Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all! Have a happy time and all the best for the new year. Here's this year's partridge pear Christmas card image which I also made as a screenprint.

Interview in G Colon Magazine

I was recently interviewed about my books and illustration work in Korean Design culture magazine G Colon. Here are a couple of the spreads and you can read the full interview here.

Denbies show

If you haven't made it to our show at Denbies, there is still time! We're open this weekend, 9.30 - 5.00 both days (although we will be taking it down towards the end of the afternoon on Sunday). I was there yesterday, we had lots of people in the gallery and lots of nice comments. Here are a few cold and frosty early morning pics, plus a few of the inside of the gallery.

Hot Flushes illustration

Here is my recent piece for St Louis magazine about hot flushes. The article is amusingly written and in it the author describes a hot flush being like a sudden volcano erupting within her, heating up her face like molten lava. I enjoyed the visual this conjured up in my mind and tried to re-create it in my illustration. I had to include a fan and bucket of water in order to cool her down! 

Winter Song exhibition

I've been busy this week preparing for a group show at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, opening on Monday. I'm looking forward to exhibiting in this unusual venue! The show will also include work by Lisa Metcalfe, Helen Locke, Sandra Howgate, Alison Orchard, Frankie George, Marion Deacon, Lindsay Beaton and Susan Czoper, comprising printmaking, painting and ceramics. Show open: Monday 3rd December - Saturday 8th 9.30 - 5.00; Sunday 9th 10 - 5. At Denbies Wine Estate, London Road, Dorking RH5 6AA. There will also be a Christmas craft fair and late opening on Monday night until 9pm. www.denbies.co.uk

Stansted House pics

Here are a few photos from A Christmas festival at Stansted house, where I had a very busy but lovely few days selling my wares. The house is on the West Sussex/Hampshire border and was a beautiful and very Christmassy setting for the show. I was lucky enough to be sitting in the amazing blue drawing room, which actually appears gold but has a faint bluish tinge if you look closely! The house has family connections, and by complete co-incidence, the organisers sat me underneath a portrait of my 5-greats Grandfather!

Christmas cards!

I have a few new Christmas card designs now available in my online shop. My own take on a partridge in a pear tree - 'Partridge pear', is available as a card and also as a screenprint. My turtle doves design is also now available as a card, plus a 'Happy  Christmas' tree design. All cards are priced at £1.50 plus p&p and come with white envelope included.

A Christmas festival at Stansted House

I am very much looking forward to taking part in 'A Christmas festival' at Stansted House in Hampshire, where I will be selling my wares next Friday and over the weekend of 24th - 25th November. The festival is a fantastic feast of all things Christmassy, with a vast array of tempting food stalls, decorations, wreaths, cards and crafts, a gift marquee, Santa's Grotto, activities, demos and entertainment. The festival is open from 12noon-8pm on Friday 23rd, and 10am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the fair, visit the festival website. Hope to see you there! 

Draw the Line

I currently have work on show at Bar Lane Studios in York in their gallery/shop, just relaunched and opened as 'Draw the Line'. The space showcases the work of several great artists and illustrators including beautiful prints by Jane Orme, Amanda Colville and Cat O'Neil. If you're in the area have a look - great for Christmas presents!

Flamingo screen print

I decided to turn my recent zig-zag flamingo image into a 5 colour screen print, and here is the result. Partly inspired by flamingoes I saw in Chile, although they didn't have legs quite like this...!

Work for EMI

Here are two recent CD cover designs I have produced for EMI music. The Christmas one was done back in August when the weather was warm and sunny and the Olympics were on in the background. Seems so long ago now! Both are promotional CDs of incidental mood music that are sent out to production companies for them to use in their ads or programmes.

Images 36 exhibition

 

Last week I went to the opening and awards night of Images 36, the best of British Illustration. The exhibition is on in the Terrace Rooms at Somerset house, and includes the selected work of over 50 artists from all over the UK, plus Gold, silver and bronze award winners in each of 8 categories.

I have two pieces in the show - 'Blue escapes painting' and 'Ice cream on fire and Leopard'. The show is on until 28th October and is free - well worth a look so catch it if you can!

The Art of Science

Julia Rothman's new book 'The Where, the Why, and the How' is a science book like no other. It features artwork by 75 artists who have illustrated their answers to some of life's big questions: 'What existed before the big bang?', 'Where did life come from?', and 'Why do we age?' Each image is presented alongside an essay written by a scientist who explains the answers. My question was 'How do migrating birds and animals find their way back home?' Alex Gershenson explains that they do so in variety of ways - from using the stars for navigation, using the earth's magnetic fields, or in the case of sea turtles, by following almost indistinguishable traces of soil. The book is out now and is launched a week today in New York. 

Breakfast meeting at Leo Burnett

Earlier this week I visited Ad agency Leo Burnett along with my illustration collective Gumbo. We put on a display of our Blue Suede shoes prints, along with lots of books and portfolios, beautiful screenprints from Chris Andrews, and Sarah Horne's amazing new pop-up book 'Monster House'. Lots of tearsheets and cards for were available for people to take away, as were homemade breakfast goodies and pastries! Live drawing was expertly provided by Sandra Howgate and Eivind Gulliksen. We really enjoyed meeting all the creatives and a good morning was had by all.

Flamingo print for Colabs

Colabs is a web platform that allows creatives to connect with each other, to find room mates, work studios, collaborate, sell stuff and more! The project is the brainchild of Jennica Johnstone and Noah Atkinson, who are currently in the process of fundraising in order to build the site. Along with artists such as Gemma Correll, Parko Polo and Oliver Munday, I created this print as one of the rewards for backers. Each archival print is 11 x 17 inches, limited edition and each purchase includes a backer badge, button and tote bag. To visit the site and find out more, look here.

Work for COOP, Italy

Earlier this year, I worked with Edizioni Corraini on a project for the Italian Cooperative. The project explains the work of the COOP, who for the last 30 years have worked extensively with schools, providing many interactive workshops for children. These focus on educating young consumers to help them make good, responsible choices about what they what they are buying, and to become 'aware consumers'. 

The information pack comes in an illustrated envelope, and consists of a sixteen page graphic novel, an  illustrated essay and one of several regional texts which contain details of workshops available. More information and an online version of the project can be seen on the project website! Design by Pietro Corraini.