Zizzi Victoria - Orient Express

Here are some first-round ideas for the vinyls destined for London Victoria restaurant - The idea discussed is that the images should allow views into the carriages to see the characters travelling aboard The Orient Express. As the train's hay-day was the early 20th century, I'm hoping that the illustrations can remain largely grey/black/white with colours reminiscient of tinted photographs.

The concept is really a gift with loads of potential. Each of the OE's Pullmans carriages are named ( Phoenix, Ione, Zena, Audrey, Minerva, Perseus, Lucille, Ibis, Cygnus and Vera) so these might apprear superimposed over the carriage scenes. Also the Art Nouveau and Art Deco interiors and their distintive marketry designs I hope will play a big part. Also pictured is Mata Hari, exotic dancer and WW1 double agent who purportedly travelled aboard. More to come!...

Zizzi Canterbury open

Fresh talent involvement and new premises opening announced today on Zizzi's website. Find details at: http://kitchen.zizzi.co.uk/2011/04/821/#more-821

To find my work in other premises please do check out the links below

http://zizzi.co.uk/restaurants/canterbury

http://zizzi.co.uk/restaurants/glasgow-west-end

http://zizzi.co.uk/restaurants/norwich

last one

And some more

Zizzi Canterbury - Final work (in progress and completed)

Took 2 and a half to 3 days. Emulsion and acrylic paints - extra details were added on request!

Canterbury Sketches

Further sketches for Canterbury but struggling to find suitable resolution. felt posting them to blog would be Cathartic!

Just can't seem to come up with

something as strong and pleasing as the Norwich designs. Will have to plough on, methinks .

Caterbury

When I attended Alasdair Gray's talk at the Aye Write festival in Glasgow I had the full intention of taking notes. I abandoned this idea in favour of just enjoying his company, which- despite the hundreds-strong audience - was very easy to do.

I did make one note, however, which was reads ' next time doing a Zizzi's think of Alasdair Gray' by which I meant ' do what you want' as Gray kept emphasising the people he most enjoyed working for were those who just allowed him to please himself.

I don't feel I've achieved that mentality yet as - I think like most other artists- I get pre-occupied by what I think people expect to see from me or in certain places. But in enjoying Gray's mural work and imitating a certain graphic/ rythmical line of his has helped me overcome a bit of a hump with this commission. The sketch is pictured but still needs revising