Superfex

Kraken

2012-01-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the chaps over at Dead Sea Mob I have recently discovered 'Kraken' Black Spiced Rum. It amazed me that with just one simple product they have managed to expand the range through exquisite illustrative branding to incorporate a whole heap of other delightful trinkets.

I would personally love to deck out a room in my future house in some of this stuff! I especially love the table lamp and the old style book which accompanies the beverage. The consistency in design and colour palette across the entire product range really works and echos quality.

Christmas Card

2011-12-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks at work for Opus Print I created a company christmas card which they sent out to their clients and also some limited edition wine boxes.

The cards doubled as chocolate dispensers as they slotted into the stocking pockets within.

Superfex

Time and Tide

2011-11-18T05:08:00.001-08:00

So that job I applied for, which I talked about In my last post, called back. I have an interview with them 12 days from now. I'm excited! I have also sold the Mini and will be dropping her off to her lovely new owner later today. Tomorrow I am going shopping and then going to Matchams with some friends to watch Banger Racing! Something I haven't done before and I'll no doubt take some pictures to blog.
I have also spent quite a fair amount of time this week drawing up a tattoo for my left thigh whilst watching various movies back to back. Starting with Coraline (Neil Gaiman <3).
Anyway here's the finished design. I have always liked the expression as I am a believer of making your own destiny and sometimes I need a bit of a push.

Superfex

This Week

2011-11-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

I've finally found a job advertisement I'm pretty excited about. It's not often you find something that is so perfect that you literally cannot sit still. I want to run down to head office now and tell them why they should hire me! So fingers crossed. I hope they give me a call back.

This week I am also putting my much loved mini up for sale. There is no reason for me to have two classic cars and I just cant justify spending money on both. So after a little tlc and and a decent photo shoot she will be spammed across the internet and hopefully sold. I will be sad to see her go but I also have huge plans for my truck!

With a little photoshop trickery this is what I want to happen:

Superfex

Stop Motion Sweetheart

2011-11-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

It is becoming increasingly apparent that I actually have a major soft spot for stop motion animation. I'd easily watch an animated film over the latest blockbuster and Coraline is without a doubt one of my all time favourite movies.
Having spent a large proportion of my childhood making things and letting my imagination run riot I believe I have let this spill over to what now seems to feel like a very grown-up lifestyle. I remember making Aardman style rabbits in my first year at uni and also a set where an elephant had turned on a caveman.

It has really start to hit home how much I wish I had waited until now to do a university degree in something I am 100% sure I want to do. I guess I was still far too immature when I set off for what Plymouth had to offer all those years ago. I met some amazing people and learned a lot but I so wish I could start over again at the Bournemouth Arts Institute.

Especially after having spent the last hour on vimeo unearthing stop motion masterieces such as Andrew Robinson's 'Fall' and Kirsten Lepore's 'Bottle'. Alas I could not afford to put myself through college now whilst still paying my rent and bills each month. These are indeed, sad times.

So I've been looking into evening classes at the Art's Institute instead. Unfortunately the spring term is sold out so if I build up the momentum to actually take the course then it will have to be in the summer. I suppose it's not a bad thing that the course is in popular demand. It would be nice to meet some like minded people down this way. People who would rank a creative night in over a drunken night out.

Superfex

The Sailor and The Fisherman

2011-10-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

Today I have just mailed off some snaps of my recently completed submissions to #Offbeige exhibition in Brighton. Hopefully I will find out in the next couple of days whether they are picked to be part of the final collection.

Fingers crossed.

For more pictures and information check out my portfolio on the main part of my website. Or to attend the event click this LINK.

Superfex

Sneaky Peek

2011-10-18T01:25:00.000-07:00

As I'm not very well today, I thought I would take this time to post a very special 'sneaky peek' of a personal project which, I have been working on in the shadows. It's so near completion now that posting a little picture won't do any harm.

Plus the fact you can't really tell what it is other then a piece of fabric in a box.
Today I will also be working on my entries to the #OffBeige exhibition in Brighton next month but more on that another time.
Lastly I got an email the other day informing me that a time, date and venue has finally been confirmed for that 90 Minute Art Auction I did last year for Creative Orchestra. So here's the flyer for that event.

Superfex

Badgers Badgers Badgers

2011-10-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post tonight to share some genius ale branding. Badger Ales have been around for a long time but a couple of the bottles particularly caught my eye amongst the hordes of other competing brands. 'Hopping Hare' and 'Fursty Ferret' were 2 out of the full range of Badger beverages to undergo a complete rebrand in August 2011 by BrandOpus. Although the other designs within the range were well executed, these two were my favourite by far:

They state on their blog;
"We’re really proud to see our redesign of the full range of nine Badger ales hitting the shelves over the forthcoming weeks. Although the beer remains the ale that Badger fans know and love, the redesign has brought to life the proposition of countryside ales through the rural themes of each of the individual beers. The characters aim to hark back to Badger’s Dorset origins, differentiating the brand from the competition."
Although I'm from Somerset and I now live in Dorset (therefore a true south-wester at heart) I've never really been an Ale drinker, but I liked the labels so much that I bought the bottles regardless.
Superfex

Cobble Wobble

2011-10-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

I recently ventured back to my hometown for the third annual 'Cobble Wobble'. A fantastical uphill race between cyclists of all shapes and sizes to be crowned the notorious 'King of the Cobbles'. This was the third consecutive year Frome held the hill-climb up Catherine Hill and the turn out was exceptional.
Amongst the keen racers were also people in fancy dress and game for a laugh. There was a disturbing amount of men dressed as ladies including a slightly worse for wear groom-to-be. Big Bird and El'Cobblo from previous years also made their debuts.

It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon as well as the fact Jame's friend Lewis Lacey totally dominated the score board as was soon crowned king. Unfortunately I was unable to get a picture of him in action as I was using my 35mm camera and he was just too bloody fast!
So here's a picture of the two of them larking about with the tshirt I bought.

I wish the DJ had been better and more pubs were open but I guess you can't have it all.
Superfex

Tiki

2011-07-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the 'Tiki' piece I recently completed to fill a gap on my wall. I only intend to print it for this purpose but if anyone fancies one then I'll get some printed on request. I'm off for a nice summery BBQ in Bournemouth now. Hoorah! I will be incapacitated until tomorrow morning now so have a good evening everyone!

Superfex

Nobrow

2011-07-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

I received my comics from Nobrow Press today and I must admit the quality is even better then it looks on screen and I thought that impossible.

I bought Ouroboros by Ben Newman and Hildafolk by Luke Pearson. I love the simple vector shapes and characters of Newman's work but I must admit I've had my eye on Hildafolk for quite some time now.

I will have to do a proper blog post about Pearson's work in the next few days but if you are really keen to see what the big deal is just click on the link above.
Superfex

A whole lot'a Rods

2011-06-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I visited Beaulieu motor museum for a 'Hot Rod' and 'American Muscle Car' show. It was a little pricey for what was actually there but I did take some cracking shots of some really beautiful hot rods. I will own one sometime in the far distant future but for now here are my favourites of the day.

Although the weather was pretty terrible it did make for some pretty atmospheric photography. Plus there was free bumper cars! What more could you want?

Superfex

New Studio Space

2011-06-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Whey! I have a new studio space all set up complete with foamex cut-outs of my logo and the one and only Barnaby Bluefuzz (courtesy of Opus Screenprint). He looks like he's about to pillage my kitchen hah.
I will hopefully be buying a new car this week so I can then shift the last bits and pieces down from my old house. Not to mention all the road-trips!
Superfex

Paulton's Park

2011-06-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

The other day I went with my boyfriend and some friend's to Paulton's Park to visit Peppa Pig Land for their daughter, Lilly's 3rd birthday. It was actually pretty good despite the rather miserable weather! Everything was super bright and colourful everywhere you looked. Lilly absolutely loved it and it was great to see such a big smile on her face, especially when she 'met Peppa'.

I managed to snap quite a few pictures of her enjoying the day. I'm actually quite proud of one particular shot where I just managed to capture a special moment between her and her mum.

If you have little ones and live in the area you should definitely check it out! The only let down was that the characters were pretty fenced off from the kids so you couldn't get a decent shot with them. Other then that it was worth every penny.
Superfex

HOME SWEET HOME

2011-05-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, after lugging box after box up far too many flights of stairs and pottering all over the south-west ferrying furniture from A to B, I am at last, settled in to my new flat. It's lovely and cosy with plenty of room for my 'studio' area and lots of evening light pouring in through the french doors. I have spent most of the day framing various prints and hammering in picture hooks.
So I thought I'd use this time to update my blog with some pictures of my Cowboy vs Indians prints and get them up in my SHOP incase anyone else fancies one.

Catkin

Diego

Now all I need to do is get Virgin round and fork out for a nice big samsung telly! Happy days!
Superfex

Sleepy Sunday

2011-03-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Afternoon all. I apologise for the long break in posts but I am currently staying at a place with no internet whilst I wait to move in to the new house. I think I'll end up buying one of those pay as you go internet dongles if it gets too much! I'm also without the Mini for a week so I am feeling a little dependant/restricted which, aren't my favourite words. But once I've moved into the new place and settled a little I promise to unleash the whirlwind of creativity that's pent up inside me.

For the moment I leave you with a tattoo design I'm working on for my friend Rich. He likes what I've done so far but it needs a little more work before it's done.

I'm also currently reading lot's of Neil Gaiman books. He is the writer behind the films Stardust and the more recent Coraline which, happens to be one of my favourites! If you like fantasy stories then he is well worth a read! I also have started to collect his series of short stories but I am such a slow reader that I haven't even opened them.
Back to work tomorrow and I'm certainly starting to get that family feeling. I'll try and sneak a photo of the finished 'Cars 2' feature wall with all it's lights and animated parts working.
Superfex

Grimm Ales

2011-03-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

I don't even like ale/lager but I might consider drinking it if all the packaging was like this!

Superfex

Mountains of Knitwear

2011-03-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

I wish I owned this swanky little number!

Joanne Hawker

2011-03-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to spare the odd five minutes to feature someone who is usually doing the 'featuring'. She is very talented and hardworking illustrator by the name of Joanne Hawker. As a recent graduate in Graphic Communication Joanne continues to bring a series of imaginative concepts to the creative table and executes them with the highest quality. Her work is often overflowing with original thinking, creative imagination and good old-fashioned fun! Please make sure you browse through her portfolio by clicking her name above. Not only does her highly thoughtful and polished design for print work continue to inspire me but the sheer commitment to her blog and the illustrative community really encourages me to make more of an effort. That alone, I am grateful for!

Here are my two favourite projects of hers are a set of four christmas cards featuring birds you would find in a typical English back garden.

“Each card comes with a small packet of seeds with the hope that the recipient maybe encouraged to feed the birds through the harsh winter months. On the reverse of the packets is a small list which informs the viewer of other foods or left-overs they can give to the birds without costing them any money.”

And secondly is a project called Forest Foragers. It comes in the form of an informative yet entertaining educational guide for children in the hope to encourage visits to local woodland areas where they can explore and learn about the wonders of nature.

“The pack includes various activity cards, collection box, magnifying glass and bug catching pot to encourage the children to learn through play. This pack would be available to families with young children through libraries, schools and from the Forest Foragers website.”

Superfex

Colour Me Totem

2011-03-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Evening, I just thought I'd draw your attention to a little competition being held over at Inkygoodness at the moment. So head over there, download the template, customise and submit!

"Inkygoodness will soon be heading to Berlin to present their first international exhibition ‘Character Totem’, part of the official Pictoplasma Character Walk.

Uniting the talents of over 35 illustrators & artists from across the UK & Europe, the artwork of customised wooden Totems will be created in the coming weeks, by groups of artists across the country. Kicking off in London on Saturday 19th February, the Inkygoodness Character Totem Live Draw tour will also visit venues in Bristol and Manchester over the next few weeks.

Resulting artworks will be exhibited for 1 week as part of the official Pictoplasma Character Walk in Berlin this April at the Neurotitan Gallery. The best entries from the ‘Colour Me Totem’ competition will also be on display at the exhbition.

The Character Totem Exhibition will also feature customised Totems by Felt Mistress, Loulou and Tummie, Michelle Turton, Mr the Beef and Liam Barrett, in addition to a special Totem themed animation by Brucey Art.”

For anyone who's interested the new job is going well so far and I’m finding the very early starts surprisingly easy considering I’m really not the early bird sort. I haven't really had much time to myself as of late, especially as I'm also looking for a new place to live as well but more about that later on. So bare with me and my fairly erratic posts/general ramblings...

Superfex

Mister Millerchip

2011-03-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

I came across this project illustrated by the wonderful Mister Millerchip a few months ago and have been meaning to post it up here. Not only do I love his black and white style (as most of you know I'm a huge fan of contrast) but also the way he has balanced his characters with text on such an unusual template to create something really special.

"Big Scary Monsters Records hits the 100-release milestone with 'Partied Hard', a DVD / CD double pack that celebrates all their wonderful bands and I was very lucky to have been asked to come up with the albums artwork. I was sent a the most amazing template to work on. A pop up album that was designed by ACD-Sleeve."

Make sure you check out his live art and window display projects. He is definitely one to watch!

Good Habits

2011-02-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

So two days in a row huh? This is pretty good going for me. I've had a pretty average day with not much happening in it so I leave you with a rather humorous but entirely true piece of motivational advice.

No idea who it's by but I'd love to do something silly like this. Hmm....

A Mountain Lullaby

2011-02-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon all,
I know I have been letting my posting slip lately but I will do what I can to change this from now on. It doesn't take very long to just post a little something so I need to give myself a kick up the derriere.
Lately I have been working my socks & gloves off to not only fund the work i'm doing on my car for it's looming MOT but also to fund the long awaited move to the coast! Yes, that's right, come this May I am actually taking a dive and moving to Bournemouth! I can't wait!
I also have my Cowboy vs Indian prints now but I need to take some decent photos of them before I am willing to flog them in my shop. This is particularly tricky as the light tends to have faded by the time I get home. I'm sure there will be another post when I actually manage to shoot something I'm happy with.

Anyway, to the point of this post. In the past I have produced work for the charity 'We Heart Arts' and now I would like to take a moment to show you their new venture:
"Our next big project is the one you see before you now "A Mountain Lullaby" a children's book based on the song of the same name by our good friend and longtime We Heart Arts supporter Jordan o' Jordan. This project cannot happen without your help though, We Heart Arts has always worked hard to make sure that you get something back for your donations and"A Mountain Lullaby" is no different. Even at the most basic level of donation you will get your own copy of this book (and at the highest level of donation you get an iPod).
The best part about this project however is that for every ten books sold we will donate a copy of the book for free to a school."
In order to make this project happen they are looking to raise a grand total of £500 and this my friend, is where YOU come in!
To see what goodies you can purchase to raise money then please click HERE.
Time for my Sunday roast. I love England!
Superfex

Outer Space

2011-01-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

Originally I designed this little guy for Sourjelly but as the project never really got past the design stage I've decided to put it up for the vote over at Lafraise.com. Any comments, votes, pre-orders or general love will be greatly appreciated!
CLICK
On another note Cowboy vs Indian prints will be made early February so keep an eye out for those :)
Superfex

Diego

2010-12-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

Evening all!
I proudly present to you 'Diego' my cowboy counterpart to 'Catkin' (posted earlier). I'm sure everyone is aware of the ancient conflict between Cowboys & Indians. So the diptych created by the two parts should be pretty self explanatory. I've used the same colour palette as before to create some coherence between the two as well. Prints will be available after christmas via my web-store.

Superfex

More Christmassy things

2010-12-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

Heres a few bits a pieces from todays adventures. Firstly another tilt-shift picture but this time of the publisher's I work at. I actually love how sneaky this phone is to use especially when I shouldn't be using it ;).

Next we have the annual visit from Santa complete with sleigh and reindeer. It's all good fun and raises lots of money for various projects around Frome.

Lastly I have just made some christmas cupcakes to give to my work colleagues tomorrow as it will be the last time I see some of them until 2011! With a little help from the legend that is Merry Berry I must say I got the sponge just right and found some cute decorations in town to go one top. NOM!

Just about ready for bed now though, I'm pooped.
Superfex

Ammo Magazine Goodies

2010-12-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one evening, I know it's crazy! But so many good things have arrived through the post this morning that I feel the need to upload it all before bed. If you remember a couple of weeks ago I posted up a piece called 'Catkin' which, I made for Ammo Magazine Issue 5. Well now it's ok folks for the tiny sum of five british pound. Bargain right?!

That's my little Catkin on page 15! Now all I need is Issue 3 and I'm up to date with my collection. I really do highly recommend Ammo to anyone who appreciates not only the amount of illustration bursting off the pages but also to those who love to see a nicely presented and printed magazine. Beautiful stuff! Props to Dave Hughes for sorting me with a copy.

Superfex

AIWFCC Update

2010-12-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Got my pack of christmas cards through the post today courtesy of Mr Ben Steers! As I have mentioned before I was one of 20 illustrators to design a christmas card to raise money for Young Bristol.

They are bound to be low on stock so get your pack quick before the snow sets in and the yetis steal them. Just click HERE.
Above is my card in the flesh. I'm really happy with how they turned out! Below are a few of photographs I took during my time at the exhibition held last month. I managed to take a sneaky shot of the exhibition space before it started filling with people.

Lastly is a some amazing live art created at the event by Iain Sellar (who I will probably feature on here in the coming week) and the equally talented Tim Miness.

Superfex

Christmas came early this year

2010-12-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

So on Saturday I went to Trowbridge with my Dad to pick up my Iphone4. I took out a contract with O2 and the one off phone cost was my christmas present this year from the parents. Before I had been using a defunct Motorola Razr that had a broken camera and couldn't send or receive picture messages. After just a couple of days I am truly head over heals and could never go back.
So like all other iphone users I got straight onto setting up my networking sites and downloading aps.
As I am currently working away in my 'creative grotto' i thought I'd take advantage of the camera and a tlit-shift ap I downloaded. I know it can be a bit of a 'one trick wonder' much like using a fisheye lens but nether-the-less I enjoy the results.

Superfex.

Snow Ho Ho

2010-12-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Some people LOVE the snow. My car on the other hand, bloody HATES it! ha ha

So as most of the UK has noticed recently, the heavens have opened their icy gates and showered us with it's flakey dandruff. I'm not going to even attempt to negotiate the slalom that is my road off the housing estate. Guaranteed write-off for a car like mine should something bad happen. And by the abundance of random cars randomly strewn all over the road mixed with many a patch of that illusive black ice and my general 'bad luck' at the moment, something bad would definitely happen!

Today I am gladly not making the brisk 30 minute walk in this crisp weather to my place of work which, happens to be just as cold. The small rotating heater which supplies four of us with a minute amount of warmth is surely on it's last legs and no matter how many layers you wrap yourself up in you still feel like you're nose is about to fall off.

But today I am home, in the warmth, listening to A Day To Remember's new album whilst working on my little Indian's counterpart. Above is a picture of the park opposite my house. I called it 'the green' as a kid though that doesn't really seem fitting at the moment.

Tomorrow evening I have my first ever work christmas meal and then I'm hoping (weather permitting) to go to Bournemouth on Sunday to visit the other half and possibly go see HP7.

Superfex.

Catkin

2010-11-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

I should really be in bed asleep ready for work tomorrow but instead I am updating my portfolio and blog. I spent this weekend with friends in both Frome and Bournemouth. Cooking enchiladas, drinking milkshake and generally hibernating before driving for 5 hours to pick up my car. So pleased to have her back but she definitely needs to be faster!

Anyway the point of this post is to upload an illustration I did recently for Ammo Magazine. Catkin is the title of the piece and also the name of the character.
I'm thinking of making into a diptych by creating a cowboy to mirror my indian. Maybe with a pistol or even a lasso!
I'll post up some more information when the magazine is published.
Superfex

Pieces of Eight

2010-11-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last week saw the Launch of Versus, Volume 1. A collection of 13 south-west Illustrators who came together to create a pack of playing cards. I was fortunate enough to be one of the lucky 13 so I thought I'd upload some pictures. The cards themselves and quality A6 prints are now available over at the Versus website.

I'm currently working on a little illustration for the fifth issue of Ammo Magazine. I'll share that with you tomorrow though.
Superfex.

Just A Quick Update

2010-11-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

Afternoon all,
Like the title suggests this is just a quick update to say that :
Firstly the AIWFCC Launch night was a huge success and I met some amazing people. I'll post up my design and some photographs from the event when I receive my card pack.
Secondly I will be in the next issue of Ammo Magazine (number 5) so look out for that.
Thirdly I will now be interviewing various talented people over at Just Us Collective as well as writing for their blog.

Lastly ... my badges have arrived! Just in time for the launch as well. Super happy with them and 38mm was definitely the right choice. Props to Awesome Merchandise for hooking me up.
Superfex

All I Want For Christmas ... Cards

2010-11-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Evening PRESENTS...

The All I want for Christmas cards project is an annual festive project in support of the Bristol based charity “Young Bristol”. Now into its second collection the project brings together 20 illustrators from around the country whose specific works for the project have been used to create a limited edition collection of Christmas cards that will be sold as packs containing each of the 20 cards.

Collection 2 launches 4th November 2010 at The White Bear, Bristol with special guest artists and DJ’s and a live charity auction. For more information on the night please click HERE.

Here is the original artwork I made to go towards the charity art auction. Winter Warmers is a 12x10" watercolour/fineliner on 300gsm watercolour paper and will be auctioned off to raise funds for Young Bristol at 8pm tomorrow.

If you can make it along to the show then I look forward to meeting you. I will have a snazzy name tag around my neck so you'll be able to spot me if you don't already know what my mug looks like.

Superfex

New Work

2010-10-02T04:49:00.000-07:00

Afternoon blog browsers,

My website is currently being updated with lovely new work I've done over the last month but whilst thats happening I thought I'd at least put it up here.

I'll go from newest to oldest so the 'fresh' stuff is at the top.

I recently produced four designs for the eights in a pack of playing cards. I mentioned the Versus project a while ago I think further down this blog but for those who may not have seen it you can find out more about the project HERE. I went for the theme 'Pieces of Eight' (nice and piratey) haha and based each character on the suit of the card.

There will be an exhibition in Bristol to mark the launch of the project but I'll update you with details of that when I know more.

Next is my contribution to the ‘Squiddles Exhibition’ organized by Matt Daniels in memory of his girlfriend, Emma Wilkinson who tragically passed away. Emma was a huge fan of cats and sailors thus creating the theme of the event. We were given a strict colour palette to stick to and were asked to create an A3 poster to be exhibited at the Walrus Bar in Manchester on the 18^th September 2010.

Lastly I was recently interviewed by the lovely people behind Babyboss Magazine for their Character Design Issue, (Volume 03 Edition 14, Sep/Nov 2010).

Take it easy,

Superfex

CAP Magazine Self Publishing Editorial

2010-09-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up a copy of Computer Arts Magazine so I could photograph my first ever editorial spread. I'm so pleased with how it came out and I've had a lot of positive feedback from the piece. I was contacted by Art Editor, Alan Wardle of CAP Mag to produce 4 characters that show the process of a self-publicated magazine.

Each character represents each part of the self-publishign process: Concept & Design, Print & Crop, BInd & Finish, Pack & Send.

The Issue shown above (Issue 141, October 2010) is now available in most high street newsagents.

Goodnight,

Superfex

Jim Tierney

2010-09-10T03:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I stumbled across the Jules Verne Book Cover Series by Jim Tierney. I am absolutely blown and by the sheer excellence of these books and the amount of quality and thought put into each one to make them truly unique!

I find myself looking at the pictures over and over, each time with more fascination and intrigue. Luckily Jim has provided a link to an article which, goes on to show the thought and design process he took through annotated scribbles and sketchbooks. Pure inspiration candy for anyone into imaginative book design or just beautiful illustration!

I could write an essay on this collection of book designs but it would probably be a better use of your time if you just took a look for yourselves.

Here is the link to Jim's WEBSITE and to the 'making-of' ARTICLE. All very useful stuff to any creative designer. Enjoy!

Have a good weekend,

Superfex

I love lists...

2010-08-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

Super busy at the moment with freelance work and trying to move to Bournemouth. I'm currently working on a editorial illustration for Computer Arts Projects Magazine which, has been a blast and certainly has racked up my hours spent in Illustrator. All I can say is it's a good job I have a tablet and am a patient person when needs be.

I will put said work up on here and my website when I get the go ahead to do so. I've been thinking about what I could spend the money on and my choices are as follows:

1 - Cinema Display

2 - Batch of Superfex Tees

3 - 2 Colour Printing Press

4 - Kit my new flat out with decent Furniture

If I got a printing press I would make the money back and that goes for the tees too. But I also really want my new flat to be nicely furnished and cosy as it helps me work. The Cinema Display is just because I've always wanted one to go with my MBP.

But right now I need to get back to work. I have a few interviews lined up so hopefully a job to pay the bills will be sorted soon. Other then that I went to a wedding with my other half last weekend. We were going to see the Bournemouth Air Show this weekend but the weather is pretty dastardly!

Oh and before I forget, I got a stamp made up a couple of weeks ago so and letters or parcels that I send out will now be adorned with some funky ink. It also happens to be my new logo.

Take it easy,

Superfex

Creative Orchestra 90 Minute Art

2010-08-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

I was approached by a lovely lady from Creative Orchestra recently. I was asked to draw for 90 minutes around the theme of “celebrating life, everyday, everywhere, responsibly”. The challenge was to make a subtle connection between the alcoholic beverage sponsor and my artwork without promoting underage drinking.

I restricted myself to creating each character based on a particular bottle within the sponsor's brand. I did this purely by colour palette in order to sustain the subtle influence the client asked for whilst also complying to the set brief and it's rules.

I had to take photos or screenshots every 10 minutes to be used for the website when it's launched. The print will be on show in London at some point, I am yet to be given the details but it will be entered into a blind auction to raise money for UNICEF.
It will also be made into a large vinyl sticker to be displayed in the sponsor's box at Manchester United Football Club’s Old Trafford Stadium.
I've posted up a image of the drinks I used to determine colour palette for each corresponding character.

I've just got back from Retro Rides at the weekend. My friend Oli (far right) managed to get a trophy for his 'hard-slammed' mk1 golf. It's about time he won something, his car is insane! I need to post more pictures from what I get up to and whatnot rather then just constantly posting work. Breaks it up a little. I'll get on that tomorrow. But right now my bed is calling.
Goodnight All.

New Website!

2010-07-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to let you guys know that the new site is finally live! You might have found my blog via the site so you'll already know but for those who are only just finding out, please go have a look.

Goodnight,
Superfex

Barnaby Bluefuzz

2010-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Evening bloggers,
I've just got back from a weekend of camping up at Santapod for Bugjam'24. It was full of beautiful beetles and campers. Makes me even more determined to get a bug sooner rather then later. Not to replace the mini of course. My other half took his MK1 Golf on the drag strip and I took a couple rolls of film so I'll need to get those developed asap.

In other news I thought I'd post up my character, Barnaby Bluefuzz, who I designed for this month's Computer Arts Magazine cover. I've finally acquired myself a copy so I took a few photographs.

My ugly mug was also in the 'Big Question' section.

Take it easy,
Superfex

It's all go around here.

2010-07-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update before I snuggle up to a well deserved pirate movie. I seem to have a major thing for pirates and mythical sea beasts. I've not really noticed it before but they crop up in a lot of my work.
The website is so near release it's actually frustrating. Just waiting on a couple of testimonials from respected clients and directors. And then my trusty developer friend will finish it all off. I'm so pleased with it!

I have just been asked to sort out a ten page spread for Babyboss Magazine which, is obviously amazing news as well as take part in the 'Versus' Project. I will be designing four of the fifty-two cards found in a standard pack of cards. These will be combined with the other designer's cards to make a complete pack that will then be sent out to various prestigious design companies in the hope of 'getting spotted'.

Lastly I'm off to Santapod with my boyfriend this weekend to go to Bugjam. It's essentially a VW enthusiast's festival run over a weekend with lots of events, shows, music and comedy. It's the first time I've been camping with him and the nearest thing I've had to a holiday in a long time so I'm pretty excited. As it will be mostly men talking about cars I think I'll take my sketchbook along too!
Goodnight,
Superfex

Nettie

2010-07-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just a really quick post from me today. I got my Mini back today with all new brakes and I made this birthday card for my boyfriend's mum, Nettie. I'm also making her a canvas for her new flat as she mentioned she wanted things to brighten it up. If that doesn't come under my job description then I don't know what does. Click the picture for full view.

Have a nice evening,
Superfex.

Stickers

2010-07-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

In the process of making a new website with the help of my friend Saul. Thought I'd take some photos of my stickers out in the world rather then just a pile of them sat on my desk.

I've put a lot of effort into making this website the best it can be so I can't wait to release it.

Good evening,

Superfex

My Workspace

2010-07-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Pretty self-explanitory to be honest. Thought some people may be interested to see where I work most late nights and weekends. I know I love to see other people's work stations so here you go. ...Oh and before I forget the new website is coming along nicely and should be up on the 15th July if not before.

Have a nice weekend,
Superfex

Summer Exhibitions

2010-07-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post up the flyers for some upcoming exhibitions I hope to attend. Two of which are happening at my friend Ryan's new gallery space at Iksentrik in Bath. The last one is a showcase of another mate of mine's work. You can check Squink's stuff out by clicking HERE.

Enjoy the your BBQ's, Beach Trips and Icecreams,
Superfex

I Love Post

2010-06-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love buying things on eBay then forgetting that you have and it just appears on your doorstep as you get home from a tiring day at work!

Green is the new addition to my Pete Fowler collection. I nearly have all the woodland series 1 and 2 now. I have a Deadwood on the way too.
I also thought the label on the package was very clever. It had been made to look like a stamp.

On another note, keep an eye out for the next Computer Arts Projects Magazine coming out on the 15th July as I landed a spot on the cover spread. I will probably post another entry about that when I've received my copy.
Good day all,
Superfex

All Business

2010-06-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Finally got my act together and ordered some business cards.
It's an odd sensation, having something so formal when I'm just a regular chip off the old block.
Anyway they look nice and I can exchange them with other artists and potential clients so it's all good networking.

It's late, Goodnight all.

Shirley Creamhorn & Shithawk

2010-06-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Evening All,
Just a quick late night post to share these lovely ladies with you all. Gavin Strange aka Jamfactory has been a huge hero to me over the years. Not only does he have wicked skills in pretty much every creative area that i'm interested in. But he also works for the legendary Aardman Animations which, has been a dream of mine for some time.

Anyway getting back on point. Whilst his Droplet series 1 & 2 remain a huge success. Gavin has also teamed up with Alex Avelino of 'big spoon toys' to bring you a limited collection of hand-painted toys.

They haven't been released yet but I'm definitely going to grab a couple.

Ink Stains

2010-05-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Long time no update. This seems to be a reoccurring thing. Mainly because sometimes I don't feel like I have anything to say. I'm always updating my dailybooth but it's more personal then 'Superfex'.

Anyway I've had a bit of a lull in inspiration and motivation to draw recently. I left university and moved back home. I think things just got a little out of control and at the time this seemed like the right thing to do. But the creative block followed me.

I'm now getting back into the swing of things. I'm drawing again and collecting pictures and books that inspire me. I'm hoping to turn my garage into a print studio soon and set up a little business. Not just printing my own gear but other people's as well.

I'm hoping to pick up a camera more too and maybe purchase a studio lighting set-up. Who knows, I might end up being a one-stop-shop for band merch and promo haha.

I've just ordered some business cards and I've got a new, cleaner website underway.

My friend Tony from www.weheartarts.com just sent me a picture from his phone of the banner I designed him a few months back. I had originally made it for a festival that got cancelled so I'm well chuffed it's getting some air.

During my time at Uni my friend's have really got me into tattoo style illustration so I think it influences a lot of my drawings these days. Valerie Vargas is currently my favourite tattoo artist. I'd love to have something done by her. I leave you with some lovely tattoos. Enjoy!

Snowbound

2010-01-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello,
I'm currently still in Frome as it's covered in snow and none of the roads here have been cleared.
We're also supposed to have another ft of snow tonight!

I love the snow when there is people about to hang out with but when you're on your own for the majority of the day it sucks. Then again it has given me time to work (and spend a fortune on ebay, oops).
My Sister made me an awesome top for Christmas. The day itself was pretty lame. Broke all of our traditions but I did get some pretty lovely gifts. I was more excited about the day the snow came then Christmas day itself. Shame my boyfriend didn't show the same enthusiasm and hated being woken up by me bouncing off the walls hehe.

New Year's was much better. I stayed at Drew's house in Bournemouth for a few days. Went shopping, ate tons of sweets and met his friends/family. Then we came back to my house and spent a week together here playing in the snow and snuggling up next to the fire until we could feel out toes again hah.

I've just ordered some new stickers as I'm pretty much sold out of 'Deer' ones now. Can't wait for the Postman to hand them over. I'm thinking of releasing some shirts when my new website is done too so I made a little mock-up of that too.

That's all from me for today,

Take it easy.

Winter's Here

2009-12-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Man I need to give myself a royal boot up the ass! It's been a whole month since I last posted. I have no excuse as I now have a lovely portable macbookpro. It's crazy how much it's changed my life haha, that's quite sad but oh so very true!
Anyways, I've been busy! I had to give a presentation on 'Gothic Art and It's Influences'. I got to cover film and animation so lots of Henry Selick and Tim Burton. LOVELY. I think it went well, I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I would be!
I'm working on a new uni project now. An adaptation of the classic fairytale, Cinderella. But I'm using pirates :) I'm hoping I can incorporate some tattoo-style work, but we'll see.

I received an email from 247 Magazine a couple of weeks ago asking for an illustration to go on the contents page of the south-west and wales editions. I didn't want to use something I had already done so we discussed a 'festive' brief similar to the cushion cover I did a while back.

It turns out they liked it so much it got used for the cover! As you can imagine I was quite surprised and spent most of that day bouncing off the walls. Here's what it looks like. My friend NailbombTom told me there are stacks of them in HMV so i'm going to pick up a bunch tomorrow.
On another note, I've recently donated a screen print to DAHRA/Play.Create. exhibition in London on the 15th of December. It's up for auction online alongside some top artists. So if you're in the area drop by or check this LINK.

One more week until I get to go home and see my family, boyfriend and friends back there. My brother's got me a HD Camcorder for christmas so expect some crazy videos from then on.

It's now 4:31am! I need to crack on with some more work before a power nap then head on into the screen printing studio.
Goodnight x

Remember Remember

2009-11-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Wow its November already! Time is going so fast. I haven’t blogged in a while but that doesn't mean I haven’t tried. My internet connection has been a little dodgy as of late, not to mention Firefox crashing every hour.

But here I am, finally. Apparently nothing can go smoothly in my life at the moment. I've been caught up in such a horrendous shit-storm of a situation recently that getting my MacBookPro this Sunday is a much needed silver lining!

I don't feel like writing much today so here are a bunch of pictures to look at instead. If you guys are on dailybooth.com then come find me on there.

Here is my studio space at Uni. I'm half way through painting a vampire girl on the end wall. My best mate Bex sits behind me so we bought fairy lights, Halloween bunting and corner shelves to put up. Cosy!

My Dad just bought a new car. I love it but the fact we, as a family, now own 7 cars when only me and my Dad drive is ridiculous! Even more so when my car is currently off the road in need of a new clutch. Poor Magpie.

I have seriously messed up my body clock again. Back to the good old days. Today I have been working on Sourjelly shirt designs. I've got two down and have ideas for two more as well. Here's a teaser:

Do you ever feel like you're alone in this world? Not the best note to end my blog on but when night falls and the lights of houses slowly dimmer into pitch black I often sit here and think about the exact same things.
Goodnight.

Plymouth

2009-09-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hey,
So I'm back in Plymouth for my second year of Uni. The new house is sick! I managed to pack the car, drive down, shop and unpack entirely all in one day. Granted I then passed out on my bed. All it needs now is pictures on the walls and it's done. Freshers week starts Monday but i don't go back until the week after. No doubt I'll be about though, setting up our studio and printing various bit and pieces.
Last night I was missing home slightly. Now there's something I thought I'd never say! But I realise now that some friendships have definitely strengthened over the summer. So I opened illustrator and worked for a good 8 hours, maybe more but I chilled out on the roof terrace with my housemates for a bit.
So yeah I've finished my cushion cover for TheDirtyCream. I sent off the jpegs this morning for approval so I'm just waiting on an email back really. Can't wait to see them printed up. I will have to put up some pictures when my free sample arrives.

Front half:

Back half:

In other news, I have a MacBookPro on the way :D Yes, I am finally making the switch from PC! Though she has served me well this past 5/6 years she can no longer cope with my demands. Sourjelly will also be happening this year and I'm not just saying that this time as i now have financial backing! I love organising things so looking at label manufacturers and making mock-up promotional gear has been fun! Although I feel sorry for the abundance of questions I have asked my potential screen printer this week. I will be using American Apparel, although they are not on the cheap side, I know the quality is top notch and the girl's range fits well. I will put up the link to the website when it's finished. There will be a forum on there for people to converse, find out about competitions and grab free stuff! I will also be making video updates to coincide with the blog. I just hope my Somerset accent doesn't peak through too much! :)
Right I'm off to get a bit more work done before I crack open the Spanish peach schnapps (thanks to jess' mum) out on the roof. Then I think a trip to the 'Scholar' is in order.
Bye xx

I'll have a 99' please...

2009-09-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Evening all,
Sorry once again for the lapse in blog updates. I've been otherwise engaged with the recent tragic passing of my gran. Her funeral was held on Friday and naively, i thought I'd be ok as i like to think I'm quite a strong person. I was wrong.
Now things have settled a little i can get back to work, though i am moving back to Plymouth this weekend! I can't wait to reunited with friends and shakeaway! Haha.
Funeral aside it's not been a bad start to the week. I've met some really nice people as of late. I hope these friendships continue to blossom!
I've finished one side of the cushion cover for The Dirty Cream and I'll be starting the other tomorrow whilst packing my life away. Here's a sneaky peek of the lineart for the back half:
Take it easy folks,
You only get one shot at life so enjoy it,
Superfex

R.I.P

2009-08-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

To the best gran in the world. I love you and I'll miss you deeply. You will always be in my heart.
I'm not a religious person but i hope there is a better place after this world. All i can do is hope.

Whopper!

2009-08-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd upload a little something i finished last night:
Here is my banner design for the 'We Heart Arts' stage at 'Whatever the Weather' BMX and Music Festival that's happening September 6th at Salisbury.
It may look small now but it's actually 10 x 4ft! By far the biggest canvas I've ever had to work on and i can't wait to see it up on display! You can see I've adapted it for my blog header too, lovely!
If you fancy joining me for a cider then click the link above to find out more about the event.

Oh did i mention it's FREE!

Also here's the link to my Flickr if you want to see a better picture of it.
Cheers,
Superfex

Free at Last

2009-08-20T03:49:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Geeks and Dorks alike!
I will tell you why I'm in SUCH a good mood. I get the keys to my new house on Thursday and I quit my job today! Yes, I'm free! Free to draw my heart out which, if i say so myself, has been long overdue.
I currently have 10ft x 4ft banner to finish off today, then my lafraise design which, is about 65% complete then a stack of uni work and i finally have an idea for the cushion cover i was asked to do a while back. By this time next week, maybe give or take a couple of days, all of that will be done!

Follow me on twitter if you like - Clicky

I went into town the other day for a well earned hair cut and nose piercing and came back with these lovely things:
They look SO good! I might have to go back to get the matching teapot just because it's so awesome. I can't wait to put all this crap in my new bedroom and make it my new cave of super happy bright colourful things!

That's all i have to say for now, except check out the collective a couple of friends set up a while back, it's packed with inspirational pieces. JustUs Collective
Have a good day guys,
Superfex

Book Dragon

2009-08-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

Evening Bloggers,
Firstly I'd like to say the gap in blog posts is not (for once) because i forgot about it but actually because I've been working so much recently i have nothing to blog about. Personally i don't know how people do it, 8am - 4pm everyday is bad enough but 10 or 12 hour shifts on a daily basis are just plain EVIL!
This makes me even more determined to make my way into the illustration industry There's no way i want to end up with a mundane day to day job! Yes it might be reliable and bring in the cash but for me that doesn't justify putting up with something i hate doing day after day! I'm just glad i don't have that much longer to go before i head back to sunny Plymouth, hopefully with my paycheck and one of these bad boys under my arm:
Anyway rant over...
I have some pretty HUGE stuff in the pipeline. Who would of thought a cheesy antiques television programme of all things could inspire such a 'breakthrough' project!
That's all I'm going to say on that front at the moment until i organise a few key components.

I have the day off tomorrow, yes! So i'll most likely spend it in the sun, drawing and finishing off various illustrations that have backed up on my desktop. Best of all i don't have to get up at half six in the morning!
Here's a current work in progress so that this post is not entirely useless:
Have fun in the sun guys but don't burn your face,
Superfex

No Voice

2009-07-29T01:32:00.000-07:00

Morning bloggers!
What an eventful few days. I woke up on Sunday with very little voice! It just disappeared and i can't work out how or why. It's gradually coming back but it made working a 12 hour shift on Monday very difficult. Not to mention all the guys taking the piss out of me haha, cheers Dave!
Yesterday i had to travel down to Plymouth to put a deposit on a new student house.
This is Jess. One of my best mates and my new roomie! Shes a photography student but she also dabbles in illustration. I can't wait to move in! We have so many crazy plans. There will be four other tenants in the house but i haven't met them yet. Most people look concerned when i tell them this but I'm quite excited by the whole thing.

The journey down to Plymouth was a mission in itself. Usually it takes just over two hours to get there from Frome but this time my dad decided to take my brother's car. A car that had never driven that far before. What a bloody awful idea! Firstly a bit of the guard underneath the engine snapped off on the motorway and dragged along the ground. Luckily my dad is a bit of a handyman and managed to use a toggle from his coat to fix it! haha but we literally drove a couple of miles before a warning light came on and the car started to misfire! Consequently we had to call the AA out to have a look. We waited an hour before anyone turned up and even then they just said it was a 'computer' problem and fixed it within minutes!
I missed my scheduled viewing of the house but luckily the landlord is awesome and showed me round when i eventually got to Plymouth.

This is our roof terrace, you can see the sea!

That ordeal combined with my throat infection (I'm guessing that's what it is) put me in a very zombified state by the time we went shopping and i slept the entire car journey home. BUT I have a house!!! Yay!
I also checked my emails to find a very nice message from the people at Babyboss Magazine who want to interview me and showcase my work in their next issue! So i quickly forgot about the previous drama.

Ok so here's some more work from me lately. I've finished off a flyer design for a fresher's party I'm organising. I though it might be nice for the first years to get to know not only the other years of their course but also students from other courses such as Graphics, 3D Design and Photography as we tend to cross over quite a lot. I know i wish i had this opportunity at the start of my first year so that is why I'm making it happen.

(Details are yet to be confirmed).

I also finished another drawing i found on my hard-drive along with 'Mr Ray'. This is 'Rocketcat', I drew this during some lecture back in my first term. I guess i let my mind wander a bit.
Now i have to draw lots of sweets packets and a submission for Lafraise's 15K contest.
Have a nice day guys,
Superfex

Old Flames

2009-07-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

I promised myself i would keep this blog fresh so here's some new work from yours truly. I've just had a delectable lemon bakewell! I kid, no need to worry, it is about art.

First up is Mr Ray!
I drew him quite some time ago now but have only just found him sitting on my hard drive. The story behind this image goes a bit like this.
Last year i moved into a rather shabby flat overlooking a car garage and roundabout in St Judes, Plymouth. I would often sit in my big comfy armchair which, i had pushed into the bay window for a more appetising view whilst carrying out my day to day duties online. Ray Phillips Cars was situated directly opposite me and i would always think to myself, what a small rounded, big headed man!
He almost looked like he should topple over in even the slightest of breezes. Plymouth is quite a windy place at times, being on the coast and all. He must have some super-power that keeps him from falling. One day i decided to draw him, thus a super hero was born, in the form of MR RAY! See how it sounds like mystery, clever stuff.
So that explains this picture. I might make an evil mastermind version. Maybe he should have a motorbike.

Secondly, here's a picture i did for my pirate friend, Simon.
There's not much of a story behind this one I'm afraid so no need to ramble. He really digs the colour Orange! He likes Rockets and Pirates (simon is actually a pirate you know). His favourite icelolly is a Twister. I said I'd draw him a picture. Done!
He liked it a lot so i hope you do too.
I'm currently working on a Rocketcat (another drawing i found on my hd) and a cushion design for 'TheDirtyCream' so I'll post that up when I'm done.
Take it easy homeslice,
Superfex

Rocket Ink Do Pride!

2009-07-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,
I'm back from this weekend's adventures.
I headed down to Torquay to join the 'Rocket Ink' crew to perform live art at a nightclub called 'Play' on the Thursday night. It was the first 'Pride' event down there and we set up five large canvases along one of the walls. Doors opened at 11pm so we had plenty of time to get prepared and talk over our designs. We met loads of new people, everyone was super friendly and talked to us about our drawings.
We had some really good feedback and many a picture was taken throughout the night (see Phil above, lovely chap!). We also quickly made up some tshirts to make us look more of a 'team'. I managed to mess mine up the first time, typical Claire. I hope to print up some gear for us properly in September when i get access to the screen printing room again.
We had planned to go to Quaywest on the Friday but it the weather was against us. We went to 'Rude' bar that night, i must admit i don't remember large chunks of that evening.
My awesome red beanie got chucked in the harbour by some drunk dickhead though.
Lastly we went to a pool party on the Saturday to continue our live art weekend. We had our own little booth with smaller canvases on the wall. 'Brothers' sponsored the event so we had some free cider! Can't go wrong with that. There was also live music whilst were drawing and lots of arty types to have a chat with. At the end of the party we found out that all of our canvases from 'Play' night had sold! Music to my ears of course!
We will be doing it again next year.
On a side note, I'd like to say that I'm having problems with my website at the moment so it is currently down. I will fix this asap.
Hope your all doing well and having fun,
Superfex

Summer 2009

2009-07-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

I really need to start updating this blog more often, it seems as though I'm dead or something. This is not the case. I've had a few unexpected changes in my life over the past month or so.
Some good, some bad and some just for the best.
As a result I've had a bit of a creative 'block' you may say. This seems to have cleared up now, thankfully.
Right so i better hit you with some update goodness. Here are some things I've done since the end of my first year:

Finished t-shirt designs.
Got a tattoo.
Went to Woodlands!
Met some awesome new people.
Checked out the degree show.
Went camping in Polzeath.
Made a whole bunch of new resolutions and plans.
Went of a couple of dates.
Got a bunch of cool new jobs to work on.
Founded 'Rocket Ink' - LiveART group. Website soon...
Got terribly sun burnt!
Went to a gay club, haha.
Blipped about the south-west like a bum.
Made an abundance of stupid videos.
Went to many a shit attraction in Devon and Cornwall.
Completely raided my parent's food cupboards.
Fucked up my sleeping pattern well and truly.
and I'm pretty much nocturnal now, though i only sleep in the morning so I'm thinking a night shift might suit me.

It may not seem like a lot but it has been a huge wake-up call to me. There is so much I'm looking forward to this coming September.
Student loans has decided to be nice to me this year so I'm finally going to make the switch from PC to Mac. I have another tattoo planned. I can't wait to see our brand spanking new studio set-up at uni.

I'm also bloody excited to be living with mates again, messing about, being single at university for a change, sinking my teeth into new projects, screen printing all the time, starting sourjelly and always having company.
It's going to be a rad year, i just know it!

At this point i realise this post has mostly been words, i apologise.

I'm currently working on various t-shirt designs, including some for my own company. A poster for a friend's club night, a new entry for lafraise, an image for WeHeartArts, a pillow design for www.thedirtycream.com, a flyer for a fresher's party I'm organising, a website for Rocket Ink, a drawing for Simon :) and a bunch of other personal pieces.
I might also be starting my job back at the book publishers again so I'm going to be super busy.
It's quite daunting but it would mean I'd actually have the money to fix my beloved mini. I haven't driven her since Christmas break as she needs a new clutch, it sucks!

I've literally just got back from a mad four days in Plymouth and Exeter and I'm off to Torquay tomorrow until Sunday to do liveART with the Rocket Ink crew.
Thursday night is the opening of 'Play', i think I'm going to be drawing some monsters and things.
Friday we are hitting Quaywest as I've always wanted to go, i LOVE water parks.
Then i think were going out on the town followed by more drawing at a pool party on the Saturday. We might squeeze the new Harry Potter film in as well at some point.

That's enough from me i think, for one day at least.

I leave you with these ace new toys Blink 182 are bringing out, having always been a fan of both the band, character design and vinyl toys, I'm going to have to get my grubby hands on one of these!
See you Sunday,
Take it easy,
Superfex

Coney Island

2009-04-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Hey
Ive just realised i haven't put up any of my New York pictures yet. I think one of the highlights of my trip was definitely visiting Coney Island. It was just packed with everything i love.

There was brightly coloured artwork and character sculptures everywhere! If you plan on visiting NY or live near-by i highly recommend taking a day out to go there before its too late.

Anyway here are some picks:
That last one is my favourite! No edit either.
Have a lovely day,
Superfex

It's Alive!

2009-04-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

Yep finally got me server and ftp program to like each other!

www.superfex.co.uk

Theres some lovely new handprinted silkscreens in the shop there, take a look!
TEASER
I forgot to show you these, my friend adam piper bought them for me for my birthday, apparently thats him on the the left and me on the right hehe.
Easter is nearly upon us! Soo many nice things to look forward too.
Mum bought me some Daffs, how nice.
Have a good Easter! xx

Designer Violence Exhibition

2009-03-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

If anyones about in Cardiff on the 9th April head down to Milgi's Bar for the first Designer Violence Exhibition.
"Featuring lots of awesome local artists and some not so local.
Very limited edition posters and tees are available on the night, so come early and have an excellent time!"
My Hunter piece will be on display as will work from other great artists.
Also the new zine 'Animal' is out now. You can view the flickr images HERE.

Thanks,
Superfex

New York New York!

2009-03-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Hey!
Ok i haven't updated this for a while so this is going to be a big post, just to warn you :).
Firstly I'm off to New York with uni at 4:30am. I'm so excited plus Ive never been on a plane so that's going to be cool. I have no problems with small spaces, heights or travel sickness so i should be OK.

I'll tell you more about the trip when i get back, I'll probably have plenty of photos to share anyway.
I have recently finished an illustration for Designer Violence Zine based on the theme 'Animal'.
This is Hunter.
I also submitted him over at lafraise if you'd care to vote : CLICK
Thank you.
This is the best cake in Devon! Banana Slice 65p from F.H.Jackas Bakery in Plymouth's Barbican. Ive had 5 this week!! Soo Good!

If you want to know a little more about me then there is an interview with me over at VectorVault if you'd like to see that too. CLICK

Lastly, my 21st birthday is coming up so i got some more Pete Fowler gear. I only need 4 more and Ive got the set :D
I can't tell you how yummy his figures are.
Take it easy, Xx

Just Add Icing..

2009-02-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hello There!
Firstly,
Ive finished my third Donut-themed shirt for Donutology.
It's called 'Cooking'.
6 colours on poppy shirt.
I hope you like it, it makes me smile.

Secondly....
oooh whats this for? wait and see ;)

Yes I have cut the noses off all ready for miliput :)

Lastly,
Heres a bunch of new toys to add to my collection plus a few oldies.
I love them all.

Pizza Anyone?
(nasty, reach, kronk, mad barbarians, superdeux)

Pete Fowler <3
Monsterism Island
I hope to complete this series because they are just so good!

(ranger, farmgirl, brownie & grynt)

Baddies!!
(clutter, mad, supakitch)

Raving Rabbids - These guys are so rad!
mmmmm which would you choose first?

I also need to do this soon:

Have a good evening,
SFX

Donuts Make Great Spaceships

2009-01-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Sorry to bother you but if theres any chance you could spare 5 minutes to vote for/comment on my shirt at lafraise i'll be very grateful.

CLICKY

My PC is on its way out and im also hoping to get a screenprinting kit.
Thankyou,
Night xx

Donut King

2009-01-24T16:23:00.000-08:00

Second of the four commissioned donut-themed tshirt designs.
6 colour limit, 12×16 inches.
Left-Right: Asphalt, Eggplant and Black.
I think i like the asphalt one most.
Nighty Night,
SFX

New Site Design

2009-01-23T03:58:00.000-08:00

Hey,
Im bored of my current website so ive mocked up a new design ready to be developed.
This one is much more simple but still reflects my style.
Should be easier to update aswell which is always usefull!
The blank thumbnails are just there waiting for the designs im currently working on.
I hope you like it.

I also recently bought some new shades. I love them! haha
Take Care, SFX

Dunny Madness

2009-01-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

Hey You!
The new series of Dunnys 'Ye Olde English' are being released today.
Kidrobot are holding the launch party tonight at Selfridges on Oxford Street.
It all kicks off at 6pm and i am gutted not to be there!

"Kidrobot is hijacking the Concept Store in Selfridges' Wonder Room and transforming it into a Kidrobot universe! From January 22 to February 21, visit our store-gallery on Orchard and Oxford Streets and see 8-foot inflatable Kidrobot toys like Dunny, MUNNY and Labbit; a 4-foot Dunny painted by TADO (yours for £12,000); and peruse our 8-inch Dunny Gallery featuring hard-to-find figures culled from our personal stash in New York City (not for sale at any price). You can also pick up custom 20-inch Dunnys and MUNNYs by John Burgerman, ilovedust, and other master UK artists, grab a case of Ye Olde English Dunnys featuring 17 all-new limited edition designs."
I only found out about this yesterday so naturally train tickets to london at such short notice would be well out of my price range. Not to worry i have a friend on the case who is hopefully going to pick something nice up for me. Fingerscrossed its by Tado! hehe.
Take care
SFX

Titan & Vinyl's

2009-01-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hey,

What miserable weather! I got soaked today walking home from town. Not Good!
Right Update Time!

I recently submitted my two lafraise shirt designs to the Titan Illustration Competition.
I'm really hoping they do well but all i can do now is wait.
Fingers crossed!
In other news, the new and improved superfex website is on the way!
Sourjelly is still under construction.

My first batch of stickers came through today!! I'm well chuffed!
Thanks to the peeps at awesomebadges.co.uk, props to them.
Lastly i got these lovely fellas through the post this morning.
Droplets by jamfactory & CrazyLabel purchased at GoGoPlastic.
Aswell as a black mini munny for me to paint :D
I got this little guy off ebay for £3, i love his little uniform and pizza box.
Take it easy,
SFX

Donut Party

2009-01-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

One of four commissioned donut-themed tshirt designs.
6 colour limit, 12×16 inches.
I will post the rest up soon but here's the first design on various shirt colours.
I think i like the teal one most.
I think i forgot to mention this shirt design in my actual blog.
It's called Creatures of Planet Candy. It was up on lafraise.com a couple of weeks ago, sadly didn't win anything but i may sell this as a print on my website instead.
We shall see.
Goodnight,
SFX

A-Z Inventions

2009-01-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

For my last Uni project we had to create a Black & White A-Z book in a group of 5. Our group chose 'Inventions' and each of us had to produce 5 spreads each plus a title page, end papers and our individual 'Z' page.

I had the letters D, I, N, S, X. We also had to draw our own letters and write a small paragraph to accompany each 'invention'.

This project was alot of fun, i tried lino cutting for the first time which was cool but i need some more practice. I also experimented with crosshatching and line to build up tone to my images.
I spent a good 14 hours on Indesign putting our group's book together but I'm please with the result.

Here are my pages, i will upload pictures of the final book when i can get some studio time.

End Pages

I used graph paper and silhouettes of tools and machinery
to reflect the content of the book.

Dessert Canon

"Invented by Dr Gobblesbottom in 2001.
The Dessert Canon was a huge leap in the fast food industry. The Dessert
Canon delivers sugary puddings to overweight children everywhere faster
than any other delicatessen."

Incredible Illness Curing Injection

"Invented by Dr Edward Allen, 1988.
Doctor Allen invented the injection whilst trying to cure his son,
Walker, of tonsillitis. He ended up creating an injection that could rid
anyone of any illness.
He now lives in Tahiti with ten pet tigers in a pirate-themed water park."

Nanny Robot

"Invented by Dotty McPherson, an average housewife.
Mrs McPherson from Levinskiville invented the Nanny Robot to help her
cope with her twelve children whilst her husband is at work.
The 'NR200' can cook, clean, warm milk, change nappies and can
even knit a sweater or two!"

Super Space Submarines

"Professor Aquawash built over 100 Space Submarines several decades
ago under strict supervision by the government at that time.
They were equipped with high-tech navigation systems and state-of-the-art
weapons in case of any intergalactic attacks from unfamiliar planets."

X-Ray Fish

"Accidentally invented by Dr Marrowstein in 1960.
Whilst Dr Marrowstein was trying to develop a cream to reveal the
human body in x-ray form for ten minutes once applied,
he accidentally leaked some of the chemicals into the local water
supply and mutated all species of fish."

Zebra Jetbooster

"Invented by Zebras for Zebras.
Travel to work in style and on time!"

Cheers,
SFX

Business Cards

2008-11-16T10:27:00.001-08:00

That's right! Ive gone and made me some business cards!
Will be printed soon.

Hope you like them, Ive decided to call this character: Quincy.
He looks like a Quincy to me :)
Take it Easy,
Claire

Updates and Images

2008-11-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Hey Hey,

I'm well into my 2nd project on my new uni course and its all going great!
I recently found this image taken of my "Where is your mind really?" shirt by the lovely people over at lafraise.com.

I hope my other shirt is released over there soon :D I'll keep you posted.
My secret project is well underway, I'm sooo excited about it!

Here's one of two promotional posters i recently designed for a friend's new club night called 'Bass Kitchen'.

Bass Kitchen

I seriously have sooo much work on at the moment its insane!
Alongside my uni work i have commissions for 8 tshirt designs, 2 posters designs, business card designs, canvases, prints, and cd covers. I also have personal work to do and material for my project to sort out.

I think there are some sleepless nights ahead of me.
But it will all be well worth it when its done and i can unleash it all.
In the meantime i stumbled upon this website:

www.hellofreaks.com

It really is just an explosion of line and colour. The use of type within the images really excites me and the colours literally make your eyes melt! - but in a good way :).

Please check these guys out!

Take it easy,
SFX

More Ads

2008-08-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

Animated TV Advert GOLD!
from The Carphone Warehouse.
Of course this technique is not new and I've seen it used many a time before, but its very rarely featured on mainstream television. I think if more adverts were as cool as this then I'd probably enjoy watching them more then the program intended.

Take it easy,
Superfex

INtrinsic Nature

2008-08-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Thought i'd just take a few mintutes to tell you that INtrinsic Nature, an online art community i'm part of, released its third online ehxhibition today.

"46 total entries from 24 different artists, IN3 is stacked with creativity, deep thematic elements, and original artistic exploration: it's a visual experience that you won't want to miss!"

I also happen to have featured work in there so please take a look :)

IN3

Thankyou,
Superfex

LaFraise Time Again

2008-08-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

I know i have already uploaded this design and i bet your sick of looking at it but i have recently submitted this as a tshirt design over at lafraise.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

If you could take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to vote and maybe comment i would appreciate it alot!

Thankyou guys and girls for your support and kindness.
Love you all,
Superfex

The Best Kind Of Watercolours...

2008-08-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

...Come from a man i recently discovered called Robb Mommaerts.

They are executed beautifully and are fun to look at.
His uber cool characters and divine watercolour talent make for an exciting collection of mouthwatering pieces.
Check him out!
I truly adore his work.
Below are my favourite pieces.

Robb Mommaerts
www.robbvision.deviantart.com
www.fetchasketch.blogspot.com

Gosh! There are SO MANY!!!
Enjoy!

Science and Music

2008-08-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hullo,
Right first of all, an update!

1. Finished Jet Pilot Audio's ep cover.
They love it which is great and even got it out on stage mid-gig to show everyone.
So i obviously had the largest grin on my face! haha
I also did all the artwork on their myspace profile and due to design some gig flyer's soon too.

2. The next installation for the Sciencewerk exhibition : Clonewar is now open to view online.
Finally!
My entry is in there somewhere :D
Ive been waiting to show you guys for ages now and it's just been locked away on my hard drive.
The site itself is very well executed so go ahead and check it out!

Clonewar

www.sciencewerk.com

3. Doing some work for an arts charity called 'We Heart Arts'.
Some pretty awesome things lined up for that!

Also more work for bands over at myspace.
Planning to paint some more canvases soon and last but not least
a new project due to release late September!
But more on that another time :D

Take it easy,
Superfex

Space Alone

2008-08-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

Ive been meaning to post this animation for quite some time now.
It's called Space Alone and its by a friend of mine, Ilias Sounas.
Ive probably watched it far too many times since i discovered him.

I think its perfectly balanced, its cute but also powerful and emotional. You are able to connect with the characters and share their feelings. The music also suits each frame entirely and emphasises the emotional atmosphere.

Ilias Sounas
www.sounasdesign.com

Oh The Joys Of GIF

2008-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this to me today.
It's probably really old and it has nothing to do with art or whatnot.
But then sometimes its just good to have a laugh.
Enjoy!...

Flips flops and superglue - Simple but effective........

Haha everytime!
Peace out xx

Nokia Advert

2008-07-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

Gawsh i LOVE this advert sooo much.
I really wish i could have been part of it.
If you havnt already seen it click the play button and if you have why not watch it again?
I cant wait to do this sort of thing with others at uni!
Roll on September!!!

That is all
Goodbye
xx

Tellison

2008-07-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

As i mentioned the other day i went to see Tellison at the Louisiana in Bristol.
Boy were they awesome! Tubelord supported who i hadn't heard of before but they were really good too.
Joe from Tubelord nearly knocked me out with his guitar when he ran off stage and started playing within the crowd.
I managed to get my Ep signed by him though which was pretty cool.

I took a few pictures throughout Tellison.
I wish i had got my camera out sooner but felt a bit shy at first.
The venue itself was air-conditioned, that's a first for me i think. I particularly enjoyed not sweating like a pig and watching the very tall man dance at the front of the room with his GIANT blonde afro bobbing about.

In other news my "Where Is Your Mind Really?" shirt is now on sale at lafraise.
The thumbnail looks a bit dodgy but i assure you the shirt looks rad!
Got mine through the post this morning!
Ive been designing alot of merch for bands atm which is great and i hope to enter more tshirt competitions soon. I also need to go get a haircut at some point as I'm starting to look like a goth.
Not good.

Finally my dad bought a new car! It's an MGF VVC and its orange!!! Haha
At first my dad told me it was gold and i truly despise the colour gold so i wasn't too pleased, but now that Ive seen it in the flesh it's not actually too bad.
It's got mean looking lights and convertible top which is awesome!
I just hope he lets me drive it sometime ;).
Ta for now
xx

Busy Busy!

2008-07-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

WOAH!
Talk about super busy!

Ive recently met some pretty awesome people and been to so many gigs i can barely keep track.
But then again if I'm not busy then I'm not happy.Ive been working on some stuff for the guys over at Jet Pilot Audio.
They are all super ace and I've loved designing the new ep called Apocalypse! Later...
I'll post up the pictures once its been released :).
I'm also going to be taking some promo shots for them at some point and a lovely tshirt too.

Ive decided, as of September, to film my whole year at uni and edit it into some form of DVD.
Mainly because it helps me cling on to memories of past times but also friends! A sort of digital yearbook i suppose. Looking forward to that!

My uni mates Louise and Adam are coming to stay in August which i cant friggin wait for!
I love them to bits and miss having them around.

Just bought tickets to go see Frankie Boyle's stand up which is ace! As well as Dylan Moran in the same week! I can guarantee a lot of laughing will be carried out then! Funny chaps.

I'll feature some more artists soon as well as my piece for sciencewerk.com which is finally done but again i have to wait for the release before i can show it. All this waiting drives me insane haha I'm a very impatient person!
Anyway I'm off to see Tellison + Tubelord 2moro so..
Night all xx

Motion

2008-07-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

The new animation for Gelaskins.com is pretty rad!!
As is the Oxfam advert both feature below.

SS1

2008-06-28T04:12:00.000-07:00

Hello people,
So this weekend is 'Glastonbury Festival' and I'm not there :(
I ran out of money whilst tickets were on sale, shame.
Anyway back to the point of this post

Today's featured artist is a good friend of mine.

'SKAFFA'
www.teoskaffa.com

Not only is he an awesome illustrator but hes also a pretty rad guy!
It is my pleasure to bestow his greatness upon you all.

He has also designed a shirt for Funkrush so check that out!

FUNKRUSH: Kibble

Have a nice weekend everybody,
Superfex

Stephen Daoud

2008-06-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

First off i apologise for the inactivity, i recently moved back home for the summer so its been pretty hectic with packing and catching up with friends/family.

Anyway before i left Plymouth i had time to visit both the Photography and Illustration Degree Shows and boy they were awesome!!!

One illustrator that really stood out to me was:

Stephen Daoud

www.stephen-daoud.co.uk

His collection of drawings "The Discontented Bear" amazes me even now.
He also produced a book which, i wouldn't mind owning one day!

Anyway check him out!

Short and sweet post today as i have many thing to be getting on with,

Take it Easy,
Superfex

Saturday Spotlight

2008-06-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

OK so i figured i should really feature more artists in this blog.
So now the 'Saturday Spotlight' has been born.
Every Saturday i will choose an awesome artist to feature.

Today featured artist is:

James Wignall
www.mutanthands.com
If found him through his wallpaper uploads on Customize.

His motion work is truly phenomenal so go take a look:
MutantHands.

He has worked with the likes of MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Sony, Nike, BBC, to name but a few.
He also appears regularly in publications such as Computer Arts & Computer Arts Projects, as well as contributing to other publications such as Semi-Permanant, Zupi, Pictoplasma, Psst! Pass It On.

He continues to inspire me, so much so that i am keen to learn animation over the summer.
Hence the animation book in the previous post ;).

Right i have a party to get to so its goodbye from me, xx.