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Lovely post about La Shuks

This cool blog came to my attention last week.... with a really lovely write-up about my work! Link to Post FOUND SOME PAPER

In the Studio....

I'm ridiculously excited about the new developments unfolding in La Shuks land.... (something is evolving within the landscapes!?!)
So, I'm busy working on a new series.... More news soon!
Here are some work-in-progress print studio pics:

Last Week's Online Goings-On...

Affordable Art Fair Stockholm chose my artwork Gold In Peaks as the cover for their Facebook page for next year's show! 

   Hmm yes I think it works.... 

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That's my Moon Venture print nestled within the colourful coziness of the super cool art shop Unlimited in Brighton... featured in the We Love Home blog.

 Unlimited Editions 

Hot New Screen Print!

Hot off the screen printing bed: it's Sunset Rising!  

  

Mid Screen-Printing action: This was just before cutting my right hand, at the same time as twisting my left arm.. Like a trooper though, I powered on through the pain!

You never quite know how a screen print is going to turn out, and with unexpected occurrences galore, mishaps and the odd injury (!) along the way.... 

3 colour layers down...three more to go!

...what was intended to be 4 colour layers... ended up becoming a 6 colour print!

the finished artwork

  

Sunset Rising is part of a limited edition run of 15. Each is slightly different due to the nature of screen printing.

Upcoming Show: London

detail of "Ice Field Folly" by La Shuks. Limited Edition Screen Print 75 x75cm

The next exhibition of La Shuks art will be with Liberty Gallery's stand at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, London. 22-25 October, 2015

More Info

The Making of: My 3D Artworks

"Geodesia" by La Shuks  find it HERE

One-off original: screen printed paper construction with photographic print. 70 x 70 cm 

"Atmospherica" by La Shuks     find it HERE

One-off original: screen printed paper construction with photographic print. 70 x 70 cm

I wanted to carry the La Shuks theme of distant future evolution, even further... with the elements of leftover human ephemera starting to evolve into entities of their own, growing upwards and outwards, staring to come up off the page itself...

So I set about creating 3D geometric paper constructions, to juxtapose with the stillness of the natural landscape in the image.

After designing the mountain landscape settings for the two artworks, I then screen printed papers of imagined "packaging, advertisements and logos" in many colour sets to use in my paper constructions.

I knew what I wanted to achieve in my head, but there was no way to pre-plan exactly how the work would end up looking! I had to wait to see how it developed...

...so the actual constructions just started to gradually form.

Even though the 3D structures developed in an unplanned and chaotic way... 

...I painstakingly chose each individual piece to add next, as it had to be the exact right colour, design and shape! 

Adding the finishing touches...

These two artworks are now exhibiting at the Affordable Art Fair Stockholm with Liberty Gallery from 1 - 4 October 2015
LINK

behind the scenes.... Offcuts!

La Shuks Showing in Sweden!

I am delighted to be exhibiting in Stockholm with the amazing Affordable Art Fair! 
From Thursday 1st -Sunday 4th October 2015. I'll be showing some brand new 3D artworks plus limited edition screen prints at stand B12 with Liberty Gallery. 

There's my "Gold in Peaks" limited edition screen print in the Affordable Art Fair online "artwork highlights" (top left!) 

AAF's Artwork Of the Day

How cool, the Affordable Art Fair made my Dragon piece their artwork of the day today!

AAF twitter feed featuring Dragon by La Shuks

Making the first La Shuks One-Off artworks!

I thoroughly enjoyed spending a chunk of my life in a papery, sticky, screen-printy bubble, ignoring the outside world and making these two unique one-off pieces of artwork. I got so involved in the process, that my studio was a foot deep in paper ....paper off-cuts literally everywhere! On more than one occasion I even curled up and napped in the huge nest of paper! But the finished products did me proud, with one of them selling on the first day at the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead. Thank you, lovely buyer!

"Dragon"

"Bear" (sold!)

Every individual segment has been screen printed itself... and then cut and collaged together with my photos I took of the Rocky Mountains to make up their own scene.

detail from "Dragon"

Both feature the usual La Shuks setting of a future earth (millions of years after humans no longer exist) where the natural elements have over time absorbed all the ephemera left behind; the advertising, branding and packaging ...eventually evolving into creatures. Well, you never know....this might actually happen!!? 

detail from adventurously titled "Bear"

...I've just remembered the paper-cuts!!! Still, I'll do it all again.. ...currently planning the next bunch...

Take home a dragon!  85 x 85 cm in a white wooden frame 

Affordable Art Fair Hampstead 2015

The first big showcase of La Shuks! Showing with Liberty Gallery at the Affordable Art Fair, this weekend in London's leafy Hampstead Heath. 

I had the chance to visit on Thursday evening for the late opening, sophisticatedly named "The Summer Art Soiree". Like a heavenly mirage it glimmered into my view as I walked up through leafy Hampstead Heath on this particularly warm and summery evening. So much to see...amazing art every which way, smiling art buying folk all around... plus a great band providing atmospheric jollity ...oh and free flowing wine!!

"Gold in Peaks" & "Bear" (one-off original)                       "Dragon"(one-off original)  & "Dawn Merger" 

I was in brilliant company on Liberty's stand...so many lovely artists including Maria Rivans and Bonnie & Clyde. 

from left: Oddly Head, Dan Hillier, Bonnie & Clyde, Maria Rivans, Joe Webb, La Shuks

The AAF Hamptead is on until Sunday 14th... Come and see Liberty Gallery at Stand number A3. 
My top tip: wear comfortable shoes.

What's REAL? (and what's just your imagination playing tricks....)

A little explanation of my piece of work for Unlimited Four Play group show:

(I based my piece on some forest exploration on a road trip in Canada not so long ago...)
Having never encountered a bear in the wild before, and after countless 'jokes' from Canadians telling me to watch out for grizzlys, I was entirely convinced that there was a 50/50% chance I was going to end up as a bear's dinner. 

I literally believed that this was an absolute likelihood.

So, every forest hike was bittersweet as I enjoyed the unbelievable beauty and peace, but at the same was gripped with a very real fear. Out of the corner of my eyes, I kept seeing things move in the shadows and start creeping closer... This continued for days, until finally I realised that none of that was actually happening... that there was never anything there watching... and creeping towards me.. it was all in my mind! 

Yet I really saw them!!? 

Or did I?

So I chose the word REAL from the selection of four letter words provided (by Unlimited Gallery for this awesome groupshow collabing art and typography) and using some of my Canadian forest pictures, plus my own made-up doodles, I created my picture full of hidden beasties and creeping scuttlers....

Some bats, a ghost or two.. & I'm pretty sure there's an alien over there...

Bear spray!? "Me: so do you just spray it on yourself like mosquito repellant?" The answer is NO!

Beasties... scuttling shnufflers... something's tail....and a sparkling jewel??

That's definitely a bear.... yep....it is a bear..

The exhibition is on until the end of May at Unlimited 

10 Church Street, Brighton BN1 1US, UK

or online

   

Artists Open Houses!

I'm taking part in this Open House at part of the Brighton May Fringe Festival. Starting this weekend (9th / 10th May) and for the following two weekends. In fact I am going to be there on duty both tomorrow and Saturday! It will be the first showing of one of my latest works "Gold in Peaks"... 
Come visit! Ground Floor, 29 Compton Avenue, BN1 3PT

Dawn Merger at Affordable Art Fair

Oh how cool… I’ve just seen that my “Dawn Merger” screen print was chosen as one of a handful of examples of art for the next Affordable Art Fair!

I’m looking forward to being there with Liberty Gallery in Hampstead in June armed with a whole host of limited editions as well as originals! 

Bye Bye Boxpark

Today is the last day and last chance for London eyeballs to soak up the spectacular of #unlimitedfourplay Pop-up art show at #BOXPARK Shoreditch!

All 40 participants were given a FOUR letter word to illustrate in their own distinctive visual style using a fixed palette of FOUR spot colours. Unlimited design studio then incorporated their word into each artwork, creating a unique typographic response for each and an exciting collaborative final piece.

Each artworks is a limited edition of 100.

All 50 x 70cm in size, and using the four spot colours - overall an amazing collection of printed type and illustration work!

Follow the Unlimited FOURPLAY journey on Instagram @UNLIMITED_FOURPLAY

BOXPARK Pop-Up Launch Night!

Couple of photos from the first ‘quad’ in the Unlimited FOUR PLAY travelling pop-up art show. 

Who knew you could hang 40 artist’s work so harmoniously on the walls of a shipping container!

On til this Sunday 26th April.

BOXPARK Shoreditch, 2-10 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6GY

Boxpark Pop Up Starts Today!

Tuesday 21st - Sunday 26th April 2015

Pop-Up print show ‘Unlimited FOUR PLAY’ at the super cool shipping-container-shopping-mall BOXPARK, Shoreditch.

40 artists / each interpreting a 4 letter-word / using the same 4-colour palette / travelling to 4 European cities

1st show: Boxpark, 2-10 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6GY