Actual cards in the post

I may be in a very exciting world of digital EVERYTHING in my new role at GitHub, but I'm holding on to the tradition of sending physical handmade cards this Christmas. 

There's satisfaction found in making them (I 💚  hole punching), enjoyment found in writing personal messages, and a fuzzy festive feeling that comes from knowing I'd smile if I received something similar.

Made from old photos / paint gradient exercises / collage material / thread and spare brown card, they're also assisting in the ongoing house-clearing quest at chez Mum.

#allroundfestivecheer

Robin Delivery

Sorted a drawing of a little robin to feature on a Christmas card for a friend's nephew. Dawdled with the typography but pretty pleased in the end.. almost as satisfied as the little well fed character themselves:

Festivities are coming...

Getting organised already...

Finds on Feriado

Back from 10 days of holiday/family-ing in Portugal. Spied a few things along the way that I'm sharing for future inspiration. Apologies for the poor photography - Had hoped to be able to find better images of the artworks online but I've failed, likely due to my poor ability to search effectively in Portuguese.

At an seemingly pencil-themed exhibition in Guimarães, I found Ana Pérez-Quiroga's delicate acorn bobbins... 

I also enjoyed this calmingly confident use of white space from Ana Guedes. (Ignore the reflection if you can).

And then these clever interlinking hands by Julião Sarmento.

At MAAT in Lisboa, I loved the palette and anonymity of João Gabriel's work. 

There's also an installation here by the afore-mentioned Pérez-Quiroga.

And at the Museu Nacoinal Do Azelejo, I lusted over these beautiful coloured tiles, which form part of a bigger composition by Querubim Lapa. #getinmykitchen

Indian Summer

I headed to the recently accoladed Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield today to feast my eyes upon Howard Hodgkin's Painting India exhibition. A check of opening times prior to departure led me to a sensationalist review that briefly marred my mood. I agree art institutions have a 'responsibility to respond to the social and political context', but does a quota analysis of a preview night really demonstrate segregation? 

I perhaps resembled this beautiful find by William Scott on arrival. But then I walked into a world of multi-faceted colour that totally transformed a dreary Tuesday. Hodgkin's work celebrates moments he experienced. Yes, there is variety and difference but at the same time and collectively, the exhibition sings of togetherness. Indian and British.. Rich colours and raw materials.. Concrete structures and oil paint..  

Here's a few of my favourites: 

'Red sky at night' - Delight. 

'Small Indian Sky' -  Radiating beyond the frame.

'Indian Veg' Triptych - On chopping boards. 

And 'Over to You' - Hodgkin's final painting from 2015-2017, which looks to me like a immaculately captured finale flourish.


Another couple of treasures include this Evelyn Gibbs illustration of 'Eliza and Dinah Working Hand Presses at Raleigh Works' (1943) that took me back to when I was obsessed with drawing lace machines. 

And finally Hodgkin's 'Night Thoughts', which evoked this album cover (or vice versa?) 

No Ordinary Hobby

Been asked to design a bit of branding for a colleague who has a rather special way to spend her spare days... 

--> Making shoes!

Given her name, she's looking for a continuous line drawing of a crocus (from where saffron comes), which can be made into a leather stamp. The result is still ongoing but here's a mock up of how it could look on some appropriately-coloured leather...?

Recycled Flowers

I ran a little group at work this week making flowers from plastic bottles. This was inspired by some I clocked at Glastonbury last weekend (See here). They are going to compliment real flowers in a mass window box planting session next week. Here's my shiny example complete with buttons in the centre. Thanks to a Fruit Shoot bottle and my dad's glue gun.

Change in direction

Have needed help in navigating since this time last year. Here's a little something to help me find my way from here..  

Step two

Progress. With help from the Prü. 

Step one in something new

Started something a bit different this month in keeping with the making-use-of-existing-stuff-policy in force at home. Took a canvas and covered it in a heap of what was nearly binned paint. Mainly a process yellow acrylic.

I'm going to work up from here adding texture and collage to see where it takes me. Haven't quite got rid of the canvas texture, so there's a lot to add, but hoping to keep the the yellow glowing through in a sunshine-y positive fashion.

Where it goes. No one yet knows. 

City of Culture

Daniel and I had a little adventure into Hull at the weekend, primarily to see the monumental wind turbine blade residing in Queen Victoria Square.. but we also perused a couple of artsy sites including Humber Street Gallery and Ferens Art Gallery where I found the following delights.

Georgie by Arthur Gaskin (above) and Study of a Young Woman by Thomas Cooper Gotch (below), both of which got me wanting to place bold colours next to elaborate patterns on paper..

In contrast, I also enjoyed this mellowed yin yang avocado painting by Helen Bradshaw from within the open exhibition..

And last but not least, these underfoot floor panels with their pressure shifting ink were addictive..

Pompompompompompomming

I made a chinchilla and I love it. It's soft, misshapen and all the colours of my mood. Thanks to Abel and Cole for the delicious flecked grey thread.