The third annual Pick Me Up event is returning to Somerset House in London, starting on 22 March and running until 1 April. No joke, this is one of the biggest exhibitions supporting up and coming designers, illustrators and graphic artists both in the UK and abroad. This year's event includes some familiar names and affordable artworks by a range of design favourites will be on sale starting from £10.
Each year there's a different studio in residence at Pick Me Up and this year it's the Peepshow Collective. Drop by, see them in action, and have a chat with them about what it's like working collaboratively and sharing clients across a range of different media, as they do. In previous years image makers Rob Ryan and Anthony Burrill have done the honours.
Nobrow Press returns this year and they'll be running workshops alongside their fellow independent publishing house Self Made Hero. You'll be able to view artworks by President Obama's favourite street artist Ben Eine, and Jessica Albarn, sister of Blur's Damon Albarn. Apparently she draws cats very well.
Perhaps the most exciting section once again will be the art fair, with various illustrators and designer-makers selling limited edition prints of some of their top works. Sarah Beetson, who has appeared in the pages of Computer Arts before, has created quite a selection of items including digitally printed skirts, tote and cluch bags, and a limited edition run of six-colour screen printed t-shirts. She's also done a limited run of her prints, and her brand new playing cards.
"This will be the first exhibition I have been part of at a major, non-commercial gallery," says Beetson. "The show will introduce my work to a new audience and public sector, which is very exciting indeed."
Newcastle illustrator Paul X Johnson is typical of the up and coming stream of creatives showing at the event, and has been working commercially for just two years. He'll be selling a selection of his giclee prints including his image of Rachael, the android in Blade Runner. "Most of the people visiting will probably have never seen my work before so I can't wait to show it off," he says. "I've had some new sets of prints made that have never been available to anyone before."
A whole range of other artists - new and experienced - will be there too including George Hardie, Mr Bingo, James Jarvis, Bruce Ingham and Marion Deuchar.
