Shapes and Lines (from drawing to 3D product)

I love the aesthetic of block shapes (2D) with linear ("1D") structures. See the book shelf below

As well as loving the curation of objects and space I, feel this aesthetic really relates to my drawing. Below features textures (dot patterns) to piece together 2D forms to have spatial prominence. 

Modularity is also integral to what I wish to achieve, the image below shows an example of a slotting system, to achiebe a similar function 

Extremely pleasing geometry there! And ordered space! 

Fusion Event - 'Enhance your opportunites'

Today I attended an afternoon event organised by my university's employability team. It consisted of a series of talks focused on careers and entrepreneurship within the creative industry, as the full timetable illustrates below. I wanted to attend as I enjoy looking at job adverts and thinking about I will do when I graduate. Though I do hope opportunities will come my way, I know I will need to present myself and my work in an effective way, and make sure I am in the right place at the right time!

Timetable for the day. 

The Keynote Speech

This pre-recorded interview with Wayne Hemingway, of Hemingway Design, was presented to us via youtube. Though a real presentation would have been good, in some ways a video that I can re-watch and was edited in an effective way. I feel I really benefited from learning about his interdisciplinary approach to design, which generated from a fashion label (Red or Dead) with a real purpose (to be the first affordable fashion label.) Rather than focusing on education, Hemingway highlighted that good designers should be interested and curious in everything they come across, with some real true passions (even obsessions) in key areas. This inspired me to get more involved in my blogging - even if short and sweet - because it is an effective medium to document and piece together all the random things that inspire me, I experience, or even that I unexpectedly notice from day to day! 

Furthermore, Hemingway really encourages the designer to have fun, and be playful, and let this come across. Sustaining healthy working relationships and building networks is key to success, especially once leaving university, where there will not be tutors or studio peers to turn to each week. In terms of discussing work, he suggests to be questioning of own work, and ask others to question it to push you, rather than letting it be 'fawned' over. This (and hearing Katie speak in the next segment) really makes me value the importance of being yourself (a.k.a. a nice genuine person hopefully!), being friendly to everyone and being happy by having fun with what you do! 

There were many other valid points raised in this segment, proving the benefit of having a potential future employer give a talk relating to what he would look for in up-and-coming designers, as well as talking about his own journey and sharing with us tips that he picked up along the way!

Your Personal Brand

Katie Alderson is the founder of Ideology Workshop, and a graduate of my course; Decorative Arts at Nottingham Trent. I am interested in branding, and though I am not doing the business project I feel inspired to create a brand for this year. I would worry about doing this and my work losing it's 'personal touch', however Katie showed us how to balance a super precise and elegant brand with a human element by using a website and social media in slightly different ways. I know when I leave I would be interested in working for a brand, thus showing this awareness in my portfolio would be a benefit. She also reinforced the point that good photography is key in your final year, as a picture can speak a 1000 words, is more eye-catching and is easier for creative minds to process. 

Again, a lot more amazingly relevant and useful content was discussed, I love following Katie's process and recommend everyone checks her work out!

Linked In

This session, for someone who thinks they knew Linked In, was ridiculously useful. All the useful in-depth how to's, must do's, and must not do's, has given me oodles of confidence to use it as a networking tool. I am not sure how relevant it will be for future employers to check me out on (it would be nice if they did though!) However again the focus on networking and presenting an engaged, ambitious and positive outlook could help develop personal and professional relationships, as well as stay up-to-date with industry information, from knowing what companies I could work for to even just knowing what type of jobs are out there (always good for an interview - or even speculatively asking for one!)

The Opportunist

This section was similar to the compulsory employability sessions we've been doing during our degree, though I still feel like each one I learn something new (though maybe I'm simply relearning...) I felt a real focus on transferable skills, as well as how to actually apply to jobs. From my meeting with the team a few weeks ago, I felt inspired to update my CV, and focus more on skills gained. This session gave me even more ideas of what to include, examples of evidence to support my claims, and how I want to sell myself.

One exercise I feel I particularly benefited from was taking a minute to discuss our weaknesses. One example that came forward was someone admitting they talk to much (a bad habit of which I am guilty of!) They followed up by saying how they were trying to over-come it, by doing more active listening, and trying to take notes whilst people talk, and really thinking about what they are going to say. I definitely will take this on board (another thing that evaluative writing/ blogging might help me with!)

Overall conclusions

So, as well as being really useful to all the things pre-outlined on the timetable, I really enjoyed this session as I feel it satisfied in some way my procrastinate-ive habit of thinking about the future. Better things I could do with my time include updating my CV and my Linked In profile, blogging to show my many interests and research, and use this to build my personal brand. There is no point looking for premature opportunities if I have not got anything to show them to prove I know what I am talking about (which I should do less of to start with...)  

Communication inspiration - Collezioni Trends

I love reading magazines. I mean who doesn't!? But I feel the large glossy tactile medium is particularly suited for design. From the beautiful art direction, stunning photography, intriguing articles, to the effortlessly cool design and layout. I feel inspired to make my own sketchbook/ journal to help communicate my interests and concepts. I'd be interested in seeing how all the different interests that focus on fit together in the ever-boggling jigsaw puzzle which is my creative direction. Let's hope I can keep this ambition up, as I feel always much more proud over something physical I can show or tell than a blog link (sorry I still love you too!) 

I particularly liked this article featured in Collezioni trends (all rights reserved to them!) The first page introducted the titles of the rest of the segments in the form of a poem, and used little symbols to link them up. I love seeing the connection between images, words and a deeper concept, such as a factual meaning and further article for each line of the poem. 

Nothing beats a bit of creative Sunday morning inspiration! 

Miss CHU - Melbourne Restaurant Review

Single and ready to ming-... Eat my way through Melbourne. I'm living the counter life for a few days, and where better to start than misschu, where I can watch the fire rise from the kitchen in front of me

I do love a tick sheet ordering system (there's not enough of them in the UK for the novelty to have warn off yet. I ordered the tiger prawn green mango rolls, a bbq pork bun and the special sesame tuna tartare. Then a lychee and cucumber frozen young coconut crush to wash it all down. 

Only problem with watching the kitchen is that you can see them make good things that you haven't ordered... Like the sauted shitake enoki and shimeji mushrooms, I might need to start rethinking my opinion on fried mushrooms.

The Vietnamese rolls were good, standardly delish and fresh, plus super generous size! The Bun was super fluffy and the filling moorish. Steamed buns are one of my favourite things ever! 

All food super fresh and simple, the kind of place which wouldn't overkill, under flavour or make greasy spring rolls (which I avoided to order in case.)  

The Tuna tartare was a bit of a random choice - I dont eat raw fish all that often, I love raw red meat (as much as you can 'love' something so rich that a small plateful is often enough.) The fresh lime squeeze added a nice touch. It has an odd texture, a bit like a ripe tomato flesh; quite light and springy with a gelatinous shine. 

The light fishy taste went surprisingly nicely with my coconut smoothie which finally arrived. Like a wacky asian answer to a big mac and vanilla milkshake. Beautifully sweet and refreshing, it was the perfect thing to calm my shirachi overkill spiced mouth! Could easily wake up to one of these everyday, though I dread to think of the sugar content 

With my food mountain nearly conquered,  I looked around to weigh up my choices. The rice/noodle salad bowls did look really good, I had avoided ordering as I meant to order small because I wanted a big brekkie! I think one of those would have been a more sensible spend of money than the tuna tartare. But then it would have filled me up so much I wouldnt have a chance to sample. Good to know I could have gotten dinner for about $20. I may have to come back nearer the end of my time here when I'm not feeling so flush

The kitchen closed at 9, boo melbourne is such an early city. It probably didn't help that I landed on a Monday I preorderd a custard bun for dessert. I think I'll make breakfast more like brunch tomorrow... Plus an early start! 

 

Another thing which dawned me too late is that there is probably a good reason why tuna tartare is a share dish, it is super rich! Still, rather that than the pho. 

The custard bun is not a particularly attractive thing to photograph. And as I bit in, I realised that it was very similar to a doughnut, a baked good that I was trying to avoid now after Brisbane. (Cronuts, cruffins,... Now I see what all the fuss is about!) 

I'm not sure about the texture of the shiny bun. Relived to find the custard centre on my second bite. Oh gawd, so good! Super vanillary and eggy. Goody! 

Note on eating by yourself in restaurants; I can't tell if it's better or worse to be alone when you drop food on yourself. I'm feeling the latter, like I'm too inadequate a human to get food into my mouth let alone go on a date. At least I can blame it this time on the chopsticks. 

I'm not risking it on the custard bun; handled and eaten like a donut.

Price: $32, so £16. final words: 

Well, that will keep me going till brunch! 

  

Bank Holidate

Nature documentaries are wonderful things - particularly those exploring the deep sea. There is nothing more incredible than seeing high definition footage of underwater worlds, therefore these programs make regular week-night-time viewing for me and the bf. I think he is in love with Monty Hall, but then again I have serious lust for Attenborough's voice, so I'd call ourselves even. 

So with an entire day to ourselves and each other exclusively(!) this August bank holiday (mostly because we're both too broke to have gone away with friends), we decided to further indulge this mutual interest. And to the Natural History Museum we went! (Along with half of London's parent-infant population...)

Standing in the queue to get in was actually particularly enjoyable (despite all my boyfriends' jokes involving the Britishness, summer days, rain and queuing.) It allowed us to appreciate the amazing architecture of the building, an activity that continued inside. I also liked seeing all the umbrellas in the landscape, I wanted to draw them (and shall in due course.) 

Coral Reefs: Secret Cities of the Sea.

I really liked the design of this exhibition - with complex 3D structures made of slotted plywood hexagons, used to guide visitors around the displays, representing the structure of coral itself. This method of construction is one I am pushing in my own personal work, and it was interesting to see it on this scale.

As a scientific exhibition (rather than of art), I wouldn't say my review could be in any way critical or analytical. I thought it was really good fun, really informative and had lots of nifty highlights. The 4D interactive viewing chambers were genius (a installation pioneered by the sponsors Caitlin Industries). I liked that the museum had provided some coral you could touch, as most of the specimens were behind glass cages. 

The grouper made a fantastic selfie opportunity! 

The use of video, text and visual displays together  explained things very well I felt. Lastly the tank with live coral and fish donated by the Horniman Museum, and video explaining their studies into breeding in captivity were a perfect end to the show. 

Coral interests me as it really does form underwater architecture. I'm not often drawn to nature as inspiration due to it's wildness and rounded edges, however coral really does have a clear pattern like structure to it, so a nice juxtaposition of nature with architectural-like structure. The colours are so vivid and fantastic, and patterns are formed everywhere you look. 

I very much look forward to drawing (from memory) the coral I see. Though it would be fantastic to have an underwater camera, I think I will make interesting illustrations this way. I can always top them up with visits to aquariums. I particularly liked this print that I saw in the gift shop.

After leaving the exhibition (which was nicely peaceful), it didn't take much spent in the overrun permanent collections for us to have had enough of screaming children. Still I got some nice shots of the building, which would be a joy to go back and draw on a more quiet day. The marble floors and warm glow of the stonework reminded me slightly of grand central station in New York (one of my favourite buildings ever.) 

The rest of the day saw us enjoy a delicious Dim Sum dinner at New World Chinese in China town, and wonder through the back streets of Soho, where we each picked up some gifts in little purple Liberty bags! Though I shopped in the stationary department (HAY), I spent a good while fawning over the prints in the scarf hall. All the more motivation to get some of my own textiles made up! (Though unlikely on such fine silks..) 

Our last stop was the Chesham Arms pub, a jolly little local near Sutton House in Hackney Central. I particularly love the fact that it's at the end of 'Isabella Road'. I literally could buy a house with my name on it! And what a great local to have. A game of monopoly and a few pints later, we were ready to roll home to bed. 

With one last thing to do of course...; decide what nature documentary we'd be watching tonight... 

Taking a Fancy to Book Illustration

I have been really getting into podcasts lately (a whole post of that is yet to come). One of my favourites, and regular audio accompaniment to the Lea river canal path, is Design Matters hosted by Debbie Milman. I like them for this purpose because they are a good length, well recorded (a shamefully important factor as I struggle to hear most things through my ancient earphones), and Milman is an excellent host. Each episode sees a particular person or group from a field of design interviewed about their career and achievements, in a way which encourages digression into more theoretical discussions. 

Though this series presents a large range of designers from different fields, I do feel that I have heard about many graphic designers, and most notably illustrators. Listening to these episodes, such as the one with Oliver Jeffers, has really made me think about illustration as a career path for me. Obviously it relies heavily on drawing (my life long love affair), along with CAD programs I am already highly confident with. I know I have never really connected with making 2D things, and I never felt destined for graphic design, probably because I never really knew what it was, and it seems to be an element of any other art course anyway. But someone once described to me books as being '4th dimensional'. 2D images and words which exist in a 3D object have the power to capture the imagination and take the person into another world entirely. It is a connection between narratives, images and words which excites me, so I felt compelled to get some illustration focused exhibitions into my calendar, as well as some much important creative work! 

Ladybird by Design - House of Illustration

I was really inspired by this exhibition, as it explained the technically simple and practical approach of the ladybird books, and juxtaposed that with the cultural and social significance the series had upon multiple generations of readers. 

This exhibition particularly focused on those published between the 1950's and 70's, and how the books 'depicted a soft and simple world'.

The books themselves were formed from one sheet of paper (suitably sized for the method of mass printing they used.) This was to work around paper restrictions, so every book had 56 pages and were of an identical size and shape. The illustrations were multi coloured, and vocabulary kept easy for children to read and understand. 

I greatly enjoyed being able to see the original illustrations up close; the vivid colours pop out off the thick card onto which they are painted. I assume gouache is used, perhaps with some oil. The illustrations range from depicting everyday life, to historical scenes, through to fictional tales, all perfect to inspire a young reader. 

I was particularly drawn to the image of a deep sea diving team, as I can imagine the bold colours and stunning composition as making a 5-year-old think; 'That's what I want to do when I grow up.' I also particularly enjoyed the 'Shopping with Mother' series for their illustrations, as they reminded me of Richardson and Ravillious's 'High Street'. 

What I think is most impressive about these books, having viewed this exhibition, reading a few chapters of Ladybirds they had in the final room, is their effectiveness. Working with the 56 page and size set rule, the ladybird's combination of image and word never fails to inspire and excite children, (nor 21-years-and-a-6th-old such as myself.) 

Animal Tales - The British Library

This exhibition gave a specific overview to how animals are used through physical illustrations as well as plot-lines for storytelling. With examples such as Orwell's Animal Farm for 'Animal Allegories', and the Beatrix Potter series demonstrating how 'after Darwin and Freud, neat distinctions between humans and animals blurred', this show provided an interesting socially and culturally aware view on a common theme within book illustration. 

Beautiful binding - from House of Illustration giftshop

I thought it was particularly interesting how animal themes and characters are juxtaposed with words, as they are unable to understand our language. Places such as 'the wild', and even the thoughts, intellect and feelings of animals still remain oddly unknown and unattainable to us. I feel if I should write then I could consider writing with animals in mind, as books such as 'The Bees' exist to be purely adult literature.

In terms of illustrations I liked, I particularly enjoyed William Stobb's for 'Kashtanka - Chekhov for Children'. I would also be interested in reading Garnett's 'A Man in the Zoo' for content. 

Funnily enough, a trip to the gift shop presented to me further illustrations that I adore. These are in the form of the National Railway Museum's 'Travel England' posters, which had been used on the covers of a range of BL books. The illustrations shared vivid and colour qualities with those that I saw at the Ladybird exhibition, but carry a concept relating to place and location, (albeit advertising). I will start researching these images, and definitely refer to them in my next project.

So, two highly inspiring exhibitions down, and two exceedingly brilliant gift shops visited. That isn't bad for a few hours work out in London! I'm taking away ideas to further my work exploring the relationship between image and text, as well as having learnt more about book illustration as a whole. What's next for me? To just keep drawing and keep writing! 

One's from the Archive...

There's an awlful thing that can happen to a young aspiring designer, whose creative flair, skills and evidence of the above relies on the technology of today. 

And, that it have one's laptop harddrive go kaput, as mine has done recently.

Luckily for me, as well as most (I hope) other young aspiring designers, is that the internet forms a beautiful web for trapping up information and holding memories that may otherwise be lost. For example; my portfolio exists online, my iphone photos are stored in the cloud, my dropbox is brimming with usefully random documents, and my junk hotmail account is spammed with subjectless emails with as many attatchments as they can hold. 

So, in focusing on the positives (the negatives being that I foolishly hadn't backed up since February, meaning I have lost 6 months of digital camera photos, uni work and the enterity of my sunmer personal project...), I am always aware that data is simply matter, and holding onto memories is the most important thing. However I am so aware that I love publicly musing upon my memories, capturing them through curated images and words, of which a blog is perfect. 

I was a lot better last Summer at blogging, however I struggle to keep it up as a routine. I become concerned if the memory isn't recent, as I cannot recall interesting details. All this said though, I do not see myself as an aspiring journalistic or reviewing writer (though I do like to dabble when abroad.) I see my self as a creative writer - playing upon the boundaries between fact, fiction, poetry and prose. Which is just simply a fancy way to say I have no idea what I'm writing (I do try to make it funny though in parts...) I have been trying to learn some tips by listening to lectures upon the subject, and one makes the point that writing a whole load of unedited gobbledy gook is a good way to begin. 

Writing is like a muscle, so like any muscle simply using it will make it stronger and better. Hence, I feel I should push myself back into the habit, and due to my recent experience there is no better place to do it than online. Using my own photos of places, experiences, and things I find inspiring and motivate my creative practise, it will help me form ideas for further writing and video work. All the content will be 'From the Archive', and not focusing on the details of each memory (of which I cannot recall), but instead carve out new ideas and highlight running themes, in attempt to learn more about myself as welll as remind myself how special every moment and memory is. Well, that is the plan anyway...