To coincide with the update of talented Illustrator Benji Davies’s new site, I’ve created a blog and competition today based around his work. Benji has not only given up some of his busy day to answer some questions, but he’s also sent me a Signed Copy of one of his Bizzy Bear books for one lucky reader to win in our very first Fishink Competition.
How very exciting !!!
First let us meet the man and peruse his work.
Benji Davies has always loved creating images on the page and seeing his work in print. As a youngster, he was often to be found drawing and painting at the kitchen table, a scene which can still be seen to this day. I was lucky to catch up with the busy man and fire a few questions his way.
Benji studied animation at university, and in his career so far has juggled illustrating children’s books alongside directing animated commercials, music promos and short films.
Like with many other illustrators, there is a slight retro feel to the style of some of your work. Is this something you’re conscious of and perhaps try to inject into your work or just your style and way of working that interests you ?
He is the illustrator of Nosy Crows’ start-up list favourite Bizzy Bear. The series, which continues to expand, is now being rolled out as a series of apps to compliment the books.
You have worked on many titles and your latest book ‘The Storm Whale ‘ looks wonderful. What next, future plans and sneak previews can you share with us ?
Benjis’ work has been co-editioned in many languages and countries, across Europe and around the world. He presently lives in Hackney with his wife Nina and works from home.
Benji also worked with Chris Haughton and designed a rug in Chris’s designer range.
Funnily I did a blogpost on Benjis’ business partner Jim Field, a couple of years ago. You can read that here.
So competition time !! Here’s what you can win. It’s a lovely card page book created with those talented peeps over at Nosy Crow and it’s signed by Benji’s own fair hand, or perhaps it’s a dark hand if he’s been in the sun recently lol
Not to give too much away but I’ve a feeling that …
It all ends well.
To win this lovely prize all I need you to do is ….
1. Write a few words telling me why you like Fishink Blog
2. Write a few words telling me what you like about Benji’s work and
3. Tell your friends and neighbours and friends and neighbours’ cats and dogs about Fishink Blog, so that the more people who contact me to say that they’ve found out about this site through you, the more chance you have of winning this lovely book of Benji’s.
I’ll decide and post the lucky winner on here in a weeks time. Happy spreading the word. !
Superb work Benji, many thanks for your valuable time spent answering my questions exclusively for us at Fishink Blog. It’s most appreciated and the best of luck with The Storm Whale, don’t forget you can order a signed copy and get the fair trade knitted whale too here.
Fishink Studio Original Artwork and Framed Prints.
You might have seen some of my artwork on line here the other week. I’ve added a button on the right of my blog that says Fishink Framed Artwork so you can now link directly to the latest pieces that are for sale. All the new artworks are individual, hand-produced, signed, one offs.
Prices start at just £30 for a 10 x 8 inch frame and go up to £40 for the 12 x 10 inch frame (plus p&p in both cases). Payment can safely and easily be arranged through paypal and sent anywhere in the world. I’m looking for comfortable new homes for my little characters or perhaps you have a friend who’s birthday is coming up, who may love an original hand collaged Fishink print on their wall ? Commissions start at just £50.
From the weekend you’ll be able to purchase some of these framed illustrations from Staacks Gallery in West Kirby, Cheshire or Hurricane gift shop in Chorlton, Manchester. Of course as each one is individual, I can always create something similar if a design you like has already been sold. Please enquire if interested craig@fishink.co.uk or through my Fishink facebook page.
Some people have started creeping into the images too.
I was looking around my studio space that I work in and noticed all the lovely things that surround me and keep me company as I work, so I thought I would show you some of them. Ceramics from my childhood and some I’ve created myself.
Mark Hearlds’ ‘Harvest Hare’ Wallpaper crept in here too, with metallic fish, seagulls and african birds accompanying his countryside wildlife.
More of my ceramics and a ‘flip flap’ whos’ green leaves bob up and down all day powered by the sunlight.
What surrounds you whilst you work that you really love. ? If you enjoy this blog then please pass a link onto your friends. Many thanks. Craig
Today I had a quick two hours to spend on Manchesters’ sunny streets and certainly managed to pack some new findings into the morning trip to town. I headed to the Manchester City Art Gallery where to my delight I discovered an exhibition called ‘ Between the Wars’ featuring beautiful watercolours by some of my favourite artists.
How wonderful to be able to walk into a gallery in Manchester and view original artwork by the likes of Paul Nash and Eric Ravilious all for free !
This piece by Christopher Wood caught my eye, as did the Stanley Spencer painting.
From there I headed over to the Northern Quarter and came across a beautifully designed cafe and gift shop called ‘Fig and Sparrow’. It’s run by two photographers who certainly have an excellent eye for design and detail. A wonderful new addition to Oldham Street. It had an air of calm and tranquility mixed with the smells of warm coffee and cakes from their cafe who could ask for more ? Well worth a stop off to refuel.
Around the corner I found some sunny graffiti art pieces.
From there I dashed over for a quick visit to Manchester Craft and Design Centre. Where I met Harriet Godden whos’ business ‘Sausage Dog‘ was quick to bring a smile to my face. There’s a whole array of friendly and ferocious (well maybe a little scary) monsters, animals and soft toy creations. I did feel like I was being watched by all those eyes whilst in the shop !
The next stop was to see Susan Kane and her lovely hand drawn illustrations Calico Angel at Holm which will soon be known as Fir and Wren. Susan trained in Manchester as a Textile Designer and after a period of selling designs to companies in the UK, Japan and Europe she has diversified into delicate linear illustration prints and broaches.
Another artist working just across the floor from Susan was Jessica Owen who paints from the local landscapes for her company ‘Northern-Scapes‘. Striking skies and moody outdoor scenes fill the studio walls.
Finally I came across the beautiful and tranquil surrounds of Andrea Lord’s Studio space and business ‘&made‘. Andrea makes everything by hand (as the business name suggests) and has a love of all things green and grey. I discovered that Andrea used to work as a costume designer & maker in the model animation department of Cosgrove Hall Films.
Andrea has created such a serene space to work and think in, it was like time stopped still for the period I was in there. She has made some wonderful items and it really is the place to find something unusual as a gift for someone who appreciates things that are just that little bit different. Whether it’s a cactus pin cushion or a home storage box I’m sure you won’t leave empty handed.
I loved these cut out cards.
Andreas’ eye for colour and design continues all around her shop, no area is left uncared for : )
For anyone wondering where the Craft Centre is it’s on Oak Street in the Northern Quarter (see below for map)
Thank you to everyone I spoke to and photographed today, and even though I managed to get back to the car 3 minutes after the car parking ticket had expired , somehow the £25 fine was worth it ! So thanks to Manchester City Council for that too !
I recently heard about the work of today’s photographer Vivian Maier and here is the amazing story behind her work. She was a 1950s’ children’s nanny who kept herself to herself and never showed a single one of her photographs to anyone. Decades later in 2007, a Chicago real estate agent and historical hobbyist, John Maloof purchased a box of never-seen, never-printed film negatives of an unknown ‘amateur’ photographer for $380 at his local auction house and discovered possibly one of the most important street photographers of the 20th century.
Maier was born to a French mother and Austrian father in the Bronx borough of New York City. The census records although useful, give us an incomplete picture. We find Vivian at the age of four living in NYC with only her mother along with Jeanne Bertrand, an award winning portrait photographer, her father was already out of the picture. Having told others she had learned English from theaters and plays, Vivian’s ‘theater of life’ was acted out in front of her eyes for her camera to capture in the most epic moments. Vivian never married, had no children, nor any very close friends that could say they “knew” her on a personal level.
She has such a creative eye and a skill for making people relax and look natural in her images.
Thanks to one of the families that Vivian nannied for in Chicago for seventeen years, the Gensburgs, John was able to acquire items in her two (packed) storage lockers of personal belongings that were going to be thrown in the garbage. Most of what was stuffed in these two units was a giant collection of various found objects such as crushed paint cans, railroad spikes and other pieces, but sandwiched between the clutter, were hundreds of rolls of color film and fresh clues that would take his research into new directions.
Vivian didn’t shy away from covering the more gritty sides of NY and the children whom she looked after, recall her taking them for walks in these areas.
I particularly like the humour and connection that she has with the people she photographs. You can see the delight on the children’s faces, they’re having fun and don’t feel threatened by her presence at all.
Oddly for someone so slightly paranoid about being a photographer, she also documented herself and her physical being (shadow, reflections etc) in her work too, but rarely smiling like her childish sitters.
At times she had a cultural eye on what was going on around her. A ‘Beryl Cook’ perspective on the photographic world.
Sadly at the age of 83 and before John could find her, he found her obituary notice in the Chicago Tribune in 2009. She had slipped on some ice the previous winter, suffered a head injury and never fully recovered.
For anyone interested in this amazing woman’s work, there’s a book available through Amazon and a soon to be released Movie ‘Finding Vivian Maier’.
She took over 100,000 photographs worldwide—from France to New York City to Chicago and dozens of other countries—and yet showed the results to no one.
Vivian’s story is inspirational in so many ways. In a modern climate of celebrity culture, it’s so rare to hear about someone that wasn’t doing it for money or fame. For Vivian it was just about her curiosity, her love for her city and the thrill of taking a picture. You can discover more about her history here and about her work
All rights to Jon Maloof and obvious thanks to him for showing this wonderful body of work to the world.
Fishink in Grassington Festival. Local Artist Jacquie Denby. Linton. David Ashby. Part 2
This is part two of the post from my weekend trip to Grassington in Yorkshire. I was lucky to meet the very talented local artist Jacquie Denby and got the chance to chat a little about her work. I really liked her linear style and for me it had hints of Miro, Klee and Picasso hidden amongst her yellows and charcoal lines.
Jacquie exhibits in a gallery in the village but also at the Quantum Contemporary Art Gallery in London and the Waterstreet Gallery in Todmorden.
She has two distinctive styles one is abstract (above) and the other more realistic (below).
The small square framed charcoal piece was amongst my favourites of Jacquies’ work. She was a joy to chat to and very calm and knowledgeable about her profession. If you can’t get over to see Jacquie in Grassington then she’ll be taking part in Out Of Context 2 at Machpelah Works, Burnley Road in Hebden Bridge on the 29th / 30th June and 5th /6th and 7th of July 11am til 5pm. Do drop by and say that you heard about it here.
In the nearby Village of Linton there was the local Yorkshire Pudding Throwing Competition and another one to judge the decoration and creative use of a Yorkshire Pudding. From a ladies fascinator to a decorated mirror frame, the entries were strangely amusing.
Again the local area is stunning in it’s beauty.
I walked down to the local waterfalls, past roving wildlife and idyllic scenes of country village life.
Back in Grassington the stalls selling local produce were doing well. An amusing jazz band struck up, dressed as chefs and kept the crowds entertained and serenaded for part of the afternoon. Alongside cooking demonstrations and other musical performers.
I discovered that local potter David Ashby lives and works in Grassington, in this courtyard pottery. Here he is hard at work. I’ve met David on a couple of occasions taking part in the GNCCFin Manchester and really like his work. He’ll be taking part in the Holmfirth Art Market on sunday the 23rd June, well worth stopping by as it’s on the day before too.
Lucky again with the weather, I got to see Grassington in a wonderful light, even the old green men seemed friendly !
Grassington Festival runs until the 29th of June, with former members of ELO, the Levellers and Jools Holland still to perform, it’s a great place to head to if you’re free and in the area.
Look what appeared on my WordPress Desktop this morning, a reminder that FISHINK BLOG is three years old today !! Stronger than ever and that’s thanks to you. Please keep reading, commenting and if you enjoy this blog do pass it onto your friends who may also enjoy it too. Happy Blog Birthday to me ; )
We decided as the forecast looked ‘ok’ for last weekend to head out to the Yorkshire Dales once again and take in some of the Grassington Festival that is on until the 29th of June.
After putting up our tent at a local campsite we started out for a saturday walk. There were cows amongst the trees and they were easily spooked by us just walking past. They looked lovely in the sunlight.
As I’ve pointed out before the landscape is wonderful around the Dales and full of wildlife. Oyster catchers, Lapwings and Curlews seemed to be everywhere.
I thought the lines on the land (above) were quite interesting as well as the local houses and plant-life.
In the evening we had booked tickets to see the band Hope and Social whom we knew little about apart from the fact that the independent billed them as ‘one of the Uk’s top five Live bands’. They were on in the town hall which was also decked using the festival theme of flowers and umbrellas.
The band lived up to their billing and infact if you’re interested you can hear the concert they did on the night here. The lead singer did an amazing acoustic number before leading the band into the audience and finally bringing half of the local community back onto the stage to play about 4 numbers that they had been rehearsing together for some days. There was a great cross section of ages who all seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere.
The village looked great with all the umbrella installations everywhere.
Even the local sweetshops are a little unusual ! More to come in a couple of days.
There’s an exciting new exhibition arriving at the Scottish Gallery. It’s called Ten Printmakers, an exhibition in collaboration with our friends at St. Judes (Angie and Simon Lewin).
The exhibition features 10 unique prints, based on Scotland, made exclusively for The Scottish Gallery by Christopher Brown, Chloe Cheese, Linda Green, Peter Green OBE, Jonny Hannah, Mark Hearld, Michael Kirkman, Ed Kluz, Angie Lewin and Emily Sutton.
The artworks are limited editions all exclusive to the gallery. The exhibition also sets out to contextualise the artists historically by including post war Modern Artists such as; Edward Bawden, Barbara Jones, Paul Nash, John Piper, Eric Ravilious, Michael Rothenstein, Julian Trevelyan and Edward Wadsworth will be represented. The careers of these artists have inspired and shaped the visual language of these printmakers.
The exhibition runs from 3rd July 2013 until the 27th July 2013. Do pop in if you’re in the area and say hello from the Fishink blog site too !
I’ve also just come across this… which sadly finished yesterday ‘A Collector’s Exhibition – Aldeburgh Gallery ‘
Manchester School of Art Degree Show 2013
I spent a few hours yesterday wandering around the beautiful new art building for Manchester School of Art and Design. They have their Degree Show on at the moment (until tomorrow) you can find out more here. The new building is amazing.
I’ve pulled together some images of the students work that caught my eye across the many disciplines covered there.
I liked these pieces from Erin Echo, I’ve a feeling I spent the day with Erin and Chris Haughton here. More graphic art pieces from Alex Hulme and colourful fashion prints by Emily Burton
I really liked the fisherman’s plight project by Jon Lucas. Lovely use of colour and line here.
Something quirky from Jack McConnell and a lovely illustrated bird tale by Sophie Irving
Finally A Day In The Life Of A Chef by Illustrator Katrina Whitelaw, more lovely food inspired illustrations on Katrina’s site.
I don’t know why it should be the case, but graduating years seem to follow the pattern of having a strong graduating year and then a not so strong year. I don’t personally feel this year’s students were as varied or professional in their approach as last years’ students. But saying that the 2012 show was a pretty hard one to follow, highlights can be seen here, here and here. I want to wish all graduating students from this year, the best of luck for their working futures !
Fishink Walks around Settle, Yorkshire. Part 2
I woke up early, alongside the chorus of farm animals and bird twittering. A cooler start than yesterday but no rain, so that was a good start. After a quick shower we popped back to the cafe and had a good cup of tea and some toast to get us in the walking mood. Starting this time in the lovely village of Austwick we set out past the house with a face and off down a walled path, busy with Cow-parsley.
Stepping over the flagged bridge, then onwards and upwards to Oxenber and Wharfe Woods.
Luckily for us the bluebells were still out and they looked amazing. I can’t remember the last time I was surrounded by a sea of blue flowers.
Once at the top you find more of the characteristic Limestone Pavement. Parts of the rock looked to me, like back-bones. Whitely protruding through the soil they jut out of the earth like some gorgon from Jason and the Argonauts that is just about to erupt from the ground and challenge us to a fight. We luckily managed to pass unscathed on this occasion !
Wildflowers again were everywhere.
Wild garlic and mossy walls.
I loved this tree which had divided and was happily hugging itself. At the base of the division you can just see the door to the Elves kingdom ! Further on there were some daredevil sheep, scrambling around on the cliff edges. I’m sure the grass didn’t taste any better there than anywhere else, why risk the chance of falling, I wondered, are they really that dumb or practising for the sheep circus !
The cows seemed chilled and happy and the wonderful dry stone walls and landscape, again made me gasp as we descended into the valley.
Even the mown fields appeared to be full of colourful stripes.
Back into Austwick Village with it’s pretty, well groomed cottages.
This was definitely one of my favourite fields from the weekend. Just look how the grass sparkles with colour and how the field becomes a solid yellow, furthest away from the eye. It was like a green canopy of buttercup stars !
After lunch in Settle, we drove on a little further and walked up to Catrigg Force and spent the afternoon lying in the sunshine by the river, reading a book, with only the Swifts and Curlews for company. What a great weekend and a true place of natural English beauty.
Fishink Original Artwork and Framed Prints.
An exciting end to the day yesterday when I opened a small ‘For Sale’ section on Fishink Facebook Page. Not only did I receive some lovely comments, I even had my first two sales Wow !!
Large framed prints (external frame size 10 x 12 inches) are priced at £25 and smaller framed prints ( 8 x 10 inches) are £20, (p&p £4 in the UK).
The original framed collage and painted artwork (8 x 10 inches) are £30 each (p&p £4 in the UK) and are all signed, uniquely individual pieces.
You can view and comment the range of prints on Facebook here and if you’d like to purchase any, then just drop me a line either through this blog, or email me at craig@fishink.co.uk and we can chat further. Please do let your friends know and I’ll be adding more original work to the folder early next week. Keep watch !
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