Christmas card design!

                                        Here's a preview of a Christmas card design I'm making.

EDIT:

and hereeesss the final thing!

I edited the pen drawing digitally giving it some colour and text etc etc. This design is what I would create and print to either sell at a Christmas market (which there are plenty of in my local area during the holidays) or to leave as a calling card to potential clients that could employ/commission me, while at the different local Christmas events, as this shows the direction of illustration I prefer and am capable of. Perhaps that's a way of networking.

Christmas events and opportunities

I'm lucky to live close to the small town of Totnes which is well known to feature mostly Arts and Crafts. I wouldn't say that I see the style that I'm interested in there, but its a good opportunity to get my work out into the public as they have Arts and Craft fairs yearly, especially the Christmas fair they have running, where I believe you can book your own stall to manage.

Most opportunities I've come across during Christmas time are craft fairs selling Christmas gifts where you can set up your own stall at a fee. Anyhow- by chance I met a lovely woman that has a stall at the Plymouth Christmas market- selling animal portraits that she has painted herself etc. I've met her a few times whilst on the train and chatted about her work and how she makes a living through different crafts and opportunities, such as the Plymouth Christmas market, a store on the internet and having a stall at the Crufts show to sell a different type of craft. 

Another thing I'd like to note- When I have visited conventions such as Comic con etc. I've noticed that they have an artists corner where they have table stalls that have been booked by artists online. I think events like this could be more suitable for my style of work interests, although its not local (Closest being Bristol) and an event that isn't specific for Christmas.

Ghost Portraits

These are my ghost portraits of Sirkka Sari who fell to her instant death down a chimney that she mistook as a viewing balcony. oh dear..

(ps. I have a bit of a bad habit of over editing my work, which I need to stop doing)

S.W.O.T

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

I thought long and hard about what working qualities I have and what ones I badly need to work on to be able to pursue a career in Illustration. So here is a list of my Strengths and Weaknesses in order.

Strength 
Listening
Numeracy
Self Aware
Negotiating
 and Team work(?) (not too sure on these last two as it mostly depends on the people I'm dealing with)

Weakness
Time management (leaving everything until last chance)
Organization (At the moment I feel like I can't be organized atall because of the lack of space and a workspace at home)
Public Speaking
People confidence
Enthusiasm

I also thought about the opportunities in Illustration that could help my career in illustration, Gallerys, competitions, PCAD Careers office, websites, blogging, shows, conventions, newspapers, magazines, collaboratives.

Its normally easy to forget about the risks of having a career in Illustration, but some of the things to think about that could happen are, Repetitive Strain Injurys', Unemployment, Peoples grades being more desirable, Financial problems, Mental illnesses, Social difficulties, Eye strain, Migraines, Poor health from lack of exercise, and blood clots from sitting down too long.

Looking at this my action plan would be that I need to practice on my public speaking (if I have too much trouble I should take a speaking class) but we should be covering that with the presentations I have over the next 3 years. Overall I plan to become a organised and enthusiastic person that can create, discover and be able to share it with other people in a convincing way that will in some way help me make a living from Illustration. To over come my organization problems I'll try to make myself a suitable work space that I'm happy with (this is also linked to time management, I get so worked up about work space I don't get things done)

Wreck this Journal

A few days ago I received a book from a dear friend of mine for my birthday. Titled "Wreck this Journal-by Keri Smith" the website for it can be found here http://www.wreckthisjournal.com/ along with the illustrator/authors site http://www.kerismith.com/

Basically it gives you different activities to do to the journal and its pages- in my opinion its designed to break away the perfectionism and attachment people build up with their art, and helps discover a more contemporary and modernism way of creating art. Hopefully I'll learn a lot from my experience with this book. (will write more later)

Flock and Foil

Here's the image I made for the design for my flock and foil prints 

A Modernism Situation

My sketches in remembrance of  Surreal Dada Expressionism Boy
Wow he really does love that floor doesn't he.

My 50 word response

“Painter in the studio” by Maaike Schoorel in my opinion is a Minimalists representation of a self-portrait that uses the reaction from the audience to get across that “To know someone you have to look closer” just as you have to with the painting, which appears blank at first glance.

The British Art show 7

I went to two different venues of the British art Show in Plymouth. I wasn't blown away by it, as it was mostly (Post)Modern work that I like but don't want anything to do with. If it was up to me I'd be going to the Artist Corner at a convention, but then again that depends on who's got  a slot there. Anyhow- the one thing that has stuck with me the most from what I did see from the show, was the dark rooms they set up for playing the films. I don't know if this was intentional as it was completely different the next time I went in there(and I hope people don't laugh at me for this) but the last room right at the end of the corridor was a large and pitch black empty room  with  a song playing at full blast. I think the song was either by Aha or the Pet shop Boys. It was most probably this

but I have a feeling it wasn't. Now I'm going to be stuck thinking about what it was for ages now, but its a song that I've always heard in unfitting situations, and again this fitted the criteria of a strange situation. A odd, but fun and slightly terrifying situation, that defiantly got that reaction out of me, so I legged it. I don't know if this was actually an intentional part of the show, but I loved it, and if I made a Art show myself I'd want something like that in it. Heres the website to the show http://www.britishartshow.co.uk/
Edit: I've thought about it and had a revelation the song was actually You were always on my mind- Pet shop boys.    

         

Photocopier tricks

Along with using the photocopier to get different coloured layers, I tried to get the same type of effect digitally  using different layer blends etc. in photoshop.  Using the photocopier isn't something I'm entirely great at and felt a bit disappointed by my results, so I also did it the way I'm used to doing. (digitally)