Whether I’m working on design, illustration or visual art, I love delving into the subject matter. So I’ve done a lot of research for my Tower Gallery artist residency, a project about the place itself. In week 4, I’ve been reading the building, literally as I’ve taken a closer look … Read More
Goodness knows what my neighbour thought I was doing, in the garden, wearing a mask, carrying three small bottles of powder, a jar of liquid and an egg… But I had an experiment to do, making brick and stone watercolours and egg tempera to try out in the Tower Gallery … Read More
Big drawings. How to prepare? The tiny sketchbooks I carry, which I bind from offcuts and scrap are – well – tiny. So, my Tower Gallery residency project being about the building, bringing my love of appropriate materials from my design life I’ve made one big sketchbook from lining paper, … Read More
I draw like a journalist, I’m told – and finding stories has become so instinctive that I only think about it when I explain it to someone else. So it’s been a treat to chat about all things sketching with textile artist Kate Shurety on the last leg of her … Read More
An imaginary hell, earth, heaven and limbo… Blaze of Glory is my third illustration adventure with independent perfumer Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays. What you can see here is my hand, illustrating, on an iPad. But where it started was in Sarah’s studio, smelling perfumes in development and hearing about … Read More
I’ve done the cover illustration for Family Matters, the third volume in a poetry collaboration between the writers’ collective Dark Angels and Paekakariki Press, a letterpress printing workshop in London. In conversation with John Simmons of Dark Angels and writers’ organisation 26 for the 26 newsletter, we talk about why … Read More
A writer friend used to swear by his dog. I take my sketchbook for a walk. I often call my walks screen breaks (often, they are) – but they’re all manner of other things too… I come up with ideas on walks that I don’t have at a desk. There’s … Read More
I’ve been researching for my talk on the printer’s fist – the pointing hand symbol – for Nerd Nite London, a night of short talks on niche subjects. I was the first graphic designer to speak at Nerd Nite London and this will be my seventh talk (Find out about the … Read More
In November 2025, I met writer and artist Joni Brown for her new ‘Artists in conversation’ series of newsletter articles for writers’ organisation 26. Perched at a British Library café with sketchbook (me), notebook (Joni) and tea, we chatted about the meanderings of creative careers, our practice and the pull … Read More
It’s just a label for an ingredients bottle; a simple, utilitarian thing. Except that this label is for independent perfumer Sarah McCartney’s Scenthusiasm perfume workshops. Sarah likes good stationery, fountain pens and ink – her formula books are things of wonder. So there’s no ‘just’ about it… Working with Amberley Labels … Read More