Print Club London Deluxe Workshop.

Last week I did a two day workshop at the print club London studio in Dalston. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. I've had a little experience with screen printing but as I hadn't done it in so long, I thought the workshop would be a nice refresher. It definitely was. A small group of 5 over a two day period going through all the basics of screen printing including preparing images in photoshop, preparing screens with light sensitive emulsion, exposing and finally printing and washing out screens. It all came rushing back. I also emailed Print club London about an internship as I'd love to learn more about screen printing professionally and technician work, I'm just in love with the process. They replied pretty swiftly and I have a trial day helping out with a workshop on Thursday. Here's hoping it goes well! Have a look at some piccies from the workshop. Think my print looks pretty bangin' actually.

Lozzy Bones logo progress

Really wanted to get some branding done for a while. Here are the progress photos of the logo artwork I've been designing for myself.

More arrows and DPS thoughts.

Here is another little one from the water colour moleskine. This time only using black posca pen and fineliners, with a touch of colour balancing in photoshop. Again with the arrows, girl. As this year at uni has ended and I'm about to embark on a year out for my Diploma in professional studies course, I need to start getting organised, getting a good portfolio together is crucial. I've never thought of myself as a designer, but with some words from my dps tutor, I need to start thinking about how my work translates onto objects and other surfaces other than just a piece of paper or digital file. I'd really like to start doing some larger scale pieces to help free myself up from the constraints of a sketch book. Maybe some more wall and window drawings. Or start thinking about products I can slap my illustrations on. There are so many things I want to experiment with and achieve in the next year, so I thought it best to write a list of things I can hopefully cross off throughout the course. Some things may be easily achievable, but others not so much and will need some serious time and work put in and some may not be achievable in a year but can be ongoing. 

So what the hell do I want to do? Here's a couple...

1. Work on branding. Make myself a logo and a website with domain name. 

2. Contact Illustration companies in london and Berlin and try an bag those amazing internships that will get me relevant and helpful experience. 

3. Get a separate portfolio together and Look for a Tattooing apprenticeship. 

4. Learn enough German (to not come across as an ignorant English douche) and go to Berlin and intern, but most importantly enjoy time away from London away, from home and away from my comfort zone and little bubble I've made for myself. 

5. Go to New york again on my own. 

6. Get a big body of work together, apply for funding and put on a few solo or collaborative exhibitions. 

7. Start my own or a collaborative online shop, with tshirts, prints and jewellery.

8. Learn Taxidermy to use in my work. I adore Taxidermy, traditional and Rogue and would love to try   combining it with my illustrative style. 

9. Create a zine, comic. 

10. Have some fucking fun and don't worry so much. Do amazing things. Make some great art. 

A nice selection of things to work my way towards during the next year. 

I am the arrow, these are the targets. Aim. 

CHIP MONKS logo for the London Log company.

I was asked to do a logo for the London log company who supply kentish wood for a range of uses such as meat smoking and the likes, in a tattoo-esque style with inspirations from traditional wood cuts. The latin means 'Smoke, wood, brotherhood' and the piece also took inspiration from Edward Bawdenn. 

10 commandments/Tarot cards

Haven't blogged in a while! Uni is over for the summer and here are some bits and pieces from my last project. The project was to illustrate the 10 commandments, I really wanted to practice drawing skulls as it's not something I usually include in my illustration, despite my love affair with the macabre. So using Memento Mori and 'The day of the dead' as inspiration I created these using graphite and fine liners. I tried to make them as intricate and detailed as possible as I also wanted to experiment with different textures. I really like the combination of graphite and ink. Personally I think they would make great tattoos. It was really fun coming up with different depictions for each commandment. I tried to stay away from clichés and fully focus on aesthetics. Using the arrows as symbols for conscious thought. I also got a great commission out of this for KILLSTAR clothing for their winter collection, so keep an eye out for that. I'm going to make some more a3 prints of these, so any requests for individuals or just the set on a3 are welcome. I might even make little sets of decorative tarot card packs.

A new style - Mythology and musings

I've really enjoyed working with graphite recently also added a little gold leaf of which I think works really well. Inspired by greek mythology - Ceryneian Hind, Artemis, Hercules and nymphs. The illustrations below will be exhibited at LCC next week! Looking forward to it, have to do 5 more for the exhibition. 

The Beautiful Viktoria Modesta and other awesome amputees

After watching the Paralympic closing ceremony, I decided to do some Viktoria Modesta inspired bits and pieces for a uni project. I also included the interview I had with the lovely lady over email. 

1.Do you remember what it was like to first start walking on a prosthetic leg? How did it feel? 

It distinctively felt better than any other time I walked before, still weird to actively have to bond with a piece of technology attached to you and work with it but it took no time at all to get used to it I was walking in high heels with a diamond cane within 1 month

2.The prosthetics I've seen you wear are beautiful, who designed them and what was the inspiration for some of the more lavish ones? 

I've been working mainly with The Alternative Limb Project who is fronted by Sophie who has a really playful imagination when it comes to design. Roehampton Hospital have also assisted me on many occasions with getting the right parts sorted for all my legs. Now that I've had time to settle in using my realistic prosthetics and broke the mould for myself by wearing a Swarovski incrusted leg at Paralympic Closing Ceremony I am in full action ready to experiment with using prosthetics as fashion and art accesories.

3.Do you consider yourself disabled? If not why? 

Absolutely not, I never have. To me being disabled means you are limited in your life and assume there is a barrier between achieving things you want. I simply don't see it that way. It's about making the best out of your self.

4.What was being part of the paralympics closing ceremony like? What kind of preparation did you have to undertake? What does it mean for you and your career? 

Performing at the ceremony was an absolute honour. I have never danced professionally and got to come up with the routine with boys from Dancing on Ice learning all kinds of new tricks plus of course the design meetings & fittings for the leg, shoes and costume. As for the exposure it proved to be very much a pleasant surprise as I didn't know how significant my part was until very close to the show, infant possibly even when I watched it back on TV.

5.You're an incredibly glamorous woman, what's your secret to constantly looking so chic. 

I firmly believe that the power of fashion n grooming and the emotional & physical effects it has on a person as well as people around them is incredibly moving and mostly misunderstood. I would encourage everyone to experiment with clothes, MUA n hair to find what makes them feel the best whether its power dressing, femininity enchantments or body shape altering clothes n make-up. They are all tools in creating an illusion or in most cases bringing out the person you want to be. Everybody has their own style they just need to look closely at themselves and create a connection between their personality and desires and their clothes.

and finally....

6.You come across extremely confident, graceful and at one with yourself, what would you say to someone in a similar situation who doesn't have the confidence to pursue their dreams due to an amputation? 

All power and confidence comes within the person. Any bodily defects are superficial and practicing confidence is all in the mind and the attitude. I find that if you pretend or act out your desired feeling before you know it you will genuinely feel them eg confidence, that's something I discovered that helps me in public and on stage situations. People only pick up what you choose to show them :-) 

...Had to draw Aimee Mullins. 

Slutty Animals!

Been experimenting with just pencil recently. I forgot how great it is. Rekindled love. 

Love through the looking glass...

Another Logo design commission for a lovely Photographer. Had lots of fun drawing the camera =] 

Sexy ladies of the Batman universe...

These are available on heather grey tshirts from the FOX AND FIRKIN pub in lewisham. 

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Face off

Uni brief : Choose a person who you think is making history or has made history in British society or culture and do a portrait of them.

So I chose David Bowie. Big ol' fan girl. Here are some bits of his face I spaffed onto a page. *hnnng*

Oh Ziggy, you alien god. You sexy shrill piece of extraterrestrial man-candy. 

Can you tell I like Bowie? 

Here's another of him in his 'Thin white duke' phase. Black pro marker/fine liner and then edited on illustrator/photoshop

...did a couple of screen prints of the ziggy one too. Thinking about doing a few tshirts!

FAME! 

Oh look it's halloween jack too!

Intravenous Clothing Logo Design

I really enjoyed doing this one. Have a bit of a hard on for the symmetry in the wings. Thanks to Lucy Hughes of Intravenous clothing for commissioning it. 

...And here it is in action at a pop up stall in bethnal green! 

Click here for INTRAVENOUS CLOTHING FACEBOOK

Sweet Delirium Cameo Competition

ARGHHHHH I'M SO EXCITED! I entered the Sweet Delirium Jewellery (I designed this lovely ladies logo too!) cameo competition and won 3rd place! As of December the 1st the piece above 'scars and roses' will be available in a lovely black cameo necklace priced at a very reasonable £12.50. It's a great opportunity to have a piece of my work hangin' around your neck. There will only be ten available so reserve yours now by clicking the link below! It's a possibility that I'll be working with Elspeth from SD again soon to create some more art-work related jewellery so keep an eye out! 

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