Kid Canaveral's Christmas Baubles

This post has been moved over to my new blog here: Kid Canaveral's Christmas Baubles. It shows the poster I designed for them + some info about the gig.

The List: Edinburgh

Along with the student I posted a while back, I was also asked to put together a couple of other drawings for The List's Student Guide issue. Chiefly one of Edinburgh (above) and one of Glasgow. Either click the image or click here to see the full illustration.

On the whole, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, especially considering that it was quite a short brief. I'd have loved a few more days to really work into it a little more, but hey, who wouldn't? The main thing I got from the brief though, was rediscovering drawing actual things. Real life, actual things. It gave me a ton of ideas for new drawings and hopefully I'll get a good chance to get some of them down soon. My new Glasgow surroundings will come in very handy indeed.

In time, I'll get the other drawings up here too. Keep your eye out for the actual, physical Student Guide issue of The List too (mostly available for free at Scottish colleges / universities) Also, If you're a new reader, hello! Please check out my giveaway for a chance to win some free prints, zines and other things.

[tweet this | share on Facebook | subscribe | shop]

Christopher Bettig opening

A few posts back I mentioned that the new show All I Heard Was The Echo In The Light by the artist Christopher Bettig was opening in Edinburgh. Well it damn well did. The exhibition can be seen now at the fantastic Analogue in the grassmarket. Go visit.

I managed to get along for the launch and had a really good wee night. Analogue parties are always great. They show really good artists, everyone is always nice and friendly and there's a chance to catch up with lots of folk I don't get to see very often. I also got the chance to have a chat with Christopher Bettig himself - he's a really nice dude.

All I Heard... is one of the best shows they've put on. The first thing that'll knock you out is the ceiling - Bettig has covered the whole thing in bunting and little flags and the effect is really cool. On the night you could see big smiles come over everyone's faces as they walk into the room, staring upwards, all caught up in the colours and patterns. Around the walls are heaps of different prints, collages, sculptures and paintings that, despite being pretty intricate objects in their own right, have a really nice lightness to them that doesn't weigh the show down. Every piece of work invites you to scrutinise it, to inspect the stitching, printing or pattern.

I recorded a few little clips while I was there - my shaky hand and failure to change any of the settings on my camera doesn't really do justice to how stuff really looks (hey, I'd had a drink, give me a break), so visit in real life if you can. You have until the 10th of July. Analogue have screenprinted t-shirts designed by Chris and he has also made a really cool zine that's definitely worth a look.

The music is from the weird instrumental compilation called John's ABC by Fence. It's proving pretty good for soundtracking little videos. I'm going to keep trying to upload as much stuff to YouTube as I can in an effort to improve my shoddy camerawork. No doubt half of it will end up on the blog, but should you be someone who is inclined to subscribe to a guy's channel, you can find mine here.

[tweet this | share on Facebook | subscribe | shop]

Drowning Man

Here's another page from my Red Neck zine. I'll be dropping off a few copies at Analogue Books in Edinburgh today. So now, if you're nearby, you can have a flick through the whole thing without buying it. You should buy it though, or something else from those guys. They've got loads of cool stuff. The Christopher Bettig exhibition is brilliant too (more about that later).


[tweet this | share on Facebook | subscribe | shop]

Christopher Bettig at Analogue

A new exhibition, All I Heard Was The Echo In The Light, by Christopher Bettig opens this week at Analogue in Edinburgh. It should be a good one.

If you can make it along on Friday 4th June for the reception, do. Analogue openings are always great. I've not been to Edinburgh in ages, man. Hopefully the weather behaves. I hear Russell (the hairy one) is away to fetch Christopher from the airport today.

After that, the show runs until the 10th of July. Analogue's blog mentions that they're printing a t-shirt to go with the exhibition and that Bettig will be one of the next round of Early Griffin poster artists too. Keep your potatoes skinned for those.

[tweet this | share on Facebook | subscribe | shop]

Wall drawings at Analogue

Along with the tree print, the other odds and ends I've been working on at Analogue Books are these wall drawings. Russell and Julie were looking for some artwork in the back of the shop over December / January and they asked me if I'd like to put something together. I settled in with my sandwiches and painted a big tree.

I also braved the cold (freezing, freezing cold) Edinburgh air to draw in the doorway. The fading light didn't really agree with my little digital camera, but hopefully you can get an idea of how it looks. I'll try to get through when the sun is out for some better photos.

So, thanks again to Russell and Julie for inviting me to work in the shop. If you can, stop by West Bow in Edinburgh for a look. As always, they've a ton of weird and wonderful things to fill anyone's stocking. For a couple of work in progress snaps, have a look at their Flickr too.

None The Less at Analogue

None The Less: A Tiny Showcase Showcase

I'll be heading along to Analogue in Edinburgh this Thursday to catch the Tiny Showcase show, None The Less. I hear it's a wee retrospective of some of their past prints, which sounds ace. I've done some work with Tiny Showcase in the past and I know Shea'la Finch, one of the co-founders, is over, so it'll be a good chance to catch up. She is crazy funny. Analogue shows are always awesome for getting everyone together.

Show runs: 5th December - 10th January
Opening bash: Thursday 4th December, 7-9ish

I'll hopefully see you there. Say hello. There will no doubt be pictures on the Analogue Flickr page (I have a growing reputation for taking the official "Russell, Julie & Artist" photos and making a complete hash of it).

Nigel Peake: Maps

Last night I stopped by Analogue for the launch party of Nigel Peake's Maps book. Nigel has put together a great wee show to accompany the launch, which should be seen by everyone who can make it. Unfortunately the books are delayed ever so slightly, but will be available soon. The versions on show looked brilliant. You can pre-order a copy or two through Analogue, and there are also some really nice Tiny Showcase prints and other Peakey goodies available.

It was a good night. Russell & Julie are as nice as ever and it's always good to catch up with Nigel (despite our matching-shirt drama). I always find Analogue shows are great for saying hello to folk I've not seen in a while. I recommend you have a look at what Ruefive, Matt and Elph are up to.

Analogue Books

Right. I'm going for a week of posting. At least 1 a day. First of all is news that everyone's favourite shop, Analogue, has had website overhall. It's all modern and clean, plus you can actually see and buy all the nice stuff they sell. There's info about all their past exhibitions (including mine) too. Go to analoguebooks.co.uk

Also, if you're in Edinburgh, head along to Analogue in person and see the rockin' doorway installation that my good friend Rue Five has just finished. Look at him go:

Way to stand on a chair! He's put some cool wee wooden building things up there too. Go to his blog to have a look at more of his work - HERE

One more Analoguey thing to check out is Early Griffin Press (earlygriffin.com) by Analogue allstar Julie and her friend Natalie. They release amazing limited runs of screenprints by awesome artists for you to put on your wall. The current ones are by French, Rachel Cattle and Tom Gauld. They also have a blog - HERE

Running Amok

I've just read on the Analogue blog that the Running Amok zine I made for them at the end of last year is included in a show in Norwich called D.I.Y. Issues 1 - 20 are on display until 22nd March at the Norwich Arts Centre. Mine is number 14. If you can make it along, have a look because it sounds quite good. If not, here are about half of my pages:

Analogue have been producing the zines for a while now. You can have a look at who's done what on the Running Amok page. Some are really amazing. Each artist is given free reign and 100 issues are printed. My issue, I'm happy to say, is sold out.

back to artwork page
- - - - -
back to artwork list

Coldman

Coldman

ink & acrylic on card
from "Take To The Woods" at Analogue, November 2007
(sold)

back to artwork list

A Terrible Secret. A Horrible Lie

A Terrible Secret. A Horrible Lie
ink & acrylic on card
from "Tenterhooks" at Analogue, 2007
(sold)


back to artwork list

The Handstand

The Handstand
ink & acrylic on card
from "Tenterhooks" at Analogue, 2007
(not for sale)

back to artwork page
- - - - -
back to artwork list

Misfits Flyer, Edinburgh

Misfits flyer
photoshop / illustrator
client: Cowgate, Edinburgh


back to artwork list

We Can Work It Out at the GRV

I've found out what it was I was asked to do in the last post. I was part of We Can Work It Out in Studio Two at the GRV Project in Edinburgh. It's a collection of work from local(ish in my case) artists curated(ish) by Elph. It should run through November and into December.

The photos above are from the opening party, which was a bit more of an event than I was expecting. The GRV was holding it's big re-opening bash you see, so there were lots of people there for all the different things that were going on such as the helvetica retrospective, DJs, dancing and the posh bar. We were treated very nicely and had a good old time, even though we looked like a bunch of mugs compared to the incredibly beautiful and mysterious staff and media-types that seem to get shipped in for these things.

People in our show are: Elph, Gregor Louden, Acorn, We Are Weapon, Jetpac, Ruefive, Spie One, Carrie Maginn, Amy Whiten, Derm, Sole, Jekil and Klingatron.

I should mention that refurbishment of the venue went up right until the last minute. Klingatron has a wee blog HERE that shows quite well how much building and painting was going on throughout the day. Half of the bar furniture (and probably the bloomin' bar itself) lived in an alleyway until an hour before opening.

Jumping Over Skulls at The Green Room

Quick wee post. I'm about to bomb through to Edinburgh to put a few pieces in a show at The Green Room. I only found out about it last night so I'm hazy on the details. I think it's called We Can Work It Out and is curated by my friend Elph (belated congrats on the wee man by the way). It opens tonight at about 7pm and the Helvetica show is in the same building I think.

What a slick post, really got my finger on the pulse eh? I'll update with more info when I get back. Come along if you can though.

November News

TAKE TO THE WOODS AT ANALOGUE
I'm part of a group show at Analogue in Edinburgh called Take To The Woods. It's full of work from folk who have done stuff for Analogue over the years and should be fantastic. The exhibition runs from 16th November - 15th December, with a preview party on Thursday 14th at 7pm. Come along if you can. Everything is under £100 so there'll probably be some Christmas bargains to be had. There'll also be a wee zine to accompany the show.

This is the list of folk showing. Very pleased to be amongst them:
Acorn, Alexa Cameron, Chris Bourke, Claire Scully, David Galletly, Dist, Elph, French, Holly Wales, Iain Bruce, Jo Waterhouse, Jon Burgerman, Magda Boreysza, Marcus Oakley, Marcus Walters, Matt Pattinson, Matt Sewell, Natalie Russell, Neasden Control Centre, Nigel Peake, Robert Hanson, RueFive, Samuel Sparrow, Simon Peplow, Simone Lia, Stuart White, Supermundane, Suzi Q, Tommy Perman & Will Barras.

I'm familiar with the work of most of this lot, and I've no doubt the ones I don't know are also plastic fantastic. Particularly pleased that I'll be able to say I've been in a show with Simone Lia since I've been a massive fan of her work for ages. Have a look at it HERE.
------------------------

TENTERHOOKS COMES TO AN END
My solo show, Tenterhooks, at Analogue finishes up on the 10th of November. If you can squeeze in a trip along before then, please do. I'll post properly about it once it's all down and stuff, but right now I can say I'm very pleased with how it went. Here's another wee image from the show:


The Analogue flickr page about my show has also been updated with some other photos.
------------------------

ODDS & ENDS
I'll hopefully get round to tidying up this site a little and getting some more recent images up in the artwork section because it's starting to get a little tired looking.

I'm also working on stuff for a few people, as well as some little personal projects, when this stuff passes it's jinx point* I'll get it up here. I've a few ideas for some more in-depth posts. Doodles, sketches and photos will no doubt fly around as well.

*Jinx Point: The moment a proposed project is suitably set in stone that it can be talked about without the risk of looking a fool when it falls through.

Tenterhooks - Open For Business!

My solo show, Tenterhooks, opened at Analogue in Edinburgh last week. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. The image above is called "Bear Hands" and is in there. I'll not be posting too many images from the show until it comes down to encourage folks to go along. So if you can make it to Edinburgh, you've got until the 10th of November to see what I've been up to. Gonna say a wee thanks to Russell and Julie for helping me set it up, anyone who came along and to anyone who has bought something. Here's a picture of me fannying about:

The opening night was a good laugh. People I spoke to seemed to like the show, which was really nice to hear. When we left Analogue, a bunch of us went out and unintentionally caught a band called Trash Fashion, who were ridiculous. I can't tell if they were clever or stupid but they were like something from Nathan Barly, fun to slag off, and rubbish.

I've been having a few lazy days since finishing everything, so I've a little mountain (a mountette) of emails and myspace messages to catch up on. Over the next few days I will sit at the computer, eat biscuits, and do all that stuff. Also, to everyone who requested some postcards - I must apologise for the delay. I can blame the UK postal strike a little bit, but really I was completely snowed under and decided to leave them be for a little bit. I will get them sent out as soon as I can. The offer still stands to anyone else for the length of the show.

I'm in this month's Blueprint magazine. The Paper City page at the back. It's the November issue, number 260.

OCTOBER NEWS - TENTERHOOKS!

TENTERHOOKS - THURSDAY 11th
Getting near the end now. Still lots to do. This is a call to friends and strangers to come to the preview party on Thursday 11th October. That's a week today. Thursday night. Next Thursday. Thursday 11th. Thursday coming. Get off work. Get off your bot. Thursday. Analogue. Edinburgh. 7-9pm. Cheers.

The show will feature around 50 drawings, A Running Amok magazine by me and possibly some prints of the poster above.
--------------

POSTCARDS
Wow. I've had a great response to my offer of postcards. It's nice to know folk are reading this, even if they're just after a bit of free tat. Haha. I'll get them sent out as soon as I can but thanks to the pending postal strike, they could take a wee while. Offer still stands all month. They should be fairly spread between Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh now. Analogue, The Changing Room and Nicky-Tams are good places to find them. Cheers!
--------------

BLUEPRINT MAGAZINE
Also, I'm guessing Blueprint magazine must be out soon. I've illustrated the Paper City page, so get your paws on that. It's the November issue, number 260.

September News

TENTERHOOKS AT ANALOGUE
I'm working like a dog to finish my show at Analogue in Edinburgh next month. It opens on the 11th of October so you better be there. My Running Amok magazine, and maybe a few prints and stuff will also be available too.
-----------------

BLUEPRINT MAGAZINE: PAPER CITY
Every month, the architectural magazine Blueprint lets a different artist/illustrator present a view of their personal utopia in their Paper City feature. I've kindly been asked to produce one for the next issue. It's out fairly soon, I'll update on the exact details as soon as I know myself.
-----------------

RE:COAT ROCK-BOTTOM BASEMENT BONANZA
I'll have a few pieces in the new show at Re:Coat in Glasgow. The exhibition features a bunch of artists all selling work that's under £40, so get in quick I suppose. I think it opens on Friday 28th September, but I'll get back to you on that.