Blogaglob

Goodbye.

2010-01-26T11:18:00.003Z

Well I am going to take the plunge and move to tumblr sooner rather than later. Prompted by the fact that everyone seems to be on there (and it's just better) and I have to set up another blog for my typography module. I thought I would just start it all a fresh from tumblr, easier to manage two blogs on the same website.

So GOODBYE blogger you have served me well and here is my new blog address:

http://bearandtheboat.tumblr.com/

thanks :)

Poladroid I heart you.

2010-01-24T18:54:00.001Z

I miss summer, even though it doesn't look that summery in this picture I still do :)

Snowflake.

2010-01-22T12:06:00.001Z

Pretty. Shame snowflakes now remind me of design theory..

1,2,3&4

2010-01-21T18:28:00.006Z

Couple of things today kids:
1. I have finished my exams so my time is my own again which is super, not that I have done a huge amount with it....
2. Got my essay back which was a pain in the bum to write but hard work paid off and got a B+! Rather old skool didn't know they gave out B+'s anymore :) Although me not knowing how to reference (and hence didn't) probably knocked my marks down (from an A I like to think) a bit.
3. The Domesday clock freaks me out, apparently today it was put back by a minute to six minutes to 12 so that's good :|
4. Saw my favourite mysterious Professor again today, I have no idea who he is or what he teaches he just looks like the stereotypical professor guy that has lived in the library for the past 40 years complete with big beard and leather elbow patches. A bit like this guy but older and less 70s-

Narwhal!

2010-01-18T17:04:00.004Z

Wow Narwhal's exist! I thought they were some mythical thing, but yup I came across the truth while revising (they are randomly mentioned in a wiki article about asymmetry). Wiki also reliably tells me that the name is based on the Old Norse word nár, apparently meaning "corpse" a reference to the animal's greyish, mottled colour, like that of drown sailor. Awesome. I don't know why I currently being drawn towards all sort of old sea imagery, ships, sea monsters, octopus you name it...

What came first the egg custard or my death from polyhedra?

2010-01-18T15:31:00.009Z

I love egg custards they ease the pain of revision..... which I am now procrastinating from. I want time to draw and make things and by draw I don't mean penrose tiling, thanks Prof Hann. Will be soo soo glad when this exam is done. Looking forward to my free time the next couple of days, I reeeeally need my camera to fix itself all on its own real bad. Also need a haircut but that probably won't happen for at least another 3 months and need to develop some type for this thing and get some film developed and make my sister a house warming present....

Might be time to get out of bed?

2010-01-15T12:40:00.007Z

I was just reading an article about the font choice for the new logo being used by the french agency in charge of cutting down online piracy, Hadopi (with some not exactly popular techniques). The big drama comes from the fact that the font used in this new logo is ironically stolen itself. It turns out that the font used, Bienvenue is an exclusive corporate typeface belonging to France Télécom, so in an embarrassing u-turn they have now changed the font to a hastily bought FS Lola and Bliss. It really makes you think about intellectual property copyright, it's one of those things that is hard to protect, like an idea- it's not an object or design yet its just a wispy thought with no substance, hard to prove its yours. ANYWAY the thing I was actually going to write about was something that the above article mentioned in its intro

(which by the way you can read at http://fontfeed.com/archives/french-anti-piracy-organisation-uses-pirated-font-in-ownlogo/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fontfeed+(The+FontFeed)&utm_content=Twitter if you so desire)

was the use of Papyrus by James Cameron in his blockbuster Avatar, probably the second most hated font after Comic sans and most discussed type crime on the Internet after Ikea switching to Verdana. When I went to see the film I must admit when the subtitles came up the thought 'urgh papyrus really?!' popped into my head but then it faded away into thoughts filled with 3D blue people and floating mountains.

To be honest I can see why it was used, I know it gives me (cheesy) feelings of ancient Egypt, maybe its the name Papyrus? So it invokes an image of mystical worlds, which is Pandora in a nutshell. But you would have thought that with $300 million budget you would want to spend some of that an amazing custom designed typeface? I know this little issue will only effect a small proportion of the people who watched the film but it is fairly irritating.. haha.. However I guess it does show the importance of a good typeface, this one has tainted a pretty good film for much of the design community, which can be pretty snobby at times :) I think that's what fascinates me about typography, there is more to it than decorative letters. Typography isn't just a way of writing words but contains more subtle elements that fill in the gaps and can inspire a more subconscious response to what the words are saying. This made me laugh... http://prttyshttydesign.blogspot.com/2010/01/open-letter-to-james-cameron-from.html

I heart lego.

2010-01-14T21:13:00.005Z

(Christoph Niemann)

Exam went okay today, I always feel like I could sit and explain what I mean much better in person then I do when I am writing it down in an exam. Colour management did come up and I STILL don't really understand it 2 modules later so avoided that question like the plague. I was sad a typography question didn't come up reckon I could have written a swell answer for that one... ohh well Lego stuff yaaay :)

p.s. I think I love the word 'critters'....

Revision.

2010-01-13T13:02:00.002Z

Education + Exposure to beautiful things + Motivation = Great creative?

Teeheee

2010-01-12T20:52:00.001Z

I found this image in some of the lecture slides I am revising and it made me chuckle again :) Hey I am actually revising...

Okay now I will actually go and do some revision.

2010-01-12T17:35:00.001Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH_Z86mTjFk&feature=player_embedded

I haven't figured out how to get videos on to my blog yet and I feel bad having a copy when they aren't mine, so follow the link and have a watch :)

Choc Skull.

2010-01-12T17:27:00.000Z

http://blog.davidsykes.com/sweet-skulls/139

chocolate skulls?

Octopus.

2010-01-12T16:59:00.001Z

http://2sugarsplease.tumblr.com/

cool :)

2010-01-10T21:42:00.001Z

Self promotion

2010-01-10T19:24:00.002Z

Had myself a nice little trek though the snow today to get some books from the library, was a bit sad when I noticed my self promotion stuff had gone but happy that all the books had been tidied and sorted... you win some you lose some... :)

HELLO.

2010-01-10T17:00:00.000Z

Made it back to Leeds :)

Snowy Britain

2010-01-09T10:37:00.000Z

Sort of wondering if I will make it back to Leeds tomorrow...?

New York.

2010-01-04T10:56:00.006Z

Me and the boyf have just booked our trip to New York! The new year is getting off to a good start: have been productive and have actually done something we have talked about for ages and I have made a start on one of my new year resolutions- to travel to at least 3 new places :) Heading back to Leeds at the end of this week and really looking forward to it. Although not to exams and a cold house, and while I love being home I haven't had the space or time to do anything creative so it will be good to get back into things when I am back there....... Also need to use the library real bad (makes a change)....

I need a new job.

2009-12-27T19:59:00.003Z

Sorry about lack of posts recently been pretty busy, currently spending most of my time getting up before 7 am and having my soul drained by Marks and Spencers. But hey it's money! Sooo yeah made this the other day thought I would post it because I haven't posted anything for a couple of days.

Oooh.

2009-12-22T11:05:00.006Z

I bought this print last night (from http://www.keepcalmgallery.com), as I want some nice things to put on my bedroom walls in my uni house. Also need to finish my christmas shopping and because it goes something like this- 1 present for you: 3 things for me it might take me a while...

Agoo

2009-12-20T19:07:00.005Z

Yup it's a spotty Aga, I love these things my boyfriend has one (a green one not a spotty one) so when I visit I end up just sitting by it, I miss warmth when I am at uni. Anyway more importantly just discovered my claim to fame..... My step dad is the guy that puts all the spots on the spotty Aga's! They are a limited edition design to celebrate 300 years of Aga so if you have £1o,000 lying around...

Food Type

2009-12-18T17:55:00.002Z

Yeah sorry the photo is a bit rubbish camera is still broken so took this on my phone. Anyone ever noticed how shaped or letter spaghetti tastes so much better than regular spaghetti? I have found that Spiderman shaped spaghetti is a particular favourite of mine...

Freeeee.

2009-12-12T10:57:00.007Z

I am sorry the posts have been a bit sparse this week, been up to my neck with deadlines and various things. But I am all done for christmas now! Off to my boyfs house for a few days so I will post some things when I get back home at the end of next week. So I will leave you with some christmas cards I made in print, sorry they are so light I have broken my camera and so my scanner is all I have left. So merry christmas from a fax machine :)

1 Please.

2009-12-07T16:39:00.004Z

Few images from a lovely idea by Habitat, the basic premise is a large format book featuring awesome artwork from up and coming designers and illustrators. All 20 of the images are removable and can then be placed in 50x70 frames, hence the name 50by70. Apparently it is an 'affordable' £60 but last time I looked it was sold out, sorry kids guess you will have to get me something else for christmas....

Also.

2009-12-05T15:39:00.008Z

Thought I would also post a quick update on my work. Starting making and printing my book this weekend for the digital module, not so much a book rather lots of postcard with images from my work on them... Currently trying to find some sort of nice folding paper thing to encase them in. Although me and my naughty printer have had a falling out over it's fickle temperament, so managed to get 12 out of the 16 cards printed so far. It has been a right pain trying to align the front and back designs for printing. Also got a B for the Desgin Theory work so not too shabby there either, plus no lectures next friday so as long as I get all this work done before then I will be able to start my Christmas holiday a day sooner yyyaaaay!

Here be where I do my work

2009-12-05T14:32:00.005Z

The November issue of Creative Review was all about working spaces, asking whether or not you need a 'creative' space in order to be creative. So thought I would post a photo of my working space in my student abode, of course it's not all made from cardboard and doesn't house it's own art gallery but I like working here. We have lovely white studios at uni but I still like to do all my work at home.... probably because I only seem to get productive after 9pm when the uni studios are closed. I always like seeing where people do their work, if you ever get a spare minute you should take a walk around the painting studios in the clothworkers building some really inspiring work in there. I think this steams from my love of sketch books, sometimes I find the work leading up to a 'final piece' can often be more interesting than the outcome. It's like being able to watch someones thought process.

My work space is usually fairly tidy unless I am deep into a project, then it is covered in paper and ink and pens and books. It also houses my very small design library, when I say library I mean it consists of about 11 arty books, which will one day become a whole rooms worth, like the picture in the colour spectrum library post? One point raised in the issue was the love of open plan office spaces and as a creative do you actually want to work in open plan studios? I lean toward not. I like sitting at my desk, locked away in my room with music on, thinking and planning and making. As much as I enjoy my weekly sessions in the studios surrounded by fellow students I think I would struggle to get things done if I was made to work like that all the time. I like my thinking space :) I don't like my desk surroundings to be too busy just a few bits and pieces of design I have found and like, along with some photos and to do lists. The one thing I do always need is a bigger desk, I never seem to have enough room to work...

Pure talent

2009-12-01T21:16:00.005Z

I would really like a hamster, one that plays Jazz would be welcomed with open hands. Image from the new drench campaign featuring Jazz playing hamsters (click below..)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxBJlxb3NAQ&feature=player_embedded

Fancy a cuppa?

2009-12-01T10:18:00.003Z

My household loves tea so much my housemate Stef built us a special tea and coffee shelving unit for a counter top because we had boxes of tea and coffee everywhere. However sadly I am the only one in the house that doesn't really drink tea (yeah I know I am a freak) but when I came across the above design I thought 'wow I am drinking tea now!' only to find it's a fictional tea design, I was very sad. Plus the designer is Russian (Natalia Ponomareva) which makes researching whether or not it is going into production very hard since I can't read Russian and neither can google it appears... Anyway I need to brave the cold and get out of bed.

Make Something Cool Everyday

2009-11-30T21:12:00.009Z

'Make something cool everyday' what a good motto or resolution or whatever you want to call it. Above are some images taken from Olly Moss' (http://www.ollymoss.com/) self initiated project to (surprisingly enough) make something cool everyday.... plus a llama with glasses for good measure.
I was talking with the boyf this evening actually, about how I want to work on more self initiated stuff. At the moment I put all my efforts into uni work and that is it, which is great, but all the ideas I have get written down and not put into motion which is a shame because I have lots of ideas and good ones I'll have you know! So anyway think I have just found new years resolution #1...

Superheroes

2009-11-29T20:14:00.005Z

Came across these photos on fellow students blog (http://laurenelizabethwells.blogspot.com/- Have a look!) they are orginally from stylefrizz.com and you can see better quality images there if you fancy....
I don't really know much about fashion just think they are super (haha pun yeah?) images, love the concept along with the colours and poses.

Damn you burglar bill

2009-11-28T16:03:00.006Z

Well my house got robbed last night, it's such a hassle with all the crime numbers and police in your house till 6am and insurance and lost essays/ photos/ videos ect. I came out of it the best off really because spookily, I forgot my scarf before I left the house so went back upstairs to get it and saw my laptop on my bed and thought hey for one time only why don't I just follow my dads advice and hide my laptop. Turns out it paid off and Larry the laptop is still my best friend...it's soo creepy (the burglary situation not the fact that I have given my laptop a name)...
So anyway me and the boyf went out for a 'ohh no I have been robbed, poor me' breakfast/ lunch. Here are some more food faces for you to enjoy :) I think the waitress thought we were a bit mental, oooh well it had been a rough night...

Also.

2009-11-26T20:00:00.004Z

I thought I would post this too, looks better in real life and not on blogger. So yeah basically something I accidentally made in Print today just quite liked it so I thought I would give it a whole blog post!

2009-11-26T18:34:00.006Z

Quick selection of work by Alan Kitching, they make my insides happy... Plus he looks like a jolly fellow...

Update

2009-11-25T21:08:00.001Z

Updated poster idea for promoting this blog...

International Year of Astronomy

2009-11-24T22:42:00.005Z

Apparently this year is the International Year of Astronomy....yeah I know, no one told me either! Anyway after a wrong turn the other week took me deep into the heart of the university's physics department (looking for a room I am sure does not exist) these images struck a cord and reminded me of those out of date textbooks you find in every science lab/ musty, old science teacher office. These retro images are a breath of fresh air in the highly photoshoped world we now live in, they remind me of screen printed images- more personal and unique.

Starting out as a self initiated project by designer Simon Page, the above images soon found their way into the hands of the Year of Astronomy organisers and were so successful they are now available to buy as prints. I also found the fact that Page is mathematically trained rather fascinating, since I have recently been spending a large amount of my time drawing various geometric patterns for the delightful professor Hann. It is nice to see a clever design use for them.

Bear and the boat

2009-11-23T20:23:00.005Z

Something I made earlier, needed an image for my self promotion stuff. Currently feeling like it's too photoshoped, I hope I have time to screen print it or something handmade this week.

Hey fatty

2009-11-19T21:23:00.003Z

Simon Spilsbury- Skeletonne, 2008.

Procrastinatetatetate

2009-11-18T23:39:00.006Z

I have just realised that the main way I procrastinate is to write lists, hundreds and hundreds of lists, I trick myself since it makes me feel productive but in fact I am not actually doing any work...... Also I write blog posts......and browse flickr (hence above image, pretty super yeahh?)....

Codladh sámh Dan

2009-11-18T19:15:00.016Z

Okay just a quick post before I get on with some work... Just thought I would post some family photos that I have on my computer here with me at uni. This post is mainly prompted by the fact that I have spent the last day or so in Liverpool at a family funeral. And basically at the after gathering thing my second cousin (?) had set up loads of photos of his dad (my grandpas brother) taken throughout his life and I was just thinking how much I love looking at all those old photos.

For one it is interesting seeing how my grandparents and great uncles looked when they were my age, having just moved over from Ireland to work. Secondly I love the quality and feel the old photos have, from the folds and creases to the faded colours and sepia tones. They just give me a warm feeling hahah :)

I did touch on this theme in some uni work last year but never really developed it further. One thought I had while working on it was the fact that those 3 photos above probably mean nothing to you since you won't know the people in them, but to me they are a link to my past and depict some of the most important people in my life and remind me of some of my happiest memories . It would be the same for me looking at your family photos, it would be nice to see them but they don't really mean that much to me. This point was raised again today when I found it much more interesting looking at the photos with my grandma. Mainly because she knew who most the people were and why and when the photos where taken, solving some mysteries in the process. Maybe it's the back story that I am really interested in. I have always said the first thing I would rescue in a fire would be the big box we keep all our family photos in, well maybe the cats first because they would be miffed if they got their tails singed...

I am not really sure what I am trying to say with this blog I could go on and on forever about photography and these photos and my family and memories so I will leave it there because geometric patterns are beckoning sigh...

p.s. I could also write a massive post about how I feel so very out of place in a church, bad times!

GIANT

2009-11-16T16:07:00.007Z

Just saw this on BBC news (yeah yeah I know pure procrastination). Apparently giant deer used to exist, cool yeah?.. Maybe not?... Useless blog post? Pretty much, yeah....

Bookshelf spectrum

2009-11-12T18:35:00.005Z

NEW LIFE AMBITION: To own a colour spectrum library..... *sighh* one day.

Up Up Away

2009-11-12T00:32:00.006Z

I was just thinking about how I could promote this blog and having just seen the film Up, I was thinking that it would be really cool to set loads of balloons free with a label on the bottom with a link to this blog. You know like they used to do at school summer fairs and the person whose balloon got the furthest won something... However I have now come to the conclusion that it would be expensive and apparently those balloon setting free sessions are pretty bad for the environment, you know the story, the plankton eat the plastic and die, then the fish eat the plankton and die, then the sea gulls eat the fish and die ect. Maybe I could use doves instead or pigeons...?

The above image is something I found on flickr again (I am really not sure about copywrite stuff these days) and I just really liked it, I love the feel and look of Polaroids shame they have stopped making the film. I hope the impossible project becomes possible, it would be rather sad to say bye to Polaroid forever.

I wonder if I could do some message in a bottle type thing, although I don't really live near the sea right now. How disappionted would you be if you found a bottle washed up with a message in it that was just a link to this blog haha. Maybe I should start some sort of guerilla campaign and fill the library books with notes that have links to here written on them. At least that way I could target people who may be interested by putting them in certain books. That may be an idea actually....

Pinhole

2009-11-11T12:48:00.005Z

Pinhole photography (image above found on flickr) need to find somewhere that sells photo paper since I have run out...

I LIKE DINOSAURS. That is all :)

The bane of life

2009-11-10T15:22:00.004Z

Flyers. They annoy me so so much, they must be the least useful way of communicating with the world, well to the students of Leeds at least.

If you are a student in Leeds (and I am sure many other places across the country) you will be well aware of the people standing along your route around uni thrusting leaflets into your hands. I know I barely take a second look at the shiny bits of card in my hand. I think the reason they bug me so much is the fact that they all blend into one, gaudy, scantly clad woman promoting the same drinks offers at some night you don't care about plus they are so wasteful! You know the routine take a couple from the cold looking person, barely look at them, throw them in the next bin you see- that is not effective advertising. I wish these clubs and bars could get more inventive with their advertising. I tend to go on word of mouth about good nights out, not that I saw the flyer for the said night and thought 'oooh I must go there because that cartoon lady with big boobs told me to'.

Then again maybe the reason I don't like these flyers is because I am the wrong audience for them I can't say I am the biggest fan of R&B and hip hop nights. I have come across flyers with witty and memorable designs that have ended up on my notice board (images above). These flyers also happen to be advertising nights that I would actually go to. Coincidence? probably not.

One of those days

2009-11-03T15:37:00.001Z

Think I must have woken up on the wrong side of bed today, just can't seem to shake off feeling tired and pissed off. Got my development work back from a project I am working on, not bad marks but not good enough in my mind, I am so bad at writing what I mean. It's all in my head I forget that people can't read my mind so I need to prove that I know it by being more detailed...arghh. Just typed 'got out of the wrong side of bed' into flickr and the above image is something it came up with, made me chuckle.. :) I should really get on with my design theory work bahh it's taking soo long I need to stop being such a perfectionist..

I bloody love these guys

2009-11-02T15:14:00.002Z

Above are a few images by the design duo Telegramme. I am not sure how I stumbled across them but I really really love their work- so if anyone would like to buy me one of their prints for Christmas.. go for it :)
Anyway since I am currently spending most of my studio time at uni in the printing studios learning all sorts of printy things I thought I would have another look at their work and hence this post. Their primary medium is screen print, they say that they like this medium because its very experimental you are never sure what the end result is going to be. I definitely agree with this, so far this term I am not really sure what I have been trying to make and have just ended up playing and seeing what the end result is and it never quite being what I expected. I think the reason why I love their work is because its all handmade, obviously there are some elements of digital production but I think what makes their work so strong is the fact that there are imperfections and that they have to work with the limited colours of the inks leading them to be more inventive. I was thinking today (mainly due to it being rainy and cold outside) that it would be perfect to have all the screen printing equipment I needed in my room, I would never have to leave the house I could screen print all day and night and life would be good.....

Insides and stuff

2009-10-29T19:10:00.002Z

The image above (Ercia Dorn Anatomy of intimacy) is something I saw on the Creative Review webiste, it really made me smile. The conecpt was exploring the idea of love and intimacy, I liked how it gave a mixed feeling of innocence yet there is something a bit sinister about it. It is from a two part set the first one representing honesty (above) and the second representing commitment shown with a sculpture of two people connected by an umbilical cord. Thought they were both pretty good metaphors for what love is.

Max et les Maximonstres

2009-10-26T16:29:00.001Z

I just remembered the trailer I saw months ago (since the film is actually out now) for the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. I remember thinking how great the typography was so I hunted it out on youtube for some stills. It really captures the theme of the book with the type being childlike without being the cliche comic sans esque stuff that people insist on using. It's fun and monster-y :) Since the book is a childhood favourite I think I am going to be a geek and go see the film.... shame I have no small children to borrow as an excuse... ooh well..

That time I made a blog

2009-10-26T16:14:00.001Z

Helloo!

Well I thought I better get on and make my blog since it isn't going to write itself :) So here it is, a place for my thoughts and inspirations among other things... enjoy...