Jon's 50th Birthday Card

It was my birthday recently and one of my best friends the day before. His party was on my actual birthday and I wanted to make him a card, I never buy cards, ever. But, that day I was feeling birthday moody and lazy. I spoke to a friend about doing the card and she said. 'Just do it, enjoy it and forget about all the other stuff you should be doing. By the end of the afternoon you will have invented a new style for a book or something.' The day before as my birthday treat, I had sneaked off to Spitialfields Market in the East End of London and bought two fantastic vintage stencil kits, so I put them to good use. Here is Jon's card.

 

The Young Graphic Designer

When I was fourteen, the age daughter is now, I decided I would become a Graphic Designer, mainly because I liked the idea of doing art that was out there, visible in the world. 

Self Portrait age 14

From my second attempt at book illustration. My 1st Alphabet book. B is for Bird about age 14

I was reminded of one of my first proper Graphic Design jobs, by a friend, who came along to my Moody Launch. He had commissioned me to do a series of posters and leaflets in 1984 when he was working for Camden Tribunal and Rights, an organisation set up to help people who had lost their jobs unfairly. He hadn't seen any of my graphic work for a long time and he was struck by my use of collage cropping up again, after so many years, in Emma Calder's Moody Days Sticker Book.

 The first poster for Camden Tribunal and Rights

 

Camden Tribunal also commissioned me to make a Christmas card for them, to send to Margaret Thatcher. Unfortunately I never got round to developing the pictures of the card being delivered. I do have the film some where though. Margaret Thatcher was out, funnily enough but, we gave it to a nice policeman, in those days you could go right up to the front door of number ten. I thought I'd put this in the blog, not because it is a great piece but, more as a salute to the good old days. In case people have forgotten. 

The card said:

'Merry Christmas and thanks for nothing from the people of Camden.'

Emma Calder holding the Christmas Card to Margaret Thatcher

 The inside of the card signed by the people of Camden