A Year to the Day

So, its been a year. 365 days. 52 weeks. Since one of the most important people in my life past away and went to heaven. I don't know how to feel. It feels longer. But it isn't.

I miss her daily. Every morning, I put on my cross, bought to remember her by. So that she journeys with me everyday at uni, everywhere. She is still a part of my life. I talk to her every so often. Ask her how things are up there. And tell her my news. People may think I am mad but I love her so much to just move on.

I was wondering, how would be suitable to remember her, so I am gonna share the demo of the song I wrote after her passing.

Today at lunch time we are going to have a cuppa and a ginger snap for you.

All Punned Out

 I am a closet romantic, much like Damon Albarn in the one song he did for trainspotting. I don't really have a chance to show it, but in a small move to show it I made some valentines cards. or E cards. They were sent out yesterday to the great and the good of my friendship group. The response; all very positive. Made peoples days apparently.

As you can clearly see they are all puns. We love puns, We have a pun jar at uni to prevent us going overboard on them as a sum of money will be paid to the jar. The style is my illustration style. Yeah, I hear you said that "but James you are not an illustrator" and I know that. strange that people seem to like it. the lecturers like, my illustrator friends like it and I do. The text is just my handwriting which also seems to draw the tutors eyes.

1979

A lt happened in the year 1979. It's the year that for many people killed off punk, with the rise of post punk and the nail in the coffin was London Calling by the best band in the whole world ever The Clash. It saw debuts from many of the established punk bands that are still around today, or at least the ones who split up when punk died and then re-emerged due to the bank manager knocking on their door.

One of the main figures in the music scene, a man responsible for giving a lot of early press to punk and new wave was mr John Peel. Who turned my dad as well of a lot of young people at the time onto The Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, The Jam, The Ruts and The Undertones as well as rock classics and dub cuts. I have never paid this man a tribute apart from once on instagram cos I didn't know how to and then I came up with this and it seemed to work a treat.

So above you see before you the festive 50 of 1979 in the cut out and facial hair of the true man myth and legend Mr John Robert Parker Ravenscroft OBE aka John Peel. Thank you for the music

Love Can Mend your Life, But Love Can Break your Heart

It means so much to so many people, Its not exclusive to any gender or sexual orientation, it is universal. You would not be reading this is if it did not exist, it provides peace, stability and happiness to millions everywhere and its not hard to see why.

I made these pieces for Leeds College of art as a test to get an interview and it seemed I passed with 2 colours and a white but I didn't like the uni anyway. But these have always struck a chord with me. working and positive and negative space, the simple and the conceptual. Even at that stage, I knew love was important hence the reason for choosing the heart. I had gone through my first break up by this point so I knew how it felt and what it meant so experience made these ring even more true.

Magical Illustration Nation

Illustration is a thing that I am not very good at, never have been never will be. I like to draw but not illustrate. I have friends on the course that I am on, that can do this marvelously well. Magical Illustration Nation, Miss Sophie Taylor, can illustrate with great skill and I love her work This was her latest project as a one week comic. It's all about the love of the three C's; conventions, cosplay and (being) cool. 

Below are a few of my favourite panels from the comic. I went from not truly understanding the idea to loving the final result. Whats more is it was photocopied. King of the Photocopier approves. 

Read All About it, whatever it maybe.

 Satire causes endless amusement, Politics helps me make an eduacted opinion of people and places and Political satire got me the best grade that I have ever gotten. So to do a set of pieces inspired by political satire as well as humor made so much sense to me. Having previously been inspired by the cut out style of Jamie reid I thought first to attack news papers. The Press is the enemy as it makes so many people look bad but to cut them up and rearrange the words means I can make the people I hate personally seem like the enemy. I have tried to be controversial like my heroes Jamie Reid.

as a side note = Words can express so much but verbalizing things has always been hard for me. so to write them down is a much simpler and makes me feel less anxious about what I am going to portray.

Click the images below to see them full size.

society has got it all wrong

I get really tired of ignorance when it comes to sexuality and gender. I am a hetrosexual man as far as I am concerned and I, in society, have it so easy. I don't have to worry about all of the rubbish that homosexuality brings. Tragic really in this modern age. But I believe that using the power of my art form I should promote an equality for all. I have done posters promoting love is love and to stop homophobia. These are on the same note. But not quite.

I am a big believer in, be who you are and as long as you are awesome you will be my friend. Society can't accept that. It wants to make everyone like robots; look the same and do the same things. which is saddening to say the least. Individuality makes people better. David Bowie wouldn't of made it if he was the same as every else and we all love him. (if you don't get off my blog). The point being you be who you are. If you aren't you will only hurt yourself.

Hope you like them, stay awesome, stay true to yourself

Beauty comes in my shapes and sizes

That's my feet

That's my feet again

The 1960's were a time of innovation. in art, in fashion and in music. and to stumble upon an artifact of this time was a happy accident. Motif was an art magazine for the 1960's to preview art from that period. I chose Motif 10 over the others because Sir Peter Blake designed it. This man designed Sgt Pepper so this man is a legend. Below are a few spreads from the book that I found most appealing.
 It cost me £5 and it was worth every penny in my opinion. 

Birthdays on a student budget.

Celebrating someones birthday is always a difficult task on a student budget. but with the power of photoshop the task of making a card for the occasion could not be simpler (if you remember to make a card; sorry vin). all you need is a cheesy selfie of the person and a nice font. simples. So in order. Sophie's card, Laura's card and Lucy's Card. These people are my uni friends and I do this out of love not out of being evil.

It was my 20th last week and I got a card back by Laura; seen above looking angry. It's hit a new level of crazy.

Love Is Love

Love is love, imagine being told you can't love the person you love more than anyone in the world simply because they are of the same sex as yourself. Love is all you need, the Beatles were right. Many people daily are feeling the effects of homophobia; verbal abuse, Physical abuse as well as sexual abuse and it's not fair. Society has come along way but it still needs to go further. No one should have to suffer because of love. It is universal, we all feel it for various things and a significant amount of people feel it for others. I love Music and Graphic Design and Cherry Bakewells. I love my friends; some of which who actually suppressed who they were through fear of homophobia.

I have lots of causes that are close to my heart and I want to promote them through my blog. Click and Share and we can promote equality in society. STAMP OUT HOMOPHOBIA.

A Present Suprise

 

Presents come in all shapes and sizes. Some are thin, some are small, some are big, some are 3D. These presents are from my illustrator friend, Sophie. It illustrates the miss adventures that we got up to last year at uni making forts and sticking things...onto...my face. Simply done on a blue post it note with a marker pen, Fine Liner and Typex. I think that these are great and received the great news that more are to be done.

Raising Awareness

 

The world was moved by the death of Robin Williams and the public has reacted by saying that we need to raise the profile of mental illness in society. This is a topic that is very close to my heart as some people that I love and care about have been effected. So I made a stand as a designer to raise awareness about this cause. A simple two colour type poster is what I thought would be most effective. "Depression" stays in the same place as it does in most peoples lives who suffer from it. The additional text works around it. The messages are simple and clear.

If you are effected by depression or know someone who is please share this and hopefully we can change peoples thinking. You are not alone in your plight. If you are feeling low or anxious contact your GP or "Mind" for advice.