All Things Considered

Ravilious in Essex
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends at the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden are part way through their Ravilious in Essex exhibition of 18 watercolours of Essex created by Eric Ravilious and brought together specially for this exhibition from private owners and galleries throughout the country. It complements the illustrated book 'Ravilious in Pictures: A Country Life' published by Mainstone Press.

On Wednesday 13th July 2011, the book's author, James Russell, will be giving a talk at the Friends Meeting House, High Street, Saffron Walden at 7.30pm - tickets £6 on the door.

The exhibition continues until 14th August 2011.

Posted by Simon Lewin on June 15th, 2011

On Nature
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends at Caught By The River publish the follow up to their eponymously titled collection of words on water.

On Nature is a hardback book published by Harper Collins featuring contributions from some of the site’s regular contributors alongside a host of new names.

In it, you’ll find the likes of Chris Yates, Stuart Maconie, Tracey Thorn, John Andrews, Richard King, Dan Kieran, Michael Smith, Ian Vince, Martin Noble, Jon Berry. Colin Elford, Mark Dredge, Dexter Petley, Ceri Levy, Nick Small, Nick Hand, Sarah Boden, John Wright and others waxing passionately about all aspects of the British countryside.

The book is illustrated by Jon McNaught - we feature Jon's screenprints over at our online print store and he'll be contributing to our journal Random Spectacular which we publish later this year.

The book is published on 23rd June 2011 but pre-orders for signed copies are being taken now via the Caught By The River store.

Posted by Simon Lewin on June 8th, 2011

About Britain No. 2
Posted by Simon Lewin

Here's the second in the "About Britain" series of books published for the Festival of Britain office in 1951.

'Wessex' features a title page illustrated by Kenneth Rowntree. I've also included a rather striking image of a swanherd.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 22nd, 2011

About Britain No. 1
Posted by Simon Lewin

It seems an appropriate year to give an airing the various pieces of Festival of Britain ephemera which are dotted around the house.

I thought I'd start with the covers of the thirteen "About Britain" books published in 1951 with their coloured title pages, illustrated by artists including Barbara Jones and Kenneth Rowntree.

We love the spirit of this little guides:

"Not everyone has ten shillings or fifteen shillings to spend on a fat topographical volume. Here are 94 pages of lively matter including upwards of 50 illustrations for a reasonable price."

I'll post the remaining twelve in the series over the next few weeks.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 18th, 2011

The Rialto
Posted by Simon Lewin

Very pleased that another St. Jude's artist is gracing the cover of The Rialto.

Jonathan Gibbs joins Angie Lewin, Mark Hearld and Penny Bhadresa as cover artists for the UK’s leading independent poetry magazine.

The Rialto magazine was set up in 1984 by Michael Mackmin and John Wakeman. The first issue that autumn had poems in it by Margaret Atwood, George Barker, Gavin Ewart and Miroslav Holub, and four poems by a then not so well known Carol Ann Duffy. The editors set out to be deliberately eclectic and to promote what John called a ‘republic of poetry’.

Jonathan Gibbs is Head of Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art and we'll be launching his first fabric for St. Jude's, Herring Moon, in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, you can view a selection of his limited edition wood engravings over at our print store.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 5th, 2011

Fenwomen
Posted by Simon Lewin

Caught By The River have just published Ken Worpole's review of  'Fenwomen - A Portrait Of Women In An English Village' by Mary Chamberlain with photographs by Justin Partyka, published by Full Circle Editions.

"This handsome new edition from East Anglian publisher, Full Circle Editions, contains a vibrant and colourful photo-essay of contemporary life in the village by acclaimed photographer Justin Partyka. This gives the new edition a particular resonance to today’s Fenland inhabitants, who will recognise modern village life in these images, though they stand in some contrast to the life described in the original interviews. The photographs – some peopled, some wholly concerned with the arable landscape, the drains and ditches and the large skies – are finely composed and atmospheric, yet they also raise unresolved questions about how to represent the human presence in the landscape without seeming too super-realist, too Martin Parr."

Read the review in full or view more of Justin Partyka's work.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 1st, 2011

Evening Star
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends at Old Town recently published issue no. 4 of their Evening Star newspaper. The hard copies of this and previous issues are no longer available but you can view all four issues online.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 1st, 2011

Angie Lewin – Plants and Places
Posted by Simon Lewin

Published by Merrell, Plants and Places presents over 70 of Angie's beautifully crafted linocuts and wood engravings. The works are grouped according to habitat – such as coast, woodland and hedgerow, and garden – together with drawings, paintings and collages from her sketchbooks of grasses, seed pods, seaweed, shells and other objects collected on her walks.

In an engaging introduction, Leslie Geddes-Brown meets Angie in her studio, discusses her artistic inspiration and her fascination with plants, and describes how she creates her prints. Order online from Amazon

Posted by Simon Lewin on January 18th, 2011

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Posted by Simon Lewin

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde with 8 illustrations by Angela Barrett is published by Hand and Eye Editions. Few and Far will host the launch of this book on November 17th 2010, 10am-7pm, when Angela will be available for signings.

Few & Far, 242 Brompton Road, London SW3 2BB. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sundays 12pm to 5pm. www.fewandfar.net

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 15th, 2010

Ed Kluz & Little Toller Books
Posted by Simon Lewin

Here's a wonderful collage by Ed Kluz, commissioned by Little Toller Books for the cover of The Journal of a Disappointed Man.

They've been using some great images for the covers of their classics of nature writing and rural life. View the series online

Ed Kluz will be exhibiting a series of new collages at our St. Jude's In The City exhibition opening at the Bankside Gallery (next to Tate Modern) next week.

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 2nd, 2010