The Consumer's Cross

What's more important, the crucifixion of Jesus or what he was wearing?

Anything But CHRISTmas

I made this piece to portray my anger at how modern society sees Christmas as a mere day of gifts, money, sales and shopping. Consumerism at it's best. Adverts flashing SALE, 50% OFF and TREAT YOURSELF THIS CHRISTMAS. What about the real reason we celebrate it? What about Jesus, the Three Kings and the Guiding Star? I can picture the pyjama brigade's faces screwed up in bemusement as I write it, completely unaware that Christmas is a day of religion and not just an excuse for a new pair of Ugg Boots or a new all black monochrome tracksuit with black trainers to match.

Let's get back to basics, eh?

Sunshine's Resting Place ☼

I remember at the time of writing this the weather once against was on my mind as we were actually midway through a heatwave -   :O     - we haven't had one since!

I'm glad to report that it's been another glorious day, due to our mini heatwave here (although, as I speak, I can see the clouds rolling in) so I'm in good spirits. This shot shows the sunlight creeping in through the window, finally managing to rest on one side of my face...

Feelings & Fear

This is my latest design to show how a graveyard can bring out all different emotions and feelings within us. I drew the design and and coloured it in via Photoshop. This is actually my final piece for my Graveyard project!

Immersed in the Music ♫

You know when you haven't listened to your music for a while...

I hadn't listened to my MP3 player in a while. Therefore, I brushed the dust off it and gave it a listen. I always find it strange and fun when you listen to the tracks after so long; i found myself asking 'What in the *@%£$ made me download this crap?!' - numerous times!

Remembering...

This was taken on the week we learned Michael Jackson had died and is a small personal tribute to him I suppose...

I'm still in a state of disbelief at the time of this shot. I was listening to Bad by Michael Jackson at the time and it slowly hit home that he was gone forever. To many of you, this probably means nothing... however to me and a lot of other people it is quite devastating. I had tickets to see his show in August and that had always been a prority of mine since i can remember- I promised myself that if i ever got the chance to see the man live i would, I suppose you could say it was a lifetime ambition of mine. It still seems like a dream now, however, his music will live on forever.

12:38 | Cool Blue Minutes

I shot this against a dark background intentionally so the icy blue looked more effective...

When Skies Are Grey

Another day. Another dreary, dull, overcast and ultimately depressing day. I'm seriously longing for a blue sky now, need that feel good factor that you get when the weather's good and all seems well. Again, I decided to prop my tripod up and take some shots; this is me looking out of my window at the gloriously bland grey summer sky for a fourth straight day. The sun lotion goes on hold for another day...


It's funny, as I type this and look out of my window the description above could fit easily to today and the past month.


I love England ¬¬

I was once great I & II

These two designs show an old, battered and stained piece of paper that is probably lying at the bottom of someone's drawer, forgotten in a dingy office somewhere in a grimy backstreet. Who knows what that piece of paper once was... a great oak tree, an elegant yew tree or even a Great Redwood? Whatever it was it didn't deserve this...

I'll do it eventually...

An example of selective colouring thanks to Picnik...

While cleaning out my cupboards and things, I came across this Rubix Cube. For the past week I've been trying to solve it... or at least get one face complete! So far, not so good but I remember I got TWO whole sides once so if i can just remember...

Just Me, my Camera and a Lightswitch...

Okay, so if I remember correctly, this was taken the day I bought my new tripod. Experiments galore!

Bricks of Battle

This was taken a while back in Liverpool as part of my War Series highlighting the damage caused and the grief shared during the horrific blitz of such a great city.

There are still parts of Liverpool that stand proud, survivors of war. This wall is a survivor. However, underneath its proud vibrant surface, it remembers the injured that once rested against it and the civilians that hurridly scampered past it en route to the safety of a bunker.

Pot Luck

Taken just before I take a shot. Had to be extra careful not to hit the camera!

Triangle of Red

I love the contrast between the red balls and green mat, as well as the glossy reflective surface of the balls. Therefore, before setting up I took a shot of the reds against  the rich green table.

Is This Yours?

I took this shot whilst doing a bit of gardening (!) after finding an old rubber ball buried in the soil. Who's was it? How old is it? What's it's history? Who knows...

Save Your Breath

War Series // Once a War has been declared there's no going back...

FEAR

This is an illustration I made today in a small A5 sketchbook as part of my Graveyards Project. Below is the original (with boosted contrast) and above is an edited version with a hint of red.

Typography

Another lecture, another doodle. I later added colour and eventually a background and imagery.

The Little Book of Deforestation

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

A flick book I made called The Little Book of Deforestation. It shows the logger's axe penetrating a severed tree stump. The resulting blood represents not only the loss of life of the tree, but the animals surviving of it and the people surrounding it. It also represents the broken habitats of all the different animals and humans based around it.

We Want Yew!

I designed this typography page today. Below is the original illustration and above I have coloured through Photoshop.

2050

Ok, just designed this. Contemplating whether or not to include it in my current project against Deforestation.

Curious Fly

It might not be one of my 'strongest' images, but this little guy took me an eternity to finally shoot. Therefore, it's worth a mention...

Melting Away...

I woke up and thought 'OMFG is that sunshine?!! In Huyton?!!'

As you can guess, we don't get much sun here ¬¬ So I had to make the most of it. Therefore I got an ice cube, put it on the table and watched it melt. I decided to shoot it on a pink table as I thought it complimented the rick specks of blue sky in the ice cube.

Seven Minutes Past Three & Seven Minutes Past Three in Monochrome

This was a watch I bought for £5 in one of those 'Everything Must Go!' stores in town. It feels cheap (to be fair it is made of plastic) but it does look rather nice :)

Anyway, I took this shot on my window sill and couldn't decide whether I liked the rich colour and texture of the wood or the elegant and stylish look of the black and white.

Blue Bottle

Wow, it took soo long to get this thing resting. Eventually, however, I got it and used selective colouring to emphasize the beautiful yellows and greens emitted from the flower and fly.

Sweet But Messy

Mmm I love 'Jam Rings' as they're called in Asda!  So much I even took a shot of one -how can i say, injured?- midway through.

Window to my Soul

Again, part of my War series.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. I wonder if mine is portrayed here? The very eye that is constantly absoring images of war all day. Personal wars, gun crimes or the 7 o'clock news broadcasting its coverage of death, voilence or crime each day without fail.

Urban Wall Set

This set of designs were intended to become leaflets in my Capital of Culture project. After some reviewing, I chose the third design, although my personal favourite is the last one.

Abandoned Cookie

Again, shot whilst trawling the dingy back streets of the city.

Leakage in the Sunlight

Black Hole

The wonders of backstreet Liverpool...

Alone & Abandoned

I have trekked all over the city of Liverpool with my camera, visiting familiar places over and over again. This day, however, I decided to head in the opposite direction, away from the hustle and bustle. I walked wherever my feet took me and to my surprise I found this little spot just on the outskirts of the city centre. Alone and abandoned, this once functioning building still stands quite proud, bar a few smashes and breaks here and there...

The Ring

A ring. The only thing she has left. Who was it from? A lover? A soldier? A  husband? Dead?

Friday 13th

As it is indeed Friday 13th, I thought I'd share a little design I doodled whilst in a lecture. It is part of a current project I am working on and although I post all my work on the oldest to newset, i thought I'd share a future post early in honour of today! Below is the original, above is edited via Photoshop.

Chinatown (II & III)

Happy Friday 13th...

Royal Change

Shiny Killers

Shiny, golden, beautiful, attractive, addicive. Killers.

Nature & Colour

These are 3 shots I took whilst out and about in the city a while back. I chose to zoom in and focus on certain aspects of the environment that provided texture and colour...