Summer has officially started!

First year is over and I can't believe how fast it has gone! I had my assesment just over a week ago and it went much better than I expected and I was over the moon to find out I got a First for my personal sketchbooks and my book project and a 2:1 overall!!

Here is a few spreads from my final project. I chose to illustrate an advertising campaign for the WWF, I wanted to create a zine for students with shocking quotes and facts about safeguarding the natural world.

Its feels great having nothing to do and I've spent lots of time relaxing in this glorious sunshine. It was my Birthday last Tuesday and I got spoilt rotten. Adam came down for the weekend and we searched the whole of Cornwall for the perfect guitar, I finally found her in Truro and she is a little beauty.

St Ive's was incredibly Sunny!

I love the twisty streets and crystal clear water

This is Trudie

We walked around a big lake

On my last teenage night I was swept away to Lands End by my loverly friends. It was incredible to look out to sea and think wow theres nothing but ocean till America! we set up camp as the sun was going down and went for a cheeky swim, we stayed up till 5am chatting around the camp fire and then went surfing the next day till tea time it was amazing.

We have been given an exciting Summer Project to produce a visual record of our Summer I have decided I don't want to do a straight forward personal sketchbook documenting what I get up to and instead I'm hoping to work on two seperate projects.

Firstly I want to fill a sketchbook with portraits of everyone I meet over the next few months and hopfully if i'm brave enough i'd like to go into Manchester city centre and hold up a sign saying 'Pretty Please can I draw you?' and fingers crossed i'll get some takers!

Secondly I'd like to write and illustrate my own book compiled of thoughts loosley based on Alice in Wonderland and my Nemesis Tom Adams.

so far i've written the preface and done a few collages and pencil drawings...

This picturebook was inspired by a moment of sheer wonderment...
After a night spent trawling through books in the library young Amy decided to retire to her bed. Upon leaving the library she came across a lonley trolley, on the side of which was a sign
'' Dispatched Books - help yourself ''.
Curiosity overcoming her fatigue, Amy approached the trolley and leafed through the old unwanted books. Only one title stood out to her: The Geology Handbook. Although the study of rocks was something that very mildly intruiged Amy, she thought instantly of her aquaintance Tom. Tom liked to think of himself as a real man of the world, he was a middle-class chap in his early 30's and a Professor of Geology at the local university.
Amy regarded Tom as being indifferent and antagonistic to her artistic and cultural values. Despite this they had so far managed to maintain a sometimes rocky relationship.
She contemplated taking the book home and giving it to Tom when they next met however upon realising the book was compiled of all words and no pictures she hastily put it down and left.
A number of days later the pair crossed paths and Amy told Tom about the banished orphan of a book that she had forsaken due to its lack of artfulness which left Tom Confounded.

Tom: But why did you discard it?
Amy: I'm sorry, but how can one possibly pay attention to a book with no pictures in it?
Tom: My dear child, there are a great many good books in this world without pictures.
Amy: In this world, perhaps, but in my world, the books would be nothing but pictures.
Tom: Your world? Huh! What nonsense.

pencil fingers > elective mute

As you may or may not of read in my previous post, I have had a very serious battle on my hands over the past few months. A battle which would finally after much debate deter which is greater.. Art or Science.

It gives me great honour to declare victory, and present my winning photographs


IMAGINATION IS MORE VALUABLE THAN KNOWLEDGE FOR KNOWLEDGE IS LIMITED.
Albert Einstein

If you go down to the woods today..

flyer design for up an coming Bare in the Woods gig, be there!

Barefest

I'm back in Falmouth and enjoying every minute! The sun has been shining all week and i've spent lots of time down at the beach. It's great to be back with some of my favourite people.
I printed my colour and B&W lomo photos this week and they turned out pretty well! Be afraid Tom, be very afraid. Here's just a couple of snaps from the weekend I spent with the Bare's in Leeds.

And couple more designs

A few sketchbook pages from over Easter, I probably could have done lots more but what are holidays for ey.

first coat finito

Sir Alex Ferguson, oil paint on canvas textured paper
Just the tiny details to add once it's dry.

complete :)

My first book, the Baresterds, Project X, and A blast from the past.

The second term is over! I'm back from the wilderness and surrounded by the red brick walls and cobble stone floors of Manchester yet again! The last few weeks were pretty tough and I hardly saw daylight thanks to my illustrated book project, but somehow I got it all finished, bound and handed in! Here's a couple of my favourite pages.



I originally wanted to use oil paints to colour them but unfortunately run out of time and had to use Photoshop, I think they turned out better for it though.

some pags are almost photorealistic and quite literal, and some pages are more conceptual and symbolic. Thanks again to my lovely friend Nathan who lives in Washington and has travelled all over America and beyond taking snaps everywhere he goes. His photographs are absoloutely magnifique and really influenced the content of my book.

Check out Nathan's Flickr page

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndm007/

The journey from Falmouth to Manchester takes a delicious 8 hours so to pass some time I did a few sketches for Bare in the Woods. They have been writing, practicing, and recording non-stop recently preparing for their first gig of many in Leeds next month. I tinkered with a few of them on Photoshop and sent them to the Bare's. Luckily they quite like them so some of these designs might be scattered around Leeds on flyers next month.. Excitingg!

We had our first 'Project X' this term. These are basically mini projects which are sprung on us with extremley short deadlines. We were given a choice of articles to create an illustration for, I chose a fascinating article from New Scientist magazine about Hypnotism! Everybody's work was then put on display and staff and students were invited to vote for thier favourite. My illustration won second place and I was over the moon!


This is a not so great poster I designed for the Poster Project.

I have a written a really long and fun-filled to-do list to get through whilst i'm back home. One of the things on my list was to rummage though the attick and the garage and the old chest and cupboards in search of old photographs and family history. I started this mammoth task today and found some absoloute treasure..

This handsome chappy is Grandad Bill, who I think looks alot like Elvis

This is my mummy looking very cute and squishy :)

This is my mummy looking less cute and squishy and more eighty's and glamourous.

This is dad having a cheeky dip.

This is one of my first ever journals, full of erm 'abstract' drawings, however I found three prayers that i'd written on the back pages,

JESUS

DEAR JESUS PRICE FHANQ FOR MACKEING THE WOLD BEACOSE NODOBY WUD OV LIVED FHANQ FOR MAKEING ME AND MY FREINDS

ARMEN

MARY

DEAR MARY I WANT TO SAY FANQ FOR MAKEING JESUS

ARMEN

GOD

DEAR GOD FANQ FOR MACKING THE WOLD SO NEET AND TIDEY

ARMEN

By far the coolest discoveries I made were about my dad's daddy who I unfortunately never got to meet. I found lots of photographs and precious things he had kept. He travelled all over the world on boats, bikes, and horses and kept journals everywhere he went. He loved taking his mum out on his motorbike and sidecar. I also found his collection of postcards and foriegn currency some places I have never heard of. He seems like such an fascinating man I think I might stick ' Do project about Grandad Neville the original Wilderness Explorer ' on my ever growing to-do list!

And here's some photos from Jessminda's suprise birthday! a really special night for a really special friend.

And FINALLY my last thing to report is WE HAVE FOUND A HOUSE! We have christened it the Yellow Submarine and I can't waiiiit to move in!

did it tick the boxes I wonder..

Seaview- CHECK

Pink Exterior- A very yellow shade of pink CHECK

A Balcony- No, however there is a two story garage which will compensate

Swimming pool ( settle for paddleing pool )- There's definitely space for one CHECK

A skylight - OK no BUT look at those fantastic arch windows!

its boooootifull :)