I'm a proud print parent...

I have quite a few interesting pictures for once, sorry about the quality, my normal camera's battery died just when things where getting interesting. Anyway as you can see from the pictures I have one completed poster for Modern Romantics. I am currently awaiting the text for the programme that needs to be designed, I have about 2 weeks to come up with something special, have promised paper engineering and what not so I better live up to my word. Took a little photo of the ocean the other day as I thought you may like to know what me and my buddy Gareth paddled into and surfed for 8 hours yesterday, only getting out at lunchtime to munch on a quality ulster fry from none other than the silver sands of portrush. I have stupidly agreed to get up tomorrow morning at 6am for another early riser surf, who said the unemployed do nothing with their day? The surf better be good. Also before I forget, check out that bad boy of a Tshirt I just baked for Goodbye Pluto, and when I say baked I literally mean it was in the oven at 150C for 15 mins to cook the ink. Mum was so overwhelmed by this she took a photo of the finished crispy T coming out of the oven,(photo will come at another time if you are lucky). I am surprised the printing when so well, the one thing I was scared most about was the exposure times in my make shift lightbox that was originally my wardrobe but it all worked out great apart from applying far too much ink the first time round and covering the en suite in the parents bedroom with red ink, it now looks like Norman Bates had a wild time in there. Anyway its been a good day and tomorrow is going to be a proper burner, have the surf in the morning, more Tshirts to screenprint and goodbye plutos first gig since they finished recording. Night all.

The living quaters/studio

Been doing quite a bit of thinking today about ideas and what not and little jobs I have on the go and I can definitely say I've never been so busy with work I actually like doing. I put up a blank sheet of A1 paper on my wall and filled it with jobs and ideas I have in mind to be completed in the forthcoming weeks. Somewhat liberating and daunting at the same time to see what I want to complete, but hey it's got to be a mammoth task or there's no point in doing it now is there? Thought I would take a photo as well and show you the space I'm working in at the min,yes admittedly it is at home with the parents but how many of you have the space and money to set up screenprinting in your own room? I'm loving the setup at the min.

Before I forget...

I've actually been doing some graphics and I thought I better blog about them for once as this is supposedly a design blog. Firstly I want to note that I have almost gathered all the materials to start screenprinting in my self made studio, my little brothers bedroom (sorry Ross but couldn't let your room go to waste). The plan is hopefully after a few tests to get some Tshirts printed for Troggs (the old surf shop I used to work in) and also Goodbye Pluto. I have a few designs in mind but haven't had a chance to work on them because I have been trying to finish the Goodbye Pluto album sleeve which is looking like this at the min:


I was up at the studio with Danny the other day listening to some of the final mixing on a couple of the tracks and the album is sounding pretty epic already, I'm actually amazed at how they managed to record something heavy. I will keep you updated when that is realized as it is something that you really shouldn't miss out on.
I have also been working on some promotion material for a fundraiser classical concert titled Modern Romantics. Actually been a great little project so far as my client is just as anal about typography and layout as I am so everything has been visually abused to the minute detail. Here is what the flyer is looking like and the poster at the moment. It's not quite there just yet but I thought it would be worth putting up so you can have a look yourself.




Anyway thats where everything is at, I'm sure you have heard enough of my rambling for one night. I am for my bed, I bid thee farewell.

Alone in the wild

Ok starting of this entry with something amazing I watched earlier: Alone in the Wild.
Absolutely brilliant, among all the mind numbing shit reality TV shows comes this amazing heart warming, real programme about a man Ed Wardle trying to live of the land for 3 months in the wild with no aid, nothing, he is completely alone, well apart from the grizzly bears. It can't go unnoticed that this is clearly inspired by Chris McCandless trek into Alaska but I respect the man for taking on such a task, if you watch the programme you can see how much he actual struggles to live and the littlest things that pass us by are so incredibly important to him because his life is on the line. I guess I love it so much because I think it gives a real feeling of what McCandless when through up until his untimely death. Sometimes I wish I could be McCandles or Wardle and have the balls to just leave everything behind and go off into the hills of Alaska or where ever and just live, I mean really live, cause right now we are not living, we are just numb. Can I do what they have done?

Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild. - Alexander Supertramp May 1992

More than anything I would love to but I don't have the balls to just get up and leave everything. Afterall even McCandless himself said "happiness is only real when shared" and that I totally believe but some days you just want to forget everything and be alone.

What now?

So... I have just arrived home from what looks to be like my last trip to London for a while. 4 hectic,lovable, testing years in the big city to come back to rural life in the sticks, how am I going to cope? I really don't know just at the min, my mind is a muddled jigsaw puzzle consisting of a million pieces which do not fit together or have been lost. Let me explain, leaving London for the last time as resident did not strike me at all until I took a trip to the Natural History Museum while waiting for my sister who was attending a pre med course at Imperial. Why did it strike me there out of all the places? I'm not sure but if you have ever been to the building it is the most fantastic place in the world. I love aimlessly walking around glass cabinets staring into the eyes of the dead static taxidermed animals. I get lost in their cold fake eyes, imagining I am that animal wondering the forests of wherever it eventually lay to rest. You probably think I'm crazy about now, but try it sometime, the places amazes me everytime I go. I also went to the very top of main hall entrance where the massive tree trunk is, it is the best spot in the whole building to watch the best animals of all - people. Feels almost surreal people watching as there is a massive carved statue of Darwin directly opposite who appears to be staring down into the depths of the crowds with you. I swear I stood there for about 2 hours taking it all in and there it hit me, no more London, no more Brick Lane, no more Rough Trade, no more Brixton Bowls, No more Camden Market, no more Bar55, in fact hell of a lot no mores but hey, it's not the end of the world. I'm back home to gain money and experience, I have my friends and I have ocean to Surf, I am not going to go crazy, you make the most of your surroundings, and believe or not there is a lot at home to keep me busy.

Again another rant my apologies, but it felt like a much needed one, it's all going to work out. Here are some photos from the Natural History Museum, get sunk into the eyes of the eagle and drift off into their world, I dare you...