The designs for this year’s Christmas cards in aid of Ganet’s Adventure School, Malawi are inspired by the hand painted signs and advertising which can be found across Malawi and much of Africa. I worked with two Malawian sign painters and artists, Peter Madede and ‘George’ Weya to create them during a recent trip to the school in Malawi. The quotes are sourced from the much-loved Christmas Carol ‘We Three Kings’ by Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr. and the well-known Christmas poem ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’  by Clement Clark Moore.

The cards are available to purchase online now, £4 from each pack goes direct to the school, in Malawi: www.ganetsadventureschool.org/?p=408

Here are some of the signs which inspired the designs: www.flickr.com/photos/sharp-sharp/sets/72157625429958250/

Christmas card printing and finishing donated by Preview

Paper donated by Mason’s Paper

This marine themed image continues the combination of smooth and sharp, this time combining a rounded pebble with a spiky sea anenome. Video was produced using Processing, click on the screengrab below to view it in YouTube.

And here’s a clip from the night, with music:

Tactile poster May 2010

Staying with the sharp/soft theme this month, the watermelon colour ties in with the mono watermelon photo. I’m hoping to put my new Processing skills to use with this month’s animated visuals on the night, Processing looks like a really useful tool for this kind of work.

www.myspace.com/tactilelondon

I created these designs for promoter Tim Merricks, who is organising this gig in aid of Ganet’s Adventure School, Malawi. The lo-fi blues and surf sounds of the bands fit the handpainted style, which was also inspired by the signs and adverts found painted on walls everywhere you go in Malawi. Both backgrounds are composite images made from my own photography of Malawi; I also created the handpainted lettering myself (zero budgets force you to be resourceful!)

More about the gig can be found here.

PrintFriends, an online community of mischievous paper puppets, has been nominated for an International Digital Emmy award. In my job at FremantleMedia Enterprises, I designed the branding, puppet kits, YouTube channel and various other paper goodies.

Congratulations to producer Owen Matthews and writer/presenter Ruth Pickett.

View PrintFriends’ YouTube channel and download your own puppet kits here.

View the full list of nominees here.

Poster for Tactile club night January 2010

This poster combines two very tactile images in a slightly jarring way. The soft and the harsh images reflect the music, watch out for future posters which develop this theme further. This imagery was also used on the flyer and in animated visuals projected at the venue.

This is a self-initiated project to raise funds for Ganet’s Adventures School, a rural primary school in Malawi. While in Malawi in October 2009, I organised an art activity for the students, and photographed the origami stars which they created. These photos were then used as Christmas card designs, printing was generously donated by Preview Design. Over 2,500 cards were sold, raising over £1,100 for the school.