HND Graphics Students Shortlisted for the NSS Poster Design

Our First Year HND Graphics Students have been working on a live brief to create a poster design that will form the design for the National Student Survey (NSS) promotional campaign. This is the brief they were set and the information they were given… THE BRIEF To create a poster design that will form the design for the National Student Survey (NSS) promotional campaign THE CAMPAIGN The NSS is an annual survey of mainly final year undergraduates in the UK. Eligible students are invited to complete the survey as they near the end of their course to give feedback on their experience. The promotional campaign should encourage students to take part. The poster should engage students that are eligible to take part in the NSS and ‘call them to action’ i.e. to complete the survey online. It needs to: •             Advertise a survey •             Appeal to final year students •             Stand out from the crowd •             Encourage them to visit www.thestudentsurvey.com

Out of the hundreds of designs submitted two of our students Gary and Laura have been lucky enough to be shortlisted to the final 6.  Here is what Gary and Laura have to say about their designs and being shortlisted.

Design One - Gary Dicker

Gary Dicker

HND Graphic Design-Year One

'The intention of my poster was to attract students by appealing to their pockets. Without offering any prize for taking part in the National Student Survey, I wanted to subtly suggest it by making the “300 000” bounce off the page. This should then do the job of getting the students to read the finer print.

I included a background image of students, tossing their hats in the air, upon graduation, to connect with the audience and used the hats to explode out of the poster’s border.

I’m so pleased that my design was shortlisted to be possibly used as the chosen poster. They did however, request a few alterations, which I have done.

I prefer my first design and think it works better. Though the client is the decision maker and I will amend to cater for their requests, I still submitted alternate versions.'

Design Two - Gary Dicker

Design Three - Gary Dicker

Laura Dyer

HND Graphic Design-Year One

'I am extremely pleased to have been shortlisted as a potential winner of the NSS Poster Competition. After returning to Graphic Design after 6 years it’s certainly reassuring to have been chosen, there were thousands of entrants so I’m amazed I got this far!  I’m also really pleased for Gary another shortlisted entrant from our college it really must reflect on the standard of education we are receiving here on our Graphic Design HND at Southport College.'

Design by Laura Dyer

The designs are currently being judged by a panel selected by the NSS.  We wish both Gary and Laura the best of luck and congratulations for being shortlisted.

The Land of Lost Content...

Land of Lost Content - National Museum of British Popular Culture

On the way back from Dismaland Team Art and Design Staff were lucky enough to stop off at The Land of Lost Content.  Located in Craven Arms, Shropshire the museum is a national museum of popular culture and is the life work of Stella and Dave Mitchell.   

Quirky signs all around the museum

"This Museum for want of a better word, is more like an installation an evolving work of art. Tomorrow, today will be history. We are telling the history of the everyday. Each item has been lovingly chosen by Stella, there are literally millions of them, not essentially for their aesthetic quality, or for their historical significance, but more about the story of ‘Us’ the people who owned, used and may have got great pleasure from them ‘Back in the Day’. Everyone will see something they remember, but each will evoke a personal history. . . ." LOLC Website

The Insignia of Liberty

The place is amazing with objects and artifacts from bygone times piles from floor to ceiling, hanging from the ceiling and covering every available surface.

School related objects

Kitchen Memorabilia

I loved the kitchen and food memorabilia; I love anything kitchen kitsch.  The old toys especially the ride along animals were great too.

Vintage Toys

Plastic, Plastic, Plastic

Rule Britannia!

The museum is definitely worth a visit as it is full of exciting visual and would be a great starting point for a project.

Land of Lost Content Van

Team Art and Design Staff visit Dismaland

Brochure Image

Team Art and Design Staff were lucky enough to visit Dismaland earlier this month.  Dismaland was created by Banksy and billed as 'the most disappointing new visitor attraction'.  In an interview about the attraction Banksy said...

Why does the world need Dismaland? What inspired you to create it – and how did you find the site?

It’s an experiment in offering something less resolved than the average theme park. For some reason it’s been labelled as ‘twisted’ but I’ve never called it that. We just built a family attraction that acknowledges inequality and impending catastrophe. I would argue it’s theme parks which ignore these things that are the twisted ones.

The location was easy to find – I came here every summer for the first 17 years of my life.

Dismaland is located on the site of the Tropicana Lido in Weston-super-mare

After queuing for what felt like ages to get inside (all part of the dismal experience) we were treated to a cardboard security entrance by artist Bill Barminski which came complete with deadpan and disinterested security guards.

Cardboard Security - Bill Barminski

The first thing we saw as we entered the park is the Derelict Cinderella's Castle by Block9 which houses the Cinderella piece by Banksy.

Derelict Cinderella's Castle by Block9 inside which the Cinderella piece was displayed

 A Police Riot Van in Water Cannon Creek - Banksy

Another large piece on display was a 30-foot equestrian sculpture made entirely from scaffolding components by Ben Long.

Ahead of the Dismaland exhibition Long made the following statement:

"If you compare Horse Scaffolding Sculpture to equestrian monuments of the past, what you see is something more skeletal, fragile and less permanent. In a way it could be read as a spectre of imperialism and the authoritarianism of a previous age. The bare bones of something that might once have seemed insurmountably grand."

Horse Scaffolding Sculpture - Ben Long

On display were artworks from 58 global artists including Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer, Jimmy Cauty, Bill Barminski, Caitlin Cherry, Polly Morgan, Josh Keyes, Mike Ross, David Shrigley, Bäst, and Espo. Banksy is also showing 10 artworks of his own.  There were lots of different tents and galleries to explore all displaying pieces by the various artists. 

Work inside the Political Tent

A Banksy piece depicting an Orca whale jumping out of a toilet

Art work was everywhere you looked fly postered to the walls in amongst the fairground rides and stalls.

Art work displayed like fly posters around the park - Wasted Rita

Art work displayed like fly posters around the park - Wasted Rita

Paper cut piece about consumerism and food waste - Caroline McCarthy

We saw work by the Lithuanian artist Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė who embroiders traditional floral patterns into metal functional objects.  On display were an embroidered car and some embroidered irons.

Embroidered Car  - Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė

Embroidered Car  - Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė

We joined the queue to see the infamous Cinderella's Carriage piece, the room was pretty much pitch black only lit by the flashing of the paparazzi cameras which illuminated the artwork making it appear all the more eerie.  This made it really hard to capture (see video below).

We all had a great time and are so glad we had the opportunity to visit such a fantastic exhibition featuring so many artist from around the world.  Team art and design are definately inspired and ready for a new college year!

Banksy Piece 

New Year, New Starts, New Projects, New Sketchbooks...

Price list displayed outside the Print Shop

A new college year, a new start for everyone whether you are a returning student or new to the college.  New projects mean new sketchbooks and I love a new sketchbook.  Here at Southport College we are lucky to have a fantastic Print Shop selling a great variety of art materials at cost price.  Click here for our latest prices.

Different format sketchbooks

We stock lots of different types of great quality sketchbooks in our shop.  We stock Pink Pig Sketchbooks in the shop in a variety of standard (A5-A2) and non standard sizes (square and landscape format, 12x6 and 16x8).  Our Eco Pig books are extremely affordable and are great for project work.

A selection of the Sketchbooks on offer in our Print Shop

We have also started to stock a selection of sketchbooks from Seawhite of Brighton. We carry a selection of Eco Starter Sketchbooks A4, A5 and A6 with softback covers which are great for mini projects, note taking and carrying with you to galleries and exhibitions.  

Books on display outside the Print Shop

Our newest addition to our sketchbook range are Artists Journals from Seawhite of Brighton.  These beautifully bound journals feature 130gsm recycled cartridge paper, elastic restraining band, place marker and expandable inner pocket.  These come in A4, A5 and A6 sizes and either plain pages or alternate lined and plain pages.

A selection of Seawhite of Brighton Sketchbooks

If white paper is not for you we also stock books Display Books which contain 270gsm black card which are great for art/photography journals.  Our wire bound Kraft Books which contain 175gsm brown kraft card.

Black and kraft pages alongside bound journals

So next time you buy a sketchbook feel free to ask about alternatives to standard sizes and pages; we might have the book of your dreams waiting for you.

Exciting Times for Letterpress...

Recently we were lucky enough to have Kenneth Burnley visit our print making facility.  Ken is a print-maker specialising in letterpress who is part of Juniper Press who run letterpress workshops at The Bluecoat in Liverpool.

our small press

our larger Britannia press

Ken is passionate about letterpress and making sure it is taught at colleges.  He has kindly offered his free time and agreed to help us get letterpress up and running at Southport College.  Ken will be sharing his skills and wisdom with us in the hope we can get letterpress printing up and running in our print room here at Southport College.   

If you want to read more about Juniper Press and their quest to revive letterpress check out their interview for The Bluecoat Blog.

Put Yourself Out There!

It is really important as artists and designers to learn to put yourselves out there when it comes to your work.  Be brave, enter competitions, show the world what you are doing and who knows what could happen and where it may lead.

Doodlers Anonymous are looking for submissions for there latest fab colouring book.  Check out the details in the link and get submitting who knows you may be one of the lucky 60 artist chosen to feature in their fourth book.

Doodlers Anonymous Volume 3

Access Art are running a fab competition in conjunction with The Big Draw.  The theme for The Big Draw 2014 is "It's Our World".  Access Art are asking for postcard entries of drawings of your dinner.  Draw my Dinner is being supported by Great Art a fab art suppliers who we order from at Southport College who are providing £100 voucher for the winner!  Just think of all the fab supplies you could buy with that!

So if we could offer you one piece of advice it would be to put yourself out there and enter competitions.  What are you waiting for get creative and start entering!

Get organised

A new school year, a fresh start and a brilliant excuse for new stationery (not that I ever need an excuse)!

New School Year Gifts from Kelly bought from Hema

Here at Southport College we are really lucky to have a fab Print Shop which sell art materials at cost price to our students.  You will find all sorts from handmade paper, a variety of sketchbooks, fine liners, pencils, portfolios and much more.

Print Shop

Selection of Sketchbooks on sale

We sell a range of sketchbooks from Pink Pig and Seawhite

We stock anything from a 25p fine liner to a £40 portfolio

Assorted coloured and graph paper is 1p/sheet and is great for collage

So treat yourself to some new materials and get creative it's going to be a good year!  So if we could offer you one piece of advice as you embark on your new school year it would be GET ORGANISED!