While on my hols in Vancouver, my cousin Mark gave me a couple of CD’s of his friend Pete’s roots rock band The Matinée. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but after listening to both CD’s, I really love their music. The Matinée MySpace page references the Kings of Leon, The Black Crowes and old Bruce Springsteen to describe their sound and that’s about right. Since hearing the CD’s I’ve been playing them non-stop and they’ve proven a big hit in the Virgin Money studio too. My favourite song is ‘The Road’ – watch the live version above and enjoy (if you want a little smile to yourself, look at the stop-motion version of ‘The Road’ here). Oh, and iTunes has their album (and other songs including ‘The Road’) if you want to listen to more.
This post, my only entry for this fine (fine = hurricane-like gales and flash floods) summer month of August, ends a short period of lazing around offline, enjoying other, non-cyberspace activities. The first half of the month saw Family Kirkendall visiting Family Richardson in Vancouver, where we did the usual activities like swimming at favourite lakes and beaches, riding around the seawall in Stanley Park, eating out in IHOP, watching Pride (see above) and visiting Vancouver’s favourite ski resort, Whistler. The visit to Whistler was amazing – home of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler now boasts a record-breaking link to it’s brother/sister mountain Blackcombe. At 1.88 miles long, and many flippin’ feet high, (not sure how high, but Whistler is twice the height of Snowdon if that helps) the Peak to Peak cable car ferries passengers from Whistler to Blackcombe (or, the other way as Family K did it) in the largest unsupported cable ride in the world. And I have to tell you, if you’re not keen on heights, it is the perfect cure for constipation – however, if you are keen on heights, it is one of the most fantastic experiences you’ll ever have.
Since our return to Blighty, I’ve taken Number One Son camping in North Norfolk, where we were lucky enough to catch the last decent bout of summer weather, making for a great relaxing weekend, swimming, walking, eating fish ‘n’ chips ‘n’ Donuts and reading (NOS read Roald Dahl, I read Bruce Lawson and Remy Sharp’s Introducing HTML5).
During all of this analogue activity, I did a lot of thinking about the future, how best to spend my time and what my priorities are. I always do this every summer holiday and then the whirlwind of the real world sweeps me up and undoes my new plans. But not this time – I’m re-entering that whirlwind deliberately slower, making time for important things I’ve previously neglected, and telling myself that I can’t do everything, or be in two places at the same time and more importantly, not to beat myself up about it.
Whatever you did this August dear reader, I hope it was as enjoyable and as restful as mine.
I watched Sherlock last Sunday night, the new BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock with Martin Freeman as his faithful partner, Dr Watson. Cumberbatch played Sherlock as a fast talking, streets-ahead-of-everyone, other wordly character, not too dissimilar I felt, to Dr Who. Ironically, this Sherlock is also a time traveller, leaving behind the fog shrouded streets of Victorian London, landing bang up to date in our car choked capital of 2010. Sherlock’s production team expoited the present day brilliantly, using superimposed text messages, mobile menus and at one point, even road signs and traffic lights to illustrate various scenes – this was combined with subtle pieces of set dressing that gave a faint victorian flavour as a nod to the source material.
The chemistry between Cumberbatch’s Holmes and Freeman’s terrific Watson was electric, the dialogue cracked along at a great pace, so much so that by comparison, the plot of their first case seemed a bit 40 watt by comparison. However, this was a brilliant reboot of the world’s most famous detective and on this showing I can see it running for many years, becoming must-see Sunday night TV. And if it doesn’t, I’ll eat my deerstalker.
Number One Son is becoming a big music fan. And Scouts has turned him into a big camping fan. So when I suggested that we go to Latitude next year, he was very enthusiastic. But, unlike him, I havn’t been camping for 22 years and I decided we needed some practice. So I bought a tent and a camping stove and promptly set up camp in the garden, and we slept outside for one night to test our new gear.
It was brilliant – Number One Son was in his element and I really don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. Making breakfast outdoors while being three feet from your own kitchen was odd though, although not quite as odd as going to the toilet in your own garden.
I can’t wait for our camping trip at the end of next month as it will be for two nights this time, we won’t be in our garden as we’ll be at the coast, so (hopefully) lots of swimming, sunbathing and fish ‘n’ chips!
This week’s Fri-llustrator-Day features a new discovery for me, thanks to a previous Fri-llustrator, Frank Chimero. While reading Mr C’s tweets last night, I followed a link he posted to Milan-based Olimpia Zagnoli. He mentioned the beautiful drawings she had on her site – intrigued, I popped over for a look.
Wow – instead of the sketches I had in my minds eye, I came across the wonderful stylish images that she’s created for a wide range of clients including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Grazia and Nike. And last year she won the Celebrate Originality Award (see top illo) from Adidas as part of their campaign to, well, celebrate originality (and to sell shoes).
If you want to see more of her lovely illustrations, start your weekend with a smile and visit the Olimpia Zagnoli site. Bello lavoro, Olimpia!
Check out these cool, crafty laptop covers from Krochet Kids – they fit a 13” MacBook (like mine) and they’re called The Steven (like me). What’s not not to like?
Nelson Mandela was 92 last Sunday and sharing his birthday was Sir Richard Branson, head of the Virgin Group and owner of Virgin Money, who turned 60 the same day. Virgin Unite, our organisation’s charity arm, has done a lot of community work in Africa and they thought it would be a good idea to celebrate the 67 years of service that Nelson Mandela had given to his community, by encouraging Virgin employees to spend 67 minutes of their time doing something for their community. Archie Clifford, head of the studio at Virgin Money, decided that cleaning up Lakenham Way pathway (the old rail line that runs past Virgin Money back into Norwich) would be a great way to spend our 67 minutes.
So, on Monday Lunchtime, armed with litter grabbers, black plastic bags and a Sainsburys’ trolley (one of the first things we found as we began our clean up operation) we worked our way down the path, picking up paper, cans, garden chairs, bits of furniture and even a duvet. Archie had arranged for the Eastern Evening News to come along, hoping we might get some coverage to publicise our work and we were lucky enough to make the following day’s edition of the Eastern Evening News. Unfortunately, they ruined it somewhat by using a picture of me, but hey, nothing’s perfect. So, in order to readdress this, here’s a picture of the whole team (except for Sallie, who took the picture) with our treasure trove of trash.
Left to right: Archie, Me, Matt, Big Paul, Rich, Kris, Jase, Lol and Joy.
Well folks, I don’t know if you can hear me over the deafening roar of vuvuzelas or see me through the flood of ticker tape and streamers here in the Lardwatch stadium in Calorie Town, as I raise the ‘Slimmer of the Week’ trophy high above my head. Kirkendalland has beaten Weightgain by three pounds, which is a right result in anyone’s book. My incredible bulk now clocks in at a mere 12 stones and I laugh at the ‘Mediocre Slimmer of the Week’ award I was holding the other week.
Actually (face reddens) it’s not all as good as it seems – my adventures in London the week before last meant that I gained two pounds, which is why there was no Lardwatch last week. So I have only really moved forward by a pound after losing those two gained in London. But, it does mean that the regular cycling I’m doing is having an effect, so hopefully, I’ll be into 11 stone territory next week – Hooray!!
I’m on a bit of a Dutch high at the moment (no, not THAT kind) what with Holland through to the World Cup final and all. So, I was amused to come across Alledaags, by New Zealander Toby Morris, a book containing a years worth of cartoons (over 300 – count ‘em!) taken from his journal documenting his observations of Amsterdam, after relocating there to work at Wieden + Kennedy.
You can buy Alledaags for a measly €30 here and take a sneek peek at some of the drawings here. All profits go to the Guy Champney Memorial Fund.
Fantastic news, calorie-killers! Both my new diet and cycling to work all last week means that I have now lost a staggering one pound!! Can you see the light glinting off my ‘Mediocre Slimmer of the Week’ award? I am now twelve stones and one pound (twelve-one, sounds like a result from a North Korea game, doesn’t it?) and hopefully I will have broken into eleven stone territory next week. However, I am at Ubiq today and tomorrow, (the London training facility with home-cooked food so good, I’m still not sure if it’s a training facility or a restaurant) so I will have to be extra careful on my return to Norwichshire. Gulp!
After failing to be the first person on my block to get an iPad, I was determined to get the new iPhone 4 as soon as it arrived from Chi…, er, Apple. I couldn’t order one online as I received an Apple gift Card with a rather generous amount on it for my 50th birthday (courtesy of Mrs K) and you can’t redeem Apple gift cards online. So, to the Apple Store Chapelfield I ran, one sweaty lunchtime, to reserve my new handset from heaven. It was a really nice experience, as the girl who reserved my phone also got me an iPad then and there, by cancelling my when-is-it-ever-going-to-arrive iPad order (I hadn’t pre-ordered and the expected arrival times for the next delivery was quite a way off). Leaving the store, my instant gratification box ticked, I floated back to work on a Mac high (iHigh?).
The following week, and another sweaty lunch hour, I hot foot it back to Apple Store Chapelfield to collect my new iPhone. The queue for the reserved phones seemed a lot bigger than I expected, but I thought as long as I can collect it pretty soon and not be late back for work, all will be well. I had cannily sorted out my micro sim with O2 the day before, transferring my number to it and placing it into my existing phone, where it was waiting to be popped out and placed into the new handset.
However, it’s then I suddenly realised with a Hitchcockian zoom-in/dolly-back that I had left my furshlugginer Apple gift card at home and therefore wouldn’t be able to collect my phone after all. Worse still, my reservation email clearly states that the reserved phone will only be held until the end of the day. My shoulders drooping, I approached a member of the Apple staff (iStaff?), tears welling up in my eyes, and asked in a voice now cracking with emotion, if my reservation will still be honoured the next day. The very nice Appleman tells me that all reservations will be held until close of business Sunday, so don’t worry, there, there, did you want a tissue sir, OK please let me go, this is embarrassing, SECURITY!!
And so, you’ve guessed it, the following sweaty lunchtime finds me cycling back to Apple Store Chapelfield at warp factor 11, only to find no queue (although after I explained what I was there for, they asked me to wait at the head of the empty ‘reserved iPhone line’ ?!?) – I was then given my brand spanking new iPhone, where it was activated immediately, micro sim popped in and hey presto, suddenly I am a fully paid up member of the 21st century. Having spent a small fortune with Apple over the last two weeks (helped by Mrs K and some lovely people in my village who also got me an Apple gift card) I think now it’s time to cool it. After all, I can’t keep spending all my comics money on technology.
For this week’s Fri-llustrator-day we stay in France. And why not? The weather’s lovely here, I’ve just opened a nice bottle of red, and I find my thoughts drifting to another of my favourtite illustrators, Paris-based Lionel Koechlin, who I first discovered when he illustrated the sleeve of Genesis’ tenth album Duke way back in 1980.
For over 30 years he’s been making beautiful, quirky drawings since his work first appeared in Rock & Folk and Le Monde. Other publications who have come knocking at his drawing board include National Geographic France, Libération, Les Echos, Enjeux, Eltern and The New Yorker. He is equally well known for his children’s books, clocking up over 80 titles, some of which have been translated into Japanese, Spanish and German.
He has also entered the world of animation as his Entre chien et chat has been turned into a cartoon series by Canal+ and another of his books ‘Le Père Noêl est sans rancune’ has been animated by TF1 France. Monsieur K doesn’t have his own web site, but take a look at the Lionel Koechlin portfolio on Le Crayon if you want to see more.
After celebrating the return of Lardwatch last week (with alcohol-free, low-fat products of course) I can reveal that this week’s installment brings more reasons to celebrate. By being a bit economical with the food intake and going on a week-long chore-a-thon, I have managed to remove two pounds from my bouncy body. Even though I have just had a challenging weekend on the diet front with Number One Son in London, I’m cycling to work every day this week, so fingers-crossed, I will be able to report more weight loss next week.
A designer at Virgin Money, Steve Kirkendall does lots of luvverly creative stuff, when he’s not doing amends. This site is about graphic design, illustration, comics, animation and web design. But mainly, it’s about Steve Kirkendall.
If you want to say "Hi" mail him at:– steve at kirkendall dot co dot uk.
Steve K designed and built this on a Mac, using coffee, XHTML and CSS. Content management by Textpattern, hosting by Fasthosts. Steve K loves web standards, but he loves drawing more.
