alexandra higlett

BACK BERLIN!

2012-01-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

BACK BERLIN! Is a little venture that Georgina, my dad (Harry) and I have entered into. Well, really, my dad is doing all the donkey work (excuse the sort-of-pun).

We're trying to raise some money to finance our exhibition in Berlin in June 2012. We're being curated by Bettina Wenzel and the good people at enblanco have invited us to exhibit, but we need some backing to get ourselves and our kit over there. While we're exploring more traditional routes - funding applications to recognised bodies etc., we thought we would also make some efforts ourselves.

George and I have invested a modest stake with Harry, to back some horses in a kind of accumulator (but not really) way. We're starting on Saturday at Ascot and will tot up our wins/losses after the Grand National (April 14th). Lets hope my dad really does know a bit about horses. We wanted to report on the whole thing as a little pre-project, and will do so on our blogs. I've made Harry a little documentation pack (Track Record if you will) so he can keep us up to date with how our investment is looking...

2011-12-05T04:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend! I'll have lots of stuff on sale: prints, calendars, christmas cards, books and plenty of other stuff, and there's lots of other brilliant stalls selling all sorts of treats, festive and otherwise. Would be lovely to see you there...

2011-12-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

Calendars are finished! All hand spot-coloured and trimmed and covered and punched and tied.
They're on sale (£5.50 a pop) in my shop...

2011-11-23T03:43:00.000-08:00

This past month I've been working on a 2012 'Calendar for Romantics'. It's about a couple, who meet in January, and tells their story over the following year. Each month has references to that particular time of year; sometimes to do with nature, sometimes about how that time of year evokes certain feelings; and these references are interwoven into the couple's story. It's a little whimsical and a lot romantic.

The black for the pages has been screen-printed already and I'm going to print the covers on Saturday and then add a spot colour to each page, which will hopefully really bring the illustrations to life. The tops will be punched with a hole and strung so that the calendar can hang, and pages turn easily. I'll post photos of the finished thing just as soon as it's done and then it'll be available for sale in my shop.

2011-11-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

2011-11-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

You may recall our project 'ROSE', which myself and Georgina Hounsome were working on for The Cold Press back in August/September. Well, we finally have it all wrapped up and it's now on sale in my shop - a snip at £4. Each book comes with a silkscreen print, hand coloured with scented ink tucked inside the front page. We really enjoyed working on the project together, and though a little daunting (this will be the longest piece of proper writing to our names!) we are really pleased with the resulting story.

Using the area of east London around the old Truman Brewery as a starting point and setting we have created a narrative inspired by smell.
Our sense of smell is strongly associated with memory: Anatomically, the nose directly connects with the olfactory lobe in the limbic system; the are of the brain considered the seat of the emotions. More so than a snippet of sound or a glimpse of an image, catching a trace of a particular scent can transport us back to times past. Dr. Alan Hirsch, a US neurologist, refers to this as 'olfactory-evoked recall' - the immediate recall of childhood memories by a particular odour, and believes that the details evoked by nostalgic smells are not as important as the emotions they recall.

Rose is found in Bow Cemetery having suffered trauma-related memory loss. She is admitted to Stone House Hospital, the former City of London Asylum, where specialists try to illicit the cause of her memory loss and wake her from her amnesia. Rose does not respond to the traditional stimuli the Doctors offer, but through several encounters with different smells. The 'scent memories' awakened within her help her recover her forgotten past.

2011-11-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

We've just come back (last week) from our (very) late summer holiday in Malta. It was amazing. I was particularly taken with the tiles...

2011-09-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

Found this photograph when we were clearing out last night. (Just for fun).

2011-09-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Last August Georgie and I went to The Cold Press, in Norfolk, to complete a two week print residency, and I made six prints. The prints and boxes were all finished the other week and I collected my artist's proof when we went up to London last week.

The prints tell two linked stories - one about a severe ice storm that hit the UK in 1940, and the other the story of a mission my Grandfather flew in during WW2. The two stories are linked visually, through characters, and through their similar narratives of incorrect/suppressed weather reports (the UK ice storm was hushed up at the time - it was thought that if the enemy had knowledge of its severity it would be damaging).

I made plates using etching and drypoint, and these have been hand printed beautifully in a limited edition of 8 sets by The Cold Press, collated in a hand made portfolio along with a letterpressed colophon and account of the Camp Geck mission written by Harry Nixon (my grandfather's best friend).

I am pleased as punch with the results - it has all been presented so beautifully and I'm really grateful to Ben & Kate for all their hard work. Also, thank you to Harry Nixon & Ruth (Harry's daughter) for all their help in getting the account of the mission down in writing.

2011-09-14T02:28:00.000-07:00

George and I have been working on a book - ROSE - for The Cold Press to launch/sell on their stand at Tent London (22nd - 25th September, Truman Breweries, London). It's with the printers now, but will be in our hands on Wednesday and we can't wait.

The books are 60 pages long, pocket-sized and each include a limited edition screen print, hand coloured with scented ink. For more information, we've posted details on the studio blog.

If you'd like a copy + you're in London the do come along to the fair - it looks like there'll be some super stuff to see.

2011-09-05T01:35:00.000-07:00

A few photos from our research trip to London & Kent last month, taken on my new Beirette. These were taken in Bow Cemetery for a project we're doing with The Cold Press, the results of which will be published and available at TENT London later this month. More soon...

2011-08-03T04:03:00.000-07:00

A silkscreen print I made back in June: I was reading Stephen Graham's The Gentle Art of Tramping, which is a brilliant read, and thinking about my dad - whose main occupation is tramping around sussex and beyond. He told me he'd been having eggs for breakfast and lunch since picking some up on one of his wanderings. His mum used to make him fried egg sandwiches - no-one else can make them so good.

2011-07-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

'Selchie' - Two colour silkscreen print on Fabriano paper

A few months ago, after reading some stories from David Thompson's collection The People Of The Sea: Celtic Tales of the Seal-Folk, I made some ink drawings. And now I've used the drawings to make this two colour silkscreen print in bluey + browny acrylic. The print is based on a myth about a seal killer Angus Raudh, who was taken under the sea by a strange man with a seal for a father. By the end of the story Angus has made a pact never to kill another seal.

2011-07-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

'Solitude' - Two colour silkscreen print on watercolour paper, 40cm x 40cm

This is one of my recent prints, featured in the show at The Exchange Gallery. It's based on some of the passages I've been reading in Judith Schalansky's Atlas Of Remote Islands, which is an amazing and very beautiful book.

2011-07-20T01:44:00.000-07:00

George and I have an exhibition on The Ramp Wall at The Exchange Gallery, Penzance, on show until 17th September. The work I've submitted is all print: lino-cut, wood-cut and silkscreen, and is a mix of brand new and some less recent work. George is showing some beautiful drawings, and the main exhibition by five Portuguese artists is a brilliant mix of photography, video and painting. There's plenty to see so please do visit!

2011-07-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

I've been working with the brilliant Bryony Gillard on a project for Plymouth Arts Centre. I was commissioned to make an illustrated map of old Plymouth Cinemas, many of which were bombed during WW2 and have since disappeared. The map was to coincide with Cinema City: Open air film nights at Tinside Lido. It was a great project to work on: lots of freedom, interesting historical research and lots of super old signage and buildings to draw.

Tickets for the two screenings have apparently gone like hot cakes, but there may be a few left:

15/07/11at 8:30pm: The Way We Live + Short Films

16/07/11 at 8:30pm: Blade Runner + Short Films

2011-05-25T03:06:00.000-07:00

We're opening our studio again this year (this weekend and next) and everyone is invited! There are fifteen studios open, all sorts of different work on show, and the gardens are doing a half price deal if you collect one of our flyers : they're well worth a visit.

We do hope lots of you can come up and see us .

2011-05-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

MR & MRS GREN is finished! Georgina Hounsome and I completed a week long residency at The Exchange in Penzance and made a whole book, well forty whole books! The book is a sort of romance, exploring what it is to be alive (movement, respiration, sensitivity etc. - science) and what it is to feel alive (memory, romance, guilt etc. - poetry) through Walter and Vivienne's story. It is made entirely by hand, using silkscreen and letterpress printing, and is bound in smart grey cloth with a letter-pressed slip to keep it all tidy and clean.

You can see photographs of all the stages in the book making process and our daily residency blog posts at studionumbersix, where there's also information about how to buy one (£18+p&p). Hope you like it.

2011-05-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

A sneak preview of some work for our book Mr & Mrs Gren. The project starts on Monday at The Exchange. You can follow our progress during the week at studionumbersix.

2011-04-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

It would be great to see you if you can come along ~ the big-screen-printing-action-packed days should be Tuesday (10th May) and Thursday (12th May), but there will be plenty to see all week...

2011-04-27T01:05:00.000-07:00

Research and preparatory work is well underway on 'Mr & Mrs Gren', a collaborative project I'm completing with Georgina Hounsome

As part of PRINT! at The Exchange gallery Penzance, Georgina and I will be resident in the gallery space for a week (9th ~ 14th May) designing, illustrating, hand-printing and binding our book. Visitors will be able to watch, ask questions and see the book taking shape in the gallery's open print space during that week. More information about the book & the residency can be found over on studionumbersix where we'll be updating with progress.

2011-04-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

I'm reading David Thomson's The People of The Sea - and so I made this picture, maybe the start of a new project. Maybe just exploring.

2011-04-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

Silkscreen print with letterpress: 'Constellation No.1'. Printed on Fabriano paper 25 x 35cm - (circle: 17cm)

in a limited edition of 32.

Each print has been silkscreened, then put through the letterpress three times. 'Andromeda' and 'square of Pegasus' printed in prussian blue, with 'to the Pole Star' printed blind (no ink) at the top. All the letterpress was done up at our studionumbersix.

2011-03-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

2011-03-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

A double plate etching of Ernest Shakleton's ship 'Endurance' with letterpress.

I've printed the edition of etchings over the past few weeks at the School of Art and letter-pressed them today at studionumbersix on the Adana. The plates are 7.5 x 10.5cm.

This is the first in a series/set I'm currently producing: V I R T U E S

Charm is up next.

2011-03-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

'you look after me & I'll look after you' - letterpress print: deep red relief ink on buff grey somerset paper

(24pt gill bold condensed + a big wooden ampersand)

I printed them up today at our studionumbersix on the Adana. I did cards and posters, but thinking of adding a nice blue border to the posters to make them special...

2011-02-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

inside

2011-02-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

Arctic Village four colour silkscreenprint - acrylic ink on fabriano paper - 25 x 35cm - edition of 15 - £17 each from my shop

2011-02-07T02:11:00.000-08:00

Our studio blog is up and running - you can see it here

2011-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

For all you young lovers out there -

R+J: Two colour silkscreen print - deep, dark, blue and creamy, off-white acrylic ink on heavyweight Fabriano paper (25cm x 35cm). Limited edition of 23. They are available to buy for just £17 from my website - visit the shop

2011-01-12T01:57:00.000-08:00

Redefine Magazine (Seattle) gave me a review:

http://www.redefinemag.com/arts/nostalgic-time-travel-via-alex-higletts-pencil-drawings

2010-12-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

A fetching Christmas jumper (mine!) and Christmas goodies on my stall at the library-

which you can also buy through my website shop at: www.alexhiglett.com

2010-11-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

A short story I drew. A tragedy, based on an old newspaper article I found.

I entered it for the Comica/Jonathan Cape competition, but alas, no luck.

2010-09-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Click here to see the poster I did for Project Space 11's Agitprop.

2010-09-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

In August, Georgie and I went to Norfolk to do a residency at The Cold Press.

I'll hopefully get images of the prints up on here soon, but in the mean time, here are some sunny photographs I took on our days off...

2010-09-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

Another peek at the short story I'm working on at the moment. I'm hoping to get it finished by Christmas. See the post for March for earlier work on the same story...

2010-06-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Extracts from 'Consider the Summer'

I produced a booklet of 'seasonal notes' to sell at the Morrab Summer Fete. It contains story fragments, both fact and fiction, other seasonal musings, drawings and photographs. There are still copies left which are available, for just £2.50, through the shop page on my website - www.alexhiglett.com

2010-05-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

One and all are invited and very welcome to visit our studio - May bank holiday weekend & the following one.

Lots of drawings, paintings, prints and things to look at and purchase, AND you can benefit from half price entry to Trewidden Gardens during Open Studios where you can see the Jurassic Pit and sample a fine cream tea.

Look forward to seeing you there...

2010-04-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for an internet-based ongoing fairy tale project. Each invited artist adds a piece of work and/or text to create the story. You can see my work and the other entries in sequence on the website here...

http://fairy-tale.tumblr.com/

2010-03-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is a short story I've been working on in my sketchbook of late. It's fun to do painting and I'm enjoying imagining myself in a smoky, dimly-lit bar narrating the whole thing with a voice rather deeper than my own.
It's loosely based on a true story of infidelity and murder (I've been playing around with the plot, characters and setting quite a lot to suit what I'd like to draw).

I'm planning to finish it up and get it out as a small publication in the near future...

2010-02-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

This is a compilation of drawings from my visit to the Stasi headquarters and museum when we were in Berlin in October.

I think it was the best museum I've been to, and I took lots of photographs.

I'm still drawing around the subject and looking at Germany under the GDR for a possible story.

2010-02-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

Check out Georgie's blog : www.georginahounsome.blogspot.com

2010-01-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Some drawings I've done for the band Bare Threads, inspired by their song title 'Wasted Nights',

sort of about a missed opportunity on one night, but on lots of nights too.

2010-01-11T07:43:00.001-08:00

(Inspired by National Geographic and Cormac McCarthy)

2010-01-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/westbriton/falmouth/Falmouth-pair-share-illustration-award/article-1603190-detail/article.html

Don't focus on my face. But grand spot of publicity, thank you thisiscornwall...

2010-01-06T05:17:00.000-08:00

My all-new website is up and running: www.alexhiglett.com

please take a look from time to time and get in touch if you have any comments or anything.

Thanks folks!

2010-01-06T03:39:00.000-08:00

'The Disappointment' - a short story fragment I've been working on. Trying to express, or hint at, plenty of background information about characters in just a few images. Practicing economical storytelling...

2010-01-06T02:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/events/illustration_awards/student2010/index.php?section=2&postIndex=229&postSearch=&category=&start=228&show=12

If you copy and paste this link into the address bar it should take you to my entry for the V&A student illustration awards.

Fingers crossed...

2010-01-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

Some bird I painted at Christmas (a bit of fun...)

2009-10-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

2009-10-10T11:24:00.001-07:00

I won a prize!
Anna Cattermole and myself came joint first in the student category at the Cheltenham Illustration Awards. And we won imac computers, hooray!
You can see my entry in the post for May 2009 on the right hand side here.
Thank you Chetltenham Illustration Awards.

2009-09-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

We're going to Berlin!
A group of us students from the MA authorial illustration course at Falmouth have been selected to show our work in Berlin at the ÏMA Design Village. The show is called 'Illustrative09' and will run from 23rd October to 1st November.

2009-09-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

I've just finished putting together my entry for the Observer/Jonathan Cape Graphic Short Story Prize. It is designed to run across four pages in the Observer magazine.

The story is about a Barber, Abe, but it is really about missing someone, moments out of time, and remembering.

2009-09-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Myself and plenty of others have work previewing at the New Street Gallery, Penzance in the Autumn Show. The opening is on Saturday 26th September, business as usual during the day (10:30-5:30) and private viewing 5:30 - 8:30 pm.

2009-06-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

My latest lino-cut print is now for sale in my online shop through Folksy. Get it here:
http://www.folksy.com/items/40329--h-o-l-t-s-h-a-t-t-e-r-s-lino-cut-print

2009-05-18T03:15:00.000-07:00

' 2 9 t h M a y 1 9 3 1 '

This is an 'episode' from the case I'm working on at the moment, it is based on real events and concerns a young woman whose body was found on Long Beach. This 'episode' takes place five days before she is discovered. It's also my entry for the Cheltenham illustration awards.

2009-04-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

And this is a poster I did for my pal Louise's night at the Crow Rooms...
Dancing is the main thing.

2009-04-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

I made this poster for the M a g i c U n c l e night my friends put on in St. Ives. We managed to raise a whopping five hudred quid for Cancer Reserach. Whoop whoop.

2009-03-06T02:32:00.001-08:00

I now have an online shop through 'folksy.com'.
It is called: ' b y t h e h a n d o f a l e x h i g l e t t '

First lino-cut print is up for sale there at a mere 25 pounds.
Do visit here: http://www.folksy.com/items/21596--s-o-u-l-s-h-o-e-s-lino-cut-print

2009-01-29T07:13:00.000-08:00

This is my most recent lino-cut, made from the portait of the lady in the photograph I found a while ago.

2009-01-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

Another lino-cut, this time showcasing different types of beards and mustaches. This print was the starting point for a graphic story I'm making about 'A b e ', a barber.

2009-01-29T07:08:00.000-08:00

my first wood-cut, this one is about a man left behind

2009-01-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

abe 'boogaloo' ames lino-cut

2009-01-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

another lino-cut, this one is of some special shoes, as featured in forthcoming publication, issue one of the 'slow eater's table'

2009-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

one of my lino cut prints

2009-01-19T02:08:00.000-08:00

from my christmas zine - 'n o e l'

2009-01-19T02:06:00.001-08:00

also January 2009

2009-01-19T01:59:00.000-08:00

January 2009

2008-11-28T08:32:00.001-08:00

a christmas eve superstition that is in my 'Noel' zine.