HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Many thanks to those of you who followed me and my work in 2013. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Paul

CRYSTAL SET

Before the festivities really get under way I'd like to show you a preview of a new range of greeting cards that will be available in the new year. 'Crystal' features six typical forms of crystal systems or families named according to the number of points within their natural structure...or if you fancy, just pretty geometric designs based on crystal structures. Above are Cubic and Tetragonal (top).

POP PRESS

Those creative cats Unlimited of Brighton have released their second bumper issue of the Unlimited mag stroke paper. It's full to the brim with colourful artist and designer profiles and a great takeaway that showcases what they all get up to and what's on offer at Unlimited...pick up a copy today before any Big Freeze sets in.

HAVE WINGS

My Wings series of cards, featuring six British Butterflies, have emerged from the printers and are available in my online shop. The designs has been digitally printed in the UK onto a high quality, smooth white card from a sustainable source. Each card has been left blank for your own message and is supplied with a brown fleck, gummed envelope and individually packaged in a cellophane wallet. The series includes my favourite - the Orange Tip.

UPPERCASE ROCKS

Uppercase publishes books and magazines for the creative and the curious. Uppercase magazine is a popular, international publication now in it's fourth year. It's packed with profiles on new artists and designers with an eye on emerging trends.

Issue 19, released this Autumn, has two major themes - exploring rocks and gems used in creative projects and an investigation into the aesthetics of work. I managed to have a few prints featured. 

WINTER GOES SOUTH

Designers/Makers are organising their second Christmas Market within the Festival Village at the Southbank Centre, London. The market runs from the 16th to the 22nd of December. I will have a stand from the 20th for three days selling a selection of work, including prints and home wares that could provide the solution to that last minute present

WORK AT OFFICE

Bristol's oldest art trail Front Room will be once more opening it's doors to the public. The event starts on the 15th November until the 17th. The Office Bat and Canteen has kindly invited myself and my partner Lucie Sheridan to exhibit our work as part of the art trail. Join us for drinks and a launch on Thursday the 14th at 6pm.

PRESS COLLECTIVE

Following on from the feature of my Forestival cards I thought I'd add a little behind the scenes imagery to the project. Nick Hand and his team at The Letterpress Collective managed the printing very well and it was very interesting seeing the Heidelberg in action as it applied the ink and shifted about the paper with mechanical majesty. The Collective also run workshops teaching both type composition and printing skills.  

FORESTIVAL CARDS

I picked up two letterpressed A6 card designs from The Letterpress Collective, Bristol. Nick Hand and his team printed them last week on their trusty Heidelberg. Each festive 'tree' design uses four colours including black for the reverse text. The card is a GF Smith smooth white stock and both are available now at my online shop. 

WINGS

Wings is a new range of designs featuring British butterflies that will first emerge as greeting cards and then perhaps wrapping paper, cushions and a tea towel or two. Above is Peacock, one of a collection of six designs that also includes a Brimstone Yellow and Red Admiral.

FRED & PICKLES

Unusual retailer name but very much in the forefront when it comes to selling and promoting design led and stylish lifestyle products online. Fred&Pickles now stock my cushions amongst many other designer's work.

FORESTIVAL

It's work in progress, but this is an idea that's soon to be letter pressed cards, hopefully in time for the festive period. The designs will feature a single 'tree' in different colour sets, as shown.

UNLIMITED SPACE

I popped along to Unlimited's new shop and gallery space in the heart of Brighton's North Laine - 10 Church Street. They have managed to secure a great shop spot with more space to showcase work by artists and designers alike. If you're on a jolly in BN do make sure you make a trip and meet smiley Sara Morrissey.

1 OF 1

Our daughter Belle's first picture, she said it was this way up.

NICE BOOK

I went on a stag do to Warsaw, Poland and all I got was this book...actually it's quite nice, richly illustrated and a typically creative Polish publication. Edgar Bak was partly responsible and the literal translation is 'Who are you?'

QUARTZ DISPLAY

Quartz is a new series of screen prints that explore the geometry of quartz crystals. The design is one primary image printed in two colours then rotated 360 degrees and reprinted in another two colours. This series was also an exercise in mixing and printing transparent colours. These gems are on the shelves in-store. Quartz Festival uses fluorescent orange and pink which may not interpret well on screen.

Bottom left to right - Quartz Festival and Quartz Polar. Middle left Quartz Candy and right, Quartz City and top is Quarts Love.

NICE SHED

Saw this and thought "that's a nice shed".

BROWN BEAR

He's the European the cousin of Black Bear design and a new two colour A3 screen print. Brown Bear's hide is printed in a rich red/brown and his face in a pale caramel. He's been released in the shop. 

ROCKS OFF

New hand pulled screen prints feature a geometric cut diamond design. Each is printed using three colours that create a further three when overprinted. Shine on is the main title taken from Pink Floyd's song 'Shine on you crazy diamond'. They are available now online.

'Shine on' above top was printed using three of the four process colours - yellow, cyan and magenta and 'Shine on 2' below blends candy pink, red and deep aqua.

APR-ON

Profile image for a short Q&A feature at FAO HQ shot by the talented Jo Hounsome at Spike Island, Bristol.

SHINE ON

I have just printed today a new 3 colour print using CMY and not K, sorry. It's called 'Shine on' and it is a crazy diamond. The limited edition print is a little smaller than A4 and will be available soon.

SHOP FLORA + FAUNA

I have been selected to take part in a Designers/Makers project 'Flora + Fauna'. It will be in the form of a pop-up shop on London's famous Columbia Road, E1 and will be part of the London Design Festival. The dates are 1-30 September, Wednesday-Sunday 11am-6pm. I will be exhibiting my work along with 39 other Designer Makers. It has all the right ingredients for a right classy event.

RIGHT RURAL RETURN

The Victoria Art gallery, Bath is exhibiting David Inshaw's 'The Badminton Game' from July until the end of 2013 as part of a free exhibition. It was first seen at Bath so it has returned after 40 years to it's west country.

SALE CRIED WOOLF

I've just added my two Woolf lambs wool cushions to my SALE page. The similar designs - Ice and Powder blue have been reduced in price as who wants to cuddle up to a Woolf in this heat!?

NO MATCH

Found this discarded match book cover in an antiques salvage yard. The design repeats but my image box couldn't manage it, but I wanted you to see it up close.

GROW VEG SOUP

This is another charity shop find and the pick of my daughter Belle's bookshelf. It's written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert. Her bold, richly coloured paper cut style illustrations show us how to make vegetable soup from scratch including the tools we need to grow the veg to eating the best ever soup all up!

QUARTZ CUSHION

It is still to be made but this new cushion design features a forthcoming series of prints titled Quartz. Each image will be a complex overlay of two colour groups and there will hopefully be colour variants to pick from.

NEW ROOST

Nicola Eslick recently launched Starling Store selling all number of attractive and well designed products and art and my pick was this tasty table lamp designed in France. I've been asked to provide the store with a selection of prints

FULL SWEDISH

I recently tripped to Stockholm, Sweden, the city of design, elk burgers, capital of Scandinavia and tiny, expensive horse folk art fridge magnets. As well as being expensive the place was dripping in visual overcool, colour and pattern. If you want details of the above images I can do that.