The romance is over / the project that never was...

Well, amongst other things, I'd been working on the valentines magazine commission until a few days ago when my US agent flagged up something decidedly iffy in the contract for the job. The long and short of it is the project is no more and I really should have known better than to start work in earnest before the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed. Lesson learned. Still it's more stuff for the blog (feast and famine there for the moment, I know, I know... :) and now I have time to spare for the Jabberwock. I'm finally sketching in the 'tulgey wood' so I hope to have stuff to show soon enough.

Valentine magazine commission... hearty creatures

So where's my Jabberwocky project got to then you might be asking...?! I know, I know... I was all set to get started when a paying project came on the horizon! Obviously I cannot go into great detail until print but it's going to be a double page spread to (all being well) be published February next, hence the valentine theme. Long story short these sketches of red valentine animals aren't the direction the client was looking for, but nothing goes to waste so here they are on t'blog. I'll try and post more on the project as it develops. The jabberwocky will be along presently... thanks to all who are kind enough to express an interest in his progress :)

One for sorrow, two for joy...Happy Magpie logos.

Yes I'm still here, although you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise! Thanks to all those who keep checking by despite the 'lights being off and no one being home'... and endless thanks for those following the blog (I will pop on by yours when I can). There seems to have been a load of stuff keeping me from the blog for the last few...boy, it's been weeks! My decks seem a lot clearer now so it's time to blow off the cobwebs and get cracking. I have a couple of project's about to start up. One is an exciting and (hopefully) paying gig for an illustrated book which I cannot go into right yet, but watch this space and I'll post on it just as soon as I can! There's also a personal project for a Jabberwocky illustrated book I've been thinking about for ages now which will fill in any gaps in my schedule. When I know more so too will the blog! :)

Just for starters here are some logo designs for a jewellery company called "Happy Magpie" I've just finished working on. Sadly these concepts didn't result in a finished design which the client wanted to make use off. I think it eventually boiled down to my interpretations of a supposedly happy magpie looking too startled and scary for them. It was also a struggle to get the birdy looking comfortable in it's clothing and so, long story short, we put the breaks on things. Maybe a revised version of these designs might see the light of day in the future... still, it's all a learning curve and fodder for the blog. Nothing goes to waste :)