10 October goals.

1. Broaden job search to include Leeds, Nottingham and Hull. Got a job.
2. Rip up backlog of magazines to experiment with collages and text.
3. Really get back into decorative typography.
4. De-clutter bedroom / Re-arrange bedroom.
5. Finish reading Pride and Prejudice.
6. Continue with this blog.
7. Visit Leeds Art Gallery.
8. Find money to do 'Portrait Drawing and Painting Course'.
9. Visit Western Park Museum.
10. Make birthday/bonfire plans!

While some of these aren't as specific as others, they should all be possible to reach while giving me a good challenge at the same time.

The pictures at the top will give you a bit of an idea of my latest project. I started to get a taste for collage while doing my Final Major Project at university this year and have now accumulated that many magazines from my old housemate and My mum over the last 5 months, I thought it was about time to rip them all apart and experiment with images and texts.
I really cannot wait to get cutting and sticking now.

I routed around for some old sketchpads from when I was living in Sunderland yesterday and found some great quotes from Mowbray Park benches and some hand drawn typography in biro. It got me thinking about really pursuing typography again. And again, I cannot wait to get started. It is a great feeling to feel so creatively inspired after a lot of change and creative block.

And finally, some not so great pictures I took of the sky yesterday. The clouds were like little white Wotsits, but by the time I had found my camera, they had started to move on. It was great to see all the same!

Until next time!

"Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up...

2009-09-28T15:27:00.000+01:00

, but a comedy in long-shot" (Charlie Chaplin)

So, I've been experimenting with black and white because I usually hate it as I am so obsessed with colour. I think now is a good time to push myself out of my comfort zone of the clashing colours and decorative typography that got me through my last year of uni. It's not that I don't like typography anymore, but I do like to draw something different every now and again to keep life interesting.
I love drawing people but I am not great at it so I am drawing them and learning as much as possible with the aid of fashion magazines, 16th century paintings, books and most importantly real life. My latest fascination is with legs so that is why my figures seem to be a bit out of perspective with extra long legs.
The main thing though, is that I actually love the challenge of using just black ink. I felt the temptation of adding lots of colour to the illustration above but did manage to hold off. Now I have uploaded it I might add a touch of colour. Just to see!

The World In One Glance.

2009-09-24T11:57:00.000+01:00

So I am starting again. For the third time. This time I intend to keep it up. Blogging, that is.
I graduated recently and moved back home. My motivation dried up and job hunting began taking over my life. I still have no job but my motivation has returned and my head is full of ideas. Here is where I will be emptying the contents of my spinning brain.