Toy Library

Not Uni work, but over the last few months I've been making this poster on Photoshop for Colchester Toy Library. They are a small local charity that one of my mum's friends volunteers for and she mentioned they needed a poster and mum suggested I make them one.

I went down one Tuesday to have a look around and I got an idea of what they do. Their poster before hand was a rather old Word clip-art one, although admittedly the one I've made uses Photoshop shape tool!

They wanted it kept simple to keep print costs down. There were issues along the way with the ink being too bright so the text couldn't be seen. The 'Toy Library' text was originally white with the 'Colchester' text in black, but I made these both grey so it's obvious they're both together and so that they get seen at the same time. The logo is the toy library's. This along with the information were the requirements for the content. Hopefully if this goes up around village halls and in doctors surgeries, more people will know about them and use their service. So if there's anyone you know who might be interested, let them know!

You're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?

If you haven't seen The Graduate, watch it!! I didn't expect it to be any good because it is quite old now (not that all old films are bad) and because it was among the free DVDs with the Daily Mail that get passed to us from my grandparents.

But I've always wanted to watch it because it's a classic. I was surprised how hooked I was! The script and the pace is really funny and Dustin Hoffman is just fantastic. Just try not to think about the man in Colchester town centre with the acoustic guitar who only ever sings Simon & Garfunkel and you'll be fine.

Vienna

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

The lyrics in this song cover what happened in the world between 1949 and 1989 and a lot of it is stuff that happened in America, such as people and events. It's worth a listen - and check out the lyrics, too. I was going to post a video with lyrics on, but I can't stand them!! I'm sure you can find on Google!!

If you like the song, check out this video. It's probably one of my favourite songs and helps me to see clearly when there's a lot on my mind (such as Uni work etc!) If you girly girls recognise it, it's from the 13 Going on 30 soundtrack :) Follow the link for the lyrics.


Billy Joel - Vienna

Here is another nice song with the same name...


Ultravox - Vienna

You'll need the volume up on this one because it's quite quiet for some reason. Just don't forget to turn it down again afterwards or it'll make you jump later!

My current state of mind. Yes, it's a mess.

May we never forget!!

The old print room! Now people will be able to look at us like animals in a zoo in the new location.

Jump

Summer's coming, people! So keep up the hard work

A Lost & Forgotten World

A rare glimpse into the garage. Dad has painted one panel of the Mini pickup in Soviet Blue and asked for our opinion. It's a striking colour that will look great when he's air sprayed the whole car. It looks so interesting in here; I'd love to go inside and rummage through all the little boxes hanging off the wall and take relief rubbings of chassis plates and nab what I can, but mum would never let me back in the house again unless I fully disinfected myself!

Wish list!!

Went in Magma, Covent Garden on Tuesday after the Pick Me Up exhibition and they have the most adorable print with dogs on!! I was thinking of buying a print for my room at the exhibition but nothing grabbed my eye enough. I really like this though... it's only £25 and is available online too :)

Dog Chart Print by Polly Horner

http://www.mymagma.com/

Homemade prints

I applied oil paints to a sheet of acetate and pressed paper over the back. Because of the oils, I could already get an impression of what had been transferred before I peeled back the paper.

I had to make a drying rack!! In my experience, oil paints take a long time to dry, although this is only a very thin layer. I used fridge magnets on the shelving brackets to make a little drying space.

Peeling back the paper, the colours aren't as strong as on the original acetate but this is how I imagined/wanted it to be. Close up, there are little lines where I applied the paint using a paintbrush or a piece of kitchen roll.

Two prints hanging up to dry.

Anthony Burrill's owl from Somerset House! 

Finally, a print I made last week. It's difficult to see the heart at the end of the beak.. But what I like most is the edge of where the ink is where it's been rolled on. It varies in shade and is nicely uneven.

Bohemian Like You

I was thinking about Andy Warhol and this came into my head.





And on that note, I'm going to get some lunch then go outside and enjoy the sun. Bye!

Coming to America

Early experimentation using PVA to transfer images. America is a very big place and it's very overwhelming.

Ideas for focusing on American illustration and notes about the different styles present within it. I then made a page messing about with these styles using acrylics, inks, crayons and collage.

Obama - I don't usually trace (hardly ever) but this was just so I had a template to work with so I could try some different illustration techniques. Obama is a rather obvious and easy target to start with before I decide where to go.

A faint pencil drawing that I photocopied, which made it lose a lot of the line quality but it works with the washed out inks.

Using a bolder line this time with a marker pen. I found a quote from Obama and painted it in acrylics.

Obama as America's first red, white and blue president.

Albie Einie

A phone box outside of a Starbucks just ouside of Covent Garden just down the road from Trafalgar Square.

This was in Adbusters magazine. I really like the quote :)



Wednesday

This has been in the field opposite my house for a few days now. The farmer flattened the field and it now looks like Africa...

I thought this looked a bit like a giant ink roller! So here is a photo of me sitting on it. Enjoy!

Pick Me Up before you go go

Pick Me Up! I enjoyed the Anthony Burrill studio. It was colourful and full of inspiring quotes from his work.

There was an open, friendly atmosphere. I think Burrill's work brings people together because his work levels us all out as humans. It is funny and honest.

The Zine workshop was great fun! It felt rather child-like, but it was nice that an accomplished designer was letting people approach design this way and use his own work to make something fresh.

A few of my favourite images - I took so many that I'll be here all day if I upload them all.

American Illustration - a fun, colourful style I can use for my main project.

Type made out of chains that mostly interlinks apart from the awkward apostrophe.

I really like Nigel Peake's work!! It's welcoming and evolves a lot around nature.

I thought this was really sweet and intricate. Illustration can so many things - it can be loud, angry, crude... but every now and then something like this just really makes me smile.

Chester and I walked to the ICA only to find it was closed!! For future reference, it doesn't open on Mondays or Tuesdays.

The Driveway

This has been catching my eyes for days now and I finally got the chance to take a photo of it today. I think it's the colours, layers and the chips and dents. It reminds me of Steven Powers/ESPO from Beautiful Losers, which I may include within my research for the America project.

Our driveway and back garden are full of bits of old cars... We had some mini doors in the back for months. This is leaning against the front of our house and is one that dad has obviously experimented with painting on. It's the kind of thing he jokes about as being 'art'!

Something from the trailer... I'm not sure what it is, perhaps something for oil. I like old metal things with type on!!

Some more rubbish... Some blue fabric rope, an old crook lock and a page from a magazine with some words on.

Red, white and blue!! This car sticker is over 10 years old now. It's starting to wear down but the colours are still really bright and bold!! Long live the original Mini.

A novelty sign for the driveway that's actually quite true, with the exception of VWs and a Rover.

Just for the sake of it, here are our cars!! There's another one in the garage and one behind the Passat. Don't come and steal them. They're collectively worth about a tenner!!