UPCOMING EVENTS

Hello all. Well hello to anyone left. Sorry I haven't posted anything in an age. I have some really big (and exciting) projects on at the minute which means I'm dedicating all my time to that and have put blogging aside for a bit. I'm still in the process of moving spaces too, and that will happen sometime in July - I'll let you know when I'm up and running in my new web home!

In the meantime I thought I'd let to you know that to celebrate Independent Booksellers Week I will be doing an event this Saturday 29th June at Bag of Books in Lewes at 10.30am, and then next Saturday 6th July I will be at the Book Nook in Hove at 11am. I love both these shops and feel it is really important to support independent booksellers where I can. I much prefer buying from a bookshop than somewhere on line - you get a better weath of information from talking to an 'actual' person, and they may be able to help you with other choices you may not have thought of. Nothing as lovely as poking around a bookshop for a bit! I will be reading my book Bear's Best Friend and showing my process of making a book as well as getting everyone to draw their 'best friend teddies'. There will be badges and colouring in sheets too, so lots of fun for all the family!

So please do come along to these events if you are local to the area and say "hi"! I have just guest posted on a lovely new blog called Little Lewes for anyone in the sussex area that is after inspiration on what to do on days out with the kids. Kate is a friend of mine and has put great thought into starting this blog. There is a wealth of information already up there - so go on with Summer holidays just around the corner head on over to the blog for interesting days out and things to do in and around the Lewes area.

CURRENTLY

My desk looks like a (pencil&pen) bomb has hit it. There are rubbings, and bits of sharpenings everywhere, as well as tiny scraps of paper. I'm not keen on mess in general, I like to keep a tidy house, but my studio is looking terrible. There is no time, or any real need to tidy as I go. As long as my paper remains pristine and white then we are ok. I am really in the thick of working now. The first few colour artwork spreads went slowly, I needed to warm up again, remember how to draw my Monster characters and feel at home with them. I'm getting ever so slightly quicker which is a good thing, but there is going to be a lot of late nights in my studio over the next few weeks. Thank gawd for the daylight bulb that my husband bought me as else I think I'd not be able to continue to work late in the poor yellow house hold light that fills the other rooms up.

It's going to be an antisocial and tiring next few weeks, but hopefully worth it. I am cutting the blog right back now to the odd snippet of perhaps what I'm drawing and the 52 project, otherwise all other posts are on hold until I've finished this work at the end of March. I love blogging, but only when I have time, and I have little of it anyway, and virtually none now. I hope you will stick with me though, and continue to check in from time to time! You have one more day to enter my print giveaway. I will announce the winner tomrrow morning. Best of luck!

I ♥ KVETA

This was my choice for Stanley from the Tate bookshop. You can see Ben's here. I have always loved Kveta Pascovska. I have many of her books and have always been inspired by her use of colour, materials and her character designs. This book is a lovely addition and one I feel happy to let Stanley handle. I know, I know, books are meant to be looked at, handled even, {eeeeep!} but sometimes...I just couldn't bear a ripped page!!! Anyway this one has shiny paper and sturdy pages, flaps and movable wheels. All in all super fun for Mum and her little boy! You can buy it here.

 

 

footnote: sorry the pictures are so dark - I took them at 3pm! It is definitely getting closer to Winter over here. Eeeeeeep!!!

THE GARAGE

Ben picked up this book for Stanley from the Tate Modern bookshop the other day. It's so nice I almost didn't let Stanley touch it, but that is mean. And he does love anything to do with cars, trucks, books and flaps! It is a really beautifully produced book, printed on thick cream card stock with a textured jacket cover - it feels lovely to read. The flaps are unusual - they open at different angles, there are even flaps under flaps - who'd have thought it! Although there are only six double page spreads there is a lot going on. The illustrations are wonderfully retro and there is much humour to discover when lifting the flaps. Cheeky stuff to say the least! I think we will BOTH get much pleasure out of looking at this book again and again. Good find Daddy! Written and illustrated by French illustrator Christophe Merlin it is a truly special book. You can buy it here, but always if you can you should buy from your local independent bookstore if you have one ;)

 

 

BOOK LOVE

Sparkle and Spin, a book about words by Ann & Paul Rand. Really stunning book by influential and groundbreaking American graphic designer Paul Rand and his wife Ann. Lovely use of language and words, makes for a tuneful read. Originally published in 1957, the strong colourful illustrations are very of that era.

TATE MODERN

we went up to see a friend and her two littlies and get some culture at the tate modern. it's not a stressful trip now stanley is bigger. it was easy on the train when he was teeny tiny and latched to boob and then it was hard in the in between stage when he got bored quickly but couldn't sit up properly. now again it is easy as he is entertained by the train itself, every passing train and every poor passenger that sits near us that he wants to wave at. so we went to see the hirst exhibition and the kusama exhibitions. my friend has a member + guest pass so it was all for free! they are both surprisingly kid friendly when they are that little. you don't have to explain to much about cows cut in half or why that lady is living voluntarily in a psychiatric institution.... You can just wander around making moo noises or saying "ooooh look at all those lovely colourful dots"! i would recommend both if you're in town. unfortunately you weren't allowed to take pictures, so i took these before i got told off :/

what was also nice to see was my book in the book shop. always makes me happy!

BOOK LOVE: INSPIRATION

i have many books that i like to turn to for my work. i find them a valuable source of inspiration...when i'm stuck in a rut and bored with trawling the internet, there is something wonderful about turning the pages of a book. i wrote briefly about some of the type books i own that help me out with my work. well i'm going to try and show you some books that are just there for inspiration. i'm starting off with these two. i love them for their sheer beautiful layouts. the repeat of pattern. and the unbelievable beauty of drawing. oh yes all DRAWN. i hope you like them too.

first up is ERNST HAECKEL ART FORMS IN NATURE. Haeckel was a biologist, a sort of german darwin if you like and his drawings are stunning. beautiful visual inspiration for artists, designers and anyone that likes pattern...

the next book is BLACKSTOCK'S COLLECTIONS. Blackstock is autistic and an artistic savant. A retired pot washer he creates visual lists of everything from wasps to hats to emergency vehicles. he has never received formal artistic training and it is very similar in it's outsider art style to someone like henry darger. totally beautiful, a real insight into the mind of a man making sense of life through his drawings.

BOOK LOVE.

a lovely new book purchase i made recently is "Children's Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling" by Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles. if you are into children's books, an illustrator, author, student or trying to get into the industry i'd definitely recommend it.

 

The Book is spilt into seven chapters which cover various aspects of creating children's books. there are also case studies on illustrators as well as publishing houses. there is a really good international outlook on picture books which is very exciting to see. lots of lovely images to pour over...hugely inspiring!

 

i have another book by Martin Salisbury called "Play Pen" which is also brilliant.

BOOK LOVE.

Continuing my book review series without the lovely Stanley... i have a few books on type about the house. i mainly use them for reference for my work. When i have a minute they are great to flick through...i find it really helps with giving my usual way of laying out type with images a boost. i can get really stuck in a rut if I don't regularly look outside my little illustration world, and these are the books i often turn to first if i can't get out the house for inspiration.

do you have any 'must have' books for inspiration or when you're stuck in a creative rut? i'd love to add to my collection....

picture 2, 3 & 4 from 'hand job'
picture 5 & 6 from 'new vintage type'
picture 7, 8 & 9 from 'handwritten'