Blurb - Digital online book printing...

http://www.blurb.com/make/index2

A bit of a mental block...

I'm just having one of those weekends where everything seems to have gone into a cul de sac! I have again looked over the materials I have gathered, and even my tired and tested method of making a checklist to get ideas going has failed me. So I thought I would post some art examples I like from the city art gallery as 'a short interlude'...

The A2Z...

The start of the sketchbook 2...

The start of the sketchbook 1...

Type Links again...

Had to post this again, as for some strange reason all the copy disappeared when it posted, leaving only the screen grabs?

http://www.typographyserved.com/

This link came courtesy of the Linkedin connection. I have only just started to explore this software/database, having ignored it for the last year so, as I largely didn't need it, but now thinking ahead to next October, well as I say to my HND, these others avenues should be explored, and for this I must thank Whitney who sent me an invitation, and this has now led to other connections. I shall also send this link on to the guys in the MACD group and create a group profile there, to network on a more regular basis, as it feels a little disjointed at the minute.

Back to this link, there is a very good gallery of images and resources, and since starting the MA I have once again become more fired up about Typography and related areas, the thing is setting the time aside, as the trouble with softwares like 'Fontstruct' is that they steal time fiercely.

http://fontstruct.fontshop.com/

Still I'm going to have a go, and try to design some of my own fonts, which is something that I have never done, and now the MACD is giving that avenue to explore.

Another couple of Typographic Links...

http://www.typographyserved.com/

From my Urban Type series...

This is just one of those pics, which I have come back to, time and time again. I think because there was so little set up for the shot, and it was taken on spec. When I think back to my career in Professional Practice, the arrangements and work that would have gone into setting this up for a 'commercial shoot' would have taken a few weeks...

Photomontage link...

Found these as part of a research into Photomontage, thinking about a direction with my own work on the MACD...

http://www.photomontage.com/#

http://www.collageart.org/photomontage/

Wednesday blog - a bit of a rant...

Thought I would start the day off with more of an observational post, rather than the just posting of materials I have been undertaking of late. This morning I signed the 'save the arts petition' and the link for this is http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-arts.html

The cuts in government spending will affect us all in the creative industries at some level, and longterm this will seriously damage the arts in this country. Coupled with the cut backs being imposed on Education, the increase in tuition fees, and now cuts in spending, how on earth are the artists of tomorrow stand a chance?

My chosen MACD project subject, The Royal Exchange is one of a number of high profile arts/theatre companies who have just found out that their grant budget has been cut. The level of cuts are staggering to say the least...

Quote from the MEN...

The 2011/12 grants budget will be frozen while council bosses work out what they can afford to support. Town halls across the country will lose more than a quarter of their own government cash after Mr Osborne's review shaved a total of £81bn of public spending.

Theatre bosses in Greater Manchester said they would to audiences and partnerships with other venues for support, to minimise job losses. They warned they would have to take fewer risks with new performances, choosing 'safer bets' instead.

The Royal Exchange was worse hit by the ACE announcement, losing £171,841. It faces a review of a further £232,600 of AGMA cash. 

Executive director Fiona Gasper, said: "It's almost like we're about to go into a totally new era of arts funding."