I've been busy working on the Doll Proposal for some time, and engaging in business discussions. This week I'm going for a briefing to help the artist John Newling with his installation at The Collection.
Today I entered a story on the Tate Modern website for something that directly relates to my installation.
If you have googled The Unreal God And Aspects Of His Non-Existent Universe, it directs here, however, my Degree Show blog is also available here:
http://www.a-n.co.uk/degrees_unedited/projects/single/421025
These blogs merely document the process of creating the work, and are now obsolete; all my finished work, images of the installation and further information,is on my website www.helendblackbird.co.uk
Helen Dearnley (Blackbird) Fine Art - reflective journal. All concepts are not available for free for others to use without Intellectual Property issues.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Monday, 1 December 2008
Coldplay Lost video competition
I finally finished my entry for Coldplay's Lost video competition.
It would have all been hand rendered had I had more time, so I cheated and rotoscoped it digitally. It still took a lot of work....
I'm actually quite pleased with it :-)
It would have all been hand rendered had I had more time, so I cheated and rotoscoped it digitally. It still took a lot of work....
I'm actually quite pleased with it :-)
Monday, 17 November 2008
Take On Me
I have decided to make something else relating to A-ha's Take On Me comic book imagery.....
I can't say any more than that, as I am mulling over all the ideas, but aside from attempting to rotoscope a video for Coldplay's Lost competition, which will now star my son, I am trying to work out how to create a very special sketchbook for artists, illustrators, animators, students and musicians, and anyone who likes the Take On Me video.....
Like those doodle books you get for kids in galleries, only this one will be better ;-)
Well OK, the idea for a Take On Me style comic sketchbook is mine, I concocted it, and if anyone tries to plagiarise that idea, I will send Morten round to bore them with his theories of Nothing..........
Basically it's an excuse to self publish my own sketchbook.
I've just gotta work out how to get away with it.... ;-)
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
It's all been very quiet for a few months... I finally got my website up. You can visit it here: www.helendblackbird.co.uk
I've been focussed more on my a-n blog, as it keeps being publicised online and in their magazine, which is all very helpful, as I've had no luck finding any opportunities, either as an artist, illustrator, or merely a part time job to support my practice.
I've had to find a babysitter in case I need one, as I've been missing some opportunities due to lack of childcare (and the fact that some employers are not open to family friendly working practices)
I can work from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Possibly till 5.00p.m. but only part time. No evenings or weekends, as there is no childcare for that time.
Meanwhile, I've been doing the odd bit of work, nothing special, just ticking over really while I figure out the best career plan.
I've been focussed more on my a-n blog, as it keeps being publicised online and in their magazine, which is all very helpful, as I've had no luck finding any opportunities, either as an artist, illustrator, or merely a part time job to support my practice.
I've had to find a babysitter in case I need one, as I've been missing some opportunities due to lack of childcare (and the fact that some employers are not open to family friendly working practices)
I can work from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Possibly till 5.00p.m. but only part time. No evenings or weekends, as there is no childcare for that time.
Meanwhile, I've been doing the odd bit of work, nothing special, just ticking over really while I figure out the best career plan.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Post Degree Blues
Well, it's so busy in here I could just die of excitement!
I have put on two degree shows now, this fine art one, and another one for my Illustration work. My Illustration blog is http://blackbirds-birdhouse.blogspot.com
Lately my Illustration work has taken over. I have graduated with an upper 2:1, so I'm really pleased with that, and it seems I make a pretty good illustrator.
Last week I went to London to exhibit my work at New Designers. I've spent the past few weeks preparing some work for that and trying to get my website finished. The website is something that I need to spend time on still.
But I've been rushing around London sorting out membership with the A.O.I. and chatting to a guy from the BBC, who wanted to know if we'd be interested in doing Flash animations...
It's been 2 months since I finished University, and I haven't had any opportunities yet, although I've been busy getting my myspace page up to date in case anyone checks the links on my business cards, I've been keeping a sketchbook, although it was my intention to draw something every day, I've had other stuff to sort out - bills to pay, hostels to book, travel to arrange, all the time trying to get commissions as an illustrator.
I wasted far too much time trying to get a part time job so that I don't have to rely on benefits. Nothing was coming up; no one replied to my applications, and I was just wasting my time with that, it was getting me down.
So I decided to concentrate on New Designers as a potential career opportunity, and am busy following up some leads from that.
I managed to go to the White Cube gallery in Hoxton Square to see Ernesto Caivano's exhibition: http://www.whitecube.com/exhibitions/ernesto_caivano/
This is AMAZING!
In other news, my Degree Show blog on a-n has been quoted profusely by Andrew Bryant in this month's a-n magazine!
Pretty good publicity I hope :-)
I have put on two degree shows now, this fine art one, and another one for my Illustration work. My Illustration blog is http://blackbirds-birdhouse.blogspot.com
Lately my Illustration work has taken over. I have graduated with an upper 2:1, so I'm really pleased with that, and it seems I make a pretty good illustrator.
Last week I went to London to exhibit my work at New Designers. I've spent the past few weeks preparing some work for that and trying to get my website finished. The website is something that I need to spend time on still.
But I've been rushing around London sorting out membership with the A.O.I. and chatting to a guy from the BBC, who wanted to know if we'd be interested in doing Flash animations...
It's been 2 months since I finished University, and I haven't had any opportunities yet, although I've been busy getting my myspace page up to date in case anyone checks the links on my business cards, I've been keeping a sketchbook, although it was my intention to draw something every day, I've had other stuff to sort out - bills to pay, hostels to book, travel to arrange, all the time trying to get commissions as an illustrator.
I wasted far too much time trying to get a part time job so that I don't have to rely on benefits. Nothing was coming up; no one replied to my applications, and I was just wasting my time with that, it was getting me down.
So I decided to concentrate on New Designers as a potential career opportunity, and am busy following up some leads from that.
I managed to go to the White Cube gallery in Hoxton Square to see Ernesto Caivano's exhibition: http://www.whitecube.com/exhibitions/ernesto_caivano/
This is AMAZING!
In other news, my Degree Show blog on a-n has been quoted profusely by Andrew Bryant in this month's a-n magazine!
Pretty good publicity I hope :-)
Monday, 19 May 2008
Degree Show preview
After spending most of last week setting up and preparing my Illustration Degree Show ready for assessment yesterday, last Friday was the preview of my Fine Art Degree Show, The Unreal God And Aspects of His Non-Existent Universe, as part of the University of Lincoln Degree Show thisisit08.
I made a comic style comments book to go in it, and left to get ready and pick my children up from school, and as such I was running slightly late to meet the curator. But nevertheless, she had some positive comments to make about my installation, especially how it worked juxtaposed next to my colleagues' installation in the adjacent room.
I received positive comments from people who actually went in and "read" the comic itself, and all my worries that people wouldn't be able to see it the way I intended have been allayed by the response I've received so far!
So I will share some pictures here, and then I will share my Illustration Show as well - I have pictures of how it is currently, awaiting assessment.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Excitement!
[8 May 2008]
I have finally printed the actual comic! I'm so happy to have that finished! I was going to print several copies, but now time is running out I'm just glad to have one finished comic to go in the installation to make it complete!
Everything else is back on track, but I still have a lot to do and today I had to clear out my Illustration studio. It feels sad to know I'll be leaving soon, but at the same time I'm getting quite excited and will be glad to graduate.
Just to backtrack a bit here's what else I've been up to:
[2 May 2008]
I've finally started to set up my space now, although this was hindered slightly by the fact that Channel Four were filming an advert for the University in the gallery for a while, and the place was awash with media people and equipment!
Now that I don't seem to have any other unnecessary distractions I feel quite excited at the prospect of my show - positive comments from people have helped!
I wasted a day attempting to print my comic onto newsprint through a laserjet printer and have since considered other options, but at least my comic is finished ready for printing, so that's satisfying!
Yesterday I foolishly thought that helping to self publish the Illustration catalogue would only take up a small amount of time.... but I have finished my dolls (whoops - shouldn't mention illustration work here!!) and am addicted to photoshopping a storyboard for a potential Brothers Quay style animation.
The dolls I have been making are to illustrate Black Jack Davey, a folk rock song by Steeleye Span... that's another story, but once I've set up my Fine Art show, I will also be exhibiting my Illustration work a week later!!
As a joint honours student I had the choice to exhibit at one show or the other, or both; the other joint students are doing both shows as well, so we're in it together. I know how Clark Kent feels now......!
The bad news is that A-ha themselves will not be able to attend my Degree Show, as they will be busy preparing for a gig at the Royal Albert Hall - I sent an invite to Morten's management via Facebook, but they declined. I'm sure they would've accepted if it wasn't for such bad timing ;-)
[25 April 2008]
I'm getting really stressed out about the space for my installation, as I had tried to plan it so it would be straightforward, but the disappointment of having not secured the space I ideally had in mind is causing far more potential problems than I had hoped for.
I've been thinking about how to print my comic book and have decided that screen printing it is going to be too much kerfuffle and it'll be easier to just print it on newsprint through the printer in the faculty of Illustration.
I've been working hard to get my Illustration work finished so that I can concentrate on setting up my Fine Art show. Being a joint honours student has its benefits and its drawbacks.
But most of my drawbacks last week were caused by my boiler packing in.
I wasted so much time waiting for the gas man to come and fix it, plus the stress of not having heating or hot water for myself and my children for a whole week, that I haven't even begun to think about the logistics of building a room for my installation, so the repercussions of that are manifold.
[3 April 2008]
Today the spaces we have been allocated for the degree show have been announced on the noticeboard. I haven't succeeded in securing the space I ideally wanted, and have spent some time today trying to figure out how I can set up my installation in a room that will require a lot more work.... hmph!
I've collected my sketchbook so I can carry on with my comic book work, and I've been trying to figure out the best option for my webcast, and it's all very slow, and not only that, I had to go to the local gallery to go and watch some performance art by some colleagues, which was all very interesting, but I'd rather hide away and get on with work. I'm avoiding University tomorrow for this reason, that every time I go there, there is some distraction, however I'll have to go out in the afternoon to avoid the disturbances of the gas man.
I went to see my son play in the school band this evening. I rather enjoyed it actually, made a nice change, as I generally don't have a social life anymore....!
I have finally printed the actual comic! I'm so happy to have that finished! I was going to print several copies, but now time is running out I'm just glad to have one finished comic to go in the installation to make it complete!
Everything else is back on track, but I still have a lot to do and today I had to clear out my Illustration studio. It feels sad to know I'll be leaving soon, but at the same time I'm getting quite excited and will be glad to graduate.
Just to backtrack a bit here's what else I've been up to:
[2 May 2008]
I've finally started to set up my space now, although this was hindered slightly by the fact that Channel Four were filming an advert for the University in the gallery for a while, and the place was awash with media people and equipment!
Now that I don't seem to have any other unnecessary distractions I feel quite excited at the prospect of my show - positive comments from people have helped!
I wasted a day attempting to print my comic onto newsprint through a laserjet printer and have since considered other options, but at least my comic is finished ready for printing, so that's satisfying!
Yesterday I foolishly thought that helping to self publish the Illustration catalogue would only take up a small amount of time.... but I have finished my dolls (whoops - shouldn't mention illustration work here!!) and am addicted to photoshopping a storyboard for a potential Brothers Quay style animation.
The dolls I have been making are to illustrate Black Jack Davey, a folk rock song by Steeleye Span... that's another story, but once I've set up my Fine Art show, I will also be exhibiting my Illustration work a week later!!
As a joint honours student I had the choice to exhibit at one show or the other, or both; the other joint students are doing both shows as well, so we're in it together. I know how Clark Kent feels now......!
The bad news is that A-ha themselves will not be able to attend my Degree Show, as they will be busy preparing for a gig at the Royal Albert Hall - I sent an invite to Morten's management via Facebook, but they declined. I'm sure they would've accepted if it wasn't for such bad timing ;-)
[25 April 2008]
I'm getting really stressed out about the space for my installation, as I had tried to plan it so it would be straightforward, but the disappointment of having not secured the space I ideally had in mind is causing far more potential problems than I had hoped for.
I've been thinking about how to print my comic book and have decided that screen printing it is going to be too much kerfuffle and it'll be easier to just print it on newsprint through the printer in the faculty of Illustration.
I've been working hard to get my Illustration work finished so that I can concentrate on setting up my Fine Art show. Being a joint honours student has its benefits and its drawbacks.
But most of my drawbacks last week were caused by my boiler packing in.
I wasted so much time waiting for the gas man to come and fix it, plus the stress of not having heating or hot water for myself and my children for a whole week, that I haven't even begun to think about the logistics of building a room for my installation, so the repercussions of that are manifold.
[3 April 2008]
Today the spaces we have been allocated for the degree show have been announced on the noticeboard. I haven't succeeded in securing the space I ideally wanted, and have spent some time today trying to figure out how I can set up my installation in a room that will require a lot more work.... hmph!
I've collected my sketchbook so I can carry on with my comic book work, and I've been trying to figure out the best option for my webcast, and it's all very slow, and not only that, I had to go to the local gallery to go and watch some performance art by some colleagues, which was all very interesting, but I'd rather hide away and get on with work. I'm avoiding University tomorrow for this reason, that every time I go there, there is some distraction, however I'll have to go out in the afternoon to avoid the disturbances of the gas man.
I went to see my son play in the school band this evening. I rather enjoyed it actually, made a nice change, as I generally don't have a social life anymore....!
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