All Things Considered

A First Book Of Nature
Posted by Simon Lewin

The postman arrived with a very welcome package from Walker Books last week - a preview copy of 'A First Book Of Nature' by Nicola Davies which is illustrated throughout by Mark Hearld.

Over the last couple of years Mark had shown us various spreads from the book whilst he was working on the project - it really was a mammoth task.

A few words from Waterstones about the book...

"This is an exquisite book that evokes a child's first experience of nature. From beach combing to stargazing, from watching squirrels, ducks and worms to making berry crumble or a winter bird feast, this is a remarkable book - part poetry, part scrapbook of recipes, facts and fragments - and a glorious reminder that the natural world is on our doorstep waiting to be discovered."

The book is published in May but can be pre-ordered now from Waterstones and Amazon.

Mark will be exhibiting original artwork from the book in London in May - and he'll then be joining Angie Lewin and Emily Sutton for our next St. Jude's In The City exhibition - also in London. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter if you'd like to receive details nearer the time.

And we'll soon be announcing details of 'Harvest Hare', Mark's first wallpaper for St. Jude's. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for details.

All photographs below by Simon Lewin.

All photographs by Simon Lewin.

Posted by Simon Lewin on February 21st, 2012

An Alphabet of London
Posted by Angie Lewin

We've had the pleasure of working with printmaker Christopher Brown for a number of years now.

And we recently received a copy of Chris' new book, published by Merrell in early March.

In An Alphabet of London, Chris presents a series of linocuts illustrating every aspect of London past and present, including personalities, buildings, monuments, legends, historic events and other metropolitan icons. From Dickens, Dr Johnson, Tower Bridge and the Shard to the Diamond Jubilee, Wimbledon, pigeons and jellied eels, all London life is here. A born-and-bred Londoner, Chris also recounts his own memories of growing up in the capital, and also describes how he creates his distinctive limited edition prints.

View further images from the book or order a copy online.

Posted by Angie Lewin on February 18th, 2012

Naomi Mitchison
Posted by Angie Lewin

Simon and I took a trip to the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh last week.

One of our favourite images was this painting of Naomi Mitchison by Wyndham Lewis.

Naomi Mitchison was a novelist, poet and passionate campaigner for social justice and women's rights. Born in Edinburgh, Mitchison's first novel was published in 1923, when she was twenty-six and she went on to write over seventy books during her lifetime.

Find out about more about the National Portrait Gallery's renovation.

Posted by Angie Lewin on February 11th, 2012

Drawing At The Museum
Posted by Angie Lewin

Choosing just one bird to inspire a print for the recent Ghosts of Gone Birds exhibition from the long list of sadly extinct exotic species was difficult. I chose the Double-banded Argus whose sole relic is a single feather at the Natural History Museum in Tring. It's now thought that this bird may never have existed at all, the unique feather being a mutation of that of a living species of argus.

This, to me, made the feather seem more precious and poignant so on a cold, frosty morning I travelled up from London to the museum to make some preparatory sketches for my wood engraving Drawing at the Museum. As I drew at a desk by the window surrounded by rows of cabinets of preserved birds, I was struck by the contrast with the lively blackbirds hopping from branch to branch in the winter trees in the grounds outside.

Posted by Angie Lewin on February 3rd, 2012

Rob Ryan’s Valentine’s print
Posted by Simon Lewin

We're pleased to announce the availability of Rob Ryan's 2012 Valentine's print.

The text on this two colour screen print reads...

"All of the thoughts that I have held inside me ever since I was very small, silly fancies, grandiose ideas and embarrassing and happy and silly dreams that were always just mine and mine alone.

Could I share with you, and you alone, everything that lives inside my heart and my head that I have never shared with anyone but myself all of the years I have lived so far until now."

Purchase a copy of this limited edition print.

Posted by Simon Lewin on January 29th, 2012

The Curwen Studio
Posted by Angie Lewin

Although most of my prints are linocuts and wood engraving which I draw, cut and print on my own press in the studio, certain images might develop which are better suited to lithography and screen printing.

An example would be Festival Mug (below) which has areas of shading and tone that would be hard to achieve with relief printing methods.

This is one of the prints that I've had the pleasure of working on at The Curwen Studio in Cambridgeshire. Founded in 1958 the studio has now worked with artists including John Piper, Edward Bawden, Graham Sutherland, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Michael Rothenstein and Paula Rego.

Yesterday BBC Radio 4 broadcast a programme about Stanley Jones (master lithographer of the Curwen Studio) that captured the special quality of this highly-regarded print studio.

Artist Susan Aldworth - whilst working on her own prints - interviewed Stanley, revealing his longstanding devotion to lithography and also perfectly describing the inspiring, challenging relationship between artist and skilled printer. It's making me impatient to be back there!

You can listen to the programme over at the BBC Radio 4 website.

Posted by Angie Lewin on January 18th, 2012

Randall’s Folly, Salthouse
Posted by Simon Lewin

We recently commissioned Ed Kluz to create this collage/painting of a long lost landmark of the North Norfolk coast.

Randall's Folly (also known as Great Eye Folly) was originally built by Onesiphorous Randall in the 19th century but was seriously damaged by the great floods of 1953. 

The novelist Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978) rented the folly in Salthouse from 1950 to 1951.

She describes her first impressions of the folly in a letter to Alyse Gregory - written in 1950 (courtesy of Literary Norfolk)

"...I think Valentine will have told you about the Great Eye Folly. I have the oddest impressions of it, since we were only there for about fifteen minutes, and conversing all the time with its owners. But the first five of those minutes were enough to enchant me. It is the sort of house one tells oneself to sleep with, and sometimes I almost suppose that it is really one of my dream-houses, and no such solid little assertion of the rectangle breaks the long sky-line of salt-marsh and sea."

Find out more about the folly from the Salthouse History website.

Ed is currently working on a new fabric for us - the follow up to his Painswick design.

Posted by Simon Lewin on January 11th, 2012

Ben Bryden
Posted by Simon Lewin

Now living in New York, saxophonist and composer Ben Bryden is back in Scotland for an appearance in Edinburgh on Saturday night.

Ben has collaborated with poet Rab Wilson on 1957 Flying Scot, a book and CD set celebrating Glasgow's great heritage of building high quality racing and touring bicycles. The eponymous marque was once the dream and aspiration of many working class boys in Scotland. They were incredibly expensive, exotic and desirable objects in their day.

Rab's sonnets feature both in the book and read on one of the CDs. The second CD features music inspired by the work, composed and performed by Ben.

The book and CD set is illustrated throughout by Hugh Bryden and published by his Roncadora Press.

On Saturday 7th January 2012, Rab and Ben will launch the edition from 7pm at Ronde Cycle Café, 66-68 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5AZ.

Whilst in New York, Ben also collaborates with fellow tenor saxophonist Steven Delannoye on the Bright Noise project.

An EP of new material has just been released, with an illustrated sleeve by our mutual friend Jonny Hannah. Full details via Ben's website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on January 6th, 2012

Ronald Searle
Posted by Simon Lewin

We were sorry to hear that illustrator/cartoonist Ronald Searle, perhaps best known for his St. Trinian's girls' school creations, passed away on 30th December 2011 at the age of 91.

Here's one of his cover illustrations for The New Yorker.

Posted by Simon Lewin on January 3rd, 2012

Rob Ryan’s Christmas window
Posted by Angie Lewin

Something I'd meant to write about before Christmas is this brilliant window display that Rob Ryan has created for Coutts Bank at 440 Strand - opposite Charing Cross station.

The window has been created to raise fund for Kids Company. There will be an auction of the stuffed elephant, doll's house and rocking horse that form part of the display. But you can also make a £5 donation to Kids Company by texting KIDS HELP to 70700.

Posted by Angie Lewin on December 30th, 2011