I'm so bad at this blogging thing!

Apologies! It's been months since I've posted anything on here- I'm really not great at this blogging thing!

Still, my challenge to decorate my entire local school is still underway and this is my latest mural.

Before I did this, there was a very old painting of a clown that scared the children and parents alike and the teachers want it gone! So I waved my magical paintbrush wand and voila!

The children really like it which I'm pleased about- I heard one of them say to another "Hasn't she done well?!" (She is 4!!!) Made me chuckle! And the headteacher has given me another two tasks for next time so that should be good!

I'll endeavour to post more things I do from now on... we'll see how long it is between the next blog!!

Introducing... HEATHCLIFF BOLT!!!

For my birthday, my lovely friends from work clubbed together and found this little critter to add to my menagerie! Introducing Heathcliff Bolt!
He is named (obviously) after Wuthering Heights ( I read it on holiday and so it seemed like a cool name for a hamster) and after Usain Bolt on account that a) I got him on Olympic Saturday (YEY TEAM GB!) and b) he is sooooo fast!!!

He is pictured here just getting into his truck!!

Watch this space for some Heathcliff inspired doodles soon!

When I don't know what to draw, I draw my cats!

These are 5 of my 6 cats... Yes, 6!! My inspiration for when im stuck for an idea or feeling creative!

Classroom Murals, no2

So, after painting murals of the "Hungry Caterpiller" and "The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me" in one of the classrooms last year, I have been asked to paint another one!! This time, I had two themes to chose from; Disney's The Jungle Book or Winnie the Pooh (Disney style). The brief was to decorate the empty space(s) in the classroom with something in particular that could be used as an alphabet line for the reception children to learn from.

I felt that of the two options, Winnie the Pooh would be the friendlier, lighter option; The Jungle Book  is visually quite dark and jungle-ly with some quite scary characters that might be intimidating for 4 and 5 year olds (I remember being quite scared by it myself!). An Infant school classroom needs to be bright, cheerful and friendly so Pooh it was!

I had quite an unsual space to fill; long and quite thin across the top of the display boards and the door so I looked at some of the stories for inspiration. I went through a lot of ideas for the alphabet line; butterflies, honey pots, bunting, leaves and dandilion seeds but I settled on the story of Winnie the Pooh and the Bees, where each bee will (eventually) be holding a letter.

Here's the results:

 Over the cupboard doors:

I want to do a Tigger in the last empty space in the room at a future date but for now, I just hope the new intake like their classroom come September!

If only I could do this sort of thing everyday... It would be a dream!

Some things that caught my eye in Agadir, Morocco

Me and the other half took our first holiday together (in seven years!!) in June to Agadir in Morocco. Our hotel (Riu Tikida Dunas) was beautiful; very clean, large rooms, massive lagoon type pools and an abundance of food to choose from in the restaurants. The staff were lovely too and although the evening shows weren't West End quality, everyone enjoyed them and had a good giggle.

We went on two excursions; a camel ride which was enjoyable but after 2 hours in the sun, in the desert wasteland of Agadir, we were cream-crackerd! Our second excursion was the Atlas Mountain 4x4 trip and my favourite of the two. The scenery was breath-taking and we saw lots of little villages who, although have no running water, every house had a satellite dish and a TV!! We had a Berber breakfast in a traditional Berber house of "Moroccan whiskey" ( mint tea with honey), Berber bread, argan oil, olive oil, honey and this stuff which tasted like watery peanut butter. It was ok but I'm not a fan of peanuts so not something I'll be recreating at home! The only downside to the day trip that I got quite ill on our return so that was me out for the count for the next few days! Still, we saw and tasted some amazing things and, although I probably wont go back to Morocco ( I don't like to go to the same place twice), it was good to get away and relax! But the question is, where do we go next holiday?!!

In the lobby of our hotel, there were loads of these huge and beautiful paintings signed by an artist called Garcia Gutierrez. I'm still trying to find out who this is but all of the paintings are stunning. A sort of quirky mix of traditional Moroccan life with a modern, vibrant twist. If anyone knows who this artist is, please tell me

Again, I haven't the foggiest who did these (I imagine one of the chefs) but different food sculptures were displayed in the hotel restaurant every evening and they were a visually edible delight to see!

A Lovely and Eventful May Weekend

Well, what a weekend!! After my stressful time trying to un-delete my blog, I went to the cinema to see The Lucky One with my best bud. What a lovely, lovely film... and Zac Efron is just... mmmmmm! However, I am yet to see or read a Nicholas Sparkes film/book where someone doesn't die...So if anyone can recommend one where that doesn't happen, I want to read it!!

It's definately one to add to my DVD collection but the highlight of the film wasn't the shower scene with Efron but the experience of the poor boy three seats away. For some reason ( I can't think of one) the wee Goosberry had come to the cinema with his friend/sister/cousin and her boyfriend who snogged constantly throughout the film whilst the poor boy hid his head in his hood trying to make it all go away! On one side he had Efron doing his thing and the other, loves young dream. What could he do but hide, bless him!!! I've never seen someone leave a cinema as quick as he did as soon as the credits started to roll!

Now this is going to sound really old and boring and whilst I don't mind PDA's, I would have thought that if you are going to go to the cinema and pay nearly £10 plus nibbles for the privaledge, at least actually watch the film!!! Haha I sound like my Nan!

Now Sunday was another kettle of fish altogether! I took my Dad to Bruges in Belguim for the day (birthday treat) and it was grand, apart from having to get up at 5! It's a really beautiful city and I definately recommend a trip, even if it's only for 4 hours! We had frites and a bratwurst in the square and wondered around all the beautiful chocolate shops. People were putting up fences and we didn't know what for but then there was a huge cheer and it was the Bruges Marathon! You don't see one of them every day! And, the clean up afterwards was so quick it was amazing! All the runner's cups and bottles were picked up in seconds and within 5mins you wouldn't have known there had been a marathon at all!

Now another recommendation is the Salvador Dali Gallery in the square- he's an artist I've always found very interesting and intriguing.

And very, very odd.

Maybe that's why I like his stuff! My favourite pieces were the Three Elephants (elephants with long spidery legs, carrying strange objects) and his images combining photos with other mediums but (annoyingly) I don't know what they are called. Not overly fond of the strange squiggly stuff  but Alice in Wonderland and Dante's Inferno are also must-see pieces!

Never, ever accidently delete your blog!!!

I've been a terrible blogger and seeing as I hadn't done anything on it since last August, I thought perhaps I could suspend my blog for a wee while, re-jiggle it around, have a total re-furb and make it go alive again...

TERRIBLE IDEA!!!!

Now I decided this after a long and stressful day at work, at about 10pm and I thought it would be ok. Nope! I accidently deleted my entire account and then had to send a long description to Google so they would know it was me and not a hacker to see if they could un-delete it! I could have cried!! Thank goodness for the lovely lovely people at Google!!

THANK YOU GOOGLE!!!!

So, don't try it. Ever.

Not much going on at the moment!

Well it's been a month since my last post but alas, not much is going on in Abbieland! Been working hard at my new job and basically thats it for the moment. Have been thinking about what I want to do next with my career though and I think it may involve cake!!

WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

A nifty little cool thing!

I've been seeing these things all over the place and have only just discovered what they are! So now I have my own one for you to save and keep so you can check up on what I'm up to!

I'm sure I can see a cat and a squirrel in amongst the squiggles! Let me know if you see anything else in it!

Photos from my visit to our stand at NEW BLOOD 2011!!!

My final image from Frankenstein on display!

NEW BLOOD 2011!!!

UCA ILLUSTRATION WILL BE EXHIBITING AT D&AD'S NEW BLOOD, 1ST-4TH JULY 2011

@ OLD TRUMAN BREWERY, LONDON!!

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE SHOW: http://ucaillustration2011.wordpress.com/

and for information about visiting, go to here!

http://www.dandad.org/talent/new-blood

NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

Private view- "This is a vintage year for UCA Illustration"

...According to a man who I think was the Dean! The Private View was a real success and loads of people turned up to it!! We had a lot of really positive responses to our work and it was also a rare chance to see all the other course's work as well! I especially LOVED Dizzy Pragnell's work using food in printmaking! Check out her lovely prints at- http://dizzypragnell.blogspot.com!


As for what I'm up to now uni has finished (with a high 2.1 I might add!!!), I'm now working full time as a "Creative Administrator" for a company where I sort out the website, marketing and advertising! Of course I still intend to work on my own projects and who knows what might be around the corner commissionwise!!

Final Degree Show

COME AND SEE SOME WORK FROM UCA'S MOST UP AND COMING DESIGNERS IN THEIR FINAL DEGREE SHOW!

Tuesday 14th June 2011

From 6pm 

UCA Maidstone, Oakwood Park, Maidstone, Kent
ME16 8AG

The End of an Era

It's been just over a week since I handed in my Final Major Project and (unofficially) my uni life is over! It's a bittersweet feeling- sad because everyone will be going their seperate ways but exciting too for what is to come in the future! Here are a few more images from my final project; Frankenstein:

 

Spoilers!!

Here is one of my final images for Frankenstein, all of which are made with layered paper cut-outs. Deadline is on Tuesday- eeeeeek!!

 

Copyright of Abigayle de Young 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Jack Draws Anything!

I've just seen this little guy's campaign to raise money for the Sick Kids Hospital in Edingburgh who help look after his little brother! At 6 years old, Jack's little drawing commissions have raised nearly £15,000 for the hospital! Well done Jack!!!

This is one talented little boy- my favourite of his pictures are of the Royal Wedding and of The Silence in Doctor Who! To check out more of his commissions or to donate visit;

http://jackdrawsanything.com/

The Rime of The Ancient Mariner

Uni competition to produce one image (made using printmaking) for a specific part of the poem. I chose to use lino cutting and then hand painted the colour with acrylic inks. This is my entry for it:

"The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,

Merrily did we drop

Below the kirk, below the hill,

Below the lighthouse top.

The sun came up upon the left,

Out of the sea came he!

And he shone bright, and on the right

Went down into the sea.

Higher and higher every day,

Till over the mast at noon -"

The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,

For he heard the loud bassoon.

The bride hath paced into the hall,

Red as a rose is she;

Nodding their heads before her goes

The merry minstrelsy.

The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,

Yet he cannot choose but hear;

And thus spake on that ancient man,

The bright-eyed Mariner."

Penguin Award submission

This is my submission for the Penguin/ Puffin Children's Award for James and the Giant Peach:

Experiments

Frankenstein proposes to Elizabeth in Geneva

Frankenstein meets the monster in the mountains (don't like the moustache beard thing!)

I'm thinking of doing cut-outs again but with backgrounds and maybe then screen printed... we shall see how it goes!

Some of my recent project doodles

Here are some of my recent doodles for the Frankenstein project. I took photos of them rather than scanning them in so they aren't the best quality but it gives you an idea! I've been looking at anatomy, victorian costume and the figure.