Rod Berg Creative promo, Frank Espinoza

New York-based Rod Berg brings us the first of a series of posts on careers advice and interviews with up and coming creatives. Rod is a professional visual arts career coach and also has worked since 2003 as Associate Director of Career Services at Parsons The New School for Design.

Rod recently had the pleasure of teaming up with Frank Espinoza, an amazing conceptual illustrator and artist, with expertise in comics, graphic novels and animation. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Frank is a rising star in the industry and recently completed a wonderful comic strip promo for Rod’s consultancy.

Regenesys™ , Frank Espinoza

Rod Berg: How did you start your career as an illustrator and comic book artist?

Frank Espinoza: I started my career as an illustrator at the end of my sophomore (second) year at Parsons School of Design. I did freelance work as a character designer for a small independent 3-D animation studio. As a comic book artist, in mid 2010, I started my business, The Art of Frank, Inc. and I’m currently self-publishing my original comic book entitled, Regenesys™

RB: What advise would you give to a young illustrator with a passion for drawing and an interest in starting a career as a comic book artist?

FE: Two things, first, find a way to support yourself financially through a stable full or part-time job, design field or not. Second, any waking minute you’re not working at your ‘day job’ use it to produce your comic book! Comics take a great deal of time, effort and money invested to create and market but its all a matter of establishing your name and growing a following for your books.

RB: What didn’t you learn at art school that you wish you had?

FE: I wish I had learnt more of the business side of illustration. Specifically: Breaking-even, making a profit, minor bookkeeping and pricing your particular services. I had to learn the above by taking an additional business course outside of college, attending seminars, paying lawyers and most of all through trial and error.

RB: What projects are you currently working on?

FE: Regenesys™ my first graphic novel series. I am currently creating all the artwork and writing it with co-author Leah Gahagan for an April 2012 release. We’ll have it sold at a few comic book stores and at our booth at New York Comic Con 2012 in October.

Babylon, Silly-mander, Frank Espinoza

FE: In this difficult economy, Passion and more importantly Patience is crucial to your success. Work the day job just to survive but pursue your goal after work and make sure you make it a reality! Get educated, organized and most of all DO IT!

War, Pulling on heartstrings, Frank Espinoza

Image credits: ©Frank Espinoza

More information on Rod Berg Creative

Rod Berg is Design industry professional and educator with 15+ years international experience in visual arts, in the realm of academia, creative recruitment, consultation and mentorship. He is a professional visual arts career coach and specialises in advising and mentoring creatives to help them best understand how to market, position and brand themselves for career success. Rod is based in New York City.

Alongside Rod’s coaching he has worked at the world renowned Parsons The New School for Design, since 2003, as the Associate Director of Career Services, where he is the bridge between creative talent and the international design industry. His knowledge and network covers a broad industry spectrum, including; print, web, multimedia, broadcast, UX, animation, motion, illustration, product, photography and interior design. He works with a vast variety of industry leaders across the board from Apple to Walt Disney.

Camilla Barnard

ARTS THREAD and Designersblock teamed up once again to bring you some of the best and brightest emerging design talents, this time at Interiors UK, Birmingham. From our Call for Entries, we selected six unique creatives from the realms of illustration, ceramics, product design and textiles.

University of Brighton 3D Materials Practice BA (Hons) graduate Camilla Barnard was there, displaying her three dimensional illustrations. Using wood, Camilla recreates everyday objects such as telephones, pencils and screwdrivers, all to surprisingly life-like effect.

Camilla explains: ‘I made the objects to trick my classmates. When they were looking for tools I would trick them into picking up the wrong ones. It will annoy them at first but I think it also makes them really appreciate the real thing once they have it.’

Catherine Frere-Smith

Catherine Frere-Smith also joined us to showcase her beautiful prints for interiors and fashion design. The Chelsea College of Art & design graduate also showed her lovely Old Farmhouse collection of hand embroidered fabric birds.

Sarahjane Harrison/Holly Wilson

We were pleased to see so many visitors at the Designersblock Design Village were enjoying sitting on Sarahjane Harrison’s Urbanisation chairs. The Liverpool Hope University Design BSc graduate printed the upholstery with photographs of Liverpool which she took during her investigation into how Chinese culture has affected the city.

If you visited The Local pub in the Design Village then you would have spotted University of Worcester Illustration BA (Hons) graduate Holly Wilson’s brilliant owl illustrations. The incredible amount of detail which goes into Holly’s illustration really impressed us and visitors.

Karin Soderquist/Katy Jennings

Camberwell College of Arts graduate Karin Soderquist had several of her 3D illustrations dotted around the Village while Royal College of Art
Ceramics & Glass MA graduate Katy Jennings had a display full of her ornamental Knitwear Birds. The birds are purposefully chipped during production in order to give each one its own individual ‘personality’.

Camilla Barnard
Catherine Frere-Smith
Sarahjane Harrison
Holly Wilson
Karin Soderquist
Katy Jennings

Future Map 11, Selfridges

The University of the Arts London unveiled their Future Map 11 exhibition yesterday at the Zabludowicz Collection. The show features 30 of the most ‘cutting edge’ talent from the University’s 2011 graduates. ARTS THREAD takes a look at a handful of the best creatives on show.

In addition, Selfridges is showcasing seven designers from this year’s Future Map in a window display designed by StudioXAG and curated by the Future Map team.

Karin Soderquist, 'To the North Pole'

Camberwell College of Arts graduate Karin Soderquist will be showing her intricate laser cut 3D illustrations. Each illustration tells the story of two sisters who journey together to the North Pole. See Karin’s ARTS THREAD portfolio.

Karin says of her work: ‘The world I create is filled with bubblegum colours, snowy mountain tops and endless summer days. It may all seem nice and sweet but my work often have a darker side too, a bear wearing a hat is still a bear and it would have you for lunch if it could!’

Jon Anders Gulbrandsen is displaying his final project from the MA Graphic Design Communication course at Chelsea College of Art & Design. The project, an animation titled [uppruni] explores traditional Norse mythology and the way these folk tales ‘explain the world beyond what we can see, hear, touch and feel’. See Jon’s ARTS THREAD portfolio.

Alex Kwan, 'Endangered'

Graphic Designer Alex Kwan, who graduated from Central Saint Martins is showcasing his ‘Endangered’ project. The work features the image of a polar bear etched onto three separate pieces which are attached to the hands of a clock mechanism. As the images rotate, the bear is turned into a machine – highlighting the plight of the species and the way technology has a stranglehold on nature.

Chieh Ting Huang, 'The P Objects'

Camberwell College of Arts graduate Chieh Ting Huang is showing ‘The P Objects’ project which draws inspiration from lanterns of eastern and western cultures.

Chieh explains: ‘These objects also represent a homage to lighting and the taming of fire as the cornerstone of humanity, which can easily ignored by people in the modern world.’ See our review of Chieh’s gradaute show on the ARTS THREAD blog.

Wei Wang, 'Celadon Egg Shape Ceramic Evening Bag'

Traditional Chinese ceramics are turned into beautiful evening bags by London College of Fashion graduate Wei Wang, whom we featured in ARTS THREAD magazine Issue 4. To create the bags, Wei used a traditional Chinese crackle glaze: ‘The crackle pattern will continuously crack so that the ceramic displays new appearances at different periods. I like this idea very much. It would be like carrying an elegant bag that incorporates the glorious past with the present fashionable outlook.’

Jy Yeon Suh, 'Duvet Stalls'

A great project to look out for in the exhibition is the ‘Duvet Stalls’ project by Jy Yeon Suh – a series of flat-pack textiles that inflate to become stools and lamps. See Jy’s work as part of our review of Talking Textiles during Milan Design Week.

Iyvone Khoo, 'Liminality'

New ways of looking at everyday objects, activities and situation are explored in a video directed by Central Saint Martins MA Fine Art graduate Ivyone Khoo. See Ivyone’s ARTS THREAD portfolio.

Ivyone explains: ‘The positioning of the video cameras took on a ‘functional’ role in probing relationships between how we see and what we think we see. In these works the camera became my surrogate eyes.’

Jing Jing Cao, 'Memento Mori'

The beautiful ‘Memento Mori’ collection by Harold Hobbs Memorial Process Award winning jeweller Jing Jing Cao is another project to look out for.

Geoff Bartholomew, 'Postal Service'

Drawing inspiration from Neoclassical sculpture, early 17th century landscape painting and contemporary abstract art, Camberwell College of Arts graduate Geoff Bartholomew creates incredible photography.

Holly Stevenson, 'Swiss Roll'

A fascination with wrist watches has informed ‘Swiss Roll’, a project by Chelsea, MA Fine Art graduate Holly Stevenson.

Giovanni Martins, 'Manifesto'

‘Manifesto’ by Giovanni Martins is a wonderful dream-like fashion film which makes use of bullet time animation techniques.

Giovanni explains: ‘Inspired by Andre Bretons ‘Le Manifeste du surrealism’, written in 1924, it’s 5 moving sequences of fashion photography reference and draw inspiration from techniques employed in classic surrealist films such as Cocteau’s ‘Blood of a poet’ and Luis Bunuel’s ‘Un chien de Andalou’.’

Emma Hancock, 'Eames'/ 'Albers'

Furniture and 70s interior design influences the work of London College of Fashion graduate and footwear designer Emma Hancock. Emma investigates the use of different textures in her collection with wood and curtain tassles being some of the unusual materials which she incorporates into the designs.

Future Map 11 is open from 12 January – 5 February 2012 at Zabludowicz Collection, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London NW5 3PT.

For full details of all the exhibiting designers visit the Future Map website.

Peter Pontiac- Comix, Hotpix & Tragix

The Graphic Design Museum, Breda celebrates the work of Peter Pontiac, one of the Netherland’s most inventive cartoonists.

The Marten Toonder award-winning artist has had a long and fruitful career which began in the mid 1970s, when Pontiac, inspired by the underground comix movement, began illustrating illegal songbooks featuring the lyrics of Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

Drawing inspiration from his own drug-induced experiences, Pontiac produced a number of vaguely autobiographical comics throughout his career such as his 1977 creation ‘The Amsterdam Connection’.

Peter Pontiac- Comix, Hotpix & Tragix

In addition to the comics Pontiac was distributing underground, he gained notable mainstream exposure thanks to illustration commissions for the likes of VPRO and OOR.

The retrospective exhibition at the Graphic Design Museum brings together a huge selection of pieces from both his underground and mainstream work, showcasing his vibrant, punk-rock aesthetics and strong command of drawing materials. A must-see for fans of his work, or for those who wish to live vicariously through art.

Peter Pontiac-Comix, Hotpix & Tragix runs from 10th September – 27th November at the Graphic Design Museum, Boschstraat 22, 4811 GH Breda.

Graphic Design Museum Website.

Cheltenham Illustration Award winners (left to right) Merlin Evans Brittany Molineux Sandra Dieckmann and Blair Frame/Brittany Molineux, ''Heavenly Reindeer Tale

The winners of the coveted Cheltenham Illustration Awards were announced during the Illustrators Symposium at the Parabola Arts Centre last week. The theme for this year’s competition – which is in its fifth year – was ‘Tree Time Tales’, with entrants encouraged to produce narrative-based illustrations. Oscar winning artist Shaun Tan selected the four winners from over 250 entrants and University of Gloucestershire fellow David Elyan presented the prizes.

Brittany Molineux – who has only just entered her second year of studies at the University of the West of England, Bristol – really impressed the judges with her ‘Heavenly Reindeer Tale’ project, winning first prize in the student category. Brittany ignored traditional methods of story telling, creating a 3D, interactive globe to express the narrative of her Siberian folk-tale. The upper half of the globe can be turned slowly, activating lights which pick out the constellations in the sky.

Blair Frame, 'Reynardine'

Runner-up Blair Frame, from Wolverhampton University submitted pieces from his ‘Reynardine’ storybook, a dark, contemporary tale following young girls being trafficked into the sex industry.

Sandra Dieckmann, 'Fox Tree'

German born, freelance illustrator Sandra Dieckmann was awarded the Emerging Talent award for her beautiful ‘Fox Tree’ illustration. The image depicts a tree, embellished with totem pole-like imagery, narrating the importance of the tree to the foxes who live nearby.

Merlin Evans, 'Minotaur'

Merlin Evans, runner-up to the Emerging Talent award, initially studied English Literature and History at Edinburgh University before turning her talents towards pen and ink illustration. Merlin revisited classic Greek myths such as the story of Daedalus and Icarus in her series of illustrations which examine the consequences of freedom.

For more information visit the Cheltenham Illustration Award website.

Ayme Fitzgerald

Design Event Presents is a new initiative launched as part of this year’s Design Event MART exhibition. For Presents, 8 creatives from the realms of product, jewellery, illustration and textile design have been commissioned to produce an exclusive edition of a new product to be premiered at the opening of the festival.

Ayme Firzgerald’s wild and colourful designs are an immediate eye-catcher. For the exhibition Ayme has produced a new range of vibrant, digitally printed cushions which feature patterns taken from her Floral Floral and Boutique collections.

Claire Baker

Military medals, emblems and other wartime relics were the source of inspiration behind Claire Baker’s mixed-media jewellery collection. Recycled paper, vintage army linen threads and offcuts have all been incorporated into her designs which are historic but with a modern twist.

David Irwin

David Irwin, who won the award for Best Interior Product at the Design Event MART award ceremonies, is displaying his Mining Lamp designs – contemporary updates of the early Davy lamps used in the Hebburn Colliery back in the early 1800s.

Neil Conley

Another award-winner, Neil Conley (who won the won the One Year On Award at this year’s New Designers exhibition) is showcasing his dimmable interior table lamp made from amberised borosilicate glass. The piece is is like a living preservation of Thomas Edison’s filament bulb, displaying the bulb’s transition from functional object to design icon.

Visit the Design Event site for full listings of the festival running October 14-18 2011.

Ayme Fitzgerald
Claire Baker
David Irwin
Neil Conley

Exhibition photography by Helen Stevens

Ruth Blackford

Kingston University’s MA graduates staged an exciting showcase of their work at Tent, London during the London Design Festival in September. The work on show was diverse and innovative, covering numerous disciplines including Architecture, Fashion, Illustration and Animation, Design Product & Space, Curating Contemporary Design, and Production Design for Film and Television. ARTS THREAD selects a few highlights.

Illustration MA graduate Ruth Blackford’s final project caught our eye. Inspired by the exploitation of workers in the garment industry, she states: “The reality of life in a garment factory is a far cry from the workers’ rights stipulated by law or the ethical commitments proclaimed by the big brands and retailers. My experience working as a textile designer for fashion has given me insight into this subject. Using my textile skills, I was keen to raise further public awareness of the conditions suffered by the workers and draw attention to the public’s demand for cheap clothes and the refusal to acknowledge unethical practices.”

Chenbin Wu

Chenbin Wu’s distinctive illustration work also drew us in. Inspired by traditional Chinese literature and symbols, Chenbin has blended Eastern and Western references together. Her intricate dragon images incorporate a range of materials such as Chinese symbols, fragments of maps and airmail envelopes. Other images featured funny, surreal fish/human hybrid creatures, depicted riding bicycles, running with umbrellas and firing crossbows. Other work included a 3D fantasy landscape in paper where pyramid mountains, burning trees and fairytale castles were set against a cosmic backdrop.

Chen Ying Gao

In the Design Products and Space area, Chen Ying Gao’s Rickshaw Shower project really impressed us. Tackling one of the problems encountered by the 3.6 million migrant workers in Beijing, this project offers a simple solution to the lack of bathing facilities that are available to the workers. Chen’s low-tech mobile shower can be easily connected to a standpipe. The idea is an admirable one; to improve the harsh lives of the migrant workers, by providing a cleansing, refreshing shower and ten minutes of welcome ‘self’ time.

Kingston University MA Fashion / Han Gu

The MA Fashion area of the exhibition was striking and offered a chance for visitors to get up close to some of the beautifully crafted work that had been showcased on the catwalk at the Freemasons Hall during London Fashion Week.

Han Gu’s final collection included a beautifully simple dress with an intricate, decorative collar and belt. Another favourite was Stephanie Jayne Price’s elegant collection in black. However, one of the most outstanding exhibits was Stephanie Nieuwenhuyse’s ‘Biomimicry’ project, which utilised discarded plywood. The designer had meticulously cut and pieced together pieces of wood to create a superb, sculptural, articulated bodice for a dress. Stephanie has also successfully applied her technique to shoes and belts. This clever, creative work merges fashion with craft to stunning effect.

Stephanie Nieuwenhuyse, ‘Biomimicry’

Kingston University MA Fashion on ARTS THREAD

Stuart Whitton - 'Innocence' and 'Beauty' Portraits

Welsh illustrator Stuart Whitton’s first solo exhibition opened last night at the Exposure Gallery, so ARTS THREAD popped along to say hello! We were treated to an impressive collection of pencil illustrations that reminded us what drawing – a lifelong passion for Stuart – is all about. This was drawing in its most traditional, stripped-back form, executed with great talent and attention to detail.

Stuart Whitton - 'Origin' at Exposure Gallery

Including typographic projects, animal studies and some brilliant portraiture, the collection of 40 original works shows Stuart’s ability to create images that are soft and delicate yet totally arresting. Portraits of family members and friends have a depth of emotion no doubt brought about by the minute study of the faces which he has a personal connection with. It’s all about the tonal variations, something that Stuart masters so precisely that the images appear almost photographic.

Stuart Whitton - Alphabet Series (Q & Z)

We loved the Alphabet Series, made up of 26 intricate sketches of clothes and accessories arranged in the form of letters as well as the collaborative pieces Stuart created with prominent illustrators  Claire Scully, Pomme Chan, and Peter Crawley.

Stuart Whitton - 'Origin' at Exposure Gallery

Stuart’s talent hasn’t escaped the notice of some industry heavyweights. He has exhibited with the Association of Illustrators and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. With commissions from Creative Review, Die Zeit and Amelia’s Magazine under his belt, we’re pretty sure we can expect big things from this friendly Welshman and his pencils!

For more information on Stuart Whitton visit his website.

Origin runs at the Exposure Gallery, 22-23 Little Portland Street, London W1W 8BU, until 31st October.

Rezwana Ahmed, Textiles

Public View is this year’s exciting Postgraduate Degree Show for the University of Wolverhampton.  Held at the diverse arts and exhibition centre in West Bromwich, The Public, it showcases the fresh, innovative and lively talent of the university’s Masters student’s.

The exhibition contains a wide variety of creative skills, covering Art and Design, Design for Advertising, Fine Art and PhD Research.

Rezwana Ahmed examines the beauty behind imperfections in her selection of textile pieces.

What inspires Rezwana? She likes to tell stories and recollect memories, and she achieves both in her patchwork quilts. ‘It’s my story’ is a favourite piece-images from different times, places and incidents in Rezwana’s life have been collated in order to represent the formation of her identity. Rezwana displays four quilts in total, each with a unique story and meaning to capture your attention.

Tolga Bolgac, Interior Design

Interior Design student Tolga Bogac displays MA project, Cyprus Dental Centre. The aim was to create a space where both patients and doctors feel more comfortable, so that they choose to return on a regular basis. Tolga advises: “This project was an enjoyable challenge due to the medical requirements.”

Laura Dicken, Illustration

Illustration student Laura Dicken has created a wonderfully intimate project focused around reportage photography. Her subject was her Grandma and the house she has lived in for the past 50 years. Laura’s project definitely achieves its aim of capturing the small subtle signs of a life lived, something that she explains is ‘incredibly intimate, yet at the same time universal.’

Sahdia Kauser, Fine Art

Dantes inferno is the theme for this thought provoking Fine Art project by designer Sahdia Kauser. The purpose of this project is to manipulate and reconstruct the everyday, to signify personal and universal experiences.

Inspired by the juxtaposition between reality and fantasy,’ Sahdia has explored the ability to form mental images, sensations and concepts through different senses and displayed the work in some incredibly intricate hanging pieces.

Simon Harris, CADRE PhD

Simon Harris CADRE PhD student showcases three paintings along the walkway to the third floor of The Public. Simon describes the paintings as an integral part of his PhD research.

‘The constructed realities within the paintings provide an examination of sensation, decadence and figurality questioning the limitations of conventional formalisms.’

They intend to encourage each viewer to discover their own ‘painterly moment.’

Public View is exhibiting at The Public, West Bromwich, B70 7PG until Sunday 9th October.

University of Wolverhampton Website.

Contact:
Art-design@wlv.ac.uk
www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign
rezwana@artlover.com
gypsy.aesthete@gmail.com
sijharris@hotmail.com

Madalina Andronic

ARTS THREAD headed down to the Camberwell College of Arts MA show this weekend, and was blown away by the quality of work on show, in particular that of the MA Illustration graduates. Offering a real mix of styles, topics and influences, from simple characterisation to freakish fantasy imagery, illustrated typography and a more graphic aesthetic, to plain good realism, there’s evidence of an impressive breadth of talent on this year’s course.

Madalina Andronic’s ‘Fairy of Dawn’ (above) brings little-known Romanian folklore to the table, with beautifully intricate watercolour, ink and pencil illustrations featuring traditional Romanian costumes, patterns and folk motifs. Yixin Fu’s ‘The Red House’ and Ana Cossermelli’s ‘I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on my way’, are charmingly illustrated children’s books. Another highlight is Simone Philippou’s colourful narrative imagery, created using woodcut reliefs, and demonstrating her passion for using traditional printmaking techniques in her work.

Simone Philippou/ Ana Cossermelli / Yixin Fu

Howard Hardiman’s already successful semi-autobiographical comic book series, The Lengths, introduces an edgier aesthetic with a bold monochromatic style, tackling gritty issues such as sex, drugs and prostitution. Veronica Anzola’s Animal Alphabet is one of the only typographic works on show, and Weiyi Li’s ‘Things Annoyed Me Here’ series provides a satirical look at the everyday things that cause her annoyance, adding a healthy dose of humour to the show.

Weiyi Li/ Veronica Anzola/ Howard Hardiman

This really just scratches the surface of the varied work produced by this year’s Illustration graduates at Camberwell, a well known establishment in this field. For more information on the graduates, check out www.cambillustration.com.

Madalina Andronic
Simone Philippou
Ana Cossermelli
Veronica Anzola
Howard Hardiman
Weiyi Li