A liminal process
On the face of it, my painting This ship has sailed is part of my visual art practice – but it has its own space somewhere between design, illustration and sketching. It’s of the massive, empty greenhouses in West Ham Park once used to grow plants for City of London events. … Read More
Work in progress
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
Plaiting time
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
Walking working
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
Two pictures, two openings, two ideas
Three exhibitions opening on the same night – and I had work in two of them. Trainers, then, for a dash across East London… At the Brady Arts and Community Centre in Whitechapel, I have two pieces in the Women’s Spring Open: on the face of it traditional botanical sketches … Read More
The shape of creative practice
I’d done a guest lecture two years ago for postgraduate students at Loughborough University London on how East London has shaped my creative practice. Updating it for a new cohort, one thing stood out: change. My work has broadened and become more ‘overlappy’. The geography of creative activity in East … Read More
Turning up, nerding out and pointing round corners
Nerd Nite London is a monthly night of three short talks about niche subjects, with an audience of curious-minded people, and a bar. For my seventh Nerd Nite London talk, I’ve been following the story of the printer’s fist (pointing hand). The foraging has been fascinating – you can read … Read More
Two views
I’m thrilled to be selected for my first ever artist residency, with Tower Gallery, at the extraordinary Memorial Community Church in East London, in a studio built as its projection room. It has views into the church and across to the Royal Docks. Over the Summer I’ll be making some … Read More
A bridge roll and a bridge roll
Bridges have been writ large in my year, thanks to writers’ organisation 26. I’ve been artist partner to writer Jonathan Holt for 26 Bridges and invited to take part in 26 Twinned Bridges, a different kind of project pairing writers in the UK and New Zealand, each writing a centena … Read More