Brighton Degree Show

I've just got back from a brief (far too brief) trip to Brighton to see the University Degree show so I thought I'd share some of my favourite bits and pieces.

(above)
Sophie Kern's illustrations are wonderful in every way. Based on inuit folklore and mythology they mix really nice, bright colour with black and white photography and beautiful markmaking to make something really haunting and other-worldly. I am phenomenally jealous.



I've been using one of Verity Keniger's lovely bear bags for a few months now so it was nice to see a bit more of her work on show. I love the above piece about the anniversary of Haley's Comet. Verity's screen printed posters are pretty ace too.


Seiko Kato's dolls were simutaneously endearing and terrifying but indisputably amazingly well made. I cannot even begin to image how much time it took her to make so many.


Finally of course my favourite graphic designer and video game nemesis (why can't i win?) Jez Burrows of the unstoppable Evening Tweed (and the almost as unstoppable Sing Statistics). Above is the book cover he designed for the Penguin Design awards (he came second in the competetion. because he is ace) and the postcards he's giving out at the show (lovingly gocco-ed by ourselves long into the wee hours). I would have posted this because I love it but the entire world has already blogged the hell out of it.

Head to the gdi08 to see work from all the Graphics & Illustration graduates.

Gocco Love

Last night I embarked on a bit of a gocco marathon. I love gocco far too much. These are the results. Available to buy from etsy. Of course.



As well as doing a straight run of two colour gocco prints I also did seven of these one colour prints that I've watercoloured so that each one is different. If you fancy an (almost!) one off piece of art then they are also available from my etsy shop.




The image comes from this. Which i'll do a thorough post about soon.

Dress Up In You

Summer is yet to arrive but already I'm waiting for autumn in the hope of getting my hands on this amazing coat from h&m. So beautiful.
via only shallow

Continuing on from yesterdays post on Emily Sutton today my ECA graduate of choice is Sandra De Matos. I really love the above print (in the show there are a couple of colour variations on show) and she has some nice sketchbook work too.

Best Knowledge

I am celebrating the arrival of my copy of Hall of Best Knowledge by the incredible Ray Fenwick. I haven't had the chance to plunder its depths yet but the bits that I have skimmed have, thus far, been completely charming and incredibly well written (both word wise and, of course, in terms of lettering.)

I am also celebrating the presence of a nice new belt with a lovely plastic buckle. Hurrah.

Last week we (the third year students) helped the fourth years set up their degree show. Once all the running about fetching hooks and wire and velcro it was a bit of treat to get a first look at the show all done. There's some really great work and I am hugely impressed with the drawing skill on show. I think that it can be rare on contemporary illustration courses to have such a big focus on straightforward drawing but it's great to see. I think over the next couple of weeks I'll post a few of my favourites so first up is Emily Sutton. Alongside some wonderful drawings Emily has also been making some great 3D pieces with my favourites being in the Highstreet Sculpture project. Each doll has its own distinct (and recognisable) personality and charm. Below is my absolute favourite, I love his jumper.

Again, a bike. Please?

Everyone has posted about these recently but there's a very good reason why. Kronan make beautiful bikes. Really really nice bikes. If I was the kind of person to spend $600 on a bike this would be it. Sadly I am not that kind of person. Oh well.



Designer and illustrator Zsuzsanna Ilijin has made a series of six world maps with a difference. Each map lays the world out according to a different them. Above is the global skyline. I'd love to see these for real, they seem like something you could look out for hours.

There are a fair few very exciting things on the horizon for me at the moment; some are a secret (ssh) and some are a bit less secret but i'm going to save them for now. But soon there will be some new work. Finally.

Lovely stuff from Rachel Gannon.

Us 3rd year illustration kids have an exhibition opening tonight at Owl & Lion on the grassmarket. It marks the launch of a poetry anthology we did the illustrations for but there's also a tonne of other work on show. You can pick up some framed versions of my prints as well as a couple of original drawings. The opening is tonight at 6pm and all are welcome along.

I give you...the Pallas Cat!

You're welcome.
(we went to the zoo)

I love these lights by Hopf & Wortmann.
from SwissMiss.

Chris Ware

I have long been totally in awe of Chris Ware and this animation for season two of This American Life further confirms why he is easily one of the best artists around.

Russian wonders

There are some wonderful images on Антуфьев. All cold and weird and far away and for the most part I have no idea what any of them are all about as it's all in russian. Via the wonderful Camilla Engman.

Buy me a bike please.

If I had a bike (I don't) I would definitely want one of these lovely baskets from FinnishDesignShop. Its tempting to buy a bike just so that I can have one.

I got some new glasses today. They're a bit art school but I guess I AM an art student so I should probably just face up to that and embrace it. Oh dear.

I am quite taken with this pin from Chocosho .

FINALLY Rosie Posie Pudding & Pie is a lovely blog from an edinburgh based student with a good eye for nice things. I'll be keeping an eye on it from now on I think.

Portfolios

This year as well as handing in a regular portfolio we also had to make a sort of proffessional one. This is mine, all hand bound and with a gocco printed cover. I just hope it doesn't fall to pieces before assessment tomorrow (I'm not an incredibly skilled bookbinder).

Books & Barbecues

It's been the most beautiful week here in Edinburgh, all sunshine and summer dresses and so on. Sadly I've mainly been shut away in the studio/my bedroom getting my portfolio ready for assessment next week. We did manage to get out for a barbecue on the meadows last night which was when the above photos were taken.




Whilst clearing out my folders I came across one of my assessment projects from last year. 'A Coney Island Love Story' was a book I made based on ' The Electric Michelangelo' by Sarah Hall. Looking at it now is kind of nice. Now that I have a years distance from the project I actually kind of like it. Which is a rare treat.

All the dead animals

Here's a drawing I did today. It was meant to be for my 'top secret but incredibly exciting' project but I dont think it'll cut it so it'll just remain one of those pictures without a purpose. Whic h is fine. I don't do enough pointless drawing at the moment , everything seems to be for something college related or something book related. Once this term is done I want to get back to keeping proper sketch books, not just books of notes.



Two illustrator loves combine to create a flawless object. Tea + graph paper = joy! Available from Fishs Eddy. I want one.

S&P

Incredibly endearing ceramics from Lola Goldstein. I've never really felt drawn to salt and pepper shakers before but this pair have changed everything.

I lovelovelove pretty much everything on Paperheart by Jessica Williams. Some wonderful college work and drawings but also some really nice, quiet photos.


I would also like to celebrate the crotcheted clementine. This one now lives in Brighton but I very much enjoyed his company when he was in Edinburgh. Who couldn't enjoy that?

That Was Good But You Can Do Better

Canadian lovelies Woodpigeon released their debut UK single yesterday on End of the Road Records. The 7" sleeve was designed by Jez and I (as part of design/illustration superduo Sing Statistics) and I think its pretty nice if I do say so myself. The songs themselves are wonderful slices of multi instrumented, jangly indie pop in a similar vein to Sufjan Stevens. It's available to buy here. Go go go!

More analogue

The lovely folk from Analogue have put some better photos of the mess I made on their wall on their Flickr. It doesn't look so bad.

Stuart Kolakovic has added Never Been (which was exhibited in Manchester last year) to his site. The whole things is epic and really really worth a bit of your time to spot all the details. Sigh. This guy makes me just a little bit sick.

Analogue

Today I finished work on trashing the wall (and window) down at analogue. None of these photos are particularly good so i'll have to post a link once more photos appear on the running amok blog. Being allowed to draw on walls and windows was ace (drawing on windows in pen is reeally satisfying) I only hope I didn't make too much of a mess!

This ace print by Jez is now available to buy from the Evening Tweed etsy shop. Nice.

Ranna (who runs a blog called Only Shallow ) is my new favourite style blogger. Her collection of dresses is beyond enviable as is her ability to wear feathered hairbands without look like a seven year old in a ballet class. Sigh.




Finally head to Stuart Kolakovic's blog to see his offering for that top secret project I mentioned a while back. Reeeeally nice.

Nice things

I love love love all the clothes in the Heimstone collection. Such perfect colours and shapes. Sigh.

(image via the wonderful For Me, For You)


Covers is a wonderful site that collects together some of the nicest book covers around and also some really nice bookcases. I am a big ol' furniture geek so i found some of these really exciting. Loser.

FINALLY Micah Lidberg BLOWS MY MIND. I've been known to get a little caught up in repeating pattern but his are awe inspiringly intricate. Amazing.


(p.s new work coming soon. i hope)

More bears

A quick sketch I did last night when I was absolutely meant to be doing something more constructive and useful. I do like bears.

Bears & Chairs

I'm back in Edinburgh after spending a lovely three weeks at home in Devon. I'm keen to get back to work. There's tonnes to be getting on with the most exciting being TWO books that i'm working on. One is top secret but the other is a short fiction/illustration experiment that Jez and I have been working on as part of our Sing Statistics guise. Its been a long time coming but now it's finally coming together I'm very excited. See some images from the book on my site. (The above image is totally unrelated by the way, I did it a while back)


I just framed up this lovely letterpress print that I got from Dutch Door Press a few weeks back. Hurrah! There are some amazing paintings of very boring things on Holly Farrell's site. I'm quite fond of this chair.

A super simple image for inside of CD i've been doing the artwork for.

The Sea & Lions

This image, from a series called 'God's Eye View' by 'The Glue Society is amazing. That is all that can be said.


My mum very sweetly tracked me down a copy of 'Un Lion A Paris' after I mentioned it in an earlier post. It is definitely one of the most beautiful (and largest) children's book i've seen in recent years. Sadly this photo (taken on my bathroom floor as, at the time, it was the room with the most light) doesn't do it justice at all.