Mid Week Mix
Since about 2008, I’ve been collecting images from the internet that have caught my eye. Way back then, I wasn’t so diligent in keeping records as to where images came from, or who had painted, photographed, illustrated or indeed created the artwork in the image. So I apologise in advance for their lack of referencing, but to be honest, it was purely about seeing groups of imagery together, that for whatever reason, I enjoyed. As I have managed to amass quite a few of these ‘collaged sheets’, I thought I would share them with you, in the hope that they may also provide some inspiration to you the readers, from their shape, colour, texture or out and out randomness : )
Hope you enjoy this weeks selection.
Fishink Travels
Happy Monday everyone. I hope this finds you all well. I’ve had a busy week and busier times to come.
Last week started with a lovely trip into town with Jane, a glass-maker friend of mine. When we meet up, we treat the occasion like a ‘bunking off school’ kind of day and take in as much art and culture (and good food) as our day allows !
We came across Matthew Darbyshire’s work in the City Art Gallery. He seems to strip away the symbolic power of the classical and everyday object through his combination of experimental processes and traditional methods. Eye catching !
I popped into Wall of Art on the top floor of the Manchester Craft and Design Centre on Oak Street in the Northern Quarter, to see how my artwork was selling before re-stocking for the Christmas rush (hopefully lol). The display looked great. Don’t forget if you want something Fishink-wise for Christmas then just pop in the shop or visit the website.
This weekend we’ve been looking after a dog-walking-friend’s-dog, Monty who is a very well behaved, but very active, black cocker spaniel.
The weather on Sunday had promised to be very warm and quite unusual for November, alas it didn’t happen and instead we were faced with misty, cool temperatures, which admittedly added another dimension to our walks. Monty and our dog Boo get along very well and are both renowned squirrel chasers. Whilst Boo leaps through the woods in bounds and gazelle like leaps, Monty quickly speeds through the undergrowth (gathering half of it with him in his coat) before stopping at a tree and barking frantically where the squirrel has previously leapt heavenwards up the tree. They make a fine team. It’s actually Boo’s birthday today, she’s just turned two !
I love these misty lane shots taken near to the Arley Hall Estate.
I’ve realised that in just a few more blogs I’ll will have reached my 1000th FISHINK POST ! Wow I didn’t feel that old at all lol
I have also realised that in the five happy years of compiling Fishink Blog, I’ve now reached a point in my life where other interests are strongly competing with the time I have available for writing the three posts a week.
If you don’t run a blog, you perhaps wouldn’t realise just how much time that might entail but believe me, it’s quite a lot and so sadly, for the time being I will have to scale the Fishink Blogs down to one a week in order to free more time for my art and other interests. I hope that you will continue to tune in and enjoy my posts as much as you’ve done in the past and also to support me as an artist with your comments and purchases of my work. All very much appreciated : )
So it’s onwards and upwards, or as Buzz would say… ” to infinity and Beyond !”
Happy week ahead everyone.
Vintage Shoe Poster Advertising
I came across some vintage posters for Bally shoes (amongst others) and thought I would share them with you. The reclining lady, that is really a shoe, is very clever.
Bally Miss of ’56 looks very sophisticated.
It’s great to see how their posters work so well over many different time periods.
Of course Bally wasn’t the only company doing great things in their adverts.
This leggy poster (top right) is very sixties and gets the stylish message across very simply and directly.
More fashionable additions from seventies beatle-mania , film posters and classic brogues.
Something for the more active customer.
Finally a little help from our animal friends.
Do you recall the old feet measuring wooden devices with the plastic sliding scale in Clarks Shoe shops ? I remember wearing red shoes to school (my rebellious streak lol), and Grey Tukka boots and the original Kickers. Also getting a brand new pair of Green Flash training shoes and waiting for them to dirty a little before wearing them outside in public, because they just weren’t cool to wear so white !
What early memories do you have of shoe shops and advertising ?
Mid Week Mix
Since about 2008, I’ve been collecting images from the internet that have caught my eye. Way back then, I wasn’t so diligent in keeping records as to where images came from, or who had painted, photographed, illustrated or indeed created the artwork in the image. So I apologise in advance for their lack of referencing, but to be honest, it was purely about seeing groups of imagery together, that for whatever reason, I enjoyed. As I have managed to amass quite a few of these ‘collaged sheets’, I thought I would share them with you, in the hope that they may also provide some inspiration to you the readers, from their shape, colour, texture or out and out randomness : )
We’re starting off with an old favourite, some Brian Wildsmith.
Do let me know your thoughts and which images catch your eye for whatever reason. Also I’d like to mention that I’ve recently started an Instagram page for Fishink Blog. The link is (https://instagram.com/fishinkblog) or you can click on the button on the right of my site. I am building up the collection every week, so if you lovely folk would like to follow me, or leave a comment or see more of my artwork, then please pop on over and check it out today. I’ll look forward to sharing more of my own illustration with you.
Elizabeth Brozowska A vintage illustrated gem
Happy Monday morning to one and all. I hope this gets your week off to a great start.
Sadly, there is little that I can discover online about the mid-century artist Elizabeth Brozowska, apart from the fact that she drew the comic strip ‘Geraldine’ (or ‘Josephine’ in Holland) for the National Newspaper Syndicate between 1962 and 1968.
Fortunately she didn’t just draw cartoons, as she is also the author and illustrator of the 1963 children’s book ‘The boy who wouldn’t eat his breakfast’ for the Wonder Books collection. What a superb style she has !
Of course not eating your breakfast can lead to all kinds of things happening, like shrinking , flying on birds and almost becoming dinner for your dog!
She created at least another three books that I know of like The Animal’s Party.
A book about Nicholas and the Lion.
And finally a lovely hippo book.
She obviously had quite a successful career and her work is great, if anyone knows any more about Elizabeth, could they please let me know so that I can enlighten everyone. Many thanks. What do you think readers ? Did anyone own one of her books when they were small ?
Tiger Tales Indian Illustrator Pulak Biswas
Born in 1941, Pulak Biswas studied in the Govt. College of Art, Kolkata & went on to receive the UNESCO Fellowship in Graphic Design & Illustration. He is one of the most senior children’s book illustrators in India, starting his artistic career nearly 50 years ago.
He studied painting at the Calcutta College of Fine Arts, and did stages in graphic design and illustration at the Hornsey College, London and the Rietvald Academy, Amsterdam. Based in Delhi, he worked in several advertising agencies before he gave up this career in 1981, to become a freelance artist. He was invited to attend ” Les Belles Estranges” in France by the Ministry of Culture of France in 2002.
I hadn’t heard of him or come across his work until I purchased this slim paperback book from 1968 called ‘Tiger Tales’.
I consider it the best series of illustrations that I’ve seen by Pulak, his use of line and tone are amazingly expressive.
He creates such a likeable tiger character, who also can be fierce, hunted and scared.
These drawings are lovely, the sprayed effect really adds to the tension of each scene.
Can you imagine what it would be like if a tiger suddenly dropped in whist you were having dinner !
Pulak worked for 17 years in Advertising & Publishing and then focused on painting and children’s book illustration, which he considered his dream vocation, having created innumerable books for children. This interview taken from Papertiger’s Website was made before Pulak passed away in 2013.
Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a children’s book illustrator?
I studied Painting in art college. To support my educational expenses I started doing book illustrations as it was not possible to sell paintings in those days. I eventually became a full-time artist and illustrator in 1981.
Your books Tiger on a Tree and Catch That Crocodile! are very popular. Can you give us a bit of background about them?
I was in Chennai to attend a workshop where I met a lady working in a tiger project in Sundarban in Bengal. She told me about a certain incident. I thought it would make a very interesting story. So I did the story in verse and did the illustrations in black and white to cut down cost. I gave it to Tara Book. They liked the story and decided to publish it as Tiger on a Tree in two colours and with the text in rhyme. It was written in rhyme by Anuskha Ravishankar.
Sundarban is full of rivers, and they also gave me the story of a crocodile and wanted me to do illustrations in a similar style as the tiger story. The crocodile had landed in a drain as a result of floods in the village. Again, Anushka wrote the text, and that is how Catch that Crocodile! came to be published.
Water plays a central role in several of the stories you have illustrated, not least you most recent book, The Flute. What does that mean to you?
I spent my my childhood in Bangladesh, which is full of rivers and ponds.
What are working on at the moment?
I was in Sundarban recently. I am working on “Bon Bibi ” a folk tale that is very popular among the villagers in Sundarban, which Is in the delta of the River Ganges in Bengal.
Great that a chance find allowed me to discover this artist’s work and life story. There’s also a short film here about The Man with the Magic Brush.
Mid Week Mix
Since about 2008, I’ve been collecting images from the internet that have caught my eye. Way back then, I wasn’t so diligent in keeping records as to where images came from, or who had painted, photographed, illustrated or indeed created the artwork in the image. So I apologise in advance for their lack of referencing, but to be honest, it was purely about seeing groups of imagery together, that for whatever reason, I enjoyed. As I have managed to amass quite a few of these ‘collaged sheets’, I thought I would share them with you, in the hope that they may also provide some inspiration to you the readers, from their shape, colour, texture or out and out randomness : )
Do let me know your thoughts and which images catch your eye for whatever reason. Also I’d like to mention that I’ve recently started an Instagram page for Fishink Blog. The link is (https://instagram.com/fishinkblog) or you can click on the button on the right of my site. I am building up the collection every week, so if you lovely folk would like to follow me, or leave a comment or see more of my artwork, then please pop on over and check it out today. I’ll look forward to sharing more of my own illustration with you.
Paul Reid at The Scottish Gallery. Greek tradition with a twist !
Self portrait-Paul Reid / Photo by Neil Hanna
Paul Reid is a Scottish painter who works in a figurative style. He was chosen by New Statesman as one of the Best of Young British under the age of 35, in 2002. Critics have noted that his work tends to reject contemporary art’s values, and instead harkens back to old masters such as Rembrandt and Caravaggio. He paints from real life and photographs, working from the Scottish landscape that surrounds him.
I love the way that Paul creates echoes of Greek mythology scattered amongst the highlands, which curiously don’t appear to be out of place. His ‘manimals’ (my term), seem at one with their environment, and his classical-painterly style, adds weight to them being believable, as though they’ve existed for as long as a Da Vinci or a Rubens masterpiece has.
I presume, like the old master painters, Paul has paid models who sit for him in order to create his artworks and occasionally if you look closely, you can spot the same face in more than one painting. His studies are meticulous, detailed and pave the way for the finished piece.
From an interview with the Edinburgh Evening News I discovered where Paul’s original love of the human form derived from.
It says … If the images look as if they’ve fallen from the pages of a fantasy novel, then it’s probably not surprising. Paul, 40, today keeps a guide to Greek mythology art – a reference point for many of his works – handy, but as a child growing up in Scone, Perthshire, it was Ladybird books that retold ancient stories with fascinating illustrations that caught his attention, before giving way to teenage superhero comic books.
Paul tells us “It was actually comics I wanted to do. I loved 2000 AD and Judge Dredd,” he confesses. “I spent a lot of time copying the images, and when you think about it, comic book artists tend to draw perspective and human form – they need to know where all the muscles go and how they work. They don’t spend as long as I do on it, but they need to be able to do it. So when I went to art college, I could already draw the human form correctly, because I’d spent so long drawing Batman.”
You can see how Paul is already mapping out how the final painting will be through the work in his sketches.
Though he received a First Class Honours in Drawing and Painting at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee (1994-98 ), his school tutors originally sighed and said he was doing it all wrong. Paul now counts royalty and famous patrons among his ardent fans. He even impressed The Prince Of Wales to such an extent, that Charles (himself a fellow artist), invited Paul to join him on a royal official visit to Turkey and Jordan in 2004. There he soaked up the desert landscapes and ancient cities and returned to his Edinburgh studio to create striking artworks, three of which are now in royal possession. Proving once again that tutors aren’t always right : )
There’s an ever so slightly odd feel to these formally seated portrait-style paintings, where the subject and the landscape become one. I like that it unnerves the viewer. They are not action shots like some of Paul’s other work, but possibly again hark back to the traditional elements of a commissioned portrait of some lord or lady or member of the nobility. It gives the central figure a degree of importance but as they’re not dressed in linens and silks (as the kings and queens would have been for their portraits), it makes them down to earth, ordinary and more accessible to the viewer.
If you are thinking that it would be great to see some of Paul’s work up close and personal, then you’re in luck.
But you need to be quick as there’s an exhibition of his work on at The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6HZ. Until the end of October. A fabulous artist putting a welcome twist on the traditional.
Fishink at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2015 Pt 3
Happy end of week everyone and welcome to the third and final post about The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2015. I can’t believe it was only last week and what an exciting show it was ! We begin today with the wonderfully characterful work from Marina Bauguil.
Marina was raised in France, Africa and England, and now resides in Manchester. Working intuitively, she allows each piece to determine its own direction as it develops. Her recent work is best described by the Japanese word Kami, defined as: “The sacred element or spirit which can be contained in everything, expressed in an awe-inspiring way.” I felt it also had an Inuit feel about it, peaceful, serene and contemplative. I loved it.
Tanti Design were featuring a fab array of plant holders. The plant can be potted directly into the cavity provided as it is lined with bio resin making it waterproof. It also has an internal reservoir to hold excess water. Tanti is an archaic word that means ‘worthwhile’… I think they definitely are.
More ceramics with a funny, yet slightly sinister edge to them from Ita Drew.
I thought this flying/leaping reindeer was wonderful, watched over by some rather solemn looking horned Ravens. Ita says ‘I often combine my own experiences with the world of fantasy to explore narrative and metaphor through illustrations and three dimensional artwork.’
Refreshing to see this colourful array of hanging shapes from mixed media textile designer Navdeep Dhiman. Navdeep specialises in making products out of resin, perspex, recycled card and paper. I thought her hanging pieces (scaled down a little) would make a fab and rather ornate door or window hanging or 3-D mobile. Imagine the sunlight, shining through these colours and bouncing around the room ! Food for thought perhaps Navdeep ? lol
Rich and ornate printed textiles from Pioden Prints. They are Angharad and Lizzie, a Pattern Designer and Embroiderer who met at Art School in Manchester and decided to form a company. It says so much about their love of travel and colour. It has a slightly retro familiarity to some of the brown and yellow cushions, and was great to see the same designs at different scales.
Another old favourite of mine is the woven willow weavings of Juliette Hamilton. I hadn’t encountered this Highland Cattle head before and thought him a rather fitting ‘centre stage’ for her stand. I also noticed her flying hares and beautiful floral display, featuring antlers.. how great is that !
Another fellow exhibitor for the Little Northern Craft Fairs around Manchester was Jeweller Heather Fox. Her latest range consists of hand-pierced personalised pieces incorporating favourite phrases and rhymes. Lovely to catch up with her again too.
Sadly we come to the end of my tour this week, with last.. but by no means least.. Mosaic Menagerie Mistress Amanda Anderson : ) Everytime I see Amanda’s work it raises a huge smile. It’s bold, colourful with a cheeky charm that is soo endearing. I would love some of her bigger work on my walls.. I just need more walls !
So I was standing chatting to Amanda and (as usual) admiring her work and waxing lyrical about how much I like it, when I thought to myself… Don’t be one of those people who constantly comes up to an artist and says how much you like their work… just buy something. So I did. Now I’m the very proud owner of the wee pink and bluey-green bird in the left corner below. And for everyone who understands what I mean by this, when I got it home … it was definitely my Mr Benn memento for the day : )
A fabulous and thoroughly enjoyable event. Many thanks to everyone who kindly gave of their time to chat to me and let me take images of their work, they made these posts possible. Congrats to Angela and Ann-Marie for your best show to date, do keep them coming ! And finally to all the customers, (mostly ladies), who come and regularly buy at the fairs and support the Arts so well, I thank you on behalf of everyone involved… for we couldn’t do it without you : )
I hope you’ve enjoyed the posts this week, do let me know your thoughts.
Fishink at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2015 Pt 2
Hi there. I’m back with part two of my trip to this year’s Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.
I don’t know if it was just me, or possibly what’s catching my eye lately, but there was a lot of very interesting ceramics this year. Let’s start with Kate Welton and her thrown and press-moulded pieces, with slip decoration inspired by traditional gardening tools and processes. I thought her mark-making was, in part, quite Japanese in flavour.
Beautifully frail and linear decorated porcelain from Justine Allison.
A show stopping favourite and fellow lurcher owner Ruth Green with some bold but friendly prints.
Louise Gardiner creates intricate and colourful art pieces and printed silk scarves. Her lavish stand certainly attracted a lot of attention. Beautiful details and colour explosions.
Talking to Julia Linstead about her finely sandblasted glassware, was an education in itself. Not only was she a remarkable craftswoman when it came to sculpting the glass into a variety of beautiful forms, she was also very knowledgeable about the creatures and wildlife she chose to adorn her work. She told me that a marine biologist had commented on how accurate her tiny sea-life were and was then equally impressed when Julia could name them in Latin and talk at length about their habits and life-cycle! A multi talented designer indeed. I really like the flow and 3-D qualities in her work.
I loved the green of this seahorse vase. I thought it would look very much at home in some underwater, sea-weedy environment.
One of the best stories and stands this year had to be that of Home Front Vintage.
On her website Sarah Jane says ” WW2 British silk escape maps were the creation of Clayton Hutton, an eccentric MI9 British Army Officer who was the genius behind so many WW2 escape and evasion aids which are still in use today. Hutton came up with the idea after he persuaded the British Museum to collect in the region of fifty true WW1 escape stories from various second hand bookshops in Bloomsbury. He then had them delivered to the sixth form at Rugby School and asked the pupils to read the books and summarise the key elements. The one item that constantly stood out from the rest was an escape map.
Hutton approached Bartholomew’s, a world famous map making company, and persuaded them to waive their copyright on maps for the war effort. Hutton had the maps printed onto pure silk; the ideal material for an escape map as silk is quiet, rustle free and easy to hide or sew inside clothing. The maps were issued to the RAF and Special Forces throughout WW2 and beyond and even smuggled into prisoner of war camps; helping our troops find their way home. ”
Sarah was lucky enough to track down this vintage find just a few days before the entire hoard was due to be pulped ! She managed to talk the military into allowing her to re-utilise the lucky find and the rest … quite literally…is history!
What a fabulous collection of ties, lampshades, buttons etc… more on her website too.
I enjoyed seeing these vintage-feel textiles too. Sarah Waterhouse had some eye-catching hand screen-printed, sustainable home textiles. Beautifully printed onto Hemp and Cotton fabrics using organic inks. Those cushions look very cosy.
Another familiar face was that of Janine Partington, with her quirky array of enamelled characters, vessels and wall panels. Her new decorated vases below, looked amazing with their yellow flora poking out.
I hope you enjoyed seeing some more of this years designers, check in on Friday for the final creative instalment. Thanks.
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