Xmash!

It's that time of year again so sit up and be Merry will you!!!
Happy Christmas to one and all from Pottsville.

Spark me up

Here's one of the bigger projects I've been working on recently for the good folk of Futurelab in Bristol. Multiple illustrations to cover various pieces of a mobile exhibition called Spark: Igniting Innovation In Education. It's to showcase new technologies that support innovative practice in education. Should keep em' off the streeets at the very least.

Hush Hush Cinema

This post is a little overdue but during the last few months I've been along to a couple of London's Secret Cinema events. They showcase classic films in unusual venues and the twist is you don't know where or what you'll be watching until the last moment. There are clues aplenty though and the venues are decked out to capture the spirit of the film with numerous costumed actors playing out scenes and generally trying to whip up the crowd into a frenzy of anticipation.

The most recent screening was of Bugsy Malone, I have to say not my favourite film of all time, but I was won over by the art deco venue, The Troxy club near Limehouse, and the effort that went into creating the Great Depression era vibe - particularly everyone having to enter via the back entrance like regular hoodlums. There were live acts playing out songs from the film but the highlight had to be the live custard pie fight during the film's climax. A good splattering was had by all.

The previous Secret Cinema to that was a Halloween screening of Alien which just happened to be in a cavernous warehouse space directly behind my studio in Shoreditch. On entering there were live recreations of the chest-burster dining scene and an encounter with a caged alien on a metal catwalk drenched in steam and sirens. The space was really impressive with lots of great recreations and details, such as the beheaded Ash android corner, and the film was as amazing as ever.

Mmmmm...What to post?

Criminal negligence on the blog front folks, I hang my head in shame. Busy couple of weeks but the posts...they be comin.

Feeling Minnesota

Found out that a cover I illustrated last year for the Minneapolis Saint Paul visitor's guide picked up a silver award in the Best Single Cover category (general interest over 60,000 circulation of course) at the Minnesota Publishing Awards. Neat.

Get Your Ass To Mars

While we're on the sci-fi tip, here's a recent US editorial job illustrating a short story concerning a Martian cable car. Really enjoyed indulging my inner geek on this one...and in no way was I inspired by the nutty eye-pop climax of Total Recall.

Moon Cat

Finally got to see the British sc-fi flick Moon this week followed by an entertaining and inspiring Q+A with director Duncan James and producer Stuart Fenegan thrown in for good measure. The film is a fantastic psychological portrait of a lone blue-collar lunar base operator and features a really solid and moving central performance by Sam Rockwell who, for me, has never been better. There are echoes of classic sci-fi films such as Outland, Silent Running and Alien in the script, visual effects and production design and the film, made on a paltry budget, is a real achievement for the first time director. The soundtrack by Clint Mansell is also outstanding. It was exciting to see a really enthusiastic director/producer team making good on the kind of influences that used to fire me up as a 'yoof'.

Spaghetti Graphica

The good people at Bunker in Milan alerted me to this upcoming exhibition at the Trienalle Design Museum showcasing the cream of Italian Graphics. The Carraro Annual Report 2007 I illustrated will be amongst the work featured. Mille Grazie!

On Guard,....Sir!

Recently found myself watching Ridley Scott's first film The Duellists on a particularly lazy Sunday morning and was really taken by it. The film charts the increasingly absurd duels fought by two Napoleonic generals over the decades, as played by the honour-fanatic Harvey Keitel and the more reasonable Keith Carradine (a classic underrated actor). Every frame is beautifully lit and composed, with some amazing use of 'magic-hour' sunlight, and the direction is unusually subtle compared to late Scott fare. The final lingering money shot above is a real corker, etches itself on the mind.

More Freaks

Another rogue for the gallery...bit of a meat-head this one

Peace Out

Here's a blissed out, big hair design for Anna Goodson Management's annual coaster promotion. Coming to the bottom of a cup near you.

It's Design Week

Just finished the cover and a spread illo for the current issue of Design Week on the stands today. Check it.

I, Computer Arts

Little heads up in the latest issue of Computer Arts featuring the recent New Scientist cover illo I, Phone. Have been too busy to blog recently and that's no good, must do better. New work coming dis way.

Downtime Sketchfest

While I'm toiling away in the bowels of Photoshop and waiting for the mac to choke and splutter through the rainbow wheel processor I'll dip my pen in the ink and idly doodle various shitkickers, vagrants and mutants. Here's a few. Say hi.

Artsdepot

Been really busy for the last few weeks on various jobs but here's one that's in the bag. A large photo montage illustration to celebrate the fifth anniversary of North Finchley's Artsdepot. The fine photography was taken by Ben Brannan.

Personal Waterloo

Took these snaps of my favourite London view from Waterloo Bridge during my regular cycle ride around town the other week. Won't be seeing it in this sort of weather for a while me thinks, the Indian Summer has truly ended. Enter the drizzle zone.

Independent Brain

Created this illo for a piece in Sunday's Independent magazine about the technological predictions of visionary futurist Ray Kurzweil. Cool n classy layout by the art director Ben Brannan. Yes, by 2040 brains will be uploadable ... on this particular Monday mine feels permanently uploaded and completely irretrievable.

Pink Rush

We all need to wallow in pink every now and again...don't we? Here's a rose-tinted view of Times Square for a Delta Sky magazine article about the rise of Breast Cancer awareness consumer products

Students!

Just finished the cover of the latest Hotcourses University guide and here it is.

Cornwall

Took a second week off in Cornwall to stay in a lovely cabin on the south coast path near Helston. Lots of walking, eating, drinking and darting around the sights of Cornwall. Magic. Ahhh, seems like a lifetime ago already.

Tarifa

Went to the lovely windswept town of Tarifa on the southern tip of Spain for a few days to get sandblasted and lost in the many winding alleys of the old moorish centre. Also popped to Tangier for the day on the speedy ferry to check out the city and wander through the markets...carpet anyone?

Dem Worms!

Studio bud Alex Dobbin has made this cracking little animation called 'Worms' set to a Pogues tune of the same name. Check out the suitably twisted titles by my other studio bud John Slade.

Weird Science

On the cover of the New Scientist this week with an illustration about smartphone apps ... and how they turn people into big human apps or something scientific like that. I'm sure of it.

W.E.B. Magazine

I was really pleased to be asked to provide a cover illustration and interview for South Korean magazine W.E.B. ... and thar she blows. Thanks to the editor, Park soo-yeon.

The Illustrated Ape

I've illustrated a couple of double page spreads for a short story called 'Two Watch Man' by Dina Begum in the current issue of The Illustrated Ape. Great to be a part of this issue as the mag is chock full of great work from the likes of Stanley Donwood, NCC and Holly Wales, to name a few. Well worth getting.

Proms Me Badd!

It was a barmy old evening yesterday so I took off on my bike around London and snapped the Albert Hall en route while it's still coated in the Proms illustration work. Also spotted it on a bus in Trafalgar Square the other day which I narrowly avoided smashing into the side of...mmmmm

The Wall Project

I've contributed some work to the website of this interesting LA based project commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. They're going to wall-off Wilshire Boulevard for a day and have some artists go to work on it. Should be cool. More info on the site

Scary Canary

Here's a logo design for my cousin Stacey and her partner Steve's new online clothing store at scarycanaryclothing.co.uk. They sell some cool vintage clothing and have great exclusive bespoke designs too. Check it.

Computerheadz

Sneak peek of a recently finished cover illustration for Toronto's Financial Post. I'm suddenly getting a lot of requests for this sort of abstract computer head thang ... which is fine by me!

101 Women

Created this poster for 101women.org, a new global digital campaign to raise awareness and donations to save girl children through the Nanhi Kali Foundation in Mumbai. Part of Anna Goodson Management's initiative to work free for non profit and charity organisations.

Business Time!

On the cover of Business Week right now...bammm!

'Production Lines' revisited

Dug out these pieces the other day that were made for 4WALL's 'Production Lines' exhibition back in 2006. They were a fun collaboration with my wife Liz, who made all the knitted elements. Hoodies, bull terriers and council estates meet the factory line.

Imagine interview

I was recently interviewed by Frank Grimshaw for the animation magazine Imagine . The piece focuses on the relationship between animation and illustration and my particular take on it all. Chuffed to be featured in the same issue as the amazing Harryhausen and his scaly muse, Medusa.

As Seen On The Tube

Whadda we have here? Proms ads all over London town as the event starts tomorrow.

Burn Me Up Scotty

Have been toiling away on a space themed promo animation for The Dallas Guild's new single 'Burn'. It's been a fruitful collaboration with the omni-talented Mark Taplin of Taplabs and I hope it's the first of many. You can see it here on my site or on that Youtube over here.

Pottsblog Launchifies

Welcome to the new Pottsblog. I'll be posting bits of news, work and schtuff as regularly as is humanly possible for a lazy schmo. Hope you like the new overdue website, it's still got loads of work on it but hopefully it's all a little easier to digest. It all comes with a super efficient 'back-end', courtesy of the wonderous Radio Design and Zenji Webworks, which makes maintaining it seem far too easy. We'll see how long that lasts.