Ok, so International Poster Month doesn’t actually exist BUT if it did (which it doesn’t) it would be May 2012...but its not. 

Basically there's a mega-ton of poster shows coming up in the UK and Euroland throughout May and I am about to tell you about them. Here we go!

First out of the proverbial kitchen will be Poster Roast at Camden Crawl 2012. This is the third year running PR has been at Camden Crawl exhibiting UK poster supremos and this time round they will be doing it alongside the wonderful Alternative Press and Lexington Record Fair in the epic Camden Church. All taking place from 5th-7th May, 1-8pm, so come and say hello.

More info available here: http://posterroast.com/site/2012/01/26/camden-crawl-2012/

If Poster Roast is the starter of our poster banquet, then the next UK show is certainly the main meal, and what a main meal it is. It's the sort of main you have when someone else is paying. That's right folks, next up is Ink & Paper, the first show from the UK Poster Association (UKPA) and one of the biggest gig poster shows these shores have seen, and certainly one of the largest featuring predominantly UK poster peoples. It will be a great show, with a shed load of affordable and amazing posters plus excellent booze from Brooklyn Brewery at the opening. There's even a Q&A with some of the artists on the Sunday. Blimey! Here's all you need to know:

INK & PAPER
The Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street, London, E1 5LJ
11th-13th May 2012

Opening hours
11th May opening event -18.00 – 21.00
12th May – 11.00 – 18.00
13th May – 11.00 – 18.00 (panel discussion/Q&A at 16.00)

INK & PAPER is a major exhibition of gig posters by some of the world's best poster artists taking place May 11th-13th off London's Brick Lane at The Rag Factory. One of the first shows to feature many of the UK's current crop of poster designers alongside some of the best from Europe and the US, INK & PAPER will feature a vast array of limited, screenprinted gig posters for bands across the musical spectrum. 

Featured artists include: Adam Pobiak (UK/US), Brag Collective (UK), Comet Substance (CH), Damien Tran (FR), Dan Stiles (US), Diego Mena (UK/ES), Drew Millward (UK), Fugscreen Design (US), Graham Pilling (UK), Guy Burwell (US), Horse Design (UK), Jacknife (UK), Justin Santora (US), Kate Prior (UK), Lil Tuffy (US), Luke Drozd (UK), Mara Piccione (NL), Petting Zoo (UK), Sean Mort (UK), Switchopen (UK), Telegramme Studio (UK), Tiny Little Horse (IRE), Tom Lacey (UK), Twoducksdisco (UK), Michael Cowell (UK), Monkey Ink/John Howard (US) & WeThreeClub (UK).

For more info see www.ukposterart.com
or email info@ukposterart.com 

Then, if we are intent on keeping this food metaphor going, which we are, we will move onto poster dessert in the form of Liverpool's amazing Screenadelica exhibition, founded by Liverpool designer Horse 

Now in it's third year at Liverpool's Sound City festival, Screenadelica plays host to a massive dollop of the world's finest poster artists alongside a programme of excellent music, and it's also one of the few mainly non-wristbanded events at the festival. 

Featured artists include: Adam Pobiak (UK/US), Brag Collective (UK), Comet Substance (CH), Damien Tran (FR), Dan Stiles (US), Diego Mena (UK/ES), Drew Millward (UK), Fugscreen Design (US), Graham Pilling (UK), Guy Burwell (US), Horse Design (UK), Jacknife (UK), Justin Santora (US), Kate Prior (UK), Lil Tuffy (US), Luke Drozd (UK), Mara Piccione (NL), Petting Zoo (UK), Sean Mort (UK), Switchopen (UK), Telegramme Studio (UK), Tiny Little Horse (IRE), Tom Lacey (UK), Twoducksdisco (UK), Michael Cowell (UK), Monkey Ink/John Howard (US) Toby Whitebread (UK), Handcooked Posters (UK), Error Design (ES), Craig Robson (UK) & WeThreeClub (UK).

For more info see: http://www.screenadelica.com/ 

Phew, I feel tired already. But that is not the end of International Poster Month, no no. Following on from Screenadelica's rich, poster-based desert, we move through to the lounge for some after-dinner drinks in the form of Flatstock 34 at Primavera Sound on May 31st, and June 1st & 2nd 2012 at Pare del Forum, Barcelona, Spain. There is a bag-load of amazing poster stars from around the Life Sphere we call Earth.

Here is a list of their names of those in fleshy attendance for you to read: Michael Hacker (AUT), The Red Can Company (DE), Douze (DE), Grace Helly Graphics (DE), Damien Tran (DE), Mitchum D.A. (DE), Clockwork Pictures (IT), The Impossible Machine (NL), Comet Substance (CH), Sean Mort (UK), Horse (UK), Luke Drozd (UK), Adam Pobiak (UK), Michael Cowell (UK), Army Of Cats (UK), Tiny Media Empire (US), Justin Santora (US), Fugscreens Studios (US), The Decoder Ring (US), Crosshair (US), Voodoo Catbox (US), Ink Monkey (US), Clint Prints (US), Michael Michael Motorcycle (US)Guy Burwell (US), Casey Burns (US), Lil Tuffy (US), Shawn K. Knight (US), Boss Construction (US), Penhead (US) & Weathermaker Press (US)

After that I will return to the UK weary and sick of posters and will promptly go on holiday, which will actually just be me sitting in the studio in the dark in my pants. Dark, dark pants for dark, dark times…

Maybe see some of you at one of the shows. Come and say hello, I desperately crave company,

Bestest, Luke

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Hello internet friends

So, i've had a busy few weeks with poster jaunts to Aarau in Switzerland and then Chicago and Austin in the US. All were amazing and a big thanks to all the lovely people I met on my travels. You made this foolish man very happy.

The good news is that whilst on that trip I had three new posters released and made two new art prints. I might be lazy, but I still get things done.

First up for the new prints we have a collaboration with Jay Ryan called Sloth Comes To Visit, which is an 8 colour slice of joy born from our collective love of animals, sea slugs, small houses and oddness. I met Jay years ago at the opening of his first show in Manchester at the Richard Goodall Gallery along with many other of the current UK poster nerds including Graham Pilling and Drew Millward. If one man is to blame for us persuing this gig poster thing, it is most certainly Jay Ryan. To say it was an honour when Jay agreed to work with me on this is an understatement and the couple of days spent making this in Skokie were truly inspiring. The print can be bought from The Bird Machine site HERE for a mere $40 and there are a few process pics at the Bird Machine Facebook page HERE. Enough gushing, here's the print:

Second up we have my Andrew Bird poster. This was the poster for the mini Euro tour in support of the release of the new record (which is excellent, as you would expect from Mr. Bird) called 'Break It Yourself'...hence the smashed Faberge Egg. Plus he's called Bird you see...Bird's lay eggs...It's clever you see....no?....sorry. It's available from my online purchase hut HERE. Look at it with your vision orbs now:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Luke

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Hello people of the internet!

Amongst the slew of illustration and poster mania that was January, I also found time to finish off a few pieces of fine art work, all quite different in their execution but all with a similar tone. There will be more new work coming soon but for now have a peek and see what you can see see see:

'Gerharder' - pencil crayon on graph paper

'Deep Blue (Purple)' - paddling pool, mister, branch, paint, tinsel, wire and wishbone

See the full gallery on Posterous

Here's a short video of Deep Blue (Purple) working here:

'Dear John' - Book page & frame

'Rushed' - pipe cleaners, oasis and mirrored card

Ok, that's all for now

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Hello chums

All is going full-pelt up our way and we have a load of poster shows and a couple of new prints available to prove it. I don't know why i said 'we', it's just me here, and i'm cold and scared. But never mind that...

First up i can finally reveal my new poster for The Black Keys. Designed for the Edinburgh show on 4th March 2012, this is now available along with my recent comic influenced poster for The Local's 'SHHH' Festival, an all-day celebration of quiet music, art and film. Both can be bought at the online shop HERE.

Now for the upcoming shows. Over the next few months, as well as staring at my posters on mass on the compurenator on your desk, you will be able to go and look at them on mass in physically physical spaces where you can talk to other humans about why someone would bother. Where? I will tell you where:

1. Prints & Tunes, Aarau, Switzerland. The first of this years overseas jaunts will take me to the unfamiliar terrains of Switzerland. Looks like a great show, put together by the folks at Laborartix, alongside some wonderful poster fellows including friends Furturtle and Damien Tran. Come meet us all at the opening on 2nd March 2012. More information available HERE.

2. Flyposting, Leeds, UK. A poster show in the city where I began designing posters and taking place at The Gallery at Flannels, 68-78 Vicar Lane  Leeds, LS1 7JH from March 6th - May 6th 2012. Sadly I won't be there for the opening but there's a great selection of poster talent in the show including Mara Piccione, Jacknife and Nick Rhodes aka Switchopen.

3. Flatstock 33, SXSW, Austin TX, USA. Last but by no means least the UKPA will return to Flatstock at SXSW with some of the best in UK poster artists including Graham Pilling, Telegramme Studio, Cameron Steward aka Twoducksdisco and Scrawled Design. If you find yourself there, just follow the babbling British nonsense at it should lead you right to the UKPA booth. More info on the show exists HERE and on the UKPA HERE.

Finally in case you wondered what was rattling around in my head, the Crewkoos lot have put together a wee interview with me about my posters. If you have time to waste it lives in this bit of the internet HITHER.

That's it for now, better be off

best, Luke

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Hello all

January has proved rather busy so far with five new screenprinted posters, an art print and other gubbins all going on at once. The latest to go off to the printers are this set of promotional posters for FIM - International Federation of Musicians (or Fédération Internationale des Musiciens in French hence FIM). These will be available at SXSW and also given out as postcards to encourage musicians to join their local musicans unions. Have a gander:

See the full gallery on Posterous

I will have copies of these available at Flatstock at SXSW as well as in my online shop mid March

Best

Luke

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Hello all

2012 is upon us already and with the potential end-of-the-world firmly in sight we charge forward into its open jaws...or something like that.

Right the first of the years posts is here and its all about the next installment of the Local's excellent 'SHHH' events which will take place on Feb 4th at Gallery Cafe, London. 'SHHH' is an all day celebration of quiet music and for the first time alongside the great music, which includes the likes of Steven Adams, Anna Meredith, Tom Rogerson (Three Trapped Tigers) and many more, it will also feature a few bits and bats of art and film that relate to quietness curated by me. This will include audio-visual sculptures by Rita Evans, some improvised soundtracks to silent films and a screening of the first part of the new film about David Thomas Broughton. Exciting stuff indeed.

As if that weren't enough I have designed a new poster/print for the day which will be available at a special discounted price on the day alongside a host of other merch and goodies. Look at it now:

All in all it should be a great day so i suggest you go get yourself a ticket HERE 

More things soon

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Well, turns out that there is time for one last blog of 2011 afterall, this time with a more illustrative bent.

Couple of illustration things for you then. First off I have a new one colour tee for the excellent Vessels.

I have also just completed the artwork for a great Harsh Noise record called 'Gift From God' by Pirtek and Impetuous Urge. It features a track called 'Thirst For Piss' so you know it must be good. It should be out as a digital download before Christmas so when I hear more i'll post a link up on the blog. Edit: Download the album here: http://pfp.decx.org/ 

Here it is:

bye!

Luke

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Hello all,

There is a good chance this may be my final mind-gas of 2011 so soak it in, really bathe in it, let its calming rays penetrate straight to your core. Here we go!

First off, exhibition news. As well as the 38b show we are hosting this weekend here, i will also have one last small show in London before the year is finally put to bed. It is part of the Shelve project at LXV Books in Bethnal Green and will feature a few pieces of work made over the last few years inlcuding some of my Romance pieces and a couple of my lined and graph paper works like these fellas below:

See the full gallery on Posterous

To give you a bit of gubbins on Shelve, it's a collaborative project between LXV Books and Amber Ablett which exhibits art works on a shelf in the bookshop. Good stuff! There will be an opening do with drinks on 15th Dec from 5.30pm, then the show continues until the 21st. Facebook event and map thing HERE. Hope to see some of you there. 

Finally, here's a few peeks at some new works from the studio, again probably the last that will be completed in 2011. Some new works nearly there, ready for glaring at in 2012:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Goodbye interpeople!

Luke

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See the full gallery on Posterous

Just a quick post for those who may find themselves in the Glasgow area in the next few weeks. The collective I work with, Black Dogs, have a publication and exhibition currently on show in the wonderful +44 141 gallery called Next To Nothing, looking at the idea of value in art and artistic making, and it includes two of my works (see above). Or as someone a bit more quick witted than I put it:

'DIY art collective Black Dogs presents the second installment of their Next to Nothing publication and exhibition, the first outing of which took place in an empty shop unit in Leeds in October this year with contributions from over thirty individuals and collectives. The contributors occupy various positions in relation to the label ‘artist’; raising questions about when something is art, who can make it and what the worth of calling it art is anyway.'

It runs until 02.12.11, Wednesday to Saturday 12:00 - 18:00 here:

+44 141 Gallery
SWG3
100 Eastvale Pl.
Glasgow
G3 8QG
www.swg3.tv
work@swg3.tv
+44 141 357 7246

For more info go to: http://www.black-dogs.org/

BYE!

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Word to you, the internetters. You're all well i see,

Ok, been holding off on posting a couple of things but they are all finally done, ready and out there in the real world so i can share them with you too.

First up is a new poster for Death Cab For Cutie. Always liked myself a bit of DCFC so it was a great job to work on and was commissioned via the Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester. They are inspired by vintage travel posters and available now from my webstore HERE and from the RG Gallery in person soon. Here it is:

If they didn't sell out (which they probably didn't) they should be available from myself and Screenadelica soon.

And finally, I was asked as part of an ongoing relationship with the fine folk at British Underground, if could design the poster/advert/branding thingy for their stand at this years Womex convention. Brace yourselves...here it is!:

Bye! Luke

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Hello Interworld! You are looking well, have you been away?

Anyways, this is a post that has been a long time coming but, finally, I am able to proudly announce the launch of my brand new t-shirt 'TATS' in all its stupid glory. BEHOLD:

See the full gallery on Posterous

We all love tattoos, right? Yes, of course we do. Well believe it or not I often get asked if I can design them for people, or folks send me images of one of my scrawls forever injected in ink-form under their pallid skin. Good for them! However it also got me thinking, wouldn't it benefit us all if there were a simple flash sheet for people to choose from with some of the best pictures that live inside my head? And wouldn't it be even better if this flash sheet where in t-shirt form? Well that's exactly what's gone and happened.

'TATS' is available in S, M, L and XL and in a limited run of 50 shirts, and as if that weren't enough each t-shirt comes with one of four sets of temporary tattoos based on the tee design to trick your friends and wow the ladies/gents of your dreams. Tattoo-licious!

You can get your 'TATS' t-shirt and temporary tattoo set from my online shop hither: http://lukedrozd.bigcartel.com/product/tats-t-shirt-and-tattoo-set

Enjoy!

And who knows, if you send me proof that you have actually got one of these things made all permanent on your body i may just send you something special in the post.

All the best

Luke

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Greetings all, I trust you are ok?

Just a quick message to firstly thank all that came down to the opening of the '100 Years' exhibition at Tottenham Hale International Studios (T.H.I.S), picked up a publication and had a drink with us. It was a swell evening. 

And for those that were unable to see the show on the opening night, this is a gentle reminder that it is open for one more day this Monday 31st October, 11am - 6pm. Amongst many excellent pieces from my studio colleagues my new work 'Totem Palm' is on show and it looks a little something like this: 

See the full gallery on Posterous

Where is T.H.I.S? It's 5 mins walk from Tottenham Hale tube on the Victoria Line HERE. Best

Luke

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Hey hey!

With the recent slew of illustration based blog posts i have been putting up here, I thought I should probably post up some new pieces and info from the world of my fine art work. Well this is that very post. Here we go.

First up my piece Gigantor (above) will be part of the Matt Roberts Arts Salon show that opens Thursday 6th Oct. Come and cast a critical eye over my artistic wares from 18.00. Here's the blurb:

'Following 1650 applications to the Salon Art Prize 2011, the selection panel have chosen a total of 69 exhibitors, working in painting, sculpture, 2-D media and installation. The exhibition will take place at our gallery space, Matt Roberts Arts, 25 Vyner Street, E2 9DG, from 7th - 29th October, 2011, Friday to Sunday (12.00 - 18.00)'

For info on other exhibitors etc see http://www.salonartprize.com/

I also have a few new pieces that are ready to be seen by peoples eyes. Look at them now:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Bye for now. Luke

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Just realised that although this lauched a bit ago i haven't actually posted a blog thing about it so here goes...

Hail internet companions! I trust you are all of sound digital health?

The super chaps at Poster Roast have teamed up with the awesome folks at Awesome Merchandise to put togther a super awesome collaborative print and tee project. Six designers were selected and each will have there work included in print form with every order that Awesome Merch send out for a month long period. Each designer was asked to come up with something they think is awesome. I came up with a town called Awesome, population...YOU! Here it is: 

And as if that weren't enough you can also buy the design in t-shirt format to wear over your bodies here. Awesome!

The other awesome designers in the series are Drew Millward, WeThreeClub, Graham Pilling, Telegramme Studio & Twoducksdisco. Awesome. Right i have typed the word awesome enough now

Bye all

Awesome

Luke

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Hello all,

Hope this finds you well. This is a quick, wee blog update about a recent project that has now launched.

As part of Ekko's, a live music venue in Utrecht, 25th anniversary celebrations, they teamed up with Push & Pull Posters aka Mara Piccione, to put together a series of commemorative posters for seminal and/or great gigs at the venue. Due to me having quite a bit of dirt on Mara she agreed to let me design a print for Franz Ferdinand. Here it is:

The rest of the series features some amazing work (including a lovely one for I Am Kloot from my poster friend extraordinaire Mr.Graham Pilling) so go and have a squizz at them too HERE.

Bye for now, Luke

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 Hello all, I trust you are well in digital land

First off I have returned to my own shores. This means I have to get on with normal life and pay a load of outstanding bills (as in 'need to be paid' not 'really good') BUT it also means normal shipping times will resume for print purchases. Which neatly brings me on to the fact that new prints are available in the online shop at www.lukedrozd.com.

First up is the print I produced for tUnE-yArDs at Into The Great Wide Open festival. I hope it captures the manic, joyous energy of a band who were the highlight of a great weekend. It is available here.

Second up are the mini prints from the residency with Subwalk in Arnhem. These are available either as single prints or in sets of 3 or 5 and are available here.

See the full gallery on Posterous

best, Luke

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Hello wonderous virtual friends and foes,

So my final week in Arnhem is coming to a close. There have been fun times, prints and artists talks all over the shop and i for one will miss be here at Subwalk, but a couple of days in Groningen beckon before Flatstock Europe 6 later this week.

Most of the week here has been taken up with finshing the design and printing of the mini art-print series 'This, That, The Other', a collection of one, two and three colour lino and photo-plate prints which i think, in general, have ended up working well. There are some pictures below of the works at various stages of completionas part of a very potted run down of the process for those print nerds who like that sort of thing:

1. Designs are taken from brain and made on paper with a pencil and pen:

2. Designs are then reversed and either transfered and cut out of lino:

See the full gallery on Posterous

or designs are scanned, inverted and printed onto acetate. These are then exposed onto photo plates in the magic UV box and the washed out:

See the full gallery on Posterous

3. They ready to print lino looks a little like this:

and the photo plates look a little like this:

4. Ink is mixed, again i use my brain here to think of the colour then my hands and eyes to make sure it matches what is in my brain. Beer helps but is optional:

See the full gallery on Posterous

5. The ink is then rollered onto the plate/lino evenly and it's ready to print:

See the full gallery on Posterous

6. Paper is carefully placed over the print surface and paper packing is placed on top to protect the print and give some pressure when the print-roller works its magic.

7. The print-roller is pulled/rolled over the paper. Underneath magic happens that i was unable to see due to my human eyes not be able to see through paper. The result is the ink has left the lino/plate and transfered to the paper BUT the right way round! Mind-boggling! Peg these up to dry, and get on with the next colour/print:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Repeat as desired. Here we ended up with 11 designs of around 20 pieces each:

See the full gallery on Posterous

I will have these with me in Hamburg for Flatstock if people are interested in purcuring them, and then online afterwards at the old online shop. Subwalk arranged a small pop-up show of then at a great bar/coffee place in Arnhem called Tape. If you are ever in Arnhem i recommend you check it out.

I also did a brief chat/artists talk/waffle time at ArtEZ, the art school here in Arnhem. I think it went well. I talked a mix of sage advice and inane jokes whilst showing work i had made, some of which had penises in/on it. The students seemed interested or at least had the good manners to pretend to be and you can't ask for more than that. Here's a photo i took after the talk of them waving at me but due to me being inept it is blurred and cack-handed. That seems somehow fitting though:

bye for now,

Luke

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Hello inter-chums, hope all is well. The worlds happiest chair greets you!

Well week two of my time in Arnhem, Holland is well underway and I have been working hard at the wonderful Subwalk studios. This week has seen an artist talk, a workshop and a great opening party for the new Subwalk studios.

So on travelling back to Arnhem I spent some time working on a new anniversary print for Ekko in Utrecht which is part of a series of works by a range of great poster designers. Not sure if I’m able to post pics of it yet so for now I’ll hold off but images and more information soon.

Aside from that I have been working away in the rather amazing Subwalk studios and developing a series of lino and photo plate prints that should form a limited set of prints...providing I don't total balls up the printing process itself. There are a couple of sneaky peeks of the lino-cutting stage for two of them below to get those chops salivating.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Finally a huge thanks to all the wonderful people that came along to Subwalk’s opening bonanza of food, booze, posters and art. I had an amazing time and was great to talk to some of you about the weird world of gig poster design. Pictures ahoy!:

See the full gallery on Posterous

I have one week left here now before I hop the border into Germania and attempt to sell posters to the wonderful people of Germany at Flatstock Europe 6. It will be ace...

Speak soon the international-computer-web

Luke

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Hello internet peoples, hope all is well

Meant to write up a bit about my art jaunts overseas before setting off on them but one thing led to another and I'm already a week in so we will back track a little and try and stay reasonably on top of this the rest of the trip.

Ok, I set off last week to do a mini residency in Arnhem, via the wonderful Into The Great Wide Open festival where I was working on a print workshop alongside Mara Piccione and organised by Roos and Hans at Subwalk. Subwalk are also hosting me in their studio in Arnhem for the next couple of weeks and then it’s up to Groningen to meet up with Piccione again and off to the booze and poster funfest that is Flatstock Europe 6. All in all it should be a great trip, and my last big one of 2011.

Bit of information on Into the Great Wide Open: it's a great little (4-5000 people I think) music festival on an island off the coast of the Netherlands called Vlieland. It was laid back, friendly and generally one of the nicest festival experiences I’ve had in a while. We were running a workshop there producing prints via an awesome old roller press with 6 Dutch art students over the three days, which in turn were then either used to advertise pop-up shows or sold as print packs at the merch stall. Great, engaged students and excellent co-conspirators in the form of Mara, Hans and Roos meant a successful workshop was had by all...I think. On top of this I designed one of the official posters for one of the festivals performers, namely tUnE-yArDs who were far and away the festival highlight, a picture of which you should have cast your internet loving eyes over at the top of this ramble and which will be available on my site in October. Here are some pics:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Since leaving the island I’ve been back in Arnhem working on some new commissions, preparing for some more workshops and talks and planning a small project using some of the equipment we put to good use over the festival weekend. More to follow soon.

Oh yeah, and loving Hagelslag on toast

Keep on keeping on

Luke

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These 3 colour, screen-printed, A2 posters feature a monkey king on a throne of building blocks, lost deep in his own Quixotic senility. Silly monkey. Anyway, you can grab a copy at my online tat emporium here.

And while we're here, here's a pic of a recent print set I designed for a clients twins christening featuring imagery inspired by their names, Liberty and Gabriel. I'm rather happy with so lets hope the wee ones are too.

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