How personal projects help clients… In a flurry of activity very much of these times, my lockdown illustration project turned blog Dispatches from a Small World has sprouted a Teemill shop. It’s launched with two collections of illustrations, printed on demand on organic cotton t-shirts. So far, so peripheral. Or … Read More
Humans of Here East… I co-work at The Trampery on the Gantry, at innovation and technology campus Here East, formerly the press centre for the 2012 Olympics. Interviewed for its impact report case study on responses to the pandemic, I’ve been talking about the value of having brains to pick, … Read More
A blogpost about a blogpost… Photographer, collaborator and Trampery compadre JC Candanedo blogs. Properly. Articles, interviews with people, that sort of thing. So I was delighted when he asked me if I’d join him in conversation for a blogpost. Answering questions often answers questions because I have to unpick my … Read More
Adventures in natural colour… It all started when Cordwainers Dye wanted to join in with an activity I had designed for East End WI joining up drawing with embroidery. In turn, I took part in their bundle-dyeing workshop. And so, a conversation started about colour. Experiments with natural inks are … Read More
Creating connection… In Spring 2020, in the first coronavirus lockdown, I ran a workshop for East End WI, using plant drawing to connect women who drew with women who embroidered. Fashion-focused growing and making project Cordwainers Dye picked it up on Instagram and asked if they could embroider a piece. … Read More
From invention to creativity… My practice runs on curiosity. I work with some fascinating science clients and project partners and some of them have been involved in the SunSpaceArt STEAM festival (science, technology, engineering, art and maths) so I’ve dropped in to talks during the day. But when I think … Read More
Weird year: new insights… Well, 2020… over here, the entire pattern of studio life was thrown into disarray. But I was brought up by parents who had to adapt countless times, decades before pivoting was a thing. So in the silence of the first lockdown, I started rearranging things. New … Read More
The value of wandering… All of my creative practice is driven by a curious mind. So every trip, every meeting, every errand presents opportunities to learn and explore along the way, whether on travels as a pre-Covid flâneuse or now, locally. Marvellously-useful though online research is, I know what I’m … Read More
Why mucking about matters… Art. It’s one of the things keeping us going in the current crisis. But people don’t necessarily have a room-full of art materials – so in my lunchtime workshop for The Trampery, I wanted to show how to get creative with stuff we happen to have around … Read More
Deliberations on distance… With announcements due on review of the two metre social distancing rule, here’s something to help you in the meantime. Or not. In a new collaboration with three co-working compadres (news on that soon), we set ourselves a theme to think about and discuss: two metres. So … Read More