Leah-Ellen Heming Illustration

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-22T04:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!
This is a design I made for this year's christmas cards - hope you like it!

A Productions Xmas card!

2011-12-14T04:44:00.000-08:00

A little festive commission for A Productions!
Great job to do as I love designing 50's style type
and the greeting card has also come out really
nicely in print - so am quite pleased with this one.
The copy was written by Mr Paul Hill!

Filming Driver Dan's Story Train!

2011-12-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of me, queen Suzanne and the rest of the
Driver Dan Story Train crew from A Productions and our fab
mini actors at a film shoot in a green screen studio.
At the end of the story book section of each episode we get kids
to imitate actions that the characters do in the story. We film them
in the green screen studio then composite the footage so that the kids
look like they are playing in the illustrations!
I love going to green screen days, a day out the office, fun times
getting the kids to act out silly things and lots and lots of cake!

SNEEKY PEEK - 'A Liar's Autobiography'

2011-11-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some sneeky peek stills from the 3D sterescopic animated
feature film 'A Liar's Autobiography' that I have been working on
with director Jane Davies and A for Animation!
Due for release in Spring 2012 and produced by Bill & Ben Productions,
the film is about the late Graham Chapman, member of the
Monty Python....

Inspired by 70's colours and decor, I was lucky enough to be asked
to art direct and design the song section of the film.
I hand drew and painted all the backgrounds and characters of
this section (about 150 characters and about 20 different backgrounds)!

And these are the kinds of things you can expect to see in the film!
Especially our bit - its particularly rude!!!

New LOGO and new film project

2011-10-27T05:57:00.001-07:00

It's been a very busy year, with lots of exciting projects.
The latest poo-in-your-pants exciting project I just completed was with A for Animation and Bill & Ben Productions where I was offered the AMAZING job of art directing and designing backgrounds and characters for the song section 'Sit On My Face' in the animated feature film 'A Liar's Autobiography' about the late Graham Chapman from Monty Python. The film is due to be released on the big screen in Spring 2012.
For this section of the film, I worked in close collaboration with the fantastic director and animator Jane Davies, the brilliant compositer Paul Hill, the wonderfully funky Peter Northcott (also compositor and motion graphics king) and the witty animator extraordinaire Chris Bowles (very good at animating pigeons)....
Watch this space for stills of the project, but for now I leave you with a revised 70's look logo I designed for A for Animation to match the style of our part of the film.
You can find out much more about the film here:
http://www.projectchapman3d.com/
http://aforanimation.blogspot.com/

Bristol Contemporary Art - Gallery Launch

2011-09-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

This is a brand new giclee print available in a limited edition of 50
being showcased at the fantastic new online gallery
Bristol Contemporary Art - which has just had its official launch!
You can check out the work online here http://www.bristolcontemporaryart.com/
or visit the pop up gallery until the end of September at number 2 Park Street, Bristol, UK!

Jamaica Street Artists - OPEN STUDIO 2011

2011-07-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Not long now art lovers until.... JAMAICA STREET ARTISTS OPEN STUDIOS 2011!!!
Preparations are underway, studios are being cleaned, artwork produced
and cakes are being baked all for your enjoyment!
So come on down and see 40 artists in their natural habitat
during a fun evening or a relaxing weekend from
Friday 22nd of July 7pm until 10pm
and Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th of July from 11am until 6pm.
For more info: http://www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk/

I am furiously painting new material as we speak
- so make sure you come on down to take a peak!
Must remember to tidy up...

Driver Dan's Story Train

2011-05-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

© Story Train Ltd 2009

© Story Train Ltd 2009

© Story Train Ltd 2009

Long time no blog! I have been really busy these past 6 months
having a fun old time working as part of the Aproductions animation
team for Cbeebies' TV series Driver Dan's Story Train.
So here are some illustrations I did on the last series for a story called
'We want to'.
You can catch some episodes here: Driver Dan's Story Train

Pixillion - Paper engineered rocket!

2011-02-10T05:48:00.001-08:00

Bristol based Pixillion digital commissioned me last November to illustrate and design a pop-out rocket promotional card for their company. It was brilliant fun and great to do a bit of paper engineering - would love to do more.
Pixillion kindly gave me a feature on their blog - click here to see the whole process and feature:
http://www.pixillion.com/blog/2011/promo-rocket-article.html

A screen shot of the front of the card.

One of the designs put forward.

The Rocket all slotted into place.

The back of the flyer with building instructions.
To see more of Pixillion's work click here:
http://www.pixillion.com/

The Avon Wildlife Safari

2011-01-15T04:44:00.001-08:00

Here is my latest painting completed in December 2010
in my cold cold studio at Jamaica Street Artists.
It is currently hanging and for sale in the RWA exhibition INSIDE OUT.
I have posted a few pics below taking you through some of the
creative steps....

Finished - just needs some varnish!

Details to paint...

Working late at night and messing around!

Laying out the different elements and
designing the typography on paper first.

Building up the colours...

Painting the first undercoat.

INSIDE OUT exhibition - Jamaica Street Artists

2011-01-13T05:36:00.000-08:00

Our studio has got a huge spangling wonderful exhibition featuring new
work by all Jamaica Street Artists at the RWA in Bristol - UK!
A show not to be missed as it also features work by the late Matisse!
Woweee!!!
From the the 8th of Jan till the 8th of Feb:
Click on these links for more info:
http://www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk/
http://www.rwa.org.uk/currexh.htm

Here is a sneak preview from the Story Corner at the Inside Out show
where you can see original artworks and samples of episodes
from Cbeebies' now famous TV series Driver Dan's Story Train - choo choo!

Special thanks to A Productions for making story corner possible!

Wedding card commission

2010-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

This is a little private commission I did a couple of weeks ago
for a wedding thank you card!

And these are a couple of other options I presented
at rough stage to my client.

Comic Book - ART BASTARD

2010-11-01T04:05:00.001-07:00

cover illustration by Tom Plant

THE ART BASTARD!
Ever wondered what it takes to become an artist? Where you
should hang out and what you should say?
Well all is explained in this new comic by expert Tom Plant and myself.
Get your copy now for only £4!!!

NEW BOOK- The Congo Conga

2010-09-28T02:46:00.000-07:00

© Story Train Ltd 2009

A brand new book out on the shelves featuring the illustrations
I did with A Productions for the Cbeebies TV series
'Driver Dan's Story Train'
Published by Campbell Books, 2009
ISBN 9780330525091

Shanghai Aquarium Monster!

2010-09-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

A picture I did to submit to the great blog
Monsters in Real Places.
This one is dedicated to Jane for her persistent persuasion
to get me to do a doodle for their website!

EXHIBITION @ St Georges, Bristol

2010-09-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

I have a group exhibition on at St Georges Music Hall in Bristol
with the other illustrators from Jamaica Street Artists which will run
for a whole year (until august 2011). Every 4 months we will change the
show with each illustrator interpreting the colour of the show.
For our first show we have RED.
Below are my interpretations of the colour RED,
inspired by romance novels of times gone by.
I had fun painting the spine and pages on these using the whole of the
canvas...

'Love at First Sight', acrylic and paper on canvas.

'My Sister's Habit', acrylic and paper on canvas.

Information Illustration....

2010-08-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog!
Here is a little information illustration I did a few weeks ago for
the Nails Gallery. It is a poster illustrating 3 easy payment steps:
See something you like, pay in monthly deposits, and pick up art
on last payment!

New Art Ads

2010-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some new pics I did for my Open Studio

weekend, some on canvas, some on paper.

I had loads of fun doing these and am planning on

getting a load more done over the summer.

You can see more on my website.

Open studio countdown!

2010-06-01T09:48:00.001-07:00

Preparations are underway for

Jamaica Street Open Studios 2010!

My studio is in a mess and I am furiously painting

lots of new work for the occasion -

so come on down on the weekend of the 11th till

the 13th of June to 39 Jamaica Street, Bristol to

see all 40 or so artists and illustrators' work!

RrrRAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa......

2010-05-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Editions AUZOU - new work

2010-04-29T02:51:00.000-07:00

C - comme ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard

D - comme Décrocher la lune

J - comme jouer du pipeau

E - comme Être dans ses petits souliers

L- comme poser un Lapin

Here a few from a new set of 26 illustrations for an ABC accordion

fold out book for french publisher Editions AUZOU.

Each illustration represents a different french proverb - it was a very

fun brief to work on and very exciting to have my first bit

of work published in France.

Jamaica Street Artists - Open Studio 2010

2010-04-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

In our studio's tradition we will be opening our doors to the public

from friday the 11th of June until Sunday the 13th of June 2010.

So come on down and check out the wonderful art and eat

some tasty homemade cakes!

Check out Jamaica Street Artists for more info.

These pictures were taken from last year's mural on Jamaica Street to

advertise our open studio. (Spot me in my sexy outfit!)

Work in Progress

2010-03-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hello, been a while since my last blog so

here is a work in progress. I am experimenting

with collage and paint in my spare time.

I will eventually add some typography to the

piece too.

HEDGEHOG GOES ON HOLIDAY

2010-02-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

Aliens and a Grizzly Bear!

2010-02-02T23:47:00.000-08:00

These sketches where for a musical educational book

commission for Out of The Ark.

Some bear character development sketches I did a while back.

Boing-Bang-a-Toot!

2010-01-20T03:40:00.000-08:00

Another book of illustrations for the children's TV series

Driver Dan's Story Train on Cbeebies, a job commissioned by

A productions!

This episode is called All Play Together and the story is

called Boing-Bang-a-Toot!

Yeepee!

2010-01-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

These are some illustration I did for the TV series called

'Driver Dan's Story Train'. I was commissioned by Aproductions

and this episode aired on Cbeebies on the 9th of January.

The episode is called Dance Yourself Dizzy and the story is called

Congo Conga.

Check out the Cbeebies website to see this the story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/driverdansstorytrain/stories/thecongoconga/

I am really pleased with these artworks. I drew inspiration

from 1950's animation background painting techniques and

also incorporated some collage. It was a really great job to

work on!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-22T03:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone, have a lovely joyful break!

MOO HEAVEN...

2009-12-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

This is a Christmas present for someone called Moo

who likes burgers and jelly beans... Hope she doesn't see it

before Xmas day!

Sir Deputy Triangle

2009-12-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Just playing around with characters made of shapes...

...more to come...

Some spaceship sketches...

2009-12-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

Journey into space...

New Black & Whites

2009-10-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

Hey! Some new black & white illustrations for my portfolio...

Prince Edward's Feast

2009-09-09T01:41:00.001-07:00

New Book!!! Coming out!

Prince Edward's Feast' out in November 2009,

published by Meadowside Children's Books

and written by Robin O'Brien

Character Sketches from my new book.

Pillow Case Books

2009-09-09T01:23:00.000-07:00

These are some old illustrations I dug out from a series

of revolting rhyme-type books that I illustrated in collaboration

with Rowan Plinston (who wrote them).

More Illustrations...

2009-09-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

Tryptich: Farm (detail)

Tryptich: Farm - Woods - City

Humpty Dumpty and The Great Fall

Various illustrations

2009-08-25T01:03:00.000-07:00

A Bear's Picnic

Goldilocks

Hansel & Gretel

TYPOGRAPHY

2009-08-07T05:29:00.000-07:00

MURALS

2009-07-04T03:13:00.001-07:00

This is a mural I did ages ago with PRSC on Stokes Croft.

It was really good fun and is still there amongst loads of other

fantastic graffiti!

This piece represents ruthless greedy developers gobbling up our parks and country side.

This is another mural that we did as a collaboration with

a few peeps from Jamaica Street Studios in 2008 to advertise

our annual open studios. The mural painting has become an institution

for us now, we have painted one 3 years running.

I will dig around to find pictures from previous years!

Auctioned Canvas

2009-07-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

This was a mini canvas I painted for our Jamaica Street

Open Studios Auction.

FLYER for THE ART OF PICTURE BOOKS

2009-05-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

I designed this flyer in the new style for a children's book exhibition I curated at the Nails Gallery in February this year. The exhibition was great fun an hosted nearly 30 children's book illustrators from in and around Bristol. The show was well received with visitors from publishers, agents, schools and universities from London, Oxford, Bath and Bristol. We also got good press coverage from the AOI, Venue magazine and Computer Arts Magazine.

I am planning to organise a follow up show in February 2010.

NEW STYLE

2009-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have been trying out a new style, mixing some collage, paint and computer elements...

I am really enjoying this as it is a change from the long hours of painting!

NEW BOOKS! Published by Wayland

2009-05-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images from my 4 new books published by Wayland.

They are out now! A series of young readers called Trouble in Nursery Town

written by Alan Durant.

'Humpty Dumpty's Great Fall'

'Little Bo-Peep's Missing Sheep'

'Little Miss Muffet's Big Scare'

and 'Old Mother Hubbard's Stolen Bone'

Published books by Meadowside Children's Books

2009-05-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

My first 3 picture books published by Meadowside Children's Books,

Woohoo!!!

'Cinder The Bubble-Blowing Dragon', written by Jessica Anderson, 2006.

'Who's in The Zoo', written by Susan Chandler, 2007.

'Who ever Heard of a Tiger in A Pink Hat', written by Nicola Stott McCourt, 2007.

This is the US Edition of "Who Ever Heard of a Tiger in A

Pink Hat?" (2009) published by Worthwhile Books by

arrangement with Meadowside Children's Books.

This is the Korean 'Workbook' Edition of 'Who Ever Heard

of a Tiger in A Pink Hat?' (2008) published by I am Books by

arrangement with Meadowside Children's Books.

I have finally got around to starting my Blog!

So I hope you enjoy it, I will try my best to keep it updated as regularly as possible.

Here are some of my earlier books published by Meadowside Children's Books...