Rosalie Hoskins

Emily at The Handmade Shop

2011-09-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

When my sister isn't being a little cooking machine of wonderment. She is making amazing hair adornments. Bowbands have been the official favourite accessory to the much loved Get Cutie boutique in Brighton for some time now and I am excited to report that the Handmade Shop in Kemptown is the latest outlet to sell Emily's wonderful creations. The Handmade Shop sells a wide range of lovingly handmade items. Here is their blog and please go and visit them to see Emily's bows!

Dorset Holiday.

2011-09-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

I went to Dorset for a camping holiday! It was bloody lovely.It rained. It shone. I petted cats, dogs, pot bellied pigs and horses. I ate my body weight in cream teas. I sat in little teashops and wrote postcards to my nearest and dearest. I looked for fossils on the beach. I drank cider. Dorset is beautiful and a bit funny. I want to go back soon.

LMNOP

2011-09-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited. LMNOP is a creative design studio and gallery and shop in Brighton. The shop is a little treasure chest of illustrated wares. They really strive to stock a wide range of zines, books, comics, prints, cards and handmade accessories made by artists and illustrators. I'm really proud to be able to help them out by doing work experience with them. LMNOP is right up my creative little street and I'll be tweeting, blogging and helping them source new exciting products for the shop and online store on their new website.

Goodbye London. Hello Brighton.

2011-09-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

I will miss you London. But I've been homesick. I've missed the sea. And Sussex. And my family and friends. And the choice of cider and vegetarian food. And going for walks on late summer sundays with my boyfriend and picking tiny apples off trees, you know the usual stuff.

Degree Show

2011-09-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

We finally had our muchly anticipated degree show at Westminster. We put up our drawings, our loved ones turned up, we drank, we laughed and we felt elated and most importantly relieved. The lovely Amelia Gregory said some lovely things about my work here.

Race for Life

2011-06-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a fun run this sunday in Brighton to help raise money for Cancer Research, it's obviously a really important charity and I would love to be able to reach my target so please donate as much as you can!

Illustration by Adam Hancher

Le grand cirque

2011-05-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Deadline on monday so I'm feeling a bit frayed around the edges!

Looking forward to submitting work and having a few days enjoying the sun and seeing loved ones i've neglected in the past few weeks.

Here are two of my images from LE GRAND CIRQUE poster collection.

Only a month to go to the end of university show.

Zut Alors!

Wednesday Illustration

2011-04-13T10:41:00.001-07:00

I want to be your Maria.

Happy Mummy day!

2011-04-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

My mum got a journal from Lazy Oaf, a bottle of mead and a homemade card!

Shopholic blog.

2011-04-04T03:52:00.000-07:00

The lovely people at Shopaholic on Become.co.uk have put me on their blog roll in their lifestyle and hobbies section. Have a sneaky peek here, they have a lot of interesting and fun blog links.

Woozy @ The Outsiders Gallery

2011-04-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

I don't care about my face
This exhibtion is only running til 9th April- please go see it now. Woozy is an artist from Greece, his art is beautiful, so colourful and abstract. This is the Outsiders gallery website here.

Car boot sale season begins!

2011-04-04T02:50:00.000-07:00

It is getting warmer! And you know what that means...Copious blog posts about car boot sale random buys-yay!
On Mother's day yesterday, I dutifully went around a car boot sale in chichester with my lovely mum and found Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware which has been on my reading list for years now and a couple of little zines. One is french published and is beautifully lurid, I think this is the website for the collective responsible here.
The other is The Rash by Danny Noble who is an illustrator who I think went to Westminster University too and I just discovered used to be in a Brighton based band I used to love called Ska Gal. Small world! Visit Danny Noble's website here.

March Photographs Part 2

2011-04-04T02:43:00.001-07:00

White Bleeding Hearts at Chichester

Hove

Kenwood House

Magpie at Hampstead Heath

Thorpe Park!

The Joys of Spring @Outline Editions

2011-04-04T02:24:00.000-07:00

Shuffling around soho in need of a bit of inspiration? Outline Editions on Berwick Street current exhibition is spring inspired and there are some gorgeous prints on sale at the moment.
Below are a few of my favourite pickings but there are loads of artists exhibiting so I would strongly recommend a visit if you are passing by!

Beyond the Valley

Noma Bar

Klaus Haapaniemi

Patrick Thomas

Postcards ready to print!

2011-03-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

All my circus postcards are ready to print. Yay.
On unrelated news. I really fancy a chocolate brownie.
Just thought I would put it out there...

Happy Friday Everyone!

2011-03-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

To celebrate in style, I illustrated another book and made lemon cupcakes! Yom.

Frank Chimero Inspiration

2011-03-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Frank Chimero is one of my all time favourite illustrators/graphic designers.
I stumbled across this image (The Saddest Story ever told) a while ago and have been meaning to try painting on recycled hard back books for a while because I think it looks so cute, a ready made canvas!

I finished off three today, all inspired by my current obsession of old circuses.
A strongest man, fortune teller and diver all in gouache paint on recycled hard back books found in my local charity shop!

Carrie Reichardt @ Inkd

2011-03-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little saturated from the media surrounding the upcoming royal wedding already? Carrie Reichardt's politically charged exhibition Mad In England is a anarchic collection of satirical and strange ceramics and prints. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in Brighton.
It runs until the 10th April, visit the Inkd website here.

March Photographs Part 1

2011-03-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Eloise, Kimberley and my feet in the studio

Artwork in Inkd Gallery in BrightonA very suspicious crow in Hampstead Heath

Vegetable soup in the making!

Sad ragged bunting at Little Venice

Dolls by Mimi Kirchner

2011-03-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Okay I've convinced myself I need these dolls in my life.
They make my heart hurt a little- I want them so much! Clearly a minature lumber jack is the way to my heart-who knew?
I feel envious as illustration is obviously what I love but it must be so satisfying to be able to create something physical and tangible, especially when they are so well crafted and cute as these cheeky chappies.
Mimi Kirchner is a boston based talented little gem- go look at her website here.

Birds

2011-03-09T06:46:00.001-08:00

Roughs from my sink or swim project.

Lifesavers

2011-03-09T04:51:00.000-08:00

I have a new penchant.
Last year it was weathervanes.
2011 is all about the lifesaver, email me if you have any find any good ones tucked away! Some of these were taken on my favourite London walk, between Little Venice and Camden Lock.
Nothing quite beats an object aesthetically pleasing with obvious symbolism all for the taking!

Jonny Hannah @ Castor + Pollux

2011-03-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

To Celebrate Valentines day this year, Jonny Hannah showcased some of his beautiful new illustrations at his exhibition Burning Love at Castor + Pollux in Brighton.
Castor + Pollux is one of my favourite shops in Brighton, you can't quite beat the location of Brighton Beach and they are always jammed pack with the latest art that local and international artists have to offer, If you are having a stroll between the two piers, you have no reason not to pop in for a cheeky peek.
Go check them out here. The exhibtion ends on the 13th March.

Happy Welshy day illustration!

2011-02-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

St David's day tomorrow- don't forget to wear your daffodil and eat an abundance of welsh cakes. This is for my mum. x

February Photographs

2011-02-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

Kingfisher street art at Battersea

It's finally spring!

Bunny at Queen's Park petting zoo

The Vintage Emporium and Tea Rooms

Favourite shop in Brick Lane complete with numerous cats (and very good zines!)

January Photographs

2011-02-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

Sink or Swim

2011-02-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

One day book project

2011-02-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Pencils and pens were banned! Here are the rest of my classes books. They were all really good.

I've been for a walk on a winter's day

2011-02-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Sleep is for pussies

2011-02-01T05:11:00.000-08:00

Make it end. For the love of god.

2011-01-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

To preserve any sort of writing for my dissertation, I will be mostly articulating myself with the aid of random cats this week.

A message

2011-01-24T10:26:00.002-08:00

Dissertation

I hate you.

Christmas Photographs

2011-01-03T04:25:00.001-08:00

December Photographs

2010-12-13T17:03:00.001-08:00

November Photographs

2010-12-13T17:00:00.001-08:00

Work in Progress

2010-11-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

Sketchbook Scan in Wednesday!

2010-11-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

October Photographs

2010-11-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

Watercolour Wednesday!

2010-10-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

Rough Sketches

2010-09-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

My Summer.

2010-09-29T05:10:00.001-07:00

Vintage @ Goodwood.

2010-09-29T05:05:00.001-07:00

Various Artists: 'Nothing is Forever' @ South London Gallery

2010-09-29T04:53:00.001-07:00

Various Artists: 'Made in Britain @ Madame Geisha.

2010-09-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

Roman Cieslewicz: 'Retrospective' @ Royal College of Arts

2010-09-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

Joana Vasconcelos and Polly Morgan @ Haunch of Venison

2010-09-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

Bast: 'Botulism' @ Lazarides.

2010-09-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

Lucy McLauchlan: 'Together' @ Lazarides.

2010-09-29T03:39:00.000-07:00

Dave McKean: 'The Rut' @ Hypercomics.

2010-09-29T03:27:00.000-07:00

Plenty more fish in the sea..

2010-05-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my ideas for a poster project at university based around the set word resistance.
I was thinking about how difficult it can be going against the tide at times and the normal hum drum pace and direction of every day life.
I wanted a decorate piece but also a representation of the struggle of upstream swimming.
This is actually the prototype but I ended up preferring it to the actual final image so i did a swaperoo and this is now the finished piece.
Or should i say FIN-ished piece. Admit it, that was hilarious.

New blog by Kimberly Kay Taylor

2010-05-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

My best friend Kim has created an amazing new blog: Drawer Obscura.
It explores the relationship between artists and their cameras, be it professional or purely recreational.
An informative exploration between the two artistic disciplines of drawing and photographing and how they can intergrate and crossover with thoughtful questions and beautifully captured portraits.
And the best thing about the blog apart from the chance to see my cheeky face is Kim's illustrations of a wide range of cameras. That girl can draw like Stevie wonder can sing and i love her.

Summer!

2010-05-09T17:15:00.003-07:00

This means four important things!
Trips to the seaside, outdoor cake eating, buying junk from carboot sales to draw and clutter my bedroom and bike rides on my beautiful beautiful new bike.

My new blog: Book Illustration club.

2010-04-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Enough of bigging up Kim's blog, we've all gone a bit blog crazy at university!
We had a self defined project and I decided to create something that combined my two loves, books and illustration.
I originally wanted to create a real book club but decided it would reach a wider audience if I went online and it would be easier to present information and artwork on a blog that people could follow and submit work to.
The idea is to set a different book each month that people would read and then redesign the front cover.
I'll post a brief history of the book, previous published front covers, classic to contemporary and my own attempts at re-imagining the book jacket.
Get involved! This month: H G Wells, The Invisible Man.
This was the last book I read and I really enjoyed it, I thought it would be fun because it's a fairly short novel and has a lot of topics to get knee deep in and have a go at making art to represent the story.
Here is a link to my Book illustration Club.
Here are my attempts to re-imagine the front cover to the sci-fi classic. I wanted to put a contemporary illustration spin on it, making the images colourful, playful and simplistic. Having fun playing around with visual imagery to do with escape, freedom and vision.

The Tiny illustration.

2010-03-13T17:16:00.001-08:00

Here is an illustration I created for Amelia's magazine for a review of the Swedish band The Tiny.
Check out the interesting review here and click here for the groups myspace page- they are good!

Deer me.

2010-03-12T02:59:00.000-08:00

P.s I want to draw more animals.

One Bird Records Exhibition.

2010-03-11T04:14:00.000-08:00

A good friend of a friend recently set up a brand new record company and had a launch party to celebrate the birth of One Bird Records check out their facebook page here.
Running parallel to the launch party they curated an exhibition that was themed from iconic record cover reinterpretations.
I created an illustration for them based on the self titled 1976 album by the Ramones. I basically combined my two loves of drawing people and doodling!

Illustrations for Emily.

2010-03-11T04:01:00.000-08:00

It's march again so that means all other worldly affairs pale into insignificance for the upcoming birthday of my sister, Emily.
I have a sneaky plan for a birthday present I can't disclose publicly but she will also be expecting a birthday illustration, I uncovered her drawn present from a couple of years back.
I created a collection of 3 portraits of Emily surrounded by her great loves and favourite hobbies but with an Alice in Wonderland twist.
I've moved away from my jagged edged biro style of illustration since then but I want to create something similar this year so I am racking my brain for a good theme....

Best Fancy dress costume ever

2010-03-11T03:52:00.000-08:00

I've resolved that I really need to post more photographs on my blog, I do take a ridiculous amount just to sit collecting digital dust on my shambolic laptop.
Eloise my flatmate had a Noah's arc party recently and instead of showing you my pitiful zebra costume here are my good friends David and Phoebe dressed as the rainbow- they stole the show and I love this photo so much I am sorely tempted to turn it into a cheeky illustration very soon..

New Amelia Illustration.

2010-03-11T03:42:00.001-08:00

Just a small illustration for the listings page for the Urban Craft Club that takes place in the North Library just near to Upper Holloway tube station.
Check out the original listing here on Amelia's Magazine.

Bristol Trip.

2010-03-11T03:29:00.000-08:00

I went to Bristol recently with my family because we have relatives in Weston-super-mare.
Apart from being a bit of a concrete jungle, I actually liked the city, obviously not to live in!
But the wandering around exploring part was fun and keeping an eager eye out for Banksy was a definite added bonus.

Illustrations for Amelia's Magazine.

2010-02-05T04:18:00.000-08:00

Ahah, it has been proven! Being addicted to Facebook can have it's advantages.
I had the pleasure to illustrate an article on contemporary mime on the wonderful Amelia's Magazine website recently and produced 3 images for her.
Check it out here and give the article a read- It's really interesting and made me realise it's been long overdue since i've gone and experienced some modern dance/theatre/ mime!

Good things come in threes.

2010-01-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

I was just pondering about putting up three posts in one day when I stumbled across these images on an old memory stick lurking in my drawer.
My favourite program on windows is tucked away in accessories. Paint is one of the main reasons I won't switch to mac. (plus the fact I don't have a spare grand floating around in my bank account).
I still love doodling away when waiting for something to load on the computer (often on a pc) and due to the distracted state I'm usually in when creating, the drawings tend to be quite telling of my subconscious.
Here is a terrifying peek into the mind of my former self at about the age of13.
I don't think I've ever seen such an example of the bizarre mood swings experienced in puberty as good as this.
All these pictures properly crease me up.

Bad Habits.

2010-01-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

The day had to come when i grew weary of my noir lifestyle and and with trembling fingers reach for my very neglected watercolours and crayons deep in the dark recesses of my art box.
Hah, this is clearly my first rendezvous with colour for some time but strangely my poor understanding of contrasting colours and what not was somehow liberating.
Also not staying within the lines with a crayon gives me wonderful flashbacks of that first rebellious moments from childhood.
In a nutshell, these are technically rubbish but i enjoy them.
p.s Yes I know I should stop drawing lots of floating heads but I enjoy that too.
Please, one stupid habit to deal with at a time.

New prints

2010-01-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

I promise the next post will not include any of the following words:
Procrastination, frittering, setback, lingering, dawdling, discontinuation etc
OR the following words if they are in the following conjunction:
These illustrations could be better if i had more time.
These were done in a blind panic with a week to go to start and finish my print project for a university deadline.
Although I'm happy with the outcome, they came out a little smudgy due to them all being printed at home with homemade acetate stencils and lino cuts.
Based on that previous wolfgirl illustration, it's a twist on the Aesop fable; Boy who cried wolf.
I simplified down the design to make it more agreeable with the process of lino printing and put together a little tale of anguish and revenge.
The below images aren't quite in a linear narrative as the finished item was a fold out book so I just selected some of my favourite panels and put them in order as best as I could.
I will upload some photos of the final piece when I receive it back from assessment!

Brighton Guerrilla Art Market

2009-12-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

I came, i saw, i ate blue cheese and spinach quiche and drank very potent mulled wine.
One of my favourite high points from the weekend was when I managed to do some sneaky swaps last thing on the sunday, I am very pleased with my Tote bag from Bella Clarke, Screen print from the P!nch and my benjamin Phillips Prints.
If you didn't turn up, you missed out!

Linocut xmas cards

2009-12-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

I am the queen of procrastination.
I spent about a month sweating about what to create for the Brighton Guerrilla Art Market I had signed up to but managed to knock these up a couple of days before the actual event.
I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have such amazing print facilities at my disposal at University.
I feel a revival coming on, there is something distinctly satisfying about the processes involved with lino printing and I have to say I am quite happy with my little Xmas cards.
I've bought my first class stamps on my milk, bread and wine run this afternoon and the left over card stock is being sent off tomorrow morning to family and friends! :)

Lanther, rinse, repeat.

2009-12-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Oh the hours of fun and procrastination from one crappy sketchbook page.

New blog!

2009-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

For those who might be interested I've started a new blog for a project at university.
We were given a brief titled Print is Dead asking us to imagine ourselves in a world without printed media and to tackle the task of not only creating illustrations but also the 'vessels' that would communicate that image to our demographic.
I decided to piece together a zine that was a journal of my at times bleak life at Harrow-on-the-hill and I've just set up what will be the online counterpart- my beautiful new blog!
Go check it out. www.harrowingtimes.blogspot.com
It's going to like a viral rough sketchbook featuring photographs, observational drawings and the occasional musing, here is a small taster.

Guerrilla Art Market 2009

2009-11-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

Me and my sister Emily are running a stall at the Brighton Guerrilla Art Market this year.
Very excited about sharing space with lots of Brighton illustrators and artists, i am planning to spend the whole weekend stuffing myself with mince pies and trying to make friends!
I'm hoping to have some prints, badges and canvas bags there and the other side of the stall will be literally stuffed full of Emily's wonderful creations.
Also there will be an exhibition running from the private viewing on the 3rd of December til the 12th with the theme of Hungry like the wolf which promises to be amazing too.
So come along and say hi!
Here are the facebook pages for the exhibition and market
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178357854515

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156098352819&index=1
And here is the blog
http://theguerrillaartmarket.blogspot.com/

wolf who cried Boy.

2009-11-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hold on to your socks.
I have done some work!
This in itself is actually a lie because these are drawings completed over the summer but I've just had a bit of a mad scanning in and Photoshop session in the university library which I count as work so I feel justified at feeling proud with myself.
These are a bit of a taster of final pieces to come so I shall wait til i have them all ready before I fully explain the idea behind the drawings but these are an amalgamation of a print project, my personal work and work hopefully contributing to the Guerrilla Art Market this year in Brighton.
Watch this creative space :)

Presciption Art Gallery

2009-08-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's always exciting when new galleries seem to pop out of nowhere.
Especially as now I'm spending most of my days in London, when I do get a chance to visit I'm always looking out for new shops, cafes and art spaces.
Prescription Gallery has set up camp in the beautiful old music library in Brighton, just opposite the Pavilion.
These photographs are a little old but a week ago it looked like they were installing a new show so I'm eagerly anticipating what new visual treats they have in store.
http://www.prescriptionart.com/

Worthing and Arundel Open Houses.

2009-08-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hello. It's been so long since i've blogged. I've been brooding under a little grey cloud of heartbreak for the last few months so I'm finally catching up.
Here is some of the artwork and beautiful homes I saw around the open houses of my home town Worthing over the summer.
Blue skies and creative times are a coming!

Misery Loves Company.

2009-07-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

I really can't jutisfy this collection of doodles with an artistic justification.
Lets just say that when in doubt do what you know best!
It's hideously obvious but I just love drawing girls. Hopefully this procrastination will pass soon and I will start my summer project...
Oh go on then maybe one more face...

Zara Woody at Boxbird Gallery-Brighton

2009-07-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ah yes. Sweet deja-vu.

It seems like every action I do recently seems to be introduced with the same apology of lateness-once again I blame it rather predictably on the summer.

A quick note just to say unfortunately I can't direct anyone to this show as it's now passed but I thought it was still a good post to include if you're not already familiar with Woody's work.

I find it hard to articulate why I develop a penchant for an illustrator at times, however I know immediately why i just love Zara Wood's work.

It's her joyful intricate characters, always coupled with an element of nature and the simplicity that draws me in, her show at Boxbird Gallery in Brighton also explored into the 3d.

Her little dioramas created in beautiful vintage boxes were a delight and also may have given me inspiration for the medium I want to work in for my summer project.

Check out her website here: http://www.zarawood.com/

Oh and also I have a feeling Sam Chivers has now taken over the gallery space. go check it out, here is the website for more details. http://www.boxbird.co.uk/

Sketchbook Doodles 2.

2009-07-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

I quite enjoyed uploading the last set of doodles from my sketchbook, I think the simple scanning and uploading process appealed to my lazy summer existence, so I decided to keep it as a regular feature on this blog.

It's always good to get some feedback on the rawest stage of my work so I can tweak with guidance.

Having said that, most of these pages are completed in a zombie like state in front of the television with my book balanced on my knees, usually in danger of being dribbled on as I whittle away my life infront of E4 for hours at a end.

So please let that be an explanation for the very messy and at times surreal drawings below.

Think of it, if you will, as a glimpse in to my subconscious.

I imagine most of these little doodles are destined to stay doodles forever, tucked away in my sketchbook but you never know what could be used for a final design idea later on...

Amelia's Magazine Shelter card quilt.

2009-07-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

hmm..
With the distraction of summer my attention over this once dearly loved blog has evaporated (momentarily).
And if only I could say the same about the copious amounts of cider than can always be located in a rather large receptacle in my hand!
Nope, I have managed to drink a fair sized orchards worth of cider so far this summer and squander every hour that could have been donated to a creative cause on.... I'm not overall sure. It's all a sunny kind of blur but there are 2 things I can be certain of.
Cider and mini milks were definitely present.

But before I can be judged too harshly I can say that has been definitely one highlight so far and that has been entering a competition set up by Amelia's Magazine.
Have a look at the website here if you've never visited, its fabulous for inspiration and tip offs for upcoming talented new artists. www.ameliasmagazine.com
Nothing like a competition to kick you up the arse and get those creative juices flowing!
Amelia was asked to contribute to the Shelter art exhibition to help raise awareness for their current campaign, she was given the two of hearts card to design and instead of tackling this independently she decided to make it an open brief.
With a collection of her favourite entries sent in for the competition she plans to piece them all together to make a patchwork quilt of the illustrations all depicting the two of hearts.
I was really excited, surprised and pleased to have my design chosen and I'm looking forward to (hopefully!) attending the exhibition and seeing my design with all the other illustrators contributions.
My design never made it to the facebook page (possibly to do with my very close to the deadline timing!) but have a peek at the other designs, some are just simply wonderful and it's great to see such a diverse collection of styles.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95224842754&ref=nf

Here is my entry, I do feel a bit regretful because I was hoping to experiment this time around but ended up short of time and doing just what i know best, so I felt like I was being a bit safe but I can't grumble over the result!
Next time i will give myself more time and try working out of my comfort zone. Evil evil mini milks.

Kitty Finegan Link!

2009-06-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

Oooh very exciting stuff, the first link to this blog has been created by the lovely Brighton based illustrator/graphic artist Kitty Finegan on her website.

I first came across Kitty and her work in the open house season in Brighton this year, check out my review back in my May 09 posts.

Her prints immediately caught my attention with her cheeky curvaceous pin up ladies, fun colours and very clever use of graphic techniques that I'm very envious of.

Check out her beautiful website http://www.kittyfinegan.com/. It's made my day!

Sketchbook Doodles

2009-06-01T04:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best way to build yourself up to a final piece illustration is to think visually rather than just pondering away all in your head.
I find by just doodling away in your sketchbook can really reveal some little gems in your subconscious and you never know what might look aesthetically appealing until you try it.
Of course this means a lot of rubbish too but even the work that doesn't look great can be helpful too.
One day I might be brave enough to scan in all the other terrible drawings in my sketchbook, i have a huge collection and the blog might be titled; How not to illustrate!
But it's all about trial and error and here are some rough sketches scanned in straight from my sketchbook which i thought were okay and I might expand upon in the future.
It might be interesting to see these raw ideas now and see what they could be turned into.
(Click on any images to see them enlarged).

Love By Numbers Illustration.

2009-05-28T10:56:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blog to include some more illustration work completed in my first year at University.

We had a quick editorial brief that set out the task of illustrating a problem page in the guardian by Luisa Dillner.
Check out her weekly article on the guardian website in the life and style section here.
The specific problem in our brief was about heartache of separation.
I've included the original ink drawing, the final piece once added a bit of colour and texture with Photoshop and how the image looked with the text.

My owl and pussycat illustrations

2009-05-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Originally I started this blog with the intention to have half review and half my own work, hoping that by posting up my own illustrations I would be motivated to start drawing some more.
So to tip the balance here is a selection of illustrations taken from my owl and pussycat project.
I just used pen and a photocopier to put together a very much d.i.y zine without text or obvious linear narrative, I wanted it to be a vague story of a love chase between the cat and owl and for most of the emphasis to be on the over stylised aesthetics of the whole ‘book’.

3 East London shows.

2009-05-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

My first year is over and my final days of student halls are as terrifying and desolate as the post apocalyptic state of the world In the 2007 Will Smith movie; I Am Legend.
Remember when the lead character Robert Neville played by Will mooches about. Hunting the barren and devoid of any life land for food and is so desperate for company he emulates human interaction with shop mannequins?
And by night when the vampire-esque mutated survivors of the epidemic emerge from their daytime hiding places and roam the land howling and destroying what is left of life, he locks himself away in his bathroom clutching a gun and listening to the chilling screams of untold horror from outside?
Yep. Not too far from the truth at all.
Without the daily lectures and classes to attend and the non refundable tenancy running on for another month, the surviving students of university halls have become fairly nocturnal and the campus has become deceivingly quiet in the daytime.
As the sun sets all hell breaks loose as loud bass, screaming, cheering and general insipid party noises last well into the night.
As much as I enjoy this mind numbingly bore of an existence, I do at times feel my mind crying out for more stimulation during the daylight hours.
If it hadn’t been for my discovery of http://www.hookedblog.co.uk/ some months ago, my cravings for visual stimulation would definitely still be unanswered.
Hookedblog set up in 2005 promotes all art affiliated with the street art scene, mostly highlighting exhibitions happening around the London town, it’s one of my favourite websites and always helps out with suggested activities for those pesky stagnant moments in life.
I already knew I wanted to take a trip back to Stelladore to pay a visit for the eagerly anticipated solo show from I-lib ‘As Teardrops Fall’.

But I discovered on the blog that only a few streets down in Shoreditch was an exhibition at the Pure Evil gallery; MyMo- Junkyard.
So I began my gallery crawl here.
I confess my knowledge on this artist is little, a quick sweep of Google didn’t prove helpful either but I know Mymo is female and the name stands for my monsters; check out her lively website here.
I really did enjoy the show, colourful, playful and imaginative uses of a wide range of media.
One tiny criticism? The flyer I had picked up promised drawings, paintings and lots of junk.
I felt like this was only half heartedly delivered, as you can see from my photographs, at times the exhibition was even on the minimalistic side of things.
Pure Evil gallery isn’t huge so it wasn’t like there was a question of having too much space.
It just struck me as a bit ironic as I saw more examples of junkyard outside the gallery rather than within it, especially in the run down location of Shoreditch.
Maybe it was a question of health and safety but I would have loved it if the show transformed the room into a literal dump, it would have been a nice change from the usual clean and sterile interior of galleries.
That's obviously a small complaint and aside from that, i want to re emphasise my love for this show and i would definitely recommend my London friends to pay it a visit. It runs until the 21st of June.

Second stop was the I-Lib- As Teardrops Fall show at Stelladore.
I thought the exhibition was beautiful.
I-Lib (stands for I lurk in bushes) uses fine pens to create dainty, whimsical, forlorn and Victorian looking characters.
Imagine a gothic version of wind in the willows perhaps?
I will definitely keep an eye out for this up and coming artist.
The exhibition finishes on this Saturday.
My third and final stop was at one of my favourite gallery spaces in London, StolenSpace in Bricklane.
Currently Californian artist Jeff Soto is exhibiting here with his show; The Inland Empire.
Twenty new wood paintings based upon the region Soto is based in. His home is in Riverside which is situated just east of Los Angeles is being hit by the current economy crisis hard, with the employment rate as low as 12%.
Although global issues are common in Jeff soto’s work, the sombre subject of his work never seems obvious as his paintings are so colourful and are often filled with rainbows, flowers and wings.
Clearly inspired by popular culture such as science fiction and graffiti, his work is beautifully abstract and at times eerie and surreal.
If you pop along to his show (runs till the 7th June) don’t miss the huge piece on the wall in the Old Truman Brewery just metres away from the gallery, apparently there are more street paintings around London so I’m going to keep my peepers open!

Kid Acne- First London solo show @ Stelladore.

2009-05-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hah, now I'm getting to grips with creating blogs there will be no stopping me waxing lyrical at every opportunity about every show I've stumbled across and fallen in love with.
I first stumbled across Kid acne's artwork in Sheffield visiting a friend, she showed me a locally run magazine called NOW THEN and i was immediately taken by his graffiti based illustrations heavily stylised with cute girls and animal characters.
A T-shirt, a website peek and a few other magazine cut outs later and I'm an avid fan and was delighted to learn about his first London solo show Smoke and Mirrors at Gallery Stelladore in Old street.
It was an impressive exhibition with huge figures, screen prints, printed fabrics and even used pizza boxes being used as canvases.
I was so glad i had a chance to attend and I'm keeping my eyes peeled for his most recent zine that was launched parallel to this show and keeping my fingers crossed i might even be able to spot a bit of original street art somewhere around London!

Brighton Open Houses.

2009-05-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again in Brighton!
The stripy deckchairs are unfolded, to only immediately fold back again on the victim, creating wooden prisons. (Usually incarcerating the hapless pensioner)
The beach and the Laines are swarming with a mixture of tourists and locals and obscene amounts of pasty skin is revealed.
And you have to become even more vigilant against menacing characters, the seagulls become even more formidable than the usual thugs polluting the Brighton streets (Yes, we are talking about West Street) by nose diving at any poor unsuspecting soul with ice-cream or chips in their procession.

I don’t know about you, but I treat winter as a chance to hibernate, rather than facing the forces of nature and the upsetting notion that my fringe will make me look like the shorter rounder brother of the stunt double for David Bowie in Labyrinth rather than Betty Page.
I choose to stay low, stay warm and live in a state of laziness and lethargy, eating my weight in chocolate and hummus, although I would be lying if I pretend I don’t do this on a daily basis.
So it’s always a shock to me to emerge from my winter slumber (about 678 stones heavier but at least my fringe isn’t being decimated by the wind-hah) to a hive of Brightonian activity!

It’s the Brighton Fringe (the irony!) Festival!
Created in 1967, Brighton festival is an annual event that platforms a wide spectrum of events. You can expect to find countless art exhibitions, plays, stand up comedians, concerts, dances and much much more.
Now I’m going to be honest, I’ve been a bit of a heathen in the past years of The fringe, I can’t blame it upon anyone else, I’ve been constantly supplied with endless information of events going on but I’ve hardly ever attended anything that’s been affiliated with the festival, it's a possibility that ive been overwhelmed by the amount of choice but that hasn't stopped me from feeling guilty of my lack of interest and participation.

This year has been different! It might have something to do with my migration to London back in late 2008; I’ve started an illustration degree at Westminster University.
Now that my trips to back home are at times sporadic depending on time and finances, I’m starting to regain my appreciation on how fun and cultural Brighton is and reflect upon how I was taking it for granted, I now plan my time very carefully and try and fit in as many exhibitions I can fit in.

I started my new resolution by picking up a brochure for Artists Open Houses. Beginning in May this event spans for about four weekends over the width of East Sussex, all houses are completely free and the artwork exhibiting includes all kinds of media ranging from print, illustration, paint, textiles, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, ceramics etc.
I actually couldn’t conceive of a better way to squander a sunny Brighton weekend after visiting a few houses last Sunday with my mum.
Not only do you manage to avoid the over crowded, stressful and hot streets of the central, it’s a great way to explore some of the quite beautiful residential areas you may not have visited before whilst simultaneously viewing a huge range of eclectic and diverse local artists.

We began our slow meander around Seven Dials with the open house of Ben Allen.
I LOVE Ben Allen. I will more than likely have a penchant for any contemporary artist with an enthusiasm for colour, typography, slick graphics and imaginative use of collage with comic book, pop art and street art references.
Allen encompasses all the above into his artwork seemingly effortlessly, I’ve bumped into his artwork before at the last Brighton Art Fair and the not so long ago solo show Life, Death and Other Colours at INK_D.
Ben Allen

Ben Allen
So it wasn’t too surprising that I wanted to start at his open house and I wasn’t too disappointed, situated at Montpelier Crescent, his house was huge and not only was it fun to strut through the house imagining you are an incredibly affluent brightonian aristocrat (puerile but impossible to resist), it was also great for the amount of different artists it housed.
Ben Allen
My second favourite artist to feature within this open house was an artist I wasn’t familiar with; Marina Rivans, working exclusively in collage, her work was reminiscent of Victorian collage with reappearing themes of romance, sci-fi and nature.
Her work is joyfully ornate and intricate and I enjoyed her exploration into 3D, with her Joseph Cornell-esque boxes making her collages spring to life with the added depth to the layers in her work.

Marina Rivans
I was surprised and pleased to see some of the work by Pam Glew too; I was fortunate enough to be taught very briefly at my previous college by Pam and had tried to visit her solo show in London in Old Street at gallery Stelladore but was unsuccessful due to university commitments.
Her work is instantly recognizable, drawing inspiration from film noir and horror films creating atmospheric pieces that are simultaneously sensual and eerie. Pam Glew

Ben Allen's garden

Other artists to definitely check out that were particular favourites of mine included;
Amy Douglas, Heike Roesel and Jane Sampson.
If the artwork alone isn’t enough to tempt you out and about on the Open House trail then the gorgeous gardens, cream teas and choice of home made cakes surely has to be an unavoidable incentive.
Exhausted by the at least 15 minutes of trekking around definitely warranted the first break of the day in the garden of Ben Allen, my mum and I celebrated our successful discovery and exploration of our first open house with tea and chocolate cake.

Next stop was number 2 Clifton Hill, still in the Seven Dials trail.

2 Clifton Hill

This house had a lot more arts and crafts to offer, I loved these carefully crafted quirky little figures that greeted me in the foyer.
Created by Judy Dwyer, her little hand stitched people and dogs were so cute and wonderfully intricate.

Judy Dwyer

I also liked this unique Paper cutouts by Sylvie Howitt, I’ve noticed there’s been a welcome comeback in the illustration scene with this traditional paper art, but this is the first time I’ve seen the artist explore in media and I loved these dainty symmetrical designs cut out of maps and manuscripts.

Sylvie Howitt

The last house took us onto the Hove Trail.

I had been looking forward to visiting the Rock n Roll Boudoir and I wasn't disappointed.
More of a flat than the other more grandeur houses we had seen, what this location lacked in space made up with in hospitality and a collection of some very gorgeous pop art and burlesque inspired prints!
I managed to even strike up a conversation with the graphic artist/illustrator Kitty Finegan.
Her Prints are bold and striking utilizing Illustrator to create sexy digital pin ups.
Kitty embodies everything she has a passion for neatly into her work, 1950’s fashion, hair, and colour schemes, I think Brighton is the perfect home for this wonderful vintage manifestation!
(And on a geek note- she is very lovely to chat to too!)
Co-founder of Popchoc.com an online gallery that not only showcases her own artwork but other artists, such as the previously mentioned Ben Allen and Simon Dixon.

Kitty Finegan

Dixon’s artwork was another highlight of the Rock n Roll Boudoir, I Particularly enjoyed his Portraits. (Although I am starting to question if my obsession with the perfectly constructed fringe is healthy! It appears to be a reoccurring theme in my interests).

Simon Dixon

Now this is a very rushed review of the Open Houses available to visit in Brighton, with the options of many trails and ultimately hundreds of different houses, I think everyone’s experience will be very different.

Find yourself a brochure or visit the website http://www.aoh.org.uk/. See if you can find any of your favourite local artists or just go out with an open mind and hopefully you will be inspired and excited as I was with all the creativity hiding behind all those (open!) doors.
And if all else fails you can always turn your weekend into a cake and tea trail, critiquing the interiors of the houses rather than some of the art on display, lets be honest that’s a very seductive part of being a participant in this whole experience.
Or the whole day may descend into what my mum and I liked to call Brighton Cat Trail, where we could see how many people’s cats we could pet in one day.
Oh dear, we are heathens after all!