Julie Arkell

Julie is an English textile artist, she uses paper mache to create her quirky distinctive art and does all the work by hand. She uses discarded toys and found materials to produce her craft/folk art style eccentric characters and whimsical items . Julie is based in London and has written a book , her work sells for around £200 to £300 per item ! I really love it , the vintage fabrics , the knitted clothing and the newspaper print its very striking and utterly bonkers!

Boy George

I love George , have done since i was a kid and boy did he communicate his message in a visual way. His first TV appearance caused confusion as to his gender due to his make up ,hair and clothes people had never seen any one like him on main stream TV. George remained ambiguous about his sexuality for a long time but his appearance was communicating loud and clear. He is not shy to voice his views but he also uses his music and his style of dress to express him self . I love him because he is not afraid to be an individual , he does what he wants to do (despite the consequences and the fact that he is very sensitive and really does care about what people think of him!) and his personality is as big and bold as his make up!

Visual Communicators

Its so much easier to write it or draw it than it is to say it!! This is how i feel any how,and i have come to realize that i am not alone, some of the people at uni would rather die than give you eye contact because that could lead to a conversation, but they can communicate beautifully through their art! Don't get me wrong i love people and chatting but i would rather stick needles in my eyes than have to speak publicly, i just find it a trauma and I'm am not naturally able to articulate well. I know you can be taught how to give presentations but i feel you are either born a public speaker or you are not! The art world is a fantastic way of releasing what remains unsaid and i see it as therapeutic ( yes i am a mentalist). The stuff i am producing contains my issues and i am discovering a lot about my self and it is scary but also liberating ( oh the rambling of a middle aged basket case! ). I am trying to make sense of what motivates me and what i find inspirational in order to complete my critical studies presentation about my own practice. Most of the artists and designers that i admire don't have a problem communicating their feelings and opinions in a visual way and i guess that's the whole point! For this brief i have to talk publicly about my work , so deep breath ( some one pass me the needles! )hahah!!!

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. Film 1971 directed by Mel Stuart

Another classic film and for me far more visually appealing than Tim Burtons 2005 version Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Its a surreal adventure with a dark message and the visual impact is immense ,it reflects the psychedelic feel of the 1970's and has a trippy quality. Again the vibrant colours really grab my imagination and communicate a message of madness and eccentricity. Jean Wilder is a fantastic Willy Wonka! The bizarre fairytale world is what i am looking into for my latest college project.

Wizard Of Oz, film 1939

This is with out doubt my favourite film of all time , it was televised every year with out fail at Christmas when i was a kid. The colours and craziness just blow my mind when i consider that it was produced in 1939 , in my opinion it is the best film ever made and i never tire of watching it. It was a huge production with a large cast and the most amazing effects created through elaborate costumes , make up, sets, talented actors and a forward thinking risk taking production team ! FABULOUS!

Monkey TV show 1978

This TV show was brilliant, it was based on the classic Chinese novel Journey To The West by Wu Cheng'en .It was a funny,action fantasy adventure which was performed by Japanese actors filmed in China then dubbed into English! Monkey is the main character and is born from an egg on top of a mountain, he journeys to find enlightenment along with his two side kicks Pigsy and Sandy and their friend Tripitaka who is a monk. Each episode involves the gang battling monsters, demons or bandits and there is always a moral message based upon Buddhist philosophies. My brother and I both loved this programme and in our house it was compulsive viewing! I found the terrible dubbing and comedy voice overs highly amusing and my favourite scenes were always the ones that included the bizarre monsters and eccentric costumes . If you have never seen it you really have to watch it i just know you will love it!

Planet Of The Apes TV series 1974 created by Anthony Wilson

I have very fond memories of this science fiction TV series from my child hood. I was never interested in the plot or story it was always the visuals . There are some reoccurring themes developing in my work ,people, animals , surrealism , nonsense, illustration. I think that because my previous jobs have always involved very heavy real life crisis situations I have had enough of keeping it real and want to tap into my bizarre creative side that has always been lurking in the back ground ! This TV show was one of my favourites i especially loved the character Galen played by actor Roddy McDowell ( i think Roddy's speaking voice was a big part of the appeal, he played the part of another chimp called Cornelius in the film ) The sets , costumes and make up were ahead of their time but if you look at them now the probably seem very primitive, this only adds to the magic for me !

Alice in Wonderland Film by Tim Burton

Woahhhhh what an amazing visual experience! I saw this film last night at the imax cinema in Manchester WOW ! The make up, the costumes, the cast, the voices ,amazing! It has reassured me that I'm not the only person who produces weird imagery and that the surreal does have a mass appeal . I was particularly looking at the colours and the florals in relation to my current college brief , the flowers had faces and there were mushrooms a plenty, right up my street ! As for the colour palette well it was loud and proud, one of the most powerful scenes for me was the red and white battle sequence towards the end of the film awesome! The story has been presented in film before but this interpretation is so incredibly well photographed and beautifully executed that for me( some one who really struggles with digital design!) it is a technical triumph !

Martine Roch

I discovered the work of Martine Roch when i picked up a brochure for La Marelle designs at the Spring Fair trade show in Feb at the NEC in Birmingham. I absolutely love the quirky mix of human and animal form, they are such sweet images. Like me Martine switched careers to enter the art world she began as a photographer and is now an independent illustrator. Her two loves in life are animals and creating imagery, so she combined the two. Martine creates a surreal world by combining found images from flea markets with her own photographs of animals , i think they are amazing , the colours are beautiful and the images are so Sharpe and crisp against the subtle muted back grounds , this work is truly inspiring to me , i think it is fabulous!

Live Brief

You can't teach an old dog new tricks !! Ask Mandy or Esther because they have tried hahahah !I did not resolve any of my design issues , i ran out of time ( and patience) and having failed miserably on photoshop opted for hand made cards ! some you win some you lose!