Noise of Art

I've decorated a record for the Noise of Art show of 12"s at East End Arts Club, Swanfield Street, London.
Mine's the one with the blue Swarovski crystals - but you might have to look closely for them!

The show opens this Thursday, 3rd September from 6-9. I'm going to try to be there, work permitting!
Work is for sale with 5% going to charity (bit mean if you ask me, but at least it's something).

Other artists include Ulla Puggaard, Stuart Semple, Swifty, Kate Garner, Hazel o'Connor and the mysterious but fabulously-named Daniel Diggle.

Click here for more info.

Tools of the trade:

The Most Massivest Inkymole Giveaway Yet

This week is a bumper week! I'm giving away greetings cards, 7" records and CDs, books, posters and prints.

I'm also including items that are still available from the first and second giveaways. We're clearing space for a new studio so these need to go to good homes.

Get in quick if you want anything and remember, I can send stuff anywhere in the world but I'm asking a contribution towards postage if you're outside the UK as I am totally happy to send but it is costing me a small fortune!
- posters are £3 postage
- everything else £1 postage
or SENT FREE if you buy anything £2 or over from my shop - but I'm giving everything away for nowt! Free to good homes - we need some studio space.

Email me directly with your request and address details asap!

All items come with a sheet of Inkymole stickers.

Superstar Quamallah 7" records x 5 copies:
I did the artwork for these and have copies for myself, so these are spare. (Was pleased with the cover but pride demands I point out I didn't do the typesetting on the back...)
Soulsavers album on CD x 7 copies:
I did the hand-written type on this album - http://www.myspace.com/soulsavers
I was meant to get 50 copies with which to do a mail out, but only ten ever arrived. I gave copies to those that wanted them and kept on for myself, so these are spare.

Skullflower Poster - approx. 3ft square x 1 copy only:
This is an inkjet print so isn't lightproof. Was made for an exhibition last year.
Has some slight fading towards the top but otherwise in good nick.

If These Walls Could Talk B+W Poster x 1 copy only:
Approximately 6ft tall by 60mm across

If A Girl Writes Off The World Exhibition Posters
These are high quality A2 inkjet prints created for my shows in London.
Posters come with original flyers and invites from the show too.

x 4 'Welcome/Entrance' posters:
x 2 'Entrance' posters from the NY show:
x 3 'New York' show posters:
These were displayed on the doors of Chelsea Market's gallery space
x 1 'London' show posters:
These were displayed on the doors of Brick Lane's Brickhouse Gallery, London
Greetings Cards - sets:
Please note these don't come with envelopes (the samples were not supplied with them) but they're a standard size.
You can still buy these in some supermarkets in the US!
We'll try to send full sets but we know we have more of some than others.
Princess Diaries 9 - large format copy x 1:
I had a couple of copies of this, gave one to a PD-age friend! They're a good read. One left.
The Wave Runners by Kai Meyer x 1:
One of my favourite book covers ever - I was sent three copies, have kept two for reference on the Inkymole Bookshelf, so this one is free.
High quality glossy print samples - assorted!
Set of all 8 sheets shown. Lots available. Poster-quality prints.

The Inkymole Giveaway Part 2

I'm continuing the big clear-out and have some more goodies to send to good homes.

The things I have most copies of are my Contact sheets - full-size, full-colour directory pages from the big Contact books over the last six years or so. Since I get about 1000 of them they rarely all get used up. These might be of particular interest to a school, college or university, since that's who would most often request them when my old site had a Freebie page. Otherwise, they're destined for the paper recycling bin!

They have a poster-ish quality to them, and are about 12" high by 9" wide.

UK free postage, outside the UK a donation of £1 towards postage is welcome (you can use Paypal for this). But please email me first to check the thing you want is still available!

Thanks for helping me clear some space ready for a new studio! I'll be doing another giveaway soon, so keep your beadies on the blog.


Contact Sheets: please say which one(s) you'd like:

Toffee Fudge:

WWAV Rapp Collins:

Amethyst:

Ten4

Fairy Godmother:

Constipation:

Glad to be of service, guv'nor.

My friend Carl Rosati (see some more pictures here.) lifted my spirits tremendously the other day. He sent me a print in the post - a gorgeous new screen print in gold and black, soon to be framed - with a note explaining that he'd recently read my Computer Arts Projects tutorial on vectorising hand-drawn lines (Not only that, he's also written 'please dunt bend' on the packaging. What a gent.)

I was chuffed to discover that someone had actually taken the trouble to a) read it and b) act on it. Furthermore, the bloody thing had made sense. Wow.

A smug old man once said 'those that can't, teach. Those that can, do'. A more enlightened and less sanctimonious old fella recently said, 'those who can, do both'. I might not be hurtling up and down the corridors of universities as much as I used to be, but it's good to know I've still got some tutoring skillz.

Here's a download link to the original article:
http://www.inkymole.com/download/CAP124.tut_illotext.pdf

And here's more of Carl's magnificent work. Don't you love the beards and the little eyes?

Lunch (aka 'just a quickie')

I've just put my lunch online. I reckon you should do the same!
http://markme.tumblr.com/ - brought to you by the snack-lovin' people at Smile.

Dick H099 - of the wall

On Thursday I went to my friend Dick Hogg's solo show 'Of The Wall' at Concrete Hermit off Bethnal Green Road, London.

You will probably know Dick's work already, as for years he worked happily for Airside, so you're bound to recognise his style. This was a collection of his new screenprints and some drawings - but real drawings, ones he describes as working without the 'safety net' of knowing he can make digital corrections later, so they're simply ink on paper.

Dick's work has always charmed me - we have one of his Fembot screenprints framed in outrageous brushed metallic burgundy at home in the hallway-cum-gallery. His work is graceful and considered with clean lines and lots of curves - but looking closer into the pictures on display revealed suggestions of battles, confrontation and rebellion; tiny creatures gathering en masse and marching through the grass, carrying placards toward we don't know what. There's always been more to Dick's work than cute colours and smiley faces, and I hope that was apparent from the show.

Concrete Hermit is a 'snug' venue, and with the apocalyptic rain outside there wasn't the usual escape route of hanging outside, so everyone was huddled sauna-like in the room while poor Dick ran back and forth fetching more apple juice and limes. The gallery's compact but sells a robust range of self-published books and artefacts, overseen by two chatty, affable, smiling people (flying happily in the face of my usual gallery experience of 'sullen arty type' lurking at the back by avoiding eye contact). I met the artist Roger Kelly, Dick's studio chum and lifelong friend (though they're both London-based, we all hail from the same part of Leicestershire). Check his work too - breathtaking. In fact, there were several people there I'd only ever conversed with via email, so putting faces to names was, as always, a delight.

Go and see the show - just like the Chegworth Valley apple juices on offer, it's refreshing and delightful with...a gentle bite to it. And you will want to know how he got the brick wall so perfect.

Dick Hogg's website
Read more about the show, and an interview with Dick

The Inkymole Giveaway: Part 1

I'm having a big clear-out and have lots of things just sitting here performing no useful task whatsoever, So, time it all went to a good home.

I'm starting with books and magazines (oh, and a teatowel). When I'm sent copies of books I've done the covers for, I sometimes get two, three or even more. I only need one to read and keep on my archive shelf, and maybe sometimes I give one to a mate or family member. But these ones are spares. If anyone would like one of these books, I've got a copy of each of these to give away.

UK free postage, outside the UK a donation of £1 towards postage is welcome. (But please email me first to check the book you want is still available!)

Thanks for helping me clear some space ready for a new studio! I'll be doing another giveaway soon, so keep your beadies on the blog.

'Perfume from Provence' published by Summersdale

Read about the book.

'Queen's Hinglish' published by Collins

Read about the book.

'Wave Runners' published by Egmont

Read about the book.

'The Poison Garden' published by Simon and Schuster

Read about the book.

'Princess Diaries 9: To The Nines' (I've got two copies of this) published by Macmillan

Read about the book.

'Beauty and The Beast', Usborne Publishing (tow copies - good for getting in early on a little person's Christmas present)
This is a lovely 10" square hardback children's book - with foiling on the cover!

Read about the book.

Copy of Computer Arts May 09 - has my lettering tutorial in it - 1 copy with CD


Screenprinted cotton teatowel for Lakeland - 1 available

Images 33 Show, London

I went to the AOI's Images 33 'Best of British Illustration' launch on Tuesday, and was able to gorge on pictures for an evening with a nice glass of orange juice in my hand.

I had two pieces in the show, but as usual with the timing of Images, by the time the show is up you're fed up of your own pieces and can't wait to feast on the other work there. This show had a noticeable increase in hands-on media - drawing, acrylic, 3d, collage, gouache, mixed-media - which was very refreshing and encouraging as further evidence of a gentle move away from the digital bingeing of the late nineties and noughties.

First off it was great to see my friend Kevin's work proudly displayed. Kevin and I were part of the same agency years ago, which we had a hand in setting up, and have kept in touch ever since as part of a circle of close fellow illustrators - the five of us have weathered many illo-storms over the years! Jill Calder is one of them, and she too had her beautiful rainbow-coloured garden piece in the show (last year her work graced the cover of the Images annual too).


Andy Smith won a Gold for his Sight and Sound cover (Chris Brawn, the commissioner, must be a lover of typography as I've recently taken up the mantle of the S&S covers myself) and rightly so - a bold, red, squawking 'coq' on a paper background made for a beautiful screenprint. I did something I've never done before in my life: saw Andy wearing the obligatory name badge and approached with 'It's Andy Smith, I'm such a fan!" Eek. But I meant it, I do love Andy's work, and I've never met him in person. (I was by myself as my +1 guest was still in the pub with chums...which probably increased the stalker look).
Another prize, though, I was really not so sure about. The student piece by Amy Knibbs entitled 'Dandylion' was a Gold winner - several representations of a dandelion, very delicate and pretty, but not prize-winning stuff. Across the room were the pieces I felt very strongly should have taken that prize, and hadn't. Liz Kay's 'I'm A Woman' was a quartet of beautifully-rendered, immaculately-painted lyrics from Peggy Lee's 'I'm A Woman', complete with charming, cleverly-observed illustrations, and all built into a challengingly-sized frame. Funny, gently stylish and technically very accomplished, I stood around them staring into the detail and waiting for the stude to arrive so I could congratulate her on her work. Quote honestly, I was staggered that this piece - and others in the collection (Julia Bruderer in particular) - had been overlooked. Dandylion, I felt, looked like the start of a promising way of working that could develop further...but lacked the depth and thoughtfulness of Liz's work.
Overall I enjoyed the show tremendously, and as an added bonus bumped into an old friend as I hurled myself on the tube to Elephant and Castle. Cyrus Deboo and I were part of the same agency a few years ago, but lost touch - though we've kept an eye on eachother's work. He was well and busy, and up to some intriguing stuff that he refused, with a glint in his eye, to expand on. But for now, here's Cyrus's work. It really was lovely to hook up with an old chum and catch up on news.
The Images 33 Show is on at London College of Communication, Elephant & Castle, London SE1 6SB , and will tour the country over the coming months.

Say Yes To Free Tattoos

My latest set of tattoos are ready, and waiting to get to their new homes! A reminder of the tattoo project: they're free on condition you send hi-res photos of you (or someone you know) wearing them. Points are awarded for creativity and imaginative placement. It's a trio of three designs this time.

They're are inspired by the words of US poet Andrea Gibson, whose humbling and brilliant words you can read here. You can only get this latest set direct from me, or by going to one of poet Andrea's performances in the USA this summer.

You can see the global efforts of those already furnished with free fake ink at the MySpace Gallery.

Email if you'd like to be sent some. And remember - I WILL chase you for photos...

July 4th Fireworks Poster, NYC

This summer I did the July 4th Annual 33rd Fireworks poster for Macy's in New York. The legendary celebrations, sponsored by the 'world's biggest department store' Macy's were extra-special this year - the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Mannahatta island, by Henry Hudson who sailed up the river which was eventually to be named after him.

The job was to create a poster which was then turned into a store-side animation and window displays. As the poster had to reflect the historic nature of the event, the typography harked back to a pre-digital era with every letter and illustration hand-drawn, inspired by the history of the event and the pyrotechnics themselves.

Since we were in New York for three weeks in June, we just managed to catch the campaign as it went live, but not the event itself (though last year's were amazing!) If you're in NY, the Mannahatta Project exhibition at The Museum of the City of New York is incredible - see the island as it was at the point of discovery, its flora and fauna, and type in any Manhattan address to see what it looked 400 years ago.

'Identity' at the Ten Two Gallery

I went to a private view last night, one which, unusually, was held in my home town. A ten minute walk was refreshing ('private view' usually means a car or train trip to London or further afield) and the little gallery, Ten Two, where I used to have a studio a few years ago, was filled with people and the smell of warm bready things and coffee. (I should mention the gallery has its own cafe, very cosy with very large sandwiches.)

The work was 'Identity', the NHS Open Art Show 2009, which is touring. It's art by people who have suffered or still are suffering from health difficulties, with an apparent emphasis on mental health problems, whether currently in treatment or not. Some people had never made art before, some were postgraduate creatives, but the art was linked by an urge to communicate, express, explore, or deal with something personal and important.

Take 'Painting Mum' by Jan Welch. This is the one that had me standing in the corner in my unsubtle canary yellow rain mac trying not to show the reddening eyeballs. (I apologise that the iPhotos here are further affected by the glass reflections) Terribly moving in its simplicity, Jan had painted her Mum in a simple and realistic way, through three 'screens' of colour - pink for the positive outlook she retained throughout her life, grey for the Alzheimer's which eventually claimed her memory (but not her spirit) and yellow for the fear she felt 'most of the time'. In addition to this, the artist had painted over the photographs of the woman's three children, because the Alzheimer's eventually meant she forgot who they were.


Jack Shotbolt's 'Threadbare' is an ordered but frantic weaving of thick paint, a deep mesh of luminous colours and powerful strokes. This is a close-up. Of it, Jack says: 'In recent times I have repeatedly found myself in turbulent circumstances beyond my control that have rocked my world. The only constant has been my need to make sense of all this change by making paintings'.

This one I didn't record the artist for - sorry - but the position of the figure says it all. And the light. And the face...

This one I wanted to buy - but it was sadly the only one marked 'NFS': 'Covered ID' by Lou Woods (ID as in identity, or 'id' as in Freud?)

These delicate bowls called 'Change' and 'Gone' were made by Maggi Gamble after her mastectomy; tiny and fragile, they really needed no further explanation:

There were many others worthy of mention. Mat Brandford's 'The Gift And The Curse' was his first ever piece of artwork - a brave move then, to show such a thing in public - after 20 years of struggling to know 'which face to wear in which circumstances and with which people'. He had a past which included 'bullets' and a 'Teflon-coated' career in crime, and his brutally honest drawing shows his continuing struggle between the two 'faces'. I wish there was somewhere else online you could see all these - as there were plenty more I'd like to have mentioned.



This wasn't artwork shown for its awards, slickness, or clever concepts. To be presented with such raw and honest expressions was humbling and a little moving, and made me happy for the artists (to have such an outlet) and sad that they had cause to work in this way, though the resulting work was often beautiful. Some actually saw their mental / health problems as a gift, and chose to celebrate the different-ness it gives them. But mostly, it made me appreciate how lucky I am never to have been affected by such issues, and aware that one is always only ever a hair's breadth away from them.