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Happy Accident Part 3
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Happy Accident 2006
A NEW VISION
Maidstone College of Art. I could not guess then that it would have such an influence on my later work. I saw an opportunity.
“All in all, the creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act. This becomes even more obvious when posterity gives its final verdict and sometimes rehabilitates forgotten artists.”
“I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.” (Marcel Duchamp 1887 - 1968)
This new vision led eventually to my drift away from Design Companies and Publishing Houses to exclusive editorial commissions. After nearly ten years in the business I was able to produce Cadmium Yellow, Sienna Brown and Yellow Ochre mini masterpieces.
He was beginning now to awaken from his dream, and as he looked at his painted Woman from where he was standing, below and at a certain distance away from her, he was dumbfounded. Who could have painted what looked like an idol belonging to some unknown religion? (The Masterpiece Émile Zola 1886)
Two events in the summer of 1996 made an enduring impact on my development as an illustrator. I received a telephone call from Jane Bernstein at Ariel magazine, could I produce an illustration for an article about the 1996 Atlanta Olympics? I proceeded to develop some ideas after reading the article and settled on a rough that depicted how congested Atlanta had become thanks to this sporting event. I began to paint the approved idea but hesitated. For many years my work had suffered from being two things at once. An illustration and an academic piece of art. What if I kept things simple? Reduce everything to line, minimum palette and tonal variations with expressive textures. This action left me with an image that communicated my intentions in a much clearer way than ever before. This approach became my new technique (style) and was popular with clients and other illustrators.
The second event was for me more unusual. Martin Thompson at Marks & Spencer commissioned me to produce two illustrations for spicy food instant meals. He had seen my ‘The Lion of Boaz Jachim and Jachim Boaz’ image in my portfolio. He wanted an adaptation of the dome symbol painted over a texture of acrylic and brick mortar. I felt a strange sensation because this is a piece of work I produced in 1987 when I was a student. This image is my first professionally printed illustration my good luck charm. The mortar came from the crumbling walls of the 3rd Year illustration studio at
Happy Accident 2006
Drive Time Atlanta © Karl A. Foster 1996, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. This is one of a series of images I produced for Ariel magazine.
Top - M&S Packaging © 1996 Marks and Spencer Plc. Example of the packaging my illustration was used for. I never got the original artwork back. It was claimed that the photography studio ‘mis-laid’ the artwork.
Bottom - M&S Packaging rough © Karl A. Foster 1996, Pencil and Fibre Tip Pen. The rough was produced in context of the design for the packaging. This packaging design was later changed as the above example shows. This image has influenced all of work and I intend to use this technique in the future.
Happy Accident 2006
Happy Accident 2006
The Flatter Office © Karl A. Foster 1998, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Happy Accident 2006
Across the Tasman © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. This image is one of my favourites from this period. The creation of this piece was a real pleasure for me. The client was Airline Business published by Reed Business Publishing. Not an aeroplane in sight.
Happy Accident 2006
Map of Australia © Karl A. Foster 1999, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Happy Accident 2006
The American Dream © Karl A. Foster 1998, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. This is one of a series of images I produced for Ariel magazine.
Happy Accident 2006
El Nino © Karl A. Foster 1998, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. This is one of a series of images I produced for Ariel magazine.
Happy Accident 2006
Vietnam © Karl A. Foster 1998, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. Short story about two mixed heritage Vietnamese children. The result of the US invasion of that country in the 1960’s. The art director was very precious about this commission and felt that it was not painterly enough and too specific in content. The qualities that this art director desired were hard to meet. She is from the school of when I see it I will know what it is I want. I think this approach is fairly unhelpful. An illustrator could spend many hours adapting their work for a chance result. I think that my years as an illustrator helped me to become a good art director myself. In my teaching practice I try to put myself into the role of the learner. It is the learner who knows what they want not me. Art Directors could go a long way I think if they access this part of their thinking.
Happy Accident 2006
The Immaculate Shoes of Donna Helena © Karl A. Foster 1995, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. The original of this image was exhibited in the Martin X show ‘Start’ in 1995.
Happy Accident 2006
Left - The Hunter © Karl A. Foster 1996, Acrylic, Watercolour and Sand. Magazine article illustration.
Middle - Up and Down in Silvertown © Karl A. Foster 1998, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Right - The Whispering Tree © Karl A. Foster 1998, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
This work is from a series of commissions for The Radio Times.
Happy Accident 2006
Top Left - My Grandmothers Footsteps © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Top Right -The Invention of Love © Karl A. Foster 1999, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Bottom Left - Healing Hands © Karl A. Foster 1996, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Bottom Right - Caged Birds © Karl A. Foster 1996, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
This work is from a series of commissions for The Radio Times.
Happy Accident 2006
Top Left - The Year 1000 © Karl A. Foster 1999, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Top Right - Feeding Baby © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Bottom - Black Narcissus © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
This work is from a series of commissions for The Radio Times.
Top - Travelling Hopefully © SPCK 1995, Book jacket design.
Bottom - Travelling Hopefully © Karl A. Foster 1995, Acrylic, Watercolour, Collage and Sand. Book jacket illustration.
Happy Accident 2006
Happy Accident 2006
Military in the Dock © Karl A. Foster 1999, Acrylic and Watercolour. Supplement cover illustration. This commission was given to me with a single sentence brief “British military are in court over the policy of barring the recruitment of gay people from the armed forces.”
Motherland © 1994 Karl A. Foster, Acrylic and Watercolour on six equal sized papers. Self- initiated image. It was the year of the Rugby Union World Cup. The tournament was held in South Africa. This started as a promotional image for the tournament and ended in a more honest interpretation of the woes of my historical motherland. I intended to produce a series of images on this theme but got nervous. Who would the audience for these downbeat images be?
Happy Accident 2006
Top - Helping Hands © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Middle - Decision Time for Japan © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
Bottom - Smart Cards © Karl A. Foster 1997, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration.
These illustrations were produced within 3 hours to very short deadlines. This method of working helped me to perfect my production rates and my ability to generate ideas efficiently. I was now unable to spend more than a few hours on a painting without becoming bored and distracted. My image generation muscles were tightly coiled and I still feel that this method of working is my best option for the future.
Happy Accident 2006
Happy Accident 2006
Not Satisfied © Karl A. Foster 1995, Acrylic and Watercolour. Magazine article illustration. The original of this image was exhibited in the Martin X show ‘Start’ in 1995.
Happy Accident 2006
Erasmus at University of Hertfordshire © Karl A. Foster 1990, Acrylic, Watercolour and Ink. Brochure cover illustration.
Happy Accident 2006
Top - Suing the MOD © Karl A. Foster 2001, Acrylic and Watercolour. Supplement cover illustration. This the last commercial illustration that I ever produced.
Bottom - Suing the MOD rough. I use the drawing as a planning tool and attempt to keep some of the energy in the drawing in the final painted artwork. Use of a sketchbook to record observations and research strategies that can be applied to illustration commissions is something I have done for over 20 years. I used the internet from 1998 onwards to select visual reference materials. This allowed me to dispose of my extensive picture library. The picture library was of great help to me for many years but it also took up a lot of time when I checked through it for inspiration. I am now able to develop and ideas then search for the desired reference materials as an when I needed them. A lot of my work has moved away from using reference materials to inventing images from my long and complex memory. I take inspiration from my teaching practice and my ability to debate content with a range of individuals.
