FRANKTHREE

San Pedro - Lake Atitlán - Guatemala

2012-01-24T02:47:00.001Z

I realise three weeks have past since my promise of updates and photos but its been pretty tough finding a connection that can handle anything past Facebook or Whatsapp! I have lots of stories to tell and memories to recall but this place we're currently in is just too amazing to not speak about!

Been here a matter of hours and already I'm in love. I want to be here for a long long time. This is so me as Hopkins is to Deb.

We're staying at Yo Mamma (Q30, £2.50 pppn) but have found Zoola and aim to move here in the morning for a few more nights. A very Middle Eastern feel... Chill area with paper lanterns and cushions on the floor. A pool and bar and long boardwalk to get here from the street.

On the bus here we met a girl who has been coming back to the lake for 6 years. When I asked why she just shrugged and said, "You'll see". I didn't see in Panajchel but I do see now. I'm gutted to only have three nights here but would probably need three weeks or more to do the whole lake! Another one for the wish list.

The views over the lake are brilliant and now at nightfall, the other towns are lit up across the water. Surrounded by hills and volcanos is a sight in itself. Back to basics compared to Antigua with a distinct individual charm.

Desert at Clovers hit the spot. Chocolate brownie, warmWith ice cream. I just can't believe the prices... Two desserts and two drinks for £5.

Now we're just relaxing at Zoola with the sound of distant drumming and pipes being played by the resident hippies.

Twas the night before travels...

2011-12-27T18:06:00.000Z

...and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a... er, anyway.

I'm not packed. I've said goodbye to all but 3 people. We fly from Heathrow T5 at 12:40pm tomorrow. The first 2 months in Central America we'll be 6 hours behind UK and about 20 degrees celsius hotter.

Thank you to everyone for an amazing send off and very enjoyable Christmas season! Roll on the good times and the MANY photos!

ONE MORE SLEEP!!!!!!!!

The Plan - Latin America 2012

2011-12-20T18:00:00.000Z

Here’s a quick overview as I keep getting asked where we’regoing and end up boring the hindlegs off the poor person polite enough to soundinterested:

New Year and Central America (Jan and Feb)

We spend 2 months travelling over land through Central America:Lots of beaches, volcanos, scuba diving, Mayan ruins, island hopping andCaribbean culture including copious amounts of rum!

Mexico

Belize

Guatemala

Honduras

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

South America - the tours (March and April)

Fly to Ecuador, tour of the Galapagos Islands made famous byresearch conducted by Charles Darwin which brought around Darwin's theory ofevolution by natural selection. 4 day trek on the Inca Trail to reachMachu Picchu in Peru, other sights and sounds on the way. Visiting the floating reedislands on Lake Titicaca and staying overnight with a family. Bolivia, madefamous by the Top Gear journey on the death defying mountain road: Yungas Road.We’re steering WELL clear of that and just going to have a casual look at somedinosaur tracks and 4x4 over the salt flats! There’s also word of spotting pinkdolphins in the Bolivian jungle...

Ecudor

Galapagos Islands

Peru

Bolivia

The final 6 weeks. Winging it in South America(April and May)

What's new Buenos Aires? Here we take a wander, soak up theatmosphere, Tango with some natives and hopefully speak enough Spanish to holda conversation! Dean and Craig will be joining us for a few weeks before wemove over the water to Uruguay en route to Iguazu Falls which apparently putsNiagara to shame. Onward along Brazil’s green coast of Sao Paula, Paratay, Riode Janerio… then home on May 21st!

Argentina

Uruguay

Brazil

B is for...

2011-09-28T11:35:00.000+01:00

BURRO

Spanish lessons started tonight.

1 down, 11 to go.

Updates will come...

London Design Festival 2011

2011-09-20T17:20:00.000+01:00

Got the chance to pop up to visit some of the hot spots for #LDF11 yesterday.

V&A's Power of Making exhibition (free; open until January 2012) was truly wonderful to explore! I'd recommend going a little later on in the year as the room was PACKED which hindered some of the viewing. Sadly no photography allowed (understandable) but one of my highlights was:

The exhibition was looking at the art of making and the innovation in the use of tools and materials. The man and the tools that, over years, perfect and renew the way in which we make things by hand and machine. It was a real blend of tradition and technology, with no one domination, other than how "making" is powerful. Inspirational for sure, with plaques and short films showing how painstaking these crafts are, but only in persistence and dedication are they mastered.

Also my V&A Illustration Awards 2011 favourite:

Hannah Simpson, Kingston Uni

A few purchases from the Poundshop pop-up store (still available online for 12 days) and it's off down Brick Lane...

Managed to stumbled across Blitz Vintage Department store on Hanbury Street, purely by mistake! A cave of a vast array of wonders. The sparkly brooches caught my eye as well as the over priced furniture but I settled on a few pounds worth of book; The Single Man, a little present for the amazing rescuer Dean. Aw.

A skip, hop and a jump later, we found ourselves at the celebration of ten years since Alan Fletcher's The Art Of Looking Sideways book and an interesting look at the roughs and sketchings and working-outs for the book - quite an interesting part of the process to observe, especially being familiar with the finished product itself.

Only time left for a brisk stroll down Old Street to the lovely Look Mum No Hands with some cyclist friends. Even though I got by on foot, I still felt welcome and nice and full after a delicious sweet potato, aubergine and lentil pie! Mmm!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

2011-09-14T18:45:00.000+01:00

And I miss it a hundred times more! A nice stroll along the sea front from Warrior Square towards Bexhill, quick stop for our packed lunch and then back via Norman Road and it's galleries, antique and tat shops...

Mermaids

2011-09-13T13:39:00.001+01:00

I've always dreamed of being a mermaid... just for a day...

National Lentil Week?

2011-09-12T13:07:00.001+01:00

As it's National Cupcake Week, I decided to be adventurous in the kitchen...

and cook some LENTILS!

A food that I ADORE and would choose to eat any time, anywhere, any how.

I realise how sad the poor little lonely lentil siting to the side must have felt so

I made sure it was eaten up first.

Rocket and cherry toms balsamic salad

Tomato and spiced lentils

Coated chicken

Crusty roll to scoop it all up

Note to self

2011-09-12T08:48:00.000+01:00

This is why I blog. To remind myself of myself.

11 months ago, I had THIS to say...

Famiglia Italia

2011-09-11T17:58:00.000+01:00

Tuscany is beautiful. Many thanks to Jon and his family who let all 12 of us little terrors stay at their home in the mountains.

If a picture speak a thousand words, then experiencing it with your own eyes would need none.

Panda Patrol!

Brits Abroad!

Views in Sienna

Florence

Sunsets in Tuscany

...and no one noticed!

The thing I missed most :)

Second Law of Thermodynamics

2011-08-12T14:11:00.001+01:00

Enthopy ensues.

Thank you for so perfectly has summed up my current state... I am a law of physics.

Drink Up and Cheer On

2011-08-10T22:48:00.001+01:00

Can wait to get my hands on this! Thanks Dean x

Learning with connections - and being stagnant

2011-08-10T22:38:00.000+01:00

Hugely interesting to read this article on learning with connections.

"Good metaphors and analogies aid in understanding because it forces you to really examine the idea. You can’t draw out similarities without understanding how a concept works. Metaphors also aid in memory because they make the ideas more vivid. Vivid imagery also appears to be an almost universally used tactic of brilliant thinkers."

Somehow I always thought that doing this was cheating - making it easier, finding the easy way round, avoiding the graft. I feel like this about industry networking also - asking my buddies to hook me up and sort it out with some experience or people to speak to. Even if I'm putting in the leg work, it just seems unjust... maybe too obvious? Too easy?

With regards to the changes I'd make at my current place of employment. Constantly, I sit at my current temporary role and see ways to improve, quicken, develop and enhance the processes and way things are done... because I honestly cannot be bothered to do it the way I am told I have to right now. It's timely, costly and doesn't add up! I know that most of my suggestions would lead on to more productive staff time, greater moral through eradicating the sheer BORDOM of the role, and freeing up people's time to improve other areas of the business - therefore training the staff, ensuring they're an even more precious gem to the company. In return, I'd hope said employee would be grateful of the recognition, opportunity and feeling of care from their employer.

Not sure where all this came from. My memory jogged by how I remember what paper type is programmed in each of the 8 drawers on the printer maybe...

THERE'S HOPE FOR ME YET.

New knitwear specialist designer

2011-08-06T20:13:00.003+01:00

Freshly graduated from UWE's Fashion Textile BA Hons, Viv Cass Cassidy is taking matters into her own hands and projecting a passion of knit to women of all walks with her Love Gun collection. Find out more about Viv and keep up with the latest via her website.

Photography: Mark O'Grady (full Flickr set here)
Model: Helen Drew
Make up/hair: Nicola Redman

I'm very proud of you Sarah x

Focus

2011-08-06T19:47:00.000+01:00

Maybe this is what is complete lacking?

I honestly miss the stress of Uni: the busy-ness and the challenges and the downs, mostly. All I ever wanted was my weekends back and now that I have them, they're.... well... not worth the hype. Not to say I'm not enjoying a bit of freedom - the chance to be lazy and relax and catch up with all the people I hid away from for the best part of the beginning of the year...

I probably have a million and one things I can entertain myself with (and I have kept busy with some) but it doesn't feel the same. I'm ready to throw myself at something with such force that I might even surprise myself. This apprehension needs to go away and I need to stop wishing away the days.

A lot can be achieved in the 4 and a half months before I depart for Latin America - just got to prove it to myself...

LOST

2011-08-06T19:05:00.000+01:00

Inspiration lost. Last seen a few weeks back... maybe hiding in the back of a magazine or a trendy bar in London?

New music: Sophie Madeleine

2011-07-26T21:53:00.001+01:00

Stumbled across this and find her adorable and so easy to listen to... Not to mention how eye catching the cross stitched portrait of her is - love it and want my own!

Recently, I rarely source new music, let alone find anything that holds my attention for more than one song. Big thumbs up to Sophie Madeleine and her smiley tunes.

Surrealism at a music festival

2011-07-19T07:05:00.000+01:00

Lovebox got famous

Graduation

2011-07-15T19:00:00.003+01:00

Over the moon to have graduated with a 2:1 today, Friday 15th July 2011

WARNING. SOPPYNESS ENSUES.

3 years ago, I was temping in London in a job I hated - the only thing keeping me going was the excitement of a new project, a new experience, a new life: University. It's been a whirl wind... Hastings, Maidstone and some time at home in Bexley inbetween. I've met some great people in both places; they of course wont be forgotten in a hurry. I look forward to seeing who are my future colleagues and who I come across as competition as we all grow up!

Huge thanks have to go to Dean, whom without, I would probably still be working a dead end admin job with all my drive and ambition sucked out of me! I followed your lead and hope to continue to be inspired by your motivation and sheer hard work. More thanks goes to the very few friends and family who understood my need to return to study, and further to that, my want to study design. Of course, thanks also to my Mum who's put up with all the ups and downs and me in general for so very long :)

PHOTO OF CERT TO COME
UPPER SECOND CLASS - BA Hons Graphic Media - University for Creative Arts, Maidstone

Award winning textiles (UCA/New Designers)

2011-07-12T00:41:00.002+01:00

Beautiful and inspiring work by UCA graduate, Laura Daley.

No wonder an award was won for this work!

(Click for article)

D&AD New Blood 2011

2011-07-12T00:37:00.001+01:00

A very tiring affair... wandering amongst many stands of purely wonderful and talented (sometimes just trendy) designers and illustrators and motion graphic makers and the rest... hot HOT spot lights on all the work which made you want to run into the shade after around 30 seconds... Not jealous at all. Honest.

But. Always pleasurable to see familiar work and total pride in seeing an ex-class mate win Best New Blood (like, best in show) and then to find out another has a job offer in New York (after a very random encounter through the glass at the local Nandos)!

Well done chaps!!

Photo credit: lauraburton.co.uk

WANT TO BUY: Books

2011-07-10T17:39:00.000+01:00

The Ride and Fall of the Self (Robert Solomon)

Managing the Design Process: Concept Development

Managing the Design Process: Implementing Design

Graphic Design for Fashion

Mug cake

2011-06-05T23:33:00.002+01:00

1) Recipe (thanks to @tinyrecipes and #tweetpie)

2) The mix, ready to mircowave

3) The result of 1:20min

4) Mmm looks like cake!

Cornwall with the fam

2011-06-03T16:42:00.001+01:00

Cornwall was bliss!

Relaxing and lie ins and lots of exploring and home cooked meals each evening!

Porthcurno, still unspoiled if but a tad busier than I remember as a child, was a splendid view as ever as we mountain-goated up the coastal rock path to the Minak Theatre. What an incredibly inspiring woman Rowena Cade was!

On the list for next time:
- Jet ski safari
- Day in St Ives
- Cornish pasty at Lizard
- Kite Surfing at Watergate Bay in Cornwall (Sad that not only did we not have the weather but I also did not have the dollah to make this happen! )
- The Eden Project

YCN

2011-06-03T00:54:00.000+01:00

Exciting meeting at YCN today... Fingers crossed!

Deceitful

2011-05-24T23:49:00.000+01:00

1) Stock photography

2) Make up

WANT TO BUY:

2011-05-23T14:04:00.000+01:00

Egg Bot

'You just broke your child' and 'As the twig is bent'

2011-05-17T02:06:00.000+01:00

Two of the saddest articles I've read for a while:

Single Dad Laughing

Mind

This is supposed to be the whole point of our existence - to preserve life through our offspring, proud of the family tree and nurturing for the future; out of love, unconditional love.

Mind have been brought to my attention through my FMP work - this alone is proof that my concept has a reason of existence. Understanding and information is paramount. It opens our eyes.

Doom

2011-05-17T01:58:00.000+01:00

The week of doom has hopefully passed... A delightful concoction of doom filled days that myself and two friends shared, albeit individually, ending the weekend of Friday 13th.

999 calls
Car accidents (yes, more than one)
Popped buttons on clothes
Theft
Bad timing
Bad news
Bad circumstance

THIS week is already much better and I didn't even mind that it was Monday today. I embraced it.

Life: it's far from perfect and I'm far from where I wish and strive to be, but I can't complain. Having a small network of quite amazing people around me, which is buffered by some good characters that I also greatly enjoy spending my time with, could definitely be worse.

The sheer humility that I feel at the moment is a welcome calm.

Treat Yourself (UCA Maidstone Degree Show)

2011-05-16T21:45:00.000+01:00

A few dates for the diary:

Treat Yourself to some fresh talent and appealing work at Free Range on Brick Lane this June as Graphic Design, Graphic Media and Design, Branding & Marketing students showcase themselves under the wonderful concept of pick'n'mix.
www.treatyourselfgraphicmedia.co.uk
Treat Yourself Facebook

Private View:
Thursday 9 June, 6pm - 10pm
Public Exhibition:
Friday 10 June - Sunday 12 June, 10am - 7pm

Monday 13 June, 10am - 4pm

Venue: Free Range

F Block T5,
The Old Truman Brewery,
91 Brick Lane,
London E1 6QL
Map and directions

FMP

2011-05-11T23:34:00.001+01:00

The reality of having 8 full days before the final EVER FINAL FINAL final hand in at Uni is setting in... late nights that turn into early mornings and all the other stresses that come with a deadline. Let alone one that's worth 50% of my degree!

I'm set for a 2:1, with a first (sadly) just out of reach.

At the moment I'm mostly looking forward to achieving this complete degree, pulling together a successful show (after months of hard work) and then being able to relax with my cross stitch, guilt free, until it's time to forget my woes at Glastonbury! My life plan doesn't extend much further than the end of next month... and I'm happy with that for now.

Diana in the Dam

2011-04-30T19:42:00.000+01:00

Hello Amsterdam, meet Diana Mini...

Columbia Road... on a Saturday

2011-03-07T08:57:00.001Z

A slight 3 minute detour from Shoreditch High Street and you find yourself in some bizarre Bermuda Triangle of a road. I don't quite know how to eloquently describe how surreal it felt. Bicycles, cobbles and no hum of traffic. Through a babble of little couples and groups chatting, there was no other noise. Lovely!

The trip was to visit Future Maps to treat myself to a little (huge) wall map - but it was closed. Never mind! There was plenty else to explore. After a delicious homemade falafel lunch with lemonade, we perused the little terrace shops full of gallery space and garden shops full of craft and charm. Fabric shop, 1950s inspired beauty boutique and to top it all off, Ryan Town. Rob Ryan's studio shop was a pleasant surprise.

This little sweet shop (Suck and Chew) set out like an old school tuck room also reminded me of the degree show and how we need some sponsors... £2.99 for a bag of sweets that would cost mere pennies in any other shop - but I bet they're good!

Bruno Maag Lecture

2011-03-03T12:03:00.001Z

Wednesday 2nd March 2011

UCA Maidstone Lecture Theatre

BRUNO MAAG

Quite an light hearted and interesting chat by Bruno Maag, founder of Dalton Maag, talking around type design and specifically the Ubuntu open-source project.

Cupcakes for the soul

2011-02-22T00:52:00.002Z

How such sweet looking things that taste so delicious can make such a mess!!

The Brits 2010

2011-02-16T00:48:00.001Z

I do like that Viv designed the actual award this year... Very British...

And the ceremony wasn't as "cringe" as it often is.

Adele was by far the highlight of the whole show! (Find the video on ITV and grab a packet of Kleenex, not in a 'Rihanna's-naked-again' way)

The thing that annoyed me most was not watching it live and therefore self imposing a ban on my Facebook and Twitter usage until it all died down. This also meant that my little 2p worths might as well have been thrown to a wishing well by a blind kid facing the wrong direction. No one cares about Tinie Tempah's drummer wearing a rucksack on stage 2 hours after the performance!

How short lived are Tweets! Shakespeare wrote books of thousands upon thousands of words which have been treasured and studied and translated for years; even a major celebrity's 140 max character Tweet is only favoured until a new, equally pointless, probably not funny, Tweet appears. Who, in a few decades, will give a monkeys what Kirstie Allsopp said at 3:44pm on Tuesday 15th February? Now don't get me wrong, I love following Kirstie! It's Twitter I have issues with.

I'll continue to Tweet away, hoping for more followers, regardless.

@frankthree

Chevrons

2011-02-09T13:38:00.000Z

It's not often that I link through to some one else's work, especially not a blog... but this is something worth sharing!

(CLICK TO FOLLOW)

Chevrons. Simply beautiful stripes. Love them in every way <3

2011

2011-02-07T12:06:00.001Z

I've spent the morning throwing together this PDF of the travel plans so far...

FRANK N DEB TRAVELS

Despite the sadness of the most recent events in my life, resulting in singledom to rear its head once more, I can't help but also feel empowered with uncertainty of the future. Yes, it's very scary - but who wouldn't be excited at the prospects of graduating and setting off on a 3 month adventure to a different continent for three months?

Here's to the future, I guess...

India Jones ...continued

2011-01-12T18:39:00.001Z

3% from a first. Slightly gutting... THREE!

The individual assessment came back - 4 out of 5 criteria hitting 1sts. Sadly the overall group mark brought (us all) down. The packaging was not so much of a hit due to it looking "out of date and missing the refreshing humour that worked so well on the website". I see where we missed the mark now, but in defence, suggesting we add playful fluro colours and plastic touch points was so far away from the clients brief and the market we had isolated, I don't think we could have done much better than we did with the time constraints as they were.

I'm happy regardless. I can smile and feel very proud. Huge thanks to C and R for the support and laughs along the way in our group. Amazing girls!

Next step will be to get some shots of the work sorted for portfolio/web/to show off...!

Mamihlapinatapei

2010-12-15T15:31:00.000Z

Yagan (indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego) – “the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start”

Nifty little gadget

2010-12-15T15:24:00.000Z

My freemotion foot turned up - HOORAY!

And this is what I've done with it... (excuse the poor lighting)

India Jones

2010-12-06T19:09:00.000Z

The thought of pitching to the Head of Branding at Studio Conran is enough to make even the most confident of students quake in their boots... Luckily enough, Emma Booty turned out to be less dragon and more smile.

The fruit of our labour is finally complete: India Jones is a upmarket dog tack store, competing with current online companies retailing quality products with associated price tag. Targeted at families with impeccable homes and disposable income. It's important that they look and feel good and therefore are willing to pay a little more, without going as far as wasting their cash on designer goods of poor quality.

The brand created is aspirational of every dog lover who dreams of keeping the dog hairs and playful bite marks at bay. India Jones is a family that you are welcomed into. Your dog, your children, your partner and India Jones. You've spent an awful lot of time making your house just so, then a loveable pet enters your life and you can't help but smile despite the destruction. It's better to laugh than cry after all.

We looked to ensure the products will sit in harmony in the home, elegant and mature, avoiding tacky plastics and bright fleeces. The humorous nod of the website encompasses something that every dog owner experiences and treasures but would rather another family deal with.

The light bulb's on and someone's home

2010-10-27T21:55:00.001+01:00

It's such an amazing feeling to be on track. To know and be sure of your destination but be excited for the journey. There's nothing worse than feeling out of control of your own fate - especially when you know you're the only one who can write the story.

Tonight I have felt truly 'creative' for the first time in a long time. It's a familiar feeling that I know I've had before, but lost (along with my confidence) around Easter time this year. I don't mean I've been sketching and scribbling like mad... I mean honest and clear thought and enthusiasm.

ONE.
Uni today was a success. Group work isn't easy; especially when you're riddled with illness, accident, birthdays and ops, between you. However, as all good teams do, we've pulled it around, got on track and am very positive about everything (except for the time constraints and final pitch). And my overuse of commas.

TWO.
Being able to help some makes both people feel good. Fact.

An illustrator friend of mine (whose work is FABULOUS) is currently travelling the creative graduate pilgrimage to employment. It's a long hard road, and a decent layout is surely gonna help! To make such good work look even a little bit better on a page is quite a rewarding thing to give. It also flags up concerns of my typography and grid skills - but that's another story.

THREE.
I've been inspired to propose a project that will keep both myself and my good friend DM very busy. She is a business student who loves to cook, I am a design student who loves to create. Together? ...more to come :)

"Can we not sue each other like the Facebookers though" - DM (Thanks. Lovely! What are friends for, eh? (Ok, I had a litle chuckle...!))

Grow up

2010-10-25T22:53:00.000+01:00

What do I want to be when I grow up?

A lion tamer maybe? Or a deep sea diver? A police dog?

Certainly not any type of creative or project manager... no way.

Voice

2010-10-21T13:05:00.000+01:00

I may have it back? I certainly don't have finger nails anymore.

Weddings and tears

2010-10-21T11:29:00.001+01:00

I have this ridiculous urge to surround myself in quirky contemporary wedding photography. The type that looks so effortlessly perfect. Romantic lighting and those "natural" poses. Little does the viewer know how contrived it all really is. Yes. I'm bitter. And what! So is she, hitting back at "Decornographers". I do now know however, that I definitely want sparklers at my wedding. Not that I'm getting married or even THINK much about that kind of thing... maybe it doesn't need to be a wedding. For my birthday next year, I want people holding sparklers, ok?

I have, from this, decided that I need to start scrap booking my life. It's all flashing past me. Need to regain some decorum and focus to all that is currently fluffy (my mind) and cold (my feet).

Lions of Bath

2010-09-28T00:15:00.002+01:00

A delightful little trip to Bath with Ben... We visited Longleat Safari park - observing deer and giraffes and lions and all sorts! But these were by far the best animals of the weekend!

Lions of Bath - 100 individually decorated lions as part of the charitable public art event.

Maps were distributed and followed to allow tourists and explorers alike to discover all the treasures!

All sorts of lovely lions:

Chocolate wrapped

Rooney shirted

Union Jack-y

Emelished

Multi-coloured

The Biggest Drawing in the World

2010-09-22T15:19:00.001+01:00

A GPS system was tracked as it was transported around the world by plane, road and sea via DHL following specific directions by the artist. 55 days later, the GPS returned back to Stockholm and the below image is what was achieved.

The world is your oyster.

A must see. The video on this site shows the logistical journey that made this "drawing" happen.

Back to school

2010-09-21T23:33:00.000+01:00

So as Uni is back, alive and kicking; so are my blogging fingers.

First stop: WHAT ON EARTH ARE LOMOGRAPHY DOING NAMING A CAMERA AFTER THOSE IDIOTS?!
"The Jonathan Edwards"

A New Dawn

2010-08-17T20:30:00.003+01:00

No, not some rank vampire film spin off.

I've been very slack of late.

After finishing the academic year (with most of my hair) and a newly found qualification (fdA Graphic Communication) and therefore an unconditional offer from UCA for the BA Hons Graphic Media (phew!), I've mostly been avoiding my Mac, design, Hastings and well, anything that ties me to being a student.

A brief (and bankrupting) stint in Ibiza left me refreshed (yeah right) and ready to take a big deep breath and put behind me all the bad and take forward all the good.

The past few weeks have been spent temping with a building firm near London Bridge. Very enjoyable. More of that "out of comfort zone" stuff I detest but try to put myself through frequently - for the greater good, or something? It's certainly helped with my productivity and brain function. Reception/ admin support/ secretarial/ office manager/ whatever else needs doing - I've never been more thankful for my 'journey' and decisions made in the past - I'd be working in Tesco (no offence) asking people "Where's your Clubclub?" 103849262 times a day, with no experience, knowledge, skills for the real world I'm set to conquer next year after graduation.

www.radicalcartography.net - via five other people - this is the guy

PS: I forgot how amazing Ommwriter was. Hello 69238235896235689352 word dissertation...

Brighton Uni Grad Show

2010-06-09T01:45:00.000+01:00

Some interesting work! Really good to see a Grad show - not been to one before - to see how it's displayed and the caliber of work. None of the students (bar two) seemed bothered about interacting though... Maybe they're a bit bored. It was quiet.

Signage is something I'd expect to see in a science lab... Didn't make sense. Nor did the corridors!

Amazing by Sara Loiperdinger.

Lithuania in glitter?

2010-05-28T01:28:00.000+01:00

That country NEED to win this year. Eurovision that is.

Hello late night BBCthree...

Hanging over my head

2010-05-21T03:59:00.001+01:00

Despite the immense support I've received from staff, there is a huge issue in my head about certain pieces of work. It was all ok until today.

On the up...

2010-05-18T13:59:00.000+01:00

AMAZINGLY HAPPY NEWS! UCA have made a CONDITIONAL offer for a place on BA Hons Graphic Media in September. This obviously means that the FdA needs a good and proper spanking...

In other news, I now declare the time to step up the internship/work placement search, firstly by email bombing Harrison + Co in Brighton. Next step... THE WORLD.

Whilst doing some research on them I came across THIS:
Tory MP Greg Hands has claimed that modern graphic design software packages "surely allow anyone with an average brain to design something as good as, or better than, what we see in front of us here". WOW.

Mini Diana developed

2010-05-15T14:17:00.000+01:00

So here's the results of a WHOLE film in the Mini Diana...

Poor. But interesting. Only one way to learn I guess!

Autism

2010-05-14T21:40:00.001+01:00

Just to jump on the BBC bandwagon of promoting autism...

Stephen Wiltshire's ability and vision is amazing. So incredible, that I didn't believe what I saw at first. Judge for yourself...

Aladdin

2010-05-09T15:50:00.000+01:00

The past few days have mainly consisted of sitting in the front room watching films whilst getting stuck into the FMP and forgetting to eat.

Today, Aladdin's first up. I found this whilst doing a bit of research into the animation of it (computers WERE used for colouring back in 1992). Character development is something that I never really appreciated before... I'm beginning to find it more interesting. Genie even looks like Robin Williams!

Inamo

2010-03-27T11:01:00.000Z

Inamo, Wardour street. Ordering food and drink directly from your table. Literally.

You chose the food, ambiance and even games all at a touch! Friday night well spent!

YCN. Done.

2010-03-26T19:42:00.001Z

Job jobbed!

Fruit fail

2010-03-15T18:50:00.000Z

Getting there... although this carving fruit seems more intense than first realised. With a little bit more practise and a few more failed attempts, I'm confident I will have nailed this baby!

Make shift vase

2010-03-08T00:07:00.000Z

Tulips are pretty. Empty bottles of Corona aren't.

One + the other = Pretty thrifty

Bat For Lashes

2010-02-20T01:16:00.001Z

De La Warr really does come into it's own at night....

Amazing performance in an amazing building.

This is ties in quite nicely with our Interactive Module and has definitely given me new eyes with regards to how the building looks and is used.

Henna

2010-02-18T12:45:00.000Z

I can remember last year taking time out to study a lot of stitches and embroidery methods. Drawing them out, making patterns. Fascinating how a simple stitch is transformed into an exquisite pattern. The same goes for henna.

My developed interest in body art, namely tattoo and drawn design, has led me from thinking about temporary tattoos to henna. Henna has such a deep rooted history in northern African culture and Hinduism in the East.

Some little doodles and learnings:

Christmas in February

2010-02-17T23:49:00.000Z

Danni, it may have been incredibly late but I love my Christmas present - thank you!

Prints taken from the Cans Festival under Waterloo Bridge.
Pure Evil's Life East Die Young, Eelus's Audrey Hepburn Cat and Banksy's Boy Painting Heart.

Modernist Paper Architecture

2010-02-13T22:37:00.000Z

frankthree

2010-02-09T19:26:00.001Z

Not only is my name Frankie, my favourite number is 3.

Three sounds like "ie"

Naturally, my sig incorporates FB looking like F3.

Happy perfect.

I was playing around with paper.

Cutting it out bigger and bigger.

And then poof,

get some light on the matter and highlighters turn into paper grained stained glass.

2010-02-09T19:01:00.000Z

So, it hasn't been a very happy time of late but not wanting to dwell, this Friday marks the beginning of a well needed week at home to catch up with myself and everything around me.

Marley meets Nas

2010-01-30T09:19:00.000Z

Damian Marley and Nas - Road To Zion

I remember listening to a bit of Nas about 7 years ago... immediately recognised his voice. Big fan of this which will possibly take people by surprise. This was on Radio 1 of ALL places...

Neigh

2010-01-29T23:28:00.000Z

These creatures are just fantastic. Especially this grey Arab.

Horses have always been iconic for me. I have so much respect for this animal. There is a very good reason for "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" - and why would you want to? The core strength of this animal and curves of it's torso is what is most admirable.

A while back, under a year ago, I started feeling like the influences of my childhood were shining through. Suddenly, all this imprinted on my character at a tot, made sense. I was possibily rebelling against it... somehow searching for something that was actually under my nose the whole time. These realisations are warm fuzzy moments that I cherish.

Full circle

2010-01-29T12:24:00.000Z

There is nothing left for me online anymore. Keep going round and round in circles looking at the same ol' stuff without even really understanding why. Open my mind a bit maybe? Stop believing one single person can cover all relevant content the World Wide Web provides in a matter of hours per day. More like decades per lifetime!

This is how it goes...

Drugged Spiders

2010-01-28T20:43:00.000Z

So this is interesting...

Sea Walnuts

2010-01-28T00:18:00.000Z

A practise shot for our illustration brief - taking a descriptive passage and expressing our own thoughts and feelings in narrative of images... These once were my £4 Tesco Value Christmas lights. Now each bulb, an integral part of my very own sea walnut.

"...glide through the bay like oscillating lanterns."

Colouring in for adults

2010-01-26T14:00:00.000Z

Click it.

Found type

2010-01-25T15:51:00.000Z

We were given the week to stumble across some hand made/ one off/ interesting type, photograph and crop it to squared proportions.

Quite an interesting mini task - really opened my eyes to how much typography features in my walk between home and college...

2010-01-22T17:02:00.000Z

Today I walked along the seafront on my way home, something I haven't been able to do since before Christmas. All the little shops were looking sweet (if they weren't flooded that is) and the sea was glistening... warm sun shining! Lovely.

Reminded me why I am falling in love all over again...

St Leonards on Ice

2010-01-16T22:11:00.000Z

Snowy boats and huts and seagulls

Tools.

2010-01-16T17:44:00.001Z

Talk about interactive... nice marketing ideas here.

giffgaff.com

Grafftastic

2010-01-15T21:37:00.000Z

Workshop from April 2008. Very good fun! Obviously having a blue day...

The sheer discipline of this medium amazed me. The scale and the spray is something that you've not exposed to very often. At least I hadn't been in any of the arts and crafts I've participated in. The kids under the railway arches make it look effortless and guess what, like anything, it's not as easy as it looks. But what it is, is very rewarding. The pride I felt standing back from this, mask on, can in hand, was immense. Need to do more...

I learned how to spell today

2010-01-13T17:19:00.000Z

Capability.

Mini Diana, my new best friend!

2010-01-13T08:57:00.000Z

Snap snap snappppp! With only a few manual abilities, straight onto 35mm, square shots of half frames, double exposures and dreammmmyyyy images.

Hello Mini Diana.

This photo shot with Lumix FS5 with soft flash through home made peach filter. Nice attempt at recreating a lomo atmosphere I'd say...

Paper meets technology

2010-01-12T03:20:00.001Z

This piece by Camilla Scherrer comprises of a book, a screen and a lamp. Under this lamp, the pages of a seemingly ordinary books take on an animated life. This sophisticated technology uses advanced augmented reality software - this allows for the screen to be the "revealer". The concept and execution allows for a relationship between screen and paper exist. It in fact strengthens the need for this paper medium, possibly making certain of it's place in the future of design. Amazing.

Augmented reality is something I had little awareness of previously. I am now slowly becoming more facinated to this techonology and it's capabilities.

Underwater basket weaving?

2010-01-11T12:03:00.000Z

This is a joke, right?

Word.

2010-01-07T17:14:00.000Z

Vernacular.

Don’t reinvent the wheel

2010-01-07T15:08:00.001Z

Quite hard to come to terms with this. I keep finding this link in different places and I don't like that.

"There is no such thing as originality!"

"Don't reinvent the wheel!"

So exactly WHAT do you want? I'm no caveman making fire, I'm just trying to express myself! I guess my real issue is keeping it simple. I've gone back recently and looked at some old briefs from last year and I can immediately see where I went wrong. Too complex. There is a great idea in there, in most cases, but it's drowned out by too much sound. Like light pollution. Frankie pollution.

Blurring the lines has never been so apparent...

2010-01-06T18:22:00.000Z

I'm pretty upset that I missed out on rowing across a punch bowl... but the website alone is enough to awe me into nearly falling off my chair!

Bompas & Parr work with jelly, bespoke moulds, stepping between the worlds of food and architecture beautifully. The concepts behind many of their past projects feel like something from Alice in Wonderland or something you'd see in Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck (a restaurant I can only dream about eating in for now!).

It's things like this that really inspire me. I've been thinking a lot lately (and not doing much otherwise) and I'm struggling to make myself put to action something that I managed to realise. Drop the rules books, educate and appreciate, have opinion, be wrong sometimes, and most of all - just because it works for them, doesn't mean it is for you. I've been trying to be something else for so long with regards to how I approach my work. Concerned that I'm not hitting the highs in that league, I realise that it's because it's the wrong league for me! Not that I belong in a lower league, just a different one. So here goes self discovering!

On that note, I have a shiny box full of needles and thread, some scrap materials and a completed enrolment form for the NFCE Textiles course that my college is running at the end of February. It'll mean an 11 hour day every Thursday until the end of term, BRING IT ON.

Bubbles

2010-01-02T14:38:00.002Z

We've always had this print of an old Pears Soap ad in the house, which should seem unusual considering the only other art on the wall are canvas oils and prints of horses - some famous - others other pets now deceased. However the family seem to hold Pears in such high regard, that the funny bars actually make up part of my memories of my childhood!

Anyway, researching for my essay on advertising from the 60s, I've managed to stumble across a case study of Pears and the advertising revolution Thomas Barratt created with the company. The print that we have here, and other iconic, dreamy, cupidic images, is where it all began.

(Really annoyed that this print is now in the spare room, totally hidden away, can't get to it to take a photo)

1907 newspaper interview with Thomas Barratt, of Pears Soap, in which he says:

Tastes change, fashions change, and the advertiser has to change with them. An idea that was effective a generation ago would fall flat, stale, and unprofitable if presented to the public today. Not that the idea of today is always better than the older idea, but it is different - it hits the present taste.

What a novel idea...

2009-12-12T12:51:00.001Z

Found at Heathrow airport on route to Iceland.

Through the eyes of a photographer

2009-12-11T22:44:00.000Z

Well worth the effort getting up early today. A session of commissioning photographers, by photographer John Reynolds.

John kindly came along to share his years of wisdom with us young budding blind designers. A thoroughly enjoyable over view of the basics and dos-n-donts of working alongside photographers (and to a degree illustrators/ other creatives). Felt like being back at school and completing a GCSE in a day! I have a lot more respect for that field now than ever before. John certainly knows what he is talking about and has thankfully shared some simple Do's and Dont's that I'll be taking on board when it comes to shooting my portfolio pieces.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this session today as much as I did, is because it gave a sense of REAL. I know that there's fat chance that through my life I'll work solely alone. Collaboration is vitally important in not only the creative industries but for life itself.

When I finally bite the bullet and buy the desperately needed scanner I'll be posting some of my sketches...

Natural forms derived

2009-12-10T00:08:00.001Z

Visual DNA. Different to say the least. Maybe I should start looking to carpet fibres for inspiration?

I do like the concept here - to make your own art that literally couldn’t be more personal if you tried. Emoting DNA; something that is basically the core of every living organism on his planet that the average Joe doesn’t think twice about - displayed in galleries and on soft furnishings in the home? Can’t be blurring the edges anymore than that can they?

So where do we look for inspiration? Hordes of glossy design books and classy mag subscriptions? Or the real natural world.

Whilst visiting Barcelona last month, the necessary visit to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia was made.

Inspired by nature. The spiral of a sycamore seed. Colour and form of flowers and plants. Leaves, honeycomb. What is fascinating is not his source, but what he went on to do with it - his vision. I'm no architect nor historian but in my opinion, the fact that this magnificent structure is not due for completion until 2026 gives our generations a chance to watch something come to life in our own time rather than just managing the necessary tourism trips to what is sometimes viewed as a handful of old cobbles...

Here's the 3D projection...

A blogger's life...

2009-12-09T18:07:00.001Z

In the short time it takes to type BLOG and click my face, I’ve forgotten exactly what I felt to compelled to come here and write in the first place. Will someone please hurry up and make an intervenes USB for me to download myself?! I need to start living and breathing a bit more. Slowly slowly catchy monkey, as I keep getting told. This week as certainly been more productive.

Looking forward to the Christmas break. Buying some spray paints and destroying grandmother-worthy ornaments :) Along with the whole Christmas BLAHBLAHBLAH as well of course.

And thanks to Tom Petty for Ommwriter.

Truth.

2009-12-08T07:46:00.001Z

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"

- Joseph Chilton Pearce

Dear Santa...

2009-12-08T07:40:00.000Z

Dear Santa

I need this book in my life. I have been a very good girl this year (mostly) and I’m allergic to mincepies :( I think it's the colours. Or the shapes. It's my shiny object and I am it's magpie!

All things needlework

2009-12-07T07:36:00.001Z

My new thang? Why yes, yes it is. I spent a whole day looking at this stuff. Cross stitch, embroidery, contemporary needlework in all it's finest forms - and was absolutely fascinated.

I need a sewing machine, some scrap fabrics and a lot of free time to master this. Something I really want to use as a medium in the future for nothing less than the sheerly crude capability.

First week down.

2009-12-06T23:33:00.000Z

Well the year has just flown by! Only 7 days ago the end-of-decade ignorance was satisfctory! Now we have no choice. Hang on... does it actually end now or next year?

Keep smiling and get old.

Hello December. Hello 2010.

Fascinating.

2009-12-06T20:06:00.001Z

I think it’s anything ‘mapped out’ that I enjoy so much. Globes, land and sea maps, constellations. My heart actually beats a little faster! I like looking at the sky at night with my mate Sir Patrick Moore!

When I grow up, I want to know lots about stars and shit.

Imagist

2009-12-02T18:15:00.000Z

So, I'm researching agencies and studios, trying to find my path in life. And I come across this. I don't think I've smiled so much at something so ordinary for a long time. Found items always bring simple amusement when displayed out of context.But this one is moral.

COPY: “This solution to the brief came about during a recent trip to Geneva. On the power lines used throughout the tram network are very simple and striking yellow and black intersection signs. However, not having visited Geneva before, these little signs seemed quiet friendly - like smiley faces, but not smiling, and not frowning. Just being. While being pushed and pulled along on the tram, these little faces were a constant reminder not to be too happy, not to be too sad. Just be content that you’re going somewhere.”

Eye candy

2009-12-02T17:29:00.000Z

Yellow

2009-11-27T14:00:00.001Z

How wonderfully cute! Just the right development from the mechanical kinetic type I've been watching so much of lately! Proving my point - don't over complicate.

Even the original

2009-11-26T17:10:00.001Z

Nneka - Heartbeats (Chase & Status remix)

Barcelona.

2009-11-26T15:47:00.001Z

Barcelona. Visited the weekend gone for a fast few days.

Amazing city. I fell in love…

The highlight however was no Gaudi, nor Dali… it was this book, by these guys:

www.lecoolbook.com

Ok, that's a lie! It was the chiillllleedddd out atmosphere.

The bikes.

The graffii on nearly every shop shutter
(what a sight on a Sunday afternoon).

And mostly the beer.

Oh, and maybe the strange Jap restaurent near the Picasso and Choco museums...