New Painting

Have been wanting to start painting again for a while now. Been hung up on whether it should look good? whether it should communicate something specific? if it will be fine art or illustration? commercial? it makes my head hurt and my motivation dwindle.

I heard a colleague of mine recently tell our students that creativity was as much an act of bravery than inspiration. where's the fear come from? the fear of ridicule, failure, derision?

I have tried to concentrate on the process rather than solely on the final product. i must admit, it gave me a thrill to peel off the masking tape, revealing the crisp white paper juxtaposed with the pink brushstrokes.

eh! look at me! Juxtaposed! Must be an artist now!

Illustration Now! 3 My pages

Here's my spread. Surprised they didn't choose The Queen or Vivien, but am still very pleased! I even feel OK with my pretentious statement!

Illustration Now 3

The latest volume in Taschen's Illustration Now! series features 150 illustrators from around the world, using a vast range of techniques.

It's out now, and I'm in it!!! You can leaf through by clicking here.

It's a brilliant feeling to fulfill ambitions!

Shane Meadows signs print!

Went to see the new Shane Meadows film, Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee at the Broadway Cinema! Absolutely FANTASTIC film, laugh-out-loud funny!

Shane, Paddy and rest of the crew held a Q & A afterwards and it was great to see they were still 'pissing around' like they were, 15 years ago.

Anyway, overcame my deep and utter self-conscious embarrassment and got Shane to sign my illustration of him. Seemed to like it anyway, despite my inept ability to hold a coherent conversation, and will be sending him a large print! Chuffed.

The golden age...

Am in the middle of writing new project briefs and a guide to visual research for Sept and was rummaging through my old college sketchbooks and came across these two drawings. I did these at a convent hospital after being refused permission to draw at a morgue! HA! Next best thing... an old peoples home!

The nuns at the hospital were brilliant and i spent the day with this woman (feel really ashamed that I can't remember her name). She had a heart monitor beeping away and the room was BOILING hot but I felt really privileged to be able to spend the day drawing. Aaaahhhh, 1993, seems like a lifetime ago! Actually for some people following this, it is!!!

The Romantic Movement in French Literature

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Have just posted this on i-am-visualjournal blog, thought it might be of interest here too..

Am just sorting out the office / studio as we are moving this summer and came upon this old book i bought when i was living in Brighton.

It's a really lovely crimson coloured hard backed book, written completely in French. I painted over the pages with emulsion and started using it as a visual journal. Have just added the last page 'Heartburn' as I seem to have had it for days! Will definitely keep this little book going. Might even set it as a project for the new students!

Stelios image for Economic Review

Here's my latest commission for the Economic Review, Abu Dhabi.