SIRF Carnival Olympic themed sketches

I swim like an artistic brick but have, strangely, been given the theme of 'in the water' for this years Olympic themed costume fest. I've attempted to take the sport out of sport as much as possible. Here is my selection of unsportsmanlike sketches, I'm hoping that adding goggles and swimming hats to each costume will save me.... I'm also going to be making a big structure all about synchronised swimming...

these people are swimming so much like fish that they have turned into actual fish - except one who's turned into a butterfly and is obviously doing Butterfly stroke- god, I love sport.

 sailing boats drifting along in the Stockton sunshine....

this is a canoe - its really a rather slim and stylised whale but the two 'canoeists' are paddling it anyway.

A synchronised swimmer wears a backpack of creepy synchronised doll swimmers, who dance playfully in a Busby Berkley style around an art deco (well hopefully) styled glitzy pool. (Note the big white toothy smile - which is compulsory)

Divers - a swallow dive (see what I did there to avoid actual swimming...) and a frog man (ditto)

Carnival time again! illustrations for SIRF carnival 2011

I've been working on my designs for Stockton Carnival. This years theme is 'Dare to Dream' so each artist has a section based on an aspect of dreaming. My section is called 'Dreamscape' and we'll be looking at the more surreal and bizarre aspects of our dreams. I've thought about the way we take the everyday and make it strange or ridiculous. I've come up with some funny, fantastical mixed up creatures , aliens made of household paraphanalia, an army of robots patterned with flowers and flock wallpaper as well as some peculiar clown fish and a giraffe made of sweets. There will also be some drummers performing as living surreal artworks

Stockton Carnival Parade 2009 - carnival artist

I've been really busy for the last few weeks working as a carnival artist on this years Stockton Carnival Parade,apparently its the second biggest in the country. Each of the five artists commissioned was responsible for a section of the parade based around the theme, "Small wonders, Big world". My section was "play" so I had a great time helping my groups with their costumes and structures. Above are a set of toy soldiers from Teeside Positive Action with a very glamorous drag queen 'Crystal Decanter' in a Rainbow Frock stitched by Anthony (just peeking around Crystals shoulder above).



Stockton Parent Support became dancing Snakes and ladders, using a giant Snake and some Ladder backpacks in their routine. They did a fabulous job in the finale.



St Johns Primary School made toy cars and trains, slightly collapsed in the rain which poured for a few hours before and during the parade.




Play Wrensfield made Chess head-dresses and tabards. They also had two King and Queen backpack costumes. The Queen didnt have enough 'hair' fringing so I ended up improvising with some giant rollers.


Play Hardwick were Pacmen and Space Invaders and made some big space invader standards to carry.





Downs Syndrome North East managed to negotiate a giant bear, a huge doll, a smaller bear backback and a large helter skelter covered in sliding teddy bears through a rainy town centre. All while wearing plasterzote bear helmets and blowing bubble guns.




Navrang Arts are a Bollywood dance group that became a flock of Bollywood Birds for the afternoon.

Burnett & Catt - Carnival continued....with a special preview of Miss Milky Ways 'chopper' in progress

More images from the workshop - 3 weeks to the carnival. We're especially excited about ''Miss Milky Way's" telescopic pushbike in progress - think we're going to have to rethink her crinoline though and maybe go for some diamante cycling shorts.

Burnett & Catt Lord Mayors Carnival Designs Bradford 2009

Its Bradford Lord Mayors Carnival on June 20th. This year the theme is Astronomy /space to coincide with International year of Astronomy. Here are our initial drawings for this years floats and costumes. The bottom graphic will be the carnival logo.

Burnett & Catt - Bradford Lord Mayors Parade

Bradford Lord Mayors carnival parade

music costume

music float

Tea & cakes float

Madame Flotsam recycled costume

Tea Djinn & float

The Love, Dance, Art, Friendship Float

Some of our costumes.

The Tea Djinn

Jackie from Q20 Theatre in the paintbrush gown

We've (Burnett & Catt) made floats and costumes for the Bradford Lord Mayors Parade for the last 3 years. This years parade was in June - photos by fantastic Bradford based photographer Tim Smith, please see his website at the link below - there's some really stunning work there.

http://www.timsmithphotos.com/site.html