Telegraph - Foster Care

Another editorial client that drops by quite often is the Telegraph. Always with diverse and interesting subjects for me to tackle. This one was foster care and this is one of three illustrations I created.

I have a truly excellent project in the pipeline. It will probably not see the light of day until mid next year but it is very exiting. More on that soon.

Bye for now x

Popshot - String Theory

The new edition of Popshot is out this week and I am happy to say I am in it!

I was invited to illustrate a strange and touching short story 'String Theory' by Benjamin Zadik
An illustration with strings? … strings and birds? … yes please.

More soon, Bye for now x

New Scientist - Reality

As happened earlier this year shortly after being commissioned by Arc magazine (see previous post) I was commissioned by their sister publication New Scientist. I always enjoy a New Scientist job and this one was really engaging if a little mind bending, the subject was the tiny matter of 'reality'.

I produced four illustrations for the feature. Here's two of them Mr Mobious and Virtual Alice. I wonder what images were produced in other dimensions by an alternative reality me? perhaps I never did it at all? perhaps they only exist because you are looking? you are looking? is there anybody out there?

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All your futures are belong to us.

That has to be one of my best blog titles eh?

Unfortunately I did not write it, it's the title of a short story by David Gullen which I was asked to illustrate for Arc magazine, thank's Arc for another thoroughly enjoyable commission.

Soma Snakeoil

This is a portrait of fab rubber clad Soma Snakeoil that I created for Pronsaints. It is a limited edition of 10 and is available here.

I hope I did it right, I think she is quite strict.

Bye for now.

Cicada

Here's a picture I made of a Cicada, I created him with pencil, acrylic and digital painting … pretty cute huh?

There's not too much in the cute category in the insect world. Impressive, weird, formidable, fascinating and lots of other superlatives but not so much cute, apart from cicadas and bees and ladybirds and those little jumping spiders with the forward facing eyes, they are pretty cute, no? well I think they are, it's my opinion and I am entitled to it!

More soon.

Bye for now x

Birds and things

Working away on lots of nice things. Just finished a spate of book covers for various US publishers. I have also had quite a few short stories to illustrate this year, possibly my favourite commissioned work, there is just something about short stories that make them a pleasure to work with and being mostly editorial they allow more freedom than book cover work. A new illustration for Arc magazine in the pipeline and one for the brilliant Popshot magazine who have diversified a little in this issue and included short stories along side their mainstay of poetry.

Hopefully I will be able to post those here soon but in the meantime here's a little bird character I drew as an element for one of the illustrations. He's got no feet! … true but when he's in the illustration you won't be able to see, no one will ever know.

Bye for now x

Budda Cakes

Here's some album artwork I did recently for the upcoming release from the Budda Cakes - the budda cakes

'Vintage Future ala Jules Verne meets Electro-Accordion and 1984-Walkman.The Budda Cakes make you happy & make you smile'

It's true.

The album goes by the title 'The Edge of Different' and from the tracks I have heard it's brilliant and beautiful. For some unfathomable reason they reminded me of being a teenager, seems like another lifetime away now, a bit like English summers ; )

Bye for now x

New Scientist - Dark Magnetism

… And here it is. From science fiction to science fact (well perhaps) for New Scientist illustrating a piece on dark magnetism. Nope it's not something Johnny Depp has … but it might be responsible for our expanding universe.

Originally intended as an interior illustration it ended up on the cover. I reckon it was pulled there by Dark Magnetism.

Thanks New Scientist and Arc for two great commissions!

Bye for now.

Arc - Attenuation

Here is an illustration I did recently for the wonderful Arc magazine, illustrating the short story 'Attenuation' by Nick Harkaway. It's a great story, this is my interpretation of the trifurcated main character(s)

I'm a fan of the likes of Philip K Dick and Kurt Vonnegut, anything with a warped reality asking a bit of a philosophical question is right up my street ... so this was a pleasure to work on!

The magazine is from the makers of New Scientist … talking of which, I have also just finished an illustration for New Scientist. I'll post that  … well, now …

thousand yard stare

Here's a little oddity.

Throwaway stuff really, although there is something I like about it. Started life as a page in my sketchbook which I scanned and used as experimental practice exploring varying combinations of pencil, acrylic and digital painting. I had no plan or idea what might happen just hat I might learn something along the way and get to grips with some new software and techniques.

Should I post this kind of stuff? images have a long life on the internet, will I see it floating around in three years time and think why the f**k did I post that? Who knows? not me that's for sure.

Bye for now.

Secret 7" - my images

It's all done and dusted now so I can post my Secret 7" images.

I went in a more photographic direction with the first which was a D J Shadow cover and then pencil, acrylic and digital painting for a Florence and the Machine cover.

More soon, bye for now.

Studio / Hermitage

Thankfully January was an unusually quiet month, it would have been tough to deal with any major commissions whilst Sarah was in hospital. She's up and about and recovering well now and work has picked up. I am working on a book cover for Scholastic NY, a poster & general artwork for a stage show and a couple of editorials so I will be posting some new stuff soon.

In the meantime here's a few snapshots of my studio where I am holed up for most of the time, gazing longingly out of the window … where real life happens.

Sceret 7" artwork

The guys at Secret 7" have uploaded all the exhibition artwork. A bewildering array of images. I have managed to spot a few and linked them with their creators.

I created two, can you spot them? look in the Artwork + section here www.secret-7.com

Bye for now.

125 Magazine

A recent illustration for a piece on the runner Oscar Pistorius in the olympia issue of 125 magazine.

Secret 7"

I have completed two images for the wonderful Secret 7" project ... http://www.secret-7.com/ ... to raise money for the teenage cancer trust.

If you can make it to the exhibition the details are here http://www.facebook.com/events/117046375093671/

Want to know which tracks I chose to illustrate? I'm not tellin' it's a secret ; )

2012

Well, a very belated 'Happy New Year' to you. I am sure you are enthralled with my excuses for slack blogging but this one is quite a dramatic one. Sarah (girl in all of the muse images) was airlifted from Bodmin moor after a pretty nasty injury. She had an operation on her foot and has been in hospital or confined to bed since before New Year so it's all been rather manic here, I am looking after Sair and my daughter and finding very little time for creativity. So I am getting a bit of a creative itch, she's up and about now albeit on crutches so things are starting to resemble normality again and perhaps I will get to scratch the itch soon (I won't mention itches to her, sore point! her foot in in cast)

The last image I managed to create was a couple of weeks before Christmas and ironically enough was about a place on Dartmoor (we do spend a fair amount of time wandering around moorland) I made this image as a little gift for her for Christmas, the words are mine and it's about a copse on Dartmoor that holds a special place in our hearts. It's a bit of a hike to get there but we are looking forward to going back there as soon as her foot allows.



Bye for now.