Everything Is In The Past

Phoenix

2011-07-30T02:22:00.000-07:00

Its late July, it's a Saturday, I gotta work...maybe you're working too? here's a little something to lighten the mood, hey don't worry we can grab a beer later and chill out just focus for a few hours, no problemo...

Crabstickz

2011-07-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've been a huge fan of a fellow Huddersfieldian Chris Kendall for a while now. Check out the multitude of comedy videos on his youtube channel...I think this boy's gonna go far, he's pretty much the funniest thing to come out of huddersfield since...(ummm enter a snide football joke...aimed at Leeds utd? possibly I don't have a clue)

Go!

The Decemberists - Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

2011-07-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

It's July! always the nicest month of the year...here is something for the first Monday of the month..

New Website

2011-07-01T02:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks, I've just updated my website, it's been a while since the last big redesign and update. The new site now runs through wordpress, which means I can keep things more up to date! The new site has a huge number of updates from the last incarnation.

keep checking back here and on the site for updated etc.

AA Bondy

2011-06-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

Something for Thursday night

A short history of the Digital Camera's I have owned

2011-06-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've always been interested in photography, I remember getting a Kodak Advantix when I was around 8 for Christmas, it was amazing when I was 8, it had a special Advantix 24mm film which could shoot 4 x 11" panoramic shots.
When I got to 16 and went to art school (which wasn't that long ago try 8 years or so ) we got given a 35mm Nikon or Minolta SLR (I forget which) and some rolls of black and white film, we were then told to go up to Lindly graveyard in Huddersfield and take some photos (a little creepy) we then had to develop the film in the dark room, use enlargers etc, it was great! I wish I'd kept the photos but they have been lost over the past few years.
Even though digital was around in 2002/03, you learnt photography on film, which is how every course should be, there isn't a better was to fully understand photography until you have to control everything about the shot your taking, shutter speed, aperture, and then even how to expose the negative to create the prints and all the timing that all of that involves.

I'm going to run you through a history of my digital camera's, looking back now some of them weren't great but at the time they were the greatest and most important thing in my possession.

Fujifilm Finepix A303. 2003-04

The A303 was my first digital camera, I can't remember why I chose Fujifilm, I think it was because back then they had some great small digital camera's, well priced for a 16 year old kid who had no money. I remember being amazed at the fact that I could shoot as many photos as I wanted and look at them instantly. This is the whole hook of the digital film age, no print costs (unless you wanted prints)

It was a pretty good camera I probably had it for a couple of years, I have all the photos I took on this camera on a disk...somewhere.

Fujifilm Finepix E550 Zoom. 2004-05

The E550 was my second (soon to be ill-fated) camera, after the first fuji I felt I might as well carry on with Fuji, back then they used XD cards so I didn't have to shell out for new cards. The camera was a massive leap from the A303, it had the enlarged hand grip, full manual controls and focus, the LCD screen was huge in comparison to the A303, and the picture quality was fantastic helped in part to the Super CCD sensor that Fuji had just introduced.

However, one sunny day back in 2005 I accidentally left the camera...on top of my dads car, just before a long journey...I realised after about 20 minutes later that my camer was missing and then the realisation dawned on me. It was a great camera who's life was sadly cut short by my uselessness.

Fujifilm Finepix F810 Zoom. 2005-08

After the premature death of my E550, I purchased the F810 Zoom. Unlike the previous two I still have this camera. I remember seeing the photos for the first time and being amazed at the quality of the photographs, this was an amazing camera, the body was solid metal, which made a change from the cheap plastic of the camera's of the day, it felt weighty, it had a widescreen LCD and could shoot panoramic. I used it for around 3/4 years, and is the longest standing camera to date on my list. Towards the end however the lens started to fail, I believe I dropped it at some point and it slightly bent the lens, then grit got into it from years of use, which added to the problem.

All in all a great companion for a number of years which took some truly memorable photos.

Panasonic DMC-LX3. 2008-present

I think there is a little bit of a secret going round, people with this camera know it. This DMC-LX3 is a thing of beauty, black metal chasis, Leica lens, incredible image quality this picture below is enough to make you want to buy it...

I consider this camera the best I've ever bought for size for quality, It's the kind of camera you will have in 50 years and show your grankids, it's the kind of camera they would have used in back to the future if they ever came back to today. Seriously buy one, before they don't sell them, that is all.

Canon 60D. 2011-present

Over the years I'm amassed a large number of camera's, I'm not just talking digital I probably have around 20 film camera's, I would say around 5 film SLR's, ranging from Zenits to Minolta's. I tend to collect cameras on their age and pretty much how they look, but that's for another blog post on another day.

The canon 60D not to be confused with the D60, is the first Digital SLR I have owned. I've used a number of DSLR's over the years, primarily when working at ATTIK we had a 500D and a 5D, I used to shoot shots for Coca-Cola mainly for mock ups of ad's etc and for other stuff.

I'm pretty much in amazement,, I can't really say much about the 60D till I take it out properly over the next few weeks, I've got a number of photographic project ideas, which I will hopefully share soon. There is so much I could say about this camera but I'm not going to you can read reviews/spec etc elsewhere.

------

Conclusion:

I use both my Canon 60D and my Lumix DMC-LX3, both have their advantages over each other, either through size or lens. Since my first digital camera 8 years ago, things have moved forward incredibly fast, I remember seeing 3mp and thinking that's incredible, these days I think everything is leveling out, I just wonder what i'll have in the next 8 years, most probably the same 2 cameras I use now, the quality of the images of both of these camera's is in my opinion future proof.

The only thing missing from this post is what photography is all about, the photographs, the ideas, the vision to create something great, to record memories, to capture the day to day and in general record our lives, this is what makes photography amazing. If you don't have a camera get a Lumix DMC-LX3 ha! seriously get out there and start recording your life, you only live once.

-Mike

Wild Beasts

2011-05-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

Wild Beasts' third album Smother is out, get it, end.

Whitewash/Whitehouse

2011-05-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

The Armoire

2011-05-10T10:20:00.001-07:00

New Owen song, beautiful, maybe his best? exciting stuff.

Stars

2011-03-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

I get too tired after mid-day, lately.

Kentucky Pill

2011-03-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

Johnny Flynn, perfect for the current sunshine!

Sometimes...

2011-03-01T00:33:00.000-08:00

Looking isn't seeing, Picasso once famously said, which is something I like to think about in my design work. But sometimes to relax after all the colour and illustration and graphics that fill my day, I like to sit and just look. Here is some looking from last night.

Behind The Scenes

2011-02-28T02:42:00.000-08:00

One day I will publish all my sketch work and ideas...maybe.
This is how I tend to work on elements, I start with words and a rough sketch and then work it up into a more detailed sketch and then work this up in vectors. This is my guitar worked up for a recent project, although acoustics tend to look symmetrical the curves tend to be slightly out at each point. 10 points if you can recognise the type of guitar from the headstock...

Say It Ain't So

2011-02-14T01:35:00.000-08:00

Anyone want to be in a band again?

It's All About Right Then...

2011-02-02T02:22:00.001-08:00

I haven't been outside today.

2011-01-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

Some days I don't get outside, which is never good. I'm currently working on a number of cool projects for some great clients! I'm sure I will have a big update soon!
Something I've been working on today.

There will always be haters...

2011-01-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

An email i received today.
The guy left his name... henry tice, and also his email if anyone wants to drop him a line: curvedyellowhead@yahoo.com

Dear Mike Lemanski,

I hate you.

Your design on google is horribly horrible.

you have no talent at all you stupid lowlife prick.

you should never create anything ever again for the rest of your miserable life.

you need to go away.

i think i speak for the majority of google chrome users when i say you need to curl up in an alleyway and die.
thank you for your time.

-------

I dont know about you but I think he likes me?

Sunday Morning Lye in...

2011-01-09T04:16:00.000-08:00

...I'm lying... I was up screen printing at 8am and stock taking for New Leaves with Sarah. The Heavy weight book club bags are getting popular, however I think we are now switching to light weight in a number of various colour. Keep an eye out for the new stock soon.

Shifting Snow

2011-01-07T04:09:00.000-08:00

(me) -------\*******************************

Albums of 2010, for you to listen to in 2011

2011-01-04T04:24:00.000-08:00

Ok so while i'm posting, I thought i'd make a tiny little breakdown of the best albums i've been listening to in the last year, i'm not going to do a massive review and go into detail I might not even say anything. Some of the crop came out this year, some came out ages ago. Enjoy.

16 . Red House Painters - Rollercoaster

A classic album from 1993, there are some beautiful moments of genius across the album.

15 . MewithoutYou - It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright

This 2009 release see's MewithoutYou take a new direction in their sound, in my opinion the new direction is better than anything they've done before, as always Aaron Weiss's lyrics are beatifully narrative.

14 . Modest Mouse - No One's First And You're Next

This 2009 release from Modest Mouse, is one of their best albums/ep's to date in my opinion, the range of the tracks incorporate a sound akin to their latest albums but also their older work.

13 . Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave

2003's Take This To Your Grave was Fall Out Boy's real debut, and is still one of their best pieces of work.

12. The National - High Violet

The first 2010 release on the list, The National have a habit of putting out incredible albums, High Violet is no exception.

11. Phil Collins - No Jacket Required.

This 80's album is a master class in creating popular music.

10 . Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz

The 2010 release of The Age Of Adz, see's a departure from the folk/acoustic sound of Sufjan Steven's last 3/4 albums for a more electronic sound, much like his earlier work. However nothing is lost you can still here the beautiful crafted sound and his ability to create a melody. The artwork for the album is pretty crazy, I'm not the biggest fan, the cover comes off better than the booklet.

9 . Jack's Mannequin - In Valleys

Andrew McMahon's 4 track e.p from 2008 continues his sunshine sound, almost an extension of the beautiful Glass Passenger album, I can't get enough of the tracks Cell Phone and Sleazy Wednesdays, he's also fantastic live.

8 . Owen - The Seaside E.P

Pick up anything by Mike Kinsella and you won't be disappointed, the seaside e.p from 2009 collects together a mix of new tracks, b-sides and covers. Finally getting I'm Not Seventeen down on a record is enough of a reason to have a listen.

7. Mae - (a)fternoon

Since moving to their own label Mae have blossomed into an incredibly versatile band, with the release of (m)orning, (a)fternoon and (e)vening. Their sound is at times large and rousing and at others soft and intricate, they shift tone and pace making one song seem like 2 or 3, which keeps the music incredibly dynamic for a modern rock band, and as always their mastery of harmony and melody is ever present.

6. Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises

This was one of my most anticipated albums from 2010, Mark Kozelek doesn't disappoint, the intricate classical guitar and haunting lyrics and voice steep the album, I always get the image of a misty canadian mountain forest on an early crisp autumn morning

5 . Taking Back Sunday - Live From Orensanz

This is the only live album on the list, Taking Back Sunday's 2010 release see's their best work beautifully re-worked acoustically. Taking in some of their most memorable songs and breathing new life into B-sides. Growing up listening to TBS it's great to hear these tracks given space to flourish.

4 . Grammatics - Grammatics

I was really disappointed when I heard of Grammatics disbandment, especially after their 2009 self titled release, there sound wasn't like the work of their contemporaries you could hear that they were different and had something special, they were a local band too which was inspiring.

The album itself spans across a haunting array of guitar leads and the gorgeous lead vocals of Owen Brinley.

3 . The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave

Kristian Matsson is from Sweeden, and has appeared like a bracing wind from across the North Sea. I don't know how but he sounds so much more than one man and his guitar, his songs are all crafted and tell stories that wind around your head and take you in to his world. He also looks like a 60's Holywood actor which is cool.

2 . Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now

Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice, have come together as if they were meant to create music together. Their recent 2010 release is a perfect album, I don't really know what else to say it's hard to explain in words, just listen to it.

1 . Villagers - Becoming a Jackal

Every so often an album comes along which cements itself into history, Villagers is Conor O'Brien and his debut Becoming a Jackal is one of those albums, it's almost awkward because I wouldn't know how to proceed it.

Each song is finite and perfect, the core reason why the album is so good is because you know it works in more than one way, it sounds amazing with a full band but also works stood alone with just an acoustic. I noticed O'Brien's Yairi parlour guitar, which he seems to always use, it's a great looking instrument and has become part of his image. I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes next!

January 2011

2011-01-04T02:26:00.000-08:00

Let's make it a good one! There is too much to do as always, but we've got to keep moving forward, keep learning, keep our eyes open, look back to look forward. Here's to possibility.

Two Thousand and When?

2010-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

Two thousand and Eleven!

This is where I work everyday.

2010-12-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

Owen

2010-12-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

Pick up any of Mike Kinsella's albums they are all diamonds, in my opinion one of the greatest American artists of my generation.

Dinner at the National Gallery.

2010-12-15T02:17:00.000-08:00

2 x soup of the day
Darjeeling for 2
2 x water

2010-12-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

The last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light. The question came about as a result of a five dollar bet over highballs, and it happened this way...

2010-11-29T01:56:00.000-08:00

“There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”

- Douglas Adams

Snow

2010-11-29T01:35:00.000-08:00

December...almost...

2010-11-28T03:02:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday.

SGU

2010-11-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Tuesday nights equal =

Sg1, Sga, Sgu.

November is here

2010-11-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Well it's been here 10 days, out of which i think we've seen the sun twice? I don't mind the rain, gales and almost minus temps, as long as I dont have to go outside and face it like a real man would haha.

I've just created some new typographic pieces for Christmas for New Leaves, they will be screen printed onto cards and sold as a set of 4, also an xmas tea towel or two. I was gonna show a preview but I think i'll wait for the next update on the site.

Safe.

Latest Illustration in Fortune Mag

2010-10-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

The best thing about doing editorial illustrations and books, is that they send you a few copies when its out. Here is the latest illustration I created for Fortune magazine in America, these guys are great to work with, smooth. www.mikelemanski.co.uk

While i'm here posting I thought i'd post another video by everything everything, this one is called photoshop handsome...it has some gaming and photoshop references thrown in for good measure.

Do i have the biggest collection of Letraset in the UK?

2010-10-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

...Probably not, but I do have quite a few decadry transfers, probably over 200! of all sizes, types and colours (well white, gold and black) housed in an amazing tin I got last xmas from Mark's n Sparks, illustrated by Sanna Annukka. sweet.

A local graphic supply shop was clearing out stock and had a box full of the transfers, so i pretty much bought the lot for next to nothing, jealous much? haha.

Recent Work

2010-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a number of illustrations as of late, which i'm going to put up on my site next update, including some work for Fortune magazine and urban outfitters and another nice book cover for Granta, hopefully I'll be able to share some of these within the next few weeks.

I've also been neglecting my flickr as of late, not because I don't have anything post up, more because I have too much to post and don't have time to sift through everything.

There's also been some nice things going on at new leaves! which we will update soon, keep your eyes peeled!

Everything Everything.

2010-10-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

October

2010-10-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

already!

These days are great...there's work to do

2010-09-20T02:44:00.000-07:00

Always loved this video by Alien Ant Farm, I always find the song really inspiring too. Enjoy

New Leaves Studio

2010-09-07T01:21:00.000-07:00

Visit us, www.newleavesstudio.com and share this poster!
If you're in Huddersfield or the surrounding areas in the UK, you might be able to find one hanging about in some cool venues.

New Leaves Studio Promotional Poster - 2010

Typographic Music and The Sound ABC

2010-09-03T03:32:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote a feature for the upcoming issue of it's nice that's publication, You can pre-order the next issue now: Issue 4

The article is about visual music, the sounds of colours and some information on my exploratory work on the subject. if you check out the Music page on my site there are a few pieces of work up to have a look at.
I have a number of pieces on my site which maybe are a little hidden away, you have to delve deep to find them. This piece is one of them, and one of my favorites it's based on recorded sound and typography.

Villagers, Conor J. O'Brien

2010-09-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

I've had a few albums on rotation this past week or so, but mainly 'Becoming A Jackal' by irish band Villagers, founded by Conor O'brien.

The album seems to creep in through the floorboards, and make it self at home uneasily on your shelf, I say uneasily in that the album is at times quite haunting and sinister, like you're being asked to enter a secret doorway which has just appeared in your house, not knowing quite what to expect on the other side.

Here is a beautiful acoustic rendition of Pieces. Also i noticed he's using a Yairi Parlour guitar, I saw a nice Yairi on ebay the other day, brazillian rosewood and amazing inlays.

Dusty Kid - America

2010-08-25T01:46:00.000-07:00

It's august, the weather in the UK is kind of typical at the moment, it rains then its sunny then it rains then you get blown away in a gale then its nice again etc etc, this is the summertime that i've come to know and love. There isn't really a point to the story. Anyways I Came across this track from Dusty Kid, amazing.

Dusty Kid - America from Amue on Vimeo.

Have you Forgotten

2010-08-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

Do you have a video you like to play on youtube a lot? this is mine. The song is by the Red House Painters, I've posted about Mark Kozelek before (read back) it's a great version of the song, slower than the original. The second reason it's amazing is because it's from the french film A la Folie... Pas Du Tout, with Audrey Tautou, need I say more.

Cass McCombs

2010-08-11T01:18:00.000-07:00

Cass McCombs has been quietly creating some masterful albums for the last few years. I picked up Dropping the Writ a few years ago and was instantly drawn to the hazy dreamlike quality of his music. It's a 'close your eyes and your taken somewhere else' sort of sound.

From the perfect That's That, to my favourite Windfall, with it's simple yet sweeping ethereal melody.

This is You Saved My Life, from Catacombs which came out last year. very very nice.

New Leaves Studio

2010-08-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

www.newleavesstudio.com is now open! It's a new business venture i'm part of, our idea is simple, beautiful design for modern living.

You can purchase the popular London print, It looks amazing framed! we have a number of other designs, which are available on natural cotton bags, light and heavy weight!
There is so much more coming soon, it's early days, so get something before everyone else does!!
We have a number of fabric designs which we're currently working on, we've called them our gold standard designs, we can't wait to get them up in the shop.

We currently accept paypal, and have free postage on all bags within the uk, we do ship internationally too, get in touch via the contact page!

Thanks everyone

Photoshoot

2010-07-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

I needed some new photo's for various reasons, including an interview with Urban Outfitters. So I sat on my desk, I actually thought it might give way, it didn't and I got some good shots on the worlds greatest camera my Panasonic DMC-LX3, seriously the best camera I've ever owned. You can get amazing results with the flash up using the macro.

This is me.

Born Ruffians....

2010-07-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

...have a new album out, I was a big fan of Red, Yellow & Blue. The new album is called Say It, this is Soul Brother.

'go and help your grandfather, he's 77 and you are 11', sounds like something my Babcia (polish for grandma) used to say to me.

Aqueduct

2010-07-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

Aqueduct is the musical accomplishment of David Terry, he started out on his back in 2001, since then the project has flourished into a full band.

I wanted to share this track with you Keep It Together, It was the first song I heard by Aqueduct and was hooked instantly by the 70's style laid back synth intro, so pour yourself a drink and lay back.

Walther Ruttmann. Opus One

2010-07-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

In 1921 Walther Ruttmann created his Opus One. It has the astonishing accolade of being the very first abstract animation seen by a general audience anywhere in the world, whereas today we see abstract animations everywhere from music video's to tv adverts.

I wrote my dissertation on visual music, this was part of it. Enjoy.

What a Life I Lead In the Summer...

2010-07-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

See you in seven minutes and twenty three seconds, when you'll feel better about life.

11 Years Ago I Drew This.

2010-07-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

I just found this drawing of a bird while looking through a box of things i've kept.
It says 1999 on the back so i drew it in the last century, I even signed and initialed the piece. Not too bad to say I was 12, I remember being obsessed with line drawings and pens...not much has changed really.

Automatic Drawings of Films

2010-07-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

1. Sit down and watch a film for five minutes,
2. Draw what you see without looking at your page.

It's not quite automatic drawing. Maybe i'll make more. This is Under Siege the 1992 action film starring Steven Seagal!

Jason Schwartzman, Coconut Records

2010-07-12T04:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of Jason Schwartzman. He's an all round talent, an actor/musician/writer, From Rushmore (greatest film ever made) to the Darjeeling limited.
He also creates music! This is Microphone from his album Davy under the moniker of Coconut Records, go buy the album! stand out track for me is 'Is This Sound Ok'....i'd say it's mighty fine.

Patrick Stump

2010-07-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Patrick stump was the music man behind Fall Out Boy. He's now going solo, and if this video is anything to go by it should be pretty sweet stuff! I absolutely love this.

Patrick Stump from Patrick Stump on Vimeo.

Print For Sale

2010-06-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Limited edition

DCFC Winter Poster prints for sale!

I have a limited number of 30 of these prints now available for purchase.

DETAILS: A2 size, printed on FSC 280gsm Semi Gloss. Eco friendly printed.

£40 + £4.99 Secure Postage/Packing

Ok Go

2010-06-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Another great song and another amazing video from Ok Go.

Director: OK Go, Eric Gunther, and Jeff Lieberman
Producer: Shirley Moyers

Designers Block?

2010-06-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

The answer to designers block lies in Keemun tea, maybe its the polyphenols or possibly some sort of black magic from the orient, but this stuff always works! I like to think of it as designers tea. Drink up.

Epson 1520

2010-06-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I've used my Epson 1520 for about 3 or 4 years, it's an ancient A2 plotter, it's a workhorse of a machine, which I initially bought while at uni for about £200, I figured it was more economical than buying prints every time i wanted something printing, I also figured if it's mine I can do whatever i want with it, which led to lots of experimentation.

He's a temperamental printer, an old man who's really slow, but on a good day can actually be outstanding. The inks are around £2 each which is one of the best things, most A2 printers these days have about 8 separate cartridges which are about 15quid each! It back loads and i've put 350gsm through.
That's about it, get one if you want a cheap A2 printer which is economically great. You can pick them up on ebay, there always seems to be one up for sale.

Heritage

2010-06-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

I made this little graphic to represent my double heritage.

The Drums

2010-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

From Brooklyn NY, I can't help but like this, the lead singer Jonathan Pierce reminds me of the late Mark Speight.

Kozelek

2010-06-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Mark Kozelek will go down as one of the greatest american musicians of all time, his back catalogue is truly astonishing. A day doesn't go by without some kozelek passing through my speakers. Pick up anything by Sun Kil Moon, or the red house painters, I'd recommend Ghosts Of The Great Highway, but his Tiny Cities album of modest mouse covers is pretty much perfect.

Daisies of the Galaxy

2010-06-08T03:59:00.000-07:00

10 Years after it's release this is still one of the most perfect albums ever made.

A testament to Everett and his song writing ability. If you don't own it, get it.

I have the original cardboard case version, I love the Kate Greenaway inspired illustrations.

Site Launch

2010-06-08T01:18:00.000-07:00

So it's been a few months but my new site is finally up!! it's actually been down for almost 2 years, which in retrospect is a huge hole of time, but I have been busy!

I'm hoping that the site will keep evolving, with new projects and ideas.
I thought i'd post a few of my favourite pieces from the site because I can, its my blog.

Early June Launch

2010-06-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today began with a 6am run through beaumont park then a few cups of tea and coffee!
I also set up a small photo shoot...at my desk which will be on my site when it launches and also my flickr! The images are part of a new process page on my site, which is kind of a behind the scenes look at my day to day. I'd post a sneak peak but i've literally just finished tidying the subsequent fall out.

I will be Launching my site this weekend! I've said saturday but I might hold off till sunday or monday morning, and make sure all the links are working etc.

have a nice weekend!

June

2010-05-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Just updated my site, with a new holding page, I've now got a bit of time to push towards getting my site up again which is good!

Nice quote from John Maeda -

"Amidst the attention given to the sciences as how they can lead to the cure of all diseases and daily problems of mankind, I believe that the biggest breakthrough will be the realization that the arts, which are conventionally considered ‘useless,’ will be recognized as the whole reason why we ever try to live longer or live more prosperously"

New Work

2010-04-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Evening, I'm gonna make some of these posts more visual soon I'm sure, My site is almost up, well i say almost its 70% there I need to add a few more things.
in other news I've ordered a Macbook Pro, It was due on monday, but because of the Volcano its been all over the world it seems by my ups tracker, it currently resides in my half home land of Poland, Hopefully it will fly through the night and arrive tomorrow.
Fingers X's,

Current Work

2010-03-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

My website should be up next monday! well all going well. There will hopefully be plenty of new things for everyone to look at and maybe some previous work too.

I'm currently undergoing a number of projects, on a personal and professional level that are keeping me busy! some of which i can show some of which I can't, i'm currently working on projects for Coca-Cola professionally and a number of other nice little things! busy busy.

So anyways keep and eye out for my site launch!

Website Launch...

2010-03-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

A week today all going well.

Screen Printing

2010-02-19T04:34:00.000-08:00

Trial and error is an understatement when it comes to my trials and errors into the foray of screen printing. I've wanted to make some of my own screen prints for a while now, I got the opportunity to do some at Uni and college before that, as well as letterpress and a host of other printing goodnesses. But since then have never attempted my own set up, I've had things screen printed, i've even helped run and printed on an industrial screen print machine.

So i set about on my challenge, to date, I have bought 2 screens, A3 and A4, i've also bought 2 UV black lights, constructed a light box A2 size, bought inks, fillers, photo emulsions, 275 watt photoflood bulbs, fittings, scoop coaters, squeeges, drawing fluids, halogen work lights, 200 or so transparencies (half of which are no good) acryclics, fabric inks and a few packs of anadin extra as a result.

The initial problems I met with were things like exposure times and getting the right materials, I felt a bit like Tom Hanks in the Money Pit! but eventually I got everything I needed. Spraying my screen to clean it out and push out the filler was also a problem, i'm still using the shower with the head taken off and my thumb over the end for the high pressure! it works!

I think it's all about working out what is right for you and what set-up works, I managed to finally get a set-up that worked best for me, I'm sure you will see examples on my site and as part of a new project that I've been working on a while now, which is finding it's feet.

If you have any screen print questions, get in touch at info@mikelemanski.co.uk

A Poster a Day

2010-02-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Here are two posters I've created so far for my 'a poster a day' series, basically my sources come from anything I find interesting and want to give a voice too.
day 1. part of a future of computing series.
day 2. OCD awareness week.

it's not the greatest photo, I took it on my phone as my camera battery died on me, the posters are A2 printed on 200gsm cartridge paper. I might sell some of these originals when my site is back up!

2010-02-03T04:27:00.000-08:00

I think this January just gone was the longest I can remember, so I welcome February and hopefully a little more sunshine? On the work front I've been really busy. My site is coming along, so it should be up soon. I always feel that there isn't enough up to show, it's been a year and a half since it was last up, and in that time I've been busy working with little time for my personal design pursuits. It has allowed me to read though which is nice and also get back into painting and drawing etc, which has now become a major direction I hope to pursue.

I'm currently working on the Coca-Cola Olympic games visuals, so cans, pet's, billboards etc freelance for attik, I can never show any of this work as I have NDA's coming at me from all directions.

I have a list as long as my arm which is full of ideas for my own personal work and explorations, it's something nice to chip away at over the coming year.

From today I am also starting the 'poster a day' campaign, which is where I create a new poster everyday, I need to find subjects for these e.g concerts, festivals and general going's on that people need to know about. if you have something maybe I could help? I need 365 events!

Here is a (really bad) photo of my studio, I could do with a bookcase, I have a pile of books almost as high as me!(not in the shot) does anybody else find that bookcases in general don't accommodate for art books, they need to be deeper and taller, we seem to be stuck with shelves, with their limitless height and variable lengths, somehow a bookcase just seems neater though.

Current Reading:

Lichtenstein Posters

Bibliographic

Smokey Mountains

2009-12-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Until i've got some of my own work and work in progress to show, here's something nice.

First Post

2009-12-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Expect more soon