Amelia’s Magazine | Tent London 2013 Review: Best Soft Furnishings and Homewares

plate by Louise Wilkinson
Bone china plate by Louise Wilkinson.

As usual there was a plethora of new and exciting designers to discover at Tent London 2013, showing alongside some familiar favourites that I look forward to catching up with each year. Here is my round up of the best soft furnishings and homewares brands I found. Wall art, furniture and lighting will follow in my next blog, though this delineation is pretty arbitrary since many brands happily encompass all aspects of interior design.

Tent London Cushions Melanie Porter
This outrageous outsize knitted cushion is by Melanie Porter, who was trained at Central Saint Martins and turned her hand to soft furnishing design after ten years working as a designer for international fashion brands. Melanie became a mum in July, so good on her for staying up to speed and putting on such a great show at Tent this year. Those of us running our own brands don’t get much time off!

Chocolate creative cushions Tent
Geometric prints were everywhere at Tent London this year. I love these cushions by Chocolate Creative.

Tent London Melody Rose plate boxing
Tent London Melody Rose plates
I spent some time chatting with Melanie Roseveare of Melody Rose ceramics whilst Snarfle marvelled at her new collection of printed plates. Melody started out upcycling vintage fine china – adding her own designs on top of vintage ones such as the blue plate above (which features a picture of her dad, an amateur boxing champion). Now she has launched her own bespoke range that includes this artfully placed classical nude. I love the way she has arranged these plates to make the most of the design.

Honeycomb geometric print cushions from Room 39
These honeycomb geometric print cushions are by Petra Green of Room 39, a Slovenian designer now settled in the UK who excels in the use of bright colours and eye catching prints on unusually shaped cushions. Some of her designs are made up in a family run factory in Slovenia, some are made up by the Working Well Trust (which provides opportunities for those with mental health difficulties) and some are manufactured in her East London studio space. She aims to marry craft techniques and modern technology in as sustainable a way as possible – I like her production style!

Tent London Sian Elin Thomas abstract cushions
Tent London Sian Elin Thomas cushions
I first admired work by Sian Elin at New Designers this year, but didn’t cover it at the time because my photographs did not do the collection justice. Her wonderful cushions feature abstract designs (and the fab peacock patterned design above) in a range of luscious colour combinations.

elephant print cushion Rachel powell
Since I discovered her at New Designers in 2011 Rachel Powell has gone from strength to strength, and it’s so nice to see a recent graduate doing well commercially within a few years. My favourite thing in her new collection is this bold retro inspired elephant print that would look lush in a kid’s room. The design also comes on fabric that can be purchased by the metre – what a brilliant idea for all those crafters out there!

Magnetic porcelain train - Reiko Kaneko
What fun – this magnetic porcelain train for eggy soldiers is by the Japanese born designer Reiko Kaneko. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2007 she set up her own studio in London’s east end, but has since relocated to Stoke-on-Trent in order to integrate design and production in the home town of English bone china.

The Staffordshire University Flux ceramics
Speaking of fine bone china, the Staffordshire University student collaboration Flux Stoke-on-Trent continues to impress with beautiful ceramic designs. This project is an example of collaboration between a teaching establishment and industry – forging new bonds that will lead to viable careers in an industry which can be notoriously difficult to infiltrate successfully.

Brushes by Swedish brand Lofstrom
These beautiful brushes by Mikael Lofstrom of Lofstrom skilfully make use of the natural shape of tree branches, which are paired with upcycled thistles.

Etelka Meixner of Hungary; pearl embellished chinaware
Etelka Meixner of Hungary has tapped into a very current theme with her luxuriously decorative pearl embellished chinaware.

Townscape design by Maxine Sutton
I had a long chat about the joys of living in Thanet with Ramsgate based designer Maxine Sutton, who has recently overhauled her shop in the centre of the newly vibrant Margate to become a stand alone store for her homewares range. This graphic townscape design perfectly showcases her style.

Kristine Five Melvaer -Norwegian design showcase
Over at the Norwegian design showcase I was most taken by these jewel coloured stripe pots from Kristine Five Melvær. Kristine works in glass and china to produce objects of exquisite beauty.

Fine china by Louise Wilkinson
Ceramic jug by Louise Wilkinson
Finally, I am just a little bit in love with fine china by Louise Wilkinson, an illustrator and fashion textile designer turned homewares designer who is inspired by Japanese design. I think her unique creations also owe a slight debt to the cute animals so often featured in 40s and 50s children’s book design: no wonder I find them so delightful. In fact we promptly bought a jug and matching mugs for some soon to be married friends and I am just a little bit envious.

You can share my discoveries as I find them by following me on instagram here.

Categories ,2013, ,Bone China, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Chocolate Creative, ,Etelka Meixner, ,Flux Stoke-on-Trent, ,Homewares, ,Hungary, ,japanese, ,Kristine Five Melvær, ,Lofstrom, ,Louise Wilkinson, ,Margate, ,Maxine Sutton, ,Melanie Porter, ,Melanie Roseveare, ,Melody Rose, ,Mikael Lofstrom, ,New Designers, ,Norwegian, ,Pearls, ,Petra Green, ,Porcelain, ,Rachel Powell, ,Ramsgate, ,Reiko Kaneko, ,review, ,Room 39, ,Sian Elin, ,Slovenia, ,Snarfle, ,Soft Furnishings, ,Staffordshire University, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,Tent London, ,textiles, ,Thanet, ,Upcycled, ,Working Well Trust

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Tent London 2013 Review: Best Wall Art, Furniture and Lighting

SPW additions lampshade
Lampshade by Parris Wakefield Additions.

I’ve already brought you the best soft furnishings and homewards from Tent London 2013 at the Truman Brewery, and now here is a round up of wall art, furniture and lighting, with a toy and notebooks thrown in for good measure.

Parris Wakefield Additions sofa
Parris Wakefield Additions is a new brand from husband and wife team Howard Wakefield and Sarah Parris, busy graphic designers once based in central London and now living in rural Norfolk, where they have enough space for an in-house studio. They are inspired by a combination of colour palettes found in the natural world and those of favourite paintings (a huge pastel rug design is based on a famous Hockney painting), resulting in eye catching pattern and colour combinations. Their computer generated abstracts appear on lampshades, wallpaper and fabrics. I love the ethical side to the Parris Wakefield Additions business – this upcycled 20′s armchair (above) was reupholstered by Out of the Dark, a charity that trains youth in new skills.

Rebay lighting installation
This super fun lighting installation by Rebay attracted a great deal of attention on instagram, though I still haven’t figured out it’s purpose since all attempts to Google information bring up ebay.

Geometric prints on lampshades by tamasyn gambell
Cockpit Arts based textile designer Tamasyn Gambell has been busy expanding her decorative offering: her geometric prints now appear on fabulous big hanging lampshades.

Blown glass pendant lights - curiousa and curiousa
Once again I was wowed by blown glass pendant lights from Curiousa and Curiousa.

Tent London Furniture Magpie lighting
The Furniture Magpies breathe new life into discarded items. This year they have turned their attention to old lampshade frames to create these pretty knitted lights that come in a range of jewel colours.

Lizzie mcullen at work on a mural
Illustrator Lizzie Mary Cullen was at work on a chalk mural when I walked past. This prolific artist creates bespoke imagery for many big brands.

Designer KSW studio
Kristjana S Williams has launched a new range of wallpapers featuring her instantly recognisable patterns; combinations of bold natural imagery and stark colourings.

Bear wall art by Kosmos Project from Poland
This 3D bear wall art is by Kosmos Project of Poland, a design studio set up by Ewa Bochen and Maciej Jelski.

Fibre glass stool inspired by an apple juice bottle, by Sit furnishings
Snarfle inspects a fibre glass stool that features tactile nobbles inspired by those on an apple juice bottle. Sit Furnishings is a new brand from Katherine Blamire and established designer Timothy Sheward, creating industrially forged products with a distinctly human touch. I was most impressed by their offering.

wood seat by Ruskasa from Taiwan
At the Taiwanese showcase we both loved this super smooth woven wood seat by Ruskasa.

Wooden magazine stand and stool by Moissue of Taiwan
This tactile wooden magazine stand by Moissue was also a winner: it neatly doubles as a stool.

horse shaped toddler stools by tamasine osher
What a clever idea; I so want one of these ergonomic easy-to-mount horse shaped toddler stools for Snarfle when he gets a bit older. Multi talented designer Tamasine Osher trained in architecture before taking an MA in furniture design whilst also working as an art director at a gallery.

Norwegian wooden toy by Permafrost
On the subject of things for children, this wooden toy by industrial designers Permafrost is utterly Norwegian and bloody brilliant: an oil rig with helipad and detachable helicopter: oil tankers also available in this prototype collection.

Sukie recycled books
Rescued paper notebooks made an attractive wall display at the Sukie stationery stand. The designer behind Sukie is a man, which goes somewhat contrary to expectations. Apparently most people expect him to be female and Japanese.

Next up: my review of the Three Four show further up Brick Lane. Read it here. Follow me on instagram for a first sneak peak at the design discoveries I make.

Categories ,2013, ,Brick Lane, ,Cockpit Arts, ,Curiousa and Curiousa, ,Ewa Bochen, ,Furniture, ,Furniture Magpie, ,Howard Wakefield, ,Katherine Blamire, ,Kosmos Project, ,Kristjana S Williams, ,Lighting, ,Lizzie Mary Cullen, ,Maciej Jelski, ,Moissue, ,Norwegian, ,Out of the Dark, ,Parris Wakefield Additions, ,Permafrost, ,poland, ,Rebay, ,review, ,Ruskasa, ,Sarah Parris, ,Sit Furnishings, ,Snarfle, ,stationery, ,Sukie, ,surface design, ,Taiwan, ,Tamasine Osher, ,Tamasyn Gambell, ,Tent London, ,Timothy Sheward, ,Truman Brewery, ,Upcycled, ,Wall Art

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Tent London 2014: Textiles and Surface Design

Zoe Murphy
Yes yes it’s been 6 months since the 2014 edition of Tent London but straight after the show I became ridiculously busy with my 10th anniversary Kickstarter project, That Which We Do Not Understand. I have always wanted to share my finds properly, some of whom I have already profiled at length on this website, and I’m sure this little collection will offer some refreshing and exciting inspiration.

Zoe murphy cushions
From Mexico to Margate was inspired by Zoe Murphy’s summer travels, and is the perfect vehicle for her zingy colour ways. Used to great effect on these cacti fabric designs on cushions. Spot also the Snarfle ghost hand.

Seven Gauge Studios
I love the new geometric woven fabric designs by Seven Gauge Studios.

Room 39
This wonderful new bedding and cushion collection is by Room 39. Designer Petra was also very helpful on the subject of crowdfunding, having funded the fragment bedding range through this method herself.

Sian Elin
Sian Elin excels in the creation of upbeat geometric designs such as these wonderful duotone cushions.

Louise Wilkinson
Louise Wilkinson cushion
As always I adore the designs of Louise Wilkinson, whose new fabrics are a touch folkloric, a touch Scandinavian and a touch of chintz: lots of fruits, vegetables and strange little animals.

Louise Wilkinson hedgehog
I think this gold hedgehog wall decal is out of this world, but she only made them as one offs for Tent. Don’t you reckon they would sell like hot cakes?!

Lorna Syson
It was great to see new designs by Lorna Syson mixing up birds and geometric designs: I’ve since discovered her new Broom and Bee design, which is absolutely magic – check her website to see it.

Otago Design mat
We spent some time admiring coir circle mats made in Africa for Otago Design.

Sonya rugs
Amazing crazy cool bright rugs are by Sonya Winner.

Rose sharp jones
I adore the subtle crochet cushion designs of Rose Sharp Jones: one of a new wave of crafters bringing this traditional technique into the 21st century.

Occipinti
occipinti textiles
Embroidery hoops are a wonderful showcase for fabrics by Occipinti. Find out more about the designer in my recent interview.

Tracey Tubb
These very clever and original origami wall coverings are by Tracey Tubb.

Natalia Yanez
Natalia Yanez utilises a combination of crochet and local Chilean basketweave techniques in her beautiful and unusual structures. Very clever!

candid fabric
These fabulous tropical fruit fabrics are by Hannah Rampley for Candid Fabric – a new project to support emerging graduate textile designers.

Beldi rugs
Beldi rug vintage
I am just a little bit in love with vintage Moroccan Beldi Rugs. These rag rugs cost a fortune but are ever so glorious.

Parris Wakefield additions
Paris Wakefield Additions has released a stunning new fabric design. Since last September I have had the honour of working with Sarah Parris, who produced a beautiful print for my special That Which We Do Not Understand 10th anniversary gold leaf range, available here.

Fanny Shorter
Fanny Shorter skirt
As always I love tropical loveliness by Fanny Shorter, looking wonderful in a pencil skirt made with her fabric.

Kitty McCall
Last but not least, I am enthralled by the colourful abstract designs of Kitty McCall. This fabric looks like a surreal mountainscape.

Read about furniture, lighting and other odds and sods here! All of these images were first shared on my instagram feed.

Categories ,2014, ,Beldi Rugs, ,Broom and Bee, ,Candid Fabric, ,craft, ,crochet, ,Fanny Shorter, ,From Mexico to Margate, ,Hannah Rampley, ,instagram, ,Interior Design, ,Kitty McCall, ,Lorna Syson, ,Louise Wilkinson, ,Natalia Yanez, ,Occipinti, ,Otago Design, ,Paris Wakefield Additions, ,review, ,Room 39, ,Rose Sharp Jones, ,Sarah Parris, ,Seven Gauge Studios, ,Sian Elin, ,Snarfle, ,Sonya Winner, ,surface design, ,Tent London, ,textiles, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Tracey Tubb, ,Truman Brewery, ,Zoe Murphy

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Thereza Rowe, Hearts: interview and review

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_cover
A year or so ago Thereza Rowe came over to visit me with an idea for a wonderful, colourful, heartfelt graphic novel. Hearts has now been realised thanks to Toon Books, and I was lucky enough to pick up a copy at the recent ELCAF. The book is aimed at children who are just learning to read, so I have been reading it with Snarfle who is now two years old and in love with letters. He adores the story of a fox travelling through a rich landscape in search of lost love, and asks me to read it again and again. Thereza has a very special way of using clever arrangements of shapes to create a plethora of fantastical images, and although the book is aimed at small people it will appeal just as much to adults, who will probably more closely relate their own lives to this tale of learning to let go and love again.

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_Dolphins
Thereza Rowe_Hearts_lighthouse
When and where did you first dream up the central idea behind Hearts?
It was heading up to my final project for my MA in illustration and the core of my research was based on sequential narrative, comics more specifically. In parallel, my personal life was messy as I was dealing with loss; of a dear close one and that of my cat Flash, which happened within the space of a week. A hard time indeed. The narrative reflected this process of rescuing a little battered lost heart and keeping faith / hope alive that things would be ok in the end. Essentially, it kind of worked as a magical part of my own healing process.

Why is Penelope a fox? we all know of your special love for cats…
But I am a fox, didn’t you know?! Penelope the character just happened as I was doodling her whilst crying all over the paper. It was exactly how I was feeling at that particular moment. I wallowed a lot…

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_king and queen
Thereza Rowe_Hearts_spear
What was your process for putting together the illustrations for Hearts?
After that first scene of Penelope sitting on top of a cliff crying her eyes out, the process developed pretty much on a ‘wing it basis‘. That ‘making it up as you go‘ sort of thing.. after she accidentally drops her heart in the ocean, I suppose, due to the sequential nature of the story, each illustration worked as a response to cause and effect of the characters’ actions… I didn’t really know how it would end, up until the last minute. All I wanted is that she should triumph one way or another in retrieving her heart – but at some point that pesky heart had become so troublesome that maybe a new / renewed one would be the answer. But better not give the whole story away!

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_garden lost things
How did you come up with the Garden of Lost Things?
It comes from the thought of all the things we misplace or lose in life… from tangible ones such as ‘where does that odd sock end up when the washing machine decides to swallow it?‘ all the way to that childhood little something we wish we still had but have absolutely no idea as to what happened to it. And on a more abstract note, feelings and stuff that mattered and/or still matters and lingers at the back of our heads/hearts but we tend to shoo them away until life’s circumstances, for whatever reason, prompts us to look for them and revisit them again.

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_soldiers
When you first showed me your idea for Hearts idea it was far longer, how did you edit the whole into a book format that worked?
It was indeed a lot longer… (as I said, there was a lot of wallowing) and my initial idea for it was more like a wordless graphic novel. But when I showed it to Françoise Mouly (editorial director of Toon Books) we both agreed that it would make a great level one Toon book so together we edited it down to suit the first reader level and also decided to give Penelope a wee voice.

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_castle
How did you get hooked up with Toon Books?
The project was very personal and quite precious to me so naturally I wanted it to get published by a special publisher. I then made a little list with a carefully selected handful of publishers which I knew would take great care of the process of editing the book and that I would be happy to work with and submitted the proposal. As it happened Toon Books was on the absolute top in order of personal preference as I’ve always loved their books and luckily the fantastic Françoise got in touch straight away and I had no doubt that the project would have the happiest possible ending in every sense of the word.

Thereza Rowe_Hearts_Penelope
What new projects are you working on?
I am currently sorting out the storyline for my next children’s book and excited to return to working on a commission involving branding / identity which had to be put on hold for a while due to delayed funding but it’s now back on. And, of course, we are also working on an exciting project together, to be announced soon.

Hearts is published by Toon Books, and is available online and at all good bookshops now.

Categories ,Brazilian, ,comic art, ,ELCAF, ,First Reader, ,Flash, ,Fox, ,Françoise Mouly, ,Garden of Lost Things, ,Graphic Novel, ,hearts, ,illustration, ,interview, ,Learning to read, ,Lost Love, ,Penelope, ,review, ,Snarfle, ,Thereza Rowe, ,Toddler, ,Toon Books

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Tidy Kingston: Kingston University BA Illustration & Animation Graduate Show 2015

Lizzie Lomax vertical farming
A few weeks ago Snarf and I made it along to the Kingston BA Illustration & Animation graduate show, Tidy Kingston, a reference to the organising of a diverse range of work and personalities. Hosted at the Embassy Tea Gallery in Bermondsey, here is my selection of graduates to watch.

Lizzie lomax kingston uni
Firstly, a few close ups of the Bigger Picture by Lizzie Lomax, inspired by the concept of vertical farming (top).

Emma Erhling Kingston uni
We both loved this ice cream van model by Emma Ehrling and the animation, Mint, was great: featuring a cat that turns into ice cream and escapes through the cat flap!

Reece Wykes kingston uni
These cracking glaciers are by Reece Wykes, based on an expedition to the South Pole.

Summer Bee kingston uni
Summer Bee (Bi Cong) created these cute illustrations for a children’s book about a child searching for their father. Snarf enjoyed picking out the objects.

Chester Holme kingston uni
Chester Holme comic kingston
This modernist housing print is by Chester Holme, who also created intricate esoteric comic artwork.

Yuet Alice Lai kingston uni
This animation artwork is by Yuet Alice Lai, from a surreal story about what happens to little brothers if they eat watermelon seeds!

Twin Trash kingston uni
We really enjoyed BlueBarry – another surreal animation by Twin Trash (Tommy and Marcus Vad Flaatan) featuring an assortment of madcap birds wanting to eat to daring a couple of daring blueberries.

Anni Sayers kingston uni
Lastly, these pots with faces by Anni Sayers are inspired by the parliamentary cabinet, highlighting the elaborate nature of political proceedings.

Categories ,2015, ,Anni Sayers, ,Bi Cong, ,Bigger Picture, ,BlueBarry, ,Chester Holme, ,Embassy Tea Gallery, ,Emma Ehrling, ,Graduate Show, ,Kingston BA Illustration Animation, ,Kingston University, ,Lizzie Lomax, ,Mint, ,Reece Wykes, ,review, ,Snarf, ,Snarfle, ,Summer Bee, ,Tidy Kingston, ,Tommy and Marcus Vad Flaatan, ,Twin Trash, ,Yuet Alice Lai

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | University Arts Bournemouth: Dot to Dot Illustration Degree Show 2013 Review

Snarfle at Dot to Dot
The illustration degree course at Arts University Bournemouth held their stand alone Dot to Dot graduate exhibition in mid July at The Rag Factory just off Brick Lane. I visited during the day, accompanied by Snarfle, who loved running around the big white galleries and attracted the distracting attention of a young man who chased us around the show, waffling at me about babies and his imminent arranged marriage even when I very politely explained that I was trying to work: I think fatherhood must have been on his mind but it did make it rather hard to concentrate. Maybe some people just don’t really believe it’s possible to be a mother and work at the same time: well hey, I’m the living proof.

Watercolour plate stack by Becca Corney
Becca Corney - tom yum
First mention must go to the super talented Becca Corney, whose lovely watercolour plate stack attracted a great deal of admiring attention when I posted it on instagram (and led to an invite to be involved in an upcoming exhibition). She then contributed another lovely food illustration to my review of The Art of Dining event at Fenton House. Get involved graduates: this website is a brilliant place to showcase your work! Becca’s great love is food and she has produced a wonderful illustrated recipe book called Plateful that you can find here.

Lettuce Celebrate by Jeanette Slade
Following on with a food theme, I enjoyed pun-tastic images such as Lettuce Celebrate by Jeanette Slade.

Maggie Thatcher decorative paper plate by Emma Harrison
This Maggie Thatcher decorative paper plate is by Emma Harrison, who specialises in idiosyncratic portraits of famous people.

Emily Gilbert Bournemouth
Emily Gilbert‘s surreal monochrome landscapes are created in simple washes of black ink: see if you can spot the tiny figure in the centre of this one.

Little worlds, by Hannah McIntyre
Hannah McIntyre world inside a bottle
These colourful alternative worlds by Hannah McIntyre are absolutely wonderful.

Patrizia Imozzi - monster stirring a cauldron
Patrizia Imossi created this cool monster stirring a cauldron.

Snake by Mat Waudby
Man riding in a shark kayak. By Mat Waudby
I thought iconographic paintings on slabs of wood by Mat Waudby were really rather marvellous, including a snake and a man riding in a shark kayak.

birds by Katie Macon
bird business cards by Katie Macon
I do love all these birds by Katie Macon, and I particularly love her brilliant handmade bird business cards, each featuring a cheeky character.

Lydia Hannah Thomas - lady wearing fruit on her head
Lydia Hannah Thomas‘s lady wears a wonderful basket of fruit on her head

Becca Paterson fabric
This fabric design by Becca Paterson was inspired by a love of thrifting.

Francesca Calabrese
Francesca Calabrese put colourful photographic collages on shiny glass.

Anna McNee
Anna McNee used pen and ink to create detailed decorative illustrations inspired by the British countryside.

Felted glow worm character to go with a children's book by Becky Hill
This felted glow worm character features in a children’s book by Becky Hill.

Hannah Jane Nicolson
Hannah Jane Nicolson is inspired by the oddities of her surroundings – here a plethora of woodpeckers hammer away in a strange little forest.

Louis Wood
Louis Wood had created a series of strange creatures fit for a folk tale. I can imagine these beguiling beings intriguing a child.

Wanted posters by @jaybarnham
These fun ‘Wanted’ posters are by Jay Barnham.

Kate Bishop of Kroma
Kate Bishop of Kroma 2
Kate Bishop of Kroma had fun with shapes and luscious combinations of colour.

laurel turner
Laurel Turner stitched over photographic screen prints to unnerving effect.

Pom Pom lady by Harriet Schofield
This Pom Pom lady by Harriet Schofield showcases a beautiful style that would be well suited to fashion illustration.

Fay Huo
Finally I shall finish off with a selection that caught my eye at both New Blood and Dot to Dot. Above is a close up of bizarre but beautiful artwork by Fay Huo – in which she analyses the role of phobias.

Jonny Clapham potion master
Jonny Clapham zoo
Jonny Clapham bee parade
mascots dotted around the walls of the Rag Factory jonny clapham
This pixelated Potion Master is by Jonny Clapham, whose idiosyncratic computer game inspired artworks really stood out as unique and utterly unlike anything else I have seen of late. He was also responsible for the simple but fun Dot to Dot mascots that were ‘dotted’ around the walls of The Rag Factory.

Elliot Coffin
This neon screen printed man is by Elliot Coffin.

Marina Muun new blood
marina muun
Glorious subtle work by @marinamuun
Finally, I had no idea that the illustrator Marina Muun was still at college! She already has a super professional presence in print and online (I’ve been following her on instagram for awhile) and creates the most marvellous and instantly recognisable illustrations. For her degree show she concentrated on a subtle range of colours to create surreal worlds populated by elongated ladies and prehistoric plants.

Overall Dot to Dot was a brilliant show, and one of my absolute favourites from the whole of the 2013 season. I have no doubt that many Bournemouth illustrators will do well over the coming years.

Categories ,2013, ,Anna McNee, ,Arts University Bournemouth, ,Arts University College of Bournemouth, ,Becca Corney, ,Becca Paterson, ,Becky Hill, ,Brick Lane, ,Dot to Dot, ,Elliot Coffin, ,Emily Gilbert, ,Emma Harrison, ,Fay Huo, ,Fenton House, ,Francesca Calabrese, ,Hannah Jane Nicolson, ,Hannah McIntyre, ,Harriet Schofield, ,illustration, ,Jay Barnham, ,Jeanette Slade, ,Jonny Clapham, ,Kate Bishop, ,Katie Macon, ,Kroma, ,Laurel Turner, ,Lettuce Celebrate, ,Louis Wood, ,Lydia Hannah Thomas, ,Maggie Thatcher, ,Marina Muun, ,Mat Waudby, ,New Blood, ,Patrizia Imossi, ,Plateful, ,Potion Master, ,Rebecca Corney, ,review, ,Snarfle, ,The Art of Dining, ,the rag factory

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | University Arts Bournemouth: Dot to Dot Illustration Degree Show 2013 Review

Snarfle at Dot to Dot
The illustration degree course at Arts University Bournemouth held their stand alone Dot to Dot graduate exhibition in mid July at The Rag Factory just off Brick Lane. I visited during the day, accompanied by Snarfle, who loved running around the big white galleries and attracted the distracting attention of a young man who chased us around the show, waffling at me about babies and his imminent arranged marriage even when I very politely explained that I was trying to work: I think fatherhood must have been on his mind but it did make it rather hard to concentrate. Maybe some people just don’t really believe it’s possible to be a mother and work at the same time: well hey, I’m the living proof.

Watercolour plate stack by Becca Corney
Becca Corney - tom yum
First mention must go to the super talented Becca Corney, whose lovely watercolour plate stack attracted a great deal of admiring attention when I posted it on instagram (and led to an invite to be involved in an upcoming exhibition). She then contributed another lovely food illustration to my review of The Art of Dining event at Fenton House. Get involved graduates: this website is a brilliant place to showcase your work! Becca’s great love is food and she has produced a wonderful illustrated recipe book called Plateful that you can find here.

Lettuce Celebrate by Jeanette Slade
Following on with a food theme, I enjoyed pun-tastic images such as Lettuce Celebrate by Jeanette Slade.

Maggie Thatcher decorative paper plate by Emma Harrison
This Maggie Thatcher decorative paper plate is by Emma Harrison, who specialises in idiosyncratic portraits of famous people.

Emily Gilbert Bournemouth
Emily Gilbert‘s surreal monochrome landscapes are created in simple washes of black ink: see if you can spot the tiny figure in the centre of this one.

Little worlds, by Hannah McIntyre
Hannah McIntyre world inside a bottle
These colourful alternative worlds by Hannah McIntyre are absolutely wonderful.

Patrizia Imozzi - monster stirring a cauldron
Patrizia Imossi created this cool monster stirring a cauldron.

Snake by Mat Waudby
Man riding in a shark kayak. By Mat Waudby
I thought iconographic paintings on slabs of wood by Mat Waudby were really rather marvellous, including a snake and a man riding in a shark kayak.

birds by Katie Macon
bird business cards by Katie Macon
I do love all these birds by Katie Macon, and I particularly love her brilliant handmade bird business cards, each featuring a cheeky character.

Lydia Hannah Thomas - lady wearing fruit on her head
Lydia Hannah Thomas‘s lady wears a wonderful basket of fruit on her head

Becca Paterson fabric
This fabric design by Becca Paterson was inspired by a love of thrifting.

Francesca Calabrese
Francesca Calabrese put colourful photographic collages on shiny glass.

Anna McNee
Anna McNee used pen and ink to create detailed decorative illustrations inspired by the British countryside.

Felted glow worm character to go with a children's book by Becky Hill
This felted glow worm character features in a children’s book by Becky Hill.

Hannah Jane Nicolson
Hannah Jane Nicolson is inspired by the oddities of her surroundings – here a plethora of woodpeckers hammer away in a strange little forest.

Louis Wood
Louis Wood had created a series of strange creatures fit for a folk tale. I can imagine these beguiling beings intriguing a child.

Wanted posters by @jaybarnham
These fun ‘Wanted’ posters are by Jay Barnham.

Kate Bishop of Kroma
Kate Bishop of Kroma 2
Kate Bishop of Kroma had fun with shapes and luscious combinations of colour.

laurel turner
Laurel Turner stitched over photographic screen prints to unnerving effect.

Pom Pom lady by Harriet Schofield
This Pom Pom lady by Harriet Schofield showcases a beautiful style that would be well suited to fashion illustration.

Fay Huo
Finally I shall finish off with a selection that caught my eye at both New Blood and Dot to Dot. Above is a close up of bizarre but beautiful artwork by Fay Huo – in which she analyses the role of phobias.

Jonny Clapham potion master
Jonny Clapham zoo
Jonny Clapham bee parade
mascots dotted around the walls of the Rag Factory jonny clapham
This pixelated Potion Master is by Jonny Clapham, whose idiosyncratic computer game inspired artworks really stood out as unique and utterly unlike anything else I have seen of late. He was also responsible for the simple but fun Dot to Dot mascots that were ‘dotted’ around the walls of The Rag Factory.

Elliot Coffin
This neon screen printed man is by Elliot Coffin.

Marina Muun new blood
marina muun
Glorious subtle work by @marinamuun
Finally, I had no idea that the illustrator Marina Muun was still at college! She already has a super professional presence in print and online (I’ve been following her on instagram for awhile) and creates the most marvellous and instantly recognisable illustrations. For her degree show she concentrated on a subtle range of colours to create surreal worlds populated by elongated ladies and prehistoric plants.

Overall Dot to Dot was a brilliant show, and one of my absolute favourites from the whole of the 2013 season. I have no doubt that many Bournemouth illustrators will do well over the coming years.

Categories ,2013, ,Anna McNee, ,Arts University Bournemouth, ,Arts University College of Bournemouth, ,Becca Corney, ,Becca Paterson, ,Becky Hill, ,Brick Lane, ,Dot to Dot, ,Elliot Coffin, ,Emily Gilbert, ,Emma Harrison, ,Fay Huo, ,Fenton House, ,Francesca Calabrese, ,Hannah Jane Nicolson, ,Hannah McIntyre, ,Harriet Schofield, ,illustration, ,Jay Barnham, ,Jeanette Slade, ,Jonny Clapham, ,Kate Bishop, ,Katie Macon, ,Kroma, ,Laurel Turner, ,Lettuce Celebrate, ,Louis Wood, ,Lydia Hannah Thomas, ,Maggie Thatcher, ,Marina Muun, ,Mat Waudby, ,New Blood, ,Patrizia Imossi, ,Plateful, ,Potion Master, ,Rebecca Corney, ,review, ,Snarfle, ,The Art of Dining, ,the rag factory

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | What to do in Margate and Broadstairs (whilst wearing Chatham Marine Deck Shoes)

sparkle boat margate photography by Amelia Gregory
This weekend we went down to the seaside in Kent: my partner’s dad lives in Ramsgate and when we go down to Thanet we always go for a pootle around Margate and Broadstairs.

sparkle boat margate photography by Amelia Gregory
Maria Nepomuceno margate photography by Amelia Gregory
In Margate American artist Alex Katz is showing Give Me Tomorrow at the Turner Contemporary, which has just the right amount of space to put on the perfectly sized exhibition for a sociable stroll with the family. He’s not a painter I’ve heard of but I really enjoyed his work: particularly rolling abstract waves and epic seascapes inspired by his home in Maine. That and his work from the 70s and 80s, often featuring his friends and family but put together to imitate glamourous magazine shoots and stills from films. Also on show was a massive interactive beaded installation – Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time) – by Brazilian artist Maria Nepomuceno.

margate photography by Amelia Gregory
margate photography by Amelia Gregory
Margate has become a haven for artists and there are some great places to discover in the old town: piles of old boxes, a random collection of knitted dolls in a tree… there are plenty of junk shops and second hand book stores to peruse.

victoria browne pushing print margate photography by Amelia Gregory
Victoria Browne

pushing print margate nikki davidson-bowman photography by Amelia Gregory
Nikki Davidson-Bowman

And then we came across some really fabulous work as part of Pushing Print Festival at the Margate Gallery (on now until 27th October) Here are just two of the artists on show: beautiful screenprinted monoliths by Victoria Browne and Nikki Davidson-Bowman‘s sculptural laser print wall hanging.

oscars broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
oscars festival cafe  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
Broadstairs is great for little eateries: we like visiting the old fashioned Morelli’s Gelato seaside ice-creamery if only for the amazing intact 50s decor, but this time we opted for Oscar’s Festival Cafe… a beautifully appointed shack that is manned by someone called Graham (not Oscar).

snarfle festival cafe oscars festival cafe  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
The impeccable decor did not disappoint: we had the best ever scrambled egg and bacon, on top of a Kentish delicacy known as a Huffkin: part muffin, part bagel. Visit it if you are ever down that way.

Chatham Marine deck shoes beach  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
Then we took Snarfle down for a windy jaunt along the beach. I wore my new pink Chatham Marine Alcyone deck shoes, which were a recent gift: they are the first pair of deck shoes I’ve owned and I must say I rather like them! Particularly worn with a pair of natty socks (always).

Chatham Marine deck shoes beach  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
A bit about Chatham Marine:
Chatham Marine are a British family run business who are specialists in boating wear, and their shoes and boots are available in over 500 independent stores and chandleries across the UK, as well as John Lewis, Jones the Bootmaker, and Debenhams stores. They sell in over 200 stockists across Europe.

Chatham Marine deck shoes beach  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
Chatham Marine‘s mocacassin constructed boat shoes involve hand stitching the leather uppers through the grippy rubber sole with rot proof waxed cable thread so that the leather will wrap around the shape of the foot. The shoes are unlined for the utmost comfort, and they can be worn sockless without worrying about breathability. In a boating situation water is able to permeate between the spaces created by the waxed cable: in effect the shoes are designed to let the water in and out.

Handy that: even if I didn’t go any further than the old concrete tidal pool on Broadstairs beach.

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Alcyone, ,Alex Katz, ,Boating, ,british, ,Broadstairs, ,Chatham Marine, ,Debenhams, ,Deck Shoes, ,Give Me Tomorrow, ,Huffkin, ,John Lewis, ,Jones the Bootmaker, ,kent, ,maine, ,Margate, ,Margate Gallery, ,Maria Nepomuceno, ,Mocacassin, ,Morelli’s Gelato, ,Nikki Davidson-Bowman, ,Oscar’s Festival Cafe, ,pink, ,Pushing Print Festival, ,Ramsgate, ,Snarfle, ,Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time), ,Thanet, ,Turner Contemporary, ,Victoria Browne

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | What to do in Margate and Broadstairs (whilst wearing Chatham Marine Deck Shoes)

sparkle boat margate photography by Amelia Gregory
This weekend we went down to the seaside in Kent: my partner’s dad lives in Ramsgate and when we go down to Thanet we always go for a pootle around Margate and Broadstairs.

sparkle boat margate photography by Amelia Gregory
Maria Nepomuceno margate photography by Amelia Gregory
In Margate American artist Alex Katz is showing Give Me Tomorrow at the Turner Contemporary, which has just the right amount of space to put on the perfectly sized exhibition for a sociable stroll with the family. He’s not a painter I’ve heard of but I really enjoyed his work: particularly rolling abstract waves and epic seascapes inspired by his home in Maine. That and his work from the 70s and 80s, often featuring his friends and family but put together to imitate glamourous magazine shoots and stills from films. Also on show was a massive interactive beaded installation – Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time) – by Brazilian artist Maria Nepomuceno.

margate photography by Amelia Gregory
margate photography by Amelia Gregory
Margate has become a haven for artists and there are some great places to discover in the old town: piles of old boxes, a random collection of knitted dolls in a tree… there are plenty of junk shops and second hand book stores to peruse.

victoria browne pushing print margate photography by Amelia Gregory
Victoria Browne

pushing print margate nikki davidson-bowman photography by Amelia Gregory
Nikki Davidson-Bowman

And then we came across some really fabulous work as part of Pushing Print Festival at the Margate Gallery (on now until 27th October) Here are just two of the artists on show: beautiful screenprinted monoliths by Victoria Browne and Nikki Davidson-Bowman‘s sculptural laser print wall hanging.

oscars broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
oscars festival cafe  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
Broadstairs is great for little eateries: we like visiting the old fashioned Morelli’s Gelato seaside ice-creamery if only for the amazing intact 50s decor, but this time we opted for Oscar’s Festival Cafe… a beautifully appointed shack that is manned by someone called Graham (not Oscar).

snarfle festival cafe oscars festival cafe  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
The impeccable decor did not disappoint: we had the best ever scrambled egg and bacon, on top of a Kentish delicacy known as a Huffkin: part muffin, part bagel. Visit it if you are ever down that way.

Chatham Marine deck shoes beach  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
Then we took Snarfle down for a windy jaunt along the beach. I wore my new pink Chatham Marine Alcyone deck shoes, which were a recent gift: they are the first pair of deck shoes I’ve owned and I must say I rather like them! Particularly worn with a pair of natty socks (always).

Chatham Marine deck shoes beach  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
A bit about Chatham Marine:
Chatham Marine are a British family run business who are specialists in boating wear, and their shoes and boots are available in over 500 independent stores and chandleries across the UK, as well as John Lewis, Jones the Bootmaker, and Debenhams stores. They sell in over 200 stockists across Europe.

Chatham Marine deck shoes beach  broadstairs photography by Amelia Gregory
Chatham Marine‘s mocacassin constructed boat shoes involve hand stitching the leather uppers through the grippy rubber sole with rot proof waxed cable thread so that the leather will wrap around the shape of the foot. The shoes are unlined for the utmost comfort, and they can be worn sockless without worrying about breathability. In a boating situation water is able to permeate between the spaces created by the waxed cable: in effect the shoes are designed to let the water in and out.

Handy that: even if I didn’t go any further than the old concrete tidal pool on Broadstairs beach.

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,Alcyone, ,Alex Katz, ,Boating, ,british, ,Broadstairs, ,Chatham Marine, ,Debenhams, ,Deck Shoes, ,Give Me Tomorrow, ,Huffkin, ,John Lewis, ,Jones the Bootmaker, ,kent, ,maine, ,Margate, ,Margate Gallery, ,Maria Nepomuceno, ,Mocacassin, ,Morelli’s Gelato, ,Nikki Davidson-Bowman, ,Oscar’s Festival Cafe, ,pink, ,Pushing Print Festival, ,Ramsgate, ,Snarfle, ,Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time), ,Thanet, ,Turner Contemporary, ,Victoria Browne

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review: Books, Food, Comedy, Craft & Fashion

Port Eliot Festival by Maia Fjord
Port Eliot Festival by Maia Fjord.

I’ve been meaning to take in Port Eliot festival for several years but it has always been just that little bit too far away. This summer we were able to attend, thanks to a holiday in Cornwall with family.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0018
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0006
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0000
Once more we were blessed with a weekend of near perfect sunshine, ideal for wild and muddy swimming in the adjacent river, and the grassy banks were packed when we arrived on Friday afternoon. It’s a relatively small festival, which meant that we could pop up our tent quite close to the action. Beyond the main tented areas we traversed overgrown rhododendron paths, frolicked in a full sized maze and emerged with a spectacular view of the impressive aqueduct beneath which a couple of stand up paddle boarders were dwarfed.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0002
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0015
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0019
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0016
Port Eliot is not your average festival; here the usual music takes a back seat to other offerings: literary, foodie, comedic, crafty and fashionable. Thanks to some well placed connections it has built a bit of a reputation as the fashionistas’ festival, and despite the distance from London the big names return year after year. It was telling that (in comparison to my adventures at Green Earth Awakening) all the people I ran into on the site were friends I know from working in fashion.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0023
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0009
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0001
I liked the mix of activities, but it took awhile to get used to the workings of this festival, where queueing is a prerequisite for popular talks and workshops (I am very bad at queues, and never more so now that I have a toddler in tow). My partner tried to hear Martin Parr speak on several occasions (about his new film, which was also showing) before we finally tracked him down on the Sunday at the Dovegrey Reader tent, where the audience could sit out on the grass (and knitting is de rigeur). Lucky then that Martin Parr was speaking so many times! And obviously taking the opportunity to snap away at this most middle class of festivals. The favourite thing I took from his talk was his admission that he takes huge amount of photos, because most of them are crap. I have always believed it’s all in the edit so it was good to hear that Martin thinks so too.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0013
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0017
I didn’t have so much luck joining an Anthropologie workshop, having arrived at the allocated time to book a class, only to find they were already full. Instead I learnt how to crochet (at last!) with Ros Badger at The Badger Sett.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0021
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0010
Plenty of authors were on hand to talk about and then sign books but I only caught small parts of many talks due to toddler demands. Viv Albertine talked very engagingly about her new book Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys which I am desperate to read (Luella Bartley spotted in the audience), and I enjoyed listening to Richard Benson talk about rural life and his new book The Valley, but not so much Gruff Rhys on his US adventures (he didn’t engage). Susie Bubble was front row for a chat with fashion designer Simone Rocha and I bought a signed copy of Babette Cole’s new children’s book, inspired by her lodger, pictured above in dreadlocks and bunny ears.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0008
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0007
In the beautiful Walled Garden the fashion set held arty sewing workshops and a catwalk show for tweenies. I admired a clever bunting made from colourful hair weaves and the dexterity of The Flower Appreciation Society, ensuring that many ladies at the festival sported beautiful real floral headdresses.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0022
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0011
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0012
Every time we tried to get to the kids’ Hullabaloo area I got lost in the winding labyrinth of paths. Once there we discovered plentiful crafty workshops, theatre productions, a bouncy castle, puppet shows and comedy. Speaking of which, I managed to contain Snarfle for long enough to hear most of Robin Ince’s genius set.

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0026
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0003
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0004
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0025
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0024
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-0014
The main house was home to displays of crocheted tea cosies, cakes, flower arrangements and scarecrows. We didn’t visit the foodie tent but admired the stage set up from afar. Instead we frequented the Hix pop up in the Orangery, with food supplied by Fortnum & Mason. It was a pricey meal but we enjoyed the incongruous silver service. Elsewhere we dined on Cornish seafood, wood fired pizza and local ice cream. Food was a definite highlight!

Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-the odd folk
Port Eliot Festival 2014 Review-love nor moneyy
Port Eliot Snarfle and Sheepie
In the early evenings Snarfle and I headed to the smallest music tent, where he jumped around to the ramshackle and rather brilliant The Odd Folk one night and electro powered drum n bass anthems from sister act Love Nor Money on the next. He is now obsessed with ‘rock guitar’ as well as banjo. Thank goodness his Sheepie doubles as a guitar/banjo/ukelele stand in.

Categories ,2014, ,Anthropologie, ,Babette Cole, ,books, ,Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys, ,comedy, ,Cornwall, ,craft, ,crochet, ,Dovegrey Reader, ,fashion, ,festival, ,Food, ,Fortnum & Mason, ,Green Earth Awakening, ,Gruff Rhys, ,Hix, ,Hullabaloo, ,knitting, ,Love Nor Money, ,Luella Bartley, ,Maia Fjord, ,Martin Parr, ,Orangery, ,Port Eliot, ,review, ,Richard Benson, ,Robin Ince, ,Ros Badger, ,Sheepie, ,Simone Rocha, ,Snarfle, ,Susie Bubble, ,The Badger Set, ,The Flower Appreciation Society, ,The Odd Folk, ,The Valley, ,viv albertine, ,Walled Garden

Similar Posts: