QR scan and other thoughts

So I'm heading into the modern age! At the minute trying to sort out my business cards. The previous ones need a good updating.

Anyway, I thought it be a good idea to have one of these beauties as we live in the modern age, adorning my cards. It links to my main website. Lets hope that once it's all professionally printed it'll work. I saw how one of my friend's cards came out from moo.com, they looked superb, so I think I'm going to use the same company. Plus if I sign up now, free delivery on orders over £20 over the next 30 days... splendid!

Also I've been thinking that quirky illustrations accompanied by small sayings often work well, you know... 'an apple a day' with an apple drawing, that sort of thing. Simple ones with positive messages because really, everyone likes a bit of a happy thought don't they?

However I think my ones would include not so typical phrases, more so the odd ones that come into my mind on an every day basis. Perhaps for a future project i'll be making works relating to 'treat every day like a saturday'. Which is what I do really, my life is great, I sit around drawing all day, cycle about a bit, do the shopping, do some reading, type some stuff up and see my glorious friends. This was my routine even before my degree, it'll be so sad when it's all over. 

Another line spoken, (whilst stuffing my face with cheese) 'Am I just going to eat cheese all day? *as she pops the cheddar into her mouth* flip yes!' I know these lines aren't all that inspiring, but accompanied with drawings they could be something powerful, nay.. magnificent! Just work with me on this one.

I'm such a foodie, my friends turned up at my door today (with a box of chocolates because I haven't been too well... who does that? My friends.. I love them, amazing) and I promptly invite them in to eat a chilli con carne I've just made, only to have them remark at how much they love that I'm dripping in beef juice... it was in fact splattered con carne juice, but beef juice sounded much more dramatic so I suppose that's why they said it. I just get these urges to cook, had they not shown up I would have promptly begun on some cake or biscuit bake... anyway, the point I want to make here is... I should draw what I love, I should draw more food, or about food anyway. And so heres a little pitch of one of my friends who's an illustrator who does some beautiful food illustrations Becca Corney. Check her out. 

The great Adventure of Edwardo - Completed book

So I completed my wordless narrative, quite a funny sweet story... the moral probably being 'don't over do it'. Edwardo is an Owl with a lot of determination, but perhaps sometimes he takes on a bit too much...

If you would like to purchase a copy they cost £12.50 for a 24 page book. Please see my etsy shop : https://www.etsy.com/listing/130581886/the-great-adventure-of-edwardo-the-owl. Or if you would rather pay via paypal or bank transfer please email: hello@katiemacon.com

The Nothing Fish - Initial drawings

My latest narrative is about a fish who feels that he just doesn't belong in the coral reef. 

Illustration silent auction

to help raise funds for out final degree show illustration students today are holding a silent auction. With a vast array of impressive pieces showcasing the great talent of the illustration course at AUB.  Ive been mulling around since 2 setting up with many other very proactive students. Heres a very sneeky insight shots.

My Name is Barry - revised back covers

Just adding extra details. A few variations

The Nothing Fish

So I'm writing a new kids book, however with this one I think I'm going to make an alternate ending.. because sometimes I'm a bit bitter like that! Here's the rough narrative for the happy ending. This book is going to give me awesome opportunities to draw so many cool fish and beautiful reef scenery... prepare yourself for some colour! And hopefully accompanying fish shaped cushions. Here's one of 'the nothing fish' I've made already.  Dreading making a sea horse!

The Nothing Fish (happy ending)

In the depths of the ocean, deep in the coral reef, lived the nothing fish.

There was no fish quite like him.

He was green and round, he had never seen another fish like that!

Every other fish seemed to have someone like them, every other fish was a something.

But not the nothing fish.

He wasn’t curly like a sea horse

He wasn’t long like an eel,

He didn’t have big sharp teeth like a shark

Or stripes like the tiger fish

He didn’t expand like a porcupine fish

And he certainly wasn’t pointy like a star fish

He wasn’t gooey like a jelly fish

And he wasn’t flat like a sting ray.

He was the only ‘nothing fish’

He didn’t seem to be anything….

The nothing fish felt so lonely. He looked around at all the fish in the reef, they all had family, they all looked like someone... but not the nothing fish, there was no one like him.

He stared into the depths of the reef, feeling very sad indeed! Then he had a harder look at the reef, at the coral, and the shells, it was beautiful. The reef was wonderful, even though each plant was so different…. That’s what made it so special.

“So what about me?” thought the nothing fish… “Perhaps because I’m different… that’s what makes me special too!”

I don’t think I’m a ‘nothing fish’ anymore, I’m more of a ‘something’ fish, unique and special… in my own way” And with that new perspective, he didn’t feel so lonely anymore. 
THE END

Alternate ending: 

He stared into the depths of the reef, feeling very sad indeed!

I will forever be alone… sighed the fish.

He didn’t want to be reminded of how all the other fish were so contented with their families, whilst he had none… so he swam off into the depths of the ocean, leaving behind the reef, never to be seen again.

 THE END

And just to be sure there are no actual fish that look like the nothing fish (though knowing the natural world with its wonderful weird and whacky creatures there probably is something like it but currently undiscovered) I've been researching green fish.... the only green fish at the minute I can find look nothing like 'the nothing fish' so I'm feeling pretty safe... for now...

The Great adventure of Edwardo, further art work

A continuation of my previous post: HERE

So the back up plan for me if I failed at life was to have a cake shop... which has therefore inspired this narrative.

I have a thing for birds and cake.... so this just had to happen really.

Anyway, my book only had 22 pages and I needed an amount divisible by 4 so I have reworked my shop front drawing into a double page spread and will have an introductory page featuring the other drawing below. Hope you like!

And this one.. just a little head shot doodle for kicks. 

My Name is Barry - The Lion Road EP

So I've been creating a few album cover samples for my chum Barry. I'm liking the writing but perhaps the lions a bit too children book like... so I'm going to churn out a few variations.

Check out Barry's facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/mynameisbarrymusic

 To see the previous cover I've done for him see: http://katiemacon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/my-name-is-barry-tigerlily-ep.html 

Laura Hoffman

Been checking out a few illustrators, came across Laura Hoffman, she does some very interesting stuff, though the first image I found of her's I loved.. (seen below) but everything else seems very different stylistically... I was looking for something similar on her website but alas, perhaps I just need to look harder. However what I did find was still good so give it a looksie!

Illustration by Laura Hoffman

I found this drawing interesting because you can see the materials. I love inky work myself so this sort of colourful work with quirky characters appeals to me. Also, I, like Laura have owned a Daschund... coincidence? I think not!

Finally in physical form, a completed book!!

The Boy Without Wings final book! Always nice to see illustration in a physical final form. So here's a few shots of the completed work, obviously not every page.... 

 If you would like to purchase a copy (£15) please email : hello@katiemacon.com. I accept bank transfers and paypal. 

Exhibition Visit - words and pictures

My work is currently being exhibited at the BIC. CLICK HERE for exhibition details. 

So my very first customer from this exhibition, the lovely Cornelia, purchased my first book! I would like to re-design the cover but for now this does the trick. 

A series of illustrations from the book were displayed on the wall... I actually really liked the display, the drawings look rather nice together! Thank you to Louis Vinet and his team for their curation. They've done a really good job. 

And we even got a story time session in, narrated by Josh Brooks. 

Tari and Louis, founders of the Egg Den and organisers of the exhibition. 

It was a really interesting experience seeing the great variety of illustration and storytelling up there, if you get a chance go have a peek! The exhibition is in the right hand side lounge area upstairs from the main entrance. 

If you would like to purchase your own copy of 'The Boy Without Wings' (£15.00) please email hello@katiemacon.com. I accept bank transfers and also paypal. 

The Great Adventure of Edwardo

I wanted to upload this as a zine to issuu but it's 6MB too large!

This is a wordless narrative I've been making over the last week, fairly crude drawings, but cute!