My FaceBook Page

Just added this as the header image for my professional artist FaceBook page.  I created the image whilst sitting at my stall during a craft fair. 

Click the image to head to my FB page

Idiom and Colloquial expressions from the Print

Mind your 'p's and 'q's.

Out of sorts.

The wrong end of the stick.

Type and Museums

I spent many a happy hour composing type at the London College of Communication and enjoyed a truly amazing visit to the Type Museum in London during my (mature) students at the University of the Arts London.

Today, I spent more fascinating, informative and enjoyable hours at the Jarrold Printing Museum in Norwich.

Many sincere thanks to the team of volunteers for sharing invaluable knowledge and experience with myself and my group of students.  The group gained an in-depth insight into Print history; the lithographic printing process; letter press techniques; type casting machines; printing presses; bookbinding and the story of Jarrolds.

Fascinating.

Warmest thanks go to:
John Hutchinson
John Rumball
Duncan McEwan
Fred Stubbs
William Feigh

and to members of the team who I have not mentioned by name - solely because the afternoon was packed with activity and I did not get to ask the names of all the staff that I met.
 

Playing with clay

Once I had seen the wild sculptures of the Gert and Uwe Tobias, I became inspired to get out the DAS air drying clay that I bought...well, a long while ago...and get making in 3D.

I attended pottery classes in Castle Hedingham, Essex as a child and loved making with clay.  Since then, I have taught classes in making with clay but not made my own work.  I had great fun!

Here are the results of foray number one:

Inspiration Monday: Whitechapel Art Gallery

Inspired by the wild, colourful and inventive work of the Tobias twins, macro photography of natural forms by a scientist and a room full of unconventional portrait works, I feel I have to recommend the Whitechapel Arts Gallery to those readers in, around, or visiting London.

The gallery has long been a favourite haunt whilst living, studying and now visiting London as the team curates diverse, wonderfully exhibited exhibitions in a fantastic building with a great cafe and bookshop and it is FREE!

Also in the vicinity and of interest are:

Toynbee Studios Artsbar and Café
The Womens' Library (just found out this has moved to LSE but still well worth a visit)
Atlantis Art Supplies
Whitechapel Bell Foundry

...and of course Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market!

Here is an image of the twins work

(for some inexplicable reason, I have, to date, viewed the Tobias' work as if it were made by one male and one female twin - and it turns out they are both male.  Therein lies another discussion about knowledge of the background and context to artwork versus ignorant response!)

I have been knitting...

I have enjoyed knitting these two lovely infinity scarves - one for myself and one as a gift.

I created them to my own pattern (made up as I went along!) using beautiful mohair wool and odd pins needles.

Photography by M C Pullen

Forty

I have embarked upon an enjoyable and absorbing stitch project to celebrate Forty.

Here is a sneak preview of the work in progress...

Handmade Wedding

I spent many enjoyable hours in the autumn designing and making for this Spring wedding.  Bespoke invitations hand bound with ribbon; a sixties style dress hand made using my favourite Liberty fabric; bouquets created with flowers sources from a local wholesale florist; a ring box using oyster shells from the beach on a local island; menu and place setting cards with hand written wedding logo; and button holes for the groom, Father of the Bride and Best Man.

image by Justine Ferrari

image by Justine Ferrari

image by Justine Ferrari