Potato

During the third week of the Handmade Graphic Design Nightclass I am running with Adult Learning course supported by Shetland Arts the class experimented with print. We used Potatos (yay!) as a introduction to relief printing methods.

You may say this is a very basic introduction, and you would be right, but it gives an insight into how more advanced techniques, such as letter press and lino print work. Some of the class got the chance to experiment with lino cutting and stamping, which worked great. Over the next three weeks the class will have the opportunity to apply these print techniques to their projects if they so wish. Now the pictures:

All the potato prints cut by the learners

The alphabet

Wrapping Paper

Look into my eye

Chainsaw's symbols

Show me your teeth

Visual Design - Saul Bass inspired prints

The Tattie Alphabet

Everyone's cut potatos

Dogfish and Trexmas

Why so Serious?

Papa de diamante

Messy tattie alphabet

Pre holiday/craft fair prep

Wow, it's been a hectic week. My stand is almost complete thanks to my dad and also Sandy for helping me paint. A few finishing touches when I get back and it's ready to go.

So due to weather conditions I've had to travel to mainland Scotland from Shetland a day earlier, I'm writing this on the ferry.

Like I said, This week has been so busy, we've (just about) moved flat (we officially move after holiday), almost finished my craft fair exhibition stand, screen printed lots of small postcard sized art cards and gift cards, designed the craft fair posters with help from the muckle Gravit and of course the famous Andrew Watt, many thanks to him for agreeing to being wrapped up in a huge ball of old smelly knitting.

So now I can hopefully enjoy some time off before diving right back into the craft fair when I get back.

This years Christmas Craft Fair is at Clickimin Centre, Lerwick from 11-13 November.

Here is a sneak peek at what I've been doing, will have more about the prints post holiday! I'm off to the bar...

Craft Fair 2011: Progress

Wow time flies! it was about a month ago now since I posted about my plans to build a stall for this year's Craft Fair (see post 14 Sept 2011)

Things have been progressing well, although, it's now a week until my holiday, and alot of work to do! The original Google SketchUp model from my last post helped me work out what I wanted the stand to look like, keeping in mind possible future use. It also let me measure around about how much plywood and timber I would need.

My Dad has played a big part in helping the build, including transport from the timber yard, space to build and ideas how it will all work, which has been brilliant.

The panels have now all been prepared and we have had a test set up to make sure everything fits together and to see how it will look.




Next stage is to paint the stand white, and get the shelves ready and in place. The shelves will be moveable so I can play around with where prints sit in the stand. Last night we tested out one shelf and got everything else ready to attach the shelves after I paint the box.

The other shelf attachments are made from the same square blocks but screwed into the side frame. The shelf then sits on top of the attachments. Each shelf will also have a small groove for prints to sit into. Prints will all be mounted and packaged ready to sell. In two minds if I will paint the shelves as the wood is really nice, will just see what it looks like when we get them all attached! We tested a shelf on the back right panel, the large bolt on the left holds the two back panels together but also acts as attachment for a shelf.

So a bit to do on the stand, keeping in mind I am also busy preparing artwork for other prints for the Craft Fair. Here I am working on some new Christmas cards. Planning a set of 4 limited edition cards which will be released at the Craft Fair in November and be on special offer. A few more things in the pipeline - so hope to reveal some more before my holiday!

Shetland Wool Week

Programme and logo design for Shetland Wool Week 2011.
Commissioned by Jamieson & Smith and Promote Shetland.

Art Direction by Jono Sandilands & Daniel Gear
Artwork by Jono Sandilands

Programme printed by Shetland Litho
2 colour on brown packaging paper

Craft Fair 2011

This year I am going to have a stall at the Shetland Arts & Crafts - Clickimin Craft Fair 11th - 13th November. I'm away on holiday in the few weeks leading up to the craft fair *(The Fest, Florida!)* so I need to be ready to exhibit when we return in November!

I'm busy thinking about my stand (see draft model above) and new prints. Will post more of the process of both over the next few weeks, very exciting and busy!

Handmade Graphic Design Nightclass

Handmade Graphic Design Nightclass
Continuing from last years Graphic Design Nightclass I am running an Adult Learning course supported by Shetland Arts in Handmade Graphic Design.

In this course you will explore handmade elements to produce eye catching solutions to design problems. Learn about research, layout, typography and printing.

Learners will work to set project briefs during the course – prioritizing handmade elements but utilizing computer skills where appropriate. Increased confidence and skills in producing handmade elements in Graphic Design. Increased knowledge about Graphic Design in contemporary and historical context. Use a range of research and thinking methods to develop Graphic Design concepts. Evaluate graphic design elements in context of user requirements

6 weeks from 19 September 2011
Venue: Shetland Arts, Toll Clock Centre, Lerwick
Times: Monday 6 – 9pm
Cost: £54 + £5 material costs payable to tutor. Bring drawing equipment.
Book: http://www.learnshetland.com/handmade-graphic-design
(book by Wednesday 14 September) This course is suitable for Beginners/Intermediate learners.

In The Drink

Poison Popcorn - In The Drink from Jono Sandilands on Vimeo.

Daniel gear + Jono Sandilands
- Music video for Poison Popcorn "In The Drink"
After years of speaking about a collaboration, good friend Daniel Gear and myself finally found the time (albeit very tight time) to work together on a project. We were both approached to submit artwork to Shetland's Vunk Fest art show at Shetland Musuem in July 2011. It was perfect time to work together and the chance to work with video with an afternoon screening of films already being planned. We put in our proposal and were booked with a rough slot for our as-of-yet-non-existent film.

Although we knew it was in July, it wasn't until mid June we realised how quickly time was getting on and we'd better get a move on with the film. We had some brainstorming sessions to come up with the idea for the film. We agreed it would be a music video most likely for Poison Popcorn. We came up with the concept of almost a reverse green screen using green coloured card as the 'portal' allowing a layer below to be revealed. Proof of concept below:

Rough Green Screen Mouth Test #1 from Jono Sandilands on Vimeo.

We needed people, Facebook has alot of them so I put out a call to anyone interested in helping us make the film. This happened to be on the Wednesday before the festival, so needless to say I was slightly anxious we would be done in time.

Thankfully on the night we had a good turn out. Must give out a thanks to everyone involved, it was really great fun making it, and we got some funny looks waving around green bits of card in the middle of the pub. Also must be said at this point, we weren't sure how the final video would look, and knew we would have a busy few days editing the footage together.



Daniel and me called it a night on Wednesday, getting home quite late after some additional footage was filmed (see very end credits of film). On Thursday evening after of day jobs we started the editing process. The first attempt at making the concept work with the footage had us rolling around the floor, amost crying with laughter. Editing at the same time, we managed our workflow to be working on different parts of the video to minimize overall time editing.

We finished the main part of the video at 4am Friday morning, with our day jobs to go to again bright and early. Friday night was spent cleaning up, exporting and producing the credit sequence in time to burn to DVD for Sunday's showing at Shetland Museum & Archives.

Film can now be seen online above, and we are also submitting to this years Screenplay festival. (www.shetlandarts.org/FilmsWanted2011)