Cellar Door

Itsa me, Mario!

2010-07-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Brilliant round-up of Super Mario fan art here.

Was it really the end?

2010-07-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm gutted Lost is over. However I've heard a rumour there may be an animated spin off show in the works. Check out these character illustrations by Michael Blaine Myers. There's one for each main character - even the smoke monster!

Say Cheese...

2010-07-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

New logo design for Emma Wilson Photography which uses two photograph triptychs to create Emma's initials.

Move It Or Lose It

2010-07-13T09:30:00.001-07:00

Logo for 'Move It Or Lose It', a gym class for the over-50's that teaches gentle exercise techniques.

Just for fun...

2010-07-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is an entry for a design competition over on Design Forums to brand an imaginary restaurant. Wish me luck!

The Holly Trust

2010-06-08T05:37:00.001-07:00

Pro bono identity for The Holly Trust, a bowel cancer charity based in Sutton Coldfield.

Cellar Door's new website

2010-06-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

The new and improved Cellar Door website should be online later this week. I'll keep you posted...

There's something fishy going on...

2010-06-06T11:36:00.001-07:00

Identity and membership card for the Sitch Carp Syndicate.

U2 live in Nice

2010-06-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Stunning photography by Eric Canto. Check out his site here.

Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

2010-03-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

I'm a big Gorillaz fan and have been looking forward to the new album Plastic Beach for ages, which is set to reach number 1 in the album chart this Sunday. It's also great to see their awesome website has been updated with a cool adventure game. Check it out here.

Asya Palatova ceramics

2010-03-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Asya Palatova creates stunning ceramics using her graphic design skills and a love of nature that is inspired by her grandmother's garden. You can check out her website here and order bespoke bowls and plates for your own kitchen.

These are the trainers you are looking for…

2010-03-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Loving this new range of Adidas trainers, tshirts, trackies and hoodies inspired by Star Wars. Available from JD Sports and size?.

The Art of Tim Burton

2010-03-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Film director Tim Burton has published a book containing over 1000 of his conceptual sketches. When developing ideas for a film, Tim sketches out characters, costumes and sets and has collected them all into The Art Of Tim Burton. You can buy the book from his website (timburton.com). There's also a deluxe edition which is signed on the inside cover.

2010-02-23T04:20:00.000-08:00

Cellar Door is re-branding! More soon...

The Need For Speed

2010-02-23T02:36:00.000-08:00

The new site I've designed for Rich-Art Concepts is now online. Rich-Art paint and design helmets for some of the world's leading motorsport stars including the Renault F1 Team, Troy Bayliss, Colin McRae and James Toseland.

Money In The Bank

2010-02-23T02:24:00.001-08:00

I've recently been working with the Prepaid team at Secure Trust Bank on some marketing material for their cleverly-designed Prepaid Bank Account. The red and black colour scheme, snappy copy and bold graphics are proving to be a hit and we're hoping to roll out more stuff in this style soon, including their new Prepaid Mastercard®.

Friends Are Electric

2010-02-23T00:14:00.000-08:00

My mate Sam Homer is an awesome DJ and has residency at the uber cool Red Bar in Birmingham on weekends. Room 101 on Saturday nights sees Sam spinning Balearic, Nu Disco, Funk & Deep House. It's well worth a visit if you're ever in the neighbourhood. He's just released a Room 101 mix on SoundCloud . Stream it online or download it here.

Superman Sells

2010-02-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

A copy of the first comic to feature caped hero Superman has been sold on the internet for $1m (£646,000). Check out the story here.

Ivoryline CD Artwork

2010-02-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Beautiful CD artwork for Texas rock band Ivoryline's album 'There Came A Lion', created by Markus Schafer of Buroink, Hamburg.

Gorilla Creative

2010-02-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

New identity for Gorilla Creative, a web design agency based in Birmingham.

Orchard Nº 1

2010-02-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Designed this for my girlfriend Emily for Valentine's Day. It's a 14" square print mounted and framed and now hanging proudly above the kitchen sink. Should keep her happy while she's doing the washing up. Who says romance is dead?

Olly Moss

2010-02-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've been a big fan of designer Olly Moss for years, especially his "black & red" series where he re-creates classic movie posters in his own simplistic style. He recently created this brilliant Lost poster in the style of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Check out his site here.

Nice Ampersands

2010-02-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Check out this collection of nicely crafted ampersands from Haafe & Haph.

The Chop Shop

2010-01-27T00:54:00.000-08:00

A little known fact about me is that as well as being a graphic designer, I'm also a trained butcher. I love this branding work for meat specialists The Chop Shop by Texas-based design outfit ptarmac.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-16T02:54:00.000-08:00

This year's Cellar Door Christmas card.

An Apple A Day Poster

2009-12-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

How cool is this? Simply peel off the little origin sticker on your daily apple and fix it to one of the 365 squares on the poster to create a work of art. Buy one here.

Beware The Moon

2009-12-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Very much looking forward to the movie The Wolfman, starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt:

"Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar® winner Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes..."

Watch the trailer here.

The Original & Best

2009-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Bought myself a new pair of Adidas Stan Smith's today, an iconic shoe that I've always loved because of their subtle design and attention to detail. Stan Smith was an American tennis star of the 1960s and '70s who was approached by Adidas to endorse the Haillet shoe in 1971. Usually made with a leather upper, Stan Smith's have a simple design and unlike most of the Adidas range have no external stripes - instead there are three rows of perforations in the same pattern. Adidas has sold over 30 million pairs of Stan Smiths since 1971.

Good Unlimited

2009-12-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

I love the new McCain Foods TV campaign "Good Unlimited" by ad agency Beattie McGuiness Bungay. Potatoes are tickled with feathers to turn them into Potato Smiles, sweet potatoes are hugged with rosemary and garlic and Potato Wedges are showered with a confetti of natural herbs and spices. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it here. Excellent stuff.

Anyone for Tea?

2009-11-27T00:37:00.000-08:00

Awesome branding project by Mind.

Rethink Communications

2009-11-27T00:26:00.000-08:00

Love this business card for Flow Yoga by Rethink Communications.

Have your cake and choke on it

2009-11-27T00:19:00.000-08:00

Celebrate your divorce with one of these awesome cakes! Check out the full range here.

Tim Holman Book Covers

2009-11-24T04:22:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip to Waterstones I discovered Tom Holt, a great comic fantasy writer. I really like these simple illustrations on his book covers by Tim Holman. Published by Orbit.

Cellar Door has moved!

2009-11-24T03:52:00.000-08:00

Cellar Door has relocated to sunny Wolverhampton. Email and mobile remains the same.

My new business card

2009-11-24T03:49:00.000-08:00

Need a new business card? Remember, it's one of the only chances you have in life to make a considered first impression. Contact me now to discuss your needs.

Facebook Group

2009-11-24T03:43:00.000-08:00

If you're on Facebook, why not join the Cellar Door group? It's updated regularly with new work, design experiments and news. Look forward to seeing you there!

Cellar Door Facebook Group

Signage

2009-11-24T03:42:00.001-08:00

New interior and exterior signs for Secure Trust Bank.

Retro Posters

2009-11-24T03:40:00.000-08:00

Posters for Secure Trust Bank.

More Wedding Stationery

2009-10-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

Stationery design for an Autumn wedding. Congratulations Jess and Andrew!

Amazing Wine Labels

2009-09-30T00:51:00.000-07:00

By Brandever, specialist wine label and packaging designers.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

2009-09-30T00:36:00.000-07:00

Came across this on a couple of other blogs recently - branding and design work for the forthcoming 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

From the website: "The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will remember the nearly three thousand people who died in the horrific attacks of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001. The Memorial will consist of two massive pools set within the footprints of the Twin Towers with the largest manmade waterfalls in the country cascading down their sides. The names of the those killed will be inscribed around the edges of the Memorial pools."

Check it out here.

Cameron Moll letterpress posters

2009-09-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Simply awesome. You can buy prints of Cameron's art here.

Spinnin' the Web

2009-09-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Websites I've been working on this month.

The Boys

2009-09-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

My new comic obsession is a relatively new title called The Boys, an anti-super hero story written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson. The series is set in a contemporary world very much similar to the real one, with one notable exception: super heroes exist. The series follows a super-powered CIA squad, known informally as "The Boys", whose job it is to keep watch on superheroes and, if necessary, intimidate or kill them when the get too big for their big red boots.

Buy volume 1 on Amazon here.

King of Pop (Art)

2009-08-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

A portrait by Andy Warhol of the late singer Michael Jackson is set to be auctioned in New York.

Ahead of the sale, the 1984 portrait will be on show at London's British Music Experience, inside the O2 Arena, where Jackson had been due to perform.

"This Andy Warhol portrait brings together the uncontested King of Pop Art with the uncontested King of Pop," said Janet Lehr, acting for the seller.

From BBC News. Read more here…

Iron Man book cover

2009-07-31T03:21:00.001-07:00

Animal Farm book cover

2009-07-29T01:19:00.000-07:00

RE yesterday's competition entry, thought I'd have a go at Animal Farm too.

American Psycho book cover

2009-07-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Entered a competition today over at Design Forums to design a new book cover for Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho. It's one of my favourite books and I've always wanted to have a go at designing a new cover for it. I'll let you know if I win - fingers crossed.

Rooster Teeth

2009-07-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

Rooster Teeth (an online community for game and viral video addicts) has some great online comics. There's a huge archive to browse, plus if you really like them you can buy them in good-old-fashioned book format. Check them out here.

Active 4 Life

2009-07-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

Just finished designing this logo for Active4Life, a new project developed by Aspire Sports, Health & Fitness. Active4Life is a physical education programme for young children that teaches them how to move their bodies and encourages a lifelong interest in healthy living. The logo encompasses the ideas of growth and movement to reflect the ethos behind the project.

Giuseppe Penone

2009-07-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Saw an interesting exhibition at the Ikon Gallery yesterday by Italian artist Giuseppe Penone. Check it out here.

I love a good wedding...

2009-06-29T10:17:00.001-07:00

...but I love designing wedding stationery even more. It's great being able to contribute towards someone's big day and to help gear up some excitement for family and friends. If you're getting married soon (or know someone who is) then contact me to discuss bespoke invitations, seating plans, menus and itineraries.

Graf Jam

2009-06-23T00:14:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a short break in Brighton. I've never visited the city before but was very impressed with how art and design is a key feature of the landscape. When strolling around the Lanes I stumbled across some of the most amazing graffiti I've ever seen. The Kensington Street Graf Jam was a legal graffiti art project set up between the council and local artists back in 2006. There are 5 or 6 buildings there completely covered with awesome designs, including a memorial to soul legend James Brown. Well worth a look if you're ever in the neighbourhood.

Creative License

2009-06-18T00:48:00.000-07:00

I love this comic strip by N C Winters, an artist, designer, illustrator and cartoonist based in San Diego. Check out his site here.

Banksy's Bristol Show

2009-06-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Banksy has a new show that opened in Bristol this week. Check out some of the pieces here.

Cellar Door is 1!

2009-06-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Cellar Door Creative Consultancy is now one year old! As with all new businesses (especially in the current climate) there have been some wobbly moments, but on the whole I'm dead pleased with how things are progressing. My client list is still growing and I'm busier than ever! Thanks to everyone who has supported and advised me over the last year, but most of all, thanks to you lovely, lovely paying clients! God love ya. Remember, the Door is always open…

Ready Steady Cook

2009-06-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Recently I've undertaken a lot of branding work for Aspire2Cook, a company that teaches primary school kids the value of healthy food and how to cook it. I created their corporate identity a little while ago (above) and have just finished their website, which should be online in the very near future.

It's a great initiative and has even caught the interest of celebrity chef Steve Walpole, who is acting as a consultant. More later...

Time Machine

2009-06-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to receive a Mondaine Swiss Railway watch from my girlfriend for my birthday recently. It's a well-regarded design classic, based on the Swiss Railway Station Clock created in 1944 by engineer Hans Hilfiker, which is still in use today on stations throughout Switzerland.

I absolutely love it and can't stop looking at it. Being able to wear and use a design classic every day is awesome!

I Heart Zombies

2009-06-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a total comic book geek. I've recently discovered a modern classic called The Walking Dead (cheers Joe!).

The Walking Dead chronicles the trials and tribulations of a gang of survivors trying to deal with a zombie apocalypse. It's awesome stuff - the writing and black and white artwork is fantastic. As with all good zombie stories, the scariest thing about it isn't the snarling, flesh-eating monsters, it's how people treat each other when law and order goes down the pan.

Beautiful, fun, terrifying zombie carnage. What's not to love? Treat yourself to volume one from Amazon.

Designer Of The Lost Ark

2009-06-17T07:19:00.001-07:00

Ark Media Productions are a Midlands-based corporate video production house. They recently contacted me to re-brand the company and design a new website. You can visit the site here.

Hello

2009-06-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hi. Welcome to the Cellar Door blog. I'll try and post here regularly about new projects and anything else I find interesting, so please follow me! Cheers.