Travels

Absence

Its been almost a year since I've updated my blog.  In that time I took a job working in a busy restaurant to save up for doing placements/internships and to do a working Visa in Canada which had been a post-uni ambition.  I thought I'd be able to work on projects and do my website at the same time as working full-tim but soon my job took over my life; I worked long shifts in an unfulfilling job and on days off I was too tired to lift a pencil.

Once I got to Canada I realised whilst I was handing out CV'S to various coffee shops and restaurants that I'd had enough of working jobs I didn't want to do anymore and decided instead to travel for 2 months rather than stay for 7 months as planned.   So after Toronto-Ottawa-New York-Montreal-Winnipeg-Calgary-Vancouver-Edmonton-Winnipeg-Toronto I'm back in Scotland, unemployed and ready to try having a go at working in the creative industry again.

I'd better stick the kettle on.

onedotzero_cascade 2010

In October I was hand-picked to attend the onedotzero_cascade educational workshop in London as part of the 'Adventures in Motion' festival.


"This year the onedotzero_adventures in motion festival theme takes a utopian approach. In the past, mankind’s visions of the future were largely optimistic. The future was going to be a wonderful place, full of bright, new ideas and technology benefiting social harmony. Now, a decade into the 21st century, we find there is a propensity for doom and gloom. onedotzero wants the theme of utopia to bring a sense of adventure, hope and positivity about our future world to this years cascade project and onedotzero_adventures in motion festival."

I worked as part of a group of ten, with designers of different disciplines such as copyrighters, interactive and motion designers.  The week was really challenging but it was good to take part and work with talented people of different disiplines.  In November we went back to do our presentation at the BFI as part of the 'Adventures in Motion' festival - sadly I was only able to attend one other event during my short stay - 'Cityscapes', but it was great to see inspiring digital work and it definitely has made me want to do some work and do a film/animation project.

Quote for September

"I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things.  Thats my intent."


- Saul Bass

Tumblr-ing

www.analogueadventures.tumblr.com

Current Inspiration: Mexican Day of the Dead/Mike Giant

 Hoping to work on my own illustrated version of that tattoo staple - the sugar skull.  I love tattoo art and Mexican Day of the Dead imagery, particularly the intricacy of sugar skulls.  I'm going to attempt to hand -draw them first, before taking them into illustrator.

Decorated City

I was in Berlin for a week and instead of tourist snaps I took pictures of the street art that covers the city.  Scrawls, stencils, tags, paintings, posters and stickers cover every area of the city- which is great, after all why keep all the art indoors in a gallery?

Current Inspiration: Blexbolex

Just a short post about what I'm currently looking at/jealous of.  Currently loving the work of French Illustrator Blexbolex whose work I came across in Germany.  His work is simple, graphic-style screenprints with a childlike quality about them.  Sadly for me, he doesn't have much of an online presence but heres a link to an article from one of my favourite websites 'Grain Edit'.  Anyhoo I recommend his book 'L'imaginier des gens'


http://grainedit.com/2010/07/06/blexbolex-illustration/


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Limagier-Gens-Blexbolex/dp/2226179879/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282845460&sr=8-2