Swatch for Amelia's Magazine

Swatch have just launched two new watches designed by Jean-Michel Othoniel: 'Over The Rainbow' and 'Be Black'.  Blogger extraordinaire Amelia Gregory was invited to attend the fairytale watch launch in Venice.  Read her report for Amelia's Magazine here.

I did an illustration for the article showing 'Be Black' suspended over a sparkling Venetian waterway at sunset.  I thought it way pretty romantic.

My 'Be Black' Swatch illustration

Here are some of Amelia's photos from the launch.

Jean-Michel Othoniel modelling 'Over The Rainbow' at the launch

'Over The Rainbow' with its delicate glass packaging 

Madame Emch, President of Swatch sporting 'Be Black'

Jean-Michel Othoniel is a French artist with a penchant for glass and draping giant jewellery on trees and buildings.  Decadent and delicate, full of colour and light, his work is the perfect partner for canals and Venetian architecture.  The following is some of Othoniel's dazzling ouvre.

Riviere Blanche
Murano Glass and Steel, 2003

Le Kiosque Des Noctambules at the Palais Royal metro station in Paris

Detail of Le Kiosque Des Noctambules

Le Noeud De Lacan
Mirrored Glass and Metal, 2009

Les Lacets Bleus
Mirrored Glass and Metal, 2009

  

From A to B: Emmy the Great

Emma Lee Moss (also known as Emmy the Great, with a little help from her friends) released her second album, called 'Virtue', on the 13th June.  I made this illustration for Amelia's Magazine, to go with Amelia Gregory's review of the record (follow the link here).  This is a very brief overview of 'work in progress'...

I start by looking at reference pictures and thinking about imagery used in the lyrics; dinosaurs, the passing of time, religion, relics, Trellick Tower.  I always do thumbnail sketches to decide on the overall layout.  I wanted to go with an orthodox christian icon style on this one and decided to do most of the drawing in Photoshop, so I made a sketch good enough to scan and use as a guideline.

rough sketch

I did a lot more um-ing and ah-ing about colours and where to but the gold leaf (a must) than I could show in this post so I'll condense the middle bit.  

somewhere in the middle

the final thing

I loved her first album 'First Love' (still do), and this follow up delivers to all round high expectations.  Emma pens simultaneously quirky and catchy narrative songs and sings them out with a versatile voice.  The record opens with the lament that Dinosaur Sex lead to nothing, and that pretty much sets the tone.  It's melancholy for sure, but it's beautiful and I'd expect nothing less.  I have had it on repeat for the last 24 hours.

Buy it from iTunes, listen on Spotify, do what you have to to hear it.

detail