Cycling races in Flanders

This weekend I'm drawing fun maps for a book called the The Beast, The Emperor and The Milkman. Here is one from the cyclocross, named because of when the cyclist has to carry his bike on his back through mud.

Computer room Mural

In June I ran a workshop to gather ideas for an abstract design for the Bellingham Gateway Community Centre computer room. The juniors really got into the abstract drawing, the concept being pick your 3 favourite colours and doodle, have a look at some abstract references, pick some shapes and make a repeat pattern. With the senior I had a design meeting where we selected 4 paint colours and discussed the drawings and other abstract designs they liked. We loosely planned the design, they also chose icons to represent the juniors to go on the juniors wall and icons for the seniors which will be in black to form a pattern in spaces within the design. We are about halfway through the painting at this stage, but it's already looking much better than the beige before.

Young Makers Mural

I assisted a Young Maker from the Phoenix Housing Association based at the Green Man with her Silver Arts Award. I helped her to design, template up and paint mural boards for an interactive painting workshop at Bellingham Festival on June 30th. She was only 14, mid-exams and did really well.

Designing and illustrating

Life has been one non-stop tunnel mural but in between right now I'm layout out my first book illustrated by me, an activity book for the Bluebell Railway Steam Works! exhibition, whoop! 

Moving Merguez!

He's in! Flying Merguez will be included in the character gif installation at the Pictoplasma Conference 2018! Whoop!!!

My submission for the Pictoplasma character stare down gif open call #characterstaredown. Finally Flying Merguez moves, finally I try out stop motion, painstaking but very satisfying...could be the beginning of my life as a recluse.

Social media campaign

My latest illustrations for a social media campaign giving student feedback. It is going to be animated too.. This was a fun project in my line style that I want to push forward in a zine and book this year. 

Bellingham Mural project

Here are the final tunnel murals, designed and painted with the help of Youth First - February to June 2018. See more at my MURAL BLOG

At the start of the Bellingham mural project I made this overview. 

I was excited to see the dark unfriendly tunnel
bright and colourful. 

Mars!

Breaking Mum and Dad illustrations

I've been busy working on the fun illustrations for Breaking Mum and Dad: The Insider's Guide to Parenting Anxiety, Anna Williamson's second book for Bloomsbury. Her first book Breaking Mad was a number 1 bestseller on Amazon. 

Breaking Mum and Dad publishes on 8 March 2018!

Inktober 2017 - Flying Merguez style

Some fly highlights of FM and his crew in Inktober 2017

See more moves at https://www.instagram.com/flyingmerguez/

Flying Scotsman

Warming up with the Flying Scotsman. Here are some getting to know sketches of the Flying Scotsman for a children's book I'll be working on soon for Memory Lane.

Christmas in Spring

Embarking on a new book for a company that sells children's products. It's this fella again. I've obviously been good for his early arrival.

(copyright: DemandMedia/Jasmine Parker 2017)

Tunnel Mural

Connecting Bellingham community to its local green space through art
inspired by nature

The rail tunnel at Lower Sydenham is a major link-way for locals to access a green space, the Riverwalk. My project idea is to transform the dark rail tunnel into a colourful work of art, to create an inviting entrance for residents to enter their local green area. From an initial art activity – painting a tunnel mural, designed and delivered with the Bellingham Gateway Youth Group’s help, the project aims to increase appreciation and access to nature, share art skills through the mural process, and encourage youth engagement with their local area through subsequent art workshops, culminating in a their own design for their computer room. This is just an idea, a suggestion in Photoshop of what the tunnel could look like painted with a nature inspired pattern.

For more images click here

Violet and Catman

Moving house has been chaotic, but I was able to write a short story for my characters Violet and Catman and his magical pockets. They are nature lovers and go on a different adventure in each story. I started with thumbnail sketches, a first round of roughs and now I'm working out the backgrounds, characters and scenes. It's exciting merging my cover style for the backgrounds. Here's a tiny sample of images so far, there's lots of testing still to do...

Do What You Want Zine

Ruby Tandoh asked if I would contribute some of my social anxiety images and do a new illustration for the 150-page Do What You Want Zine magazine she and Leah Pritchard have put together for charity, amazing zine on mental well-being and very pleased to contribute. Out this month - the first print run sold out.

Cover Artwork

I've started developing a style suited to the nature narrative titles at Bloomsbury

Hen Harrier – Donald Watson

Songs of Love & War – Dominic Couzens, front and back artworks

In a dramatic publishing change about a year and a half ago, I moved in Bloomsbury from my Senior Editorial role to part-time Junior Cover Designer. I love my new job. It complements my illustration work and I'm learning all the time. It made sense after the MA in Communication Design and Illustration (distinction :D).

Open Uni Branding

FB and twitter social media banner and post branding for the Open Universities Brainteaser Month in January

2m tall banner

I don't often get to work at such a scale, but really enjoying working big 1m x 2m. Nearly had a Spinal Tap miniature moment though with the client before I got my head round all the zeros in mm.

The Santa Special Book

I had the opportunity to be the illustrator for 'The Story of the Santa Special' published by Memory Lane Media. I had a month, it was fast and fun.

This was my favourite illustration