kapok 10 year anniversary

kapok, the hipster boutique lifestyle store in Hong Kong had their ten year anniversary this weekend, and they've been building up to it with a variety of events. I designed and illustrated a map for their #kapok10 anniversary launch, and they've used elements from it throughout their stores, website and social media.I've never created a map from scratch before, by which I mean that it's an imaginary place, not a real one. I was asked to create a country that embodied everything kapok stood for: creativity, fun, fashion and a truly international flavour. I could start anywhere! And of course a new country needs a crest: kapokland's features the pink dolphin of HK and their new motto: 'future classics' Here's the full map, showing an archipelago of different exotic fantasy islands, covering all seasons at once, with both tropical and arctic lands.The reverse side of the map also featured a close-up of the main town in kapokland: Kapokville. The town had shops and museums, but also global embassies, a castle and even pedalos!This is how it was used on the kapok website...They even had a stand at a local design market with fun illustrated props for customers to interact with......and also used some of the animals as a banner on facebook...I especially liked how they used details from the map on the store windows...and inside...Congratulations kapok! Here's to the next 10 years of fabulous!

tmtplaza beauty promotion

I recently designed an exclusive butterfly and peony pattern for a jewellery box for tmtplaza in Hong Kong, for their spring beauty promotion.I was asked to create something feminine and elegant, to match with this season's beauty products and cosmetics.The illustration started out as pencil sketches of peonies in pale colours, with detailed monochrome butterflies and shadows.This then gradually turned into a more colourful solid background with smaller butterflies......and I then developed the butterflies into more colourful versions, with stronger patterns and outlines. I chose a limited colour palette of pinks and greens to give the feminine feeling a contemporary twist.I tried more detailed peonies, in richer colours......but in the end it went with the paler, more loosely-drawn flowers and more fully detailed butterflies. If you spend over HK$1,500 at the mall, from 23 April, you can get my box as a VIP gift, while stocks last! Hurry!

London

This week I'm in London, admiring the lights, and loving the Chrismassy-ness of it all. Along with two of my monsters colleagues, Lynn Hatzius and David Humphries, we had a stand at the House of Illustration annual Illustrator's Christmas Fair, held in King's Cross. We sold prints and cards, and I even had some of my London Toile products.I've been admiring the wonderful Christmas windows around town, and my favourites are the glorious Fortnum and Masons...and of course Tiffanys.And the best thing about London is the choice of exhibitions, and these constructed trees by Ai Wei Wei at the Royal Academy were stunning.Can't wait for more London inspiration this week!

kapok shop window displays

I recently designed an autumn window display theme for kapok in Hong Kong. I created watercolour illustrations in shades of reds and browns for their 'into the wild' theme, featuring foliage, berries, and cute woodland animals.

I created various layouts of the illustrations for the six different store locations.

Kapok has two stand alone stores in Wanchai, one large one in PMQ in Central, and several concession stores within department stores,so they all needed slightly different treatments. I love the cube stands and little details inside the stores too...Here's to a happy Autumn!

HK toile ceramics in tree

I went to tree interiors shop in HK this week, and loved their fantastic new display of my HK toile products.Apparently the noodle bowl two-piece set is a best-seller, hurrah! Here is a sign they have showing all the different products.I especially liked this way of showing the Chinese teacups...Hope you can fit even just a little piece into your kitchens!

winter night light

I designed this wintery forest scene for a new wooden light for Thinkgadgets in London. It's available to buy in stores across the UK, and from the Spirit of Christmas. It comes in a natural wood or painted white finish and is 15" wide.It's super cute and friendly when the starry lights are shining through it!Hmmm, wonder who might like it for Christmas this year...

Kansas visit

I've just got back from a wonderful visit to Kansas. I spent a day doing a spot of teaching at Emporia State University and giving a presentation there. Here's a great poster one of the students made for my talk:I went to Lawrence, to set up a collaborative exhibition with my friends Yoonmi Nam and Katie Baldwin at the new Wonder Fair gallery downtown.We had our opening on saturday evening, which was super busy and fun!We showed our project wood + paper + box, along with a special silk-screened poster of our complete box (available to buy from Wonder Fair).We each also had space to show our own individual work. Here's mine, hung salon style.The show will be up until mid November, so please do pop in and take a look if you're nearby!

stationery set

I've collaborated with my friends Katie Baldwin and Yoomni Nam on a hand-printed paper stationery set for Wonderfair's Letter Writing Club, in Lawrence, Kansas. This is a photo of all the elements before they're packed together. I made the letter sheets with envelope, and also did the calligraphy for the top label (which Katie then screenprinted). The letter sheets are relief printed in green/gold. Here's the gold block,and the tests I printed to choose exactly the colour that would work.Here's the final set all put together. They'll be for sale at the club, and then afterwards at Wonderfair. The club meetings are held regularly, to encourage good ol' fashioned writing letters, and we'll all be attending the next one on Sunday 20th September. Hope to see you there!

summer solstice

Today is the longest day of the year, the summer solstice (for us in the northern hemisphere). This is an illustration I made for the poet Dick Russell who commissioned a set of cards for his summer and winter solstice poems. I picked elements from the poem and did a watercolour painting in summer greens...Happy Midsummer everyone!

HK toile ceramics

Here are some lovely photos of my HK toile ceramics, showing the Chinese tea time set, with rice and soup bowls, dipping plates, chopstick holders and spoons! The ceramics are available in contemporary red or traditional blue, and feature little details like egg tarts and dim sum in the middle.You can buy them directly from faux and tree in HK, along with a few other retail outlets. Sik fan!

Huntington Library

The Huntington Library, near LA, is a beautiful botanical gardens and art gallery/museum. I recently designed an exclusive toile pattern for them, to use on a variety of products to sell in their new museum store, which has just opened. This lovely paper parasol, with wooden handle, is available now!When I was commissioned for this project, I visited the gardens, took photographs and did sketches...and then designed this repeat toile featuring many of the elements I saw there. I especially loved the Japanese bridge, the rose gardens and the cactus gardens. The parasol has been featured in Romantic Homes magazine.It's available to buy in the museum store or online here. Look out for more products with this pattern, coming soon!

Pacific Place photos

The Chinese New Year decorations featuring my zodiac illustrations are now installed in the Thomas Heatherwick designed Pacific Place shopping mall in HK. In the large atrium, there are banners and lanterns, which are also featured throughout the mall. My favourite part of the installation is the glass wall of the lifts; it features my illustration on a huge scale, and looks wonderful when you travel up and down.They're also on the connecting mall walkway, over the main road,and there's a pagoda with flower maze in the lower atrium, with an illustrated rotating display and each of the zodiac animals on the outer wall. At the back of this display are some Chinese-style screens made of wood. I love the way elements from my drawn illustration have been transformed into 3D.There's a smaller pagoda also, based on my drawings, with information screens and drawings on each side. I really like the flowers on the floor!If you spend a certain amount of money while you're shopping at the mall, you can collect a special gift at this lovely kiosk.You can get two of these limited edition fine bone china dinner plates, with my zodiac illustration in a lovely repeat pattern!

And if you upload an instagram photo at the mall, you may win a pack of these wonderful pink and gold lucky fai chun.I do hope you'll go and have a look!

Waitrose Christmas

For this year's Waitrose Christmas magazine in the UK, I drew images that would be used as backdrops for the hampers special photoshoot.I created the illustrations, but as I couldn't be on location, a specialist did the physical chalk drawings onto boards on my behalf. I think they turned out pretty well! Pick up a copy in any Waitrose to see them all!

WOM dining guide

I worked on the new WOM dining guide in HK, and I really like the glossy brightness of the cover. I created an illustration about food and drink in HK, and managed to feature all my favourite buildings.As this issue is about award-winning dining, I drew all sorts of badges and awards inside, for the different categories.The awards were also given to the actual restaurants, and it was great to see this on display!

Washington Flyer

I did some nice grainy line illustrations for the magazine Washington Flyer this month. It's their holiday gift special... You can see the full issue here.It was fun to design the wallpaper pattern, and also fun to start thinking about Christmas. I love the holiday season!

open studio

Today and tomorrow I'll be at my studio in Dogpatch, San Francisco, with lots of prints for sale. I'd love to see you, please pop by! Graphic Arts Workshop, 2565 3rd St. #305 San Francisco, CA 94107.                               11am – 6pm both days.For the first time, I even have a selection of my vintage prints for sale...

It's been fun sorting through my collection, I'm looking forward to sharing!

open studios San Francisco

I'll be taking part in San Francisco's Artspan open studios next weekend: October 25 & 26th, at my print studio in Dogpatch: Graphic Arts Workshop, 2565 3rd St. #305 San Francisco, CA 94107.                               11am - 6pm both days

It's an opportunity to visit the print studio, and buy prints directly from the artists. I'll have a big selection of etchings...some lithographs, and also some Japanese woodblock prints... All available to purchase. Some work is framed, most is unframed. I'll also be selling some limited edition greetings cards. Bring along your wallets for some happy bargains!

Really hope to see you there.

River Cottage light & easy

I illustrated Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's new cookbook, which is available now, and it's lovely! The recipes are totally amazing, especially when you realise that they're gluten & dairy free. My illustrations throughout the book are drawn in colour pencil, so I could make them feel 'light and easy'... I did some little drawings to add flavour to the page...and some larger ones across whole spreads.I did some drawings around the text...and some for the text to go around.I worked with the whole Bloomsbury team, as well as Hugh, but mostly with the wonderful Lawrence Morton, who art directed the book. There is now a River Cottage youtube channel, where they feature quite a few recipes from this book. Take a look, it's really fun!

River Cottage light & easy is available from River Cottage's amazon page. And of course all good bookstores. Enjoy!

fabric bag

I got myself a little eco fabric bag to keep my computer cables in while I travel, and it seemed a bit plain, so I drew a cable monster on it. Hope he'll be able to keep my cables in order!

PMQ Hong Kong

I'm in HK at the moment, and went to visit the new Maker/Studio/Shopping location PMQ. It's super hip right now, and my toile ceramics are on sale at the TDC shop there.I'm very happy (can you tell?)...