Portrait of Mr. S. Claus

Happy Holidays and New Year 

Masterpieces: Art & East Anglia

I went to see 'Masterpices: Art & East Anglia' at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich - on till 24 February 2014. The centre has had had a re-vamp and a change of the collection layout. Amongst the items in the 'Masterpieces' show that I picked up on was a photograph by Peter Henry Emerson, an early romatic photographer of the Fens and an intricate 1963 architectural model for the UEA campus designed by Denis Lasdun. I feel excitedly poised somewhere between these two spaces/places.

PH Emerson, A Winter's Morning, 1887, photo etching

Denis Lasdun and Philip Wood, UEA campus building, 1963

The Day a President Died

November 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1963 assassination of President J.F. Kennedy. Susan Cheever (daughter of the writer, John Cheever) has written a piece for Brown University (where she was studying) and looks back to that day on campus and reflects on the tricks that memory plays over time.  "It was one of those sunny autumn afternoons that smell of apples and falling leaves. Thanksgiving break was just a few days away. I checked the date as I walked out of Miller Hall and headed for the Thayer Street market. November 22, 1963." Here is my illustration that accompanies her piece:

For Brown Alumni Magazine, 2013

The Library of Lost Books, November 6 - 23

I'm showing a bookwork  as part of 'The Library of Lost Books' - an exhibtion at the controversial new Birmingham Library, 6 - 23 November. The Library of Lost Books is a collection of discarded and damaged library books which artist and curator, Susan Kruse rescued and sent to a number of artists to make work with. I was sent the 1881 Catalogue of Books for the Richmond Library. As I opened this fragile object, it split (by chance) between the listing for ‘god’ and ‘gold’. I realised the catalogue charted a time of flux and the conception of 'belief' was shifting from the religious to the scientific and social.

Two Kittys

Today we cut a cat flap in the back door and gave the two kittens their freedom (and ours!) What a day they had in the sun finding wasps, wind, spiders and grass.

Carefully placed rubbish

Your Inner Refuge

Daniel Handler: Adverbs

By Daniel Handler, author of the Limony Snickett series of children's book. This is a cover I did for one of his first books for adults. Adverbs, published by Harper Collins is series of separate love stories that link through different characters moving between the narrative. Here is a review on 'Of Books and Reading' blog.

The Secret Rose

'The Secret Rose'. An image I made for Valentines Day for the homepage of my agent, Heart. Far-off, most secret, and inviolate Rose, Enfold me in my hour of hours. Read the rest of 'The Secret Rose' by W.B. Yeats on The Poetry Archive.

What are they like? Jeremy Paxman

What are they like?  'The House of Illustration' asked 16 celebrities to reveal their favourite things. They were partnered with 16 artists who created images. The works were auctioned at Sotheby's in December to support the work of The House of Illustration. Celebrities included Stephen Fry, David Walliams and Florence Welch. Artists included Sara Fanelli and Graham Rawle. I was given Jeremy Paxman, who said he liked the Scottish Highlands and Dylan amongst other things!