weekend in Liverpool

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This weekend I went to Liverpool to visit some friends and see the Alice in Wonderland exhibition at the Tate Gallery. Although the Tenniel illustrations (the ones the story was originally published with) are fabulous, my favourite are those by Tove Jansson (of Moomins fame) and Mervyn Peake (author of Gormenghast). It was great to see so many original documents relating to Lewis Carroll and the original Alice.

We walked around the docks in the glorious sunshine and blue skies...and also enjoyed a drink in the amazing Philharmonic pub. I loved all the period details.

trip to Budapest

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I've just come back from a visit to Budapest, where it was chilly but clear, and very relaxing. We visited the castle and walked around the old cobbly streets. I loved the houses all in pretty colours with different architectural details...I particularly enjoyed the cake shops and cafes, especially this one, with its lovingly restored ceilings and mirrors. Heavenly!We went to different spa baths every day, and my favourite were the Rudas Baths, a spa dating back to the Ottoman era. No photo of that one unfortunately, but here's one of the Szechenyi outdoor baths.

shanghai trip

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I spent a few days in Shanghai recently, re-acquainting myself after a ten year break. Thankfully there are still some lovely old parts left...although the new and shiny is asserting itself strongly...I took photos with my LCA on black and white film, looking for the beautiful old, messy Shanghai, mysterious through the fog and cold. I missed all the old-style bicycles (everyone seems to be on electric moped thingys now), that used to be everywhere. But the food was of course as tasty as ever!Shanghai dumplings are something special, they really are...

Lane Crawford gift cards

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I've designed some festive season, electronic gift cards for Lane Crawford, the exclusive luxury department store in Hong Kong. They are the latest in their 'artist series'. There are three designs to choose from,  the first is a simple reindeer on a metallic aqua background, the second is a selection of winter holiday sketches on silver...and the third is a special Christmas gold and red version of my HK toile...(You can still buy the toile teasets at Lane Crawford by the way). Happy Christmas shopping!

coop house

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A few weekends ago I went to stay in the littlest castle you've ever seen. Well, it was actually a renovated summer house, but it's been beautifully renovated by the Landmark Trust, and it looks like a castle, so that's good enough for me...It's up near Carlisle, and the weather held out for us, so we walked in the mud, got chased by cows, and watched salmon leaping in the river. I loved the antiques that filled the house, and spent time drawing some of them. This jug is my favourite.We also went to see Hadrian's wall, and I fell in love with the land all around.

charity christmas cards

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I've designed a range of christmas cards this year for ndi moyo, a charity that provides palliative care for HIV/AIDS sufferers in Malawi. Here are some of my favourite designs. I based them all around traditional Christmas themes of baubles, gifts and trees, using African textiles and patterns to reflect the locale of the charity itself.I've done five designs, which you get in a mixed pack of twelve cards (six cards by another illustrator) with envelopes. Unfortunately you can't buy just my designs, but it all goes to charity, and the other cards are pretty interesting too! If you're thinking of getting your christmas cards soon, I hope you'll consider buying these...

Spirit of Christmas fair

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So, it's that time again. I'm working at the thinkgadgets lighting stand at the Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia in London next week (2 - 6 Nov), please come and say hello!

I've worked for thinkgadgets since it started, over 10 years ago, designing light-shapes, creating illustrations for their packaging, and doing work on their website (check out the link above). The lights are all decorative, and are usually sold in large stores, like John Lewis, Libertys, The White Co etc. But the Fair is a chance to see all the collection together!This is a drawing of one of their colourful light-chains, and here's one of my favourite light mobiles (I designed the shapes, they change colour!)I help out every year at the Christmas fair, it's great to get direct feedback from people buying lights I've designed. Hope to see you there!

just a minute

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I went to a recording of  'Just a Minute' (my favourite radio show ever) last week, at BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London. We had to wait in line for a long time, but it was worth it. Nicholas Parsons was jovial and dressed smartly in his usual stripy blazer, the panel was almost ideal: Paul Merton was droll, Jenny Eclair sharp, Ross Noble a bit obscure and crazy, and Gyles Brandreth was totally OTT. I loved it!

I used to listen to the show with my dad, when I was a child in HK, when it was broadcast on the world service on sundays. When we moved to the UK when I was 12, dad and I went to a live recording with all the original panel: Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo, Clement Freud, and my favourite, Peter Jones.

It was so amazing to see another recording, so many years later. Nicholas Parsons is still the chairman, and has been for the whole of the 45 years it's been going! Amazing...

new River Cottage TV series

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The new series of River Cottage starts tomorrow in the UK, all about vegetables, hurrah! It will feature many of the recipes from his new book (illustrated by me, by the way). I did the calligraphy for the title sequence, and one of  my vegetable prints will also be animated in the opening shots.From Sunday 15 th October, channel 4, 8pm. Enjoy!

travel photos

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I've just got my negatives back from my latest Asia trip, and here are a few photos to share...This is Taipa old village, in Macau. There are still a few tiny patches of old charm left there, if you look hard.Ritsurin Garden in Shikoku, Japan. It's listed as one of the top three, and was calm, orderly and very green, with delightful koi and picturesque red bridges.Sayabashi bridge in Kotohira. We went to climb the mountain to Kompira san here, a famous pilgrimage temple & shrine. More photos on the way, but hope you like these in the meantime!