Inorikaze - Prayer Wind

My talented friend Nobuko Miyazaki is a New York based flautist, shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) player and composer. Her latest project is an album of her own compositions recorded with a variety of professional musicians and collaborators, including the Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra, entitled - Inorikaze - Prayer Wind.

You can hear a sample of her music and find out the stories behind each composition on her website here: http://www.nobuflute.com/ 

Nobuko asked me to design a CD cover for this album. She wanted an image of a young girl playing a flute. The girl represents herself and was inspired by a photo she took of a girl she came across in Japan whilst doing voluntary aid work there following the earthquake in 2013.

The music is represented by ribbons of colour, swirling into the sky:

An early title design with brushwork type:

The final artwork:

To buy the album click here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/inorikaze-prayer-wind-ep/id961365698
http://cdbaby.com/cd/nobukomiyazaki2

A portion of sales go to children's charities.

Nobuko worked tirelessly to put this album together and I am very proud to be a small part of her continuing success.

Year of the Snake

I have just been in Hong Kong absorbing the wonderful sights, sounds, smells and peculiarities of Chinese culture. Everyday was a sensory overload. Since my return I have begun digesting into illustrations the noise, bustle, skyscrapers, temples, food and hectic pace of life lived in a haze of red and gold.

The Lunar Chinese New Year was celebrated while I was in Hong Kong so lots of dragon and lion dances occurred to the sound of clashing cymbals, scaring away the bad luck to herald good luck in its' stead.

 

It was great to be in a city full of activity and familiar things but one that felt very different to London. A trip to Kowloon Park amidst tower blocks and busy roads and you can find a tranquil pond inhabited by flamingos.

Stopgap Dance Pack

Recently I have been working on some illustrations for a resource pack for the dance company - Stopgap.  Stopgap is the UK’s leading integrated company for dancers with and without disabilities. The resource pack is for dance teachers to aid them in including dancers with physical disabilities into their classes.  Here are some examples of the work I produced to accompany and support the text. I am still working on the cover and also doing all the layout too!

So if anyone would like to get involved in dance - whether you are able bodied or not - check out Stopgap's website - http://www.stopgap.uk.com and see some clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/StopGAPDance and be inspired! It is amazing what people can do!

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?

Fun in the park

Here are some sketches of little people I encountered in the local park the other day.

Swallows and Arrows

I was recently asked by Ferment magazine to create an illustration in response to a poem on the theme of upside down.
The poem entitled; 'This Way Up' is by Ted Piker.
I drew lots of things but eventually it became whittled down to quite a simple image:

Ferment magazine is published quarterly in Oxford. 
Ferment is a quarterly non-profit zine combining original creative writing with complementary illustrations.
We invite writers and illustrators whose work we admire to make contributions on a theme that is chosen for each issue.

Mermaid & Dragon

Another image for Essex Council from the series - The Giants are Coming! 

This image will be used as a flyer (with additional information overlaid) by libraries, to promote workshops for children featuring mermaids and dragons.

Big delivery & Clementine Reading

Here is a picture inspired by my love of stamps.  Let's hope stamps stick around for at least a while longer.  Poor postman.

And another recent picture in tribute to my friend's daughter Clementine. At the moment Clementine is not even 1yr old so this is assuming she will one day love reading and not be into riding bikes and eating worms instead.

Here is a sketch I did recently of the actual Clementine:
(can you see the ghostly image of King George VI in the background that was drawn on the next page of my sketchbook?)