Coat of arms… or coat of fingers?

December 14, 2012June 24, 2020 | Anna Cull

This cheeky coat of arms is part of a business card I designed for Tim Gallant. He originally asked me to design two business cards — one for his longbow-making business Pre-modern Industries and one to promote him as a drum teacher/musician. It was my suggestion to put everything on a single card by creating a coat of arms.

Tim specifically asked for a two-fingered salute to be included in the design (an insult that is also known as the Longbowman Salute, with some claiming the gesture dates back to the 1415 Battle of Agincourt). So I combined the ‘salute’ with a few other elements to create a logo that is, I hope, more humorous than offensive. The colours and placement of the elements were inspired by the Gallant coat of arms and a medieval illustration style seemed the very thing to tie it all together.

Love Your Body campaign poster

December 6, 2012July 7, 2013 | Anna Cull

Love the shape you're in – mixed media, 297 x 210 mm, 2012. — Love the shape you’re in – mixed media, 297 x 210 mm, 2012.

Here is my entry for a poster competition run by the NOW Foundation promoting the positive, healthy, inclusive portrayal of girls and women. Yes, another competition. It’s been a busy month.

My aim was to put a positive spin on the idea of body types and to create an image that would make people smile. All too often, we hear ‘pear’ and ‘apple’ shapes (et cetera) described as problems that require fixing in some way. Instead, celebrate your shape because it’s all natural and naturally beautiful. Love the shape you’re in!

The fruit characters are ink and acrylic — one is a self-portrait : ) The background collage was created using paper and gesso. I added the heart spotlight in Photoshop.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

November 30, 2012July 7, 2013 | Anna Cull

Here is my entry for this month’s Tigerprint design competiton. The theme, Coming Together at Christmas, provided an opportunity to explore what Christmas means to me and to look at what things provide those “I love Christmas” moments.

For me, it’s about connecting with family and friends. When they are far away, coming together at Christmas also means sending handmade cards through the post (yes, the old-fashioned way). It’s one of my favourite things about the season.

My ‘Poles apart’ design features nine little scribble birds/animals (representing countries all around the world). I imagine them on wrapping paper, gift tags and bags. The design looks particularly festive in red but I’ve also made a bright green version and one using a brown paper background (see below).

I think my two favourites (penguin and polar bear) would also work as cards. The ink drawings have been scanned and turned into vector images. The backgrounds are a mixed media and digital collage of vintage stationery. Sometimes it pays to be a magpie : )

Shoot it, Sketch it: Sun shadow

November 19, 2012March 13, 2022 | Anna Cull

Anna Cull sun shadow triptych — Sun Shadow triptych – acrylic, ink and digital, 2012.

Last week’s partial solar eclipse as seen from Christchurch, New Zealand. The photographs were taken at about 10:00, 10:30 (at its peak) and 11:00 a.m. I didn’t have a fancy solar filter so these are photos of the shadow of the sun. They’re not the most spectacular shots of the event (!) but they did inspire this week’s painting : )

Follow the links to see what Bec from Clouds of Colour and Alana from The Little Leaf have done for Shoot it, Sketch it this week.

Thank you

August 19, 2012February 8, 2014 | Anna Cull

To all who have followed (that’s now 50 of you), liked, commented and/or visited this blog — a very big thank you. What began as a way of putting my portfolio online has kind of snowballed. I’m really enjoying being part of the WordPress community. You encourage, inspire and challenge me. So… thank you!!!

Experimental collage

July 26, 2012July 7, 2013 | Anna Cull

happy birthday Jess – mixed media, 190 x 255 mm, 2012.

Question: what to do when you want to make something a bit special for an arty friend who has seen practically everything you’ve made over the last three years?

Answer: something else.

The background photo and the toy museum dolls (in the window) were taken in Nelson, December 2011. The vintage circus girl, shell and chrysalis are found images. Acrylic paint, a black copic marker and felt pens (probably also vintage) were used to complete the design.

I wouldn’t mind making a few more like this.