Georgina Hounsome - looking beyond one's own boundaries

Profile on Georgina Hounsome

There is no such word as static in the professional world of Georgina Hounsome. Her entrepreneurial and enthusiastic spirit has resulted in a diverse and dynamic career as an illustrator. She is a great example to aspiring illustrators how one doesn’t have to stay in one particular field. Since graduating from Bath Spa University College with a first class degree in Graphic Design and Illustration, she has produced work for commercial companies, publishing houses, daily newspapers and well-known magazines as well as undertaking exciting artist residencies abroad.

 Her most recent venture has been to set up Pirrip Press, a small independent company which specialises in bespoke design and print; with fellow printmaker Alexandra Higlett. A few years ago both artists achieved Masters (with distinction) from Falmouth University to further their skills in storytelling through print making. Launched exactly a year ago in Cornwall, before moving to its current studio in Spike Island, Bristol, in February; Pirrip Press produces stationery, cards, artwork and all sorts of other printed ephemera as well as illustrating, designing, printing and making and publishing their own books using Letterpress and Silkscreen printing. Last year they worked as artists in residence at Enblanco Gallery in Berlin, where they designed, wrote and illustrated a book about a fictional island and a group of people who carried out an experiment on nature and growth. Previous to this, they carried out a short residency at The Cold Press in Norfolk.

It is an exciting new aspect to Georgina’s work and she believes in working collaboratively as well as on an individual basis.

Her own work credentials are impressive. Over the years she has worked for national clients including Orange, House & Garden, The Big Issue, Waitrose, The Guardian and The Independent.

“The phone company Orange put out an open submission and wanted images based on the word double. You got paid if your designs got picked. Although mine weren’t picked for the job, they rang me up and asked if my images could be blown up to wall size as illustrations for their café. It is good to go for these things because sometimes the unexpected happens,” she admits.

“I think it is important to think how to keep your work fresh. I look out for competitions as it is a good way of working to deadlines. A couple of years ago The House of Illustration and The Folio Society ran a competition to illustrate The Outsider by Albert Camus. I won a runner up prize. The best thing was that I got to go to London and meet other brilliant artists and get a prize from none other than Quentin Blake!”

 

Alongside her work in both a commercial and self-authorial context, Georgina works part-time as a lecturer and is currently teaching illustration degree students at the University of Gloucestershire. Georgina joined the MA team at Falmouth University in 2009 after completing the MA Authorial Practice course. She has taught at FE level for a number of years and has run courses at The Newlyn School of Art and has also been a visiting lecturer at Plymouth University. She also teaches at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Generous with her encouragement and time, she offers a valuable insight in both the commercial and self-publishing side of illustration. 

“Always look beyond at what you are doing and try and push yourselves forward. Most of my inspiration comes from books, mainly to do with science and nature. Quite often I use them as a starting point. I always take a camera with me, as you never know what you are going to find,” she says.

“Learn to appreciate how to see things and continue to build up your own visual language all the time and use a sketchbook for working things out. I still use the discipline of using thumbnail sketches and diagrams that I started using at university and I do a lot of observational drawings, particularly in museums.” 

Although Georgina’s preferred medium is drawing and printing, she admits she collects papers, old postcards, stickers and lettratones which she uses in her work.

“I work with a wide range of materials but mainly drawing and printmaking. My personal practice is primarily concerned with the ability of images to transport us,” she says.

“I aim to engage the viewer with an awareness of time, place, story or memory yet retain a sense of ambiguity, allowing them to discover a personal narrative.”

georginahounsome.blogspot.com

www.pirrippress.co.uk

Introducing Fumio Obata

Tuesday, October 1st

FUMIO OBATA

Experienced illustrator, animator and published author Fumio Obata has had an extraordinary career thanks to his forward thinking, entrepreneurial attitude and ability to make the most of every opportunity.

Born in Tokyo, Fumio was inspired by the world of Manga and Anime comics from a very young age. It birthed in him a desire to write and illustrate his own published works – a dream he has been able to fulfil. His first book, L'incoyable Histoire de la Sauce Soja, (the incredible tale of the Soy sauce) came out in 2008 and in February 2014, his graphic novel, Just so Happens, published by Jonathan Cape will be available.


Fumio's first published graphic novel



Just so Happens, published by Jonathan Cape, February 2014



This is a story of a young Japanese woman, who has made London her home, yet has to return to her native country when her father suddenly dies. It successfully highlights the contrasts between cultures and explores what we mean by the word “home” – themes close to the author’s heart. Fumio left his homeland at the age of 16 to attend a boarding school in Gloucestershire. He has detailed his adjustment to the British culture in an entertaining yet honest account in comic form, called Fumio’s World.

Fumio's World - a comic about Fumio's adjustment to British life

Fumio later studied illustration at Glasgow School of Art, followed by an MA in Communication Design at the Royal College of Art in London. Although he was clearly gifted in sequential imagery and design, Fumio was keen to establish himself as an animator. A catalyst for this was designing and producing some animated Manga-style panels for the 1980's pop group Duran Duran, who wanted them for a live tour. This led to work for Channel 4 and Redkite Animations in Edinburgh, during which time he worked on a number of joint projects with DC Thompson.

"It was here I learnt the importance of teamwork, working to precise schedules and specific programmes and I really learnt to respect the story board artists. Story boarding is very important, it is the spine, the backbone of the job. It is the animation in its pre-animated state," explains Fumio.

In 2008 he secured a 13 month Comic Artist residency in France, which led to his first published book full of his distinctive quirky and unique visual images, which combine strong Japanese and European esthetics.

In 2012, a year after the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster which shocked the whole of Japan, Fumio went to a port city of Japan called Ishinomaki where many NPO and NGO organizations are based, to record the aftermath in the form of comic book reportage. His work has been published in the Italian magazine Internazionale and he is currently working on a long story of his findings through comic journalism, following a recent trip back to Japan. He has also worked with NHS Lothian and his second comic book collaboration is almost confirmed. 

Example of Fumio's comic journalism for Internazionale

Fumio, who was one of the runner-ups for the short Graphic Novel award in 2007, and again in 2010; is also a lecturer in art and design and just started working as part of the illustration team, teaching the BA Hons Illustration course at the University of Gloucestershire. Full of enthusiasm and generous with his knowledge and talent, Fumio is keen to encourage students to find their own individual voice in what is a very competitive industry.

"I realised it was important to hold on to an artistic identity that was my own. I do sell originals of characters drawn in charcoal and I want to keep this. It gives you that extra special thing, while you are working on projects for other people," he admits.

Fumio continues to make his own work. Log on to his dynamic, colourful and entertaining website and blog and one cannot fail to be inspired, as well as feel slightly in awe of this gifted storyteller. I spent a good couple of hours engrossed in his delightful quirky tales which are so full of rich visual language, particularly a comic strip depicting Fumio’s story about his personal challenges and insecurities when embracing a new culture; and his short animated films which are full of well observed and constructed narratives. His cleverly devised sequential illustrations especially Donuts are so refreshing.

“I am here to tell the stories which inspire me. That's my nature and my job which is given to me by this world,” he adds.

Fumio Obata is a name to watch out for. There are many stories yet to come from this witty and clever animator, sequential illustrator and graphic novelist. Students had better watch out as they may find themselves appearing in one of his amusing comic strips. Tracy Spiers

http://www.fumioobata.co.uk

Just so Happens published by Jonathan Cape will be available in February 2014.

Special delivery

Friday, September 27th

As a journalist who has worked in the media for 26 years, my role has primarily been to write other people's stories. It is rather fitting then in this first week at the University of Gloucestershire, coming in as a second year on the BA (Hons) Illustration degree course, that I mark it with my first piece of public art. Zara Phillips officially opened the newly renovated Stroud Maternity Hospital as it marked its 60th anniversary. For my Fine Art sculpture unit earlier this year I wanted to make something for the hospital to say thank you on behalf of all the mums who had given birth and received after care there. My passion for drawing came through, and instead of making a sculpture in the traditional sense, the piece ended up being a sculptural drawing, capturing my twins breast feeding whilst holding hands. Entitled "Babies come with attachments," the image incorporates six mini starched white Terri Towelling nappies hanging on a line - a familiar sight in the 1950's-1970's - with free-hand embroidery of six icons representing the different decades and all the extra attachments that one has to have when having a baby. The drawing of the twins breastfeeding is done on very fine Japanese paper in pencil, sewn onto a Terri Towelling square as if it is a nappy liner. The picture was hung today in the new nursing room which so happens to be the very place where I first learnt to tandem feed the twins.


Babies come with Attachments hanging in Stroud Maternity Hospital

Rosie and Kezia stand under their picture

The after-care part of the hospital before the new look



iconic image of nappies on the line

 

embroidered drawings ready to be assembled



On the same day, Stroud's Birthplace, a social history book, which I wrote with fellow journalist Diane Harris to mark the Maternity Hospital's 50th anniversary, was officially put on line. It means midwifery students, new mums and those who did not get a copy when it was published in 2003, can assess it easily. Stroud's Birthplace includes pictures of author Laurie Lee and his daughter Jessy, best-selling novelist Katie Fforde and daughter Briony and Gloucestershire/England wicketkeeper Jack Russell, among many others. 

The link for the Stroud Maternity book, "Stroud's Birthplace," is 

issuu.com/Pagescreative/docs/stroud_maternity_hospital?e=1251587/4916330