Evening Tweed are a collective born out of the mutual interests of 3 guys and one gal studying within the same environment on the Graphic Design course at Brighton University. Having a slight penchant for hand rendered lettering Sarah King is my particular fave out of the bunch. Integrating her own hand lettering style to every brief she tackles. How the jiggins she does this I do not know? Great to see that she has stuck to her guns and managed to find a way to apply herself regardless of the nature of her client. I have noticed that the slick development and honing of her skills has allowed for commissions to have arisen with 'the Guardian' and 'If I Could.'  Quite interested in the way that she entered into a three dimensional format by applying her lettering to fruit in her 'customise' series as featured in Graphic Magazine.

Marcus Oakley

Marcus Oakley has been one of my favourite illustrators, for quite some time and his new packaging for Grub pies is a great example as to how his illustrations can be applied to the more functional packaging design. Working for clients that reflect his interests in underground skate culture, and 1960s ephemera he has designed work for the likes of silas, howies, and human empire. His illustrations have predominantly adorned t shirts and printed clothing. Having exhibited fairly broadly and frequently across the UK he cites this as one of the main attributes of his success. I love how he integrates his interests into his illustrations, imbuing it with a real retro feel, particularly to his 'people' that frequent quite often in his work.

Today I was sold into purchasing a three pack of socks that I did not need purely because the packaging in which they were comfortably nestled was rather appealing to they eye. Featuring some rather ditty hand rendered lettering and printed in one colour on a nice grey recycled card I at least can sleep soundly in the fact that they were made from organic cotton. No nasty genetically modified crop feeding my consumerist tendencies.

Wise words from a poster I picked up from Platform 11 at the Design Products graduation exhibition at the RCA this summer. The importance of the future of consumerism is within our hands. 

A much needed weekend of disconnection in Wales allowed for a little bit of relaxing papercraft. Cutting and sticking I produced this decorative bunting which now adorn my wardrobe brightening up the rather dull corner of the room. Thanks Mr Rob Ryan for integrating delicate papercrafting techniques back into the mainstream. And thanks to the guys at the Joyful Bewilderment show for spreading a little bit of happiness. I think that these are rather happy no?

Oh boy I wish I had known about this exhibition sooner...

Or maybe even this...why stop whilst I'm ahead

Expect these in your stockings ladies and gents. Lets hope the glue is solvent free.

Neither will this...

Some gems...because I like them? And have been stuck in the library for what feels like a whole lifetime.

I do not think this will get me a very good grade...

Are these the nicest houses you have ever seen? Answers on a postcard (the answer's yes). 

Guy Grieve

Guy Grieve was merely an average guy, enduring the long and often arduous commute to work in Edinburgh on a twice daily basis and pondering whether being another addition to the ongoing rat race was really quite his thing when he decided to disregard his financial earnings in search of a more fulfilling output. Inspired by the literary works of Henry David Thoreau, Grieve, disregarded all former responsibilities and headed into the Alaskan wilderness for a year of living an entirely self sufficient lifestyle. With no one around to provide solace in times of need, he lived a part solitary existence, with no company bar one trusty companion which came in the shape of his pet dog. Spending the first few months housed in a canvas tent, by winter he had constructed his own log cabin and was living shall we say 'off the land.' The most endearing part of the story? On returning home to his wife and children he relays that despite being unemployed they were both richer than they had ever been. Very reminiscent of the life of Christopher McCandless who did the same expedition but sadly did not survive to become reintroduced back into capitalist American society (possibly a good thing) whose life was made into the film 'Into the Wild', directed by Sean Penn and also worth a look- although I recommend reading the book first.  Having only read about Grieve's adventure in the pages of the Observer online his written exposition of this ground moving feat can be found under the name of 'Call of the Wild.' I have mine on order.... 

This picture is ruining my blog

This is the saddest thing I have ever seen. No over turned pages, no crinkled spine, no coffee mug stains. 

Manifesto

I have been researching into Manifesto's of late, looking at this written statement as an appropriate method of communicating an ideal. This research has been feeding my attempt to communicate my own. My favourite of the bunch has to be that of 'The Tea Appreciation Society.' It can be found here and is most definitely worth a read even if not a fan of tea.