Jo's blog

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

A quick scout around my local area results in the discovery of a wonderful array of christmas themed property. Hopefully I will have more examples on the way - the more OTT the better I say.

Museum of Everything

2010-12-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

ROLL UP, ROLL UP! Get down to the Museum of Everything in Primrose Hill before it finishes at Christmas!

"Marvel at our assemblies of Punch and Judy and little people! Bedazzle yourself with side-show banners from the Americas! Ride the miniature fairgrounds of retired Norfolk farmer Arthur Windley! Stuff yourself at Walter Potter's Museum of Curiosity, a masterwork of Victorian animalia!"

Personally though, my favorite exhibit of all displayed artifacts from Carters Royal Berkshire Steam Fair, which I attended many a time in my younger years, but in those days failed to appreciate the sheer BEAUTY of the 'Rock and Roll Dodgems', 'Chairoplanes', 'Victory Dive Bomber' and the like. Next time it's in town, I'm there.

www.museumofeverything.com

www.carterssteamfair.com

You can also join he carters Steam Fair online facebook group!

PUB.

2010-11-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

Keeping busy again, I've volunteered to do some marketing material for my local pub, The Cricketers in Littlewick Green where I work part-time. Here's a poster and flyer for their upcoming new years eve party. I feel very strongly about supporting pubs because, like many other people, I feel that they are a huge part of British culture and identity. It is saddening to know how many are struggling to survive and closing down. With this in mind, I will be beginning my own 'save our pubs' campaign in my local area within the next couple of weeks.

More work in progress

2010-11-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

I'm currently in the process of expanding my portfolio so that it is geared more towards advertising and promotion. So as well as a Coca Cola project, I am also beginning to create ideas for campaigns for products I have designed myself. The top image is an initial idea for and editorial and internet campaign for my 'HitBAG' which I would like to design in-keeping with a self-directed photograph (above) that I took in the summer.

One from the archive

2010-11-24T16:11:00.000-08:00

Just re-discovered this photo of what had become a great 'three dimensonal poster' in Algecirus, Spain in 2007.

Coca Cola Scratch Cans - Go For Gold! [work in progress]

2010-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Following on from my 'Cuppa Luck' tea set where I began exploring the application of a scratch off coating to three dimensional objects, I have begun a self-initiated project which uses this concept hypothetically for promotional cans of Coca Cola, in accordance with their sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympics. The limited edition gold cans celebrate each Olympic sport with 26 different hidden designs to uncover and collect. The discovery of a rare bronze, silver or gold medal, however, indicates the winner of a prize - to be retrieved via the Coca Cola website.

Below are some of my designs for the cans, to be uncovered once the gold coating is scratched away.

4977 miles - LA to NYC in 21 days

2010-11-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

I have just completed an incredible coast to coast trip of the United States where I was able to visit places I have always dreamed of exploring. Armed with my Nikon I was able to capture my love of American visual culture - a feast for my eyes at least. Here is a selection from a much wider library of photographs of what proved to be a fascinating country.

Hollywood Boulevard

An ingenious cocktail bar concept at Wet Willies in San Diego

Oh God, it's Vegas...

Inside The Venetian where it is daylight 24 hours a day

I'm willing to believe that this, probably is, the largest gift shop in the world

And then to a natural wonder

An eatery with a difference on Route 66

The Mardi Gras warehouse on the Mississippi River, New Orleans where the beautiful carnival floats are made and stored

Beale Street, Memphis, for the most exceptional live music

Someone called Elvis Presley was discovered here...

www.sunstudio.com

www.soulsvilleusa.com

No need to tell you where this is

Coney Island, NYC

Homes & Antiques

2010-09-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Find Cuppa Luck on page 19 of the October issue of BBC Homes & Antiques magazine. With thanks to Penny Britain.

Cuppa Luck causes a stir

2010-08-23T16:10:00.001-07:00

Design Milk have kindly featured my Cuppa Luck tea set on their blog. It can also be found at AT CASA.it , Designtaxi.com and Cookdays.com

England's Vegas

2010-07-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last summer, my short trip to a handful of English towns and cities including Hull, Beaconsfield, Stockton-on-Tees, Kensington and Chelsea, Middlesborough and Henley-on-Thames looked to uncover the diversity of the aesthetics and materials that can be found here and their connections to affluence and deprivation. The collection of images that I accumulated formed the foundations for which much of my degree work was built, encouraging a consideration of the role that chance plays in dictating the lifestyles we are born in to and the objects and aesthetics we surround ourselves with. My favourite of all the places I visited was Blackpool which, as expected boasts a treasure trove of visual stimulation and mass culture with cheap and cheerful aesthetics, garish colours and patterns and a total disregard for trends or taste WHICH I LOVE! Here are a few of my best Blackpool photos.

es.homesandproperty.co.uk

2010-07-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

See Barbara Chandler's rave review of the Furniture Fruit Machine at the Evening Standard's Homes and Properties site HERE!

www.thegoodwebguide.co.uk

2010-07-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just spotted a mention of my Cuppa Luck tea set on the Good Web Guide blog along with work by one of my Brighton 3D Design course mates Jorun Hognesen.

Sketchy

2010-07-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Now that I've finished my degree I'm keen to get back in to drawing again. Here's one I did a while back.

New Designers 2010 at the Business Design Centre, London

2010-07-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

The University of Brighton 3D Design group stand.

The Cuppa Luck tea set.

The HitBAG.

Some dedicated fans of the Furniture Fruit Machine.

Last summer

2010-06-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some stills from a short film I assisted on (and starred in!) during my placement at JAM last summer - www.jamdesign.co.uk. As a play on British culture, 300 oversized teacups with a bespoke pattern were created for 100% Design London. Conceived by JAM and manufactured by the BPF EPS group made from 100% polystyrene. The teacups served various purposes throughout the show, from giant plant pots, to signage for feature areas, as well as being distributed to other London Design Festival events.

*********** WATCH IT HERE **********

jowestrop.com coming soon!

2010-06-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Millenium Retail window display

2010-06-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

As part of a Dreamthinkspeak installation, the Fruit Machine chair has been placed in the window of fake department store Millennium Retail. Performances inside will be taking place over the next month, see www.dreamthinkspeak.com for more details. The display on London Road, Brighton is a great opportunity to get my work seen, even though the vinyl lettering of my name has already acquired a bird turd. Next stop Champs Elysees...

Brighton degree show private view 4.6.10

2010-06-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

My space featured the Furniture Fruit Machine, where visitors could build their own randomly decided chair from 27 possible combinations. It was a big success! (more photos to come). It was great to show the other Westrop's what I'd been working on all year. I bought new shoes for the occasion and we all got drunk. Nice.

New Designers 2010

2010-06-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

Myself and thirteen other 3D Design graduates from the University of Brighton will exhibit our degree projects at New Designers from 7th-11th July at the Business Design Centre, London. Here's the press release I have put together for the group.

Done and Dusted

2010-06-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

After a trip around England, countless 'splat' experiments, thirteen cans of spray paint, eleven prototypes, blood, sweat, tears and a vow never to do a degree again, my final project at Brighton came together. Based on the theme of chance, all three products - HitBAG, Furniture Fruit Machine and Cuppa Luck- seek to escape the confines of 'safe' design through anti-rationality, non-conformance to trends and encouragement of commitment and risk-taking.