GRAPHICS

ONE OF THREE FOLD-OUT BROCHURES (A5 PAGES) FOR EDWARD HURST,
ANTIQUE DEALER TO THE STARS

I need to make this blog work a bit harder; in fact I ought to work a bit harder and start the serious business of putting a lot of material up on my new website, which only exists in template form at the moment.

2013 has been a lovely busy year; in fact I've never been busier. This was the third year I provided the graphics for the Chalke Valley History Festival, an event which has achieved real prominence in two years.

I try and give it a colourful, interesting as well as arresting style. I hate clichés (unless they're my own, naturally) and always make a stab at getting an idea across. What could have been a dreary Gothic-type-and-burnt-parchment provincial craft fair style nightmare, became a modern piece of colourful, exciting communication.

I have Rachel and James Holland to thank for their real support and encouragement. Perfect clients. 

I was very lucky to get three brochures to design from Edward Hurst, an old mate and very well respected antiques dealer and interior design consultant. He wanted them for Masterpiece, a prestigious fair in Chelsea.

He had some great photographs taken in a country house in the process of being refurbished. So, all the pictures have a beautifully grand and textured setting. I wanted to make the graphic design work by drawing the pieces as silhouettes; in stylistic contrast to the atmospheric images. They folded out to provide the browser with a perfect mixture of specification and inspiration. It's a market that spends a lot of money on some incomprehensibly dreary graphics. Uma Thurman liked it, apparently. Edward was delighted; even though he's a friend, I could tell he meant it. I think.

THIS BECAME THE DEFINING IMAGE OF THE HISTORY FESTIVAL.
BY FAR THE MOST POPULAR T-SHIRT, ANYWAY.
(A PRINT I MADE OF EFESUS WITH A BATTLE WEARY GI TRUDGING TOWARDS US)

ILLUSTRATION FOR WARTIME FARM (DOGFIGHT ABOVE KENT HARVEST)

ILLUSTRATION FOR FISHING FLEET. (LADIES SENT OUT TO INDIA TO CATCH A HUSBAND.POTENTIAL VICTIMS SEEN DRIFTING ABOUT IN A POOL OF DERELICT AMBITION.)

ILLUSTRATION FOR PENINSULAR WAR (MUSKETS AS BANDERILLOS)

I MADE THIS AN IMMEDIATELY RECOGNISABLE IMAGE FOR CLARE MARTIN'S BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE/EXHIBITION VENUE JUST NORTH OF TISBURY IN WILTSHIRE.
WE'VE PROMOTED A FEW GIGS THERE, AS WELL AS EXHIBITIONS, AND LENDS ITSELF NICELY TO A BIT OF IMPROVISATION...

...LIKE THIS.

IN 'PEOPLE PRINT' STYLE, I PHOTOGRAPHED A WAR CEMETERY IN FRANCE, RESURRECTING SOME SOLDIERS TO SIT AROUND THEIR GRAVES, EYEING THEIR DISBELIEVING VISITORS. KEITH DOUGLAS, PROBABLY THE BEST WAR POET, IS BURIED HERE. HIS LINE IS THE TITLE OF THE PRINT.

I MADE THIS ILLUSTRATION OF A VILLAGE FETE IN SEMLEY, WILTSHIRE. IT'S CALLED TWIST OF FETE OWING TO THE SURPRISE GUEST HANGING AROUND THE MUSIC TENT. WORK IN PROGRESS SHOWING REAL PEOPLE DRAWN AS THOUGH THEY ARE A PART OF A HUGE PAGE IN A GRAPHIC NOVEL. ONE FOR THE SUMMER EXHIBITION BUT DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATHE...

AN ENJOYABLE BIT OF CORPORATE IDENTITY FOR MUCH-NEEDED FAST WI-FI TECHNOLOGY BEING DELIVERED TO CRANBORNE BY
THE ENTERPRISING ESTATE AND ITS MANAGER, GAVIN FAUVEL.
 THERE WAS A LOOSE VISUAL CONNECTION WITH THE ESTATE STYLE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS INTENDED TO STAND ON ITS OWN. MORION IS A MEDIEVAL HELMET AND THE 'M' OFFERED A PERFECT PLACE TO PUT THE RARELY SEEN 3 BARS OF RECEPTION.