Style

I found this paragraph in one of my old sketchbooks while sorting through things for my new studio, I wrote it a probably around 2 years ago it is on the subject of Style:

"Style is not a tangible thing unlike the core elements of work, which briefly reprise of colour, shape, line, the picture plane, idea, concept, depiction, medium, texture and depth. Style is a problem, it's not a way of working but instead a way of describing how an artist chooses to employ these 'core elements of work'.
Artists can easily be drawn into the belief that they must form a style or continue one once they have worked within their constructed process.
It is a problem, because firstly it can destroy or impede an artists creativity in a number of ways and can lead the direction of work. Another problem with the idea of a style is that as something intangible it is easily influenced by others which can create similar work or trends within groups of individuals. 
The artists greatest weapon in defence of style is creativity."

New House and Liberation

One of my last posts about the studio cabin never materialised and in January I moved into a really great studio at the Art House in Wakefield, the space was fantastic and just what I needed as a base of operations, my time there was short but really great and I was sad to have to move out around a month ago because....after a long time of looking I bought a house!!! with my new wife Sarah!!!

We moved in around a month ago, and there is room in the house for a permanent studio, it's hard to explain but it will be the first time ever in my professional career that I will be working (and living) in a place where all my things are, here is a brief explanation...over the past few years I've lived at home with my father (image Frasier but not as funny) and at my wife's (then girlfriends and her generous parents) and also worked at the arthouse (briefly) all of these kind of at the same time and in that time all my worldly belongings were split between 3 places, I had books here and there, desks all over the place, never having all my equipment in the same place...so to finally have everything together in one place is liberating, I feel that finally I have a permanent space that is mine I can make a mess, work late, get up early be constantly surrounded by the world that I have curated (along with Sarah!)

I feel that I can finally create in a way I've never been able to before and i'm excited by what the next few years will bring, to that end I am on the final leg of my website, it should be up in the next few weeks! at last! along with I hope a new blog and a new attitude and direction in my work, a more fruitful time!

Here is to the future.

Party Supplies - New York 2017

Sometimes you just want to listen to something and not have to think....

Studio/Cabin Project...Now On Hold

Its been a couple of months since my last post updating on the Cabin/Studio project, which is now on hold, I am instead moving into a new studio space in wakefield, I will update with more info soon.

Studio/Cabin Project. Part 2

The weather has taken a turn for the worse this week! but before the mist and rain descended, the extra space was dug out and the decking panels were uprooted, the next steps are to completely take up the decking and then extend the base out into the soil.

The space underneath was filled with the excess soil, which apart from being mostly clay and solid stone unearthed the usual British garden finds, a few clay bricks, a few pieces of old pottery and china, oh and a solid lead pipe! of course.

Studio/Cabin Project. Part 1

Over the next few months I'm going to try and keep everyone up to date with a new small studio cabin that i'm building, you can follow my progress on here. 

The original idea was to have a small outdoor area which I could use as a creative space for painting/art based ideas, however this soon developed into creating a larger and more solid space which would be big enough to work from fully.

The space that is being upheaved for the project is an unused decking outside, which once the top boards are taken up will make a good base. 

I've chosen a cabin built by a local timber merchants who will come and construct the space, all the wood is locally grown from their 500+ hectare estate and sourced here in West Yorkshire.

I'm hoping the space will allow me to focus on areas of my work which I haven't had the space to work on including painting, sculpture and various print projects.

I'll be updating as frequently as I can! The digging has commenced so it won't be long before the next update...

Laura Groves - Inky Sea

You're in luck, two posts in one day! This time it's something new from Laura Groves, a haunting song called Inky Sea.

Shake It Off

I will forever champion The Spinto Band, I think they constantly create great music. Here hot off the press is their new video for Shake It Off, from their latest album Cool Cocoon.

"I've had enough i'm unhappy with dreaming, shake it off i'm leaving" 

Lacoste Poster

A few months ago, I was asked to design some posters for Lacoste, it is their 80th birthday this year. The posters were designed to reflect the heritage of the brand. I created a number of variations, this is my favourite, it is based on the '80' logo created by Peter Saville (bottom left) with two tennis balls and the old wooden racket that Rene Lacoste used... the poster was released in time for Roland Garros in France hence the clay/red background.

This is a signed working proof framed up... 

When printing in the studio from mac, I print each colour separately through a wide format printer, this is the only way I have found to get the real feel of the print working and the colours sitting together or overprinting properly.

Coheed and Cambria - Feathers

Every now and then youtube is graced with an acoustic session from Coheed and Cambria...here is one of them...

Spinto Band - Amy+Jen

We all know about The Spinto Band..they've been creating great music for years.

New video for Amy + Jen off the new album Cool Cocoon.....

...nice video

Edison

Great quote from Thomas Edison.

Once I Was An Eagle

Laura Marling has a new album out, pretty impressive, gone is the twee folky stuff, things are a little darker now, actually this song 'I Was an Eagle' reminds me of Razor by Dave Grohl, which is posted below for your convenience.

Cayucas

It feels a little more like summer now...

California X

California X - Mummy.

Last year I visited Seattle, the birthplace of grunge, and ever since I've been rekindling my love of said rock.

California X are a bunch of American kids who are doing it today... and generally having a good time. I wish they had a video for their track Pond Rot, as it contains the lyric "I want a pond to rot in" check out their debut (I think) self titled album, it is streaming on Spotify.

In other news while i'm here, and most of you reading this probably want to hear about design/illustration work. Everything is going swell! I drew the Titanic the other day.

Video:

3 months in...

...to 2013.

13 is an odd number, literally and visually. It kinda wants to get together and become a B.

I should update with some small things. I'm currently re-designing my website, its taking a while because I have been pretty busy of late, but it is getting there.

Here is a snippet of a map that will be up on the site:

The first step in re-designing or moreover refreshing a site, any site, should be to look at what you already have, and what you want to have. I tend to update my site once every maybe 2 years with a larger refresh, and then periodically update with new work, its been a while since my last update however.

I also try to think of the site as a physical place, an art gallery, a place where people go to see the art. The overall design shouldn't fight for your attention. 

This is why I wouldn't choose to integrate a blog into the site or use it as a social platform. I think the social elements, a blog, twitter etc are best left separate, they are part of the distraction of the design of most portfolio sites in my opinion, I mean imagine if you can a blog personified as the artist within an art gallery stood around updating the gallery goers with some holiday snaps, or doodling on a napkin and trying to pin it up on the gallery wall.

Faber Birren

Excerpt from a self publication I was creating a couple of years back about Faber Birren.

Maps and Atlases

Winter.

Love that riff.

Ramblings...

I'm taking a little break from a project, i'm talking a 15 minute break, and thought i'd write a tiny blog post with some tips, these are things I think about and come to mind when i'm working, general ramblings.

Put just as much effort into everything you do no matter how big or small the job, you owe it to yourself to be good and pay attention to detail. I get asked to do various editorial illustrations these can range from covers, double page spreads to tiny little spaces within which your work will live, speak, shout, whisper, or get to the point asap, i'm talking 5mm x 4mm of paper, a young sapling leaf of the tree if you will, give it your full attention.

The main thing you gotta know, the holy grail is communication, that is all, people are commissioning you for your skills and sometimes style, which should never be locked it should float within a framework, but most of all your ability to communicate not only a message an idea a thought, but also to be able to communicate the image in your head, your imagination.

If you're getting stuck on something, move on to something else, or break out of anything that seems like what people expect and just do what you want.

If you are working in a small space, I'm talking on the page, what I try to do is think of it like this: less space less colours, if your space is limited you need to limit the other things that are in general not limited. If you are working in a small space, studio wise, close your eyes...you now have infinite space...

get to work.

Tysons Corner Centre

I was asked to create 75 illustrations for Tysons Corner Center mall in America. At first I was a little daunted by the task, supplying sketches and revisions on so many illustrations, while trying to keep track of everything and making everything work as a whole.

The elements ranged from Kitchen Aids to Canoe's and were to be used as a kind of way finding system, as well as a visual identity for the Mall for the next 2 years and possibly beyond.

I was amazed to find out that the illustrations as a campaign won Gold at the American Advertising Awards! I think everything came together really nicely in the end.