New Presentation Design and CD Design.
When initially briefed I was told every song in the show was about emigration (of Irish people around the world). I came back with the idea of telling that story through the different stages: Departure, Travel, Arrival and Life as an Emigrant.

For the CD, this structure worked really well as I was working with a 6-page sleeve CD, which also helps with the narrative of the story.

All the illustrations are done with ink and dip pens on Bristol Board.

CDs are for sale. Contact the people at Dunbrody.

Hope you like it.

This year’s one is going to be really special in terms of format, design and execution. I strongly suggest you show up the day of the launch. There is always great buzz around it, the authors get to read their poems themselves and there is always loads of interesting people to meet.

In terms of technical specs, Rhyme Rag #5 is going to be printed in two inks (as was issue #2) simulating screen printing.

All images are developed in Photoshop directly. There aren’t even pencil sketches although each image has around ten preparatory drawings (just to make sure composition and colours work well.) It is a great undertaking but a really fun one to do too.

The collection of poems have been selected by this year’s editor Adam Wyeth. The Rhyme Rag series are directed by Mary Butler and coordinated by Niamh Finn

Please visit my facebook page for more information and updates on the event.

The Kilkenny Library Plan is almost ready to go to print. It is full of illustrations. All of them generated in Illustrator and finished in photoshop.

I am quite happy with them as I wanted to get a bit of a feel of 60s/70s illustrators like David Weidman, which I think they have.

The design is based on a 4 column grid. It was quite fundamental that information was a visually simple to access as possible. So every section is clearly marked using horizonal modules in the grid and I decided to go for a very simple yet impacting colour palette.

Hope you enjoy them.

Here are some pictures from the launch of the Broadsheet #9 that took place last Friday 12th June 2009.

The Broadsheet Launch is always a fantastic event as well as an unique chance to hear some stunning poetry read by its authors.

This is the new logo for the Kilkenny Library Service.

The brief put emphasis in making people realise the full range of services they offer apart from those everyone knows: internet point, source of information (both in printed and electronic format).
It was also important to show an image of “coolness” that would appeal to every population segment (with special attention to children and young professionals.

This is the first of a number of materials to be developed for the Kilkenny Library Service. A great project to be involved in and great fun too. Posts on them will follow.

Come back and check them out.

The museum dedicated to broken hearts was founded in Croatia. Authors of the concept Olinka Vištica and Drazen Grubišic decided to set up the museum after consoling friends over their failed romances.

This museum has everything from romantic and touching letters to different gifts given to lovers like teddy bears and photos, but also such unusual examples as a leg prosthesis donated by a war veteran who fell in love with his physiotherapist and a gall stone. Every single object on display is anonymous, and has a description/story related to the relationship that was behind it. After the success of the first display in Zagreb this unique museum is touring the world.

www.brokenships.com

The Museum is an artistic project in which everyone can participate. It is serving to honour our emotional heritage, offering us the opportunity to preserve those memories collectively. By contributing your own mementos you will become part of the exhibition when it comes to Kilkenny.

Arts Officer, Mary Butler says that she is very excited to be bringing this unique show to Kilkenny. She is eager for people to respond to this unique opportunity and to donate items. This in turn will further enrich the show and it also offers people the opportunity to anonymously tell their stories of lost love and heartbreak to the Irish audience and beyond as the exhibition continues to tour the world

For further information and to download your donation form visit
www.brokeninkilkenny.net

Currently in production, Broadsheet #9 is almost finished.

For those who are not familiar with it, Broadsheet is a poetry publication of the Arts Office Kilkenny County Council. It displays the work of Kilkenny poets in an A2 broadsheet.

Click here to see what last year’s edition looked like

Hope you like it

Adapting the poems to the comic format has been the most difficult job so far; as I didn’t want to take a literal approach. I have reinterpreted the poems in a comic narrative context. This means I’ve used the images for some of the actions of the poems and the words for some others. While trying to keep the musicality and pace intrinsic to the poem… In other words, I am exhausted!

This week I should be posting much more stuff on the Rhyme Rag, so keep tuned!

and, waiting for final approval, next year’s poster for the Fresh Film Festival (detail of one of the images at the top of this post).

Hope you enjoy them