Fairytale Shoes

This is a new illustrations based on the shoes of famous children's book characters, notably Dorothy and Cinderella. I will be printing this design onto notebooks and greeting cards

Owl Aboard!!!

Here is the final Cross Country-approved Owl Aboard design which will sit in the middle of Birmingham city centre across 10 weeks in Summer 2015. The design incorporates the Cross Country livery

La Maison Rose update

I have edited the illustration in Photoshop (although it still requires amendments and the left side completing. I have added watercolour textures tot he main facade then digitally coloured the green sections and added flower baskets and chalkboard writing to complete the typical french feel.

Louboutin experiments

Some pencil crayon / watercolour experiments on some Louboutin drawings. I initially thought watercolour would work better to give the silky finish of the shoes by pencil crayons tens to work better because they give an old film grain which echoes the 50s colours of the shoes, browns and beiges. The pencil crayon also allows more consistency in tone and precision.

La Maison Rose Progress

I've been detailing the pencil illustratio of my next paris Café, La Maison Rose, Montmartre

Project Leader: Big Hoot Sheldon Launch Day!

Thursday 2nd April was the launch day for the Big Hoot in Sheldon.

Alongside Ben from Wild in Art, we introduced the project, its coverage and sparked ideas for the 8-11 children to get their inspiration flowing for the following art workshop session.

It was a lovely day and great to inspire and encourage children's creative sides, I had a variety of lovely designs come through the children and there are already a few that I can see working nicely on a scaled up final design.

I will be returning to St Thomas's Community Church on 27th/28th April for more workshops creating ideas for the giant owl design, then I will spend the last days of April formulating one final idea that represents Sheldon, drawn by the people of Sheldon.

By 1st May, my idea will be submitted and later in May I will have 4x four hour painting sessions with the most willing members of the community who really want to get stuck into, with a final deadline of June 22nd, where I will be completing the rest of the painting at the Custard Factory, alongside my own Owl Aboard design!

Big Hoot update

My artist page has now been added to the Big Hoot site, and I am looking forward to getting started on this. I have also found out that the owl will be a large owl at 165cm.

Alongside this I will be working with a community group in Sheldon and we will be designing and painting a small 90cm owlet!

New logo. New business cards.

Game of Thrones Compendium Update!

A day after submitting my Sansa Stark illustration, it has gone through the initial stages of moderation...

...and is now officially shortlisted as a Finalist for the Game of Thrones Compendium!

Now to wait a few months for the final results!

 

Parisien Café (pencil, watercolour, digital)

 

This is the Boot Cafeé in the Marais region of Paris. I am planning to do a series of Paris cafés and will sell them as greeting cards and prints. I will approach cafés in Montmartre and Versailles as I hope to have my work in several places in Paris.

6/8 Kafé Exhibition

A reminder that an exhibition of some brand new work is up at 6/8 Kafé till 18th April 2015!

Greeting cards based on the woodland creatures series can be bought at my etsy :)

Game of Thrones Compendium submission

I have finally submitted my entry to the Game of Thrones Compendium. This is my supporting statement which sits alongside the piece:

Sansa Stark's transition at the close of Season 4 is symbolised by her piercing, confrontational glare and ghostly face, drained of colour and warmth. The dark tones in the styling of her make-up highlight the gothic, sinister Sansa we are forced to accept. Her face is depicted in watercolour which shows softness, however the remains of her innocence are overshadowed by the feathers which are sharp like blades.

Boot Café illustration progress

I have almost completed the girl on the bicycle, which is produced using watercolour and pencil, layered and textured together in Photoshop. 

I still need to add the spokes on the wheels and make some minor edits, then I will get working on the inside detail of the cafe and add the rest into this piece. I will likely simplify elements and use a pencil line style and watercolour to complete it.

I have been looking at a lot of editorial illustration in high end, lavish magazines and packaging illustration in places like Waitrose and there is a reduction in detail in favour of watercolour and a slightly more hand drawn feel rather than pin point pencil illustration.

Submit to: Oh Comely Magazine

I came across the finely printed culture and arts magazine a few days ago. Once I found articles on PJ Lynch, Maurice Sendak and some cute little ornate spoons, I have made a mental note to approach these guys soon and see if they have a suitable space for my style or need some illustrations for upcoming articles.

Specialist Lecturer at Birmingham City University

I've had the lovely honour of being invited into Birmingham City University at Parkside to present my work to Level 6 and Level 5 students, lead tutorial sessions and discuss my practice alongside some great Illustrators during an all-day Symposium.

Lady Sonnnnnnnnsa, watercolour and pencil, (March 2015)

This is my completed Game of Thrones Compendium entry. I just need to reformat the piece and submit it in the next week or so. I feel I have captured her well, with a confrontational and piercing expression. I wanted to blend some gingerliness with darker tones in her hair to show the transition she has gone through and wash out her skin and eyes so she appears more like a cold, ruthless cow bag.

Boot Café Lovin'

The Boot Café have kindly posted the first update of my illustration on their own account! I will be making them up into greeting cards before I head to Paris in May. My work definitely suits a more European audience and whilst on holiday it is a good opportunity to make some inroads. 

If I can put my work in their gallery space it'd be great. I am aiming to get one or two more designs of this series made up and put in and around cafés in Montmartre and Versailles! Watch this space...

Boot Café illustration

To continue my shopfront series, as I have researched the most-loved independent cafés in Paris and will be illustrating a series of these. I am beginning with the Boot Café in Le Marais district. The café also have a little gallery space and I have been tagging them in Instagram posts so they can see my updates.

2015 Winter-Spring Competition Entries

Inspiration, Research and Future Plans

Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizelinski. I used a line / flat colour style for my Big Hoot entry, and aim to produce more illustrations that suit this style, including a children's guide to inventors, which may either be a combination of pencil and line or pure line. If it is the former, I may do pencil portraits of the headshot of inventors or famous historical / lesser known figures and the rest in pen (the body / invention).

These watercolour portraits on a note book published by Chronicle Books is also not dissimilar to my style. I may collage my future inventor illustrations into a series of collateral: notebooks, tea towels, mugs, postcards, business cards etc all of which would be via Awesome Merchandise who I am so impressed with every time I use them.