Toycon UK 2016

I would like to go on about my many colds and how I can't wait to see your lovely eyebrowless faces but no, lets just show what will be coming with me to Toycon UK this year!

Colaboration with RunDMB . custom MadL . price not quite worked out...

Wiff . custom Clover . £90

Glyn . custom Dunny . £100

Geira . custom Milton . £60

Law . custom Trikky . £60

Carch . custom Dunny . £90

Aria . custom Labbit . £90

Bync . custom Dunny . £80

Hanc . Custom Mini Munny . £110

Cen . custom Trikky . £50

Letys . custom Dunny . £120

Lleuad . custom Misfortune Cat . £60

Webb . custom Dunny . £110

Cipo . custom Foomi . £60

Gludi . custom Dunny . £80

And there they are. More things will be coming along with me including a few pieces that fell off the back of an Ecto 1. 

(Also I don't really like selling my work with any amount of threat but I have lowered prices where I can and rounded down to the nearest 10 to avoid issues with change. So if you do really want a certain one I'd grab it on the day for that extra little saving.)

I'm on Patreon!

Hello! I've been under a rock for a while. It has mainly been thanks to working on some great customs (they'll be on show very soon) but also with a lot of free time on working out what and how and whether to run with this patreon idea. The whys are most probably going to be written at the bottom of this as I want to be honest and open, but I don't want to bore those that just want to know what I'm creating for their kind patronage. So I've made this here handy doodle.

(Also please do also read the descriptions for the rewards on my patreon page as they have the finer details on everything)

Those are the rewards, but even if you don't join the patreon you'll still see many photos of those 'Play Squares' and 'Play Blocks' appearing most weekdays, also as usual I'll still share the odd photo of the customs passing over my desk. I'm aiming for everything patreon related to be a bonus for all, but if you can support and help the patreon that would be amazing. Also at the very least one of those Play Blocks and Squares will be given away to a patron each month.

I really have been thinking about this for a looooong time now. I am so happy with what I get to do, I've been paying for some amount of my drinks, video games, bikes, movies and music (oh and bills) by creating customs toys and more for 8 years. I don't plan on changing that any time soon but I'm realising that if I want to keep growing and pushing myself I need to take more time to play with new ideas, test my style now and then, throw some money into materials and equipment that could go nowhere. I do this when I can already, but then that makes me not edit the photos of the Dunny from last month, or not have time to take part in that show with the odd new toy, etc. So my hope is this will just be a big win win win win for everyone, I get to try new things, people get to see those new things, and at a lower price than they ever normally could be, plus that extra money should allow me to try even more new ideas. Also if it goes even better than I can possibly imagine the plan is to get to an event or two further away from the UK, no idea if that is a win for the rest of the world though?

The final part is let me know what you think. I won't deny I should listen to people more if they are are supporting the Patreon but if you're not because of a big glaring oversight on my part please tell me. I'm hoping this will be an ever evolving part of my creative life that will only make me a better artist so hearing where I've gone wrong is very helpful. 

Thanks for reading this wall of text and please do check out my Patreon Page. Also if you don't already follow me on instagram facebook or twitter add me now as some of this patreon content will also appear there most days. Also as a stroke of luck they now have a patreon app out on Android and iOS so download that for an easier way to see what people are doing there.

Meet the Beltions, Beltish....Belters?

As these five go on sale I thought it might be good to present a few more of those photos, showing more of their three dimensional angles. So here they are, with a small description of who they are.

Glöwr & Ada

No one really notices this mining duo. They just go deep under the earth making fires burn, so that towns like Belton can grow and prosper. They only emerge once a week, sat in the corner with their well earned drink. This all makes them appear as two quiet souls, but if you do pop your ear near the hole they disappear into most days you can hear a lot of muffled banging and chatting.

Affal

That one you call on to gets things done. Most days you'll find him lassoing and hacking  at branches for their sweet sweet pieces of fruit with his whetstoned blade, but when trouble comes around those same tools come in very handy for so many things...like helping wildlife caught in brambles.

Cudro

The wandering amphibian travels around Belton and the surrounding villages performing odd tasks for anybody he passes by. Cudro never explicitly states he would like anything in return but that stomach does have a knack for rumbling on request.

Diol

The binding presence of Belton. Diol is a spiritual messenger that stands in the centre of town every morning calmly spreading his thoughts and reflections on the world. Many of the inhabitants don't align with the opinions and beliefs voiced at sunrise, but the open and caring nature of Diol means they often feel free to gather with their neighbours. Although Diol is still personally saddened by their sins.

Dwyn

People say you don't want this one in your village. That kind of talk may not always be fair on Dwyn, but the crimes committed when this traveller has appeared in towns like Belton, does mean there may be some validity to the hatred shown by those locals.

The creatures of Belton

Hello again,

It's been too long. You look healthy. Did you see that cool movie? What's with the person that did the thing...this is me trying to brush off the mighty stack of commissioned custom photos I've yet to edit and show the world. I will make time very very soon and try to work out a way so I can find more frequent moments to let everyone see what I've done. Also if you saw the photo of the beast above on instagram you may have noticed the misting effect my phone creates since a big scratch appeared on the camera lens. I'm trying to find a way to fix it but maybe it should just be an excuse for a new phone to play Threes on with even more clarity!

Still life has been fun and busy in the studio, with one especially new and exciting commission (plus many other plain old exciting commissions), in between those though I've been amassing this gaggle. I tried to work them all around a village I called 'Belton'. Some have family that have lived there for generations, maintaining traditions that go back generations. Others are just passing though. But all have some effect on making this town what it is, so I thought they deserved to be seen by the world in custom Dunny and Foomi form. 

I kept them from leaping onto my store so I could take a photo or two in my weed infested garden. I really would like to do more on location photography with my creations, along with the standard studio shots, so if you like the one above please let me know.

But yes these five will be on my store this Friday (August 28th) at 2pm BST so please have a wonder over to there, at the very least to see them more individually photographed on white backgrounds.

Toycon UK 2015 creations

So I'm all packed up and ready to go!

Before I start spinning towards London here is a guide to everything you will find on my table this saturday (the prices are still a little soft, so maybe expect a slight price change on the day as I'm trying to round totals off to avoid annoying issues with change without just pushing ever price up to multiples of ten).

I'm also going to have a rummage in the darkest corner of my studio to see if there are any extras I can bring along for a bargain or two. 

Unkept Loinn

First run limited to 24 . All one of a kind colour ways, with hand painted details

£30

Teitho

Custom 3" Dunny and 2" Labbit 

£160

Bryn Rock

Custom 3" Dunny

£80

Custom 3" Dunny

£140

Custom 3" Dunny

£65

Custom 3" Dunny

£110

Custom 3" Dunny

£80

Custom 4" Wool

£60

Custom 3" Baby Toyer Qee

£90

Custom 3" Baby Toyer Qee

£80

Custom 3" Dunny

£60

Custom 3" Dunny

£60

Custom 3" Dunny

£60

Custom 3" Dunny

£60

Dear Toycon UK Diary

You know what would be a good use of this blog? A constant update of how my work towards Toycon UK in April is going. It may drop on a particularly tough day or two (or if other creations pop up at my desk), but hopefully on the whole you will get some good insights it what I'm doing and I can take a few minutes to gather my thoughts on my plans and process.

Also I will be writing these in slightly squeezed moments of free time so apologies right now if some moments are a muddle of words and thoughts, I want to get back into the routine of letting people into my work so I'm just jumping in without thought to avoid fear of re-re-re-rewrites.

I'll start by saying I'm already under way but behind...a few jobs appeared to pull me away from my desk along with a custom commission I couldn't turn down*. But here is the first custom Dunny sculpted and sprayed with a hand full more to sculpt later this week.

I'm working on my final plans for resin cast piece again as well but hoping to play with pigments this year, I enjoyed painting my rainbow of Peds last time but I like the idea of just playing with pigments and seeing where it takes me. The toy is made of two (ish) parts so I'm hoping I can get some pigmentened joy by casting a pile of parts in my favourite array of colours and then seeing which colours parts sit well together.

Beyond that it's sketchbooks and thoughts, although if you'd like to see a sketch or two let me know as my sketchbook is a random blast of old and new ideas so I'll have to dig and edit some together to avoid showing my master plan that will one day blow the Art and Toy world's mind in 2057!

*sneaky tip: If you ever want me to drop everything and work on a custom for you, ask me to work on a toy I've never customised...or anything by Coarse...or a Muttpop Tequila)

A new home and store coming soon!

Well done on hunting down this site before I've found the time to truly finish it. You truly are the master of the internet and all that it contains, enjoy you amazing animal videos and amazon reviews!

I won't write too much now as a new website and finishing the joyful personal accounts (and sorting heating issues) pales in comparison to crafting my little partially plastic friends. 

So if you see a glaring mistake please point me to it, but beyond that sit back and hopefully see some more appear on the site as I start flipping up images and other html related things I probably kind of understand..