Captain Beefheart 'Clear Spot' lp illustration

Another week another cack-handed version of one of my favourite lps. Captain Beefheart's 'Clear Spot' is a much loved record not least for the stonking 'Big Eyed Beans from Venus'. Click on the image for a close up although I wouldn't recommend it - I'm trying to be a bit less precious about my illustration at the moment and it shows with this.

Printing 'The Absurd Balloon'

Tired of screen-printing at some Godforsaken rat-hole, paying over the odds to be bossed around by cliquey studio nazis, whilst sharing print-bed space with feckless posh kids who can't even draw?* Time to dry those eyes kids because you too can now print from the relative comfort** of your own home! Sing hosanna! You will have mini bites this Christmas and beyond!

What follows are some process photos from last week when I printed the second colour of 'The Absurd Balloon'. It went pretty well although I think I'm in need of a new screen. The print will probably be available at some point although interest from Threadless may mean it never sees the light of day - watch this space. I'm also going to put up an easy step-by-step guide to screen-printing from home as well because it's a bit of a doddle, very cheap to do and everyone should unleash they're creative beast now and again. Ben Javens still gets mad props*** for showing me the way.

* Any resemblance to any real print studios, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.
** It's cold and damp - Annie frequently comes in from work to find me sniffing my records suspiciously.
*** Not sure what these are exactly but he's welcome to all of mine.

United States of America 'Self Titled' lp illustration

I really enjoyed doing the Gumnaam lp cover illustration a couple of weeks back so I've done a few more - I may do a series of prints of my favourite lps depending on whether my enthusiasm for the project wains or not. Here's my interpretation of the United States of America's self titled lp cover. It's a psychedelic masterpiece. The album that is - not my illustration obviously.

My only regret is making the beautiful Dorothy Moskowitz look like some kind of transgender alien.

'Shark!' on Threadless

Another week, another regurgitated illustration slung up on Threadless for ridicule! Vote if you want - see if I care. I'm just trying to see how the whole process works so I'm not going to be street-teaming this at all. Click here to comment. It's a little too crass for my tastes in truth...

Record Collecting Badgers?

Every year Very Good Plus does a colossal cd swap where sixty odd record collecting fiends pick their favourite finds of the year and compile them onto a cd. I've done it in the past but this year has been a quiet one for me in terms of vinyl mostly because I'm always totally fucking brassic. Rather than miss out on all the fun I offered to do the sleeve for another long-standing member of the board. His mixture of fuzz drenched psych is a bit tasty - I can't stop listening to Nat Stuckey's cover of 'Listen To The Band' - it was always a great song but I can't resist the added banjos and country twang.

Anyway here's the cover - click on the image for a better look. I'm thinking of beefing up the badger for a t-shirt at some point too.

Fisherman print

After a bit of procrastination on my part the 'My Home is the Sea' black and white fisherman screen print is up for sale. Initially I was going to sell all three from the original series in black and white but decided the octopus was too heavily inked and upon counting up my prints discovered I only had ten sharks. Oh well - the fisherman is my favourite anyway. Head over to my shop by clicking here to grab yourself one.

First ten orders get a free shark print!

'Animal Pile On' on Threadless

After the relative success of 'The Absurd Balloon' on Threadless (I'm told 2.87 is a good score!) I thought I'd dust down my 'Animal Pile On' illustration, give it a make-over and release it to the hordes for their disapproval. Again I'd appreciate your support with good marks and comments and as before if you cut and paste your comments into this blog I'll be sure to send you a t-shirt if it gets picked.

Here's the link - thanks!

Rich Kelly

It's been a while since I posted up any prints on here by other artists but Chicago's Rich Kelly is absolutely killing it this year. To be honest I've grown a little tired of the poster scene - certainly the big name series like the Star Wars ones have left me a little jaded so it's refreshing to see an artist putting out such beautiful and refreshingly original screen-prints. I love the way he manages to capture the pencil work in his prints so well.

Anyway enough gushing - go buy his two new prints. I just did. Dr Dog and Bonnie Prince Billy tour posters - a snip at $25 a piece.