Stratford Art Fair

These are the pictures I selected for the show on 23rd & 24th May.  I have also sent a further ten unframed prints. For more informations see www.stratfordartfair.com

Stratford Art Fair

I have been asked to submit some pictures to this forthcoming show.  So four framed ones and possibly some unframed prints too, will be winging there way over to Stratford very soon.  Some of my artist friends also taking part are:  Judith Yates Arts, JuJu and Bubba, Sarah Summers Illustration, Madebymonty, Liz Toole Artist and Claire Henley. Apparently there will also be cake, so definitely worth a trip!

Nepalese Earthquake

I have been really saddened to hear about the devastating earthquake in Nepal yesterday.  I spent a month travelling around the country in 1992 with my friend Emma Quay.  We sketched as much as we could; me trying to capture the buildings and street life and Emma expertly drawing the people.  I have such fond memories of the beautiful landscape, architecture and welcoming nature of the people, which makes the news reports even more terrible.

I wonder how many of the fragile buildings I drew and photographed are still standing?

Milton Country Park Community Orchard

 

In October last year I was asked by Sarah Harris, the co-ordinator of the MCP Community Orchard Project, to design a logo for them.  The orchard only has heritage apple trees, so I came up with the idea for the design quite quickly - a tree within an apple incorporating some birds and flowers.  I also designed the type-face with leaves attached to some of the letters.

They have been busy fencing the area to protect it from deer and rabbits as well as planting ten new trees.  They will also be sewing wild flower seeds, hedge planting and creating a wildlife pond.  Yesterday new signs were installed featuring my logo, made by Rowan Humberstone, a local charity established in 1984, which brings artists and learning-disabled people together in the production of fine artwork and crafts.

It's great to be able to support this wonderful project, MCP is a place I visit every day with my dog and it's inspiring to see all this carried out by volunteers.

New Stockists

I've been trying to get my work into some new galleries and I'm very pleased to say that three I approached have said "yes".  Today I delivered a stack of tea towels to the new VK Gallery in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.  It's run by Victoria who has a great eye for design having previously managed Cambridge Contemporary Arts.  The things that caught my eye were beautiful paintings by Karen Birchwood, Nikki Monaghan and Liz Toole, plus jewellery by Jonathan Deer and ceramics by Ali Tomlin.

Today I am also sending tea towels to the Gribbin Gallery in Polkerris, Cornwall.  We visited the gallery in the summer of 2013.  It's a magical spot with a lovely selection of artwork and I hope my sea-side tea towels will be a hit.

Next week I will be sorting out some more tea towels to be sent to The Robin's Nest Gallery in Berkshire, along with a selection of my unframed prints.

Sorry You're Leaving

Here is my latest card design published by Phoenix Trading this month.  It's 6" x 6" and all the letters are embossed on glossy card.  They are are great company to design for and always send their artists some free samples.  However it could take me a while to get through these, especially as I don't have any work colleagues.

Bird themed prints

Following on from the Blackbird print, I've been working on some more Bird themed images for a forthcoming exhibition at Cambridge Contemporary Crafts, opening on 1st April.

We often have magpies in our garden, their squawking always sets the chickens off clucking even more than usual.  I know they are thuggish creatures but I love the subtle colours in their plumage.  This is an edition of ten, all are hand tinted with watercolour.

This Goldfinch was based on a photograph captured by a friend in Milton Country Park.  I often see 'charms of goldfinches' whilst out with the dog and love the way this one is so alert from it's vantage point. Editioned at just one of six, as the plate is so fragile.

I picked up these two from the framers today.  The one on the left, 'Two Birds', is based on an existing coaster design, but has been enlarged and had more detail added.  The other is called 'Cherry Pickers' and is a decorative interpretation of blackbirds stripping a cherry tree.

They are all hand-pulled drypoints using either perspex or coated cardboard plates.