Voodoo girl...

But she knows she has curse on her
A curse she cannot win.
For if someone gets
Too close to her,
The pins stick farther in.

I admire Tim Burton's work so much, initially as a director with his unique dark and quirky style, and secondly as a writer and illustrator.
Flicking through the children's book shelves of Waterstones today (a yearly tradition as it makes me feel rather christmasy:) this small heart illustration and poem verse really charmed me; published in the book 'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy'.
The image has become somewhat iconic for Burton's illustrations and the craze has transfered onto t-shirts, bags and even tattoos throughout his fan base.
It is simple, charming and effortless yet so impacting.

Harvey Nicks

caught a glimpse of this walking past the harvey nicks store in Leeds and it really caught my eye. they always make such an effort with their window displays, but the sparkle of these giant butterfly wings actually made me stop in the street to have a peek.

Bottom of Barrels

Now i know im a bit late off the mark...well 3 1/2 years too late really..but i've only just started to get into them!
I love the album artwork for Tilly and the Wall's 2006 album 'Bottom of Barrels'. Aswell as being an amazing album of course, the style of the illustration is a really inspiring mix of media. It matches so well with their alternative jumbled style of music which is both powerful and confident and colourful (if music can even hold this quality).
Dreamy/fantasy imagery with a homemade feel...amazing.

...now back to work...fun fun fun!
happy blogging all

......

Thought this illustration was really clever and sweet! Like the idea that the records are being mass produced from a simple guitar...just thought it was a really good idea.

Happy Christmas Vogue

At the end of each year i look forward to Vogue's answer to a Christmas annual. The articles are always that bit more lavish and the photography always glistens with a feeling of the 'perfect stylish christmas' :parties and mauled-wine soirees. (how you imagine it to be for the rich and famous)
2008's addition did not disappoint. With the theme of fantasy, the magazine is like a glossy and glittery present in itself.
This illustrative typeface they have created I'm not sure screams festivities on its own. The colour scheme is perhaps more circus-ring-leader than christmas deckings. However, in situ I quite like the way it compliments the photography (kate moss obviously posing) and the swirls running though the letters definitely shout fantasy.
...and as always...'fantasy' got Vogued. Martinis, poodles and hats! Amazing!

very excited to read this months:)

Art connects

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW_rVnWyH8c

created from Catalyst Studios, this advertisement was produced to be played as a motion installation in victoria park; Dallas. It was projected on a large canvas to express the idea of spoken work and illustration.
What amazes me the most is the inventive transactions between one scene to the next and how the graphics all run together so smoothly. The whole visual language is fresh and inspirational and for the short burst that the clip plays, you can completely feel inspired and amazed by creativity.

n.b. my favorite part is where the image of the ship zooms out and becomes part of a moving pattern: very clever!

www.youtube.com/watch


Wanting a girly evening in and that first warm feeling of christmas we decided to take a cinema trip to see the latest christmas spectacle; a 3D adaptation of Dickens' classic. (very exciting!)
Armed with popcorn and our novelty 3D specs 4 eager girls entered the cinema for a light hearted film.
The verdict however was far from this...
Firstly, this Disney film should NOT be a PG...as a 20 year old student i was jumping out of my seat on several occasions which was only amplified by the physically jumping out motion graphics! Although i wouldnt recommend this film for a family afternoon out, i was amazed by so many elements of the film.
With several horror films in his library of movie projects, I found Zemeckis direction very dark and there was several scenes which amazingly captured the complete feeling of traditional children's nightmares. From falling into your own endlessly deep grave to be buried alive, shadows coming to life and the feeling of being chased by a black horse and chariot, no youthful fear was left unturned. Even if (in my opinion) not suitable for kids, the film really took me back to childhood and its irrational fears.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the way the 3 ghosts were portrayed either, the ghost of christmas present being a annoying bearded giant (there was nothing jolly in his appearances)
One of the moments that made me really appreciate Zemeckis vision was the visuals when scrooge was taken flying with the ghost of christmas past. along with the 3D motion, i genuinely felt that i was experiencing exactly what it would feel like to fly. A dream almost every child believes they can do at one point.
Summed up in one word this film was nostalgic. Obviously the events within the classic tale were not directly associated with my childhood but the emotions and atmospheres that were created definitely were. Terrifying mythical nightmares and the magic of Christmas really came to life and literally jumped out of the screen. A must see for this novelty!

On the 20th of August me and a friend set on on a month long adventure around SE Asia. Being an inexperienced traveller i was wowed by some of the photography opportunities on our 'standard' travel route: one word...AMAZING. I felt like i was staring at a post card for the majority of our trip. Due to time restrictions, we started the generic route from Bangkok to Laos along the mekong river (so beautiful) and then travelled down Vietnam along the coast. Saw some of the best beaches i have ever seen here. This photo was taken in Hoi An in Vietnam. the small town is notorious for hand tailoring and its textiles which obviously i took full advantage of. However, having the creative brain that i do, it always is the little things that are noted! when we arrived there had been a huge monsoon and the bottom of town was completely flooded. we were eating in a restaurant when i saw the opportunity for this photograph as it really captures the Vietnamese culture and ethos. There is not one ounce of laziness in that country (contra to many of the english), so out came the small boat and the traditional Vietnamese rice hat and on this lady got with her work. At the time i was queuing for the bathroom when along bobbed this old woman past the back open door, obviously having had seen a perfect entrepreneurial opportunity to sell to the westerners. i was ambushed to buy a vast array of her home produced goods. I love this photograph, i like how it is framed and the atmosphere is gives off. For me it really sums up the traditional quaint town of Hoi An.

Entry number one

I have admired the work of Si scott for several years. Now one of the creative halves behind 'we are bitch' design studio (with Kerry Roper), Scott's work has always engaged me and has a very individual and identifiable style.

His signature swirls and spirals don't appear in this graphic image but i love how he combines hand drawn work with sharp text here to create an illustration.

It is simple, bold and effortless.

His work is often criticized for being generic as his signature swirly lines are so popular and saturated in the current design world. however, knowing that each intricate line is produced by hand and then only simple edited in software makes me really appreciate his raw skill. Although i sing the praises of his independant work, i am not a big fan of the wearebitch website. It looks good from a singular image perspective but i dont like the way the work is displayed so that the focus is on the 'arty' presentation rather than their amazing workv(which the majority of it really is!). It's hard to read and navigate around which isnt great for a market which is rapidly heading for online domination. Perhaps Scott sticks at the swirls for a reason!?