Suffolk Magazine 2009
1
SUFFOLK people T he colourful and striking images on these pages come from the imagination of 46-year-old Felixstowe illustrator Clive Featherstone. He explains: “After I left school I had no idea what I wanted to do. I loved art but all the careers advisers at school thought being a designer was ‘pie in the sky’ and shipping was a much safer bet. After three years working as a shipping clerk and always dreaming of doing something else, I finally enrolled at Suffolk College in the early 80s to study graphic design and haven’t looked back since. “It all really took off when a friend bought me a graphic tablet one Christmas after watching me messing around doing a U2 illustration just with a computer mouse. My technique varies – sometimes I’ll scan drawings I’ve done in my sketchbook, and then play around with them on screen. Other times I’ll do the whole thing on layout paper and then scan the finished piece. “I’ve been a graphic designer now for over 25 years and employed in a wide variety of creative roles. I have produced 52 Suffolk June 2009 DRAWING inspiration everything from ads for ‘new and revolutionary ways of castrating cattle’, to illustrations for west end shows! At present I am a web designer in London, a role which also involves a lot of photography. “I have commuted from Suffolk to London for the last 18 years. I think it gets harder the longer you do it, though it could just be the train service! I would never give up living in this part of the world though. I love the buzz of working in London, but returning to chilled-out Suffolk at the end of the day is the perfect antidote. “A lot of my illustrating focuses on music. I love both art and music in equal measure, so really it’s a perfect marriage for me. I always try to capture the electricity of old school celebrity rather than the injection-moulded stars of today. These days we seem to embrace people being famous just for being famous. Way back, when Top of the Pops was nail bitingly exciting, every household in the land cheered or booed in unison as their favourite acts moved up or down the charts. I’m a real fan of everyone I caricature. These illustrations are a way of acknowledging their talent. “Music has been my other main passion over the years, and I have had varying success with it, but songwriting has brought most success. “I also enjoy doing cards for people, i.e. invites, birthdays and retirement cards. They’re always great fun to do and it’s always nice getting a positive response.” ■ To find out more about Clive’s work email him at [email protected] Or to hear some of his music visit www.myspace.com/clivefeatherstone. As a schoolboy, Clive Featherstone (below) never dreamed he could make a living doing the hobby he loved – drawing, but 25 years on, thanks to his range of quirky and colourful portraits, the Suffolk artist is doing better than ever Just a few of Clive’s celebrity and non- celebrity portraits. Far left; Marc Bolan. This page clockwise from top left; Bill Nighy, Tom Waits, Clive’s son Josh, Suffolk resident Bill Wyman, Iggy Pop and Clive’s other son Oliver. Suffolk June 2009 53 Photograph: MATTHEW SAYWELL
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Transcript of Suffolk Magazine 2009
SUFFOLK people
The colourful and striking imageson these pages come from theimagination of 46-year-oldFelixstowe illustrator CliveFeatherstone.
He explains: “After I left school I had noidea what I wanted to do. I loved art but allthe careers advisers at school thought beinga designer was ‘pie in the sky’ and shippingwas a much safer bet. After three yearsworking as a shipping clerk and alwaysdreaming of doing something else, I finallyenrolled at Suffolk College in the early 80sto study graphic design and haven’t lookedback since.
“It all really took off when a friendbought me a graphic tablet one Christmasafter watching me messing around doing aU2 illustration just with a computer mouse.My technique varies – sometimes I’ll scandrawings I’ve done in my sketchbook, andthen play around with them on screen.Other times I’ll do the whole thing on layoutpaper and then scan the finished piece.
“I’ve been a graphic designer now forover 25 years and employed in a widevariety of creative roles. I have produced
52 Suffolk June 2009
DRAWINGinspiration
everything from ads for ‘newand revolutionary ways ofcastrating cattle’, toillustrations for west endshows! At present I am aweb designer in London, a rolewhich also involves a lot ofphotography.
“I have commuted from Suffolk toLondon for the last 18 years. I think itgets harder the longer you do it,though it could just be the trainservice! I would never give up livingin this part of the world though. Ilove the buzz of working inLondon, but returning tochilled-out Suffolk at the end ofthe day is the perfect antidote.
“A lot of my illustratingfocuses on music. I love bothart and music in equalmeasure, so really it’s a perfectmarriage for me. I always try tocapture the electricity of oldschool celebrity rather than theinjection-moulded stars of today.These days we seem to embrace
people being famousjust for being famous. Way
back, when Top of the Pops wasnail bitingly exciting, every
household in the land cheered orbooed in unison as their favouriteacts moved up or down the charts. I’m
a real fan of everyone I caricature.These illustrations are a way of
acknowledging their talent.“Music has been my
other main passion overthe years, and I have had
varying success with it,but songwriting has
brought most success. “I also enjoy doing cards for
people, i.e. invites, birthdays andretirement cards. They’re always great
fun to do and it’s always nice getting apositive response.”
■ To find out more about Clive’s workemail him at
[email protected] to hear some of his music visitwww.myspace.com/clivefeatherstone.
As a schoolboy, CliveFeatherstone (below)never dreamed he couldmake a living doing thehobby he loved –drawing, but 25 years on,thanks to his range ofquirky and colourfulportraits, the Suffolk artistis doing better than ever
Just a few of Clive’scelebrity and non-celebrity portraits. Farleft; Marc Bolan. Thispage clockwise fromtop left; Bill Nighy, TomWaits, Clive’s son Josh,Suffolk resident BillWyman, Iggy Pop andClive’s other son Oliver.
Suffolk June 2009 53
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