Ella Minnow Pea

I have this plan to do a one day book cover project every sunday for as long as I can keep it up. Last week I did Jane Eyre (which wasn't so great to be honest) but this week I think I've been more succesful (though its not perfect, not by a long shot). I want to practice design and layout and also working efficiently and instinctively and this seems like a fun way of doing it as I also get to revisit some of my favourite books. Ella Minnow Pea is a lovely story by the way, if you haven't come across it I really recommend you track it down.

Nora

OK after the giveaway week I intend to get back on track with blogging once again. So this is a little peek at what I've been up to this week. Along with trying to finish up my Bury My Heart project (which is pretty much done, photos of that soon) I also began rough work on a new children's book. The drawings above are pretty rough and she's changed a bit since but this is Nora. I'm excited about this one. I didnt think I'd end up doing so much children's book work but there is something very satisfying about writing a story and then building characters and worlds, its such a complete process. I very much doubt I'll be giving up my regular style of work in favour of kid's books but I think i'm definitely finding space for that kind of accessible work in amongst what i do. Another string to my bow and whatnot. I'm going to try and do regular posts about the progress of this one... I guess to show you how I put a book together. So keep your eyes peeled!

I hope you're having a nice weekend! We're off to see Milk this evening. Which I'm very much looking forward to. The cinema is always a fun treat!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

After a slightly overwhelming response to my silly blog birthday giveaway I can now reveal the winners! Thanks to the 56 of you that entered! I had no idea there were that many looking at my blog! Anyhow I decided to give a second prize too so I'll do that first. I used random.org to generate me a number between one and 56 so....


(oh dear the screen grab isn't super clear) but thats does actually say 47! So the second prize mini print bundle goes to Sandra!

OK time for first place....drumroll etc (ha...this is the LEAST dramatic thing ever)


Number 7! Which means the first prize bundle goes to K*Teen who is (bizarrely) only an hour away in Glasgow!

Thanks to all those who entered. Maybe i'll do another one on my real birthday next month (who knows). In the meantime all prints are available in my shop (plug plug plug)

Giveaway reminder!

Just a quick reminder that you have until 5pm (GMT) on Friday to enter my little giveaway if you haven't done so already. I can't believe how many people have entered! You're a lovely bunch. I'll be pulling a name from the hat tomorrow evening so keep an eye out! I think I may have to do some kind of second prize as there's been so many of you!

Enter by leaving a comment here.

OHMYGODBIRTHDAYGIVEAWAYMADNESS!

OK so on friday this wee blog will officially be one year old and to commemorate (commemorate what exactly?) I am going to give away a bundle of printed goodies to one reader. The bundle (pictured VERY BADLY above) will include:

1x Wolf Dream print (there are only two of these left in the world!)
1x Grizzly Bear
1x Sacre Coeur
1x Ghosts (no longer on sale)
1x Matroishka (I never put these on sale..they were my first gocco print experiment)
1x Mary Ann (my second ever gocco print)

PLUS whatever else I can scrape together from around my room (lucky you!?)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post during the week (not any subsequent posts...just this one) and I'll draw a name from a hat on friday and reveal the winner! Easy.

GO!

No Land

This is something I did today. I'm very much enjoying playing with ink at the moment.

Inky moon

I've put the children's book work on hold for a bit. Another week on it right now and I think my sanity would have been lost forever. So its back to work on my Bury My Heart project for a little while which I'm very much looking forward to. I'm hoping to get some printing done for it and a bit of painting, it'll be nice to work a bit looser than I have been this month. These two images are part of that project.



p.s how gorgeous is sandra's film festival poster?.

Paper Ships

I thoroughly recommend you hit Ruefive's new site for tasty art treats. Nice lettering abounds and there's some lovely photos hidden in there too.

As she is currently staying in our flat now seems a particularly appropriate time to post the frankly bewilderingly detailed work of Sarah King. You've probably seen her work on a thousand other blogs already but in case you've missed it be sure to have a look at her site and also head over to evening tweed for a bit more.

Fun times at the zoo this afternoon.

Gemma Correll has done an awesome wallpaper for the desktop wallpaper project over at Kitsune Noir.

Horsepower

Julia Selin has some really nice, quiet work. The way she uses ink is so wonderful and those horses are so cute. (via the always lovely AAA)


Christine Buckton Tillman has some really great drawings on her site. I love the felt pen flowers, so summery. They would so great on t shirts or printed as fabric.


I love old photos of familar places. The National Galleries of Scotland have a fascinating archive of old views of Edinburgh on flickr.

Brrrr

It's COLD today which makes me want to curl up in bed and watch films but sadly its not to be as I have so much to do right now it's unreal. On top of the children's book I was already working on (which is just two pages away from completion!) I've suddenly decided to do another. I had no idea I wanted to do children's books at all this year (or in fact ever) and now i'm doing two! On top of that I have a couple of cd cover jobs to do, the 'Bury My Heart' project to finish, volume 2 of I Am the Friction to sort out and I wanted to do a couple of book cover designs for my portfolio too. Urgh. It's going to be a busy few months.



When I wasn't gawping at the snow today I did manage to get some work done. This is an image for a product design collaboration brief. We had to come up with Edinburgh themed images for products (like ceramics and placemats and so on) to be sold in a design shop in the city. I like this one. Its super simple.



Finally more from that wretched children's book. So far I've drawn 191 figures for this book. Which is bewildering now that I think about it. The other book I'm doing is person free. Thank goodness. Anyway this was a spread I did today. I'm afraid its just a screen grab as the actual image is massive.

Early Griffin

ARGH! My print for the ever awesome Early Griffin has just gone on sale alongside beautiful work from Jan Kruse (of Human Empire) and that guy Stuart Kolakovic (his print is astounding. damn). Its a whopping 50cmx70cm and £50 with 10% going to the National Autistic Society. Head to Early Griffin for more.

Books

I could spend ages trawling through all the covers in the Book Cover Archive. The cover above (designed by Helen Yentus) has been in my 'nice stuff i wish i did' archive for ages.

The book project I'm working on at the moment it set in the 1920s so at the moment I'm appreciating all things twenties style. Like this lovely cloche hat available from Supermarket.

Everyday is like Sunday

This cardi from asos.com is lovely. Its not online yet but when it is I may have to invest (ha. knitwear is the last thing I need). Also I definitely owned a pair of jeans just like that when I was about six.




I really love these images from Nikolay Saveliev's thesis project which "parallels between conceptual branding and the fine arts market" by creating a series of works by a fictional artist. I'd love to be able to see all these up close. All of Saveliev's work is really impressive and well worth a look. I also completely love his cd packaging for Horolgium's "The World Is Not Enough"

I'm quite inrigued by Necklush. I think this would look so awesome over a t shirt.


Spoonflower seems interesting. I may have to give it a go.

I really like these images by spanish artist Valero Doval, especially the colours in the one below.

HERE is a great link to some amazing photos of crime and punishment in the first half of the twentieth century. Some of these are incredible (some are just a bit grizzly too.)

Also the second volume of I Am The Friction is underway...it's a bit different from the first and may well involve a few more people. Keep your eyes peeled for it sometime in spring.

Let's Dance

I handed my dissertation in today (a day early, I should totally get extra points for that) so from here on in I hope to be totally focused on drawing and finishing off the hundreds of projects I have planned before the degree show in June. Above is a picture from the children's book I'm doing at the moment (albeit on and off and very slowly).

Best Behaviour

If I could get to Copenhagen right now I would definitely head for Best Behaviour to gawp at their lovely clothes. YELLOW. Everything in their autumn/winter collection looks so comfy and well made. (via shiny squirrel)

Sister Winter

I am completely in love with these bangles cut from second-hand teacups by Lindsay Pemberton.

Beautiful, minimal photography full of dreamy, wintery goodness? Yes please Kim Høltermand!

This would be a nice place to be.

Happy New Year!

(photo by ovofrito on flickr)
Hello! I hope everyone had a suitably enjoyable Christmas and New Year. Although, of course, I'm sad about the end of festivities I'm very much looking forward to this year and being done with college in six months! Six months! Yes! I've got plans and lists and deadlines all over the place but it's going to be fun. For sure.

SO in the spirit of new year enthusiasm here's some inspiring work to be looking at...



Romy Bluemel is so completely amazing. Her paintings remind me of so many of my favourite artists that its impossible for me not to adore her work. Ah I wish I still did painting...maybe this is the year I start again...maybe.




Andrew Gordon (below) also paints awesome things. I love his layered up neutral colours and the way he draws animals. There's a nice wee interview over at fecal face.


THIS is a lovely project.

Cody Cochrane is great too.


Hopefully I'll have some new work to share with you soon once I've got this darn dissertation out the way (four days!) in the meantime enjoy the last couple of days of the festive break!

Coming in from the Cold

After a lovely, quiet Christmas at home I'm heading back to Edinburgh tomorrow for New Year. Expect regular blogging to resume shortly but for now here are some photos from a wonderful afternoon at the beach with my family.

White Winter Hymnal

This is some artwork I did for Edinburgh based band The Kays Lavelle a while back. I'm yet to do the back cover as the tracklist is still up in the air but I thought I'd share it as this picture pretty much sums up the weather outside my window today. So nothingy and cold.


Charlotte X. C. Sullivan has done some lovely bubble drawings. I remember doing this when I was really young. You mix ink with washing up liquid or bubble solution or whatever and blow bubbles onto your page and eventually they just pop and dry to your paper. I love all the ghostly greys in hers.

Christmas Joy!

After a not so enjoyable nine hour train journey I'm back home in the South West for Christmas. Its really wet and cold (colder than Scotland!) but its nice to be home and I'm very much looking forward to some festive-ness. I'm smug in the knowledge that I've done all my Christmas shopping (thankyou internet) but just in case you haven't here are some nice UK based treats...


Roddy & Ginger make beautiful vintage inspired bags and homewares. I want pretty much everything in their lovely wee store. (via Bloesem) Gemma Correll makes awesome stuff. Seriously everything she does is dangerously cute and really fun. I LOVE these tattoo transfers (so pretty). And her matroishka badges are lovely too.



New badges from Sir Kolakovic. King of slightly bizarre but always amazing illustrator merchandise (chocolate anyone?)

Jessica Hische is amazing

I have many illustrative crushes. Too many in fact (although the most enduring will always be for Carson Ellis who is easily to blame for my switch from fine art to illustration) but that doesn't stop me adding more every now and again. My newest crush is Jessica Hische who does everything amazingly. Her type is the stuff of dreams. Honestly. Go and have a look and swoon.

Nice Things

Nous Vous have got their new site up and running. Its great to see all their exciting new work. I particularly loved this record cover for Mount Analog when I saw it After School Club.


Ashley G has made these amazing ceramic pieces. They look so beautiful all hung together!

Poketo Sale! Nice!
east kingsley

6x10 Out Now

Hurrah! The first issue of 6X10 is OUT NOW. Hand screen printed, folded and bound this is a lovely wee publication put out by FormFiftyFive with the expert help of Eddy & Isabelle at the lovely Owl&Lion Gallery. Its £10 +p&p and has one of my illustrations in alongside others by a handful of very talented artists.

December Work

Here's an drawing from a couple of weeks ago for a christmas brief we got. Its not massively christmassy I'm afraid but I guess thats not really my thing anyway.


And here are some painty doodles that I scanned to piece together into something else.

Sigh...

I've been reading Said the Gramaphone for a couple of years now so it was a wonderful surprise when I visited this evening to see my name there. Sean had some very nice things to say about 'I Am The Friction'

"But more beautiful still - and I'm very belated in writing about it, - is [Jez Burrows] and Lizzy Stewart's I Am The Friction. They are stories inspired by drawings & drawings inspired by stories, and while the works are funny and weird and melancholy, more than anything it feels like a love-letter from friend to friend, a shared smile, the kind of collaboration that comes from many hours by the same lamps. It's a handsome thing to hold in your hand, to read and enjoy, but it also makes you long to slip into the moments of its making; eyeglints, gifts, ink on fingers."

This kind of sums the book up to me and for someone else to see it too makes me feel pretty happy.

By the way there are like four copies left or something crazy like that. They'd make a nice christmas present. Maybe. I don't know.