Birthday Calendar

This was a really lovely project commissioned by Phoenix Trading.  It was also a very quick turnaround.  I received the brief mid April, the artwork was completed by the end of April and the finished product was available from 1st June.

The brief was to create a perpetual calendar suitable for writing dates of birthdays and anniversaries.  I was given the dimensions (190mm x 340mm) and that it should have a header image with a smaller matching strip below.  I also included little icons on each month, my favourite being the little bird on May.

The images had to be previous designs of mine that Phoenix have published over the last ten years I've been designing for them. They all relate to the appropriate month.  For example, there are strawberries in June.  It was quite tricky as most of my original artwork was square and therefore had to be re-designed to fit the rectangular header.


I am really pleased with the finished product.

Sweden

During half term, 23rd May - 30th May, we went to Sweden.  Firstly to Gothenburg to visit friends and then travelled up the east coast for a few days.  We then drove the 300 miles across to Stockholm on the west coast, where we spent two more days.  We stayed in Gamla Stan, which is the oldest part of the city and central for all the major sights, ideal if you haven't got much time there.  I'd recommend the open top bus and boat tours for exploring the city which is built on several linked islands.

I've never been to Scandinavia before and really loved it.  It's a beautiful clean country mainly consisting of lakes, trees and rocks.  They seem to favour wooden clad houses painted an ox-blood red colour. It wasn't too expensive as the pound is quite strong at the moment against the Swedish kroner.

I'd like to show you some of arty places we visited and would recommend to you, should you ever visit.

 Tony Cragg sculpture, Marstrand

 Strandverket Art Museum, Marstrand

Nordiska Akvarellmuseet (top photo from their website).  We had an excellent meal in their restaurant with the most amazing views out across the water.  There are little studios that artists can rent.

 Moderna Museet, Stockholm.

This is the ceiling of the foyer.  I'm not sure if it's an installation or if it's always like this?  Again there was an amazing café, stylish, with great food....and you could make your own waffles for dessert!

And for some kitsch nostalgia, the Abba Museum in Stockholm is a must!

Pencils Collection

I haven't had time to post much in the last few weeks as I've been really busy, working on Christmas projects and designing new tea towels.

So I'm just catching up with posting about this rather jolly set of products published by Phoenix Trading earlier this year.  The postcards came out in January and the wrapping paper and bookmark were published in May.

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.