Day two
Ex-students Karen Hughes and Rachel Simpson began our second day. Karen runs her own studio in Manchester called Edit_ whilst Rachel runs Bird, a studio based in Preston. Their careers have mirrored each other to an extent, starting at The Chase where they worked on the wellknown Merseystride project, then True North before starting their own studios.
They discussed pushing an idea that extra nudge. Karen showed us her work for Crowns & Coronets, noting that after seeing their was a crown in the letter W, other logos had made the same connection (it was also said all ideas exist in some form or other, it's up to you to push them to a new place). But pushing the idea a step further created something new and unexpected.
Rachel and Karen told us that luck is actually hard work, thick skin, and creating great ideas from strong research.
In the afternoon we were an audience for the artist and illustrator Paul Davis.
His career has been incredible, and obviously the result of a mind which is "on fire" as he said himself. His early career saw him drawing, drawing, drawing and more drawing. Producing thousands of illustrations before getting his first commissions.
Later in his career IBM employed him to create illustrations for their entire brand, taking a couple of years. They bought the rights to his handwriting, but when Sony asked if they could commission his handwriting, and after consulting with a lawyer, he was able to use his left hand instead to get round the problem and work on the brief.
He noted how illustration has changed immeasurably since he began, but is still drawing - and thinking - every day.