Amelia’s Magazine | The Porridge Cafe opens in Old Street, featuring TWWDNU and True Romance prints on the walls

Porridge Cafe Review
The much hyped Porridge Cafe opened at 70 Paul Street in East London this week: the healthy antidote to the equally hyped Cereal Killer Cafe which is just a stones throw from where I live on Brick Lane. The Cereal Killer Cafe has been ridiculously successful, with queues around the block on busy days, but surely Londoners would like something a bit more tasty and nutritious for breakfast? Step forward Nik and Elly of the Porridge Cafe. Their street food business began in 2013 as the Bow Street Kitchen, specialising in feeding the hungry tech hordes of Hoxton and the surrounding environs. Having concentrated on the provision of modern ‘British’ comfort food: think bacon butties and steak and mash, they decided that a logical next step would be to set up a (slightly) more permanent base with a pop up cafe dedicated to the most healthy comfort food of all. Plus they knew it might be a savvy move, what with oats and porridge so much in vogue.

Porridge Cafe-TWWDNU artwork
We went along to check out the cafe today, which is housed in the same pop up space where our TWWDNU prints were on show just a few weeks ago, and I am delighted to report that the very finest artworks (our A2 prints featuring 24 carat gold leaf by Cristian Grossi, Daria Hlazatova, Niall Grant and Mateusz Napieralski) are now on the walls of the cafe alongside some of the True Romance alternative cinema prints commissioned by East End Prints.

Porridge Cafe-parsley aubergine caper risotto
I tried to tempt Snarfle with some porridge mixed with a tiny bit of apple, to no avail, so I ended up paying for another plain portion which luckily he ate when liberally topped with honey (it’s his usual breakfast but we abstained this morning). For my lunch I opted for the parsley, aubergine and caper risotto (above), a colourful and intriguingly flavoured affair. I was left a wee bit hungry – maybe I’ll blame that on being pregnant – but the portions are relatively small, so make sure you top up with one of the delicious sounding fresh smoothies if you visit for lunch.

Porridge Cafe-pepper chorizo chilli barley
Roasted red pepper, chorizo and chilli barley porridge for lunch.

The porridge options for breakfast come with an assortment of fresh fruit, nuts, berries and milk: all of which sound delicious. Busy Londoners are used to splashing out on tasty food so I hope this place will become a success. If the Cereal Killer Cafe can do it surely Nik and Elly can? Make sure you check out our beautiful limited edition prints when you visit.

The Porridge Cafe offers a rotating menu that includes 11 different grains and is open until the end of March. The full menu can be found here. Read more about the story behind the TWWDNU prints here.
Opening times: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,70 Paul Street, ,Bow Street Kitchen, ,Brick Lane, ,Cafe, ,Cereal Killer Cafe, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,East End Prints, ,Food Review, ,Mateusz Napieralski, ,Niall Grant, ,Opening times, ,Pop Up Cafe, ,Porridge, ,Porridge Cafe, ,Restaurant, ,review, ,Snarfle, ,Street Food, ,True Romance

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Niall Grant: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Niall_Grant_Mater_GaiaAmelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Niall_Grant_Mater_Gaia
Niall Grant works between studios in Norwich and London, creating fine prints that are inspired by traditional European illustration. He has worked for a diverse range of clients and showed work in numerous exhibitions. Above you can view Mater Gaia, his contribution to my 10th anniversary artists’ book, and also available exclusively on my Kickstarter campaign as a very limited edition fine art print with real gold leaf. The image is inspired by his interest in life, death and the dreaming in between. The artwork features the celestial skies and elements of 16th century alchemic illustration above a forest clearing where beautiful crystals burst from the soil. His work provides a ‘visual medicine’ for the viewer.

Niall Grant Neverland
Neverland.

How did you create Mater Gaia?
I created this piece firstly with pencil sketches, and built on those with ink brushes and fineliners. This piece in particular was composed by using different drawings I made whilst researching the project. The colour was added from paper and watercolour swatches I’ve been using for years. This process feels very natural to me, and is quite a traditional approach to image-making.

Niall Grant Sleeping Fox
Sleeping Fox.

What does she mean to you?
Latin for ‘Mother Earth‘, this work depicts Gaia, who some believed to be Goddess of the Earth. It comments on how acts of nature are still attributed to unseen forces in some lands.

Niall Grant Hart Of Ten
Hart Of Ten.

Why did you decide to enter the open brief, were there any things that really appealed and if so what?
My eyes lit up when I first saw the brief. I thought the subject matter was perfect for what I was working on at the time. I myself am a spiritually strong person and I feel that’s important. There’s an Indian proverb that says “Everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but, unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.” A lot of people neglect that spiritual room until the day they die, just going the way of the world. They don’t even think to look into it because it seems too dark, but if you keep asking questions they will be answered.

Niall Grant Strange Creatures
Strange Creatures.

Were there any big influences on your style of illustration from an early age?
I really admired the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano growing up. Gustave Dore, Norman Lindsey and Vania Zouravliov are all identifiable influences in my work. I have thousands of pages of artists work from all different eras. I love making Art and I love looking at it.

Niall Grant King Of The Monsters
King Of The Monsters.

You have worked for many amazing brands and companies, what have been highlights of your career so far?
I really enjoyed working with Lettucewear last year. It was more of an Artworking job and not my usual style, but they treated me very well throughout the three month project and we were always on the same page. It just ran like clockwork really. I think having good communication with who you are working with makes the project much more pleasurable.

Niall Grant The Abacus
The Abacus.

What is your favourite type of job to work on and why?
I love doing album art. I think it’s so special when art forms come together to complement each-other. I love the initial process of connecting with the music and interpreting it visually in your mind’s eye. I really enjoyed working with Secret 7” on the Jake Bugg vinyl cover.

NeverlandStudy_Niall Grant
Neverland Study.

You work between Norwich and London – why the two places and how does this work in practice? 
I grew up in Norwich and have roots there. Housing is literally half the price as London, which releases pressure. I have a nearby screen printing studio too, so I can get prints done whenever I want. London is two hours away, so I can work at a studio there for afew days and meet clients etc. It’s handy at the moment but I can see myself committing to one in the future.

Shells Music Niall Grant
Shells Music.

What are you most looking forward to working on in the future?
I have lots of personal projects that I need to finish up at the moment. I try to always be doing one, but they often overlap. I have a few secret projects underway with some exciting clients at the moment. Expect album covers, murals and editorials.

Read more about Niall’s piece for That Which We Do Not Understand here and grab your exclusive Mater Gaia fine art print on my Kickstarter campaign page here. 50% of the profits from the sale of this beautiful artwork will go to Niall Grant.

Categories ,Fine art print, ,gaia, ,Goddess of the Earth, ,Gold Leaf, ,Gustave Dore, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Jake Bugg, ,Kickstarter, ,Lettucewear, ,Mater Gaia, ,Mother Earth, ,Niall Grant, ,Norman Lindsey, ,Norwich, ,Secret 7”, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Vania Zouravliov, ,Yoshitaka Amano

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Amelia’s Magazine | Amelia’s Magazine 10th Anniversary Kickstarter Campaign: That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias Magazine TWWDNU Kickstarter header
Amelia’s Magazine is 10 years old this year, and to celebrate I’m going back into a print!

I’m producing a limited edition gold foiled artists’ book and an exclusive series of A2 limited edition art prints with real gold leaf. Find out more in the video below:

Amelia Gregory at work 2014-AmeliasMagazine
This is where I work at my home just off Brick Lane in East London.

Amelia’s Magazine has continued as a web only magazine since I stopped making it in print, but remains a labour of love since I do not currently take any advertising or sponsored posts. Therefore, in order to realise my dream I am raising money through the Kickstarter crowd funding website. This is a very exciting and nerve-wracking time for me, because I must raise the entire amount of money in order to receive any of it. I therefore need to raise £12,000 (or more) in 24 days and I would love your help in doing so.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Cristian_Grossi_ver_sacrum
Ver Sacrum by Cristian Grossi. This flashing gif shows how the gold leaf might look on the fine art print.

How you can help:

Please share the campaign amongst your friends on social networks, via email and of course by word of mouth. We are using the hashtag #TWWDNU. It is especially important to drive traffic at the start and encourage Kickstarter to promote the campaign within the Kickstarter community, but every little share counts whenever that may be and I am very grateful for your time and effort.

Please choose one of the Kickstarter rewards for yourself from the campaign page. Pledge for rare back issues, books, hand screen printed t-shirts, postcards and of course the limited edition book and art prints. The book will not be available in many shops and I am offering rock bottom prices to early bird bidders to get the campaign rolling.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Essi_Kimpimäki_shamaness
Shamaness by Essi Kimpimäki.

A bit more about this project:

That Which We Do Not Understand 10th anniversary artists’ book:
The book features art and creative writing about That Which We Do Not Understand, a theme that will explore the many ways in which humans seek to understand the things that they don’t understand in their lives, inspired by my personal experience of two late miscarriages. The book is being printed on high quality recycled paper from Antalis by Principal Colour in Kent and features gold foil on the cover and gold spot printing throughout. The final publication will be beautiful and inspiring, full of thought provoking contributions that question and celebrate the miraculousness of life. The book will bring contributors’ work to a large audience, and better still, artists will receive 50% of profits from sales of the fine art prints, which will be made in editions of 10.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_mateusz_napieralski_tribal_cumulus
Tribal Cumulus by Mateusz Napieralski (Gust of Wind).

The artworks and writing for the book have been found through an open brief on the Amelia’s Magazine website, which many of my readers will have already seen and perhaps even submitted to. The deadline has now been extended for Kickstarter, and closes on midnight (GMT) on Sunday 16th November so you can still submit work, but please do it sooner rather than later. The book will be designed as the campaign progresses and if everything goes to plan it will go to print in late November, and you will receive your copy in good time for Christmas. The launch party is planned for Thursday 11th December at Tatty Devine’s shop on Brick Lane, and the prints will be on exhibition until the end of the year. Any unsold prints will be available through the East End Prints website.

TWWDNU front cover collage meteors, meteor showers
Cover art prints:
These are A3 sized and will feature the cover image from That Which We Do Not Understand in abundant real gold leaf on the special shimmering gold cover stock that we are using for the book cover. I have not yet designed the cover art but you can be sure it will be eye-catching and amazing (see my inspiration above): think meteor showers and 10 Years on top of the Amelia’s Magazine logo encased in a flaming meteor… Grab a piece of Amelia’s Magazine history, and get in early to take advantage of my amazing early bird deal.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Niall_Grant_Mater_Gaia
Mater Gaia by Niall Grant.

Fine art prints:
I have chosen five artists for my first round of fine art gold leaf A2 prints: each has created a very beautiful and very different piece of art that will be printed up as an archival quality giclee print with hand applied REAL GOLD LEAF highlights by Harwood King. There will only be ten of each artwork available at the amazing price of £180, so make sure you order yours early and don’t miss out.

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_daria_hlazatova_the_empress
The Empress by Daria Hlazatova.

Pot Luck prints:
I am also offering prints at the cheaper price of £140, which must be purchased sight unseen – these are for those of you who trust my taste and are willing to take a bit of a gamble! The more pledges I receive the more prints will be produced, so I look forward to sharing those choices with you as they are made.

TWWDNU example images1
Example artwork from That Which We Do Not Understand (clockwise from top left) by Laura Wilson, Adam Corns, Sarah Tanat-Jones and Dorry Spikes.

TWWDNU example images 2
Example artwork from That Which We Do Not Understand (clockwise from top left) by Emma Farrarons, Maia Fjord, Sarah Parris and Yoko Furusho.

You can see sneak peaks of the artwork that is being created if you follow the #TWWDNU hashtag on twitter and instagram. Please do take a peek at more of the goodies below, then click on over and support my Kickstarter campaign page here. Thankyou so much!

Amelias-Magazine-Kickstarter-Rewards-postcards
12 exclusive postcards featuring a range of print processes (foiling, glitter, pearlescent ink) for only £5.

Amelias-Magazine-Kickstarter-Rewards-Back-issues-10-angle
Rare back issues for only £10.

Amelias_Magazine_issue6_Kickstarter_T_shirts
Beautiful hand screen-printed t-shirts at the rock bottom price of £25: perfect Christmas presents.

Amelias-Magazine-Kickstarter-Illustration-books-rewards
My two illustration books in a bundle for only £30, currently retailing for £23 each on Amazon in the UK.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,10 Years, ,Adam Corns, ,Antalis, ,Brick Lane, ,Creative Writing, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Dorry Spikes, ,East End Prints, ,Emma Farrarons, ,Essi Kimpimaki, ,Gust of Wind, ,Harwood King, ,illustration, ,Kickstarter, ,Laura Wilson, ,Maia Fjord, ,Mateusz Napieralski, ,Meteor, ,Meteor shower, ,Miscarriage, ,Niall Grant, ,Open brief, ,principal colour, ,Sarah Parris, ,Sarah Tanat-Jones, ,Shamaness, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Ver Sacrum, ,Yoko Furusho

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