Laura Carlin

We had a super talk from LAURA CARLIN on Wednesday.

I have admired Laura's work for some time but haven't ever been able to see the full array as she doesn't put much work online, and as I have now found out, only released limited numbers of books and they all sell out at her exhibitions! Alas, alak.

So this was great as I got to see loads and loads of her work, and speak to her. It was great super great. Last year my tutor Amanda recommended I look at her really nice book about the night her dad was conceived, told from 4 perspectives. I finally got to see it which was great. 

I felt like the talk really re-enforced what i've been thinking about within my illustration work- the balance of putting your work in public and being ready to do that, having confidence in your work, playing on your strengths, the importance of drawing and of FUN, good advice on how to illustrate a text, 'style', ("Style is a word that should be banned"-LC). 

I have also wanted to use ceramics for quite some time- I don't know how or what but the ceramics department of Camberwell is shutting this year and I would love to try before then! And Laura showed us some really beautiful painted ceramics that she's been working on, which just re-enforced my wishes.

All in all, very inspiring. I left the lecture looking all around at the world like I want to draw THAT i want to draw THAT TOO oh i want to draw THAT ASWELL. Great.

"DEFINE WHAT YOUR OOOOMPH IS"

-Laura Carlin

MOKITA Symposium, Pick Me Up at Somerset House

On tuesday I went to MOKITA, a symposium around the subject of illustratior, held at Somerset House. VERY EXCITING.

http://mokita1.blogspot.com

A lot of things were said that you kind of already knew, but it was really interesting to hear it discussed. I guess that was part of the point. 

It was in three parts:

IS COMMERCE THE ONLY REAL CONTEXT FOR ILLUSTRATION?

(discussion between James Jarvis and Darryl Clifton)

ILLUSTRATOR AS AUTHOR, NEW PARADIGM OR THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR?

(discussion between Luke Best and Roderick Mills)

DO WE NEED A THEORY OF ILLUSTRATION?

(discussion between Sam Arthur and Geoff Grandfield)

A small group of us helped film and record the event which was a bit out of my comfort zone but will hopefully be worth it if we can show what was said to others. All in all, I have lately felt like I'm really becoming to understand my place and route as an illustrator, I feel a lot more comfortable and sure of my own ideas on the subject, and why I am choosing to study and practise it.

No use crying over spilt milk.

"Spilt milk IS sad though. Think about the cow!" - Kim Smith.

Saw this on the way home last night. Tragic.

Sigmund Freud the Musical

I realised I never put an image of my final book for our chairs project. I wasn't too pleased with this outcome in terms of the whole project, but as I was originally going to do an animation, then left it until the last couple of weeks, I think it's okkkk for the time. It is a CD cover, then the inside pages of the book, then the back (poster).

I had to print it at home because I left doing anything until the last few days, and I tried to get the same colour- layering effect of a risograph machine on my home photocopier. It was very testing and used way too much ink, don't try it.

The closer that we get, the more you seem to bore me.

Did these today. Not sure about them, I can't seem to draw this image! Next monday will try with more transparent inks and not so last minute layers. 

Lithography

As a result of Freya bugging Darryl for months, a small group of us have been super lucky and have done a lithography course every friday for the last month. It's AMAZING. 

This is definately my favourite way to print, but so so complex. I can't remember all the stages and in the right order, and all the chemicals hurt your head, but it is all worth it. 

This was my first print in week one, on a big screen. There are lots of mistakes but it was good for showing me how mark making translates within this medium of printing. I am now working on a 3-colour print of the same image. 

When I was looking at Freya's blog for the address to link above, I also found she had this picture of me printing. Ta da!