Valentimes!

Happy Valentine's Day!
(from the beautiful 'Hooves' by Bowerbirds)

FridayFridayFriday!

Thanks for all your handy inspirational tips! I'm gradually slipping out of my week long rut so hopefully next week I'll be a hive of productivity once again!

In the meantime here are some nice colourful things...

I love the translucency of the colours in this painting by Maya Hayuk.

I like these door drawings by Liz Hazle.

Ray Fenwick continues to be amazing.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to a 'colour bash' themed party so its time to ransack my wardrobe to find something that isn't grey or navy!

Help me!

This is my desk in the studio. It could probably do with a bit of a clean. My paint palette certainly could! I'm not entirely sure what the drawing is about either. I guess I was feeling flowery.

Its turning into one of those weeks where I just can't get anything done. Having been feeling pretty pleased with myself for finishing two of my major projects (yay!) I seem to have hit something of a slump. Oops. I've been rooting around in books and films and songs in a desperate attempt to find something that makes me really want to work but to no avail. I'm blaming February. February is worse than January I think. In January I usually feel I have to work mega hard to escape January blues but February well...it all kind of slows down. Oh dear.

Any ideas? What do you do when you want to come up with ideas? What never fails to inspire you?

Illustrative Crush #95

Chris Silas Neal is someone I've had bookmarked for a while although I had never really properly explored his site. A recent visit and I realised that I really love his work. Really love it. How amazingly lovely are these animals? I want this image HUGE on my wall please.

That is all.

When You're Done Here You Get To Go Home

This image from Brandi Strickland's most recent series 'Dark Crystals' is too nice. See more at on her site or FOR REAL at the 'Dark Crystals' group show at the Mahan Gallery in Columbus, Ohio.




If I was going to do some (slightly expensive) Etsy shopping right now I might be tempted to buy this dress (or maybe this, or maybe something from the wonderful thrush!). Alas as money is tight in the months leading up to my degree show so I guess its not to be (who knew framing and printing was so bloody expensive..ok I knew but I didn't want to admit it).

P.S Lindsay Grime, a fellow eca fourth year, has just got her website done. And lovely it is too! Be sure to swing by and take a peek at her enchanting illustrations!

Walk

I went for a bit of walk yesterday on the quest for some inspiration for a new project. Sadly I didnt come up with any groundbreaking ideas but I did managed to see a couple of exhibitions and take a few photos. Including one of a nice coloured cabbage in a garden at the end of our street.


Today I am listening to a reading of 'Under Milk Wood'. It is one of the nicest things to listen to. Especially the introduction.

Travels in Eighteenth Century Russia, among other things

I've been drawing aimlessly this week and thoroughly enjoying it. I was a bit tired of all the project led work and I just wanted to get back to drawing for myself a bit. Above is a drawing of 'an ostiak of the obe' based on an etching in a book about Russia in the 18th century. You can more (a fair bit more) on flickr.

Yu, who's blog AAA is one of my regular visits, was in Edinburgh yesterday to check out ECA and she gave me a box of very tasty tea! Wonderful!


Nicholas Saunders has got some skills! His illustration and prints are full of nice retro charm and interesting texture. AND he recently worked as a graphic designer on the set of the new Harry Potter film. That is far too cool for my geeky, childish self to handle.

Snow Stress

Today it snowed again. It was nice. For about five minutes. Then it became far too cold and our windown frame began to leak all over the place. There is pretty much one leak per centimetre. Fantastic. I guess this is what happen when you live on the top floor of an eighty year old building.

When I wasn't battling the elements I did manage to get some drawing done. Albeit totally directionless and without any particular purpose. I like the flower in her hair though.

I like these photos by Rune Guneriussun.

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!