The Fifth Artists’ Book Fair on Sat 6th Nov, Manchester, UK
I’m hoping that the Artists’ Book Fair this coming saturday will be a good turn out. I’ve been making
some hand made bits ‘n’ bobs to take for my stand, like some mini address cards to give out.
Restocking on my hand-made stamps.
and made some new packaging for my stickers and hand made gift tags, incorporating my stamps.
Quirky eh ! More details on how to get there and what to expect in an earlier blog post here ,
all the above products (apart from the gift tags) and more are available on the FISHINK website here.
Mark Hearld creates new products for the Tate
Busy artist Mark Hearld has been creating a whole range of products for the Tate online shop.
Here’s a couple of images taken whilst he puts together the basics for a limited edition lithograph.
There’s a whole range of products including Tote Bags, Cushions, Notebooks and lovely
printed letters to send to friends and family.
The above items are available to purchase here and I recently mentioned his Tate ceramics range
in an earlier blog post here.
Autumn Colour Two
I’m feeling like I’m living somewhere else right now. Memories of my trip to New England
in the fall a couple of years ago come to mind everytime I walk out of my front door.
Can you see what I mean ?
I took this yesterday on a walk just down the road from me, what splendid colours.
My neighbour always makes an effort at this time of year too.
Pumpkins and Halloween also remind me of the U.S.A.
She put little candles in them in the evening and their eyes and toothless grins come to life.
This leaf also caught my eye with it’s fiery hues.
Angie Lewins’ new book ‘ Plants and Places ‘
I’m delighted to tell you that an amazing new book by Angie Lewin has finally got to my door.
It’s called Plants and Places and is published by Merrell. You can tell it’s been so lovingly put together
that even the pattern on the inner pages somehow announces how good this book will prove to be,
and it has surpassed all my expectations.
There are lovely examples of drawings which explain Angies’ thought process when considering a
new lino cut or illustration.
Even the shots of the carved wooden blocks that Angie uses to layer up her artwork are so
beautifully photographed, they make you want to be there in her sunny studio,
observing another masterpiece take shape and come to life.
I was so pleased they included this shot of the Ravilious mugs that feature time and again
in various illustrations. I’ve mentioned this connection before here.
Some bits and pieces from her collage work. More examples here.
Earlier this year Angie was asked by Coast magazine to create a lino cut print
to reinvent the seaside poster, the Salthouse Poster was her response. An edition of this was auctioned
on Ebay in May and £4900 was raised for the Marine Conservation Society.
I included these just to give some perspective of the scale of some of the images Angie creates.
A beautiful book and thank you to Angie Lewin for letting us into her studio.
Plants and Places is available to purchase here.
Postage Stamps and Fishink Stamp Birds
I sometimes forget all about the wonderful resources for design inspiration we have around us.
For example, I was looking at Flickr and came across a great collection of postage stamps kindly
scanned in and patiently labelled by Karen Horton very kindly, just for us to just look at.
Most of these are from the 1940s’ and 50s’ .
Then my mind wandered further and I got to thinking how other people may use stamps rather
than in their traditional form, i.e. on an envelope and came across these.
Then there’s the patterns inside the envelopes too.
I’ve also been inspired by these patterns myself before and created these.
More images of stamp collections here and here. Or alternatively like K and Company have done..
just make up your own. Who ever thought stamps could be such fun.
Fishink New Bird Notebook Stationery Designs
Hello to one and all on this sunny saturday. I thought I’d just let you into a little secret,
I’ve just received 5 new Fishink Notebook designs back from the printers and they look amazing.
There are four bird inspired notebooks and one leaf design to compliment another two repeats I’d
made previously. Here’s the three of those together, the new one is on the left.
And the bird design notebooks …
and last but not least… the balancing bird !
They’re not yet on the website, but available now, if you want to order they are £3.50 each or 3 for £10,
contact me here for more details or my other Notebooks are available here.
Christina Song
Christina Song recently graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena,
California with a BFA in Illustration. There’s a child-like naivety about some of her work
that I find quite refreshing. Her cut paper collages are colourful and some details make me smile.
I particularly like her plaid truck, wish you could get those here !
David Bradford. An artist brings Montana’s skies to New York
There is a beautiful observation in the work of artist David Bradford, that reminds me of
looking at a Hockney or a Hopper. His feeling for colour and his play with light, makes his
paintings shine almost from within, allowing the viewer to be drawn into their sun-filled
landscapes and still-life living rooms.
I was fortunate to meet David on my last visit to New York and I wondered how a guy who grew up
in Montana and was influenced by those HUGE skies, copes with now being in NY,
where the only large glimpses of skies you can see is when you look directly up !
David told me that he spends time in both places. In summer you can find him in Montana
amongst landscapes where the light plays across the rolling plains. In winter, he’s more
of a city man, catching glimpses of Northampton, where he lives and works or occasionally
San Francisco where he explores the light and colour of the buildings instead.
He said ” I paint because I want to try to represent things that I see. I want to paint them
according to my feeling and my imagination, ultimately, my goal, as Andre Derain
once wrote, is to give life to a dead surface “.
David Bradford attended Skidmore College, graduating in 1988 with a major in Fine Art
and a minor in English. He has since taught in many universities and institutions and
had over 20 group and solo exhibitons, the latest is at the White Plains Library,
in White Plains, NY, about 1/2 hour north of NYC. Until January 5th 2011.
More of Davids’ work here.
Tessuti, Sarah Malone, Katie Almond, Trisha Needham, Maxine Sutton, Tone Von Krogh.
Here’s the final post featuring my selection of designers from the weekend’s
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester.
Tessuti is the work of Fiona McIntosh who studied at the Scottish College of Textiles.
In 1985 she set up her printed textile studio Tessuti in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh.
From here she hand dyes and silk screen prints a range of unique fashion accessories
primarily using natural fabrics – knitted wool, lambswool and cashmere. The technique
she uses produces vibrant colours and retains the soft handle of the fabrics.
Fiona’s current inspiration is taken from motifs reminiscent of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Fiona is also half of the business partnership who runs Concrete Wardrobe, a great shop
in Broughton Street, Edinburgh, that stocks all manner of local designer makers wares.
Sarah Malone graduated from Manchester Metropolitan in 2007 with a
Three Dimensional Design Degree. Since then she has set up a studio in Bankley Studios
in Levenshulme and has exhibited her work across the UK and is teaching ceramics in an
arts centre in Salford. Sarah says ‘ I use slip-casting, throwing and hand-building techniques
to make small bottles, cups and bowls. Once bisque fired I sandblast the work to create detail,
intricate patterns and delicate fragile edges. I want to encourage the user to engage with the pieces
and in so doing, discover the hidden layers and meaning.
Sarah has more info and images on her blog here.
Katie Almond took a B.A.Hons Degree at De Montford University in Leicester before
setting up her ceramics business. She was encouraged during her childhood summer
holidays by her grandmother to draw and be creative and she’s never looked back.
In fact, the decoration on her porcelain ceramics are influenced by 1950s’ items that her
grandmother used to keep such as labels, old tickets etc. There is a good sense of humour
in Katies’ work such as a little label saying ‘ Thirsty? ‘ hidden inside her mugs. Strong vibrant
colours and old recipes are thrown together with vintage stamps and hand drawn patterns.
Trisha Needham‘s hallmark is her passion for colour and pattern inspired
by her love of gardening and architecture.
This has led her to produce bold striking distinctive screen prints, all designed and printed
by Trisha in her South London studio with the help of two wonderful machinists who help with the
making in busy times. Her impressive client list includes Liberty and Heals in London, Barneys Japan,
Nordstrom U.S.A. the Guggenheim museum and Barneys New York. Pea pods, poppies, daisies,
Echinacea stripes, spots, dots are all featured on her new collection of scarves and cushions printed
on iridescent velvet textured silks and beautiful Irish linens.
Maxine Sutton uses Irish machine, and hand embroidery in her work. She employs a
combination of traditional techniques, such as applique, patchwork, needle-punch
and screen printing. Forms, are hand drawn, paper cut, found or photographic; layered
and collaged with abstract and semi figurative appliquéd imagery. Using organic
fabrics, Maxine hopes to celebrate and promote our connection with materials, thus
keeping traditional and domestic skills alive in todays’ marketplace.
Lastly but certainly not least, is the delicate blue ceramic range from Tone Von Krogh.
Originally from Norway, Tone was involved with a student exchange programme
and never went home ! Lucky for us because her hand thrown collection of pots,
cups and saucers, bowls and bottles are simply beautiful. Her colour palette is inspired
by winters spent in Norway and with a studio in her back garden, Tone now also
runs courses and taster sessions for those people eager to try some ceramics for themselves.
If interested you can contact her through her web address tonevonkrogh@yahoo.com
Once again, many thanks to all the busy artists and crafts people who contributed here.
Mark Hearlds’ Ceramics for the Tate
One kind viewer to my blog told me today about this lovely Mark Hearld ceramic range
called ‘ On The Wing ‘ featuring birds of the British countryside and printed by Burleigh
based in Stoke on Trent. They were commissioned by the Tate and would make a lovely
addition to any home, whether it be in the town or the country.
You can purchase them here. Thanks to Robert for the info.
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