Vessel at CRATE Brewery

Here are a few pictures of our event at CRATE. Perhaps a little slower in fundraising, but we've really enjoyed being here and look forward to the next events! And this is my print, I promise to post up some pictures of that specifically, and tell you about the process later.

Thankyou to everybody for coming down, it means so much to us! And we're off to a great start on the fundraising front! Only one of them sold in the end so if you're interested in buying, they're still about!

Kingston University: Life drawing with Hannah

This year, our life drawing sessions are with Jake, making it the notorious experimental life drawing. All the colours and theatre and crazy music, was a lot of fun indeed. Our model Hannah was great, and a real character... I think she very much liked performing for us!

Vessel

Hannah, Mike and I have been working on a big project for a while...

With last year's The Magic Pencil event coming down as a success, we really wanted to continue with the events and projects we'd set for ourselves. We booked out our exhibition space in the foyer for the end of this year, just so we had set something for ourselves. Back then, we'd gone for a theme of home, but then nothing was quite set yet.

Meanwhile, Mike had been busy all summer, and managed to get us a spot for a few days at Boxpark in Shoreditch. We decided to merge the two projects today and we wrote a brief called 'Vessel' for making prints, and also exhibiting in our space as well.

Unfortunately, Boxpark dropped us the night before we were meant to set up. We were so angry, and frustrated that places like this feel it's perfectly ok to drop us like that. However it may be a little blessing in disguise, and we are set to to open a stall at Crate Brewery in Hackney at the end of this month. 

I made a Japanese wood block inspired piece. I did originally make it with wood, but it wasn't hard enough to take the pressure of the press. So this is actually carved out of acrylic. I'll post about it shortly!

Funnily enough, this term has made me less and less inclined to pursue drawing as a career, although I never ever thought I would be freelance. Hannah and I have particularly enjoyed all the organising and curating. We plan to do as many as we can to help fundraise for us, as well as curate some stuff for fun. Both good and bad things have come up from less drawing projects though, I feel my confidence is still pretty low, but I think I can at least see one thing I'm good at. But what it means is is that when I DO draw, it's back to square one, and I am really done with hearing what anybody else has to say about it anymore. Thankfully it means I can really enjoy the drawing projects for my own pleasure again. Just the way it should be.

Which leads me into a shameless plug...

If you're about, it would be amazing to see you all at Crate Brewery! Vessel is open from Wednesday 27th November - 4th December, 5-10:30pm on weekdays, 12-10:30 on the weekend. 

Join the Facebook event here.

Shunga: sex and pleasure in Japanese art

As part of some research for an upcoming project, I thought I'd pop into The British Museum, which also happened to house this exhibition... And I was curious to go and have a look. I was most definitely not disappointed.

Our tutor loves print and we'd visited the Tate Britain print rooms the year before, so I'd been introduced and intrigued with woodblock before. I think it's an incredibly brave exhibition to hold especially in Britain, what with our 'British reserve', but I think that it was an incredibly enlightening for everybody. I'll admit, it was much more explicit than I thought but then I think it's a great thing for us to see, and to be exposed to the Japanese opinion on sex and erotic art. 

I've been working on a woodblock for another project, will definitely put some up for you guys to look!

Kingston University: Minute Megaphone

Our first project of the year proved to be a pretty tough one. Using only performance, film or photography, we were to take the megaphone as an object to inspire a piece. This was supposed to demonstrate our 'megaphone' and what that might mean. For me, I took the shape as my first inspiration, taking it much like an animal cone around their heads, and how it might restrict a person if they were to wear one. Of course, it did the opposite, making it so uncomfortable to communicate. Then it lead to being drowned in words, one who is desperate to speak, but physically can't. You can see the video below, or on Youtube.

A massive thankyou to Pippa, for helping me despite the risk factor. Lets just say, I wouldn't do this at home kids.

Munich and Friedrichshafen Photography.

The promised photographs. Isn't it funny how photographs and drawings are just so intertwined? It's interesting as an illustrator to see the differences between the two mediums. Because both photographers and illustrators have totally different roles, even though I often play both! If you like drawing, maybe its worth trying some film photography, and also photographers try drawing. It would be an interesting experiment, don't you think?

You can see some more photography on my Tumblr.

Munich and Friedrichshafen Sketchbook.

An excursion to Southern Germany was the part of this summer where I could have some real real downtime, and it was certainly needed. I brought a sketchbook with me, admittedly a thin one, but all the same. However, Jonas and I did get through a whole 5 or 6 films collectively, so as soon as those get developed they'll be here for sharing (and also on my photography Tumblr)!

The beginning of the holiday, I was getting so frustrated with my drawings and how they turned out, and I've realised that it's really not worth it at all. If it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't. The most important thing is that I still keep going, and somewhere in the clutch there'll be a gem.

If you ever get the chance to visit Bodensee, hell do it. It was truly peaceful, beautiful and so much fun. Also a huge, eternal thank you to Jonas for taking me to Germany, I love you. Awww, so mushy.