melancholia

Found a load of old uni work the other day and these monoprints were in there. Apparently I was very sad then.

The end is nigh …

Prepping for my final assessment and the University of Plymouth Degree Show. The work I displayed consisted of my major project, the exploration of people’s book collections, that has been driving me wild with passion/mad with frustration (delete as appropriate) for the last five months. The private view was a great night with a huge turnout and the show is still up for the next week, so if you’re in Plymouth you know where to go …

Books. Again. But this time collaged

It’s been a while, but I’ve finally got around to uploading some images of my ongoing project. Despite the fiddly cutting out and hunting for words, I’ve been lured back to collage!

Books, books and more books

Christ, it’s been a while hasn’t it. This book project has been my life for the last few months so I thought it was only appropriate to show a little of what I’ve been doing. Also – this weekend is the Mother’s Day Made-it Market which I’m highly excited about, I’ve been producing some screenprints and cards as per usual, with a sentimental Mother’s Day feel … n’awwww.

Books and other things

Aach! My brain is slowly melting from the amount of tiny, indecipherable text I’ve been trying to copy from book spines, from photos taken at poor quality in failing light … I am in the process of building up a collection of portraits of people based solely on their bookshelves. I won’t say much more than that at the moment! The first image is Joe‘s art book collection, the second is my friend Abi’s, and the third is a small portion of my Grandpa’s extensive horde of photo albums …

PS. My new website, www.nicfarrell.com, is now up and (almost) running! In time I will be focusing more on that, and using this blog just for the odd update, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a while in the making …

PPS. As of today I am now a Twitterer! God knows how you work the damn thing, but if you do want to know what I’m up to and don’t mind numerous spelling mistakes as a result of me punching the keyboard in frustration, I am farrell_nic …

Happy Valentine’s Day

Love at first sight, or ‘coup de foudre’ in French … literally meaning to be struck by a lightning bolt. Aah!

Whale Festival

Big collaborative window painting for University of Plymouth’s Dominion festival – concerning whales and contemporary music, naturally. I was responsible for the text … and a few distorted whales.

Collections

I’ve been thinking about things I love recently (in no particular order: narwhals, thermal leggings, bearded men, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding), and what could be better than compiling all of these into my final university project? I’m thinking along the lines of a book containing illustrated lists (another OCD passion of mine), or favourite quotations, or perhaps just favourite things. Possibly a nonsensical rule book on how to live your life. Hmm … I’ll let you know. In the meantime, here’s what little I’ve done so far.

Ooh, Barry

New Travelogue …

So as I’ve mentioned before, my summer has consisted of two months of travelling in America and Canada. Along the way I was drawing, obviously, and focusing on letterform of all shapes and sizes. The result of these travel sketchbooks is this, my first foray into zines … A quite nice little book featuring drawings and collected ephemera from the journey. I’ve made three basic variations, and hopefully with more time and resources (and good feedback) I’ll be printing some more in the future.

Editions

Eight collage pieces featuring lyrics and lots and lots of found objects – banknotes, book pages, Jehovah’s Witness literature, tax discs, maps, stamps. And of course some typography and decorative stuff in Indian ink. Exhibition in Forty-Five is starting on May 25th (poster to follow) and these will be adorning their walls, for about £27 each I think.

Papercut

Oldy Foldy

Have you got a minute?

So when you’re minding your own business meandering along the street, fighting off the hobos and Greenpeace campaigners outside Drake Circus, I bet you often find yourself saying ‘no’ all too regularly. How about if the next time somebody asks you if you could fill in a questionnaire, or whether you’d like a Big Issue, you say … yes? Sounds mental huh. These images are part of a screenprint spelling out ‘Have you got a minute?’ in time-based lettering, for a series of promotional posters for the (imaginary) self-help group The Cult of Yes. Have you got a minute? Why, yes, I think I do.