Jo Stroud An Artist Revealed

At Geek fest this year we met a talented artist who creates traditional art pieces of art as well as fan art. Her attention to detail was just stunning so we asked her if she would be a part of our artist reveal blog share community. 

Welcoming Jo Stroud from Wiltshire. Born in 1993

Jo has always wanted to be an artist with a long lasting interest in different art fields, it was always something she wanted to do but never in her life time thought people would pay for her artistic work.  Turns out she was wrong VERY WRONG. At Geek fest in heartlands this year we saw so many people enjoying her talent and purchasing her works of art and for us that was lovely to see.

So what makes Jo so talented and where does she get her inspiration from. Well it is a combination of everything from CD and book covers, comic books , television and other artists such as Alex Pardee or Derek Hess. Jo never judges a book by its cover and she dives deep in to all kinds and has a very strong passion for comic books which she enjoys as well as taking inspiration from them for her Fan Art.

Jo Stroud studied for only three years in Swindon New college. This is a relatively short time to study in the arts, talking from experience so when Jo tell us she is mostly self taught in her field we were very impressed. Working in traditional methods predominantly pencil and acrylic on canvas giving her a style which people can tell it her work as an artist. 

Jo has also used water colours and continues to create design work in the standard digital sense. Jo prefers to work alone so that she can get lost in her work, listening to music to keep those creative vibes flowing. Something that you should about Jo is that she may work alone on her art but she has a helping hand in the business ring.

Here is a shout out to her partner Kira Howe who is very outgoing and keeps the customers flowing. I would say Jo partner Kira is almost like Jo's agent apart from she supports Jo talking to people as most artist do such as myself we find it hard to interact with the general public. So Big shout outs to Kira Howe for supporting her partner Jo Stroud completing her goals and dreams.

If you are interested in any of Jo Stroud's work please check out her Etsy shop where you can purchase it online.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/JoStroudArtist

https://www.facebook.com/pg/JoStroudArtist/photos/?ref=page_internal

Also please do flow her on Instagram share or even comment on this blog and for all you other artists reading these post please get in contact with any of the artist on these posts let them know you love their work support and share, connect that is what it is all about.

https://www.instagram.com/jo_stroud_artist/

Helen Barrett An Artist Revealed

Hello A.R.Tees great to see you again it has been a while. We have a new artist we would love to share with all you lovely people.

This is Helen Barrett from St Agnes another Cornish maid. Helen when we spoke to her said that she that she had always done arts and crafts as a hobby but it wasn't until she started setting up her own brand Lil Rippersz that she started to build up her confidence to create the image that she desired. Helen had had work created by other artist and designers to start with but these designs where not the vision she had and started to create her own to fulfill her dreamed brand.

Lil Rippersz was inspired by her four year old son.  This is what she said.

"He’s such an active, fun kid that I wanted to make clothes to suit that. I was fed up with the pink princess and blue hero type clothes that you get for kids and really wanted something that is unisex and parents would like to buy because they would wear it themselves. My son skateboards and has a bmx too, so we spend plenty of time down the skate park. Seeing all the kids down there gave me loads of inspiration."

Helen also tells us about other inspirations she has.

"I really love street art and my favorite place to see this is in Bristol. I love to go up there and walk around to see what art I can find. There is always something new that I find. I also love to go to south bank in London and see the artwork at the skate park there. Again, its constantly changing and is always so inspiring"

Helen uses a mixed medium format when working with original drawing starting with pencils and paper sketches which she builds up with pen. She then transfers this to her Ipad pro, using pro create which she said she had taught herself stating she isn't great with technology. So if you ever find yourself reading these blogs and think to yourself well I could never do this all it takes is a little time and passion and you also could complete your dreams and start your own company. We all start somewhere whatever journey you may be on.  Where you work alone like Helen or work In better in groups just get out there and create. Helen likes to work alone as she needs a quiet space away from her loud four year old her husband and the three dogs. If you think your life may be too chaotic  here is proof that even someone with a busy life style can still make their dreams come true, just keep at it.

Helen is also self taught coming from what she said is a very artistic family which has given her the creativity and inspiration she has needed. Starting as a hobby which grew staying home as a full time mother. She took this time away from work into and turned her hobby into a productive form of income whilst staying at home and looking after her son.

If you like Helen Barrett's work please visit her website or go to her face book page and give her a like on her social media sites to keep updated on Lil Ripperz

https://www.lilripperz.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/lilripperzapparel/

Jam & Cream @ The Market House Saint Austell

Hello everyone. Over the last few years we have seen a growing change in Saint Austell people have been telling us that the Town is dying due to rising prices in shop rental costs and also that ordering products online is hitting our high street across the U.K hard. We over at Angels Recommend have noticed other things emerging however. The last few years we have seen art work cropping up in different locations all around Saint Austell and new shops with more specialist styles. The shops that have managed to survive through the changes over the years, seem to have more of their own personalities using local artist to express their style.

Today we want to express how these changes we have seen cropping up are making our small town centre more diverse. So we have noticed that the artist culture is starting to really grow in Saint Austell and if you haven’t noticed then you must be walking around blind. Street art has been popping up in door ways and on walls as well as the local skate park. We may not agree with the random acts of graffiti but we do however enjoy seeing real creative street art starting to appear. In Saint Austell Skate Park there is a wall which young people have changed a few times over the past three years giving the young people somewhere to go and express themselves without getting in trouble. Different shops have been using local artist in their shops to create a fresh look to stand out from the crowds rather than using commercial painters giving Saint Austell a new breath of fresh air.

We have heard that drink and draw evening has also started happening in Saint Austell at Mr Small's Cornish Tap-house which is fantastic. Somewhere different with like minded people to go and join in and draw whilst having a brew, beer or maybe something even a little stronger. The Art community is growing! We posted last summer about the After Noon Gallery of fine arts which has also popped up but today we are happy to announce that we have seen another gallery pop up.

JAM & CREAM!!!

Jam & Cream have an art exhibition on at the moment in the Market House in Saint Austell hosting Matt Uren’s Art work. The exhibition itself is on the first floor where you can pick up piece’s of Matt’s work for a limited time. Jam & Cream is new artists collective based in Cornwall with a focus on alternative art.  Digital artists, tattoo artists, comic artists, graffiti artists and much more.

The Market House gallery is host to some of the areas best artistic talent from all different disciplines. From prints & jewellery to original pieces & ceramics it really is a welcome edition to the Market house and the town.

Limited edition prints of different sizes, tees, badges and others all up for grabs whilst this exhibition is open. Jam & Cream are holding the exhibition from November the 10th at 11 AM – 5 PM until the 17th of November Closed on Sundays.

We have enclosed a map for you lovely travelling people if you are not local to the area and are finding the Market House in Saint Austell hard to locate.

 

Matt Uren has had a feature on our blog before a few years back as you might remember if you follow our blogs An Artist Revealed. He creates work which is aimed more towards young life culture and his influences are highly impacted by magazines and pop art. If you are a lover of street culture and love a sick slick pic to hang on your wall, get up and get down and give this guy some love. Saint Austell has had a bad name for too long as it was branded (Saint Awful) We have seen the artist giving it a new name with their passion for change. (Saint Alternative) where young and old a like can go and check out arts of all kinds as we have said the art culture is really starting to boom in this town. You just need to know where to look that is where we step in. Recommending the artist and creating a key map for everyone to use.

Things you will expect to see in this exhibition has been put in a quick slide show underneath, there is a lot more to see this is just a sneaky taste.

We hope you enjoyed this update signing off, Angels Recommend.

Luke Dimech An Artist Revealed

Hello girls and guys and welcome to another new artist in our collection of an artist revealed blogs.

This is Luke Dimech born in Birkikara (Malta in 1979) who first discovered his love for cameras at the age of fifteen years young.  His story started with his Dad lending him his analogue camera where he went around his local town in Bournemouth photographing landscapes. This was the starting point for young Luke as he found a passion for being behind the lens. 

The passion grew and he found himself finding a love for the human form in photography and began to take photo-shoots of his friends.

Luke says that people were the thing that inspires him being diverse and different always having a different story to tell. The social side of photography also has a big part to play in his photography learning about his subject/models (art forms) and collaborating ideas in what lifestyles they share.

Luke also said that he has an admiration for adventure he has always been a very sporty individual, surfing was his chosen sport of choice which went side by side with his passion of photography being the most challenging trying to find that perfect shot of capturing peoples movements gliding on a beautiful green wave.

We ask Luke Dimech how he likes to work and in what format so in his own words this was his reply.

I mainly shoot digitally; I have done some analogue work and darkroom work too. Once I have more time on my hands and more space, I would love to make myself a darkroom and challenge myself to do some studio shoots in analogue again. I have worked with every type of camera though, from 35mm to full frame and medium/large format cameras.

Luke like so many other artists prefers to work alone. We totally get it. He says that way he allows himself to express his creativity to its full force and really see what he can produce which he feels is a better way of challenging himself. You’re only as good as your last great piece isn’t that right Luke.

Collaboration is a key part of working being a photographer when you are using people as your key art expression but we feel that artists need to keep their own creative rights to their own work.

Luke has his own photography business in Cornwall. He mainly produces fashion and portraiture but he also occasionally does weddings and events if they fit in with his style and vibe.

Why not check out Luke Dimech online via his website www.surfandstories.com after reading his story.

Luke first started off as a self-taught photographer but decided he wanted to learn new skills and further his understanding of the art form of capturing imagery which led him to go to university.  All in all he has about 10 years of experience in the field and has worked for Miss World and been published in various magazines. Since this time he has also managed to get a Master’s degree in professional writing and is now currently working on his first fantasy fiction novel.  His favourite photographer regarding to landscape and adventure photography is Chris Burkard. In regards to portraiture, he told us he find new amazing photographers online daily taking influence from them all. Luke also told us that he is inspired by writer Brendon Sanderson.

“He is the World Builder that I wish and hope I could become. His books take me on the most incredible journeys that I just can't put them down.”

We have included some of Luke Dimech work here for you all to have a look at we hope you have enjoyed learning about Luke in this edition to An Artist Revealed.

Images have been cropped for this website to see full size imagery please go to www.surfandstories.com full copyright Luke Dimech

Karl Dyer An Artist Revealed

This is Karl Dyer and welcome back guys to another artist reveal with Angels Recommend.

Karl Dyer was born in Chatham, Kent but is currently living in Plymouth and his work is based on fan art. Karl has always enjoyed art in one form or another; from a young age he wanted a career that involved drawing. He wanted to design cinema poster one-sheets. If you don’t know what these think of them as the cover art that you see at the cinema to advertise the film you have been waiting for that will give you an indication of what type of movie you are just about to watch. They are great for inspiration at the best of times.

Karl Dyer when asked what inspires you he replied and told us that he is inspired by artists who think outside the box thinking differently from other people innovators. He likes pictures that are so simple and logical that when he sees them they stand out. That moment of clarity when they are so simple it’s like dam why didn’t I think of that. I think we all think like that from time to time but this is what inspires Karl as a Fan artist. James Hance is a master of this type of art in Karl’s eyes. He likes to see the ordinary made to look extraordinary, but in such a way as that it looks effortless and flows off the papers it is designed on.  He also likes looking at work of art created by street artists from around the world, saying that it is just mind boggling in the way that it is created. I agreed completely we also find some street artist such a BLU to be out of this world.

So how does Karl Dyer create his art we here you ask.

“I can range from being a bit OCD when it comes to working, pencils or paints all laid out in proper tone graduation and a clean tidy work area, to being chaotic, messy, and a bit all over the place. I think most people are like that, though.

I’ve worked on T-shirts, Canvases, trucker caps, wood, digital, and various papers with pastels, paints and pencils, airbrush, gouache, acrylics, inks...all sorts.”

Here are a few examples.

Karl prefers to work alone but for the last five years during the summer holidays he has been working for the Lover Summer festival that is held at Newnham Park in Plympton, Plymouth. He works as part of a team helping to design and build/paint signs, Dj booths, and a whole multitude of things to go in the various tents and up around the site. This is completely different to how Karl normally works throwing him out of his comfort zone allowing his art work and processes to grow as he has to think on his feet and finds it to be a challenging environment which he loves.

We ask if Karl studied in his field or if he was self taught as every artist has a different path to walk. This is what he said.

“I did night school lessons in water colours back in the 90's, but other than that I completely self taught. Up until about 6 years ago I was only working with pens and pencils. A friend of mine, who is an amazing artist, let me have a go with his airbrush and that was that.

I spent quite a bit of money on a compressor, a very nice airbrush, lots of paints and a few canvases and got to work.

Unfortunately, I just assumed that because I could draw, that airbrushing would be easy and after spending a few hours working on what I can only charitably describe as a mess, I threw all the gear in a box and dumped in the spare room. After a few months, my wife suggested that I should give it another go before it all ended up in the loft, I don’t know what made me think of it but I started working on t-shirts instead of canvases. Very simple designs to start with so I could ease myself into it, I had, and still do have, a tendency to get a bit ahead of my ability when working with new materials and when it doesn’t work out right I don’t take it very well. Some of the t-shirts that I did after I had been working on them for a year or so we’re very complicated and time consuming pieces, I had one that took 72 hours to complete and another that was made up of a stencil that had over 400 pieces to it. After a couple of years of that, I got back into doing Canvases, and with a better understanding of my equipment and materials, reduction rates, atomization, air pressures etc, I found it a lot easier the second time around. I did start off doing my own work, but I was getting more and more clients supplying me with pictures they wanted me to reproduce for them.

I sort of fell into the trap of getting comfortable doing this, at first I was getting a lot of pleasure from trying to recreate these pictures, but as time went on, and due to a change in work circumstances, it became more something that I had to do rather than something I wanted to. I would always name the original artist when posting pictures on my page and I would go to great lengths to discover the artist’s name of a picture if the original wasn’t signed. What I would do is draw the picture and then colour it in my own way so at least I felt I was having some input into it.

After a time, and a change at work for the better, I no longer had the need to continue working this way and for the last 18 months I’ve been working on more life art and teaching myself how to draw again, one unfortunate side effect of working on other artists work for a prolonged period is that you lose your own sense of style, I don’t regret having done this as it enabled me to hone my skills, but I would have liked to have stopped a lot sooner so I could get started on the things I really want to do which I’m only just doing now.”

Influences and favourite books:

Karl Dyer tells us about his favourites.

My favourite comic book artists are Brian Bolland, who worked on the seminal Batman graphic novel ‘The Killing Joke.’

J Scott Campbell, no one draws women like this guy, his work is almost Disney but with a dark or near bawdy touch to it. I did an Alice in Wonderland piece of his that is my favourite canvas.

John Buscema and Steve Ditko who both worked on early SPIDER-MAN, as did Jack Kirby.

My favourite artist is ridiculously talented James Hance, a Brit that lives in the USA, his art has to been seen to be believed, I love his very British sense of humour running through his work. A really nice bloke that has always answered any questions I’ve asked him regarding materials. His page ‘Relentlessly Cheerful Art’ has over 60000 likes on it.

I was inspired to start my page by the hugely talented Alex Pardee. His work is very dark and kind of reminds me of Gerald Scarf. He has such a recognisable style. Awesome artist

I’ve recently discovered the incredibly talented Victor Garduno, his work with pastels is magnificent.

Jasmina Suzakworks with coloured pencils to a near photograph level of realism, her Negan from Walking Dead is mind blowing.

All these artists have been quick to offer support and advice, all great artists and great people.

So now you know a little about Karl Dyer head over to his social media check out his work. This is how Fan Artist should be he is a great role model in the sense he has never claimed to have done this work without giving all credits and kudos to the original artists. That is the difference between stealing art work and being a great artist yourself as a Fan Artist. 

https://www.facebook.com/degenerwear/

If you have any thoughts or want to get in contact with us leave a comment or a like below. This is Art and this is our community.

A BIG THANK YOU TO KARL DYER FOR TAKING PART IN ANOTHER ARTIST REVEAL.

Geoff Nugent An Artist Revealed

Hello every one A.R.Tees back with another Artist Review

This very talented artist is Geoff Nugent from Plymouth Geoff was born in 1975 and had a love for music he stopped Djing in 2010 and started to create his own music from then until 2012 he found that his creativity didn’t just stop at creating beats and found himself looking for another creative outlet after seeing artists work such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and Wassily Kandinsky

Geoff as an artist takes inspiration from the world around him forever taking photos where ever he travels with his phone of certain sets of angles of colours that also inspire him in his creativity. He said that looking at other people’s artwork on social media such as instagram and others are excellent for inspiration, finding different colour palettes.

When asking Geoff Nugent how he works this is what he said.

“I create my own canvas frames and stretch my own canvas too; I feel that this gives me the freedom to cover any space I want with any size I feel works.  My work is predominantly in Acrylic with a few secret ingredients added to create the effects on each pour but I have also created some larger, mixed-media work using magazine cuttings, spray paints, acrylics and liquid varnish.  The largest canvas I have worked so far was 1.5m x 1.5m but I have also done some 15cmx15cm ones too!”

If you want to check out Geoff’s work head to his website where he show cases his work which you can also purchase.

www.geoffnugent.com

Links to his social media are also on his site.

If you ever find yourself in the Ivybridge area of Devon check out Geoff Nugent’s work in Redpod Studios added below is a map for location. It is a jolly place filled with artists and creative minds alike.

 

Geoff never went to a school to study art he didn’t even do GCSE art he has always just had a natural creative flare and that is all it takes. So if you are sitting there thinking to yourself you can’t be an artist because you didn’t go to school or study in the educational system you are mistaken.  This is what he told us when asking him this question.

“I am 100% self-taught; I didn't even study GCSE Art!  I have always had a creative streak though, from music production to playing instruments when I was younger (trombone, trumpet & cornet); I also ran a Fantasy Football League amongst my friends at school before the phrase had even been invented and definitely before the internet!”

Geoff Nugent is a man after my own heart and when he told us this I had to totally agree with it 100%. His favourite artist is not one of those who inspire his work but ever since he visited his solo show at the Tate Modern in London in 2012, Damien Hurst has intrigued him. His work comes from some dark place in his mind and is quite simply stunning.  

We think for a lot of artist this concept of having a favourite artist that does not influence your work can be very true.  Please check out Geoff Nugent’s work.  We hope you liked this Artist Review edition.  

Click Image to go to Geoff Nugent's online shop.

After Noon Gallery

Andy Sheppard has opened up a new gallery in Saint Austell he specialises in pottery and has opened up this gallery for local artist from Saint Austell to show case and sell their art works.

Andy Sheppard was born in Pembroke, west wales in 1965. At 16 he started a three year apprenticeship with Heron Pottery, after which he was employed as a production thrower by a number of potteries where he developed his skills.

Andy has crafted for many years and is very much in love with Raku, Raku refers to a method of firing which derives from ancient Japanese techniques and is associated with Zen philosophy and practice. To check out more of his work head on down to his new gallery in Saint Austell 

If you need directions like always we have added a map just for you guys ^_^ 

 

Help Saint Austell's culture change. Be a part of something. Lets share Local shops and galleries and be more creative.

Sea Dogs Barbers Mural

Why hello there. Have you been down to Sea Dog Barbers Lately? If you have then you will already know we have been working through the nights painting away a fabulous mural for Sweeny and his team down in Saint Austell in his outrageous new style Barbers.

It all started as one of those random moments when you meet a new person. Someone from the local town came to talk to us and told us about this lovely little barbers in Saint Austell Town and told us that they might be interested in some of the work that we do. So off we went to have a chat and before we knew it we were designing sketches, and products. Take a look at some of the concept art. Enjoy browsing as we go through the process. Click image below for slide show.

We started off by drawing the concept ideas down on paper after if you follow our instagram you will be able to find some videos of our progress through our drawings. After we had got the designs on paper we started putting the work up onto the wall in the barber shop as you can see in this slide show.  The final image below is the finished concept that we painted up onto the wall using dot work and lines in black and white paint. Over all it took nights of painting late through the evenings into the early mornings starting around 8 pm till 5 am The idea behind the concept art was having a sea monster/ old pirate theme using the logo of sea dog barbers brand finishing off with David Mark Tomblin's Illustrative style. 

Final concept.

we also created badges for Sweeney for his shop and are now talking about doing T shirt designs for their fresh looking brand. Keep follow us for updates.  

Please check out Sea Dogs Barbers we have added a map so you can find them in town if you want to get a sick slick hair cut. Appointments only. 01726 67888 open 10am until 7am

 

100 badges custom made for £30 any design.

design concept this is not a finished piece and will continue to be changed follow us on facebook or instagram. just search angelsrecommend. 

If you would like badges or work painted for your shop please contact us angels_recommend@hotmail.co.uk

Jasmine Rebecca Foster An Artist Revealed

Hello again everyone. We hope you are well and excited to hear all about our lasted edition to An Artist Revealed with Jasmine Rebecca Foster.

Jasmine was born 21.02.85 from Carlyon Bay in the South West of Cornwall. Like always we start off with the basic questions. When asking Jasmine how she first discovered she wanted to be an artist she told us.

“One of my first memories from primary school was of colouring in alphabet letters quietly in the corner whilst my classmates fought over who was going to be in charge in the play kitchen. This may also explain why my skills in the kitchen have never really progressed. Luckily my ability to colour within the lines has! I received my first set of watercolour paints at aged eight and have been trying to master them ever since!

Not only is she very talented she has a funny side. Jasmine is not to be over looked as an artist she is inspired most when she is outdoors travelling whilst listening to music. In this transcendent space she finds she can connect with who she is and what she is trying to convey through her work.

We here from most the artist we have spoken to that whenever they are away from technology and just observe the natural world ideas and inspirations start to flow. Jasmine is no different in this respect. What makes her different is how she absorbs her surroundings. With fairy tales, fantasy, science fiction programs and films, books she is able to translate ideas and stories of her own onto paper.

We ask how Jasmine likes to work and in what format.

“I love to mix very detailed sketches with the fluidity of watercolours and ink. I think this must reflect my personality… on one hand I am very careful, measured and considered in what I do in life and the other side of me is very wishy washy and dreamy! It is a delicate balance between the two mediums and often the result is determined by which part of my brain is more dominant that day! I have recently started to work on a few acrylic pieces on canvas, and it seems such a luxury to be able to build colour and layers, when watercolour can be so unforgiving.”

Jasmine Foster also said to us team working isn’t her strong point. She needs time away from outside influences so she can stay in here little bubble to make things that from an authentic part of her.  However she has a few friends that write beautiful stories and she works with them on illustrative ideas.

Jasmine studied for her degree in one of the best Universities for Art which is of course University College Falmouth in the South west of Cornwall. She graduated in 2007 after finishing her degree in Illustration Jasmine took a part time job as an illustrator for two years before taking the leap to full time self employed artist.

“Tell us about yourself. I.e. your favourite artist, books you look at. Any magazines you are interested in or any others.”

“I love the work of artist Marc Chagall, for his beautiful colours and the romantic, dreaminess of his imagery.

Illustrator Edmund Dulac also created the most beautiful scenes in his work, I feel especially influenced by his blue, star-lit scenes right now. I love the old fairytale books illustrated by Arthur Rackham and the colourful compositions that French illustrator Rébecca Dautremer creates.

I was quite obsessed with Brian Froud and all his conceptual art for films during university and my all time favourite film is still Labyrinth! I currently subscribe to Faerie magazine, I like to read a page or two before bed because it completely removes me from the ‘real world’, which is nice :)”

Click Image to go to Jasmine's Website.

So there you have it another talented artist revealed for you guys to have a look through her work please check out her work and visit her website. We hope the information leads you on your own journey of discovery. 

Emma Lou An Artist Revealed

Emma Lou was born in Preston and her family relocated to Kent when she was six years of age. Her and her family also spent some time living in Greece before finally settling down in Newquay / Cornwall. 

Emma was naturally creative and loved drawing for as long as she could remember and said that there was nothing she would rather do, she would spend her whole life drawing if she could. Other Artists Inspire Emma. I think as humans we all look to other people to inspire us but the journey through Emma’s young age influenced her as well as nature catching her eye and as she told us her mood can really affect her creations.

Emma is another mixed media artist and as we all know the way the world has changed from artist staying inside one box is no longer good enough for our own creative minds.  She loves to illustrate digitally, draw and create handmade jewellery and also paint. Take a LOOK!!!

Click image for slide show.

When asking Emma if she prefers to work alone or in a team this is what she told us.

“I do prefer to work alone but that’s only because I have a real hard time communicating my thoughts and ideas to people.”

We think a lot of us have this problem trying to get your ideas communicated to the person in front of you or through emails or even drawing sketches, it can be hard to get your vision across but the upside of working in a team is that you always have that input and support of the person you are working alongside.  There are pros and cons to each method. Over at A.R.Tees we believe in a happy medium.

Emma Lou studied contemporary creative practices but she is mostly self taught and strong in her field of creative expertise's. She loves Jamie Hewletts work and Zdzislaw Beksinski and the Stephen King books.

When we asked how she spends her day this is what she told us.

“Most of my time that’s not taken up by my day job is taken up with creating art, except when I squeeze a little bit of gaming in.”

So there you have it a brief insight to this amazing artist make sure to check out her work at the links provided like and share her page and stay connected. 

Click Image to head to Emma Lou's Page.

Sea Dogs Barbers

Hello everyone, we have some fantastic news for all the people living in and around the Saint Austell area. If you are looking for a friendly laid back environment to get your new look Sea Dogs Barbers has just opened up.

They offer a wide range of new fresh looks with fades,beards,straight shaves and also that classic cut with an eye for detail and great banter this is the place to go to get your style down.

You can find them here check the map.

 

Sea Dogs Barbers don't just offer amazing fresh styles they also have a wide range of affordable products to keep your look staying sharp and you at your best. You can find these products in store or via their website. 

Check it out.  

Click image to go to Sea Dogs online shop.

You can also find Sea Dogs on facebook and Instagram. 

Click Image to go to their facebook page. Don't forget to like their page.

The Man Engine

If you missed The Man Engine travelling around Cornwall over the past two months you can catch some snippets of him here at Angels Recommend.  A brief bit of history a man engine is a mechanism of reciprocating ladders, stationary platforms installed in mines to assist miners working on different levels move from each layer inside the earth. It was invented in Germany in the 19th century and was a major feature of tin and copper mines in Cornwall until the beginning of the twentieth century. The first one created in Cornwall was in Tresavean Mine in Lanner Near Redruth. 

The Man Engine Puppet that has travelled its way across Cornwall is a modern day art illustration of these historic machines. The biggest man made puppet of its kind over 10 metres high makes it a spectacular event to see bringing in crowds of thousands and each destination it arrived at from Liskeard to Penzance. 

Photographs taken by Christopher Jarrold  Click image for slide show. 

The Man Engine brainchild of Cornishman Will Coleman proved to be a success and was invented to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cornwall's mining industry landscape attaining World Heritage status. 

Film footage recorded by Christopher Jarrold.

Here is some footage from when the Man Engine was in Saint Austell enjoy. 

New life after every Illustration

Hello everyone we have a fantastic new offer as a big thank you for everyone that has liked or followed A.R.Tees in the last few weeks, months and years. We would like to give something back to our fans so the next ten customers that order the Demon Samurai warrior illustration will also get a free gift.  So get your skates on before these gifts are gone. 

We have ten packs of 8 illustrative pencils to give away and here is why they are so SPECIAL these are not just any normal pencil. After you have drawn all of your dreams down on paper, let them grow into bigger ideas, plant your sprout gift and then watch them grow too. For more information about these little magic pencils you can watch the video link below and listen to the founder of sprout explain how they work.

Remember once they are gone they are gone we only have ten packs to give away, when you buy the Demon Samurai Warrior print.  Thanks again for helping Angels Recommend grow.

Dali Never Sleeps

Here at Angels Recommend would like to thank everyone at Blackwater studios for helping us create the Dali Never Sleeps T shirt. 

Click images to see the screen print process of Blackwater studios.

Blackwater studios did all the screen printing for this new arrival at Angels Recommend.

A little bit about Blackwater studios

"Blackwater Studios is a 2015 re-brand of a screen printing company which has been screen printing T-shirts for more than 40 years. We have been specialising in water based screen prints for nearly 10 years, as a response to concerns about plastics in our environment. Blackwater Studios remains a small independent business, capable of high volume orders, yet still able to make responsible decisions regarding our process. If you would like to connect with us and find out a little more, why not take a look at some of our social media."

 

 

Click their logo to go to their website.

Zenna Tagney An Artist Revealed

Hello everyone. Angels Recommend here again with another artist reveal. 

We have another artist to share with you today her name is Zenna Tagney born in (06/02/1988) from a small town called Tywardreath the same small town our resident artist grew up in. Cornwall.

Just like the other reviews we have done with other artist we asked Zenna Tagney the same questions.  When asking her that first important question of how she discovered she wanted to be an artist this is what she told us.

“I've always enjoyed art and made little sculptural things with whatever I could find. I guess when I knew I was do something in the creative/art world was when it came to choosing subjects to do at college and I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I chose to do a National Diploma in Art and Design so I could do solely creative subjects.”

So what was Zenna’s inspiration? She takes her inspiration from her Cornish heritage from traditional stories, folklore and superstitions. She also likes to explore with the human connection to other animals and landscapes we all live in. This is what leads to her hybrid sculptures a mixture of human animal plant forms.

When asking Zenna what format she liked to work in she told us it was mainly ceramic based work incorporated with other materials fabrics, woods, hidden treasures found like objects and vegetation that she can re-purpose to create her artwork.

Zenna likes to work with a mix of both utilising a team and working on her own she finds collaborative projects to be a challenging task that she can enjoy bouncing ideas off other artist such as herself. She has worked on various community projects with the theatre companies.

“It’s all ways great to work in big team; I get a real energy boost from it.”

We totally agree it is a big part of our dynamic as Angels Recommend.

Journeys are a big part of an artist’s life and story they are trying to convey. Our resident artist did not know that Zenna Tagney who he had gone to school with had become an artist as they had different paths and education.  Zenna studied a National Diploma in Art at Truro College and went on to Falmouth University to do a Foundation Degree followed by a B.A (HONS) in contemporary crafts.

(Click Images for slide show)

As you can see Zenna is very talented.

We asked Zenna this question, tell us about yourself. I.e. your favourite artist, books you look at. Any magazines you are interested in or any others. Here is what she said.

“I don’t really have one favourite artist, there are so many whose work I admire; Tessa Farmer, Julie Byrne, Tim Shaw, the magical Frouds, and the ever-inspiring Arthur Rackham to name just a few.”

We always like to add this question for an insight into the artist we are talking about. Also so you can hunt down some people or information/books, music that you may not have heard about it also lets us hunt for different artist and expands our knowledge. Sharing is the key.

Now go hunt for the rest of Zenna's amazing works you can find her on facebook just jump down the rabbit hole ^_^.

(Click this image to go to Zenna's Facebook page.)

Get your hands on some of Zenna's work and go to her website to find all her contact details click the image below.

We hoped you enjoyed this artist reveal please do leave comments in the comment box we love to hear from you. 

Manta Turret An Artist Revealed

Hello everyone

This is Matt Uren A.K.A Manta Turret. Matt was born in January of 1980 in Truro, raised in Penzance but now lives in a little town called Saint Austell in Cornwall of the United Kingdom.

When talking to Matt about how he got involved in art he said to us he had always loved to draw and doodle from a very young age. When he was at secondary school his teacher did not feed his creativity. This was due to the style of Mats work. This happens to a lot of young artist when heading through that first educational step. It is something to watch out for if becoming an artist. First rule don’t give up.

Matt is hugely inspired by street culture; from music to fashion also the area he grew up in has a part to play on his inspirations when creating.

“Penwith has such a large amount of artistic people crammed into a small, beautiful, sea battered area.”

When talking to artists we like to ask them how they work because every artist is different and unique. This is what Manta Turret said.

“I like to doodle to get the ideas flowing but a lot of the time I jump straight to adobe illustrator and start making marks. I and the pen tool have become very good friends over the years.”

Manta Turret works as a single unit but he is looking to do more collaborations or community projects this year in 2016. So if you are reading this and think you have a project his contact details will be at the bottom of this page. The words he used were.

“It’s great to spend that time with like minded creative’s.”

He also has a print shop that has just gone live and has done freelance design jobs for a verity of different companies from around the United Kingdom.

He is a self taught artist because of the lack of inspiration and support of his art teacher at school Matt said he had given up with idea of having a career in the artist industry. He kept drawing as a hobby. This is what he had to say.

“A friend of mine kept saying I should try out adobe illustrator & photoshop (thanks Jan). Eventually I got hold of a copy (Donated by a friendly pirate) and tried it out. I soon realized that this was where I wanted my artwork to be. I have spent the last six years practicing in my free time trying to find the style I'm happiest with while still working a full time job. I’ve invested in new computers and software and done lots of free work for friends but now feel confident I’m at a level to be taken seriously.”

His work speaks for its self and we also think it is time to take another hidden artist seriously!

(Click image for slide show)

Every artist has different role models. A path that is their own when asking Manta Turret about his interests of others he had a wide range of others to talk about. This is important because there is always someone one new you may never heard of.

“I think the artist I have to give the most credit is Jared Nickerson AKA J3 Concepts. His artwork made me see what was possible with the program and a lot of my early work was heavily influenced by his. Others are 123Klan, Nychos, Richt, 45rpm, Travis price, Chez Meka, I have to stop there before this gets out of hand but anybody out there making good of their creative side is an inspiration…..”

(Click Manta Turret logo to head over to his website.)

So there you have it an insight into the mind of Matt Uren a self taught inspiration. We hope you enjoyed reading and that it may lead to a discovery of your own. 

Manta Turret

Illustration / Design

Instagram @mantaturret

Twitter  @mantaturret

Natalie Toms an Artist Revealed

Hello everyone hope you are all having a great day.

Back with the artist reveals today we have a Natalie Toms another southwest artist just like us from our home ground Cornwall. Natalie is from St Austell was born on the 12th of January 1989 she had a lot to say when answering her questions for A.R.Tees.  Sometimes when you ask an artist when they discovered they wanted to be an artist they don’t always have a straight forward answer and who can blame them, not everyone knows.

When we asked Natalie she couldn’t really pinpoint any specific time period but she knew she had always been passionate about drawing.  We loved her first answer because after all who doesn’t love to draw their favourite cartoon or games characters. I know we did when we were kids and I bet you did too.  As she grew her art grew too. It is always interesting to us how as we develop as people our ideas and styles change with us. Natalie told us after the cartoon drawings she started drawing more realistic and detailed styled work of animals, book characters even mythical creatures.

So her inspirations what were they and what makes her tick. Here is what she said.

“I have an affinity for the relationships between nature and those living in it, as well as our curious human emotions, objects and imaginings. I find my home county of Cornwall very inspiring, and the beautiful flora and fauna that call it home.”

I am just going to say we agree with this county being an inspiration we might be somewhat bias though. It is our home land after all. If you have never been to Cornwall we recommend you take a visit at least once.

Natalie is another example how every artist you will ever meet is different from all the rest you cannot put every artist under one label and think you understand what art truly is. We asked her how she works so we could get a little bit more of an insight in what makes her art work so great.

“I tend to gather around me various reference images, including my own photographs where possible, before I begin. I start by clipping my paper (usually cold press watercolour) to a drawing board, picking up a B or 2B pencil and using the various reference images around me, I create a pose of the subject matter that I've chosen to draw. I sketch out as accurately as I can and with as much detail as I require before taking to my page with a pen. I use either a set of black Staedtler pigment fine liner or a range of Faber-Castell PITT artist pens. My style is quite pointillist, in that I build up detail and shading within my work using small dots. I am yet to create a piece of art that goes beyond an A3 page, as the level of time-consuming detail is quite immense.”

So now you know a little bit more about how she gets that lovely style to grab your eye! Here is a quick slide show of her work. ENJOY!!!

Click image for slide show.

Natalie then tells us she mostly prefers to work alone. However she enjoys discussing artwork with other artists and crafts people but she loves to hide away by her desk, put some music on and sketch until the early hours of the dawn. Something mystical about that we feel. She says it is the best way to focus no distractions or maybe that is how she makes the magic happen who knows.

Not everyone needs to go to college or art school or even university to be an artist. If you are reading this and thinking I need to do these things you don’t if you have been and done it fantastic but it isn’t how every artist gets to where they need to be.  

When asking Natalie Toms about her education or if she was self taught we had a heart warming story sometimes it can be hard in life to do all the things you need to do. She studied in art through school and then moved on to A levels at college. Natalie realised while she was in college that maybe she should have taken graphics alongside fine art but she did how ever take up graphics/ illustration as an AS level in Truro College some time later. Natalie goes on to tell us she regrets not taking graphics from the start she felt she had let herself down and didn’t achieve the grades she desired.

“I let myself down at college and didn't achieve any grade close to what I was capable of. At first, I progressed onto the Art Foundation diploma at Truro college but I didn't make it onto the Pathway Stage; when asked whether I wanted to study this course part-time over two years or leave the course and apply again next year, I chose to leave college and get a job instead. About two or three years later, I found myself wanting to prove to myself I could now complete the Foundation course. My granddad had passed away at the time and left my sister and me some money. I chose to use that money to pay for the one-year ART Foundation diploma and this time, study closer to home at St. Austell College. I succeeded in finishing my course with the highest grade possible: a Level 4: distinction. Since then I have been working harder and harder on my art to get where I am today.”

Our last question, tell us about yourself. I.e. your favourite artist, books you look at. Any magazines you are interested in or any others invokes this response.

“I find myself inspired by the works of many artists, and those who inspire my work have changed a lot over the years. I greatly admire the work of Leonardo da Vinci and the magic in the work of the artists Arthur Rackham and Alan Lee. Shaun Tan is also another remarkable illustrator. At times when I feel in need of inspiration the most, I usually head out into the woodland around Cornwall and gather natural ephemera, take photographs, and take in the views and the fresh air; upon my return to my house, I am always ready to create something new.”

Natalie works at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. This is where you can find her. She also takes on commissions and is applying to join craft fairs in Cornwall for the coming seasons but she mostly does her art work from home.

 

So there you have it another insight into another wonderful artist Natalie Toms.

If you liked her work then you can visit her facebook page.

facebook.com/natalieillustrates

For commission emails:

natalie.toms@hotmail.com

Stuart McGhee An Artist Revealed

Hello everyone

We hope you are having a fantastic day. We have another artist reveal today his name is Stuart McGhee he was born in 1976 from Greenock Scotland currently living in the southwest of England in Plymouth.

Like a lot of artist Stuart is a bit reserved when asking him questions he gets straight to the point no need to dilly-dally so let us fill you in on this wonderful cartoonist.

When we asked Mr McGhee how he first got into drawing his awesome cartoons he told us he had always been able to draw from a young age but it wasn’t until he was 30 that he realised he wanted to become an artist. So whatever age you are and you decide you want to become an artist, JUST DO IT!  Mr McGhee told us he gets his inspiration from everything around him from Television programmes, Movies to games and comic books.

We asked like the artist in other reviews what formats he works in and if he likes to work alone or in a team this is what he said.

“I have just taught myself to draw directly onto Photoshop.  Previous to that I used to work with paper and ink then scan it onto Photoshop to colour.”

“I have never really worked as a team, so I think I prefer to work alone.”

We understand it is nice to work alone sometimes. No distractions all the time you need to focus to create works of wonder like these.

Click the image for a quick slide show.

Mr McGhee runs his art business from his online site and we know that he has worked with people getting his art work into some illustrated books. Mr McGhee also sells his work at conventions he didn't tell us this in his review so we did a little digging. We hope you don’t mind Stuart but we wanted to show of how talented you are.

So was he self taught or did he study we hear you ask. Well it is a bit of both Stuart McGhee told us he could always draw and had some bad advice the first time he tried to go to art college/University so he didn't go when he finished secondary education. He fell into administration work after school and it wasn't until he was 30 that he realised that he would like to use his talent and try to make something of it. He told us he enrolled at Plymouth College of Art for three years, where he felt like they took his talents and moulded it into something useful.

Our last question to him, tell us about you. I.e. your favourite artist, books you look at. Any magazines you are interested in or any others.

“I am a cartoonist and I prefer to draw cartoons as it suites the way I work.  I have been inspired by the great artists such as Salvador Dali and Heronimous Bosch and other great cartoonists such as Matt Groening from the Simpsons fame.  I have always enjoyed comic books/graphic novels especially Marvel.”

So there you have it another artist revealed we hope you enjoyed reading please do have a look at Mr McGhee’s amazing cartoon illustrations.

Click here and take you journey to the Stuart McGhee's website.

Contact details available for commissions.

e-mail: info@stuartmcghee.com 

Or find him on facebook @ www.facebook.com/stuartmcgheeillustration

Mr Skillmatik An Artist Revealed

Hello everyone

We have someone we would like you to meet. He is a skilled graphic designer and goes by the name of Coz. A.K.A Mr Skillmatik

Coz was born in Macclesfield in 1984. Growing up with creative parents he spent most of his childhood with a pen in his hand he was always being creative and by the time he moved on to secondary school he found his love for the creative side of life. Always drawing on the front of his work books and getting into trouble for drawing on desks, uniforms and even the occasional girl. This is when he knew that he would only ever be happy doing creative work or some form of art.

His inspirations come mainly through the music he listens to, other artists, exploring new cities and places. He likes to read stories of inspirational people who are hard working that live their dream and do things that they believe in and become successful at it. Whatever they may be doing whether that is another artist a business man or athlete, Coz believes if you want it you work for it and make it yours.

 Here is Mr Skillmatiks art work. (click art work to view the slide show.)

We asked Coz a few questions to find out how he likes to work. Does he prefer to work alone or in a team here is what he said.

“Both its great, people to bounce ideas off but most of my work is done alone. I have a top little crew of artists and designers that I can contact for feedback and opinions which is vital if you’re all alone in a studio going insane!”

When asking him what works best for him whilst working on his projects he told us he likes to get up really early in the morning with a big coffee “some fresh beats” and work on design based jobs. After that he will move on to illustration jobs with a morefree flowing style by the time he gets to the afternoon as his concentration starts to give way that is when he likes to move on to the more fun carefree art work.  If you ask us he seems like he has it all worked out.

How long did you study in your chosen field we ask.

“I failed at art and design G.N.V.Q level when I was 17 so continued on my own learning adobe software and doing my bit in the street art world back in Manchester. I later gained the confidence to do a Graphic Design degree which took three years. The learning never stops I constantly check up on new techniques doing tutorials and testing my knowledge. It is a constant path of discovery really.”

When asking Coz about his inspirations this is what he said.

“I keep myself immersed in street and urban culture from the music I listen too to things I read, fashion all sorts, I think it helps me keep my work evolving, this also translates into work for instance I did a Grime piece last year where I illustrated loads of grime artist portraits and SBTV the music channel picked it up and I got a commission which then got posted everywhere and brought the whole thing full circle with everyone gaining out of it and it was all for the love of the culture. I love it, I feel part of it!”

Anyone who is interested in this unique artist can check him out for your self's by going to his website. 

Click Mr Skillmatik journey to his artistic realm.

http://www.skillmatik.com/

Or hunt him down on Facebook as Mr Skillmatik

https://www.facebook.com/mrskillmatik/

Banksy Dismaland Tropicana

Opening tomorrow is Banksy's Dismaland with 10 new features of Banksy latest work.There will also be 50 other works of art from other international artist such as Damien Hirst, BillBarminski, Polly Morgan, Mike Ross, Josh Keyes , David Shrigley, Bast, Caitlin Cherry and Espo.

The art work has been shrouded in secrecy and it is said that the idea is that theme parks should have more themes (Dismaland a place of disbelieve) Banksy's  pop up exhibition- know as "the uk's most disappointing new visitors attraction " opens tomorrow for the public in Weston- super-mare are expecting to have incredibly high footfall as visitors can by tickets at 3 pounds to look around Dismaland with interactive art. The venue has a visitor cap at 4000 a day and is open for only five weeks and is running from Saturday 22nd August until 27th of September.

The transformation inside the Tropicana which has been run down for the last 15 years is quite amazing. It is still beaten to its core but now has controversial art work every where.

The Tropicana outdoor pool and leisure facility closed in 2000 due to falling visitor numbers.Since then, there has been various attempts to either reopen or demolish the structure.

Trust member Derek Mead said: "It has definitely put the Trop back in the forefront and I believe Mr Banksy was a swimmer in there in his younger days, so I think there could be an extra agenda here."

Do not miss this. 

 

Check out the map to locate Dismaland.