Amelia’s Magazine | Spirited away by Graham Carter prints

Graham Carter’s joyful prints reference many of the most loved images in modern culture: the characters from Star Wars or the eerie but manageable magic of Spirited Away. The artistic sensibilities stop these nostalgic influences from turning into twee: the gorgeously rendered digital art glows with vibrant colours and many of the works are made 3-dimensional with painstakingly applied wood veneers, find sale or cut-out perspex shapes that lend shadows to a noir city scene.

This is the kind of art you’d love to have in your own house (I made enquiries! Prices average at around £150). The small details show wit and add a lovely personal feeling to the prints: a towerblock soars above a city landscape but is made friendly by a pair of eyes and a winning smile. When you spot a tiny figure peeping out of the digital grass you fall in love with the world in the picture. Each picture tells a story that you can imagine going on far beyond the edges of the frame, like that of the little girl and her huge Samurai friend, pictured below.

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Amelia’s Magazine interviewed the artist to find out more.

AM: Tell me a bit more about the title of the exhibition, “East Meets West”.

GC: It was an intentionally open title really, to try and represent my current fascination with Eastern culture whilst also allowing me to continue experimenting with elements of early American design, which have been creeping into my work of late. I should point out that my work is never extensively researched (as you can probably tell) as I prefer to make things up – or put my own spin on things. The world as I would like it to be and not really how it is…
Towards the end of its development I wanted the show to almost be a kind of travel diary/scrapbook; a couple of recurring characters making their way from one city to the next (New York to Tokyo, via New Yokyo, a hybrid of the two). And in some pictures in the distance you can spot elements of previous images (something I always tend to do).

Ever%20Redblog.jpg

AM: You are obviously inspired by screen culture (especially Sci Fi!) Could you tell me about why these influences appeal to you? The original influences are quite tech-y and macho but your works are really whimsical and beautiful, they remind me more of Hayao Miyazaki than Michael Bay.

GC: I’ve always loved sci-fi films so I guess it was only a matter of time before elements crept into my work. It’s largely the machines that fascinate me rather than the action. My favourite parts of the film are usually when the protagonists are just sitting around/hiding/waiting inside their pods/spaceships without the stress of battle!
I have been watching a lot of Miyazaki of late. He and Wes Anderson are my favourite film makers as they have created their own little worlds that seem to make perfect sense despite all the unusual happenings on screen.
I’m also a sucker for a robot.

New%20Yokyo%20Air%20Bugblog.jpg

AM: Some of your works are printed on wood or made of inlaid wood. What is it about wood as a material that appeals to you? Is it very hard work getting the solid wood pieces manufactured? How are they made?

GC: A phase I am going through largely, but one I am constantly fascinated with. From getting one thing laser cut, it has opened me up into a whole new way of seeing my work and the possibilities are pretty huge.
The texture of wood appeals to me and also the ‘natural’ connotations. I love the idea that someone may have constructed a working robot from found wood for example. Wood also has that old-fashioned appeal. I’m more enamoured with the look of bygone toys and their clock-work components than anything sleek and soulless.
I worked with a company called Heritage Inlay on the laser cut images and the inlaid pieces. Usually I design them and they construct them. But in some cases I like to order the separate components and put them together myself as in the case of the 3 images composed of laser-cut perspex, silkscreen backing and screen-printed glass [see image below].

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AM: I loved the perspex “landscape” pieces. Is it very different creating something 3D to making a print?

GC: I treat the process the same way as a 2D piece really. They all start out life as a digital layered file on my computer so I can see roughly how they will work. I’m never entirely sure how the 3D piece will work until I have a finished one, due to unforeseen elements such as shadows running over parts of the background print etc. That’s why I find it an exciting way to work.

Graham Carter@The Coningsby Gallery
www.coningsbygallery.com
August 31 – September 12
30 Tottenham Street , London, W1T 4RJ

If you’d like to see an online array of Carter’s works, investigate e-gallery Boxbird.

Categories ,Boxbird, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,Graham Carter, ,illustration, ,Japan, ,Miyazaki, ,print

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Amelia’s Magazine | Shelter Up My Street Art Auction: Our House, an Amelia’s Magazine Collaboration

Our House up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine final
Our House, a collaborative artwork by Amelia’s Magazine created in aid of the Up My Street campaign by Shelter.

A few years ago I held an open brief to put together a piece of art on the theme of a House of Cards, which was sold at auction in aid of Shelter in the company of such luminaries as Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen (RIP) and Vivienne Westwood. The Shelter Card Quilt included interpretations of the Two of Hearts by 54 illustrators and artists, including some who became regular contributors to Amelia’s Magazine and went on to feature in my books. The final artwork sold for £2,200 to a mystery bidder, so we were thrilled to raise so much money for a good cause.

emma block up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Close up of room by Emma Block.

This month Shelter once again hosts an exhibition of artwork themed around the concept of Up My Street, currently showing at the Coningsby Gallery. With my baby due mere weeks away I decided that instead of an open brief I would commission some of the wonderful illustrators who I have worked with regularly over the past few years, and who have featured in my books, Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration and Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration.

Thereza Rowe up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Close up of room by Thereza Rowe.

It’s fitting that I first worked with two of those illustrators, Lesley Barnes and Thereza Rowe, when they entered the House of Cards open brief back in 2009, and it’s fantastic to see how much their confidence and careers have developed since then.

Lesley Barnes roof up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Lesley Barnes attic up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Lesley Barnes front door up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Close up of roof, attic and front door by Lesley Barnes.

To represent the idea of an emotional connection to a secure home environment I settled on the idea of creating a house full of rooms, each of which features the individual illustrator’s interpretation of happiness and security. I wanted to include a broad spectrum of ways in which people are happy today, whether singly or together, and at whatever age that might be: so there’s the family with grandparents by Emma Block, a single mother with her baby by Yelena Bryksenkova, a children’s party by Natsuki Otani, and an older lady enjoying a luxuriant bathtime by Antonia Parker, to name a few of the scenarios. I worked closely with Lesley Barnes to create the body of the house, including the attic, roof and doorway, and then each of the other illustrators worked on their own room. I hope the final artwork, Our House, embodies feelings of comfort, security and happiness in the home.

Natsuki_Otani up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Close up of room by Natsuki Otani.

There will be a silent auction held tonight at the private view at the Coningsby Gallery, so I popped in earlier today to check out the other artworks.

Shelter Up My Street Our House exhibition
Bidders will be spoilt for choice for once again we are in very good company: there is original art to bid for by top artists such as Julian Opie, Grayson Perry, Anthony Gormley, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Giles Deacon, Bob and Roberta Smith and Miles Aldridge. We are delighted that our image has been used on the Shelter website and took pride of place in the Metro newspaper!

yelena bryksenkova_up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Close up of room by Yelena Bryksenkova.

I am extremely grateful to the illustrators who got so enthusiastically involved with this project, and to Richard Penny at Ripe Digital for so kindly printing the final high quality A1 giclee print. I hope that Our House resonates with someone, and that once again it will sell for a princely sum – all the proceeds of which will go to support the important work of Shelter.

Antonia Parker up my street shelter Amelia's Magazine
Close up of room by Antonia Parker.

The contributing illustrators have been blogging about Our House too. Here’s some links to their websites:
Emma Block introduces the grandparents who inspired her piece.
Lesley Barnes describes how she put her architectural skills to work.
Thereza Rowe shows off her room, with one man and his dogs.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Amelia’s Magazine, ,Anthony Gormley, ,Antonia Parker, ,art, ,auction, ,Bob and Roberta Smith, ,charity, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,Emma Block, ,exhibition, ,Giles Deacon, ,Grayson Perry, ,House of Cards, ,Jake and Dinos Chapman, ,Julian Opie, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Metro, ,Miles Aldridge, ,Natsuki Otani, ,Our House, ,Richard Penny, ,Ripe Digital, ,shelter, ,Thereza Rowe, ,Up My Street, ,Yelena Bryksenkova

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Amelia’s Magazine | Hullabaloo: Southampton Solent School of Art and Design Illustration Degree Show Review 2014

bethany coleman - hullabaloo - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Hullabaloo by Bethany Coleman

In 2007 I graduated from the Illustration degree at Southampton Solent University, formerly The Southampton Institute, and now finally returned to a more proper title of Southampton Solent School of Art and Design, based in a shiny and exciting new building in the centre of town opened by Sir Peter Blake in 2012. Last week I was able to visit this year’s satellite degree show at the Coningsby Gallery, organised and fundraised for entirely by the students themselves, the theme was Hullabaloo. Amelia previously spotted some great work from these grads at the D&AD Show, this time the work was labelled, although the people weren’t, so I got to practice my networking (randomly introducing myself to people) skills.

I only ever seem to come to the Coningsby on ridiculously hot days, so thank goodness there are usually free drinks. This was no exception on both counts, but in spite of the usual outspill of private view attendees onto the Fitzrovian pavement, the artwork on display inside was more than interesting enough to get good and sweaty looking at it.

southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014 - book table
The book work table – lots of goodies to pick up and peruse.

The focus on tactile, print, collage and book making skills as well as a strong emphasis on drawing that I remember from my years at Solent are still very much in evidence and I was pleased that these disciplines have a prized place in the new studios. In fact I’m jealous as I learned that since my time they’ve also acquired a laser cutter and letterpress facilities.

southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014 - book table 2 - Luke Baker
Bookwork by Luke Baker, and cameo by my beer.

Course leader and hipster favourite master of naïve hand drawn typographic print illustration Jonny Hannah told me that this year in particular has been an exceptional group, with a record number of firsts awarded. His influence is visible in the students’ approaches both in their use of text and print techniques, and the easy, practical, immediate no nonsense visual communication and embracing of traditional kitsch British imagery (a number of circus fonts and Punch and Judy type images were in evidence.) This year group, Jonny told me, really understood what illustration is.

emma chu - have a nice day  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Illustration by Emma Chu

I’m inclined to both agree and disagree. The work here pays testament to the heart and soul of traditional illustration, rooted in things you can touch and experience, books and prints and paper cuts. The table on which book works were displayed was the most exciting part of the show, and it’s clear that these graduates have a real understanding of how to create work that begs to be picked up and touched, to be read and experienced. There were a lot of yummy textures and colours and boundaries played with. And that’s beautiful and good and it’s true, but it’s not all of what illustration is today, in an industry that’s increasingly focused on the digital. Some of these students have clearly bridged this divide and have a foot in the each pond, especially seen in the art of Emma Chu and Bethany Coleman.

southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014 - business cards
Clever coded business card display.

A recurring theme in discussion with the students of a course with such a strong print focus, was access to print facilities post degree. While it’s obvious that such a focus leads to exciting work and keeping important techniques and technologies alive, the question of how to produce a portfolio when the working methods you’ve specialised in are not easily or affordably available can be a stumbling block for graduates, and one I hope these inspired young creatives don’t allow to trip them up.

Here are some of my favourite graduating illustrators and their work.

The Misfortunes of Timothy Evans - Solent Illustration - lino print - Alix De Courcy
This beautiful oversized book of linocuts combining some lovely use of typography and close up imagery with skilful balancing of positive and negative space very much caught my eye. It’s by Alix De Courcy who I unfortunately did not meet at the exhibition, a perfect example of printmaking as a design feature.

grace williams  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Grace Williams’ macabre intricate linework – she also makes a mean mandala.

kirby pyle  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Kirby Pyle uses lovely deep ink textures with smudged out monoprint designs, and also as materials to create relief collages. I spoke to her about her texture fetish and her beautiful monoprinted zine of John Masefield’s poem ‘Sea Fever’ – expect to see her on the small press scene in short order.

greta staron  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Greta Staron presented only original or half original work – in her limited edition art books she saves some elements to be hand added so each is unique. She hates to work slowly and likes to expose the soul of her working process, so this suits her style actually.

emily wilks - circus  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Emily Wilks similarly works with lots of printed textures, but cute them up to make children’s collages. Her final major project involved picking key imagery from 10 classic childrens novels, and then combining them together into densely spaced designs that would make great wrapping or end papers. I like that they are a sort of condensement of the iconography of childhood, but I’m sure this style would work equally well in a simple narrative.

Emma Chu - The King of Limbs - Southampton Solent School of Art - Hullaballoo graduate show 2014
Emma Chu was my favourite artist in the show, and as I said above she combines the physical organic qualities of print and collage digitally to look rich and strange and really fascinating. She’s currently looking for a graphics or illustration internship so if you have one open I suggest you snap her up.

laura hunt  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Laura Hunt was another favourite, and I enjoyed chatting with her about her progression on the course. Interestingly she used to only do really neat geometric pencil work, and for her this hand lettered design is really loose – it looks pretty tight to me! Her combination of found materials and colourful text design has already got her a mural commission and I think this style could take her a long way.

ellie aaen - welcome to england -  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Ellie Aaen’s clean autobiographical work is charming and a marked contrast to many of her texture rich coursemates.

dessy baeva - allen ginsberg - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Dessy Baeva’s work has a joyful freedom about it which suits her subject matter of beat generation journeys. She likes combining neat and messy text together and is experimenting with limited palette work.

jo porter  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Jo Porter has achieved a lot of beautiful lino cuts of animals for a children’s activity book with minimal injuries.

bethany coleman - new york  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Bethany Coleman designed the poster for the show, and it’s easy to see why she’s poster girl for the group, her work obviously owes a debt to Jonny Hannah in the use of text and colour, but also has a real vintage travel book feel which suits her obsession with documenting the idiosyncrasies of her travels near and far – turning coffee shop sketches into reportage posters. She’s working on some design work for Southampton Council but also has exciting plans for graphic novels, and a wealth of visual material from her recent trip to Mexico to turn into more colourful, immediate pieces.

luke baker  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Luke Baker also has a very immediate live drawn feel to his work – very evocative book designs, I wish I’d had the chance to ask him about this work.

jack snelgar  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Jack Snelgar I also did not meet, but look at that juicy linework and limited colour!

rebecca deans  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Rebecca Deans I did get to talk to and we chatted about movement and life in drawing – obviously evident in her quirky animal characters! We also talked about the importance of always making fresh work – a theme which came up with a few different people and which is so good to see in graduates – they’ll need that enthusiasm and determination, long may it last.

Jess Coxall  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Jessica Coxall doesn’t seem to have a website, but I had to include this lovely screen print from hand painted sketches of the French Riviera. Lovely linework and text design.

fenrisulfur  - southampton solent school of art - hullabaloo degree show 2014
Mist Sveinbjornsson I spoke to just before leaving and was interested to learn that this was another type of printing all together (so many techniques on show here!), her work is based on the charity Skateistan who fund skate boarding schools for girls in countries where they are banned from many other sports. The pictures are made from soft ply wood and use reduction printing – a risky process since once you have begun carving the second or third colour from your block, you can no longer begin a new print if you mess up. Amazingly she made only 3 copies of each print! Perhaps this is meant to reflect the risky status of skating girls in Muslim states – she didn’t say so but if not I think she should start saying it is, you can never have too much justification for your artwork after all.

Categories ,Alix De Courcy, ,All Watched Over by Machines of Infinite Loving Grace, ,Ba illustration, ,Bethany Coleman, ,Circus, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,Dessy Baeva, ,Ellie Aaen, ,Emily Wilks, ,Emma Chu, ,Greta Staron, ,Grizzly Gent, ,Hullabaloo, ,illustration, ,Jack Snelgar, ,Jenny Robins, ,Jessica Coxall, ,Jo Porter, ,John Masefield, ,Jonny Hannah, ,Kirby Pyle, ,Laura Hunt, ,lino, ,Luke Baker, ,Mist Sveinbjornsson, ,print, ,printmaking, ,Punch and Judy, ,Rebecca Deans, ,reportage, ,screenprinting, ,Skateistan, ,Southampton Council, ,Southampton Solent School of Art and Design, ,Southampton Solent University, ,The Southampton Institute

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Amelia’s Magazine | D&AD New Blood 2013 Review: Best Graduate Illustration and Graphic Design

Bird man by Charlotte Cox at southampton solent screenprinting
This year the D&AD New Blood graduate show was held once again in a cordoned off section of Spitalfields Market. It’s a small space with hoards of exhibiting students crammed into the tight corridors, which can make it hard to manoeuvre around when it’s busy. Most colleges had as usual opted for a simple display on plain white stands, but one in particular had pushed the boat out: Southampton Solent had hand stamped the brown boards of their Wooly Bully Illustration show stand, providing an excellent foil to large scale screen printed work, handmade badges and a high quality promotional package. Amongst a sea of stands featuring A2 printed copies of students work this was a delightfully visceral experience. One of my favourite pieces was the bird man above by Charlotte Cox. They were also handing out invites to their stand alone London show, Solstice, at the Coningsby Gallery, but I was sadly away when it took place: I hope I’ll get an earlier invite next year!

Southampton solent book
Southampton solent book
These images are from a book that was hanging on the wall, illustrator unknown.

Southampton solent - Rake
This screenprint titled Rotam Vitea features alchemical symbolism and is by the enigmatically named Rake.

Elliot Kruszynski at Bath Spa Uni - Save the forests and the animals and the wizards
And from the rest of the show, here’s the illustrations and design work that caught my eye: Elliot Kruszynski at Bath Spa University wants us to Save the Forests and the Animals and the Wizards with this wonderful atmospheric print.

Austrian folk tale by Carina Dewhurst
I didn’t get an invite to the Westminster University standalone degree show this year, which is a shame as on the strength of their small New Blood display it looks like this was a particularly talented group. This beautiful illustration is based on an Austrian folk tale, by Carina Dewhurst.

Louise Byrnes
Printed textiles by Louise Brynes
This gorgeous abstract artwork is by Louise Byrnes, who also created textile designs that reminded me of the trend for splashy abstracts that was very prevalent at New Designers. Just lush, so lush in fact that someone tried to make off with the very print shown above whilst I was there!

Carmen Lynch environmental disaster westminster uni
Carmen Lynch was inspired by environmental disasters to create this threatening yet engaging image.

UCLAN
These cute animals are by someone at UCLAN – unfortunately I didn’t note who as there were no labels. Then the artist responsible tweeted me, but I failed to to take a note of her name then. If it’s you, let me know!

Lunchtime atop a Tree by Rhiannon Izard at plymouth uni
Lunchtime Atop a Tree features a trio of monkeys, by Rhiannon Izard, a paper artist and illustrator from Plymouth University.

Sophia Viney's ghost
Sophia Viney goes under the name Littleinkstain – I like her ghost, which is part of a story about a dark forest inhabited by pixies, created for the BimbaGirls Comic Anthology.

New Blood design show 2013-Saif Chowdhury
Saif Chowdhury‘s fantastical characters are inspired by Japanese video games and bizarre worlds – this image was created for a story about a child on a quest to find their dead father, whilst overcoming monsters and obstacles.

Children's book by Lucy Wooler at norwich uni
This colourful children’s book by Lucy Wooler at Norwich University was inspired by a Victorian morality tale.

Bumble bee by Tori Gray at Dundee
Behold, a humble bumble bee made of type by Tori Gray at the University of Dundee.

Marco Galloway abstract dundee
Marco Galloway researched colour theory to make this great abstract illustration.

Danielle Smith ceramics
These ceramics by Danielle Smith were inspired by mysterious tales of the traveller community.

New Blood design show 2013-Dictionopolis by jame wilson
Dictionopolis by Jamie Wilson at northumbria uni
Dictionopolis tells the tale of a city of words: this beautiful hand printed concertina book by Jamie Wilson of Northumbria University simply took my breath away. I wasn’t sure where to find him online, since Jamie Wilson is apparently quite a common name for an illustrator. This seems most likely to be his home though.

Flower print by Sarah Baskeyfield at Staffordshire Uni
Shells, pineapples & flowers by Sarah Baskeyfield
These hyper colour flower, fruit and shell printed patterns are by Sarah Baskeyfield at Staffordshire University, and were standout pretty amongst all the angular graphic designs on show.

Pottery ampersand by Helen Player at staffordshire uni
This giant pottery ampersand by Helen Player was created as part of a design brief for the V&A.

Dominic Kesterton at ECA
Dominic Kesterton at Edinburgh College of Art based these designs on the linguistics of a fictional seaweed picking culture.

Alex Tait at bucks new uni
Lastly these brilliant black characters are by Alex Tait at Bucks New University.

There were lots of other interesting things on show, but I’ve been writing (or am still writing) stand alone reviews about a number of illustration degrees, so you’ll find their best work elsewhere on my site.

*Many of these images first appeared on my instagram feed, where you can view my pick of design graduates and other inspiring finds as I see them.*

Categories ,2013, ,Alex Tait, ,Bath Spa University, ,BimbaGirls Comic Anthology, ,Bucks New University, ,Carina Dewhurst, ,Carmen Lynch, ,Charlotte Cox, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,D&AD, ,Danielle Smith, ,Dictionopolis, ,Dominic Kesterton, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Elliot Kruszynski, ,Helen Player, ,Jamie Wilson, ,Littleinkstain, ,Louise Byrnes, ,Lucy Wooler, ,Lunchtime Atop a Tree, ,Marco Galloway, ,New Blood, ,New Designers, ,Northumbria University, ,Norwich University, ,Plymouth University, ,Rake, ,review, ,Rhiannon Izard, ,Rotam Vitea, ,Saif Chowdhury, ,Sarah Baskeyfield, ,Save the Forests and the Animals and the Wizards, ,Solstice, ,Sophia Viney, ,Southampton Solent, ,Spitalfields Market, ,Staffordshire University, ,Tori Gray, ,University of Dundee, ,va, ,Westminster University, ,Wooly Bully Illustration

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Amelia’s Magazine | D&AD New Blood 2014 Review

New Blood review 2014
This year the D&AD New Blood show returned once more to Spitalfields Market. The overwhelming emphasis was on work aimed at the more commercial sector of the graphic arts, with less colleges than in previous years choosing to showcase pure illustration.

New Blood Don't be a Dick
Straight away, I picked up a copy of the Don’t be a Dick newspaper by Shellsuit Zombie, offering some salient graduate advice in a nicely edited one page form.

New Blood Southampton type
Nothing was labelled on the otherwise always excellent Solent Illustration stand, so I tried to match up artwork to illustrators using their A4 hand out and nicely produced newspaper. It wasn’t easy! And even harder to locate websites in quite a lot of cases… The funky circus inspired typography above is by Laura Hunt. Dontcha just love the word funky?

New Blood southampton
Luke Baker is responsible for this gridlocked city scene.

New Blood southampton skull
Kirby Pyle made this skull and other wooden cut outs.

New Blood southampton stencil
Hannah Bartlett’s stencilled lady looks into her looking glass.

New Blood southamption grace williams
In the newspaper: I liked this abstract image by Grace Williams.

New Blood southampton emily wilks
Emily Wilks made this cool pattern of animals and foliage. We were not officially invited but I picked up an invite to the students’ stand alone show at the Coningsby Gallery, and asked former student Jenny Robins to cover the Wooly Bully studio work in more detail… to be posted soon.

New Blood Jennifer Humphreys
These decorative blue hands by Jennifer Humphreys at Gray’s School of Art went down a storm when I shared them on instagram.

New Blood Hannah Botma
Dinosaurs in bottles were held up by the ever popular bulldog clip method, by Hannah Botma at Edinburgh College of Art.

New Blood Caitlin Parks
I was most taken by this exploding bird from Caitlin Parks, part of a series designed to draw attention to the plastics found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

New Blood troll lips
At the University of the West of England Holly Dennis made this arresting image: the word Troll collapsing over overprinted neon lips.

New Blood 2014 -Mark Cook
At Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design the designer Mark Cook had produced this very appealing poster of fish lures.

New Blood David Hill
This tram coming up a hill is by David Hill at Sheffield Hallam University.

New Blood Emily Elvin
At Edinburgh Napier University Emily Elvin explored sleep in this rotating paper sculpture.

New Blood  By Heather McCarthy at Sussex College Hastings
At Sussex College Hastings Heather McCarthy had created some wonderful cards and posters designed to promote foreign destinations.

New Blood Dream Good by Hilary Newman
Colour, type and pattern were used to great effect in this Dream Good pamphlet by Hilary Newman at Bath Spa University.

New Blood Hipsters by Jacqueline Fryars at Blackpool & Flyde college
These hipsters are by Jacqueline Fryars at Blackpool & Flyde College. So true… beards and tattoos… everywhere. I have to say though, that it’s not the greatest to discover one of my own tweets (and that’s all) when trying to track down a student’s presence online.

New Blood Sophie Heywood
The trend for all things handmade shows no sign of abating. I like this risograph print for Handmade Studio by Sophie Heywood at UCLAN.

New Blood Midwinter Mischief by Dawn Williams
I was very sad to have missed the Middlesex University illustration show (no invite) because a small selection will never give me a full view of the talent on any one course. At New Blood I was drawn to this wonderful Midwinter Mischief fold out book by Dawn Williams.

New Blood Kayleigh Pavelin
I also liked these strong images of an African wild dog and giraffe by Kayleigh Pavelin.

New Blood Gary Curzai
Typography by Gary Curzai was clearly inspired by traditional Indian signage, but his is a fresh new update for a modern world.

New Blood David Doran
David Doran from Falmouth University already has an impressive list of clients to his name. I’m not surprised, his colourful patterned work is extremely clever and hugely engaging.

New Blood Dream Alphabet by Lauren Humphrey
Lauren Humphrey has adopted a similar curvaceous outlook, rendered in an appealing neon colour palette. I loved her humorous Dream Alphabet.

New Blood Rachel Saunders- Let's Play PeePo
The sea air must nuture illustration talent. Rachel SaundersLet’s Play Peepo! features lots of fabulous animals and foliage.

Falmouth students are also notable for their hearty online presence: I always find it intriguing how students at one college can be so incredibly useless at self promotion, whilst at another they are all on top of it. Can it all be solely down to talent that so many Falmouth students are doing well professionally before graduation? Maybe, but it doesn’t hurt to put yourself out there, and the sooner the better.

New Blood Necklace by Kristi Minchin
This quirky and colourful laser cut necklace is by Kristi Minchin at Arts University Bournemouth, who had also created a bizarre greeting machine replete with waving hands. I will be covering other discoveries at their High Noon stand alone show in another blog post.

New Blood Annabel Davis cats
Daft but brilliant. Annabel Davis imagines kittens and cats as kings and queens.

New Blood Strange animals by Dan Widdowson
These strange animals are by Dan Widdowson.

New Blood Lauren Rothery at Plymouth Uni
Lauren Rothery at Plymouth University had created these pamphlets with titles such as ‘How to Interact Socially.’

New Blood Norwich uni
I really liked the little hand out sheets about artists at Norwich University of the Arts: a nice touch.

New Blood Oddities by Tim Blann
These oddities are by Tim Blann, who has an appealingly blobby style.

New Blood Chris Shuttleworth - Learn to Sail
New Blood Shuttlefingers Pitch a Tent
Chris Shuttleworth at Leeds College of Art made these eye catching promotional posters adorned with the slogans Learn to Sail and Pitch a Tent.

New Blood staffordshire dogs
Finally, I didn’t record the name of the designer behind these marvellous pink Staffordshire Dogs. Sorry!

The hall was buzzing on my visit to New Blood, and I thought it interesting to hear from one graduate that it was a great opportunity for her to meet all the other students she had been following online for so long. Times have changed! How wonderful that nowadays the most engaged illustrators can discover and friend each other from across the UK before they have even graduated. Just think of the potential work partnerships.

Categories ,2014, ,Annabel Davis, ,Arts University Bournemouth, ,Bath Spa University, ,Blackpool & Flyde College, ,Caitlin Parks, ,Chris Shuttleworth, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,D&AD, ,Dan Widdowson, ,David Doran, ,David Hill, ,Dawn Williams, ,Don’t be a Dick, ,Dream Alphabet, ,Dream Good, ,Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Edinburgh Napier University, ,Emily Elvin, ,Emily Wilks, ,Falmouth University, ,Gary Curzai, ,Grace Williams, ,Graphic Design, ,Gray’s School of Art, ,Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ,Handmade Studio, ,Hannah Bartlett, ,Hannah Botma, ,Heather McCarthy, ,High Noon, ,Hilary Newman, ,Holly Dennis, ,How to Interact Socially, ,illustration, ,Jacqueline Fryars, ,Jennifer Humphreys, ,Kayleigh Pavelin, ,Kirby Pyle, ,Kristi Minchin, ,Laura Hunt, ,Lauren Humphrey, ,Lauren Rothery, ,Learn to Sail, ,Leeds College of Art, ,Let’s Play Peepo!, ,Luke Baker, ,Mark Cook, ,middlesex university, ,Midwinter Mischief, ,New Blood, ,Norwich University of the Arts, ,Pitch a Tent, ,Plymouth University, ,Rachel Saunders, ,review, ,Sheffield Hallam University, ,Shellsuit Zombie, ,Solent Illustration, ,Sophie Heywood, ,Southampton Solent School of Art and Design, ,Spitalfields Market, ,Staffordshire Dogs, ,Sussex College Hastings, ,Tim Blann, ,Troll, ,typography, ,UCLan, ,University of the West of England, ,Wooly Bully

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Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Illustrator Jordan Andrew Carter

Jordan Carter

A self-proclaimed ‘illustrational hustler/graphical wizard’, Jordan Andrew Carter uses detailed pencil drawings and contrasting block shapes to ‘mystify and amaze your human see-globes’. This rising star graduated from Norwich University of the Arts last year and has just started to pencil a name for himself in the biz. While illustration is one of his big life aims, he also mentions his other aspirations: ‘my current life goal is to own a pug and live near the sea. I also have a HUGE weakness for biscuits, and believe if you replaced money with biscuits the world would be a happier place.’ Dividing his time between ‘Northamptonshire’ and Essex, pencils and Poscas are his ‘weapons of choice’.

Jordan Carter

Jordan paints what can only be described as ‘fairytales high on Posca fumes’. His detailed wildlife pencil drawings (which remind me of the work of Ohh Deer’s Jamie Mitchell ) are mixed with bright, block colours. Delightfully over the top and topped off with a sprinkling of humour, Jordan‘s illustrations are visual jokes with lashings of both elegance and fun. There’s a touch of Discworld in there too, in the sense that worlds that are balanced on top of animals crop up more than once. There’s even a smidge of Narnia in another of his drawings. Whether it’s a whale with the weight of the world on his shoulders, an orangutan on a pink bicycle, or a leopard wearing a headdress, the images all bring to mind a fantasy land with a dash of urban life. I can’t help but think that stories would have been much more fun when I was a kid if Jordan was involved. I spoke to this new kid on the block about his latest projects and love of desk clutter.

Jordan Carter

What kind of projects have you worked on recently?
I recently took part in Inkygoodness and Ammo Magazine‘s beermat character/ Poop Deck Exhibition at the Coningsby Gallery in London which was amazing. It was pretty awesome to take part and exhibit alongside some of the illustrators that I really admire like Hattie Stewart, Yema Yema and James Burlinson. I did a piece for Creative England‘s One Thing I Know publication which sold out last week! I’m also working on creating my own clothing shop/ brand called Woodless.

Jordan Carter

There’s a definite storytelling element to your work, were you a big reader as a kid?
As a kid I preferred to be outside causing havoc like a little ruffian rather than sitting inside reading. I’m one of those people that need visual stimulation so I don’t really read a lot. If a book doesn’t have copious amounts of imagery then my mind wanders so I tend to stick to magazines. Articles are usually short and sweet with killer images, which is perfect for me.

Does what’s happening in your life affect your illustration?
In terms of inspiration: definitely not. When I sit down to draw it’s a getaway for my brain so I would rather focus on anything except what’s happening in my life. Time and money are the things that affect it most; I can’t currently spend all day everyday drawing even though I would love to so it’s just a night-time pursuit at the moment.

Jordan Carter

Is there a singular moment that sums up why you decided to become an illustrator?
Originally I wanted to become a Fireman until I realised I was scared of heights and my dreams were dashed. I don’t think there was a specific moment when I knew I wanted to become an illustrator. I’m not really a planner, I studied Fine Art at college and then Games Art at university so I guess I only knew I wanted to be an Illustrator when people started calling me it. It’s something I’ve always done and enjoyed so I’ve kind of naturally fallen into being an Illustrator.

Jordan Carter

You use mixed-media a lot in your art, is there something that compels you to mix-it up a little?
I’ve always been able to sort of adequately draw things and people but I became a massive fan-boy of various print processes and anything hand printed when I met my Graphic Designer girlfriend at university. My abilities and influences just seem to lend themselves to creating something that is a blend of everything I know or have learnt; also, it stops me getting bored because I can play about with more ways of making an image.

Jordan Carter

There’s a lot of humour in your work, do you think funniness is important in contemporary illustration?
For sure! I think if you can make someone smile, then you’re really connecting with them, so I would rather do that as opposed to just creating something that looks nice. Humour is one of the most important things in life, I think it naturally filters through into your work if you want it to or not.

Jordan Carter

What is your dream commission?
I’d love to do some larger scale mural work in a shop!

Do you really enjoy long starlit walks along the soggy shoreline and apple bobbing in baskets of kittens?
Don’t tell PETA, all the kittens consented.

Jordan Carter

Describe your desk
My desk is pretty standard to be honest, it’s white and surrounded by clutter and illustrative trinkets. There are shelves next to it filled with cardboard elephant heads, vinyl toys, paper toys, books, a skull, Lego people, zones and vintage illustrations. There is also a cube man called Earnesto Cubeman the First that sits on top of my iMac.

Jordan Carter

Jordan Carter

What’s your strangest influence?
Anything on the dark side of Youtube, if you just keep clicking you will eventually come out the other end feeling weird and questioning what you just watched. One time I spent an hour flicking through videos of hornets fighting wasps…

Is there a font you love to hate?
There are a lot of fonts I hate but none that I love to hate. I’m a huge sucker for pretty much anything hand-drawn, it all looks so fresh and natural.

Jordan Carter

All illustrations courtesy of Jordan Carter. You can view his portfolio here www.jordanandrewcarter.co.uk/

Categories ,Ammo magazine, ,art, ,artist, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,Creative England, ,graphic designe, ,hand drawn, ,Hattie Stewart, ,illustration, ,illustraton, ,inkygoodness, ,James Burlinson, ,Jordan Carter, ,newcomer, ,Ohh Deer, ,Poop Deck, ,Woodless, ,Yema Yema

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