The brief required a concept that incorporated the main character in both of her ‘personalities’. The result is a composite image which includes ‘Zelda (Fitzgerald)’ in the clouds over the sea watching down ethereally on the heroine of the story, Saorise , whom is releasing a bird (herself & troubles) which is ‘Freedom’.

I conceived, produced and directed a promotional video for a new musical that is showing in West London at the Playground Theatre in September 2022.

It’s the story of a ‘Brit-Pop Star’ admitted to a Rehab clinic (or face jail) and is set in the late 90’s.

A mixture of live action and animation, the idea was to create a fresh approach to an existing genre to and tell the story in pictures as much as performance.

Clicking through on the first image will take you to the promo in full.

Heart In Bloom is a collection of Love poetry by the author, Fayina Cohen. I created a cover image which was rich in texture and gentle beauty, emulating the depth of the feeling within the words of the prose.

Working with Lorenzo Agius, I developed a concept that incorporated the main elements of the film which included the two main characters and obvious visual ‘tells’. The graphic identity, which is clean and simple typography made to echo the silvery metallic nature of the clouds, compliments the no-nonsense adult theme of the film, which is mental illness. It was shot on location in County Wicklow, Ireland and is layered of different images that were manipulated together for the overall effect.

Philly Knowland is a successful contemporary artist based in Surrey, England. I was commissioned to take portrait images (as a photographer) of Philly and I also designed and art-directed her new website. Philly has exhibited at many galleries and exhibitions over the years and her latest collection is available to view on the website - link below..

www.phillyknowland.com

Queenie & Belles is an events and production partnership based in Henley On Thames. They specialise in large celebratory parties and corporate events. I developed an identity, website and colour palette whcih is warm and welcoming, along with a logo that presented a certain level of refinement. The website was designed to showcase their work and the energy that comes from the images of their actual events. Using a video on the home page and a clever slogan, Q&B are shown to be the perfect events company for any occasion.

www.queenieandbelles.events

For London-based solo artist Emily Capell, I created a logo based on Emily's trademark beehive hair. Emily is heavily influenced by Punk, Two-Tone and the Clash amongst others. The logo gives a visual nod to that era whilst remaining fresh and very distinctive in its own right.

conceptual art direction

I conceptulized and art directed a series of images which presented four individual girls through successive singular images in a way that was subtle, sexy and engaging at the same time. The idea was to leave the viewer wanting more. The combination of all four girls faces creates one uniquely powerful image.

art direction, concept, design and photography

For Helena Jesele I created a complete visual identity which combined the true 'analogue soul' nature of the music with various urban and organic backgrounds. As the project developed over three years, the use of 'old school' visual devices, such as Dymo tape and Polaroids echoed the environment of Helena's lifestyle. From singing in Jazz clubs in Brooklyn, New York to recording studios in Soho, London. All of the photographs of Helena were taken by myself.

brand identity

Working in collaboration with Skinny, the challenge was to create an individual brand identity for a bespoke members club in Bordeaux, France. The result draws on the almost magical symbology and esoteric methods of centuries of wine making in the region. The emblem was hand drawn in pencil on board before being finished in black draftsman's ink. A technique which is as old as wine making itself.

website design

Angelo Seminara is one of the world's top hairdressers. He required a site which appeared classic and archival to showcase his extraordinary work. The result is clean, functional simplicity which against white, displays his hair creations, especially his extraordinary use of colour, to maxiumum effect.

The site can be view here: www.angeloseminara.com

concept, art direction & design

Working in conjunction with Skinny, we created a gold and midnight blue identity for the 2015 NSPCC Art Gala. The invite presented itself as a rolled silk screen canvas, individually numbered and tied with a satin bow in a gold and blue wibalin covered bespoke box. The remaining items were printed with carefully sourced buckram embossed paper from GF Smith. The gold and midnight blue theme ran throughout the campaign including the programme for the Gala dinner.

concept & art direction

For ES magazine, I conceptualized and art-directed a photograph / style shoot, entitled 'babe in the woods'. Shot by worldwide top photographer, Rankin.
 

Campaign for Alan Ayckbourn's A Small Family Business

I created a photographic concept based around a central visual piece of iconic furniture, very common in the 80's, of black leather and chrome. The play's key elements of adultery, money and intrigue performed on a spartan indentikit stage set are cleverly woven into one attention grabbing montage.

design & art direction

Working with ID Communications, I was commissioned to create a new graphic identity for the CGF website. A result that was clear and modern, with a user-friendly interface of easily identifiable icons.

art direction, typography and design

working with the author and illustrator I designed the cover and typography including layout of the whole book and inner pages. A wonderful children's story about a child getting lost in a magical kingdom and trying to find his way back home.

www.i-am-mai.com

corporate identity, website & conceptual advertising

I have been working with SWA for the last six years. The identity and design values of SWA are imperative in everything that is created. Accordingly, clients expect SWA to be individual and at a high level of creativity. This expectation is correlated by the colours, classic simplicity and ease of use of the site. The quirky advertising and copywriting is something that SWA have become known for.

The SWA website can be viewed here: www.sarahwardassociates.com

For Penguin Books summer release of Lesley Pearce's new bestselling novel, the 4 sheet and billboard poster campaign demanded a powerful re-imagining of the book cover image in a way that expressed femininity and was also strong and engaging.

graphic design

Working in collaboration with Skinny as conceptual illustrators, we created a series of posters to advertise the Natural History Collection of the Horniman museum in South London. Drawing from the rich heritage of the museum, which is housed in a wonderful Victorian building, the posters have a sense of a time-gone-by whilst remaining contemporary in their colour palettes and graphic identity.

art direction & graphic design

For three years I worked with Beyoncé & Destiny's Child, creating imagery and graphic design for their highly successful album campaigns ''the writing's on the wall' and 'survivor'. I also art-directed the cover of Arena magazine and for this enlisted top portrait photographer Lorenzo Agius.

corporate identity, branding, advertising & website

The corporate identity demanded the feel of an established motor dealer (since 1949) but needed to be modern and classic at the same time. They have a large discriminatory clientele, who purchase amongst others, modern and classic Bentleys and Aston Martin motor cars. Their website also includes a motorsport section which tunes and races customers cars, mainly Lotus. The site is extensive in that many areas of their business have to be covered whilst remaining easy to navigate and presenting a high degree of sophistication that their customers expect.

Website can be viewed here: www.hofmanns.co.uk

poster design & portrait photography

Jonathan is a successful modern artist. He paints his extraordinary figures on huge canvasses for discerning clients across the globe. From Lord Foster to Berlin Airport and London's Met Bar underneath Nobu on Park Lane. For Jonathan's Romance exhibition I was commissioned to create a poster and take portraits of the artist in his studio in Woolwich. 

concept, art direction, copy-writing & design

I was commissioned to create a visual campaign around the Miseducation theme. Drawing from inspiration of billboard and high end consumer advertising, I developed different images and concepts for each milestone in the campaign. Each advertisement stood alone for individuality, and whilst the album was always the product, it was secondary visually to the message. This approach was quite unique for music advertising at the time and won me two awards at the CADS, first and second. The album itself went on to be one of the most successful albums and marketing campaigns of the last decade.

concept & graphic design

I conceived a stencil-cut brochure that highlighted the word 'colour' through images of hair and faces, a very bold and engaging statement. The secondary marketing included a stencil cut interactive Grand Final ticket which included different faces & haircuts for each award which revealed themselves as the ticket was pulled from its sleeve.

For Wlliam Orbit's fourth album in the 'strange cargo' series, I conceived an image that hinted at the supernatural, combining geometric shapes with air, water and light. The result was an image with a weightless, etheric quality which echoed perfectly with the music. The sleeve and associated imagery has become something of a classic in this genre. The symbol, an 'enneagram' is shown as a detail of an ancient esoteric, nine-pointed star.

Corporate Identity & Website

Souvenir Studios is one of the premier theatre and events studio set build companies in the UK. They wanted a simple but effective design that showcased their work to maximum effect.

Website can be viewed here: www.souvenir.co.uk

'smelling the roses' by mervyn brady

An autobiographical account of an Irish philosopher growing up in Dublin in the 1950's and 60's. I created a photographic illustration combining roses, subtle handwriting, combined with an image of the young Mervyn in his Sunday best.

Alternative Campaign for Alan Ayckbourn's 'A Small Family Business'

I created a photographic concept based around a central act in the play - the moment a murder takes place in the bathroom. The 'whodunnit?' elements of the magnifying glass and cash money, including the red lingerie, all add to the visual intrigue and make for a very modern approach to the play's 80's appeal. All of the pieces are cleverly woven into one attention grabbing montage.

Concept, Art Direction and Cinematography

A beautiful acoustic rendition of 'Cry Me A River' by Irish singer, Helena Jesele. The brief demanded a no-frills, stripped-back look. I used a 'Golden age of Hollywood' style black and white grade with retro lighting to match. Shot in just one live take with no edits to keep the purity and power of the performance central to the piece. Helena's incredible vocal performance captures the moment perfectly.

For the first ever legitimate Live album from The Clash, I developed a campaign which involved an 'on the road' theme. Using highway signs as a device throughout, the main album image became a photograph of a life-size lampost which was handbuilt from scratch and photographed in front of the Westway, central London, which of course is where it all began.

conceptual advertising, copywriting & marketing

This highly successful (multi-platinum) ground breaking advertising campaign was to help propel Cypress Hill to worldwide mega-stardom. As the band's whole philosophy revolved around smoking marijuana I created a campaign which drew on various well known elements of smoking 'tobacco'. This was guerilla design at its best, combining cult graphics with clever copy. From T-shirts to full page adverts in corporate magazines, the resultant press and brand furore created enough legal papers to keep the Sony lawyers busy for months.

as the rhyme goes on

An early example of guerilla marketing from way back in the day, around 1987. I created a sleeve which swapped 'Rolex' for 'Rakim' using the Rolex day-date 'president' watch. The design was an instant cult classic and resulted in an immediate ban from Rolex in Geneva. I nearly lost my job, but it suited the mood and the time perfectly and was the beginning of bling in Rap Music from the original superstars of NY hip-hop. Taken from the multi-platinum 'Paid In Full' album.

concept, design & art direction

For Rachel Stevens and 19 Entertainment, I enlisted top portrait photographer, Lorenzo Agius. The imagery took cues from classic sixties B&W model photography, such as the film 'Blow Up', although the result was most definitely in colour. The simplicity of the logo gave the whole campaign a refined, almost jeweled feel.

script, direction and production

For the Pareto Autotee, I wrote and directed a 30" product commercial which encompassed the benefits of the product.

script, production & direction

For Lips 'Wash Me', I wrote and directed the promotional video, based around the theme of a 'spy-cam' in the apartment of the singer.

identity, art direction, photography & website

For award-winning public house 'the Frog at Skirmett', I created a modern identity whilst encompassing the look and feel of the timeless surroundings, which is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty in the Oxfordshire countryside. The emphasis of the site was to engage the viewer with wonderful images of the food, interior and the 'soul' behind the energy of the landlords, Jim and Noelle. I spent time documenting situations and taking photographs of everything that made this such a successful public house. The result is a window which completely tells the story and engages the potential customer in a way that few public house websites do.

The Frog website can be viewed here: www.thefrogatskirmett.co.uk

graphic design

Having worked with Kelly Rowland before when she was with Destiny's Child, I continued the relationship when she went solo. I designed a number of special formats.
 

concept, design, image manipulation & photography

A spoken word compact disc. Continuing on from the book cover for 'Memoir of an Irish philosopher', I created an esoterically symbolic sleeve which combined the three roses with further elements including the maze of Chatres cathedral in France, butterflies and playing cards. The result is a modern and engaging artwork which invites the casual observer to find out more.

www.academyofeuropeanarts.com

For Grammy-winning mix engineer and producer Tom Elmhirst, I created an interactive flash-based website which encompassed animated areas of Tom's own mixing desk at Metropolis studios in London.

Corporate identity, design and website

For the Academy of European Arts and Culture, I created a design which embodied the look and feel of the Renaissance by using elements such as Leonardo's 'mirror writing' in the background of the images. The philosophic nature of the Academy and the ideas of study and 'work' are presented in a way that is corporate yet engaging and modern.
 

the kiss of awakening

An autobiographical account of a period of time in the author's life. Emigrating from Florence in Italy to New York in the USA. The extraordinary events that occured over a decade culminating in a spiritual awakening in her mid-forties - 'Il bacio del risveglio' or 'The kiss of awakening'. I created a design which played on the standard visualinterpretation of a heart monitor and the light which is illuminated through the 'kiss' - when the heart feels something different.

corporate identity, copywriting & advertising

Codeplay is a technology software company that writes assembly code for programmers, primarily aimed at the gaming industry. Coding by nature is a laborious process so the brief demanded a solution which encapsulated the time saving characteristics of the software in a humourous yet slick way.