LOAf needs you!

This little fella (drawn by the ever wonderful Rosie Faragher) needs your help!

I am currently working on a submission for LOAf, a 'fresh new comics magazine for 9-12 year-olds', providing 'an opportunity for some incredibly imaginative and hardworking narrative artists from across the UK to see their work independently published in a beautiful, full colour anthology of comics, puzzles and other visual and literary treats.'  BUT, it is calling upon the help of the peoples (that's you) to help propel this project into action, by pledging as little as £5, for which you will receive some sort of lovely illustrative reward for your generosity.

Please have a look at the film, and the project page, where, if inspired, you can make a donation to kick-start this happy mag.  LOAf are proposing to meet their target of £2000 by 24th September, and would be delighted if you could spread the word to those you think might be interested in seeing this creation come to life.

Also, you can visit LOAf's facebook page to get a taste of what's to come, and see the work of some of the other clever illustrators involved.

Thanks guys!

take a trip to mexico...

I just wanted to share some other lovely things I've been listening to lately, namely the lovely Staves sisters, each gifted with beautiful voices, and beautiful minimalist arrangements of guitar and vocals.  I won't say too much more, because I really don't rate my chances as a music journalist, but it's really lovely music that is soft and subtle, and conducive to daydreaming and making plans, and I'm thrilled to be going to see them at Bristol's Thekla in November.  This one is my favourite.

Another lady well, well worth checking out is the beautiful Rachel Sermanni, who I'm absolutely devastated to be missing at Bristol's Thekla next month!  I have become a bit smitten with this Scottish singer (and her supreme songwriting abilities) who totally charmed everyone with her brilliance when I saw her support Fink in February.  I think she creates wonderful imagery with her lyrics, and the movement in her songs.  In particular, I would recommend listening to Song for a Fox and Eggshells.  But they're all brilliant.

Finally, I'm sort of beating myself up a little bit for not snapping up the opportunity to see Gemma Hayes, an old favourite of mine and a real inspiration, when she was in Bristol (and Bath!) a few months ago (please come back, Gemma?).  This woman has talent and beauty in abundance, and I can't get enough of this song.

I'm on the hunt for some new tunes, so if anyone has any recommendations, I'd be very grateful for a comment below!

j is for...

A 'J' motif that I drew for my beloved for his summer birthday.  I'd quite like to do an alphabet series at some point...though perhaps not as hyper-detailed as this doodle-centric 'J'.  

I love these block-printed letters by Katharine Watson.

And, although slightly unrelated, I'm really quite taken with the type artist who has been adorning the Portland Sessions website with this beautiful lettering, too...

notes from the treehouse

I've really fallen for this album since producing an entry for the Creative Allies Alessi's Ark CD cover design contest.  For whatever reason, I've not been privy to 

Unbeknown to me, there were a couple of Alessi's Ark songs on the playlist in a shop that I used to work in (in a job that I didn't particularly enjoy), that used to play in a continual loop for however many hours you'd been assigned to work for the day, and at the time I think that tarnished my enjoyment of the songs.  But then this competition sprung up, and I remembered that a friend of a boyfriend used to drum for a band named Alessi's Ark, and the competition sounded like a lot of fun, so I took the opportunity to really engage with the music.  And what enchanting music it is.  I'm a bit in love with Alessi's ability to craft a lyric, and conjure a sort of magical atmosphere that embodies the band's songs and their beautiful narrative style.  That's what I hoped to achieve with this pictorial response to Notes from the Treehouse, and I hope that it does that, even slightly.

I've since picked up a copy of their Time Travel album, which has some real gems on it too!

proud.

Feeling a little bit a lot proud of our British athletes this morning.  Last night saw three remarkable people pick up gold medals with unbelievable grace.  Screaming at the TV (in my case, laptop) screen has never felt like such a natural, required impulse, but I simply couldn't bear the idea of Mo Farah being overtaken.  Being, at best, totally miserable at any kind of sport myself (except for maybe swimming, when I put my mind to it), I am completely awed by the Olympian abilities that these people possess, how someone can throw their entire body over a staggeringly high bar without any kind of assistance, and then be equally adept at running at an obscene speed against so many competitors, or suspending their body upright in the air with only the assistance of a couple of rings attached to some ropes, held by a metal frame.  In my mind, it's probably the closest we'll ever get to having super powers (apart from, perhaps, a small number of supposed 'magnetic people' that I'm told exist, or the baffling abilities of the mystical Derren Brown).  I feel rather sheepish for the sort of apathetic way I dismissed the London 2012 Olympics a couple of weeks ago.  It's amazing to see so many people getting excited and supporting our athletes with such vigour and enthusiasm, and restoring a sense of pride that often seems absent in our rainy little country.  And long may it continue!  I can't wait to see Murray battle against Federer for gold this afternoon.

rough

an attempt to lift spirits

(For Jon)

I've added a few new things, and a few well-overdue things to my website of late, including this EP cover that I designed for the lovely folks in Wiltshire band The Penny Red, who recently celebrated the launch of 'Where Butterflies Dance'. Investigate at your peril, their songs will get firmly lodged in your head (I mean this in a very nice way, of course)!


More to follow!  Working on some exciting things at the moment!

P.s. I've done a bit of post-spring cleaning!  What do you think of the new blog decor?