Men at work

I look for old spines on the bookshelves in charity shops.  If it's children's books, I'm hoping to find a 1970s beauty, with proper litho printing, thick paper and inspiring illustrations (Tomi Ungerer brings much joy).  If it's adult books, I home in on the non-fiction where my precious finds have included a very unflattering guide to a small town in Belgium (written in Flemish, with pictures of the back views of people, taken, I'm guessing, by a shy photographer).  Lately I've enjoyed finding books with pictures of men at work,  where they look posed, and slightly awkward.  Here are some sketchbook drawings I've done from these:

Rough and tumble

Like my husband's cheeks, I prefer my painting surface to be smooth.  This has come about since I stopped painting expressively on large, rough canvases - and this ceased after I tripped over my studio easel and landed expressively on the floor.  In an attempt to avoid the hazards of floor standing easels and personal injury,  I now work on a smaller scale, at my desk.   I still aim to be expressive, but no longer with large brushstrokes - and for the time being, smaller brushstrokes need a smoother surface.  


I've just finished these three small paintings for 'Seen' exhibition at Gatehouse Arts in May.  They are on wooden box panels:

Peaks and valleys in Essex

I'm running a workshop today in Maldon on making illustrated mini-books.  At 4am I woke up after dreaming about concertina books and peaks and valleys.  If you know Essex, you'll also know we don't get many of those around here!  For true peaks and valleys I will be going to Wales in the summer, where I shall hold onto my hat on the downward slopes.

Talking of hats, I've been drawing heads in my sketchbook, as I will be showing some drawings in the very splendid Classic Cap Company during the Westcliff Art Trail.  It's a fantastic little shop - crammed full of hats that would give any man a distinctive or jaunty air - and Terry the proprietor is on hand with friendly advice, if needed.

Oh! It's March already

I'm in a Hive Artists' group show at the Maeldune Heritage Centre until the end of the month. We had the private view straight after we'd put up the exhibition.  Through lack of planning, I met the Mayoress and Mayor of Maldon while still wearing my grubby exhibition-hanging clothes - including jeans so ripped, I could feel my thighs wobbling in the breeze.  I arranged an arty scarf around my neck, in the hope their eyes would be dawn to my upper regions.  I have to say, my eyes were drawn to their upper regions by the heavyweight mayoral bling.  I wonder if they have a limousine?  Very hood, if so.


I've recently finished putting together a 40 page portfolio to go to the Bologna Children's Book Fair on the Cambridge School of Art stand.  It made me emotional and unpredictable, and I'm guessing, a little wearying to live with.  I think I actually said "But I'm an aaaaartist....".  Yet another thing to cringe over.


Here's a few sketchbook drawings:

Hello Harlow

Never one to miss an opportunity, the marvellous Karen Jones (the creator and 'benign dictator' - according to Gordon - of Hive Studios) arranged a last-minute group show for us at The Gibberd Gallery in Harlow.  It's on until 6 January, and we're all chuffed to be showing our work there. I'm hoping to do a dash after Christmas, as I've not yet seen the gallery and I hear it's quite something.  Apparently there are some Elizabeth Frink sculptures nearby (along with Henry Moore and other British luminaries) - another reason to say hello to Harlow, if you need one.

Here are some simple line drawings from my sketchbook.  I may use them for three-colour screenprints, and will add tone and mark variations when I work out the layers. That's the part I really enjoy - I do it by hand using my dim light box, or pressing against the studio window and squinting.

Festive fayrrrre

Here are some screenprinted Christmas cards I've done to sell at the Burnham Art Trail Christmas pop-up shop - which is open for one week from 3 December (61b High St, Burnham on Crouch, CM0 8AH).  I've also done a set of cat prints 'strange pussies', gift tags and some mini books.   And if any of you, dear readers (and that includes me as it seems I'm following my own blog - goodness knows how), are in Cambridge tomorrow, please head along to the Mill Road Winter Fair, where the Chidren's book illustration MA students and graduates have a stall selling marvellous stuff to raise funds to take work to the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Some of my prints are there too.

Rita's thighs caught Tom's eyes

Two of my screenprints - Lucky Lulu and Rita's thrilling thighs - were included in a very grand charity gala dinner/art auction at the Savoy on Monday night.  It was in aid of PAC - the London-based adoption charity, and I'm blushingly proud to report that Tom Parker Bowles bought my work.  I'm guessing the bidding was helped along by the fine wines and excellent food (cooked by four Michelin-starred chefs, including Heston Blumenthal).  In all, the evening raised £75,000 for the charity - a fantastic amount.  Apologies for the blatant name-dropping - but I'm feeling quite giddy!

I was asked to do an illustration for the menu cards - and here it is: