Relentless: No Half Measures

'The student essential'.

I hate the stuff (and Red Bull) but some people depend on it to keep them awake (Mr Ribeiro!)

The 'Final Major Project' of my first year (OMG it has gone so fast!) of my BTEC course is to design a Relentless can image. Everyone in my class has been given an art movement of the past to influence our design and I have got: Die Brucke - German Expressionism.

The movement is inspired by primitivism (african art forms) and the artists used Woodcut mostly as the method of printing. They were also said to have invented Linocut printing (which I am having a go with)!

I have been looking at work by Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Fritz Bleyl and Max Pechstein mostly and really, I am most interested by the woodcut work because of the black and white contrasts which make it striking.



Ideas circulating in my mind at the moment include:

• Extreme sports (inspired by Mr. Skinner)
• Superwoman/girl - because... why is Relentless only aimed at boys? Girls need energy too, for shopping!? haha
• African art masks - I have seen pictures of some interesting designs

As I said, I am having a go with some linocutting (a Die Brucke invention!) to create the main logo because a computer generated typeface just won't do the job! And also because I do like to add some kind of handmade element to my projects!

I have a new found respect for linocut artists because I'm finding it quite hard to keep the same amount of pressure on the blade and so my lino has about 20 different levels! Practice makes perfect I guess!

But I probably couldn't have taken this on at a worse time because I am so behind as it is already... the deadline for this project is 10th June! It would seem I just like to make things hard for myself :( I don't want to have to rush things but I don't want to miss the deadline obviously! I blame the Greek! haha

I also have to write an essay on this movement, which I don't think I've ever properly been taught to do(I always seem to get through by waffle?), could be interesting! Hah... at least I know not to copy Wikipedia, unlike some people *cough* Tom *cough* :)

As me and Tom say... 'We always seem to get it done in time, somehow!' and hopefully it will be the same story as usual. Maybe this time I will have the aid of Relentless... and a peg to get rid of the horrible taste. Or maybe I will just stick with good ol' coffee!?


UPDATE 10.06.09


I handed everything innnnnnnnnnn! Woop! I managed to finish (not quite on time, 2 hours late but I was staying to help out so Mr. Skinner was kind enough to let me work until then)



This is NOT the finished can... this is my first attempt at warping though. I decided this was too white so...


... added some black. It looks ok I guess?
Oh, I just had a look close up and this isn't the final either because I warped the end of the last S so that it was diagonal a bit... if you get what I mean? hah

Ahoy Matey!

It has been a busy week; so busy that I haven't had time to blog really :( AND also because I couldn't get on here - computer problems. But it's fixed now, and I have been told that I don't write enough about myself on here (even though it is basically for my work) so I'm gonna tell you a bit about the week I spent on a Cruise ship!

I went away with my grandparents, Mum and sister aboard a cruise ship that visited some Greek Islands, Greece coast and Turkey - we had a great time! The weather was gorgeous :) Not too hot, but hotter than here (doesn't take a lot though really does it? hah)

I've got a bit of a tan but not too much... I'm not a sun worshipper because I usually get burnt the first day and then spend the rest of the holiday out of the sun so I took it easy this time. But I must confess to having a bit of a sunbathing session the last couple of days because I didn't want to come back white haha!

I'd never been on a cruise before; the closest thing to a ship I had been on is a Ferry from Dover to Calais and I HATED it haha But my Nan and Grandad had been on 3 cruises already and convinced me that it was going to be good. I know what you're thinking... 'Cruises are for oldies'. Well, yes the majority of passengers were over 50 BUT it had its advantages being the only young-uns on the ship ;)

Me and my sister caused QUITE a stir amongst the staff... we got royal treatment(you know when the Queen is walking into a room and everyone stands in lines at the sides? Yep, everynight at the restaurant!), made some of the waitors giggle like teenage girls, and also got a bit freaked out that all the staff knew our room number :S

Friday 15th May 2009 - Luton, England

We flew to Kerkyra airport, Corfu which is a Greek Island! The sky was b-e-a-utiful :)

I've always wanted to a decent picture of the view from in an aeroplane :)

Saturday 16th May 2009 - Day at sea

There was nothing for miles - it was a bit scary haha

In the morning we went to the lifeboat drill... and we attempted to make lifejackets look cool....

Hmn. What do you think? 2009's Autumn/Winter trend? hah



There was plently of time for some posing... and getting lost on the ship. There were 9 decks and so plently to explore.



This is a mirror pic from the night of the Captain's Cocktail Party. There was a bit of a joke about this with my Nan. She always gets lost (gets in the lift and ends up on a completely different floor to where she wants to be) and on a previous cruise she was lost and asked a lady where she was. The woman replied: 'I haven't got time to talk to you; I'm off to the Captain's Ball.' Haha :) My Nan was not impressed! She is such a laugh.

Sunday 17th May 2009 - Aghios Nickolaos, Crete

A bit of posing on some steps that looked pretty. Later on we found this exact place on a postcard! Maybe I have a future in location scouting?

I was having a bit of trouble with the hand sanitiser machines... they didn't like me!

Monday 18th May 2009 - Kusadasi, Turkey

We went on an excursion to see The 'Virgin Mary's' House and Ephesus.





I kept my Graphic Designer eye open and spotted this small remains of writing in the Library at Ephesus.



I love their honesty :)

However, I'm not such a fan of their annoying selling techniques. No one wants to be hounded about buying Turkish Delight! Why don't you just leave people alone!? I got called rude because I half shouted no at one man (who asked me to buy his heart haha)

Tuesday 19th May 2009 - Thira, Santorini

Next stop was the small island of Santorini, famous for its picturesque views of white houses with a blue mosque roof. It's also quite famous for its Donkey rides... but that's cruel so we took the cable car...

... not on the way down though. We thought we would save our money (the cable car was 4 Euros each way!!! Rip off or what!?) and walk back to the port; bad move. You can see that zig-zag path on the photo? Well it was hell to walk down. The floor was made of marble slabs and they had been worn down so were slippery and very steep. There was donkey poo everywhere.. and donkeys coming up and down too, slightly chaotic. And it took actually FOREVER!

Back on ship we relaxed near the pool for a bit before they did an ice sculpture demonstration (can you spot me top left hand of the picture?)



I got to try some different cocktails in the evenings and am now addicted to Pina Coladas! They are tropical heaven :) Cosmopolitans are nice too...

On the ship they have a night where they prepare a 'Magnifique Buffet' (loving the use of French!) which is a buffet arranged in different shapes e.g. animals.

It was 11.30pm BUT we had to try the pineapple rings dipped in chocolate :) mmm and also have a few pictures with our fave waitors, Erickson and Jodel. Jodel even sang for us - Sean Kingston, Beautiful Girl!

Wednesday 20th May 2009 - Piraeus, Greece (Near to Athens) and Thursday 21st May 2009 - Katakolon, Greece

These two days we didn't really do much apart from a bit of shopping and sunbathing. If I'm honest, I was absolutely knackered by this point. We had been getting up at 7am and going to bed at 1am everyday and even though I usually do this at home, we was always on the go!

Friday 22nd May 2009 - Corfu and Flight home

We lazed about on the ship until the evening when it was back to Kerkyra Airport and back to England!

One thing I must say is... I love England. Being abroad just reminded me of how lucky we are to live in a nice clean, modern society with technology at our finger tips... and good shopping centres. I never understand the organisation of foreign shops, and they have naff fashion too lol

But all in all... I had such a great time. I was even too busy to miss college (when I went to Portugal with the ex I just wanted to be at college the whole time)! I would deffinitely go on another cruise!

Old Website Animations

I just logged onto my old Photobucket account (online image storage website) and found some 'buttons' from when I used to run my own mini fansite (this is back in the days of the Busted and McFly phase, so we're talking... 6 years ago maybe?)

I think they are pretty good (all have transparent backgrounds :P ) and just thought I would share them on here...

... impressed much? 'Cos I am haha I can't remember how I did them!

The Shoe Challenge

Have you ever heard of the saying 'A girl can never have too many pairs of shoes'?

My current total of shoes is at about... 30 - including boots ( I just counted and I am actually quite shocked now!!!!)

So I prove my point that girls just love shoes. Well I love shoes (more than I thought) SO much that a couple of months ago I started cutting out pictures of shoes from magazines. The plan is to make the biggest collage of shoes possible!!!!! and since I'm putting so much effort in I will probably put it on my wall at uni (so I've got a year to complete it haha)

This is my own mini project, not only to prove that I have a life outside of college, but also because it's something I want to do.... because I love shoes :)

I've spent quite a few hours so far finding, selecting (I don't want any ugly shoes in it haha) and cutting out shoes and have collected a fair few...

... but still have a way to go yet!

Any donations of shoe pictures of any label, size and colour will be very much appreciated :) and hopefully I will be able to fill an A1 sheet at least :)

Wizard Time

Due to the recent recession, my Dad has been out of work for a couple of months now, but has just started up his own gardening business.

He has named his business (ignoring everyone in my family's constant mickey taking) 'Wizards of Wisbech'. Laugh NOW. I know. I know. I hope he gets people ring him up trying to book him for a child's party (though, that is NOT an invitation for you to do it haha)

He has asked/paid me to design the logo, some leaflets and a business card and I will also probably be helping him out with his website too.

I wouldn't say I like the work I've done, but thought I should record it on the blog so that I can look back to now in a couple of years and hopefully laugh... or cry haha

Oh, before you see them... I didn't like the idea of using a wizard for the logo. I designed 8 ideas which were more garden themed (leaves etc) and presented them to my Dad and he wanted tacky and a wizard, so that is what he got! He seems happy enough with it anyway...

Above, the logo

Below, the poster/leaflet

All I can say is... I'm getting paid and it wasn't worth the hassle to just refuse to do it for him!

Ice: Twice As Nice In Letterform

This is in relation to Typeface by Tasha, however I decided to give it a post of its own :)

This afternoon it was kind of sunny so... any excuse for an ice lolly or two :)


(It turned out that it wasn't really all that sunny OR warm so hoody was a must and my excuse for my facial expression is that the lolly was lemon flavoured and a bit sour!)

After experimenting with the wax letters (which are photoshopping quite well so far!) and going to the trouble of making all the molds, I thought it would be nice to make some actual ice lollies!

My mum pointed 2 things out:
1. I was filling her freezer up with some dirty, smelly (the mold stuff stinks), weird things and she didn't like it
and 2. they would melt - she's really observant if you hadn't guessed :)

But I think that half of the beauty/fun of doing the ice version was so see them melt...who agrees? Type is usually something permenant and so the limited time of the ice lolly existance makes it special, or so I think.




I think it's really nice how the light shines through the translucent parts where the food colouring isn't so strong :)

After messing about with them for a while I left them to melt on the grass...



... 30 mins later ...



.... 1 hour 30 mins later...



...Too late! haha :(

O.k. so I kinda forgot about them, Ooops!
I think my dog might have ate the C (he had been eyeing it up all afternoon) and the S still remains! I will pay more attention tomorrow when I do the other letters!

Whilst I had been waiting for the letters to melt I took some pictures of the wax letters on the grass because I think it makes a nice 'scene' - I think it makes it look as if a little girl has dropped them on the floor and left it to melt. I can just imagine the tantrum now... stomping of the feet took place for sure! :)





My lollies are obviously just SO great, even my dog Dylan wanted to get involved :)


UPDATE 10.05.09 - DAY/ATTEMPT TWO :)

I cleared more room in my freezer so I could try and do all my letters at once today!

It was a lot sunnier and warmer than yesterday :) ...

Mmmm red, tasty lollies :)

Oh, the S and the C are hollow because I put the other letters in my freezer overnight and then decided to re-do them also. I under-estimated how solid they were and so when I was taking them out of the mold, they cracked and all the liquid came out.



BUT I think the S looks really nice because the front was missing from the middle section and so you can see inside :)



The melting! (Click to enlarge it and see the whole thing)
It took 1 hour 30 mins today because it was a lot warmer :)



Above and below, comparisson between the wax and the real ice lollies



:)

UPDATE 14.05.09

Finito! I have edited all my letters and handed in my work (a week early!) before I go on holiday tomorrow...

P is for Passed :)

FINALLY! Haha