While the builders work on our rooftop extension we’re using the hoarding on the front of our building to display specially commissioned artworks. The current one is by Sim Marriott. Born in 1971 (along with Nike and Costa coffee) Sim has always drawn. He produced his first freelance work back in 1990. In the same way that Willem De Kooning used to express himself by slapping a bit of paint around on a canvass, Sim expresses his often dark sense of humour through his trusty Wacom tablet. He’s worked for a broad range of international clients, and is currently working alongside director Sylvain Chomet, making TV commercials for Kwik-Fit.

Sim’s view on the hoarding brief :

Sim is represented by jelly, a Creative studio that merges the boundaries between the two disciplines of illustration and motion. Launched in 2006 and designed to fit any mould, jelly provides a bespoke service offering finished illustration and moving image across all platforms and media.

If you are not familiar with jelly’s work, take a moment to look at the site

www.jellylondon.com

Perhaps combining fire and copious quantities of alcohol was never going to be a good idea. Whatever, things got a little out of hand for one or two people at the climactic final founders’ day 25th anniversary party.

Mild mannered Matt Gooden went from this…

To this…

And then there was the letting off of fire extinguishers, the raiding of the bar and the ultimate, unfortunate Torching of The ‘Burning Dan’ effigy. This had been strictly forbidden but the revellers were not to be denied their pagan ritual. A fracas ensued but I’m happy to say we had no hospitalisations or incarcerations.

Things were a lot more subdued the next morning as we prepared for the return home to London.

Tired but happy…