Silent Voices

Michael Collins gave a voice to inanimate objects throughout the town. If doors, bins and flowers could speak the world would, indeed, have turned upside-down.

These stickers were printed at Links Printers. They're quite cheap: approximately £25 for 1300mm x 1000mm. They can be cut in whatever shape you choose.

Tuition Fee Protest

The increase in student fees, it could be argued, will turn many people's world upside down. At least this was Andrew Youthed's interpretation of the Art Trail brief. He chose to use a gritty urban style which would contrast with the cosy semi rural Battle. His proposal was such a contrast to others that it stood out and just had to be selected.

He produced a very large poster; it was about 1500mm in height. It was posted on a beautiful brick wall looking over fields. In addition, he had printed lots of smaller stickers which were stuck in various places over the town.

Interestingly it was favored by the local Tory MP and was removed by someone unknown. It's difficult to predict people's response....

Urban Fairies

Rowena O'Reilly turned the convention of a fairy on its head as her response to the Battle Arts Trail theme of 'The World Turned Upside Down'. Rather than charming delightful creatures Rowena's 'Urban Fairies' are more dark and mischievous. They created an impressive swarm.

She made two hundred of these fairies from wire, refuse sacks and copies of the Financial Times. They were purposely sited on the skateboard ramp. Now you can see them exhibited in college.

Becky Mann's Dot to Dot

Becky Mann produced a Dot to Dot 0f the Bayeaux Tapestry as her contribution to the arts trail. Her paintings marked the way along a narrow path which runs parallel to the High Street and which leads to the local primary school, Battle and Langton. Becky worked as Artist-in Residence at the school producing two larger dot to dot pieces. The school children completed the dot to dot ... in rather faster time than Becky had envisaged!

When Becky had an idea for developing the monster colouring book which she has posted about earlier on this blog it was to her newly found contacts at Battle and Langton she turned. Again she worked with the school, interviewing schoolchildren to learn about 'their monster'. She will be returning soon with the colouring books and ideas for large monster stickers for their classroom display.

Becky is interested in working in schools more in the future. This work experience has not only built up experience but contacts and with a bit more resourcefulness will no doubt result in further projects.

To see more of Becky's work take a look at her blog

http://beckymann-illustrator.blogspot.com/

Battle Arts Trail

The Battle Arts Trail took place last September with a number of students from the FdA Illustration course taking part. The theme of the trail was 'The World Turned Upside Down". The idea was that for one week only this medieval market town would be transformed in a variety of ways; ways which were playful and quirky, which invited the people who live there as well as visitors to see the environment in a fresh and new way, to perhaps notice things that they hadn't done before.

It was organised by Battle Arts whose aim is to promote the arts. Approximately £25,000, including a £9300 Arts Council grant, was raised to support the event. Armed with all this cash and good will professional artists were commissioned, community groups were supported in making artworks, Radiator Arts ( of which Peter Quinnell is a member) worked in two primary schools and a secondary school to create artworks for the town and students were supported in making their artworks.

Becky Mann, Rowena O'Reilly, Michael Collins, Andrew Youthed and Alice Larkin were all supported in making artworks. This formed a major part of their work experience which is a key part of the course in year 2. Working on the trail meant that they had to develop a proposal, be flexible about how they realised it within the context of the trail, be highly professional in the way thir work was realised and liase with members of Battle Arts.

Illustrators can work in a variety of ways and working on public arts events can be an important way of exhibiting your work and advertising your abilities. It can be funded through the local council's arts development officers but also through the Ats Council. There are also other funding bodies such as the Co-Op or even local businesses. It is an opportunity and it can be a rewarding one. To see more about the trail and about Battle Arts
http://battlearts.co.uk/

The Colouring Book of Imaginary Friends

I have recently created, 'The Colouring Book of Imaginary Friends' which is currently on display just inside the main entrance to the college. Feel free to take a look! 

As some advice for the first year students in Illustration looking for work experience, if you are at all interested in working with children or illustrating for children, do visit a local primary school and ask to create an art workshop with some children that will help to feed your own work. You will be surprised as to how enthusiastic primary schools are! Children love being creative and it is a real insight to how they see and think. I would never have come up with the illustrations I did for this book if it weren't for working directly with children. Do make sure you get a CRB check if you are to work in the same school for 3 consecutive days. Otherwise enjoy it and have fun!

Rebecca Louise, Fda Illustration, Year 2

Penguin Design Award 2012

Design a Penguin adult or Puffin children's cover and you could win yourself a placement within the Penguin or Puffin studio as well as £1000 prize money!


To find out more:

http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/penguindesignaward/index.php