When you do commissions you always hope for the best but plan for the worst and this was the outcome of one of the bad times. We’d found the perfect colour to use but we later found out this was the last colour we should have used. After we had finished and dropped the piece off to the client we got a message back saying some of the spray paint was coming off the wood. We thought they must be mad as spray paint magically seems to go on anything or so we thought. Little did we know that the neon colours we used were made using some different type of alchemy to be produced and resulted in the paint flaking off the wood we were painting. After we got the piece back and started the remedial work needed to get the piece back to looking its best I happened to take these shots. Pretty but i must not forget it came out of disaster
So with nothing new to get on today, we thought we would share the packaging to some artwork we recently sent out to a client. We do like to jazz up our packaging because we’ve found it’s less likely to be damaged or stolen when we do it. That’s a pretty sad state of affairs but if it gets the job done then so be it. It also gives the client a nice little surprise when the postie eventually delivers it. Some clients have even been known to frame the packaging for an extra little something for their wall.
Just the other day we showed you our first commission wall in 18 months, well, when we were done they then requested we do a second wall in order to, sort of, explain the first. It consisted of a legend so that people could see the actual drug logos and names for the abstracted logos we used on the original wall. Now I haven’t done any precise stencil work for a while, instead preferring the ‘get it in the edit’ philosophy of painting, but for this we only had one shot and it needed to be as neat as possible. I have to admit we did pretty well if I don’t say so myself. After completing this one they then asked about a possible third wall. Watch this space…
It’s been a long time coming but we were recently commissioned to do our first big wall in about 18 months for a company which invests in new drugs. I have to say that it felt good to be out and about and painting again for a client.
We’ve spent too long left with our own ideas so it was nice to have a brief – which only really asked for one thing, which was to include some reference to the drugs they had invested in. Given that some of the logos were quite cool anyway that seemed the obvious way to go. As always the hardest part is coming up with a design but once that is out of the way and signed off though it’s on to the fun part; throwing some paint at a wall.
We were commissioned to design and paint some wardrobe doors. Sounds simple enough. We had a fairly loose brief to create something in an Art Deco style. What we ended up with is something a little more Art Nouveau that is reversible and contains some elements specific to the client. The cornflower design in the middle is based on their family flower and the family motto of ‘Virtus, Vigor, Victoria’ is referenced in the the V’s emanating from the goblet the lady is carrying.
Painting and installing them brought some interesting challenges that were largely self inflicted but you live and learn. Well, we try to. There’s even a flash of bright pink painted on the inside of the doors that we couldn’t get a decent photo of but you’re going to have to trust me it’s there. Righto, what’s next?
When the in-laws arrived they bore with them a small robin that had definitely seen better days. I really should have got a ‘before’ picture. He looked sad, rusty and dishevelled. I was asked if I could possibly do anything with him. ‘Of course I can. Any reasonable job undertaken.’ was my snappy reply. Ladies and gentlemen I present a dapper, rust-free and slightly mad looking robin. I believe my work here is done…
Never ones to turn down a challenge we were asked to step a little outside our comfort zone and to paint up a recently purchased Asgard bike shed with a wraparound wildflower meadow scene featuring a hummingbird. Okay then. Game on.
First up we had to come up with a design they were happy with and it’s funny how sometimes things are easy to design but tricky to paint. That should probably be a memo to self. Next up – the fun part. With the shed disassembled we got to work throwing some paint around. After a few furious hours, we had to stop due to rain but when we got back to it it all seemed to fall slowly into place. Whack a fancy little hummingbird on there and some varnish and you’re good to go. Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?
We painted a mural for prestigious London art handling company Paradigm 33 back in September last year and it’s taken this long to get a shot of it as there’s always a vehicle of one sort or another completely blocking it. Given the nature of their work we eventually settled on a design that featured some little installers who are installing the company logo. How very self-referential. But you know the art world.
We were also commissioned to create 50 laser cut decorations as a little Christmas gift to clients. We agreed not to reveal them til after Christmas and so are only just getting round to it now. HAP33 CHRISTMAS. They’re Paradigm 33. Geddit?
Here at id-iom there’s nothing we like more than the pressure of a deadline. Despite the fact that procrastination is our usual go-to strategy occasionally it’s warming to have a fire lit under you. So when an enquiry came in regarding some laser cut decorations that were required ‘tout suite’ for an event we decided it was time to action.
The event in question is, surprisingly, called Christmas Land and a total of 93 decorations of various sizes were required. Cue 80’s montage scene of us desperately designing, cutting and painting and then, by jingo, we get them all completed just in the nick of time. Memo to self for next time; glitter gets absolutely everywhere. Beware!
id-iom is very much a caring partnership. Just last week the younger member of id-iom had his birthday and I thought to produce a very thoughtful gift for him. I should probably point out that he’s also diabetic. Sometimes not a very responsible one who has ended up in hospital on a number of occasions. Given that proclivity I thought a gentle reminder of good practice may well be in order. After I’d presented it to him we looked at the calendar and, at the time of writing the numbers, he had avoided a hospitalisation incident for 534 days. Good work. Let’s keep it up. Accidents are avoidable…
Made using the magic of stencils and spraypaint on a newly acquitted A2 blackboard. A slightly macabre but well intended must have for the hossie hound in your life…
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