After School Club (its a long one)

OK So I figure its about time I did a real post on the thing thats been eating up a fair chunk of my time recently. For my dissertation (aaargh final year etc etc) I'm organising an event affectionally deemed 'After School Club' which is taking place next saturday (november 8th) here in the fine city of Edinburgh. The idea is that a fairly exciting bunch of young designers and illustrators will chat about their work and their experiences since graduating from uni/college and us young, impressionable student types will take it all in and hopefully learn something and feel a little bit better equipped for professional life. If I'm honest its sort of a response to frustrations with my own course and things I have heard other people complain about (and also a chance to meet some people whose work i really admire).
Anyhow its next saturday at the GRV in Edinburgh and I urge anyone withing train ride distance of edinburgh (and of course anyone further afield with a complete disregard for money but an admirable commitment to design) to come as I really think it could be quite fun. Really. Just to hammer home how ace this could potentially be here's a wee rundown of who is involved.

Jez Burrows is absolutely my favourite graphic designer (not only because he's my man but also because his work is so tasty and completely and utterly him) and he lives and works in Edinburgh having graduated from Brighton Uni this summer. He has worked for many admirable people including the New York Times, Time Magazine and Bad Idea magazine. He is also my cohort in Sing Statistics.

The Nous Vous collective are a design supergroup from Leeds who have turned their hand at pretty much everything including illustration, graphic design, art direction, animation, installation and film making. They've got skills.

Alex Ostrowski graduated from UWE this summer and is now racing through every design studio in London leaving awesome work in his wake. I am totally enamoured with one of his final Uni projects Note To Self and quite frankly I wish I'd done it first.

Plats are a merry band of illustrators and photographers who have done all sorts of magical things. Emily and Sophia who founded the collective are coming along to show off their lovely illustration work and chat about the ins and outs of being in a totally cool gang.

FINALLY you are all probably aware of my awe over the work of mr Stuart Kolakovic. Not only does he totally own anything eastern european when it comes to illustration but he also has a fairly nice grasp of lovely colours and lettering. He also (apparently) only eats sweets.

SO thats it. Twenty points if you actually managed to read all that and an added thirty points if you actually come. Please come!

Ghost Shirt

A drawing I did today as part of my project on 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee'.

Record Year for Rainfall

Its been a fairly miserable weekend here in Edinburgh, horizontal rain, stormy winds and bitter cold made for a fairly quiet couple of days so I've been collecting nice things by way of a distraction.

Wonderfully wintery smocked necklaces from Tinctory.

La Cabane Perchee build the most beautiful treehouses in the world. I've always wanted a treehouse and any one of these would be absolutely perfect thankyou!

There was a great storque round up of folky things on etsy the other day.

AND on the off chance that anyone didn't see this when it cropped up all over blogs a few months back 'My First Crush' is a wonderful wee video by illustrator Julia Pott (who sells some amazing temporary tattoos in her shop)

Presidents and Prints

A quick drawing I did yesterday as part of one of my final year projects (which I will explain at some point I'm sure but its still a bit vague even to me).



I love all of Sandra Juto's work but this print is especially beautiful and makes me feel wonderfully autumnal. Hurrah for that.
ALSO- the Decemberists' 'Always the Bridesmaid' has some perfect new songs on. Get on it y'all.

Awesome

Here are some reasons why Gemma Correll is awesome.

• She draws pretty much everything 10x more fun/cute/yay than it would be if I drew it.
  
• She draws stuff on mugs!
• She was absolutely definitely the first person to blog about me earlier this year.
• She sent me all this lovely stuff in exchange for some of my tat (ok not the treeson fella. he just wanted to get in on the photo)
  

Pssst

I'm up to Something. If you're anywhere near Edinburgh on November 8th I suggest you head to the GRV and join the After School Club .

Nuthinduan Waltz

FINALLY! Beatrice Alemagna (one of my favourite children's book illustrators) has got herself a lovely website! It's great to be able to see all her work in one place! I look forward to getting my hands on 'Karl Ibou' at some point in the future.

(via the always wonderful Smosch)


I love H&M trend. Too much. I'm glad the Edinburgh branch doesnt stock it. It would certainly be my downfall. Glasgow does though and yesterday I picked up a skirt, of which this is a close up photo. I love this pattern it just seems so much nicer than average H&M fodder.

Sundays are quiet.

Wow

A very quick post before I go to college to say that Arrrgh! Richard Colman is AMAZING. Seriously. Wow. Yeah. Thats all.

Please Dont Tell Me To Do The Maths

Torben Giehler has got some skills! I especially love the cold colours in the painting above and the spindly lines in the one below contrasted with the dauby paint.


I have been eyeing up this bag by Kate Sheridan (you can pick up her bags at the Red Door) for a long while. I think I need to sell a few more prints to justify this purchase but oh...the colours. are so lovely.

Giant Bear in a Tiny Town

This was done at the end of the summer for something that sadly never got off the ground. I have plans for it though. This is officially the last bear drawing that I do for a long while. Honest.

Speaking of which if anyone would like a copy of 'Natural Distasters' for £3 + £1 P&P let me know. I completely forgot about getting them all finished off until now. So yeah. Let. Me. Know.


p.s Ritva (who takes some lovely photos) tagged me to come up with six random facts. So...

Really really would like a Katamari cake please
About Today is named after a song by The National
Not a fan of molluscs
DJ occasionally (at poorly attended indie nights)
Oh no. I drew another bear (thats not really a fact is it?)
My new favourite place is Stockholm.



(also I tag whoever feels like doing it)

Hats & Cats

If I had more chances to wear lovely things like this I'd love to have this feather comb from ban.do. Alas as my life is currently just trips between my flat, the studio and the supermarket I'd probably feel a little dressy. I still love it very much though.




I cant have a cat. I live on the third floor in the middle of town. It would be mean. If I had $45 to spare I'd get this fella from penguinandfish to make up for it. (I wish my family cat was made of tweed)

Working to Work

I've been quiet for a few days and will likely continue to be so for a few more as I'm currently in the clutches of my dissertation (more on that soon, its actually pretty exciting) and very much stuck at my desk (I'm working so hard I haven't even finished decorating my new spot in the studio. Its usually the first thing I do). But hopefully I'll be back on track next week when I've got all the proposals and chapter plans and research things done. Speaking of which if any of you are currently undertaking a degree in either graphic design or illustration (or you graduated in the last couple of years) and wouldn't mind answering a few questions about your education via email then I would be all kinds of appreciative (I may even send you treats). Just leave me a comment and I'll get in touch.


In the meantime Pietari Posti added this image to his wonderful 'Giants' series. His whole portfolio is incredible but the Giant stuff is particularly flawless.

Books Written for Girls

There are some nice things happening over at Totokaelo. Oh if I had loads of money....


Jez picked up this lovely book (and one more)in Stockbridge this afternoon after a rather nice luncheon with this chap. Whilst the ins and outs of organic chemistry will undoubtedly remain a mystery to us we can at least enjoy the tasty blue cover.
I love this sketchbook post on book by its cover.

SailorBear

My flatmate Jen & I rocking the nautical wildlife look for a friends 'hot hat party'. There is nothing like wearing bear ears for pretty much any activity. They look a little wonky here though.


Severe coat envy

Sigh.

Stu Kolakovic actually makes me a bit sick. This is too incredible. Those colours. Seriously. I am all over this the minute it gets released as a print. I wish he'd stop it.

Me Violin and Dancing Bear

A little bit of work from our first mini project back at college. The project was a bit of a weird one and involved a lot of making things out of tin foil and cardboard and shuttlecocks but our group also managed to squeeze a bit of drawing in. Above is a bear who may or may not live in the grassmarkets in edinburgh. He lives there because of the ready access to vintage clothing.
Hmm. Ok its a bit of a rushed one. And yes. Its another bear. Sigh. One. Trick. Pony.
(I like the scarf though)

On a related not. The view from our lovely studio.



I'm not completely sold on the bow trend. I think its too easy to render yourself ridiculous by sticking a bow on everything you own but I am quite taken with this yellow bow necklace from V for Vintage. It would look pretty cool over a plain t shirt.

Illustrative treats

Becky Walker has some really lovely drawings on her site. Plenty of pencil work which is pretty ace by my book. She is also a secondary school art teacher. Can you imagine having had an art teacher who made such sweet work? So cool.


I wanted going to post about Patrick Gildersleeves today and Jez beat me to it. But I'm going to plough on regardless as I think his work is great. Winning colour combinations every time and some super cute animal things. He has an etsy shop too. All the cool kids do.

Back To School

(above eca on flickr)
Today we started back at college for our fourth and final year. As the mild panic subsides I'm actually quite excited about the whole thing (perhaps less so about the dissertation part but the degree show for sure) and I can't wait to get stuck into my major final project stuff though I have no idea what that may be. There are some amazing things being planned for the near future but I'll let you know those as and when they occur for now I hope to start posting more work related things and sketches and so on.


I was very happy to see that one of my favourite blogs Design Is Mine had included on of my prints in a haul of lovely things available on etsy.

Tina Fey does a pretty mean Sarah Palin.

New Prints in the Shop

The Grizzly Bear prints and some extra special custom prints are now available in my shop.

For a Friday Afternoon

I wasn't going to post this as its been everywhere over the last few days but its too good to pass up. 'Silent World' is a wonderfully serene (yet occasionally ominous) series of photos by Michael Kenna. This one looks likes a drawing (a drawing that I wish I drew) with the texture of those posts so rough against the snow.


How amazing are these log bowls from Loyal Loot? All of those colours look so great together.


Le Blog De Betty is a lovely (and not too intimidating) style blog.

New Goccos

We had a bit of a gocco session this afternoon and these are the fruits of my labour. The bear crest type things is a thankyou card to go out with print purchases and so on and the big grizzly bear print I'm not quite done with yet but will soon be for sale in my shop.

Ahoi!

Hurrah! New tote! I love me a tote. I have far too many but they're just so useful that more can never hurt. This one is from Smil.

I just stuck a few photos of some of the nice things around our flat on Flickr.

'A Sad Country Ballad For A Tired Superhero'

Uhuh. (from The Quiet Life)

THIS trailer made me cry with laughter. I know I know. I'm a bit of a child but seriously its utterly ridiculous.

I am enjoying ungtblod.

'Knock Loud I'm Home'

I'm borrowing the map that jez used to illustrate the fact that we have just travelled halfway across the country from our respective family homes in South Devon to Edinburgh where I'm due to start my fourth and final year at ECA and Jez is freelancing from our nice new flat. Its good to be back. Yes it is.


A photo of my cat? Alas I am truly tragic. Anyhow I just a new camera and I was playing with my (very old and very grouchy) cat before I left so here he is. My sister is convinced he is going to die whilst we're both away at Uni and whenever she leaves home she asks him not to.

Finally...Andrew Holder has all sorts of incredible illustration skills and I am sad to be in the wrong part of the world when his new show 'Neon Frontier' takes place in the Hibbleton Gallery in California through October. The poster looks ace and is surely representative of all the wonderful things he'll have on show.

Sons & Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts

This is a reworking of an old image that I had lying about on m hard drive. Its fun to find new life in things that seemed to have no particular purpose.


lots of lego treats from Band Of Outsiders

Wilkintie

I got a lovely email today from Carly at Wilkintie who run a lovely little letterpress print project based on the sort of magical illustrations we fondly remember from childhood. This first print is from Niels Oeltjen and its available to buy now. I love the quality of letterpress prints and this one is really fun with loads going on. Thanks Carly!

Back from the End of the Road

I arrived back at home today after three days soaking up the loveliness at End of the Road in Dorset. What a perfect way to cap off a rather wonderful summer. It was great to spend a few days in a beautiful place (the Larmer Tree gardens where the festival is held is home to peacocks and parrots and quaint folley type constructions and some pretty massive trees) with some nice people listening to some of our musical favourites (thanks to Woodpigeon who made is possible for us to go for free!).
Far from this being a music blog I would really like to share some of the best bits with you because there really was some super special music going on. Please excuse my inadequate writing and aimless rambling.
For me friday really belonged to Laura Marling. Its easy to criticise a singer like Marling ('she's too young to know what she's singing about', 'she's too obvious' etc etc) or to have preconceptions about what her music may be like (It really would be wrong to lump her with the droves of female singer songwriters clogging the charts) when in actual fact she deserves far more respect than many fashionable indie types would be ready to admit to (I will admit to being an occasional music snob). Her voice was flawless and endearing and she never hit a superfluous note. I stand by my belief that Night Terror (which you can download here) is one of the best songs of the year.
Saturday Bon Iver won for me although a more than honourable mention goes to the Bowerbirds whose album I've been listening to for a year now I think and it still hasnt lost its inescapable charm. Anyway Bon Iver was incredible. There have been innumberable folk praising the soaring wonder of Jordan Vernon's album 'For Emma, Forever ago' and I was fairly sure the live show couldn't live up to how much I loved the record and yet he managed it and more. That guy's voice is astounding and frequently heartbreaking and as the whole audience sang 'what might have been lost' at the end of Wolves (act I & act II) it was fairly obvious that every single person stood in that garden was completely in love.
Finally Sunday and The Mountain Goats. Oh god the Mountain Goats. They were always going to be the best bit for me and they didnt dissapoint in the slightest. They played No Children! Yes! John Darnielle sings songs about awful, sad, horrible things with so much enthusiasm and childish joy that they become triumphant and wonderful without ever losing sight of the sadness and frustration that they were born of. Its a pretty special thing when every song an artist plays feels like an old favourite. Amazing.
Anyway that was my weekend. I hope you enjoyed yours too!

End Of The Road

Hurrah! We're off to End of the Road Festival early tomorrow morning so blogging will be suspended for a few days while we enjoy all manner of musical treats and a nice slice of Dorset countryside. Have a nice weekend!

(photo from flickr somewhere...I've lost the exact location though)

And I would Travel Just By Folding A Map

This collection of maps of the Alluvial Valley of the Lower Mississsippi River were made by Harold Fisk in 1944 and they're incredible. Well worth a look (and you can download a pdf of all over them here)

via Camilla Engman

Postal treats!

AARGH! I'm so bloody excited. I just came back from a lovely weekend with Jez only to find that I'd managed to pile up the greatest haul of post ever over the three days. First off Julie sent me over a copy of our issue of Running Amok and it looks great! There are photos on my flickr.


The main event was a package from those Tiny Showcase folks Shea'la and Jon. Not only did I get a fair few of my own 'Mary-Ann' shirts (in both colours!), a copy of my print (I cant believe how perfect the colours are) but also one of the new Ray Fenwick shirts that came out the other week! AMAZING.