​Project: Awakening the Warrior book illustrations
Author/Commissioner:  Richard Charles Lawrence / CounterStrike

Richard Lawrence was a Captain and Operations Officer of Task Force Helmand at the height of the campaign against the Taliban.  On leaving the army, he became an award winning salesman before attaining a Master's degree in Philosophy and becoming a self-defence instructor (Keysi North West), and motivational speaker and business consultant (CounterStrike). 

Richard had already completed the first draft of his manuscript for 'Awakening the Warrior' when he approached me to illustrate the content of his book in a comic book style to help the reader visualise the techniques he was explaining. He also wanted to break up the text with additional dynamic illustrations to engage the reader in the subject matter which focuses on using battle ready techniques he was taught as a soldier, and how that can be combined with physical, emotional and intellectual approaches to maximising and transforming personal, professional and corporate performance.

Over 50 illustrations were completed for the book, and it was a real pleasure to collaborate with Richard on the project. Below and in my portfolio section can be found a selection of the completed illustrations.

Follow Richard over on Instagram and YouTube.

Illustrations copyright of Richard Charles Lawrence.

Source: @robdrummond

​Project: Language and Communication Training Resource for Manchester Secondary Pupil Referral Unit
Commissioner:  Dr Rob Drummond / Manchester Metropolitan University

I was approached by Rob Drummond, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University, to  translate some of the real life interactions that had been recorded as part of a linguistic research project into comic strips, which would then act as the basis of training aids for pupil referral units in Manchester.  Pupil referral units are establishments maintained by local authorities to provide education for children who are excluded, sick, or otherwise unable to attend mainstream or special maintained schools. The purpose of the commission was to bring to life the situations that would often escalate into conflict between pupils, or staff and pupils, and then focus the training activity on how they could then be de-escalated.

Five different real life scenarios were chosen, and Rob was able to draft some scripts for me to illustrate.  The training resource concept was presented at the UK Language Variation and Change Conference and iMean last year, and the training pack was recently published by the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies to go to local pupil referral units. Below is Rob's cool graphic presentation explaining how the project was undertaken, and below that is one of the completed scenarios I illustrated.

Source: @robdrummond

Concept: Great Fire of London fire drawing (and others)
Commissioner: Walk the Plank (Manchester)
Event: Various, including The Great Fire of London Firework display, Hull Freedom Festival, Bournemouth by the Sea Festival

Last year during the height of the Junior Doctors contract dispute with NHS employers and Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, I was approached by Asantha Jayaweera (@AJtheSandman), a junior doctor to help bring a bit of humour to a serious stand-off between the government and the NHS. Given my connections with the Care Quality Commission, I wasn't able to draw any overtly political messages supporting the actions of the Junior Doctors and instead, Asantha and myself focused on two of the key moments in the dispute. Asantha posted these on various social media forums and we got quite a lot of hits and positive feedback. 

Project: HOAX App (NHS research survey)
Commissioner:  Ziggy's Wish
Website: www.hoaxorth.com

I was commissioned to create fifty illustrations for a research app funded by Arts Council North. The app has been developed as an engagement tool to conduct a mental health study on behalf of the Psychosis Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust.  The app takes an innovative narrative driven approach to gathering the experiences of people who may suffer from mental illness and is part of a wider arts project encapsulating a muscial: HOAX My Lonely Heart  and a graphic novel: Psychosis Blues.  

​I was asked to be involved in this commission after Ravi Thornton, the driver behind the HOAX project, approached me and shared her experiences about her brother who endured mental illness during his life, and went on to discuss her vision for the project.  Having some insight and experience of mental health within my own family, I was glad to be able to contribute to this innovative project.

I would urge anyone in the North of England to go and see the musical and check out details of the tour in April and May 2017, and how to participate in the study at www.hoaxorth.com.  Attendees also get a free copy of the graphic novel which includes illustrators of the calibre of Bryan Talbot and Ryan Hughes.

Below are some of the illustrations I produced for the app. ​