Collage inspiration
As we are all stuck at home at the moment, I wanted to share a few collage-making ideas with you. The wonderful thing about this technique is that we all have the materials at home – in fact, a lot of them end up in the bin, so it’s a good way of recycling as well as...
A tour round the studio
As some of you know, I live and work in Camberwell, where I’m very lucky to be based in a complex of live-work units which is home to a diverse range of artists and makers. My own studio is a large double-height space that allows me to work and teach on the spacious...
Party time at the studio!
Last month I had the pleasure of hosting a lovely hen party at the studio. I had been approached by two friends of the bride who wanted to do something really special for her, and after meeting for a chat I offered them a tailored glass decoupage workshop to create a...
Go see: Fred Tomaselli at White Cube Mayfair
I must confess that I knew nothing about American artist Fred Tomaselli before I stepped down to the imposing space that is the basement of the Mayfair branch of White Cube gallery. My interest in him was because he was billed as a mixed-media artist, and I'm always...
A visit to Casa Azul part III: Frida Kalho’s wardrobe
This is the third and last post on my recent visit to Casa Azul, the building in Coyoacán that was Frida Kalho’s home from birth till death, and is now a museum devoted to her life and art. Two weeks ago I wrote about Frida’s studio and last time I showed you part of...
A visit to Casa Azul part II: Frida Kalho’s ex-votos
This is the second post of a short series on my recent visit to Casa Azul, the building in Coyoacán that was Frida Kalho's home from birth till death. Last week I wrote about Frida's studio; this time I want to show you some of her ex-votos. The term ex-voto comes...
A visit to Casa Azul part I: Frida Kalho’s studio
One of the main highlights of my recent visit to Mexico city was spending a whole afternoon wandering round Casa Azul, the building in Coyoacán where Frida Kalho was born and and lived until her death at 47. Frida's extraordinary life is captured within the walls of...
Collecting images – still life
This is a mostly visual post, where I just want to share some images with you. I recently spent a few days in a very beautiful country house, and was captivated by some of the objects found in and around different rooms, as I felt these reflected the stillness of the...
Josef Frank at The Fashion & Textile Museum
On a grey February day, the unabashed colours and energetic shapes that characterise Josef Frank's patterns provided a welcome contrast with the outside, and it was a pleasure to walk into the Fashion and Textile Museum to visit this compact showcase of Frank's...
Spotlight interview on Gift Shop Hub
One of my intentions for the year is to gain more exposure for my work, so I was very pleased that before January was even over I had been featured by a lovely independent blog that offers resources for independent shops, small businesses and artists. You can read my...
Shoe decoupage: an advanced tutorial
In this post I will show you how to transform a plain pair of shoes into your own unique creation using just paint, paper and glue. Shoe decoupage is an advanced technique and this project will take you 4-6 hours. Tools and materials: An old pair of shoes: leather or...
A few pages from my sketchbooks
My sketchbooks are where I play and try out ideas that may later find their way into my work. I often refer back to them no matter how long ago they were completed, and always find some inspiration - or even surprises and insights. The pages you can see here come from...
On the sources and uses of inspiration
I am often asked how I use my inspiration. This partly depends where I am or what time of the day it is - I often get flashes of inspiration just as I’m about to fall asleep, or in my dreams! When that happens, I know I’ll remember them when I wake up and they’ll be a...
Transform a Bekvam stool: decoupage tutorial
In this post I will show you how to transform a wooden Bekvam stool from Ikea into your own unique creation using just paint, paper and glue. This is a very easy project that can be done in an afternoon. Here is what you'll need:Bekvam stool, £13A tester pot of...