lyndsey ellis

Postmodernism

2011-11-01T14:13:00.003Z

Blade Runner, PeterSaville, Vivienne Westwood, New Order, Émigré, i-D and Grace Jones all featurein the V&A’s current major exhibition. Encompassingmusic, art, film, fashion andarchitecture from 1970 -1990, it is the most engaging exhibition i've visited in a while and defines as best it can, this controversial movementwhich ironically defies categorization.

10,000 lakes

2011-10-03T18:49:00.001+01:00

A few of my favorites from the very ambitious Branding 10,000 lakes project by Nicole Meyer

Corinne Day : The Face

2011-10-02T10:45:00.002+01:00

Last weekend I caught the Corinne Day exhibition at the Gimpel Fils Gallery for a friends birthday. Corrine Day, who died last year, is remembered for transforming fashion with her photographs of Kate Moss for the Face. I couldn't believe how young and fresh faced Kate looked in some of these photos from the start of her career in the 90's. I really love how Day's photos capture the hedonism of this era, celebrating the ordinary (Kate with no make up and lank hair) in contrast from the glossy aspiration of the 80's.

Live the Language

2011-09-17T19:00:00.000+01:00

Live the language - Los Angeles from EF Intl. Language Centers on Vimeo.

Nice new additions to Live the Language films - giving me itchy feet

i-D NOW

2011-09-03T23:49:00.002+01:00

"One eye open. One eye hidden. Wink! The blink of a shutter. The right eye is the right eye. Catch the moment in an instant. Knowledge transmitted by secret insiders. i-D is more than a magazine, and i-D covers have caught and continue to catch the moment when the imaginative power of a collection of people comes together. The best covers register and are recognised as a marker of the month, year and place. Hidden is the energy that has accumulated over 30 years, and there are now more than 350 covers - plus the ones that never got printed each with a personal story."

Terry Jones, i-D Founder and Editor in Chief

i-D NOW is a retrospective show celebrating 31 years of i-D magazine at the Red Gallery Shoreditch, until 18th September. It's fully worth the visit to see some amazing covers created by the world's top photographers, stylists and make-up artists. I have always loved the genius concept of the wink face and it was fantastic to see it through three decades featuring super icons of the times such as Kate Moss, Tom Ford and Sienna Miller.

SEPTEMBER

2011-08-06T15:18:00.004+01:00

MARRAKECH

2011-07-31T19:58:00.007+01:00

New Blood

2011-07-06T21:20:00.010+01:00

Over the weekend I paid a visit to New Blood to browse around the stands of the graduates from all over the country. Naturally I was most interested in Nottingham Trent, a year on from my graduation. Themed on their degree show promotion 'Best in show' their area stood out from the rest with some really fantastic work. I was also a huge fan of the work produced by the Norwich University Graphic Design students. Their stand was plastered with work filled with brilliant ideas, and understandably have won a few awards already!

Wim Crouwel

2011-06-29T19:34:00.007+01:00

This weekend I finally had a chance to visit the Design Museum for the Wim Crouwel retrospective - A Graphic Odyssey, now in it's last week. The exhibition captures key moments in his career including the identity for the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam along with his iconic poster, print, typography and exhibition designs. Crouwel's striking designs capture the essence of the emerging computer age of the 60's, but what I found most amazing was how his work hardly feels dated at all.

COCA-COLA

2011-06-28T20:41:00.007+01:00

To celebrate Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary, this display has been put on outside of London's Design museum, showcasing the history of its visual identity. The glass tank features the differently shaped bottles from over the years along with some other treats from the Coke archives. I was particularly drawn to the design manuals and the book with photographs of the making of the Coca-Cola neon sign, which was put up in Piccadilly Circus - what i'd do to have a flick through those!

(More: Virtual tour of Coca-Cola archive)

Sony World Photography Awards

2011-05-24T19:37:00.012+01:00

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Somerset House for the Sony World Photography awards exhibition. There was a really impressive variety on display, taken by both amateur and professional photographers all over the world. Some images were very thought provoking and others were more light hearted, but all had a meaningful story. My personal favourites were for the London portrait and documentary project taken on the day of the royal wedding, perhaps because it was a day that most of us can reflect on and smile!

(Images: world photo)

N E O N

2011-05-14T11:21:00.007+01:00

This months Elle editorial has put me in a right summery mood! Model: Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherto, captured by Mexican fashion photographer Enrique Badulescu.

(Elle UK June 2011)

Just Wed

2011-04-30T22:30:00.008+01:00

I just wanted to say... what a magical wedding.

I have never witnessed an event so stunning, I felt very proud to be British! Kate looked beautiful in her McQueen dress and I thought their exit through the gates of Buckingham Palace in Prince Charles' Aston Martin was a really lovely touch, arranged by Prince Harry of course!

Frames

2011-04-24T13:28:00.011+01:00

I really love this trend, using mismatch frames collectively to liven up a room. After being inspired by these images I collected some frames, filling them with a mixture of pictures of good times, favourite places and a little illustration I've had for ages and not known what to do with!

(source: homesweethome)

Monsoon Rebrand

2011-03-31T10:23:00.017+01:00

As this week is my last of working PT at Monsoon Accessorize I felt it was quite apt to post about Monsoon's new rebrand. Founded in 1973 by Peter Simon, Monsoon began as a market stall on Portabello Road. With a focus of selling clothes from an ethnic origin made with unusual and colourful fabrics from far away places, Monsoon has always had a hippy vibe!

Now with this refreshed identity, the brand has finally been brought into the 21st Century. The old logo had felt dated for quite a while, this new logo works beautifully as it feels contemporary, feminine and still remains true to its roots with ornate curves to the M and N. The use of colour also feels much fresher and up to date with a peachy pink used with golds and creams - beautiful! The new Spring 2011 campaign, pictured above, stars Lily Donaldson and was photographed by Camilla Akran, resulting in some gorgeous imagery. You can pick up one of these lovely, large look books in store now.

Wish I was here...

2011-03-23T17:02:00.009Z

Following the successful Be Stupid campaign, Diesel have taken it to the next level and created an entirely new stupid society, giving them a tropical island to inhabit! Like French Connection's recent campaign, Diesel has done a great job of bringing a tongue in cheek view to life. This campaign documents the first pioneers arriving on Diesel Island, solving the worlds oldest problems and having crazy parties to celebrate the birth of their nation. The whole concept behind Be Stupid and now Diesel Island is about having the guts to take risks, to take on the new and be inventive - something people all over the world can relate to and embrace.

On Diesel's website you can visit the island virtually and make up new laws (e.g. one of todays: 'pillow fighting is the national sport'), meet its citizens and buy island clothes through the interactive catalogue. You can also download a passport which gives you everything you need to know about the island, and there is even a Wikipedia page which is updated weekly as the society rules evolve. Diesel stores will serve as embassies, displaying the flag, maps and explanations of the philosophy behind the worlds youngest country.

The ideas behind Diesel Island are incredibly exciting with potential to roll out even further - particularly within digital media and inviting the audience to participate even more. I look forward to seeing how Diesel Island develops, maybe I can be teleported there one day?!

(source: Diesel)

Live the language

2011-03-20T15:54:00.005Z

I have never been so inspired to learn another language before watching this! This video is from a series of commercials for EF International Language Centres. The idea is so simple, but executed so beautifully, I love the colours and the choice of typography. Watch the rest of the series on the EF site.

(Source: Education First)

Unravel

2011-02-27T21:15:00.018Z

This weekend Farnham Maltings held their annual knitting festival 'Unravel' for everything knitted - traditional/vintage/eccentric/designer/seriously weird. The event included exhibits, a 'best in show', fashion shows, talks, workshops, sellers and sheep... Since I made Loop as one of my final year projects I thought it would be worth a visit. I couldn't get over the effort put in to this event, everywhere you looked was some random knitted item, from hanging baskets and birds in the trees outside to cakes and sandwiches in the cafe. In the new designers section I was particularly impressed by the the work of textile designer Deryn Relph who's beautiful knitted lampshades illuminated the foyer. The knitted motorbike and wedding cake were just a couple of the crazy knitted items spotted around the building. I definitely came away feeling inspired to make Loop #2...

(source: Deryn Relph, Katie Corbin)

You are Man? You are Woman?

2011-02-20T20:54:00.009Z

I have been meaning to blog my appreciation for French Connection's SS11 campaign for a little while, and walking past this billboard everyday this week prompted me to do so!

I think this is a really interesting concept, based on the masculine/feminine identity. A 'Man Camp' was set up on the island of Malta and 'Woman Camp' on the island of Gozo, created to discover the identity of men and women and men in the 21st century. They were ordered to do a series of 'manly' or 'womanly' tasks such as ride a horse into the sea and wrestle a biker. The result is a series of tongue in cheek, quirky and cool images. These are a few of my favourite, I think they are really fun, even if they don't make a lot of sense!

(source: French Connection)

From Bite to Beyond

2011-02-20T20:08:00.003Z

This week I left Bite CP to start a 2 week placement with Beyond Communications. The first week has gone very quickly and I have very much enjoyed it. Beyond specialise in design for retail so I have been working on some fun and feminine projects for fashion and beauty.

(image: Flickr)

Drawing fashion

2011-02-20T19:28:00.003Z

Last week I had the chance to see Drawing Fashion at the London's Design Museum, showcasing the most exceptional fashion illustration from the 20th and 21st century. The drawings reflect the spirit and style of the time, through Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Pop Art and beyond. Among my favourites were the works of Mats Gustafson, Antonio Lopez (top) and Francois Berthoud. Alongside the original illustrations were copies of the magazines in which they used like the early Lepape Vogue illustrations (I wanted to take them home with me!), film clips of the artists at work and projections of the couture clothes captured in the illustrations. This is the first time this collection has been displayed and is well worth the visit. The exhibition ends 6th March.

(top: Antonio, Lingerie 1966 bottom: Georges Lepape, cover design Feb 1922)

ELLE Collections SS11

2011-02-07T12:59:00.011Z

I spent most of Saturday afternoon with the latest edition of the beautifully designed ELLE Collections. The magazines' bi-annual guide to the catwalk, has a more experimental approach to mainstream publishing, resulting in some really lovely spreads. Lots of cut out images, full bleed photographs and layering of type over image. Divided into 11 chapters, each is printed onto a different stock and has its own look and feel. These are just a few of my favourite spreads... (I'm also a fan of the Prada Banana!)

"ELLE Collections is unlike any other newsstand magazine in this country. As well as being a tool for the fashion industry due to the breadth of information from the runway shows and the exclusive access to designers it also has very high production values and an extraordinary approach to design and layout. I am extremely proud of it as ELLE Collections is produced by a small team alongside production of the main issue of ELLE. It is close to all our hearts. To evolve the magazine and celebrate its 10th issue we have also produced an iPad app ‘ELLE Collection - The Preview’, our first foray into the world of editorial apps." - Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-Chief

Black Swan

2011-01-31T20:31:00.012Z

I finally got to see Black Swan this weekend... and it lived up to expectations. Dark but beautiful. I had been waiting to see it for a little while and it definitely didn't disappoint! Some seriously creepy and unnerving scenes, not what you would initially expect from a film about a subject so elegant and beautiful as ballet. The genius way in which some scenes were shot, made you nervous about things so small as clipping fingernails. The costumes were stunning too, designed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte -lucky Miss Portman! (who by the way was absolutely perfect)

note. I will never pick my fingernails again!

(Source: Black Swan, illustrations by Rodarte)

Harper's Bazaar

2011-01-24T16:49:00.015Z

Harper's Bazaar is not my usual choice of glossy, but after a quick flick through I couldn't resist it's totally beautiful editorial spreads.

I really love the expressive use of typography throughout, particularly within the title pages of a number of the features, for example 'The Firth Factor' (which reminds me I MUST watch A Single Man). I think the experimental mixture of upper and lower case with italic and roman type is very interesting, it gives the pages a real style and edge whilst maintaining a sophisticated look.

I was also drawn to the S/S Collection pages which uses the most stunning location and vibrant colours, making me hungry for some sunshine! (photography by Norbert Schoerner)

In the bottom image I have picked out some pages which demonstrate the lovely use of a graphic device, which is like a signature to the magazine. Used for framing titles, bits of information or simply as a decorative interest. It is used both in full and in part, and in blocks of colour, or multiplied over an image. An unusual shape, and really lovely touch.

(Source: Harper's Bazzar Feb 2011)

Cupcakes

2011-01-24T13:47:00.010Z

Yum.

Books for 2011

2011-01-05T20:15:00.005Z

Now, I'm not a big one for new years resolutions, but I do plan to read more books this year! Since leaving uni I have really missed having access to hundreds of design books, so I think its about time I grew my personal library. These are a few I am particularly keen to get my hands on ...

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T15:21:00.007Z

(Photography: Richard Ellis, Location: Bourne Woods)

Vogue on Vogue

2010-12-20T13:28:00.005Z

I absolutely love these ghostly montages. Every 2010 cover for each Vogue edition, is layered into a single image, revealing something very interesting about formulas used, and highlighting those with a more experimental approach.

Every issue of every edition (minus text) reveals a common formula of a centred, dark haired, white skinned model.

12 UK covers brought together, the face is most predominant.

The 12 Paris covers, are at the opposite end of the scale to the UK covers creating something dark and all more interesting with varying type and image treatments. For everything else in between see Live Journal.

(Source: CR Blog, Livejournal)

I saw them doing it - 10 collective

2010-12-20T13:08:00.008Z

Well I made it to the 10 collective exhibition at the Rag Factory despite London being covered in snow! Showcasing the work of 10 LCC MA students who have set up their own studio, the exhibition was of their individual, final major projects.

Speaking to one of the girls, Becky Ford, she told me that they wanted people to see their work from beginning to end, not just a final poster which is all they had room for in their MA show, as a huge percentage of the course involved research and sourcing ideas. The exhibition communicated this well, with 10 'workspaces' lined up side by side, where you could sit and look through their journals, sketch books and posters and get a real sense of their though processes. In the centre of the room was the result of that work. I particularly liked the work of Sarah Boland who's project focused on sustainable fashion and making vintage fashion more accessible to everyone...which actually inspired me to walk into a vintage market off Brick Lane after we left! Her final piece was a beautiful large printed document (pictured below) illustrating how accessible vintage fashion can be, and she also had some goregous sketchbooks which she had made.

I definitely recommend this exhibition, I found it really inspiring to see female graphic designers making a name for themselves and it was interesting to see work which involves such strong concepts and ideas, something I miss about being a student.

London's Christmas delights

2010-12-20T12:53:00.009Z

Covent Garden Christmas installation - 'Kiss' by designer Paul Cocksedge. People are invited to kiss under the mistletoe to light up the 50,000 white and red LEDs on the tree.

Selfridges' illustrative Christmas window.

Carnaby Street Christmas lights. Santa as an astronaut. Brilliant!

Liberties' 'Wonderfully Wild' Christmas windows are both magical and enchanting.

Covent Garden's huge topiary reindeer!

I want to see them doing it!

2010-12-13T21:29:00.005Z

10 Girls Doing it from 10 collective on Vimeo.

I hope to catch the 10 Collective exhibition this weekend at the Rag Factory, Brick Lane, London. It's encouraging to see female graphic designers making a name for themselves, and their introductory video makes an entertaining watch!

War Horse

2010-12-08T17:46:00.004Z

Its not every day Steven Spielberg comes to your back yard, but a few weeks ago he really did! The filming of War Horse took place in the Bourne Woods, Farnham over a couple of weeks in October, I took a walk there to take a look at the set. This location has also been used for other Hollywood blockbusters such as Gladiator and Robin Hood.

I'm Raving

2010-12-07T20:59:00.007Z

Well...im raving about this video! Directed by Daniel Wolfe for the track Blind Faith by Chase & Status, this video portrays the rave scene towards the end of the 80's in almost documentary-style detail. I am a big fan of british film, particularly set in this decade by directors such as Danny Boyle, Nick Love and Shane Meadows.

ASOS for V magazine

2010-12-07T19:42:00.007Z

I really love this... you can see the looks, selected by the editorial team, come to life in this video. I really like the simplicity of this idea, it is effortlessly stylish!

(source : ASOS)

home sweet home

2010-12-07T19:12:00.009Z

This blog makes me want to re-do my whole house! Some of the images are truly magical. These are a selection of some of my favorites ...

(Source: homesweethome)

Birthday bunting cards

2010-12-07T10:58:00.006Z

New batch of cards now on sale @ SHOP Maltings

Picture Post

2010-12-01T10:55:00.009Z

After a trip to a charity shop in North Camp I came home with this - Picture Post 1953 the Coronation edition. It is a fascinating read and I was particularly drawn to the old adverts...

The Marvelous and Unlikely Fete of Little Upper Downing

2010-11-30T19:30:00.008Z

I am currently working on a promotional poster for Little Bulb's next production 'The marvelous and unlikely fete of Little Upper Downing', in collaboration with Farnham Maltings. These are some of the photos from the shoot, taken by Charlotte Cooke, Art Directed by Fi Baxter, Gavin Stride and myself, also edited by myself. The afternoon was great fun, I think its safe to say Little Bulb are a little crazy - which made some interesting shots! ending with split trousers and muddy knees....

A trip to Colchester Zoo

2010-11-30T18:48:00.003Z

I have a lot of time for the furry kind!

Birthday Bunting

2010-11-15T13:49:00.008Z

Now on sale @ SHOP Farnham Maltings

Made using Canford card and a selection of papers

Southend on Sea

2010-10-27T18:33:00.006+01:00

Printing without a press

2010-10-17T16:46:00.004+01:00

Friday I spent doing an afternoon workshop at Farnham Maltings 'Printing without a press' run by Andrew Marrison, check him out here and here. The printing involved using stencils and boards of wood - it was great fun, I felt like I was back at art college again! I have been inspired to buy my own equipment and create some printed christmas cards, so watch this space...

Bite CP

2010-10-11T11:29:00.000+01:00

I have just started an internship with Bite CP, check them out here

2010-09-24T15:13:00.002+01:00

LDF

2010-09-23T17:02:00.006+01:00

I think it is now tradition for me to visit London for the Design Festival! This year I spent the day in Shoreditch and saw Emerge at The Cube and Gastrotypographicalassemblage at the Kemistry Gallery. Read more here

Crop

2010-09-23T16:34:00.006+01:00

Crop - 'For creatives in and around Farnham. A platform for free thinking minds to land in one room.'

This was a truely inspiring evening! An highly engaging talk from Simon Waterfall, founder of Poke and Fray, partner of Social Suicide and ex president of D&AD, was filled with anecdotes and advice about working within the design industry, at all levels (and meeting the queen!). The night also showcased the work of Alison Haigh, a graduate from Brighton university who had her award winning work on display and for sale.

Crop was organised by Bekker and Rebecca at the Mulberry. I hope there will be many more to come (and lots more of these lovely invites)

Nottinghill Carnival

2010-09-12T20:41:00.005+01:00

August bank holiday weekend means only one thing - Nottinghill Carnival! This year I bravely went for both days and it was fully worth it for the atmosphere, colourful eye candy and jerk chicken!

Maison Martin Margiela

2010-09-12T20:33:00.006+01:00

A fascinating exhibition at Somerset House celebrating 20 years of one of contemporary fashion’s most influential and enigmatic designers. I really enjoyed the multi layered element to this exhibition, with various rooms which incorporated garments, installations, photography and film. Graphics for this exhibition were created by Bob Verhelst and Paul Boudens.

The end of an era!

2010-07-24T22:36:00.003+01:00

After studying 3 years at Nottingham Trent I have finally graduated with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Graphic Design. It was very sad to say goodbye to Nottingham, it really has been amazing....but heres to new beginnings!

Gavin Stride

2010-07-23T20:51:00.006+01:00

A couple of examples of some typography I did for gavin stride's website recently.

Graduation party

2010-07-11T11:38:00.006+01:00

Some invites I designed for a party for my friends and family to celebrate my graduation. They are sealed with stitching so they can be torn open to reveal me being ecstatic - just like I did with my results envelope!!

Turkey

2010-06-30T16:34:00.005+01:00

I have just returned from a much needed holiday in Antalya, Turkey. Such a beautiful place full of bazaars and little streets to explore. We stayed at hotel on the coast line, one of the first revolving hotels in the world! The highlights were definitely the turkish bath and all the delicious food

YAY!

2010-06-30T16:31:00.003+01:00

University is officially done, and I have graduated with a 2:1! ....cloud 9!

111 degree show

2010-06-08T21:13:00.006+01:00

This week all our work has been on show at our degree show in Bonington, NTU. Heres a snap of my stand!

View everyones work here

Loop

2010-05-12T19:35:00.005+01:00

Today Loop was printed! It is a style guide for a contemporary knitting magazine designed for the more fashion forward knitter. Features include an interview with a compulsive knitter, a yarn bomb, knitting in knottingham, how to crochet a moustache and knit a cupcake.

more images on my website

New Website!

2010-05-09T18:30:00.001+01:00

www.cargocollective.com/lyndsey_ellis

Chinese state circus

2010-05-05T20:12:00.004+01:00

This bank holiday weekend the chinese state circus came to Nottingham, as it was only across the road I couldn't resist! It was mental, unicycle girls kicking bowls onto their heads, martial arts warriors, people swinging form the ceiling, a lady who could bend her body into all sorts of crazy positions and a man who balanced 10 tables on his head... better than Britain's got talent any day!

Ted's Picnic

2010-05-03T13:32:00.008+01:00

This sunny weekend i have been helping out a friend with her Ted Baker window project, she is playing on the theme of a typical british summer with photo booths etc, I can't wait to see the end results!

Knitted Cupcakes and Tea

2010-04-28T17:46:00.010+01:00

For 'Loop' the contemporary knitting magazine I am working on for a university project. Taken in Walk, Nottingham where they sell speciality tea served in beautiful miss-matched china.

Apples and pears and crafty wares

2010-04-24T16:08:00.006+01:00

This sunny saturday I had a wonder down to the Apples and pears and crafty wares Arts market. I am currently working on making a contemporary knitting magazine for my final major project and thought it would be a good opportunity to chat to some of the people who sell their art and craft products there and to see if I could find anything knitted! I spoke to a girl from Nottingham Craft Mafia and another from Curiosity Haus who have hosted the monthly event since last May. There was some really nice work for sale, I particularly liked some prints and illustrations done by two girls who study at Trent, they have set up their own business Alf. The market is a great outlet for local designers and makers to sell their stuff!

NTU GRAPHIC DESIGN DEGREE SHOW

2010-04-15T10:11:00.004+01:00

NTU Degree Show 2010 - Viral from NTU Degree Show 2010 on Vimeo.

our viral for our degree show - made by Joe Stephenson, Toby Edwards & Luke Elliot. Excellent job i think!!

Summer is here!

2010-04-13T11:42:00.005+01:00

VIEW

2010-04-12T18:19:00.005+01:00

As part of a collaborative project with Laura Andrews we produced promotional material for the end of year Graphic Design degree show which we pitched to the rest of the year group. We chose to keep it clean and simple, naming it view which was easily combined with names for the website, poster, catalogue and invites - VIEW [students], VIEW [NTU], VIEW[finder] and [Pre] VIEW/ private [VIEW]

CV for 2010

2010-04-07T19:36:00.009+01:00

I have been updating my CV in the last few days ready to send out in the following months and take with me to the RSA viewing on the 22nd April. I decided to combine it into a mini portfolio which reads like a book, but when folded flat my CV can be read on the reverse side, size A4.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-30T15:00:00.004+01:00

A brief project at university for the Penguin book cover competition. My cover incorporates an interactive wheel to simulate the illusion of falling down the rabbit hole. I took inspiration from the work of Bridget Riley and die cut album covers such as Led Zeppelin 3 which have interactive elements.

The XX

2010-03-21T22:17:00.004Z

I am loving Islands by the XX at the moment. Coincidentally on wednesday, ex Trent student Phil from XL Recordings came to give a talk about the work they did for the XX. This involved the guerrilla campaign and record artwork.

Heart Cards

2010-03-21T17:49:00.006Z

Screen Fiends a massive success!

2010-03-07T17:32:00.005Z

The evening really couldn't have gone much better! All of the designs were extremely popular and people bought printed multiple t-shirts. We also had some fantastic donations for our shop, selling cards, badges, handmade jewelry, prints... And most importantly we raised looadsa money! Big thanks to Alex Fawkes for helping the committee organise the event.

Unique New York

2010-02-28T17:18:00.010Z

I have just got back from 5 incredible days in New York.... Just about over the let jag, heres some highlights:

Screen Fiends

2010-02-16T13:39:00.004Z

Screen Fiends is an event we have organised to help fundraise for our degree show- It is all very exciting! With live silk screen printing, live illustration, music and drinks and bits and bobs for sale made by our peers we hope to make enough to fund our catalogue and promotional items which have been beautifully designed by 3 lads in our year.

Indian Book covers

2010-02-16T13:28:00.005Z

I am currently working on a project to design book covers for Alice in Wonderland and Perfume and came across these beautiful covers while doing my research. They date from 1964 to 1984. I think the consideration for composition and colour schemes work wonderfully, and will definitely inspire my approach.

MEATBALLS!

2010-02-05T16:10:00.004Z

I am currently working on a D&AD project to promote the new IKEA catalogue so I dragged my housemates along to the store for some inspiration and meatballs.

Noah Harris Lecture

2010-02-05T15:55:00.003Z

This week Noah Harris, graphic designer responsible for the recent E4 idents, Talk Talk ads amongst others came to NTU to give a talk about his achievements, experiences and inspirations. I found him very inspiring and he has achieved a great deal working independently winning massive contracts with E4, Ford, Talk Talk, X Factor.... I had no idea that his work was created, in the majority, for real only using CGI for elements which wouldn't be possible any other way - extremely relevant to my dissertation which I am battling with at the mo! Was also really interesting to see images which he gained his inspiration from.

Christmas cards 09

2010-01-15T13:51:00.002Z

A selection of A6 christmas cards i made during the festive season

Carnaby Street Christmas lights

2010-01-03T12:17:00.006Z

2009-12-11T15:44:00.002Z

London Design Festival

2009-09-22T16:55:00.006+01:00

Yesterday I took a trip up to London to explore some of what the LDF had to offer...

We began at Trafalgar Square to see the giant chess piece, designed by Spanish artist Jaime Hayon - inspired by English Culture and London City. Then on route to the V&A we stumbled upon the Young Creative Poland exhibition and The Incidental studio where I got to chat to the team members about how they were recording peoples perceptions of LDF.

At the V&A we saw the London Posters commissioned by a number of big designers, as well as Telling Tales - an exhibition of Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design, and the Wallpaper* Chair Arch.

Then onto Shoreditch to see the Typographica exhibtion at the Kemistry gallery, and then to Emerge - a selection of talented graduates work. I absolutely loved the work of Richard Carey, definitely some high standards to reach next year - and had an opportunity to chat to some of the exhibitors for some hints and tips! For the exhibition they were set the same brief as the for the London Posters which I saw at the V&A - definitely an interesting comparison between them and the professions...

Freelance work

2009-09-15T16:08:00.003+01:00

Record artwork

2009-08-09T18:17:00.008+01:00

My brother purchased some decks at the weekend and was given some 90s house records with it, i quite liked some of the cover art and prompted me to dig out some of my dads old records when we were sorting out for a carboot sale... have to say the old stuff was more impressive, particularly the more abstract stuff (before the Photoshop days!) and i really liked the book inside the Hawkwind cover.

Nick Saunders

2009-08-05T20:13:00.004+01:00

After a busy screen printing workshop today, it was a pleasant surprise to see a post about our workshop tutor Nick Saunders was on the CR blog for his work for the new Harry Potter film. He is currently recognised as a top 10 illustrator in the UK! read more here

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/august1/magical-packaging-for-harry-potter-film

OXO/Design Museum/LCC

2009-08-05T19:18:00.008+01:00

Took a trip up to London today to see a few exhibitions!

30years/30artists - celebrating work of greenwich printmakers was on at the OXO. A great mix of work, i particularly liked the silk screen prints by Jazmin Velasco and was interesting to learn about the association.

A retrospective of spanish artist Javier Mariscal was the main exhibition at the

Design museum however we ended up spending more time in the 'Super Contemporary' exhibition in the floor below. It was based along a timeline which reflected London's diversity tracking its developents over the decades and featured 15 commissions by some of London's brightest designers including Neville Brody, Paul Smith an Ron Arad. Their brief was to give something back to the city and there were some interesting outcomes!

Finally we ended up at LCC to see ANOTHER illustration exhib - 'Images 33' a selection of the best british illustration 2009. The work was incredible, professionals alongside students. Managed to jot a few good names down and was pleased to see some new work by Tim Marrs who's work i loved when I was at college.

Happy Birthday!!

2009-07-31T17:38:00.007+01:00

It seems to be everyones birthdays this summer... lots of parties, but also lots of presents and cards to organise!

I made these cards from scrap paper, ribbon, textured tissue, found images, and old jewelry. I really like collage and love the work of Anahata Katkin, so look to her collages when im stuck for ideas.

Freelance Job

2009-07-31T16:00:00.007+01:00

I have been earning some extra cash this week creating posters for 2 new student nights in my home town... its about time Farnham got a bit lively! Im hoping this will lead to some more work with the many many pubs in town...

Gardening Festival

2009-07-29T13:29:00.004+01:00

This Saturday I volunteered some of my time to help out with the gardening festival at Farnham Maltings - a fantastic centre for art, crafts and theatre. The festival included talks on flower arranging, garden design, local growing initiatives, a photography exhibition, an allotment competition and an out door exhibition of Falmouth University students work which was commissioned by the National Trust.

I helped out with the children's workshops where they could decorate their own garden lantern and make their own cress pot, which was delightful! I also supervised the schools 'garden in a biscuit tin' competition (ages 4-9), and as you can see from some of the entries below, they definitely used their imaginations!

Interview @Antidote

2009-07-21T20:56:00.006+01:00

On the 17th June I took a trip up to London for an interview at Antidote (Soho) after applying for a graphics internship which I saw advertised on YCN. I really love their work as it is very varied but always conceptual and exciting! I was unsuccessful in securing a placement there, but found the interview itself quite a valuable experience. They were really friendly and were helpful in giving me constructive feedback about my work. I was also pretty happy with being one of only ten candidates who got an interview out of 200! :-)

Speaking of entrepreneurs!

2009-07-21T20:41:00.005+01:00

At the beginning of this year my friend Cat set up her own business selling these beautiful dresses she made from indian silk scarves, and shes doing incredibly well! This summer she has been featured in Company and M8, and is out in Ibiza right now selling them at the hippy market. Check her out at www.catrionarose.com

supermarketsarah

2009-07-21T20:27:00.004+01:00

Whilst doing my daily summer job hunting on gum tree today, I came across an advert for a PA for 'supermarketsarah'. Intrigued, I had a nose at her website and its very interesting! She collects items from random sales/carboots then photographs them and posts them on this 1 page website where people can buy them. She also has a stall at Portobello market where she sells her stuff...

A very simple, but clever idea, I find entrepreneurial people like this very inspiring!

Visit to Purple Circle

2009-07-21T20:15:00.004+01:00

12th June 09 (me in the flowery shirt!)

For our final project of the year we collaborated with purple circle to do the NCHA annual report brief (below) and as part of this we had the opportunity to visit them and present our final outcome. It was a really valuable experience and I received some very positive feedback. They liked the visual metaphors that I used and commented that it was a very realistic outcome in consideration of costs and suitability. I was also complemented on my typography which I found encouraging as it is something which I have become quite of conscious of this year.

Shed loads of ideas

2009-07-13T17:56:00.006+01:00

I took this picture when I was in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago down by the beach of Harlyn Bay and contributed it to Purple Circle's shed loads of ideas website to celebrate their 18th birthday.

I used poladroid to convert my digital photograph into a polaroid image. It is a fantastic new application that coverts your JPEG images to polaroids at 400dpi actual size. It uses a filter to create a colour cast, vignette and blur - it is a great way to fake the effects of a polaroid & even gives you the texture of the paper!

NCHA Annual Report

2009-06-04T19:23:00.004+01:00

(Brief set by Purple Circle)

A conceptual design for Nottingham community housing association’s anual report 08/09. The idea is themed on a cardboard box, symbolic of people moving house, which is appropriate to the NCHA who aims to provide affordable housing to those in need. The design uses the symbols which come on cardboard boxes as visual puns relating to the information on the page. A series of these symbols have the versitality to be applyed throughout the report not just the ones in these examples.

The front cover for this report is made from cardboard with the design silkscreened onto it. The inside pages are printed onto an uncoated paper to give a rough, textured feel, similar to that of cardboard. I wanted this report to have a slightly gritty feel to it to relate the senses to a cardboard box and the connotations which go with that. I largly looked at the work of Vincent Frost for inspiration on how to do this and for innovative layout ideas. The report is landscape to give the shape of the side of a box and to add to the feel of opening to reveal the contents.

Bristol cont.

2009-05-14T21:26:00.003+01:00

Bristol

2009-05-14T21:06:00.006+01:00

During Easter I ventured to Bristol for the first time, a vibrant city with loads to see. I was particularly excited by the Bansky artwork I managed to hunt down alongside other equally impressive graffiti.

Sykora

2009-05-06T17:52:00.008+01:00

A packaging project set by JKR for Sykora - an organic cosmetic company based in cornwall. I took inspiration from the natural form of a flower opening. Sykora also use sun and moon positioning in their processes which is why i incorporated the round and crescent shapes. The packaging folds inwards to fit snugly around the bottle which is important as the company sell 70% of their products through the post.

ETIENNE DE CRECY CUBE

2009-05-06T17:33:00.010+01:00

created by the French collective Exyzt, If you look closely the stage is a 3x3x3 cube built of scaffolding covered by a translucent fabric. The 3D visuals are projected from the front giving the illusion of the moving/ transforming cubes... amazing!

2009-03-19T11:33:00.004Z

Editorial Illustration: Smell-o-vision

2009-03-12T12:44:00.003Z

Editorial illustrations for the new scientist magazine for an article entitled 'Smell-o-vision'. The article is about the future of television which can radiate smells so for example is you were watching Jamie Oliver you could smell his cooking! The concept behind myy illustrations is the smell being carried in bubbles from a retro 'bubble screen' television.

NoSweat Rebranding

2009-03-12T12:40:00.002Z

The Design Museum

2009-01-08T17:28:00.006Z

Alan Aldridge - The man with kaleidoscope eyes

Celebrated the work of the illustrator and graphic designer Alan Aldridge, the graphic entertainer of the 1960s and 70s.. what a dull era we live in! His work captures the psycadelic style and sums up a lot what was going on at this time. He illustrated lyric books for the Beatles, album covers for the Rolling Stones, The Who, Elton John, was the Art Director for Penguin, illustrated children's books such as The Butterfly Ball, and designed adverts and identities for iconic brands like House of Blues and Hard Rock Cafe.

The exhibition was created perfectly in his style, with walls plastered in his illustrations, there must have been hundreds of them with no much white space to spare! There was a room which was covered in mirrors with giant illustrated creatures hanging from the ceiling, and a recreation of the famous painted mini. Definately worth the visit.

my first post!

2008-10-21T14:28:00.000+01:00

hello!