Veronica Wood is the newest member of Soupa Creative - check out her humorous illustration work on her page here. Our particular favourites are the Amy Wino interpretation and the very funny teenage comb over.
Ben Allen - New Print
Multimedia artist Ben Allen has just designed a new limited edition gold print - Gold Lovebird. We're loving this design at Soupa - there are only 50 of them so get in there quickly if you fancy this lovely on your wall! Check out more work on his website http://benallenart.com
Transport for London - Moquette competition
From graphics to roundels, tube stations to textiles, Transport for London is steeped in a history of innovative design. As part of the gradual refurbishment of London’s transport system, Transport for London and London Underground are pleased to announce an open competition to design a new seating moquette for use on the Underground system. The winning design, which will initially launch on the Piccadilly line, will then be adopted across the London Underground system. This is your chance to become part of the fabric of London design and transport history and for your work to be seen by over 3 million tube users every day.
Entrants are invited to submit up to two repeat pattern textile designs using the colours specified in the design brief remembering that your design will be used for public seating so will need to be commercially viable and take into consideration wear and tear and soiling.
The winner will receive a design fee of £5,000 which includes copyright purchase.
CLOSING DATE 14th September before 5.00pm GMT.
Rankin Live 2-4-1 with Dazed and Confused
Take advantage of this 2 for 1 for offer for the Rankin Live exhibition at Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, East London from Dazed Digital.
The museum-sized exhibition opened on 31st July with a bang - the private view saw 1000 people through the door, drinking champagne cocktails through the night, with Jefferson Hack on the decks. This first week has been an exciting one. Favourite features so far have been the UV 'Breeding' room, the old-skool photobooth, and the celebrity 'Shoot Me Rankin' videos.
The total is now upto 944 people who have been photographed for Rankinlive - Rankin has upped his goal total in the face of so many great applicants to 2000 people.
Follow Soupa on Twitter
Soupa is finally on the bandwagon which is Twitter.. follow us, we'll follow you and who knows what might happen...!
Chris Welch stars in Computer Arts Graduate Showcase
The Computer Arts Graduate Showcase is an important and exciting annual supplement which is published by Computer Arts Magazine. This year Chris Welch, Soupa member - stars on the first page in the Graphic Design section - Judged by David Carson with his Credit Crunchers packaging project. A bright outlook for Chris we thinks, well done!
Tea and Make at Brockley Rise
Craft fairs too cliche?... fetes to dowdy?.. well Tea and Make was a very nice combination of the two with a friendly local atmosphere accompanied by some very talented makers. Whilst wandering around the stalls outside St Saviours Church in Brockley - South East London we stumbled across some very cute screen prints by Hannah Waldron - which we recognised from Anorak magazine, none the less. On the stall next to Hannah were some very cool acrylic jewelery makers Cup of Sea who's rings we just had to try on - yes every one - just to see what they would look like. Check out their sites!
August Blog Banner - Jamie Littler
Thank you to Jamie Littler for designing a new banner for Soupa - having just traveled around Europe with a backpack, Jamie has got straight back into the swing of things by drawing this banner for Soupa, nice work and thank you for taking part in the ongoing blog banner project!! Go and see some of his sketches from his trip on his blog.
Mark Howe - new site, new site!
Soupa Illustrator Mark Howe has recently launched his new portfolio site which is a pleasant combination of room to breath, clean lines and intriguing colour filled imagery - it is a good reminder for creatives the work should shine when making any sort of portfolio. He has also been featured on Form Fifty Five! Nice one Mark!
Everyone needs a holiday
We have been away for a 2 week (much needed) holiday but are now back and will be updating Soupa with some new members, events and a load of other creative stuff! Come back in a few days!
Big Antidote
Help tell a story - one illustrator draws a section of a comic - then the baton is passed to someone else to continue the story... repeat. Once Cure Studio have 10 stories (told by 100 illustrators) they will put on the most interesting exhibition of 2010.
They need someone to start - what will be - an amazing adventure.
If you would like to find out more, including details about how to put your hand up to play - then have a look at www.bigantidote.com
If you would like to start the story then complete this form before 9pm on wednesday (22 July) and we will start the story telling on thursday (23 July).
If you know anyone else who would be perfect for this - then please do forward this on.
Drumming up interest
“Girls! Girls! Girls!” is fashion photographer Clare Shilland’s first solo exhibition. The images showcased reveal new themes and narratives to Clare’s work that contrast and compliment her existing portfolio.
Clare has been documenting girl drummers as a way of coming to terms with her life long urge to be a drummer herself; an ambition thwarted by her inability to play the drums. These images form part of an ongoing series of work that captures girls who can keep time, engaged in an activity that they love.
Alongside Girl Drummers is a series of nudes featuring friends of the photographer. These pictures are all about the beauty and bravado of girls, in all their natural glory.
The subject matter of these stories evidence two contrasting sides of Clare’s personality - the Tomboy and the Feminine Girl. Further contrasts can be found between the construction of the images and the qualities that they convey. Documentary opposes set up, visceral balances beautiful, and movement contradicts stillness, yet all the images share an intimacy and honesty that underpins Clare’s work.
Clare grew up in suburban south London, dreaming of the scummy inner city. Her dreams took her as far as Brixton where she still resides. After studying at Camberwell and the RCA, Clare began documenting the subjects that fascinated her - the people and places of those daydreams.
Clare has shot for i-D, Italian Rolling Stone, H&M, 10, Hardy Amies, Warner Music, Silas & Maria, Lula.
The exhibition is taking place at House of Propellers, 5 Back Hill, London, EC1R 5EN and runs from Tuesday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 11am-4pm or by appointment.
To find out more, visit the site here
D&AD New Blood 2009... How was it for you?
We’re always on the lookout for your feedback and love hearing about the events you’ve been to and New Blood is no exception which is why we’ve asked a couple of people who went, what they thought of it.
Tom Northey - 'senior lecturer in BA Graphic Communication at UCA, Farnham
How did you find atmosphere of New Blood? A really good atmosphere, the buzz was electric, the venue was the best yet. Did you feel it encompassed all areas of design or leaned toward a certain area? I think its safe to say that it encompassed all ar
eas of graphic design and beyond, it was great to see some great photography there too. Did any of your students get approached from industry professionals? Yes and no. Most students were doing the work. The students were getting out there chatting – not many got approached. Did you and your students have fun? We did have fun, it was great to see what other courses are doing too. One of the best stands was Lincoln.
Carlos Garde-Martin
How about you Carlos, what did you make of the show? Being part of this years New Blood, for me, was a fantastic experience. The Private view was a great success, my name got drawn out of a hat so i got to go in two hours earlier. It was bustling with people enjoying the free beer and wine, perhaps a little more so because of the unbearable heat that day. Aside from the private view there did not 'appear' to be as many art directors as I had hoped, that said it's not always obvious as to who's who. I was pleased to see some great work there by fellow students, however the way in which some universities chose to showcase their students work, I feel really let them down. I can think of one example where they had covered the entire walls of their stall in brown paper. Thankfully this was not the norm.
What did you think to the venue?
The venue was the right size for the amount of exhibitors, however the upstairs space could have been used more effectively. Giant bean bags littered around the ground floor provided a great place to relax, and exchange ideas. Especially if you had been on your feet all day. The four main areas being represented were highlighted by giant banners hanging from the ceiling, handy if you lost your bearings in and amongst the stands.
"Giant bean bags littered around the ground floor provided a great place to exchange ideas"
Did you go to any workshops? I attended a workshop on the second day. One of the Senior Directors of Blurb.com gave an interesting talk on what services they provide and how you can get into 'Indie Publishing'. I must say if you haven't checked them out already, you should. They are able to print professional standard, one off books for next to nothing. There are certain limitations with formats, but that's what keeps the costs down.
Finally I caught the D&AD's training and advice sessions held on the 2nd of July in Nottinghill. I have to say that although not totally relevant to me because I am an illustrator, all the speakers were very engaging and full of helpful suggestions. They went through various subjects such as; how to make your mark in such a competitive industry, setting up a business, and going freelance. The speakers also made themselves available to answer additional questions at the end of their talks. I would highly recommend attending future D&AD talks because they are such good value for money and it's a great place to network. However if you are an illustrator, be aware that the Association of Illustrators talks may be more geared towards your specific industry.
- © Carlos Garde-Martin
Make some noise
If you haven't got plans for 4th July – get your funky ass down to the Neon Noise Project at the Queen of Hoxton, Shoreditch from 9am until 4am if you can stay awake, that is.Promising to be a night of 'casio-core intimate digital disco club night' with live DJs from New York City including The Juan Maclean and Kim Ann Foxman. You don't have to be American to party like one this Independence Day... Visit www.neonnoiseproject.com to find out more.
There's more to London than Buckingham Palace...
...yes, we all know that but if there's an area of London near you that you feel is in need of promoting – now's your chance. Providing it's beyond TFL's Zone 1, you can create a new poster as part of the London Design Festival.The competition is open to all and you can use any form of media you like to express your love! The organisers say that they are: "particularly interested in receiving designs that feature modern life in the following London boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harringay, Harrow, Islington, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth," so if you live in any of these places then put pen to paper or hand to mouse. Prizes include a little cash, hotel stays and most importantly, the winner's design will be printed as a poster for members of the public to buy. The competition closes on 27th July – so get a move on! Download the design brief, find out more info and get poster template from TFL: http://shop.tfl.gov.uk/Poster-competition.html
Leg's eleven – it's Bicycle Bingo heaven!
On the 11th July, the super-popular Bicycle Bingo returns for its second leg at the Elevator Gallery, Hackney Wick. And boy would you need strong legs to power the bingo machine!Luckily for you, just fork out £5 for entry and that money will go to the Mercy Corps and Christina Noble Children's Foundation – it couldn't be easier! Find out more about the event at: www.teamradiosilence.co.uk
The event is hosted by Team Radio Silence whose upcoming 10,000 mile trip from London to Mongolia has been reported on Soupa in an earlier post (see below). Is it me or can those boys just not keep still? The first game starts at 8pm so make sure it's a Full House – take your wallet but you can leave your bingo wings at home!
Been there, done that
but have you got the T-shirt? As you all know, Ok-Jo loves nothing more than a good doodle and has put this to good use to design a T-shirt for Chimpogo – an online company who run competitions throughout the year. Ok-Jo's design bears the legend 'Copy Paste' in green with a blue background.To see Ok-Jo's design and to vote for it to be printed as a T-shirt, visit http://www.chimpogo.com/design/2367/copy-and-paste-v2 Why don't you enter too? It doesn't take long and imagine how cool it would be to see someone walking down the street in something you created?
You don't have to take your clothes off...
...to have a good time, oh no! But you can pay the Peepshow Collective a visit and see them expose themselves – in a purely hypothetical way at least.The Collective's latest exhibition Inbetween focuses on their own personal investigations and includes work from Luke Best, Jenny Bowers, Miles Donovan, Matthew Hawkins, Adrian Johnson, Chrissie Macdonald, Marie O Connor, Andrew Rae, Elliot Thoburn, Lucy Vigrass and Spencer Wilson. Inbetween takes place at Dreamspace Gallery, 1-3 Dufferin Street, London, EC1Y 8NA and runs from 17th June to 15th July (Monday to Friday) and it's free admission. Sounds like the cheapest peepshow you're ever likely to see.
For more information, visit: http://peepshowcollective.blogspot.com/2009/05/inbetween-exhibition-by-peepshow.html
Bloody hell – check out the talent on that!
From time to time, we all need a little inspiration which is why the D&AD New Blood 2009 event is a real source of creativity.Taking place at the National Hall at Olympia in London from 29th June – 1st July, expect raw talent at its finest and you'll also be able to take part in workshops. It's free entry but you need to register to get your ticket. Have a look here: http://newblood.dandad.org/
And if you're a graduate, check out the D&AD Graduate Training and Advice Sessions taking place at Coronet in Notting Hill. There is a small fee but you might just find it's more than worth it! Sessions include: How to Copyright your Work and How to Go Freelance. Details of that can be found here: http://www.dandad.org/education/training-advice.html
If any Soupa members do go, we'd love to know how you get on – so drop us a line and maybe share a few tips!
Maker Difference with Cockpit Arts
Sick of cookie-cutter clothes and dullsville designs? The Maker Difference campaign from Cockpit Arts – 'the UK's only creative-business incubator for designer-makers' is trying to change that.If you're in London this weekend, why not pop in and visit some of their members in the Deptford Studio? Soupa's favourite Bubsie is doing a badge-making workshop so why not pin your heart on your sleeve? To see more of what's going on, have a look at the Maker Difference website. If you've got time, why not visit the Deptford Project Cafe too? It's housed in a old train carriage which is nearby. Take a virtual visit here
