New discoveries

Sometimes you think you have everything in life, you get to a point when you think nothing that life threw at you would raise even a quizzical eyebrow of intrigue. And then you get knocked for six. Basically, acrylic ink...where you been all my life?

New doodles

I always like to annotate visuals, I think it's the curse of the over sharer. However, doodles in their very nature do not need justification nor explanation. They are just folly conjured up by idle hands.

New Job

I have a new job. I say new but it's been 6 months almost to the day. But it's been one of those jobs that I've been so overwhelmed by new challenges since day one, it's been hard to really celebrate it fully prior to this milestone. I have literally no idea where this year has gone.

I work in the ugliest building in Brighton that I've simply fallen in love with, we are crammed full with creative units and I'm always discovering new murals and graffiti in and around New England House. I'm so lucky to have a job that lets me be creative, who else gets to say they've made paper plane bunting during their working week?

Read about what I do here.

Made Brighton

Yes I am a living, breathing stereotype. I live In Brighton, I amble around in scruffy converse, I dedicate an unsettling amount of time on my fringe, I can't walk past a cat without trying to stroke it, I went to art school, I like crafts fairs. Hi. It's in my blood.

But don't get me wrong, the craft fair can cover a very wide spectrum of talent. And that's my nice way of saying that, at your average crafty event, its fair to say that you are likely to stumble across a bit of rubbish. And that's okay. This is life. We can't like everything, it would be boring if we found our cup of tea in literally everything we looked at. Well we wouldn't get very far away from our houses.

But here lies my belated point. Made Brighton is NOT your average craft fair. Nope. This is not the time to be nebulous about the word craft. Beautiful ceramics, exquisite jewellery, crisp graphic design... It's another level. It's a long and weathered relationship between material and maker. It's creativity and skill. In harmony. In abundance.

And you get a free tote bag.... I'm such a cheap thrill. I'm not going to rattle off a long list of all the brilliant makers exhibiting from this year, go look for yourself here. Only a shout out to my pick of the bunch because god knows I'm a sucker for letterpress printing done this well. Clare Somerville-Perkins is the clever cookie behind asintended who created that lovely screen printed felt pennant, I treated myself to, photographed below.

Doodle evening

The recent outcome of a cosy night in

Ipad Doodles

Never ever to replace the joy of the texture of real paper and tactility of pens, brushes and crayons. But my new secret guilty pleasure is to doodle away on my Ipad in the wee hours of the night, tucked up in bed. Just call me Hockney. 

Craftaganza

Just a quick reminder that my favourite Brighton Craft Market is occurring again this Saturday 15th June. It's completely free and occupying the Fabrica Gallery, a prime location to wander in and peruse the crafty wares if you're in and about Brighton. I've never managed to visit this market without snapping up something original and lovely. Also, the clever girls behind Craftaganza have a fantastic 'Meet The Seller' feature currently on their website, which is really interesting to find out more about the designers behind the stalls and how they originally began their craft and trade. Check it out here. Recommended! 

Jeff Koons at the Brighton Museum

I'm forever grumbling that Brighton has a distinct lack of big artists exhibiting in our town, so you can imagine that this latest show has appeased my disapproval no end! You don't get much bigger than Koons and although small in space, it's definitely worthy of a visit to check out. Running completely free until the 8th September at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, visit their website for visitor information here. 

Things I miss about London

Things I miss about London. The noise? No. The pollution? No. Being squashed and pushed into sweaty underarms on the underground? NO.

The amazing and beautiful street art decorating walls across the whole city? Yes yes yes.

Emily and I went up for her birthday recently and here are some of East London's current and finest pieces.

Pencil Doodles

Happiness is a scrap of paper and a newly sharpened HB pencil.

And tea and biscuits. Obviously. 

Runner's woe

I've hurt my left leg and it means my running has had to take a hiatus while it gets better. I'm so impatient. I ran 3 miles yesterday but I had to take it easy and it just wasn't as fun as it normally is. Come on legs, don't let me down. In the meanwhile, drawing will always be the next best cathartic activity for me. I will always have lazy bones under this flesh. 

Weather: It's rain or shine

It's undeniably a natural product from working in a shop, but I love weather talk. I love the British relationship with it, our eternal optimism and general wistful whimsy when it comes to terrible weather. Every year the same unseasonable rain and cold and yet it always takes us by the surprise. 

It is May but the skies are thunderous and grey, leaves are being blown off trees like it's Autumn, this is nothing new but it is all I can think and speak about...Hurry up Summer.

Open house season begins

It's no secret that I love Open House hunting in Brighton. It always feels like a hunt once you have your trail map in front of you, getting lost in suburbia, craning your neck from left to right to see if you can spot a glimpse of that tell tale bunting and Open House banner. It's such a celebration of home grown talent and I'm always thrilled to see such a wide range of artists, materials and subject matter showcasing. Oh and did I mention there is always an abundance of cake? Here is the AOH website for my details, they run on weekends for the entirety of May. Here is a peek of my first venture into the Fiveways Trail- recommended! 

Fringe Time

Starting off the Fringe in true quirky Brighton style. The Clock tower being covered in donated clothes from it's own city residents is actually a commissioned piece of work by Finnish artist Kaarina Kaikkonen. The Clock Tower will remain dressed for the duration of the Fringe and if you're curious to know and see more from Kaikkonen; she is also exhibiting currently at Fabrica Gallery, click here for more details. 

Emily's birthday

It was Emily's birthday so I wrapped up lots of lovely things, scribbled a sombrero birthday card and threw on my best day of the dead dress. We had an amazing lunch at La Choza, our current favourite place in Brighton for food and celebrated by munching our body weight in burritos and churros. 

Needless to say, it was a good day. 

Cold in Brighton

Happy Welshy day illustration!

St David's day tomorrow- don't forget to wear your daffodil and eat an abundance of welsh cakes. I made this illustration for my mum. My favourite Welsh lady.

Parky Doodles

I take great enjoyment in unexpected discoveries, especially those of a creative nature. This year I moved to Kemptown and during one new short cut home one evening came across this lovely bicycle mural. Upon flexing my detective skills (googling the signature) I found out the artist is Parky Doodles and is currently studying illustration at Brighton, here is their website, have a look because their work is really mindbogglingly good. 

Leeds

On a recent jaunt up to Leeds to see family, we had the fortune to have the time to explore the city. I loved some of the architecture we got to see and I highly regard Leeds Art Gallery. Nike Savvas was currently showing work in her exhibition titled 'Liberty and Anarchy', which involved big wooden geometric shapes with colourful material woven into the installed pieces, see the bottom left hand side image.

On top of that I was tickled to see work by other great artists including Bob and Roberta Smith and one of my personal favourites, Grayson Perry...

I love Grayson Perry.