Aardman & more

In 1994 my Mum took me to the Cardiff animation festival to see the event and I recall very much being amazed by models from Aardmans Wallace & Gromit (the wrong trousers) and some from Tim Burtons Nightmare Before Christmas. Two of my favourite films and directors. I managed to get Nick Park to sign a Feathers McGraw card and he wrote something like “Wishing you the best” (I would have to dig into loft for exact words). I always knew I wanted to make “cartoons” since I can recall but I never knew exactly how you went about this. I am confident this trip inspired me to think that anyone can and also that in the UK it was possible to pursue the craft of animation. Thankfully I secured a place after some poor GCSEs in Autumn 94 to join Portsmouth Art School on a general art & design BTEC and then after a nail biting interview experience and portfolio review in 1996 I was accepted to start a BA in Animation in Newport South Wales, it would become an amazingly transformative time. Now I wait for the latest Wallace and Gromit installment out Dec 2024. 30+ years later since a grand day out, the wrong trousers and that initial visit to Cardiff how time flies indeed.