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.

The House That Tie-Dye Built.

This week I was involved in a tie-dye sale at university to raise money for the printing of upcoming publication 'Synthia'; a magazine to be filled by exemplary fine art, illustration and photography students at our university, along with details of local projects and features from professional practitioners. It is based around the fields of both art and science, the publication hoping to demonstrate and celebrate an effective crossover between the two disciplines.

And so, with a combination of alchemy and creativity wizardry, we set about dying a lot of bespoke tshirts in our customer's chosen colour combinations for just a few bob. Despite it being a very stormy week, the rain held off enough for us to do a good trade, and we even brought a little sunshine out too.

The project is the brain child of Laurie Ramsell and Synthia's first issue is set for release this summer. She will be pleased.


All photographs in this post are by Laurie Ramsell.

'The Secret Zine'

The following zine appeared first outside the offices of the AUCB Illustration department in sealed plastic sleeves on the morning of the illustration auction. No-one knew where they had come from or why, but Joel Lardner was quick to declare it the best thing he's seen this year.
The mysterious document depicts all the members of the illustration teaching staff, including visiting tutors such as Marcus Oakley, David Callow and Hayley Potter.

It went on to raise £60 at the silent auction, with the first run of copies selling out and a long list forming of people requesting extra copies to be printed. Various people's involvement has thought to have been identified, but the exact creator of many images still remains unknown. Some even say this fingerpainting of MO contains my fingerprints, but they'll never prove it.

Rain, Art, Snacks, Beer.

Today was the day of our silent auction, aiming to raise money for our course's external degree show in London by selling our illustration work and wares. Nibbles and napkins were laid on and initially the event resembled a children's party; in a good way.

Alongside our student work, we were lucky enough to have pieces donated by some kindly big names in illustration, including Rob Ryan, Holly Wales, Susie Wright, Amy Harris and Marcus Oakley.

The show was bustling, colourful and enjoyable, with the occasional bidding war. In the end it was just nice to relax with my class as for us this was where the hard work behind the show had come to an end. All in all we raised over £1,500, so a large thank you is owed to everyone who came, saw and bidded, including the Robert Newman. What an inspiring chap.

Surrounded by our own pictures and people there to see them I knew I wasn't alone in feeling a sense of pride, a sense that I desperately needed beer and the knowledge that I would sleep very very well tonight.
All photographs in this post are by Nathan Hackett.

Norman's Launderette.

This is the piece of work of mine that will be on sale at tomorrow's auction; an original pencil drawing of Norman's Launderette in Christchurch. I hope he finds a good home.

Bidding runs tomorrow from 3 - 7pm.