Open Fields is a wonderful little school in Thetford Hill, Vermont, founded by Jean K Aull in 1971. Although she died in 2011, her work continues with the enthusiastic and dedicated staff. Every two years, blown goose eggs are sent to artists around the world. The decorated eggs are then auctioned in support of the school.
Left: 'Beewitched', Malcolm's egg for 2012.
The 2012 auction was held on 11 May at the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, New Hampshire. This time 46 eggs were auctioned and nearly $14,000 was raised. To see all the eggs, those of previous years, and to find out about the school and Jean's vision, please go to its web page.
The 2014 auction was held in the Hayward Room at the Hanover Inn, Hanover NH on Sunday October 26, and made over $12000
Below: 'Witch Wedding', Malcolm's egg for 2014.
Drag across the picture to turn, or click on the arrow below for it to turn itself (depending on the browser you're using). The image is made using the splendid 3DBin app.
Below: 'Hatching Witches', Malcolm's egg for 2017.
The Twelfth Great Goose Egg Auction took place on 5 October 2019, and raised over $6,000 in support of Open Fields School. A link to the egg is http://www.openfields.org/Eggs2019/bird1.htm
Below: 'Juggling Witches', Malcolm's egg for 2019.
Employed by Barbara Hulanicki as a pattern cutter and colourist, in sumptuous surroundings unlike those of any other fashion company. Supplied illustrations for publicity and designed the children's department in the third of her four shops. The design for the children's department is in Alwyn Turner's sumptuous book The Biba Experience, the perfect read for Bibaphiles, as is Big Biba, (also a treasure) by Steven Thomas and Alwyn.
The first artwork designed for Roxy Music. It was used, printed on satin, as backstage passes and, in repeat, as a paper poster.
It appears in the splendid book by Michael Bracewell, Roxy, published by Faber in 2008, the story of the making of Roxy Music. It includes interviews with all
the main characters and is a fascinating read. Highly recommended.
One of the designs made for the Final Degree Fashion Show at the Royal College of Art in 1968, and modeled by the exquisite Sheri Mumby.
Unfortunately there is no credit for the photograph so if anyone knows the photographer (RCA circa 1968) please contact me and I can either add a credit line, or if preferred, remove the image
from the website.
The drawing below is of Malcolm and the other students in his year, circa 1966.
When Alan Dart was designing and making craft items to entertain Pob (in Channel 4’s Pob’s Programme made by Ragdoll Productions) Malcolm illustrated some of Alan’s makes for the Pob’s Playtime, Pob’s News and Pob’s Paper magazines.
He also designed the Ragdoll logo and Alan made a fabric version of this which was later used in the last frame of each programme.
Alan and Malcolm regularly sent their Piggle-themed Christmas cards to Anne Wood at Ragdoll but this stopped in 2007 when Ragdoll's 'In the Night Garden' IgglePiggle character first appeared.
Whilst at college in Manchester in the sixties, Malcolm was an extra at Granada Television for various programmes, notably Coronation Street. Below (the figure on the right) he is (ironically) an art student drawing Elsie Tanner. Even though he completed a drawing during rehearsals, the art department provided finished drawings for all the students.
All drawings, text, characters and related elements ©2022 Malcolm Bird