Fairground art

I've always been really into fairground art and design, particularly that of Fred Fowle who went the whole hog with his 'baroque' style in the 50s and 60s. The panel in the photo here is by him, and it's going to be the basis for a new 5-day course by Joby Carter from Carters Steam Fair, where you will get the chance to learn by copying the original on your own panel which you can take home at the end. I can't wait!

This is how and where to book…

Tattoo

I designed this winged 45 for me mate Mick, wall of death rider and all-round gentleman. We couldn't quite decide on the colours, so he did it with the tattooist on the day - I prefer his to mine!

Me bruvva

I made this digital download cover for me brother Jacob, who's leaving his BBC Introducing new music show that he's been producing and presenting weekly for about five years to work full time as a producer on Radio 1. Check it out here…

Sterling work

Here's another ad I made recently for The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co, who are building these new-old bikes…

And two 'artist's impressions' of the Sterling Deluxe with wicker sidecar.

Joby's signwriting courses

I've just finished making this site for Joby Carter, who is one of the best traditional signwriters now practicing in the country. Joby runs fantastic 5-day intensive courses at the Carters Steam Fair yard near Maidenhead - there's one being booked now for February.

 The course covers design and layout, brushwork, lining, shading and much more, and you get to take your piece home at the end of the week - and it's a good laugh too! Highly recommended - check it out here.

Joby was also recently featured on a nice little piece by the BBC.

Killer clowns

I love the way my work is so varied, in one day I can be designing a book, illustrating a vintage bike, a polar bear, a Fokker biplane, and making a poster featuring killer clowns.

The Trip Out 2014

We don't like to let the grass grow round here! Just made the poster for next year's Trip Out - 2014

Joby's website

This is my mate Joby and his mate Tigger. Joby is one of the best signwriters in the country, taught the proper way by a man who was taught by a man who was taught by a man, back into the infinity that is folk art history. He's also a brilliant fairground designer, restorer and painter. Anyway, enough of that - I designed him a website, so check it out here.

I also made him this loony postcard to advertise the site's launch.

Tripped out, yet again

This is the front and back of a T shirt design I did for The Trip Out, a great 60s/70s bike/car/music weekender in Bedfordshire. The next one will be next September - I'm working on the artwork now!

This year I did stickers, T shirts, showcards and various bits and pieces for them, and they also used the logo to make leather keyrings and other goodies.

A spoonful of sugar…

I've just made this CD EP cover for Ma Polaine's Great Decline. I can't remember what advert the image was from now, but it's a fantastic drawing of invented machinery! Probably bile pills or some other revoltingly-named mystery remedy.

The machine for Business, Pleasure or Sport

This is the first of a number of vintage style adverts and posters I'm making for The Black Douglas Motorcycle Co., who are in the process of producing these fantastic bikes based on early 20s design but with modern engines for those who like all the thrill of biking, without the thrill of breaking down and pushing it along a muddy hard shoulder in the rain looking for the nut that fell off.

Fairground fun

Alongside my other work, I'm constantly working for the fantastic Carters Steam Fair, the largest vintage travelling funfair in the world. I deal with their posters, flyers, website, adverts and other bits and pieces they need as the season runs through. They're great to work with, and have become true friends - and they're some of the most hard-working people I have ever known. It puts my sitting-on-the-sofa-gazing-out-of-the-window job to shame!

If you're anywhere near Holyport this weekend, get down there!

The World of Wonders at London Wonderground

I was asked to design this set of six banners for the World of Wonders Sideshow, which was taking part in this year's London Wonderground. It was a good fun project (if not a bit last minute!).

Charivari Day

This poster was made for this year's Charivari Day, Folkestone's annual street carnival organised by Strange Cargo.

Fortune favours the bold…

 

I was asked to design this tattoo for a friend's son. He had chosen a piece of art he'd found online, but the text didn't say what he wanted it to, so I used similar Arabesque ornament with the correct phrase.

Hand-made stuff…

These are two posters I made for Lisa Oulton and the Canterbury Student Makers' Market, a new social enterprise which encourages young makers to get training in marketing their products, and which gives them free stall space on a monthly marketplace.

What do bears like for breakfast?

Chicken, sautéed potatoes, sausages, broccoli and carrots, apparently. This was drawn for SGS, as part of their sustainability campaign.

Careless Talk etc...

I have just designed this poster for JimJam Arts who are putting on a series of events in Folkestone this summer. They asked me to make this poster for an upcoming street festival involving various performers all over town. Their initial slogan - "Keep it under your hat" reminded me of Fougasse's famous "Careless talk costs lives" posters, so I decided to do it in honour of him.

JimJam decided that the "Keep it under your hat" slogan wasn't really working - "Word on the Street" is the name of the festival, so it was contradicting itself a bit. So they asked me to make a new poster:

This one features a few loony performers, and it's more inkeeping with the other posters I've made for them in the past - some of my favourites, in fact:

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…

Ma Polaine's Great Decline wanted a poster for their tour of the south west of England. The band had a good, strong idea of what the poster should look like, so I worked to quite a tight brief.

There were a couple of earlier versions that we ended up not going for, but they're quite fun so I've included them here:

'Arrisville

I have just made this logo for Laura Carden of the beautiful Harrisville General Store which is in the historic New England town of Harrisville, which has a large number of very original early 19th century buildings.

The mountain is their local peak, Mount Monadnock.

A few more fair bits...

Some more things I've made for Carters Steam Fair. They're getting prepared for the new season now…

Fête des Lumières de Cheriton

This is a postcard featuring a logo I made for a lantern parade / sculptural bonfire / fireworks spectacular being held in the small Kentish town of Cheriton at the end of the month. This job also had to be translated into French, which was a bit of a challenge with the logo! I will be making a Nepali version too.

The word on the street…

Here's a poster wot I made for a drama company who are providing free drama and playwriting workshops.

Heavy, maaaaan

This is a logo I made for a friend of mine who's starting a social enterprise business working with young people to train them in hands-on skills - right up my street!