Like old Friends

Working through all the images I have ever created took some time I tell thee, but it was a welcome task as I got to revisit some old drawings I'd almost forgotten about. My agents were particularly interested in seeing digital versions of the doodles I created from the murals I've done, but as I mainly work in a brain-to pen-to wall fashion, there was a need to recreate these images on paper.

The above image was originally etched onto the entrance hall of Bungalows and Bears, a jauntly Northern establishment in Sheffield established by the ever talented and expending 580 limited.

The original mural depicted the now-demolished Sheffield cooling towers, with local superstars The Arctic Monkeys on top of one, and *my school girl crush* Pulp on the other.

I remember on this job having to hunt down an internet cafe to google image pictures of the towers and the bands for reference. God, how much do I love having an iphone now.

The second reworked image was originally from the first in the pub mural series I did at Start the Bus, Bristol (another 580 wonder)

I remember being absolutely terrified to start to draw on this mural, probably due to be only being told the brief on the train to Bristol that morning. Also having a whole room full of people waiting to see what I was drawing was a bit unnerving. It was the first of what I've now come to know as 'Rolf Harris Syndrome' People are perplexed into silence by watching you draw and trying to work out what it's going to be. It's something I thrive off now; there is no fannying around when there's a mural to do.

Bringing Creativity to Life (and a soggy Blackburn)

Following the Mural I did on the empty shop in Blackburn town centre I have been asked to create a window display to excite interest in the next phase of the LET project.

The empty shop that once was occupied by Vall Hall Jewellers will be used over the coming months to host an exciting variety of creative activity specifically designed to engage with the town centre audience.

There two curved windows in the shop, divided by a receding doorway, so I began thinking of ways I could engage the viewer from any angle they may approach from. I decided it would be best to have freestanding individual characters rather than, say, one big poster.

TO DRAWING!....

I came up with the plan that the window could become an imaginary art studio for one lovely lady, the items around her suggesting possible activities taking place in the coming months.

A little trip to GRUMPY later (best idea/shop ever) and I had my materials to crack on bringing her world to life.

Here's a pic of what I came up with...all laid out in my garden Art Attack style.

Molly's even been earning her keep by making a little friend to keep my Lady company..

...do you think she looks like me? (I wish I had purple hair)

Really looking forward to installing this little imaginary world soon...I'll keep you posted!

Painting on walls is the BOMB

So I've had time to recover from the mammoth wall mural I completed (in the drizzle) in Blackburn town centre, and what a bloomin joyous experience it has been...let me share some of it with you!

After compiling all my research I drew, and drew (and drew) all the things I could think of to do with Blackburn - it's Architecture, it's people, it's history and it's colourful spirit. In fact I drew so much that I fast ran out of space on the gigantic 8 metre design I mocked up.

I really wanted the mural to have two elements to it - to stand out with a bold images that could be viewed quickly if you were just passing (the street is traffic heavy) with added detail that you could spend time looking over if you passed it on foot.
I decided to use the phrase 'Ey Up Chuck' as a positive colloquial greeting to those passing as well as a symbol of the cheery Blackburn spirit. Using imaginative typefaces to grab peoples attention.
Around this I filled the remaining wall with my drawings, all coloured in a vibrant colour palette (I'm sorry but I simply don't do bland)

This is the biggest mural I have designed so far and although it took days to sketch, I knew the extensive planning would be essential to ease the application - especially working with over 10 different colours!

So, on a sunny Saturday, with the mapped out design all ready, I got on with getting rid of that horrid plain boarded shop front! First was the pink base coat (applied with my cheery Poppa Pete) and wow did it instantly command attention from the many passers by!

Colour mixing time! I got some primary colours mixed up from the Dulux colour mixing system and set about matching mushed up versions of them to my design...a process that took over 3 hours! I decanted them into sealed storage tubs (from the trusty pound shop up the road)
The lack of access to a sink meant I had to invest in plenty of brushes - one small and one fat for each colour, and I kept them wet using sandwich bags around the ends (which lasted the entire week!)

First to apply was the base colours for the statements (on a particularly wet day!) I was quite aware of not wanting to leave the unfinished mural at the risk of being vandalised so it was super late nights/early mornings, but having said that now the mural has so far been left untouched, which pleases me no end.

 

Settling into the application (after making friends with each brush) and sketching on the bottom half, I moved from left to right and back again applying one colour at a time, which proved to be the most sensible way to work.

It was really encouraging to talk to the Blackburners passing by, who were all intrigued and positive about the change to the run down shop. Some people passed by on a daily basis to keep up with my progress which I found really sweet. It just goes to show you that people of all ages, and from all walks of life are keen to see creative regeneration happening in their area, and really helped me stay positive through some pretty drizzly days :)

Slowly but surely as the week progressed, the mural came to life on Lord Street and bar from a few compositional changes the design was staying pretty true to my wishes.

After a swish of my trusted Posca Pens to add those little important details such as faces and labels...VOILA!...it was finished!

I sealed the mural with a good coat of varnish which will protect again rain and sun alike, and proudly had my picture taken for the local paper, which my Nan was super proud of, especially since it ended up on the front page...

(hahaha jokes headline!)

I have thoroughly enjoyed this project! Murals are one of my most favourite things I do in my practice. There is something about the childlike naughtiness of drawing on a wall that will never cease to be thrilling, and being allowed to do such a thing in a prime location (with a live active audience) only serves to enhance my pride.

This project was commissioned by the wonderful people at LET project and the regeneration team in Blackburn. It's truly inspirational -  the idea that creativity should be at the centre of local regeneration, and that although times may be hard we can do something to help brighten up the physical spaces, and the spirit of those in neighbouring businesses.

You can see more pictures of the finished mural on my Flickr

Mellor & Co

Yesterday I went to talk to a wonderfully friendly man named Keith at Mellor & Co - the Ironmongers next door to the abandoned shop I am designing the mural for and he helped fill me in on what history he knew about Lord Street West.

He told me that Mellor & Co have been in this shop since 1900, and kindly showed me a picture of how the shop looked back then (pictured above) It's fascinating to compare how little change the shop has changed since it opened, it really is a gem of old Blackburn, and should be celebrated for it's length of service to it's people.

I've also discovered that the shop I am working on was originally a wholesale greengrocers, explaining the loading bays and disused crane next to the shop (above) and has also been a razor shop and a reclaimed slate shop.

Keith also showed me out in the back of the Ironmongers, where you can see see features of the old coach houses, stables and original cobbled pavements. It could quite possibly be the backyard in the image I found at the library below, which is taken round the corner in Northgate.

I also talked to Janet, the lady who runs vintage fashion treasure cave "Decades" - the best kept secret of the North, who told me she'd been in her premises for over 20 years. She knew that her end of the street had previously been a Dry Salters, a Jewellers and a Dance Hall (which you could see in the arched ceiling above the racks and rails full of vintage delights)

Image taken from Lancashire Life article about Decades

 Interestingly I've also discovered that turn of the century pioneer film makers, Mitchell & Kenyon had their premises just around the corner on Northgate and King Street. Astonishingly 15 years ago two workmen discovered 3 metal drums in the basement of the property, brimming with hundreds of early non-fiction silent films, many of local Lancashire people and places.


An early clip of Blackburn Rovers V Aston Villa at Ewood Park, 9th April 1904 (nearly exactly 79 years before I was born!)


School children from Audley Range Primary School during their Physical Education class, 1904.

You can see more you tube clips from the 2005 BBC Documentary on YouTube HERE






I have a massively long (and still growing) list of things I want to draw in the mural, as well as messages I think are important to highlight. I'm finding it such a treasure to discover the origins of the place I grew up in and I really want to convey and perseverance the enduring spirit of the remaining local businesses in the area.

A few interesting things.......

......I have found out about Blackburn so far...

1. There is a giant buried here - John Fred Kempster

2. Ghandi visited Darwen (where I grew up) in 1931

3. The Spinning Jenny was invented here; revolutionising weaving and turned Blackburn into the weaving capital of the world!

4. The Crest was granted in 1852 and the bits of it have the following meaning:

• The Worker Bees are are an emblem of SKILL, PERSERVERANCE & INDUSTRY
• The White represents CALICO, a product of Blackburn
• The Black wavy line represent BLACK BROOK - the river Blakewater Blackburn is built on and derives its name from
• The Green represents Strength
• The Dove represents Blackburn as a peaceful place
• The Dove stands on a shuttle, representing weaving - which has contributed to the prosperity of the town more than any other industry.
• The Lozenges (diamond shapes) represent the spinning jenny
• Finally the motto - ARTE ET LABOUR which means 'By Art and Labour' summing up the energy and enterprise of Blackburnian workers.

BOOM!

Liberating Empty Terain Project, Blackburn

Good Morning Campers! The day in East Lancashire today is a little grayer than I'd prefer but I care not as I have a terribly exciting project to be getting on with.

I've been back in my faithful homelands for a couple of months now, beavering away in my little studio and planning the months ahead. It feels a bit weird to be away from London after so long there, but I'm truly loving the calm and eager feelings that are being nurtured. London can get a bit hectic and distracting sometimes, so this is indeed a welcome break.
Most excitingly, I have been chosen as the local artist for the latest brief from The LET Project (Liberating Empty Terrain) This is a fantastic series of projects running in Blackburn Town Centre, highlighting the need to support local creative industries by inviting them to take over disused properties.

I will be creating a mural on a disused shop in Lord Street West, working with local people and ideas to create something both reflective and progressive to the regeneration of the area. The shop in question is sandwiched between a wonderful, traditional Ironmongers, and 'Decades' - one of the best Vintage shops in the North (if not in the country - I used to spend many an hour in this treasure box as a teen)

I feel a particular kinship to this project, as it's a shop that I used to frequently when I used to live in Blackburn. It used to be known as 'The Jumble Sale Shop' between those in the know, and it was basically a shop used by various small charities on a short term basis to raise money through selling jumble. It was BARGAIN central, with many lovely grandmas helping you bag your treasure.

This block of shops have a industrial quality typical of the area and have some beautiful original features. I'm especially in awe of the graphic signage of the Ironmongers next door and want to use this as inspiration in my design.

Today, I'm off to Blackburn town centre to sketch some landmarks and gather information from the museum and art gallery. Who'd of thought it!

Keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Roadtripping!

Tomorrow I'm off to Nottingham for a week to create a piece of work at new venue 'Spanky Van Dykes Eatery and Funhouse' (that's got to be the best name for a pub ever right?!)
As always, the nature of what I'm to create is surrounded in some mystery (even to myself) until I arrive tomorrow, but I do know however, that it involves creating half a caravan, which I plan on turning into a home for some magical freak show characters. I'll be posting live updates on my TUMBLR.

The venue is the latest fun palace from the entertainment boffins 580 who i've worked with several times before. It's really exciting to get involved with these venues at their creation, and seeing them being embraced by the locals. Plus I get to spread my doodles far and wide! So far I have been to: Bristol, Bournemouth, Brixton, Leeds, and Sheffield! 

After Nottingham is Kraken Wakes, Portsmouth and The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool, so much more daftness coming that way soon.

I'm also doing the vending machine again for the opening parties, although I've rejiggled the idea a little (due to the emigration of a certain little someone) DoodleVend is now going to incorporate different artists at every venue it travels to, meaning live, customised goodies for everyone!
Check my DoodleVend Blog for dates, locations and info on the jazzy artists involved.

And finally, in moving news - I'm one week away from the moving my nest back to the beautiful North. Typically things have all come at once, so it's a yo-yo game between here, there and Nottingham, but I'm excited. 2 car boots helped me shift the mountain of crap (and make a little wonga in the process) so now I'm the streamlined version of the old me, and it feels like spring in my heart.

Hello next chapter, I've been looking forward to meeting you.

The Beer Gallery OPENING FIESTA!!!!!

Wall crystals by: www.bambopink.com


The Beer Gallery is a mural painting project I have curated in the Amersham Arm's revamped garden. It has been a great opportunity for me to showcase some of the best in contemporary mural design and I have met some truly amazing people

There's a opening shindig, this Sunday 5th July from 3pm. There'll be a BBQ, punch and a rooftop DJ! Come laze a Sunday away with us!

For more info on the project, visit the blog:
www.thebeergallery.blogspot.com