News from Rachel Lewis: My work getting published in They Draw and Cook!

This is really amazing news; my work has been chosen to feature in a new book, They Draw and Cook, in America next spring! I'm among 100 or so other illustrators to have recipe illustrations featured, I have to say, I am so excited about this!


They Draw and Cook is an amazing little website; every day they post a new illustration from around the world, I submitted 2, one made the book, but think mine are still in the queue! Go check it out, so many fantastic recipes on there, really need to try some out.
When the book is published I'll get a copy for myself so will of course post pictures, which will be in 2011... I'm sure it'll be worth the wait though!

Introducing: Tea & Crayons Illustration Collective!

Very exciting news; I am pleased to announce that I, along with 5 other lovely ladies, have formed the new illustration collective, Tea & Crayons.

It’s been very exciting, and at the moment, we are very fledgling, but we’re hoping to use the collective as support for all of us as we further our illustration careers, as well as a platform to showcase our work, and organise exhibitions and promotional material together!

We've kicked off with weekly illustration themes; this week we've challenged ourselves to illustrate 'Snacks'. We're also embarking on a touring sketchbook project; sending it round to each of us and filling it with doodles, sketches and goodness!

Contributors are:

• Kayleigh Bluck
• itslikeart
• Rachel Lewis Illustration
• tea & crayons
• the secret tea party
• Abby Illustration

Very excited to be working with these girls; even though we are from all corners of the UK, we all share a similar aesthetic and goals. We’re hoping to take the pressure off each other by creating a network of creative (and probably emotional!) support so we can get achieve our goals!

Click here to visit our blog – and don’t forget to subscribe, and follow us on twitter too!

My introduction can be seen here – but check back everyday for frequent news from us!

New work from Rachel Lewis: Proud Kitchen Launch Night for Amelia's Magazine

Last week I was commissioned by Amelia’s Magazine to produce a couple of illustrations for an article by Jessica Furseth about the launch of new Camden restaurant, Proud Kitchen.

The article discusses last Thursday’s opening; above is an illustration describing the space - it's an extension of what is already known as a venue for music, art, cabaret and clubbing – the launch of Proud Kitchen completes the experience. It's an old converted stable so you can still see the original features like windows and beams, in the above illustration.

A starter of bresaola of beef, with piccalilli and sourdough toast, above. Looks so yummy – illustrating food from a photo is never quite as good as when you get to make it and eat it yourself!

Check out Proud Kitchen here - Looks amazing, I really want to check it out!

Read the article by Jess Furseth on Amelia’s Magazine here.

www.rachelsayshello.com

New Work from Rachel: Nonsensical Spam Comment Illustration for Do You Read Me Daily

I recently did an exclusive illustration for Do You Read Me Daily - a great blog which you should all check out, keeping you updated with the latest or oldest trends on arts, music, movies, media and more.

It's continuing my Nonsensical Spam Comments Project, with a comment left on the DYRM blog that I illustrated for them. Read the original article here: http://www.dyrmdaily.com/2528/nonsensical-spam-by-rachel-lewis-for-dyrmdaily/ 

RachelSaysHello.com

Recipe Illustration for Central Station's ‘TwEATS’ Publication with NVA Harvest

Another exciting thing that happened recently is I took part in Central Station's 'TwEATS' Publication competition - create images for recipes submitted by Central Station members, for publication in the newspaper which was to accompany their ‘twEATS’ event; an online mass-cookery class delivered through twitter.

My recipe was chosen and appeared on the back page! Take a look:

RachelSaysHello.com

New Work from Rachel: London Fashion Week Illustrations for Amelia's Magazine

So sorry guys, haven't updated you with any of my new work in ages! Trying to juggle a full time graphic design job with freelance illustration and a life is proving tricky. Heh.

So these illustrations were commissioned by Amelia's Magazine for London Fashion Week in September. I illustrated Bernard Chandran's SS11 range:

You can read the original article here: http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/fashion/london-fashion-week-ss-2011-catwalk-review-bernard-chandran/2010/09/19/

These are the first fashion illustrations I've done in a while... I want to do more though as I love it. What do you guys think?

More work in a bit :)

RachelSaysHello.com

New work from Rachel Lewis: Recipe illustrations in Australian Cleo Magazine

I was contacted recently by the lovely people at Cleo Magazine, in Australia, who really like my recipe illustrations and wanted me to produce some more for a feature in the September issue! Random but amazing!

So I allowed them to reproduce two of my old ones, and did two new ones for them as well, which I want to post up here:

This recipe is one from my mum - she always makes this at BBQs and get-togethers etc and it's so amazing (as the title suggests), and pretty easy too. The feta and the capers make it stand out against shop-bought couscous, it's perfect for summer days!

 I've made this a few times and it is easy - the ready made cake mix is a bit of a cheat so sometimes I do make it from scratch. Using the orange juice instead of water is genius and they taste amazing - especially the next day when the orange zest has had time to sink into the icing and give it flavour.

 Nom nom nom.

So these illustrations will be in the September issue of Cleo, out in August. If (like me) you don't live in Australia then you won't be able to get your hands on a copy, but I have some friends in Oz who hopefully can send me it! If you do live there though then go buy it when it's out ^.^

This is the first time my work has been published onto actual physical paper so I'm really happy. It's just on an exposure basis (humph, no money) but who knows what could come from this? Good times! Thanks Australia, very random but cool!

Interview with me (Rachel Lewis) on Crushable.com!

Hey dust-ers,

I've been really busy with my graphic design job so I haven't produced a new illustration for a while. However, I was interviewed a little while ago for American online fashion and lifestyle magazine, crushable.com.

The really awesome Tom Rosinski, who is a writer and graphic designer at Crushable.com, contacted me saying he really liked my work and wanted to feature me! Click here for the full interview.

Exciting times!

Rachel.

New Work from Rachel: Illustrations for Amelia's Magazine - 'Inside The Book Club'

I was asked to illustrate an article about The Book Club bar in Shoreditch- a really great place that I went to recently; they put on great events all the time so if you're ever around that part of London, I suggest you see what's on. This thursday they're running the Come Get Felt Up night which sounds so much fun!

I was supplied photos and told to put my stamp on them; I really enjoyed doing these and am so pleased with how they came out - I haven't done line drawings with collage for a lonnng time and they've ended up summing up the place well I think. It's really eclectic and so much creativity goes on in there, but it's also very grungy in feel - low ceilings, warehouse-y, exposed bricks, rooms leading onto others etc, so I wanted to get that across too. I also cheekily put my own artwork in the frames on the walls! Ha. I wish ;) It's a bar primarily, but it also holds club nights, life drawing classes, club nights with live DJs, it's got a table tennis table and pool tables, they serve food (gooood food), it's pretty damn awesome.

Anyway, don't take my word for it, read the article by Amica Lane, then get yourselves down there!

Rachel Says Hello: Nonsensical Spam Comment Project

Hi Illustration Dust-ers! It's great to be here, I'm Rachel Lewis aka Rachel Says Hello. You can check out my website here at www.rachelsayshello.com, which tells you a bit more about me and my work, I also write a blog with my thoughts and musings on illustration, design, fashion, culture, trends, things I find inspirational, etc etc, called rachelsays... So check that out too if you feel like it.

An ongoing project that I'm doing at the moment is called the Nonsensical Spam Comment Project - I get tonnes of spam comments on my blog, most are crap, but sometimes you get the odd bit of really strange, nonsensical gold... so I've decided to illustrate the best ones. Here is the series so far:

"Let's take our chance together to get rid of nastiness of the life."

"Universal truth that you can not argue with: Eternal love lasts about three months."

"Bravo, this brilliant phrase is necessary just by the way"

"Since it is the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late...."

I've just completed that bird one today. What does everyone think? 

I'm also on twitter too, @rachillustrates. See you around guys :)