Little Birdies

Onto the next art project I've been working on recently: 'drawing interventions' - basically creating any kind of 'drawing' we like in an outdoor space.
I decided to learn how to make origami birds (credit to my very patient friend) and place them about the streets of Edinburgh and Dundee, firstly on their own and then dangling in transparent balloons with a bird cage drawn over the top. I really loved the process of  creating the birds and balloons, and was pleased with the results...

Eden in Malawi

First brief of the semester was a week long with the theme 'Eden'. We had to think about what Eden is, where it is and who lives there.
I came up with the idea of Eden as my favourite place, a mountain in Malawi called 'Mulanje'. The beauty at the top of the mountain is a stark contrast to the poverty and hardship of those living at the bottom, who often work long, draining hours picking tea leaves from the fields surrounding the base of the mountain.
At the very top of Mulanje is a peak called 'Sapitwa', which means 'don't go there' in the local language, Chichewa. I have likened this peak to the temptation of the 'Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil' in the biblical garden Eden.
Do you go there even though it is advised not to? Or are you content with what you have been given?

Sketches

With the new semester looming, I feel like I need to get back in the game and brush up on my drawing skills, so here are two quick(ish) drawings I did today. They were a lovely break amidst the current flurry of packing for my trip back to university on Monday. It's crazy how much I am trying to fit into one suitcase and a rucksack. Ugh.

Font Galore!

So these days my new addiction is design typography (a.k.a really cool fonts), and I have slowed my laptop down considerably from treating myself to some rather lovely free font downloads.
It's amazing, just pop the installed lettering onto a photo (the photo's below are all my own) and viola, you have a great looking image!

Feel Good Drinks

Here are my efforts for the 'Feel Good Drinks' competition brief I came across on my university email. I loved creating letters out of the (many many) fruits found in the drinks; the hard part was the design and layout which, being an illustrator, I'm not so good at. But I got through the layer locking, Photo-shop nightmares and am happy with the sunny, bright, and - hopefully - eye pleasing end result!

  

Belgium

This summer I worked in Belgium as a teacher and activity leader at an English language school. At weekends I was able to visit different parts of Belgium as well as neighbouring countries such as Germany and Luxembourg. It was a great summer, and I would love to see even more of Belgium one day! Here are a few photos from my travels; sketchbook drawings are to follow shortly...

Summer Birdy Collages

Being a typical student, I have oodles of time to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING right now. So, I have decided to make the most of my free time and create some A5 sized collages to then frame and (try to!) sell. Here are a few of my favourite:

The Very Best!

There are not many things better than spending a lazy Sunday afternoon drinking tea, eating chocolate, listening to great music and creating a little bit of art! With 'The Very Best' band as inspiration, I created a poster/album cover for them, using collage and a healthy amount of good old Photoshop.
The result:

A little music taster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1F_XlRjA9U

Runaway Foods!

Some food escaped from my cupboard and fridge today... they're a bit of an odd bunch.

Easy as ABC

Not much I can say about this one... just a nice colourful alphabet really!

Easter in Granada

Some shots from my recent visit to Granada, Spain, where my sister lives. It was a beautiful place, made even better by the sun which was clearly prepared for my arrival!