Movember

During the month of November I have been raising money for Prostate cancer and mens cancer research by growing a mustache/ tash /mo. Me and a mate, Luke Matthews, decided on a slightly drunken Halloween party  that this would be a good idea, looking back on it not sure it was such a great idea.

So during the whole of November I didn't shave my nose neighbor and let the hair grow (very, very, slowly). By the end of the month to be honest my tash was pretty poor but we had raised a great amount of money, £248 between us. Worldwide over £38 million has be raised for this great cause.

Ive added a few pictures below to show the progress of the tash. Thanks to everyone that donated to it is really appreciated. Thanks.

Harry Hill's TV Burp - WAGBO !

Last week i went to see Harry Hill's TV burp being filmed, I have never been to see a TV program being filmed before so was really excited about going. We traveled upto London and got to BBC studios at three o'clock, (two hours and 45 minutes before they would let us into the studio, i know that sounds crazy but these TV programs they give out more tickets than spaces so you got to get there early to get in). Once we finally got in the warm we were given free beer and more waiting around. It was another hour before we were let into the studio. But all the waiting around was worth it, the set was amazing and Harry Hill was even better. We were in the studio for a almost two hours whilst it was being filmed, a long time for a programme thats only on air for like 25 minutes, but it went so quickly because Harry Hill is hysterical. There were so many highlights to the show, the hats gag, the giant head and the FIGHT! but to top it all was Wagbo. Watch the clip and you will see why.

When Wagbo runs into the audience you would see us on the right if it wasn't so dark.

Samburu iPod Speaker

So the brief for this project was to produce a prototype of a iPod speaker dock  with design influences from the Samburu tribe. The Samburu tribe are from Kenya and are semi-nomadic and are one of the most vibrant tribes from Africa, with their bright coloured clothes, necklaces and beads. These elements were the design influences for my iPod dock. The main design was based around the necklaces of the Samburu tribe, the speakers were a simplified version of the shape and pattern these necklaces created. The principle of the stacking system of the speakers and dock was to create a portable device that would suit the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the tribe, by allowing the speakers to be transported but would look attractive whilst being used. The design was finished in black and silver to give the design a contemporary finish. 

Photographs by Kevin Langley

RHINO

I haven spoken about my work for quite a while now so I thought I would update you with what I am currently producing for part of my 1st project on my second year on the modelmaking course at UCA. As part of my current project I needed to produce some three dimensional sketches of the product I have am designing and producing. The product is a iPod speaker dock with design influences from the Samburu tribe of Kenya. During the design process I learnt how to use the design program Rhino to produce these designs.

welly rash

Whenever you think of summer music always comes to mind, and there is no better place to see some great music is at the good old festivals. I technically went to two festivals this year (well only two if you consider a evening at the i tunes festival a real 'festival). I basically applied for every gig at the i tunes festival but I really wanted to see Mumford & Sons and Florence and the Machine, I didn't get those tickets but I did win some tickets for Ellie Goulding. I am pretty lucky with i tunes festival tickets really, this is the second year in a row I have won some, got to see ou est le swimming pool  and Friendly fires last year. Ellie Goulding was surprisingly good I heard her stuff on the radio but never really listened to her much before well worth seeing even if it was a fee gig!


Now here comes the real festival, one were you camp, don't clean for 5 days, hate using toilets, and lots and lots of mud. Reading festival wooo! I wasn't planning on going to reading this year but right at the last minute a mate of mine couldn't go and I brought his tickets, and boy am I glad I brought them. The four days were amazing so many great bands highlights definitely had to be Kele, Marina and the Diamonds, Dizzie Rascal, The cribs, Weezer, Blink 182 and my personal favourites Mumford & Sons. They are by far my favourite band bring back  folk music I say. This year reading turned to mud so much mud, my wellys were needed everyday. However four days of wellys and shorts does not create a good mix, leading to a bad welly rash (the hair on my legs has only just grown back).


Just got to decide what festival to go to next year now?
(pictures to come)

not just a modelmaker i'm a wildlife photographer

During the summer I went to London Zoo, I haven't been since I was about 12 I dont think so did not know really what to expect. The zoo was amazing though much better than I expected, it definitely changed a lot from what used to be there, the elephants had gone and there was loads of new enclosures. The highlights have got to be the massive aquarium, the walk through monkey enclosure and of course everyones favourite the penguins, even though they have moved pools (the old enclosure was a design icon of the park designed by Berthold Lubetkin in 1934 was a truly modernist design) the new pool though is much more suitable for the penguins. Anyways  heres some of the pictures I took (I aplologise im no photographer but I do enjoy it)

my life

Ok so basically up till now all I have talked about is my work, but I have decided that I am not just going to use the blog to talk about the work I have produced, I thought I would let you guys know what else I am upto in my life. Just like my work part I have got a bit of back dating to do so hang in there and we will be upto date soon!

old boy

On the side of the rabies project I was working on a side project aswell helping some of my photography course mates out. for there final project of the year they needed to produce a full size set of a still from a film. They chose the film 'Old Boy' a South Korean film produced in 2003. The scene they chose had two naked models, a man in a gas mask, smoke, crazy wallpaper and some expensive looking baroque furniture, looking back on it I dont think they could have chosen a much more difficult scene. They asked me to help out and produce some of the props which included a baroque double bed headboard, a matching bedside table and coat hanger and a golden lamp stand. I worked with them to help design and build the props, which meant I was working on my rabies project at university during the day and then building bedroom furniture at night in there halls kitchen (I cant complain though we had some really good nights). The set that they built was amazing and as a payment they said I should be the creepy gas mask man watching the couple in bed (I am pretty sure the real reason was they run out of money to pay for another model!) I am so glad they asked me to build there props as it allowed me to see how to work with a client even if the client was my mates.

Set photographed by Kevin Langley, Katie Burrett, Charlie Watts, Nicole Mcfarlane and Harry Davies

rabies

The final project of my first year on the modelmaking course was to produce a scaled model of the virus rabies. I had to research in depth the virus and add all the necessary details and information thats the rabies virsus contains. I wanted to really push myself with this project so decided to make the model clear and show the interia RNA bad inside the rabies virus. I made around 300 spikes to go on the outside of the virus and made a a mold that would produce a hollow clear cast resin model. This was one of the most complicated things I have ever done and one of the most expensive models I have produced, (easily costing more than all the other projects put together I have completed this year) but I think the final outcome was pretty nice!

what if?

This I think was my favourite project of the year. For this project I had to produce the archeological remains that would prove the existence of a mythical beast. The remains that I produced were that of the Chimera, a Greek mythical beast that had the head of a lion and a goat, a tail of a snake and could breath fire. The beast was said to have have been killed by Pegasus and Bellapron in the Lydia region of Turkey. I had to design and produce the elements of the remains that would prove that the Chimera existed, this included a skull of a sheep and a lion, a double ended neck vertebra and tail vertebra that changed from lion to snake. I wanted to bury it and dig it up like a archeologist (i secretly love Time team and wanted to be a archeologist once!?) but never got round to it, will do it one day for my portfolio I hope.

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architectural

The title basically describes what i had to do for this project make a architectural model of a building. The building that I had to produce a architectural model of was Le Corbusier's Pavilion de l'esprit nouveau. The building had to be produced out of white card and built to scale, I drew the plan of building up on Autocad and then produced the the architectural model. The building was pretty difficult and stressful to produce but turned out rather good in the end I think.

advertisement

The next project was all about advertisement, the principle was to design a model based around a given description. I had to produce a watery deck of playing cards. the cards were produced by screen printing the designs onto HIPs sheet and producing water spouts out of clear cast acrylic. When all the elements were placed together I wanted to produce a design that looked like a water fountain.

Theater project

My first project on the Modelmaking course was based around theater and film, I had to produce models and props based on a painting from the work of Vermeer. To be honest I hated the thought of this project but in the end it was important in learning a range of basic skills that i use everyday now, so  looking back I can see the importance. Heres what I produced.

2 years ago

So this is where the whole modelmaker thing started, two years ago were I started my foundation course. The course basically led to a final major project where i gave myself the brief of a regeneration project of Chatham, my home town, (and to be honest it definitely needs regeneration but that a whole different story) the final outcome of the project was a model proposal of the new design. The model shows the the old town design, the elements I used to redesign the town and the new design with all the new buildings.

new blog

Basically I hated my old blog, I hated everything about it so I am starting again, starting my new year with a clean start. Ok so about me i am now a second year modelmaker at the university for the creative arts and sadly I am going to be one of the last modelmakers from the uni as the course has been cancelled, and we are the last year to complete the course. Sad times I know but suppose I am just going to get on with it. Ok so I am going to shut up now and get upto date with this blog!!