Halloween Competition!!

So here it is! Art directors and creative folk up and down the land should now have my latest self promo package dropping through their mail boxes, "What is it?!" I hear you cry, well I thought I'd up the stakes and get all interactive!

Bill McConkey's 100% Authentic Zombie Mask, is exactly what it says on the box; however here's the cool part; if you cut out the mask and send a snap to yours truly while wearing it then you get a goody bag of prizes... the entree that is judged by me to be the most inventive and creative wins an extra special prize valued in the region of 10 English pounds!!!

I've already had a couple of entrees today from some of the UK's finest AD's, but I need more, and the more creative or just plain weird the better your chance of scooping top prize, just follow the instructions on the back and email it over!

This I hope will become an annual event, but it really is reliant on you creative folk, cutting loose, showing that AD's, Designers' and Creative whatevers.. can have a bit of fun and enter into the spirit of things, you can do this by making sure you get a photo to me before the end of Halloween night!

All entrants get a gruesome goody bag that'll be sent out either at the end of this week, early next (depending on when you get the entree to me!) the overall winner will be sent there extra special prize next Monday!

I'm not concerned with how you keep the mask to your face, whether it be string, taped or glued... you can take the photo at work, shopping, skateboarding whatever, remember the most creative entrant will win the big prize!! Imagine how envious every other Art Director in the UK will be... just imagine it!!...

Cue Fanfare/Ghostship

I've been a little slow in updating this blog of recent, something which i'll try and put right over the next few weeks.

The above illustration is for the cover of a new EP by the band Cue Fanfare, the title track being the simply amazing song Ghost Ship, which I urge everyone to go out and download, it can be bought on I Tunes and here at the label releasing it Kingem Records.

This job came about as I was recently in touch with the lead singer of the band Rowena Dugdale, whom I know from the dark days when I was represented by a well known Illustration agency in London. I think we met on at least two occasions at agency get togethers, you see along with being a ridiculously talented musician, she just happens to be ridiculously talented illustrator, photographer and now maker of designer hand made clutch bags... I know! It makes me ill too, to think that all that creativity should be found in one human being!!

Anyway, Rowena asked if i'd mind taking a crack at her EP cover; probably because she was too busy with all her other creative pursuits, because if truth be known Rowena would have arguably done a far better job than me, you can see her Illustration work here to see what i'm talking about...told you she was good!

I agreed (wel duh!) and set about coming up with the image; I was asked to illustrate the sails of a galleon type ship (the song is about the Mary Celeste) the big thing about this is it required a departure from my usual style, something a bit more leftfield and a bit more handmade,

Rowena had the idea of a more pattern based image, with scratchy lines... I think I should do more experimental images like this, as I really enjoyed myself.

Now the thing with this, is that there wasn't even a label involved at the time, so no budget, in return for the image Rowena traded me two of her simply stunning designer clutch bags instead, which I was able to pass on to female family members... and if you ask me I got the better end of the deal!

Under the name of Red Ruby Rose, Rowena now has a reputation for creating beautifully elegant handmade silk bags of the highest order, I would urge everyone to check out her shop at etsy, along with her newly created site and also her blog.

Just in case you haven't got enough of the busy Ms Dugdale in your life, then I suggest you visit the Cue Fanfare's site and myspace, make sure you see them play a gig!