Illustration Friday w/e 30/12/2011 - Messenger

This week's submission for Illustration Friday on the theme of "Messenger". A bit rushed this week - this is the first draft, no time to redraw and tweak - but I'm reasonably happy with it. As ever I'd be happy to hear any thoughts or feedback.

Illustration Friday w/e 20/12/2011 - Sink

I've been too busy to manage a drawing for Illustration Friday the past 2 or 3 weeks, but today I've been able to find the time to produce an entry. This week's word/theme is "Sink", which I found a tricky one, particularly as I wanted to get away from the obvious imagery. Let me know what you think.

Shelf's pop-up xmas shop II

So I spent the weekend down at Shelf's Christmas Pop Up Shop where I was "guest shopkeeper" touting my wares. Despite a weird semi-powercut on Saturday afternoon which plunged much of the street into darkness, there was a steady stream of shoppers throughout Saturday and Sunday - along with various friends and acquaintances - and I sold a few prints and my work received many positive comments. Which was nice. A big thanks to all those who dropped by, either to shop or just to chat.

If you've not been down there yet, the shop will be open for just two more days - that's Thursday (22nd) and Friday (23rd) of this week. Loads of great Shelf goodies at a wide range of prices, along with lovely surface design from Hazel Stark and prints from Paul Bommer, Beyond Thrilled and various other printmakers.

McKnight Kauffer - The Poster King

Finally managed to make it to the Edward McKnight Kauffer exhibition at the Estorick Collection in Canonbury Square. I'd been looking forward to it for ages but only today found the time - on the exhibition's final day. (It's a great place, and I can't believe I didn't know of it previously. It also has a decent-looking café serving simple Italian dishes and salads, so I'll definitely be going back).

The exhibition has a wide range of his ground-breaking poster work - both gouache preparatory paintings and final posters - for clients such as London Underground and Shell in the period 1915-1940, and showed clearly how his style was strongly influenced by the art movements of the early 20th century: Fauvism, Constructivism, Vorticism and Art Deco. There's so much strong work that it's hard to argue with the exhibition's title.



It ends on rather a poignant note though, with a single poster illustrating his later career. McKnight Kauffer and his wife returned to his native US during the Second World War, but by all accounts they were absolute Anglophiles and he spent the rest of his life bitterly regretting having left England.

Shelf's pop-up Xmas shop

I'm very chuffed to have been invited to participate in Shelf's pop-up Xmas shop as a featured artist, particularly as I'm in the company of the great Paul Bommer, whose work I've long admired, and designer of lovely knitwear Jo Gordon.

The shop will be in the fantastic studio space of Bold Creative at 13A Boundary Street, London E2, and open between 11am and 7pm on the following dates:

Saturdays 3rd, 10th and 17th
Sundays 4th, 11th and 18th
plus Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd

My work will be available to buy throughout, but I will be "guest artist" (and hence there in person) on 17th and 18th.

Come along, say hello, peruse, admire and buy from Shelf's Noted Gifts and Fineries!

(Further details - and probably some photos - to come...)