Alison Carmichael / Exquisite Handjobs

There's nothing I enjoy more than appreciating beautifully crafted hand lettering. Alison Carmichael is a name you may not know (if this is this case then you should look into changing this) but you've almost definitely seen her work.

Those of you who collect the Don't Panic packs may remember this design, courtesy of you know who.

Job Wouters / Letman

If you've got the February 2009 issue of Creative Review to hand then you'll be able to instantly see an example of his work. After studying typographic design and divulging in graffiti drawings, Letman offers a 'modern spin on the practice of hand-lettering.'

Patrick Hughes

One of my favourite artists. His work may not look dazzling or rival the Mona Lisa, but what he does offer is an alternate method of viewing art - Reverspective. In essence, he creates a sculpted painting. Using the technique of perspective, his paintings take on a life of their own.

I was lucky enough to see this exhibit in Birmingham a few years ago and loved the fact that an optical illusion was the foundation of all his pieces. It also made for interesting viewing, as quite a few people collided into each-other trying to see the perspectives from different, often opposing, directions.




This influenced me for my submission for the D&AD 2009 competition, where I played on perspective to promote a Lloyds TSB student account.

www.patrickhughes.co.uk

Mark Mawson

Found this artist through a combination of serendipity and Professional Skills research (proof to show that something good could finally come out of something dreadfully dreary).


These pictures are from a series aptly named 'Aqueous.' Created by simply pouring paint into water and capturing the result on camera - need to be quick as these shapes only maintain their form for a split second before diluting to make a bland looking concoction.


Interpreting these images are like looking at clouds - different people see different things.
The second one down, I see swarms of sperm and the one lucky one looking at the egg yet to be conquered.
The third one down, I can see a jellyfish.



This is what I like most about this, it's such a simple idea, no doubt we've all done similar things with fruit squash and water when we were kids. The results are, dare I say, beautiful.

See more at www.markmawson.com

Seb Lester

Screen printed with metallic silver on 240gsm Plike, I was fortunate enough to own one of these from its limited and final edition in the series.

Seb Lester excels at using typography to create pieces that are more than words.

See also "Keep It Simple"
www.seblester.co.uk