Birds and things

Working away on lots of nice things. Just finished a spate of book covers for various US publishers. I have also had quite a few short stories to illustrate this year, possibly my favourite commissioned work, there is just something about short stories that make them a pleasure to work with and being mostly editorial they allow more freedom than book cover work. A new illustration for Arc magazine in the pipeline and one for the brilliant Popshot magazine who have diversified a little in this issue and included short stories along side their mainstay of poetry.

Hopefully I will be able to post those here soon but in the meantime here's a little bird character I drew as an element for one of the illustrations. He's got no feet! … true but when he's in the illustration you won't be able to see, no one will ever know.

Bye for now x

Budda Cakes

Here's some album artwork I did recently for the upcoming release from the Budda Cakes - the budda cakes

'Vintage Future ala Jules Verne meets Electro-Accordion and 1984-Walkman.The Budda Cakes make you happy & make you smile'

It's true.

The album goes by the title 'The Edge of Different' and from the tracks I have heard it's brilliant and beautiful. For some unfathomable reason they reminded me of being a teenager, seems like another lifetime away now, a bit like English summers ; )

Bye for now x

New Scientist - Dark Magnetism

… And here it is. From science fiction to science fact (well perhaps) for New Scientist illustrating a piece on dark magnetism. Nope it's not something Johnny Depp has … but it might be responsible for our expanding universe.

Originally intended as an interior illustration it ended up on the cover. I reckon it was pulled there by Dark Magnetism.

Thanks New Scientist and Arc for two great commissions!

Bye for now.

Arc - Attenuation

Here is an illustration I did recently for the wonderful Arc magazine, illustrating the short story 'Attenuation' by Nick Harkaway. It's a great story, this is my interpretation of the trifurcated main character(s)

I'm a fan of the likes of Philip K Dick and Kurt Vonnegut, anything with a warped reality asking a bit of a philosophical question is right up my street ... so this was a pleasure to work on!

The magazine is from the makers of New Scientist … talking of which, I have also just finished an illustration for New Scientist. I'll post that  … well, now …

thousand yard stare

Here's a little oddity.

Throwaway stuff really, although there is something I like about it. Started life as a page in my sketchbook which I scanned and used as experimental practice exploring varying combinations of pencil, acrylic and digital painting. I had no plan or idea what might happen just hat I might learn something along the way and get to grips with some new software and techniques.

Should I post this kind of stuff? images have a long life on the internet, will I see it floating around in three years time and think why the f**k did I post that? Who knows? not me that's for sure.

Bye for now.

Secret 7" - my images

It's all done and dusted now so I can post my Secret 7" images.

I went in a more photographic direction with the first which was a D J Shadow cover and then pencil, acrylic and digital painting for a Florence and the Machine cover.

More soon, bye for now.

Studio / Hermitage

Thankfully January was an unusually quiet month, it would have been tough to deal with any major commissions whilst Sarah was in hospital. She's up and about and recovering well now and work has picked up. I am working on a book cover for Scholastic NY, a poster & general artwork for a stage show and a couple of editorials so I will be posting some new stuff soon.

In the meantime here's a few snapshots of my studio where I am holed up for most of the time, gazing longingly out of the window … where real life happens.