Intruder Alert

Like, Totally Neo Rural

Here's a cover illustration for France's Journal Europa looking at the history of migration between urban and rural areas and all the attendant social impacts and expectations that go with it. Look out for those cow pats.

Loch Nessing

Went for a long weekend family break to Inverness, Scotland to support my cousin Warren as he took on the mighty challenge of the Loch Ness Marathon. We stayed in a couple of cosy lodges in the gorgeous Falls Of Foyers area near the Loch, supping booze and chomping on haggis in the warmth while Warren 'bust his ass' to complete his first, very hilly and wet, marathon in four hours, 8 minutes. It tired me out just driving down the route so we were all very proud of his outstanding achievement, as was Nessie who made a special appearance...that absolutely nobody saw.

Interactionville

Here are a series of colourful illustrations that can be seen in the current issue of Design Week gracing their Interaction Design supplement. It looks at the current state of the industry and features a lot of iThings.

Back Of The Future

Here's a full pager for Shepherd Center's APEX magazine in the States looking at trauma surgery technology for spinal cord injuries.

Billboard No Mates

Latest illo for Design Week's Private View column looking at over-eager brand advertising that just wants to be your bestest chum.

Start Spreading The News

Here are a few snapettes from a fantastic couple of weeks spent in New York recently. It was hot, hot, hot in the city for the first five days as we checked out the sights and sounds from our base at Hotel Chelsea. We strolled the Highline and Brooklyn Bridge, the boardwalk from Brighton Beach to Coney Island, cycled Central Park and took in the Big Bambú sculpture and view from the roof of the Met. For the weekend we drove up-state to Monticello in the Catskills for the All Tomorrow's Parties festival at Kutsher's Country Club, a fading seventies style venue with insane carpets and a charming lake to sit beside inbetween gigs. And what gigs, highlights for me were Iggy And The Stooges, Mudhoney, Breeders and the dry-ice drenched quasi-religous metal experience Altar. For the second week we continued driving north staying at the amazing Pollywogg Holler eco-lodge, a cluster of beautiful log cabins in the middle of the woods, for an enjoyable night with the wonderful hosts that kept any Blair Witch flashes well at bay. We passed through NY's take on the Grand Canyon, Letchworth State Park en route to Niagara Falls. The awesome spectacle of the falls was offset by the sheer naffness of the tourist trap town above it, one night was more than enough. On to the lovely Seneca Falls before settling in to our very own Airstream at Kate's Lazy Meadow, a fifties styled trailer park with a picture postcard setting next to a creek in the Catskills. Bliss. Back to the Big Apple for one last 9/11 memorial illuminated night before hopping the Atlantic home. Click the pics to big 'em up.

As Seen On DVD

Hush Your Mouth, the British independent film I designed and animated the titles for, has finally been released on DVD and has a spanking new website to promote it. It's an interesting South East London urban tale, well directed by Tom Trywhitt and produced by Liza Brown. It features some great performances from a solid cast and is well worth a butcher's hook, er, look.

Images 34 Awards

It was the Association Of Illustrators Images 34 Award night last week and I was fortunate enough to pick up a Bronze award in the Design category for my Pyramid Breweries Audacious Apricot Ale illustration. Action Stations also picked up a Silver award in the New Media category for last year's Dallas Guild animated 'Burn' promo, a collaboration between myself and Mark Taplin. I'd like to thank ... (ohh shutuppp!)

Steve Thorogood 1949-2010

While away I was very saddened to hear that my UK agent Steve Thorogood had passed away after a brave fight against cancer for well over a year. Steve was a very decent man with a great passion for illustration and I respected him a great deal. He was the first person to give me a break in the industry by representing me and I'll never forget that. He has had amazing support from his family Doreen, Kate and Tom and they are continuing his amazing legacy with Good Illustration. RIP Steve.

Oh My Grammar!

Greetings all. I've been off the grid for a couple of weeks in the good ol' US and A, more of which I will post about shortly. In the meantime here's a recent illustration for Design Week's Private View slot looking at how the increasing digital transmission of the written word is killing off the artistry of crafting a letter...with propa gramma n spellin n stuff.

Pipe Nightmares

Here's another recent illo for What Car? Magazine for an article called 'Tailpipe Truths' looking at the current state of car pollution. Chokes me up every time.

For Local People

Here's an illustration for Ethos magazine about the history of Localism as an ideology, you know, whether public services should be commissioned by locals or central government bigwigs. Look, a steam train!

Stay On Target

A recent illo for Target RED Magazine. It's here. Online shopping technology in a big hand...yeah!

Down The Albert

Popped over to the Albert Hall this week to get some cheeky snaps of the Proms illustration in full swing before the festy ends next month. Lovely evening for it.

Don't Hang The VJ

Good chum and fellow studio peep Ben Cook has launched a new site showcasing his cracking audio-visual work called Synthetics. Check out the footage of his live animated projections for Finnish group Villa Nah, filmed by Tom Bunning, and good ol' boys, The Orb.

I Need A Holiday, Holiday, Holiday

I've been a bit AWOL again over the last couple of weeks catching up on the illustration work I couldn't do in July as most of my time was spent working on this music video which I can finally unleash. It's for the Australian artist Vanessa Amarosi's new single 'Holiday' and was created as another Action Stations collaboration with Mark Taplin. We came up with the initial concept, designs and storyboards with director Dan Ruttley for Metropolis Studios, assisted on the green screen shoot and then worked our asses clean-off to animate the whole video in just over two weeks. It was tiring but we're pleased with the results which you can see on my site here ... and there's a poorer resolution version of it on Youtube replete with appreciative comments such as "sack the video production team"! Gotta love that 'tube.

Heads Du Jour

First And Last

Escaped to Cornwall again for a long weekend with Liz, my brother and a few friends. This time to beautiful Sennen Cove near Land's End, home of the famous First And Last Inn where a few Rattlers were caned. The weather was meltface hot so plenty of beach action, barbies and some seriously amateurish surfing attempts were in order. When the sun took a break we walked up the coastal path to nearby Cape Cornwall, originally mistaken for the real Land's End, and hitched a hilarious ride back atop the local 300 bus...into the foggy void!

Festivus

Here's a few editorial pieces for a spread on Edinburgh's festival season in the nicely designed Velocity mag for Cityjet. Och aye!