Creative Launchpad blog

Here is a useful link to the Creative Launchpad blog for anyone who is interested.
Currently it has lots of useful links to lots of useful information about RSS Feeds and other web related shenanigans - http://creativelaunchpad.blogspot.com/

The Postcard Show 2007

I've decided to enter 8 pieces into the now legendary Postcard Show at the Surface Gallery in Nottingham. It's a bit of a strange one this! As the Surface website says, "Work can be of any medium, content, purpose and all works entered will be exhibited. The one specification is that work must fit within the dimensions of a standard 6” x 4” postcard". Having to fill something the size of a postcard would be easy you might think, but it was actually quite tricky coming up with something original and eye catching.
As i've said before one of the great things about working in a mainly digital medium is that it allows me to scale work up to a huge size or in this case shrink it to postcard size. All the images apart from one have been created specifically for the exhibition but it's helpful to be able to create them on a larger scale and then reduce them after. Of course some of these pieces may well see the light of day again in a bigger format. To be honest a couple of them are still early drafts of more intricate unfinished works.
Anyway, the Surface Gallery seem like a great outfit, i can't wait to visit their place, it looks like a great space to display and i'm hoping that next year i can do a proper show there as they seem keen on seeking out new proposals for their exhibition calendar. The Gallery is located in the Nottingham Voluntary Action Centre which is on Mansfield Road opposite House of Fraser and the Peacock Pub hotel. www.surfacegallery.org

Allotments Exhibition

The Allotments Exhibition is taking place at Harrington Mill Studios, Long Eaton during December 2007 and touring in January 2008. I've submitted 4 pieces for display, all of which had to measure 37.5cm x 37.5cm or less. This was the idea of the Allotment, a restricted space which could be filled with any kind of medium. Harrington Mill Studios can be found at the following address...1st Floor, Turret H, Harrington Mill, Leopold St, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 4QE. Why not get down and give a little support to local artists.

WHO?

My tribute to a classic WHO song! If i have time i'd like to do about twenty pieces for twenty different songs and show them as a concept exhibition, a bit like Tommy or Quadrophenia but in digital art format instead of album format!!!

Karen Taylor

This is a piece that i've developed for Karen Taylor.
Karen is a new friend of mine that i met on the ILM course. She works with fabric, artwork printed onto cloth and then box framed. She also customizes her pieces with sewing techniques. Karen also runs workshops from her new shop in Nottingham, which to be honest i'm not very sure what actually happens on the course but i will find out and when she has her new website running i will post the details here.
Anyway, Karen is interested in selling some of my designs in her shop. They would be done on a theme which is in keeping with the style of Karens merchandise and printed to cloth, hopefully we will also be able to collaborate on pieces which will result in some fairly unique imagery!

It's sometimes necessary to start a piece all over again, even though i had it displayed on my website as finished. Obviously it hadn't sold in any way, but seeing it sat there on my site i realised that it wasn't right. Before, this piece had two characters in it, the girl with the headphones and a vector drawn rockin robot godess girl in the background. The robot was meant to represent the music in the headphones but it just didn't gel with all the flowers and the relaxed lady in the chair.

So, the beauty of digital art, i got to do it again with more of a chilled feel. Thus the title - 'Chillout Track'. But the robot rocker won't go to waste, she needs her own picture, one less chilly, a little hotter!

Creative Launchpad

I would like to give big thanks to the mighty Creative Launchpad team, they have been a massive help in getting started on the road to possible success with a creative enterprise. I've just completed the best training course in the history of training courses with them - the ILM Exploring Enterprise course, which gives anyone wishing to start a creative enterprise all the info they need to know about getting started. It covers marketing, finance, networking, funding, income tax, pitching, intellectual property and many other subjects too varied to mention. The Launchpadders that i have had the pleasure to meet are Carla (Gypsy Queen), John (Financial Gunslinger), Bianca (Techno Matrix Control) and Kelly ( The Lost Daughters of Branson - see photo, sorry Kelly. Photo Credit: this photo is borrowed from the LTW website, ta!). If you are a creative starting out on your career in Derby or Nottingham go see them.

The next ILM course is on in Derby in January or possibly February.
You can find them at www.creativelaunchpad.co.uk or ask me and i will provide other contact details.

Here is a new piece that i've just created. It's not really my usual style but i like to try and diversify whenever the need arises. I don't think the piece needs much explanation. Two lost children, lost forever or is it a reflection of lost childhood/lost innocence? You decide.

First Posting

I've got a blog at last, been meaning to do it for ages. Somewhere else to post pictures, photos and perhaps some silly poetry, i don't do serious. And somewhere to talk about my recent experiences of trying to start my own business which is still in its early stages.

I suppose i can also inform the world about exhibitions that i'm in and point people in the direction of other creative people that are doing good things in the world.