Jamie Oliver title sequence for Channel 4

Recently screened on Channel 4 was the 2nd series of the food programme 'Jamie and Jimmy', featuring well known chef Jamie Oliver. I was asked to contribute to the title sequence by designing name plaques that pop up revealing the celebrities taking part in the cookery show. The theme I was given was British fairground so I looked at lots of lovely, old, hand-painted signs.  I couldn't use actual fonts because of copyright so I created my own as well as hand drawn elements:

Here's a still to show how they featured in the final animation:

It is a very minor element of a lovely animated title sequence created at Picasso Pictures, directed by Jens and Anna which you can view here.

Greetings Cards

I have been working on some greetings card designs for a while now. I find it a good way of developing illustration ideas into themes. When I first moved into my studio space a year ago I thought I'd start with a small project to develop some characters and little ideas I had into suitable card images. I often make my illustration work into stories so it was good to do a project which was less ambitious than a story book project but with different and specific challenges of it's own.

I decided to dip my toe into the online shop world and am selling some of my printed efforts on Etsy. My shop is here:

I have made a Christmas collection with gingerbread character designs:

and a Birthday collection based on characters from my Monsters work:

I am curious to see which designs are popular and what online traffic I can attract to my shop and website.

Artificial Things

In 2012 I created a resource pack (35 illustrations and layout) for Stopgap Dance Company - click here for more information.
This year they asked me to create flyers and a brochure for their current touring production called Artificial Things. I made A4, A5 flyers and an A2 poster with cast and production information on the reverse side that folds into an A5 brochure, see below:

(The photographs are by Chris Parkes as Christography)

Click here for a trailer for the show.

I visited the show at Sadler's Wells last night and it was a wonderful performance. A visual and visceral treat. I definitely recommend it. They are touring the UK with this show into the autumn - for more information click here: Stopgap Dance or visit stopgapdance.com

Peace and joy

Greetings from frosty London!
Recently I have been working on some Christmas designs to mail out to friends and family as a festive e-card. It is the first year I haven't made a physical card and that fact does sadden me a little. It is a small, delightful pleasure to receive letters and cards in the post and I hope it doesn't die out entirely as a practice. I am between homes at the moment and doing some stints of travel. This is all very exciting but with all my papers and materials boxed up I resorted to some digital creativity instead. I shall endeavour to make an extra effort next Christmas to get back to making some home made cards. Until then here are some digital messages of goodwill. I created two images, unable to decide which one I prefer. Perhaps the first. You can decide for yourself!
Wishing you all a happy holiday of peace and joy. And gingerbread.

 

 

Sport hangover and DoeDeMee update

London goes back to work with a bit of a sport hangover.

A glorious summer of sport has left us elated here in London and wondering if it really happened?! So much to celebrate. Yesterday I went to the athletes' parade in town as the last hoorah of the games. Yet again Games Makers were out in force, encouraging endless mexican waves. I think they, like the rest of us, don't want this vibrant and happy feeling to end. So it's spontaneous mexican waves and foam finger high fives on the work commute from now on. Here is an illustration of a Games Maker going back to work but full of happy memories. Yes - it really did happen, hooray! 

My Moby Dick cover design (see earlier blog entry) is featured in an exhibition currently in Antwerp City Hall. The exhibition called - DoeDeMee ('join in' in Dutch) features all 100 designs from a list of 100 greatest books of all time. The original concept for the project is to create artwork inspired by these books and use the results to promote literacy around the world. The exhibition was launched on International Literacy Day 2012 (8th Sept) and is on until the 16th of Sept. 

Click here for exhibition information.

 As part of the promotion my image was one of a selection from the show to be featured in the national newspaper de Standaard:

All the posters in the show are available to buy here.  A percentage of the proceeds go to charities that promote reading. This venture is endorsed by UNESCO who run the International Literacy Day amongst many other global science and cultural initiatives.

The DoeDeMee team behind the exhibition are hoping to launch the show in other cities including London so watch this space for more news.  More information can be found on facebook here.

Olympic legacy and meatballs

I've been working for a while on some animation projects and then the 2012 Olympics came along so my mind has been a little diverted from illustrating for a few months.

The Olympics were a great time to be in London. I think I am still in a post Olympic funk. So in trying to get back to reality, this is a picture of how happy and obsessed I was when the Olympics were on - Looking at the world through an Olympic Haze;

I've been going back into my picture book projects and here is an element I have made for possible inclusion in a spread.  Anyone for meatballs?