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A week to go!

Just a week to go until Niki Naki Noo’s crowdfunding ‘Kickstarter’ closes. If we don’t reach our goal, we won’t be able to publish, it’s all getting a little nervy here! To relieve and tension Niki Naki Noo’s gone fishing for the day with his giant otter friend.

If we do reach our goal (and to celebrate Swindon being long-listed for the UK city of culture 2029) we will donate a free copy to every primary school in the Swindon education authority – All 66 (and growing!) Alex will even hand deliver some!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/955424415/niki-naki-noo-goes-to-school?ref=user_menu

#swindon #culture #primaryschools #education #creativity #kickstarter #illustration #childrensbooks #publishing #crowdfunding

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Current project

I’m currently sketching out a storyboard for one of my commissions and having fun putting in a few nods to my younger days with @chrisgpackham2 as the ‘Animal rescue man’ (it was close between him and Terry Nutkins) – The postman = my homage to Pat and Fireman Sam turns up later too.

#illustration #wildlife #chrispackham #springwatch #postmanpat #firemansam

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Portfolio

I had a portfolio consultation with @Figtaylor for the Association of Illustrators @theaoi on Monday which I found inspiring. The feedback I got was incredibly helpful and constructive, it’s given me  a clear focus on the path I want to follow and a few ideas on how to improve my portfolio – I’ve already started work on refining and streamlining my website.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of the work in progress soon…

#illustrator #theAOI #portfolio #art #creativity

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Stranger Things

I’ve been a latecomer to the Netflix series #strangerthings – One of the benefits of having such a cool daughter with great taste (the fact she likes it gives me a reason to join in). I’ve been enjoying the characters and the creative storylines. Having grown up playing RPG (#Runequest) with friends, it’s great seeing the geeks as the heroes, makes me feel (almost) cool.

It’s always interesting seeing a villain with little in the way of redeeming features, hellbent on their greatness, how easy it is to see parallels in the real world. I don’t often create such characters – I suppose the closest is this little fellow here, in an unashamed parody of #vecna

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Niki Naki Noo (two!)

Following on from our first book, Niki Naki Noo, Book 2 is in process….and it’s

’Niki Naki Noo Goes to School’ 

Richard and I will launch a Kickstarter campaign shortly, the book is already written and edited…

If you’d like to support the illustration and publishing process (and receive exclusive rewards in the process), the link below will take you to the Kickstarter site and you can select to be notified of the official launch in a few days time. 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/955424415/niki-naki-noo-goes-to-school

#illustration #childrensbooks #kickstarter #crowdfunding #nationalyearofreading #independentpublishers

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Cuddly Trains

I’ve been lucky to have seen the prototype of the cuddly train I designed the images on for @steammuseum this week, the ‘rolling stock’ is due to arrive later this year. 
I occasionally work at the museum with school groups (that’s me training up some ‘Navvies’ to work on Brunel’s Great Western Railway).

During my time as a teacher, it was a great privilege to work with so many bright, inquisitive minds and sparkling personalities. The sessions I lead at Steam are great at getting me away from my desk and engaging with people, I’d really worry about turning into a hermit, tied to my work, otherwise!

This half term there is a ‘Signs of Spring’ hunt at Lydiard Park with some illustrations of mine on the checklist that’s available – it’s all part of the @festivaloftomorrow series of events happening around Swindon now (art exhibitions etc. check out what’s on, on their profile)

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Award season!

I’ve been absolutely delighted to have received 3 different awards. Two for book illustration from ‘Global Media'(Lux Life Magazine) and ‘Prestige Awards’ and one for Illustration and storytelling combined (again from’Global Media'(Lux Life Magazine)).

Many heartfelt thanks to all my wonderful clients who have helped me gain this recognition. There’s some great projects coming up in the next few weeks and some exciting news about an ‘old friend’ soon…

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(s)Wind in the Willows

This has been an idea in the back of my mind for a long time, so I’ve used the news about Swindon’s intended bid to become a ‘City of Culture’ as an excuse to finally bring it to realisation.

I’ve been fortunate to work for and with different creative organisations in the Swindon area and the desire is certainly there to encourage the right conditions to allow creativity to flourish. Hopefully even the fact that it’s being considered can cast a spotlight on what is already thriving in the town and places of heritage, like Lydiard.

I know I’m not the first (or certainly the last) to wax lyrical about this special place and I’ve always thought it would make a great setting for ‘Wind in the Willows’ with the beautiful house (Toad Hall), a lake for ‘Ratty’, a charming underground ice house (for ‘Mole’ to move in to) and the ‘Wild Woods’ for ‘Badger’ and the ‘Stoats’ – bigger with black on their tail + the ‘Weasels’.

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‘Help, – I’m Stuck!’

I’ve entered a couple of images to the @picturehooks ‘Help, I’m Stuck!’ competition. The brief was to create two illustrations in a swipe through format, encouraging storytelling, showing character, and expressing feelings. I’ve been focusing on communicating the characters’ experience through their facial expressions and physicality.

The images are from a story that I’ve been working on for a while, with a new author. Hopefully the finished book”The Angry Cucumber” will see the light of day in the next few months (there’s a second story in the pipeline too). I started this project in watercolour and ink and have used the ‘Procreate’ app to develop things further. There’s some really funny events in the story, and the main character has been great fun to work on (he’s such a rotter!)

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Great Expectations (and Great Rejections!)

I had the news last week that my proposed designs for Portsmouths ‘Pride of Portsmouth’ trail had been turned down, before I’d definitely be feeling quite low about this but I’ve been trying to see such an occurrence in a different light (rejection is part and parcel of the job). One of my designs was based on Charles Dickens’ work, in the process it was really inspiring to revisit some of his wonderful stories and the amazing characters he created. I chose an image from ‘Great Expectations’ as the main illustration. The moment Pip meets Abel Magwitch, a terrifying incident for Pip but something that has such a profound and far reaching effect on his entire life (no spoilers here – you’ll have to read it yourself, Marcia Williams abridged versions are a great recap). In thanks to Dickens’ inspiration one of the things that I’m embracing this year is the idea of ‘Great Rejections’ (based on the @goodshipillustration #100rejections). Finding inspiration, enjoying the process and producing work I can be proud of is what really drives me (I need to make sure I remember this!)