And Now For Something Completely Different

Last weekend Amber (A friend of mine from Somerset), asked me for a favour. I generally try to avoid free work as I have limited free time and I want to keep working on my own projects and paid work. But this project was one I couldn’t leave her with, She was wanting desperately some help so I thought .. go on then. I had two days of my weekend to work on this as well as working with other deadlines (I have realised I actually ended up doing both of these in 6 hours accumulatively). What I impressed myself with is that I wanted to do something very colourful and using Adobe Illustrator – Something I haven’t touched upon since 2nd Year at the AUCB. I am quite happy of the outcome given the circumstances and I am intrigued in how to potentially use this practice more often. In all fairness it was a little rushed but its definitely something very different!

Voice is a student led  service at Exeter Uni. It helps students with any studial and personal issues. These are two separate posters. Above, is an ad for their upcoming magazine and below is a poster for there freshers services.

What I have been listening to today whilst drawing. Click the link or HERE for the video.

Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ – Largo. Antonin Dvorak

From the show The Populace Plays – Now owned by Nathan Hole.

Gary King and friends was an exhibition in Glastonbury, Somerset. It was a brilliantly sunny day, hand in hand with cider and music, it was a very enjoyable evening. Exhibit artists were; Sculptor Gary King, Graffiti Artist Kleiner Shames, Cermic Artsist Jo Luckstead and me!

As I am hard at work with work for Obelisk, Paris: I exhibited high quality prints from the last year. Work included a print of my submission for Amnesty International’s; Protect The Human (Image Here), The campaign against ‘Thatcherism’ (Image Here), Smiles & Legs (Image Here), The Tester for The Melophobics‘ YOKO cover (image here) and a few of my old girl images (Here)

I am hard at work with JellyLondon and still keeping on track with the exhibition in Paris (Here). I have many projects up my sleeve; one collaborating with Nick Marsh and another with a highly secretive project for release in June.

Gary King and friends is running until May the 10th and you can see my work at The Hawthorns Hotel, just off Glastonbury High St.

Please keep up to date with Twitter: #reedillustr and here at my blog as my website is still under development..

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I am also running the London Marathon this Sunday (CLICK HERE!!!!!)

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4th May 2011 – Paris

Dear friend and cider drinker; Gary King has invited me to exhibit some work in Glastonbury for a month. Come down to the opening night for a few spring bevvys and some wonderful music. It’ll be a really good afternoon and one you cant miss!!

As I haven’t posted in a few weeks, I thought an update was sincerely on the cards. After the success of The Populace Plays I have worked amicably in aiming for employment. Well after some hard work and a stroke of luck I succeeded in attaining a position to train to be a full-time illustration agent for JellyLondon. A very successful London-based agency who work with a diverse range of clients (Sony, Coca-Cola, Honda To name a few). The illustrators I am representing are sincerely talented and I have attached a few work examples. Since I have moved back to London without a wholesome base for a few weeks, updating has been a little vague but I hope to indulge in my new projects coming soon.

Sandra Suy

Timba Smits

Matt Lyon

Damien Weighill

Adam Haynes

Frome is a town in North East Somerset and according to the 2001 census it has a population of 24,510. Local amenities include a thriving cultural scene with notorious artisan influences and the most idyllic two streets next to the towns center; Cheap St and Catherine’s Hill (Both of which, I love dearly).

For a town with the population of 24,510 there are no less than five local supermarkets (Asda, Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Marks & Spencers and a newly built LIDLs) there are also smaller grocers/general stores, and the countless individually run boutiques, bakeries, cafe’s and pubs. Does Frome really need a Tesco’s? Or is Mr Tesco feeling like he is missing his slice of the pie?

Taken from St Catherine’s Hill’s Website:

Catherine Hill has thrived and flourished over the last half of a decade. There are many of us who recall empty and boarded up shops. These historic and quaint premises are now occupied by specialist’s in Design, Antiques, Crafts and Floristry to Estate agency, Astrology, Coffee and Wholefoods.

Cheap street, the Cheese & Grain, Memorial theatre, Merlin theatre and Badcox are all  vibrant communities and institutions of our glorious community held together by local people.  St.Catherine’s is also a large part of this creative culture and has become a unique treasure of Frome.

Change always brings a level of unsettlement and eventually development of the former Notts industries will happen.

The question is whether a sterile mega store will dismantle the established heart of our community by pricing out sole traders and small businesses

Have your say WEDNESDAY 1ST DECEMBER at the CHEESE & GRAIN starting at 7.30PM – 9.00pm

Click Here For More Info

Plus A video by John Harris on the Guardians website, Click Here (Me and my ‘Movember’ Tash are 7minutes into the video.)

Frome: Will neoliberalism eat my town?

John Harris finds his adopted home town’s economy struggling while publicly funded community life is being hacked back. Into the vacuum steps a new supermarket

Photography from StCatherinesFrome.co.uk

This week’s Score serves as a critique of the modern day art world from the perspective of Rob Reed, a fine Somerset export – an illustrator who produces extremely fine-detail and realistic drawings, Rob has worked for a multitude of clients from Pete Doherty to his local hero, Michael Eavis. So without further ado, we bring you Rob Reed’s Weekly Score.

I’m quite the solitary artist. I have never been invited for a collaborative exhibition and I spend my days working on my own. Not originally by choice of course, but life has just fallen this way. I feel my vision of art and that of myself doesn’t go too well with a majority of practices. My eye for others’ work is mostly scribbled with, “what’s your point? And oh, you’re explaining it in the accompanying text.” In my humblest opinion, I don’t feel that is art, as it doesn’t fulfill its job. I understand my view has segregated myself from the continuous developments of the high art world. As I also feel the majority of people concerned in these practices will shrug off my attempts of expression as “what’s your point? You’re not explaining your thought and practice of mind.” or “Oh, it’s about your heart and your desire’s, well that’s quite quaint.” Therefore I feel the art world and I are at a hammerhead.

Rob Reed – Frome 

I currently work in a countryside town called Frome. With a train station that connects me to bigger cities, but otherwise is filled with art teachers and self- acclaimed experts who know not of my work, and are purely minded upon the delicacies of jam, embroidery, village gossip and the current state of political affairs. Either way it suits me as I can have tea in a beautiful shop selling freshly baked bread, upon a street where a stream does run in-between the cobbles. However, it’s my studio where I reside my ambitions and dreams. Located in an old Georgian Silk Mill, I draw and occasionally write. I have bay windows that look across the vicarage, and a Victorian writing table to think upon my next efforts. Here is where my solitary confinement is conveyed upon cartridge paper, and where I hope to start a legacy.

I feel this is the best place to mention I am 24. I enjoy the essays of Sir Francis Bacon and the days; spending evenings dropping remnants of kebabs on my walk home have seemed to pass me by. I work on solely finding my own soul and I do it through the method of photo-realistic drawing. After leaving university [I presume] we each find the progression into the real world rather daunting. I spent 6 months living in East London and whilst working on a dream, I found the whole thing, somewhat noticeably dark. The thing is with this town of Frome (and its surrounding countryside), I love it, I am overly energised and I think it’s due to the massive open green space. Space that really lets you, well, think. Whilst working here, I have been utterly surprised with the people I have met; Orsola De Castro , (Somewhere), Charty Durrant (Estethica), Po Powell (Hipgnosis) and Kevin McCloud (Grand Designs) to name only a few. I believe being drowned in a wealth of knowledge has rubbed off, and collectively with the able reflection; it has brought me upon a deeper hidden truth.

Jack Vettriano – Couple X 

Both Contemporary Music and Literature are equally as expressive yet their approaches are, I feel, more of an interaction – something more personal. We each can reminisce upon lost love whilst listening to a familiar song and also visualise ourselves in between the towels of an airing cupboard in the latest romantic novel. Yet, I feel art on the other hand, talks to a persons mind, not their heart [I accept that’s a worthy argument] but I personally adore art that stimulates my senses (That ofVettriano) heavily invigorates my emotions and recently, I have found it very, very hard to find. The reason, because it’s very, very hard to do.  After the show has finished how do we get the audience to grieve? Whilst they’re looking at our image how do we get an old man to cry or a wife heathen in anger?

Rob Reed – Smiles 

This is what I feel is real; this is what will make people fall in love again with art. I am at hammerheads with the art world because I love it, yet it does not represent me, its crippled in a bravado of untouchable thinkers and unreasonable prices. Rational men and women are pushed away because of this and it’s not right. I know for a fact that the population of our country would love Art equally as Music and Film, if we just made them feel something truly real – we just have to look at the adorning cues for the previous Banksy exhibit to emphasise that point. I am not saying I have found answers to my theory; I am along way from it. I have literally taken the first step of this marathon in realising it.

I have spent this whole year reflecting and creating work with this in mind. I am lucky (and arrogant enough) to say I am a technically good drawer, yet in past portfolios I have produced physically beautiful pieces, but without any real depth. I have however [I feel] changed that and I am launching a whole new portfolio for a one night only, must see event on Christmas eve’s eve – The Populace Plays. Located in a dark corner of Somerset, In front of every single person I hold dear, each acquaintance I have made, and every member of the public who has once heard my name and attended; I shall stand transparent as an artist.

The Populace Plays 

The work will attempt the first steps in making the populace love art again. I hope it touches people’s souls and if my attempts do fail, I shall continue to fail, fail, and fail again. As, at present I am not an artist where my name neither precedes me, nor do people recognise my work. Yet that doesn’t alter any amount of effort or strife, in making the people of where I live appreciate there can be art as heartfelt as any song.

The YCC.

XS Faber Castell Ink pen on Pastel Paper (Peach). About 10cm x10cm (est.). An illustration I used to explain the locality of my studio within an article of text I recently wrote.  If said article is used I’ll let you know!

http://www.thepopulaceplays.co.uk

The poster is ready to advertise my new christmas event in Somerset. It was created using a technique of combining my photorealistic pencil drawings and Photoshop vector masks. I previously drew this image in Black and White and then decided that colour needed to be added. I’ve been producing work in the same colour effect with hands on pastels and colour pencils. The idea of The Populace Plays is to show the creative and peaceful side of humanity. I tried to incorporate the symbol of the dove which is representative and also (in respect to the date) quite fitting. Gill Sans has recently become a favourite font of mine, Il have to take note of it as not to repeat the font too often.

In more Populace Plays news the blog is up and running on the website and the first few posts are up and a review of one of the acts performing is underway as we speak.

i: ‘Legs’ 29cm x22cm Pencil

ii:’Grin’ 17.7cm x 17.7cm Pencil

These are both presents that have recently given away.

http://8-ml.blogspot.com/

Tickets: Friday 22nd Oct WeGotTickets – Your Online Box Office – PROTECT THE HUMAN AT SHOREDITCH CHURCH 2010

ArtMusic  & The Armed Forces Arts and Music Events Management  present:

‘Protect The Human@Shorditch Church 2010′

October 22nd 2010.

Tickets £6.00 (in advance) £7.00(on the door)

A live music charity event  in aid of ‘Protect The HumanWeek’  for Amnesty International UK.

The Populace Plays is finally under full swing. I have collected a ruddy good line up, organising advertising and programming is underway, Work is looking awesome and today the website is launched!! http://www.thepopulaceplays.co.uk Please check it out, two weeks ago I couldn’t honestly tell you how to make a rollover. Web design was something I thought I could do and this project I have designed everything and I have to say I am quite impressed with myself!!

Robert Reed presents The Populace Plays; ‘A liberation of living out loud.’
The Populace Plays is an event designed and organised by Robert Reed, artist and graduate of The Arts Institute Bournemouth. It is a celebration of creativity, by people for people. With an intention to prove that sincere, young talent lies locally (Collectively staged with some profiled names), The Populace Plays offers a heartfelt moment to stop, stare and rejoice. – Whilst looking damn cool.

“Art and Music work hand in hand – as to put simply – ‘the freedom of expression’. I have collaborated the two to build a scene where we all can integrate in both; a place where ego’s are left at the welcome mat, a position to exult in the Christmas sprit and a spot to joyously play.

No Embellishments, No bull, just honest passions standing parallel to splendour and humanity.” RR.

The Populace Plays does all this whilst reminding us that whilst we’re submerged in the dark winter months we all need to enlighten the beauty of being benevolent. In this world it is our duty make even the smallest differences, all profits made from this event is to be presented to our two charities Help for Heroes and The Flying Colours. They both are very worthwhile causes and the support we will generate will contribute to their efforts in helping others.

For the complete line up of acts and exhibitors please vist http://www.thepopulaceplays.co.uk

Ri x

RR: How did you come about starting your own business?

KC: I left a city PR agency in August 2007 and started to freelance. I’d made some good contacts in my local area and picked up some initial PR projects. Then things just snowballed as I secured more and more business through word-of-mouth and hard work.

RR: How hard was it?

KC: Extremely hard. I worked very long days, evenings, weekends. I burnt myself out on a couple of occasions. But career, job satisfaction, happiness and money wise – I’ve never had it so good.

RR: How long has it taken to achieve where you are now?

KC: I started freelancing three years ago – so it’s taken me about three years to really get solid and stable and have a successful agency rather than just being me.  There’s now a team of 11 creatives at Boomerang, so it’s been a real success.

The two photos above are copyright to Mark Pickhtal.

Today I was informed of a local artist who filled his entire field with CD’s to represent the sea. The grass at Long Knoll near Kilmington (Wiltshire) was covered by a mass of unwanted CD’s sent in their thousands by people across the UK and abroad. 600.000 CD’s lay like a mirror under the dazzling summer sun.

After hearing this I jumped at the chance, only to find a standardly english, grey evening. Although the sun did break through and left me with an imagination of what it would have been like last week in the blasting heat. The blue and green shimmers would’ve undoubtedly been something to awe at.

http://www.cdsea.co.uk/

http://www.brucemunro.co.uk/

I am in life with you. Its a blogroll of imagery that i find inspiring and visually aesthetic. With no real reason for its existence apart from I think the content (designer, product, artist, photographer) or the Image itself is just, well, cool. I bet each artist who has a look at my blog has a folder labeled ‘inspiration’ or something similar. Well that is this. Just online. Its relatively new so there is a small collection and I hope to develop on it further.

The Idea came from a blogroll/website: http://jjjjound.com/ my website is an homage to his or hers and a few of my images are from it as i am still collating my own

Since the election an outcome exists of a coalition between the Liberals and the Tories. I stated as a Liberal my thoughts, intentions and opinion of the Tories (of which, I stand beside). I am unable to see an age-old institution with repetitive personal provocations claim to have the answer of ‘change’.

I saw today, (14th June 2010) Nick Clegg talk about public sector cuts and the necessity to reinvigorate the welfare system. A much-needed action, nether-the-less it will cause angst (Especially services like nursing who might need to lean on a welfare state). He spoke quite earnestly and using the famous ’Clegg charisma’, he expressed sincerity. George Osborne could have delivered the speech yet Clegg, speaking of national pride faced a population to explain the desperate need to cut spending. Whether it was a clever ply by Cameron or even a ‘Give him something to do’ attitude, I felt Liberalism sat with personal prowess on a cautious conservative right hand.

With reference to my earlier post:  ‘Every one likes an under dog’. A comment many have referred to, which,  is an understandable thing but being passionate in an idea is another.

Ideological questions are something that is neither answered nor resolved. One can’t simply tell a population what is right and wrong as opinions are considerably varied, especially within a nation like ours. Our country has a good deal of differentiation especially within political opinion and my opinion is that this revolutionary idea of a balanced parliament (in theory) is like a proverbial seesaw with an axis in the middle. It’s a relationship of give and take. Yet how does a seesaw work when one side is considerably larger than the other? I can’t help but revert my eyes away from the staunchest of Tories refuting the aptitude of Liberalism.

I am not personally saying it wont work, I am open to evaluate the evidence. Liberalism is achieving more for its status in a month than the last twenty years combined. We have a say in the control of our country. We are prepared to challenge and deal with what we need to, to accomplish our goals. ‘To stand in the face of adversity”.  Perhaps the only way for Liberalism to achieve its full potential is to stand side by side with its opponents and fight a ‘common cause’.

What I do find sour is the thought that others firmly perceive it won’t work. Using slanderous smears and based on our current place in politics, people down trod Liberalism. Or worse, use it in a melancholy celebration of opposing forces laying down arms. This is a serious matter and you should not hastily market a balanced parliament to Britain and the world. Liberalism and open-mindedness are two sides of the same coin. Being open-minded,  the awareness of what people are throwing in is imperative . After all it could be any old rubbish. This is why I need to discern that I am a sceptic not a denier.

“The practical way to distinguish between a sceptic and a denier is the extent to which they are willing to update their positions in response to new information. Sceptics are able and willing to change their minds. Deniers just keep denying.” Michael Shermer New Scientist.

I regularly use this blog of mine to promote work and imagery. Over the last election it was pragmatically employed to promote personal opinions. I hope you recognise the overall value of attitudes and outlooks and how they are worthwhile to human growth. I would never think of preventing someone from expressing his or her thoughts no matter how mistaken it is. Hence, why after my last post I felt it was due to give a small measure of closure on the subject.

                                       ‘Say No to Thatcherism’ – Pencil & Photoshop

       We have to make a decision: Do what is easy or do what is right.

I’m a liberal person,  in a personal interest, I dare say the conservatives will ruin all creative chances by removing its critical funding.

As its hard to survive on a pittance now, i hope they consider what their effects may cause. I’m not a great academic nor do I have a strong ability in throwing facts and figures into an argument, I’m normal and susceptible.  But if there’s one thing I know, I doubt David Cameron. I feel he is the preverbal puppet on the richer man’s hand. By all means take my understanding and turn it into an argument for those who have and those who don’t. But please read on..

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF. There is no doubt to that and you’d be ignorant to think otherwise; look at the 1970′s economic recession. The ideologies, policies and political style of the Conservative government has hardly changed. We are in a fortunate place in time where we have seen the aftermath of a conservative government in the same situation. In retrospect: It is our duty not to allow our fragile society to be raped and pillaged ever again; especially by ‘our own’. The reason our society has recently failed with the shortcomings of opportunity that force the younger, antagonized level of society to act out, hasn’t been Labour directly, they were never able to clean up the mess of the prior government. 

Thatcher’s successes were obtained only at the expense of great social costs to the British population. She left office with a collapsed industry and astonishingly 28% of children in the U.K were below the poverty line and some of the poorest in Europe. What Labour did to rectify all of this was borrow their way out and in which, nearly damned killed us.

I understand that time has passed and wounds have healed, but you need to look at the facts of morality, seeded within the conservative’s general ethos. There lies that same iron fist that will hammer whoever lies underneath.

Im 23, and in all aspects, I am Liberal. And as a Liberal it’s our duty to look after our neighbour. Although I don’t claim benefits – I live on a shoestring. And ill stand up and against anyone who wants to take my shoestring to fill their already undersized boots. Everyday, from the outside, I see the bottom of society’s bucket getting more and more desperate, it’s not a false promise we need, just a shimmer of hope. I understand that they offer change but they offer an easy change, it may not be the right one. 

Please, don’t let David Cameron’s plastic exterior and hollow eyes represent us, 

Please, don’t let Fascism continue, for evil to succeed it takes a good man to do nothing,

Please, don’t let them belittle the little people,

Please, don’t let history repeat itself.

Rob Reed

                                       ‘Thatcher Fucked The Kids’ – Pencil & Photoshop.  Lyrics due to Frank Turner.

The ‘Say No To Thatcherism’ poster fueled song ‘Thatcher Fucked The Kids’ by Frank Turner but was created by the distrust and the fear of a Tory government.

Please view:  David Cameron’s Common People

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All Images are subject to copyright. REEDILLUSTRATION ©2010

beinghuman’s weekend brochure 

(Unfortunately WordPress has somewhat dwindled in my opinion,
you now have to pay for certain things ..  
plugins and such .. and i am unable to simply embed the brochure onto the page.)

This weekend will launch of something called ‘The Slow Media Movement’ .. In an age of easily accessible, digital media; our online society has made a platform for some serious intellectual and talented imagery. Lets push it..

This weekend’s evenings have all the elements of a good party, strong acoustic music balanced with an evening dance. Its credible nature is demonstrated during the day with discussions, debates, conflicted interests and opinionated people. People who are on the front-line of their field who eagerly want to share their experiences in the industries of fashion, music, ecology and all aspects of art. Throughout the weekend you’ll be able to witness Live art and some other impressive creative types (For Example; The Signal Gallery, (Hoxton), Seeper, Joseph Hyde, The Open Gallery (EC1), Yeast Culture) .

For me, I am contributing my creative efforts within an open exhibition, if you would also like to contribute or are interested in any other aspect of this weekend please visit www.beinghuman.com where there is all the cont

act information. A weekend ticket costs £35, a steal at what is offered: Trust me. There are day tickets at £10 each and evening tickets cost £15. Tickets are also available from beinghuman.com.

Il be working on this project all the way up to the first day so be aware of my updates ..

Peas.

I have however, found a beauty of a studio. Located within Frome’s Silk Mill, my 200 sq ft studio is on the second floor with its own original winch. I will be sharing the second floor of the building with several artists and designers. From this studio i hope to achieve a number of things. By the end of July i hope to have my online shop running selling a whole new array of work and a new clothing line. I am also hoping to sell my apparel in Bath and Bristol also.

Frome is quite a good place for me to have my studio, there is quite a creative hub, especially with the BeingHuman warehouse in Lower Keyford, The Black Swan Gallery and Arts center and also the intricate boutiques of Catherine’s Hill.

James Yorkston – Woozy With Cider (Jon Hopkins Adaption) (MP3)

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All Images are subject to copyright. REEDILLUSTRATION ©2010

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Did you know, In Finland there is a 25-letter palindromic word?

SAIPPUAKUPPINIPPUKAUPPIAS… It means soap cup trader.