No More Waiting.

I am proud to say the wait is over. Or perhaps it has just begun. Either way my book about waiting is finito!

It forms the final object I have made as part of my illustration degree and I am proud of both its ethos and execution. Lucky, as it will be exhibited twice in my graduate shows in Bournemouth and London over the next few months. Now my final submissions are all in it is onwards and upwards, right after this nap.
A thousand thank yous to Maria Midttun for getting me through the final week in the studio! And to Crowded House, for soundtracking my all-night madness.

Have a look through. Oh, and take your time.

The Train Now Arriving Into Platform 4.

Last night I drew a section of the mass of people waiting for the signal board to change at Euston station. I love these huge bunches of bodies looking aloft, and how they all suddenly charge for the barriers when the huge timetable board tells them to.

Travelling Without Moving.

A recent drawing from my 'waiting' project. It is part of a series of images focused on people travelling in London, waiting to arrive somewhere else.

Turning Point.

When working on a project for a long period of time I nearly always experience a 'turning point' phenomenon; a point when a real 'push' kicks in and things seem to happen more easily and at great speed.

This point (always falling within the last few weeks of the process) is often in the form of a drawing, and in this case these 2 images were "it". Drawing this dowdy scene of individuals queuing for food gave me a strange sense of confidence, at being able to capture the look of bread, and objects that can be seen through. The man at the back also became an icon of my project for me; the epitome of a man waiting, with flushed face and an expression which says he has given up on even being impatient; he is just existing, helpless and being held there by others.
The image below was drawn from a photograph I took in Bristol of a family waiting outside Boots. There is something about their positioning that lends itself to a biblical scene, and I feel glad to have been able to capture all the details within this moment.

With just over a week left to finish up university work for the last time, it is a very strange last hurdle to get everything together. But, what with all these creative turning points I have accumulated over 3 years, I can see how far I have come and how far I can continue to go.

My full book which celebrates the act of waiting will be available to view in due course. You will have to...
Well, you get the idea.

Escape Artist.

Hotly anticipated issue #2 of Another Escape is finally here! Like a kid at Christmas I poured over it with much glee this morning and I do believe Rachel Taylor has actually beaten herself at her own game, making this issue even better than the debut! Beautifully composed and packed with quality content, I am genuinely extremely proud to call myself one of these escape artists! You can catch my 'where to escape in bournemouth' feature on page 21.

Armstrong Butchers.

When I noticed the tag line of this local butchers I simply had to draw it. In the same way as Norman's Launderette, I am happy to see this shop still in existence amongst convenience-driven stores. It will not be open 24hrs like some supermarkets, but who needs to buy food around the clock; plan ahead! You can also buy just as much local meat as you need at a justified price without being encouraged to overbuy due to offer after offer after offer, which inevitably leads to wasted food.
Traditional businesses just speak to me about how life now could be better; with more personality, higher quality goods and less human laziness.

God bless you, Armstrong Butchers.