Flamingo Magazine

Yesterday I received a copy of Issue #3 of the beautiful Flamingo magazine. If you haven't heard about Flamingo (which if you haven't, why not?!), it is a London-based culture and illustration magazine that celebrates doing-it-yourself.


Issue 3 focuses on homes and habitats, and includes features on the likes of Mark Corrigan's favourite podcaster Alain de Botton, global traveller Steven Newman and Nick Weston, a man who lived in a tree house for 6 months.
It features throughout it's pages a wonderful array of talented illustrators and photographers, including Oona Brown, James Boast, Holly Stoves and Ruby Taylor and boasts a lovely cover created by Robert Hanson.

I was asked to create this illustration for the article about Nick Weston, the 'Wild Man of Ashdown Forest'. The images above shows my pincer-like crab hands holding up a copy of the magazine in typical internet magazine-preview fashion and below a closer look at the illustration itself with a neat white border.

Flamingo is available online here and costs only £7. Or you can buy it at one of the many stockists up and down the country including Magma books, Tate Modern and multiple other newsagents around London and specialist art stores across the UK.

A few editorials

Here are two pieces of recent work, the first commissioned by Wired UK and the second by CSMA Club magazine.
The Wired illustration (above) was to accompany an Ideas Bank essay to do with the idea of rewards. It explains that a study was carried out where two people were asked to complete tasks and rewarded when completed, both subjects were given a reward, but one was bigger than the other. They were both winners, but the person who received the smaller reward felt that more aggrieved at the size of the reward in comparison to the other subject than he did pleased to have been given one himself.

Or something.

The other illustration is a map of Belfast created for motoring and leisure magazine CSMA Club (below).

Secret London

Over the past few days, I have been working on a piece for the Serco Prize for Illustration. The theme this year was 'Secret London' and my entry focusses on the little known fact that Buckingham Palace was built upon the site of a notorious 17th Century brothel.

I wanted to play with ideas of class, adultery and sexuality, but have kept the imagery suggestive so as not to be too lewd. After all, the queen wouldn't like that would she?!

You still have time to enter the competition and can do so by following this link.

Domestic Etch

I've been fairly quiet for a while, but that is not to say I haven't been busy. There are a few things I'm getting on with that aren't finished yet and a few I'm not allowed to release until publication, so watch out for those.

One thing that I can show, is something I put on my site just before Christmas from the latest edition of New York based illustration and design magazine Domestic Etch: 'Growth and Decay'. I implore you to buy it, as it contains some great work from some very fine fellows and fellettes, including a cover by the fantastic Danny Brito, interviews with Sam McKenzie and Pat Perry as well as illustration contributions from the likes of Lilly Piri, Daniel Mackie and Will Long.

You can buy Domestic Etch from Magcloud here.

Computer Arts

Last month was a very busy month, what with Christmas and everything so please excuse my lack of updates.
I was excited to be commissioned by Computer Arts magazine to produce a small illustration about the convicting sides of being a freelancer- the creativity and the business. I was asked to show the importance of both aspects in gaining success in the creative industries.

I have lots more to show but can't yet due to publishing dates. Hopefully I'll have something else soon :)

That's a Wrap

On thursday night I travelled down to London to attend the launch of Issue 3 of Wrap magazine at the Dezeen Space in Shoreditch. I was greeted by Polly, Chris and Harry, the team who've spent many long days and nights lovingly putting together the issue and readying new products including Wrap packs (illustrated wrapping packs including a greeting card/envelope, a sheet of standard sized wrapping paper and 4 vinyl stickers) and Tape Shapes (cute shape based alternatives to sticky tape).

Above: The magazine showing off Lesley Barnes' "Kings of the Forest" and Ruth Munro's "Frozen Berries".

In the middle of the magazine was my own spread and interview. My piece was entitled 'Where Snow Comes From' and is an enchanting tale of two yetis, who are sitting up late at night trying to catch fish for dinner, whilst decorating the scene below with some lovely snow. The image can be seen below:

There are contributions from a range of exciting illustrators and designers from the UK and beyond, including Ben Javens, Tom Clohosy-Cole, Jack Hughes, Iker Spozio and a delightful cover by Josephin Ritschel. If that isn't enough, there are features on ceramicist Stephen Bird, design boutique Smug and much more.

If you'd like to buy it, you can do so here. And after you've bought it and you have seen all the amazing artwork and read the wonderful insights into the work of some great artists, you can take it apart and use it to wrap your presents. You can't say fairer than that!

The Outsiders Book Cover

I've recently fancied doing some book covers for my portfolio and the other day I noticed this contest on The Fox is Black. So I figured I may as well have a go. The image above is my response to the book 'The Outsiders' by S.E.Hinton, a novel which was written when she was an amazing 15 years old.
I wish I could write one now and I'm 23. Anyway, enjoy the work, and pick up the book. Or watch the film.

Nevada Map and Images 35

This week, the AOI's annual illustration exhibition, Images 35 opens at the Bankside Gallery in London. I was lucky enough to be selected to exhibit my Tree Hugging illustration and have been invited to the opening night on thursday for a good look around, some beer and to watch all the talented illustrators get their awards.
After I return home to sunny Yorkshire, I'll post a few photos of the event and of course links to a few of my favourite pieces from the exhibition.

Left: My entry for Images 35, right: a recent piece of personal work

I have also recently finished a map of Nevada for my portfolio. I love America and Nevada is one of the places I'd like to visit most, and having researched house prices over there, I found quite a few 3 bedroom houses with 2 bathrooms, a sizable kitchen and a swimming pool for about £90,000. Why can't prices be like that over here?!

Finally, the deadline for Images 36 is friday, so I better get choosing which illustration to enter!

Hope to see many of you down there at the Private View!

Wesbite update and new work...

Recently, I have completed a few more pieces of personal work. The first, on the left, is a piece about procrastination; all the things you do instead of doing work. Having a cup o' tea, playing on the PS3, looking at facebook, messing with your phone etc.

To it's right, is the second most recent piece I have done. It's entitled 'planets' and is an illustration of the 9 (yes thats right, 9) planets I learned about when I was a child. Pluto was still officially a planet when I was a space obsessed child and indeed indigo was still a colour, but that's another story. I have entered it here in the Space Exhibition competition, run alongside the Cardiff Design Festival.

Both, alongside a few others have been uploaded to my website, which I recently tweaked here and there. Check it out here...

The Totems Are Coming Home

Recently, I was contacted by Lisa from inkygoodness and asked if I could contribute an image to an exhibition of their Character Totem project. Having recently been to Berlin, the exhibition- featuring totems designed by very talented illustrators and designers including McBess, Matt Saunders and Toy Factory to name but a few- is now coming back to the UK for a short stint at the Zellig Gallery in Birmingham. The exhibition will be opening to the public on Thursday 21st July.

Along with life size totems such as the one designed by Toy Factory (above), there will be live drawing from Matt Saunders, Kris Jones and Crim Collective, the exclusive launch of AMMO #7, live music, stalls and most importantly of all, BEER!

I was asked to create a piece of art based on the totem theme. Above is a preview of the print, an adaptation of a piece I did earlier in the year for the Publisher's Club 'Totummy' zine. I wanted the image to be taller and more colourful, so I devised a colourful grid-like structure.

More images will be uploaded nearer the time of the exhibition as well as photographs from the opening night. But for now, here are the event details. Hope to see you there!