They're changing guard at Somerset House, I did not go down with Alice. I just drew this year.

 A couple of fashion illustrations of the Londond Fashion Week just gone for Amelia's Magazine

Vita Gottlieb 

mmmm layers and autumny

Daks

mmmmm trenchcoaty and busbyish. 

If I was Queen...... 

Beauty of this kind does not come abundantly

just found this in the loft going through my bag of 'art fair' stuff. Early foray into collage work. Good times. 

hello 

I managed to make myself ill last week, predictably, by dashing round London fashion week, then immediately working for 2 days on a Hobbit themed arts workshop for small children, both highly exhausting activities that left me bed ridden by the weekend. I'm a fool to myself it is. Some flu like germs are also to blame, but I prefer to blame myself. Masochistic like that. 

Anyway I have some fashion write-ups, photos and illustrations to share with you. And there will be more to come. For the first time I was armed with a decent camera (lent me by the brilliant Frances) and spent a lot of my time at the shows and exhibitions fiddling with speed and iso and f stops and things I really do not understand, and so less time sketching. I think I prefer sketching. 

But it was nice to come away with my own set of images that I can call my own. Even though it is a bit head f*cky the sheer number of photos that are taken at these events, so there are so many out there with people in the background and those hundreds of moments recorded and pinned down in people's cameras and probably never used anyway. If you know what I mean. 

But also how photographs can never really do these outfits and moments justice. The sheer juiciness of the fabrics, the way they move, the glint of the bling that photos can't capture, not to mention the silly music and posers, the image angst.

Here's some pictures anyway.

live illustration I did at the Lewis and Leigh PR presentation of Claudia Ligari, wearing herself. 

And another live illustration of Eleanor Amoroso. I really enjoyed doing the live drawing, it's definitely my favourite way to attend a fashion party. My write up of the event is on Amelia's Mag here.

  

this illustration is from my write up of Ekaterina Kukhareva and here is a photo from the same - I like this one because the model looks doll like and pained, and no-one is looking at her.

This is my graphical representation of Holly Fulton, I love her a lot, but it was the first show i went to of the weekend and I got no good photos at all. fail me. Write up is here.

these 2 pics are from the Mercedes Benz Kiev Fashion showcase

You see the guy who is asleep? That is what I felt like. Not really. 

Anna Kolomoets, just like this picture. 

Also enjoy this Tom Van Der Borght character, one of many, shall we say, unusual designers showcased by Bloody Gray, my somewhat bitchy write up is here. 

This photo doesn't do justice to Vita Gottlieb's lovely new city poetry dress - but that's life - see my write up of the Felicities presentation I saw it at here.

Also. This. I don't know what this is. Some people think they can just rock up at Somerset House looking interesting and people will photograph them and put them in blogs and stuff. Cheeky. 

That's over with for another season then. 

I'm starting my new teaching job tomorrow (excited and scared) and have loads of prep work to do.

So obviously I decided to spend half the day doing a (not really) random fashion illustration based on the Baroque A/W2012 trend. Here it is. It is here.

It's not really random because it's for a fashion fringe competition, in association with the fantabulous Zarina Liew, who we (me and my teddy bears) at my words fly know and love.

Wish me luck intimidating my new classes.

Blog it up!

lots of reasons to be famous this week, featured on the ever brilliant Creaturemag, one of an awesome lineup of valentines artists being posted daily on Illustration Rally (make sure you check out the rest), also featured by the beautiful fashion blogger from Amsterdam Judith Anna yes that is a Panda Panda of Frida Where Are You?, commision on her banner design, one of my newest fav illustrators after spotting her portrait on Style Bubble in the same post as my hands.


after sketching my little heart out at the Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration launch recently, my creations have been popping up all over along with lots of other amazing work by the other contributors. You can see my full run up here. I have condenced some of them for easy viewing:
from left: Alex Cox from Don't Panic, my favourite free magazine, he asked me if I like movies.
Carrie from wishwishwish - wasn't wearing a sailor suit, the drawing just came out that way
Danielle from Poppy Cleopatra, fashion writer into 'a bit of everything' (I approve)
Ellen Grace Jones from The Real Runway sporting her own beautiful handmade jewelery
Laura Snoad from Design Week (this is my favourite drawing - her colours called to me across the crowded tearoom and I nabbed her for my paints. That sounds a bit odd. ignore that) in gorgeous Tatty Devine Necklace and dress by Darling
Sabrina from The Sceince of Style requested a velociraptor in her drawing, I tried my best.
superstar stylist Tamara Cincik and her unborn child, in a selection of Flea Market treasures.
David Alphonso who teaches at Noisy Writing stood as still as a statue, I suggested a career in life modelling.
Amisha Ghadiali of elegance rebellion, only wears ethical fashion (very impressive) again in a sboutique necklace from her own collection - stunning.
Amy of Tantrum Magazine had awesome hair and lived up to the ethos of her publication.
Beth Davis of Oh Comely Magazine (you may remember I went to their launch that one time).
and lastly but actually my firstly drawing of the night Bettina Krohn from Make Lemonade, she had this stunning fake fur collar shaped stole from the online vintage boutique itself. aces.

I won't trouble you with too many of my photos as already stated there were many superior cameras in cleverer hands around,
but here is Zarina (Cobaltcafe) Liew, Antonia (Makes) Parker and her boy in a spledid christmas jumper enjoying some of the evening festivity with carbon nuetral beer (!)
Here is Rachel de (precious little) Ste Croix drawing THE Suzie Bubble while being photographed by the great Sally Mumbly Croft and someone else who is probably also great in some way.
seated in the same actual chairs but from the other side, here is my sketch of Michelle Urvall Nyren and Naomi Law drawing each other. You can see the drawing Michelle was doing here, so it's all tripy and circular. and in here is the sketch Naomi did too, for like actual fractal postage.

I also did this quick painting of photographer Liz with epic leggings (not pictured) who was so busy she ran off before I added the pen, but I like it without in fact, so here it is.
Tigz gets her own line, because. She is awesome.

And finally this is Duck (of the epic Anastasia and Duck)(I'm sure he has an actual name too) because he was the opposite of Liz and just got the Pilot Hi-techpoint V7 treatment (no paints) as he said he had to leave. Although I'm pretty sure he was still there half an hour later.

Anyway it was a really ace night. bit trippy. but I'm going to stop blogging about it now. probably.

London Fashion Week Illustration of Carmen Secareanu for Amelia's

I need to work on my Work/Life balance.

I need to stop having so much of a life.

Honestly it's an issue but i'm in massive denial at the moment, 3 weeks into my year long intensive Art and Design PGCE I'm still acting pretty much the same as when I was a dirty freelancer, I need to choose aspects of my lifestyle to cut back on or i will probably break down or fail the course. fun times.

Basically, I may have to not actually watch the entirety of the second season of Australia's Masterchef that's on Watch at the moment. Also I may have to actually learn to say the word no when I'm asked to do work, especially unpaid work. And I suppose I could spend less time looking at pictures of birds and shoes on the internet. maybe. And not go out at all.

I'm not sure which of these would be harder.

I'm not sure I can do it.

hi hi hi, busy busy times,
I've been doing some sketches and reviews for London Fashion week tho pretending I'm on Fashion TV, aces, you can see them here and here.backstage sketch from the Truimph International Awards - i got some free pants. i am wearing them now. bit small.

Pierre Garroudi illustration

Pierre Garroudi catwalk sketches

oh wow, i need to blog.
blog blog blog.

i don't actually have time. soooooooooooooooooooooooon.

pictures speak more betterer than words tho right?
here is a cheeky one for the fashionforward

and some creepy as hand spiders i drew for the MagpieMarket competition. i did not win
exciting things on the hosizon and also in the now:

exhibition at the Mill House with TwoMagpiesFind
new postcard set of owl paintings WHOWHATWHEREWHENWHYHOW
swishing
political stuffs
unicorns
more journalisming (and i said i wouldn't)

.

Hi! here is a painting i did of a wood duck as part of a current bird-off i am having with awesomely talented nature illustrator Jamie Milk, i think it is my favourite thing i have done in ages, i should use more acrylic. or maybe just draw more ducks:
he is french.
I've been doing plenty much of the drawing in recent times, more Amelia's Magazine fashion loveliness like these amazing Lu Flux Lion Shoes (i mean the shoes are amazing, altho my drawing is not so few great shakes itself, wink wink.)
The facebook project, where i am drawing all of my friends in alphabetical order, currently at 14 down, 310 to go, i am trying not to accept or add too many new friends, but it goes against my basic friendly person (read attention whore) instincts.
this is alys, who i have known since i was a wee nipper. when i was doing my Art GCSE practical in the heady early summer of 2001, she told me i smelt crafty.

I've also done some simple line drawingy pictures for a prayer diary my mum wrote,

which was challenging and lovely, trying to produce something which translates well to a small black and white photocopy, i should keep the experience in mind for when i finally get round to a proper zine project.

thats how for now, exciting t-shirt based blog post coming soon.

stuff and things.

did some more exciting fashion illustrations for Amelia's Magazine
and should be doing some more over the weekend.
as usual i'm trying to do a million things and mostly just want to watch TV.
although as will likely ring true to other artists, its achieveing things which brings true happiness, not Masterchef Australia, Caprica or Skins.
probably.

i have converted my fake blog to a blogspot one. Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

through the magic of backdating, it looks like i've been doing this for ages. not so. this is my first real blog post.

My boyfriend is flirting with an automated phonecall from ebay. i think he's trying to make me jealous. but i know it means nothing.

I got a new laptop, with lots of money i don't really have but thats life hey? anyway, we are still getting to know one another but i'm sure it will be a mutualy beneficial relationship.
even without a laptop i managed to do lots of lovely pictures for Amelia's magazine's exciting London Fashion Week Project, which i am still all about. you should click through the whole thing here - lots of lovely work by super lovely people.

alright kids? some bad news recently, we got burgled and my laptop was stolen, luckily i had most stuff backed up like a good little girl, and since i re-invested most of my profits from the alternative press fair (it was super awesome) into lots of zines at least they didn't get their grubby mits on so much cash. But all the same need all the pennies for a new laptop so need to step up the attack. Still very much available for illustrating!

They didn't take any of the zines, don't know why.

here's me at APF, sporting the famous dissapointed sparrow t-shirt still available for one more week from tinyrun get them while they're hot.

(I also have a few left in the UK if your here and don't fancy the postage, especially if you are of the larger persuasion, as its mostly Ls and XLs, ifyou know what i mean as i'm sure you do)

the stuff on the right is Zarina's her stuff is crazy lovely!

other news on the horizon, not only did i do this fab illustration for Amelia (yes, that Amelia) of exciting band Man Like Me last week, but I also am lined up to do some fashion based illustrations this week as part of an awesome project she's doing as part of a blogy, illustrated, inovative coverage of London Fashion Week.

coming soon: curious owls.