Buscuit. No, that’s not a typo. Well, it was, until someone taking part in some sketch engagement I was doing at Cody Dock wrote it (biscuit being one of those words it’s surprisingly tricky to remember how to spell) and we decided that it should not just be a word … Read More
On the face of it, I have three strands of work: design, creative direction and sketch illustration. But I bring my design knowledge to illustration formats and materials and my reportage eye to my work on communication design and branding. Here, two strands of my work are drawn together – … Read More
Chip fork fish? DIY postcards? There’s been a field trip to the seaside for the latest episode of Studio Snack, a food podcast about design that I make with Narcis Sauleda. We were researching seaside snacks and for our grand day out, as well as my usual hand-bound sketchbook made … Read More
You might think these look a bit rough and ready. And you’d be right. That’s the point. For my live sketching work, I think about format just as I do with design for events. What’s the character of the event? What is the style of the venue? What’s going on? … Read More
A half-finished word. This is part of a slow side project spinning off from notes scribbled in a writing workshop involving a harp (thank you, fellow 26 member Fiona Thompson) – but I digress. This half-finished embroidered word. Embroidery is very Zen. I get to look at work in progress … Read More
“Where is your studio?” That used to be an easy question to answer. I did one thing – graphic design – and I worked from one place, desk space in a shared studio. But my work is broader now. I use what I know as well as what I do. … Read More
There’s a lot of exploring and testing in my work and this March, some of it is on the walls at two East London open exhibitions… The Women’s Spring Open Exhibition 2024, The Brady Centre Art Gallery I have two pairs and a trio of sketches in this show, experimenting … Read More
I’ve started my new studio year by starting off a loaf of bread, to rise and prove while I get on with the overview, admin and communication that get the work under way. As I knead the dough, I think about the mindset that does this. Creative professionals are multitaskers … Read More
Bake crisps from Oddbox veg. Make kitchen ink (onion skin, carrot, turmeric and paprika, tea). Pay a visit to Fibrelab, who are making paper from hospitality waste. Draw odd veg crisps with kitchen ink on paper made from towels. Why? Well, it’s for the latest episode of Studio Snack, the … Read More
The mechanics of the design process are often set out as diagrams – templates offering a route to creativity. They’re useful in explaining how things work. But they miss out one crucial thing – the bit where the magic is. The unexpected. Learning to be open, to let things go wrong … Read More