A HEREFORD artist has made official Spongebob Squarepants merchandise on sale at high street retailer H&M.

Russell Taysom, who graduated in illustration at Hereford College of Arts in 2004, has been working alongside Nickelodeon to make the items by reimagining their characters in his own style. 

Shirts, hoodies and accessories can be found in H&M stores around the world, including in Hereford.

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"It was an amazing project to do because a few years ago I'd completely given up on art as a career, but watching SpongeBob with my housemate got me to pick up a pen again," said Mr Taysom.

"My drawing is inspired by 90s cartoons such as Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life and Cow & Chicken."

The artist, who has 16,000 followers on his Instagram page, @russelltaysom, has forged a successful career.

Hereford Times:

"My art can be seen around Hereford, most notably in the artwork for The Beefy Boys," he said. 

"It's very exciting to see my work in my home city with the success of The Beefy Boys it’s been great to see it in other places as they have expanded.

"Previously, I've made videos for bands including IDLES and Warmduscher, been published in the NME, made the posters for Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club for a decade, as well as illustrations for Reebok adverts and many other projects.

Hereford Times:

"This year, I’ve been included in exhibitions in London, Singapore and Indonesia. I’ve always been proud of being from Hereford and have used my home city as a constant source of inspiration."

Mr Taysom's work can be found on his website at russelltaysom.com