Melanie Miller

Hydrangea Ghost Moth, 2009 40x40cm, oil on gesso by Melanie Miller.

moth boy and bees, paintings and watercolours by Melanie Miller at Long & Ryle, 4 John Islip Street, London SW1, until 29th September. The gallery is just around the corner from Tate Britain.

Lush Designs

Those lovely ladies at Lush Designs have opened a new shop at 6a Greenwich Market, London SE10(next to the Admiral Hardy public house). I wish them lots of luck with their new venture and can't wait to come and visit. The shop is open 11-6 Monday-Friday and 10-6 on Saturdays.

Maidstone College of Art

Here is a poster, designed by Andrew Clarke for the Printmaking department of Maidstone College of Art in 1984, the year I graduated. I had transfered to the painting dept. for my final year but I kept printmaking as my secondary subject. I don't think we had a poster for the painting show! Maidstone Art College does not exist as it used to - the fine art dept. moved to Canterbury and it was all renamed Kent Institute of Art and Design. You can see more of Andrew's current work on his flickr page.

Still life

14x10cms

13x10cms

Drypoint etchings, 1984

David Austen

red-head figure looking up, watercolour on paper 10x10inches from the exhibition catalogue for David Austen: Froth on the Daydream 2005

David Austen has a show of new paintings, drawing and sculpture at the Anthony Reynolds Gallery in London until 16 June. You can read more about the show here.

Typographic love

I love the work of Lush Designs - the company was set up by 2 friends from college, they started with a stall in Greenwich market selling earrings and now produce these wonderful tea towels, adorable aprons, lovely lampshades and much more besides. I am particularly taken with their typographics.




I have always been seduced by gorgeous types which led me to thinking about where it all began.

Maria Livings of Lush Designs "I'll tell you where it all began...I was very aware of design from an early age through my mother and my grandparents. My mum gave me amongst other things books illustrated by Brian Wildsmith, the pictures are unforgettably fabulous. I loved the animated series Noggin the Nog too. I remember the design that was around during the '60s was often rather scandinavian and folky on the one hand and faux edwardian psychedelia on the other (see Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). These influences were formative - as well as the fact that I did printmaking at college. I think its interesting to make screen prints from drawings that look like a woodcut or engraving."

Andrew Clarke

Birthday card from Andrew Clarke c.1980s

Tying the knot

Wedding card for Gill and Andrew 2007

Gill, me and Andrew picnicing in the park c. 1985 Check out those cool shades guys !

I met Andrew in 1980 on the foundation art course at Hounslow Borough College (now South Thames College), we then both got into Maidstone College of Art (now Kent Institute) to study Printmaking where we met Gill, who was in the painting department. I have great memories of my time at art college - first time away from home - we had student grants and great accomodation in those days, it was a close-knit community as there were no other artistic outlets in the surrounding fields. There was a fabulous junk market once a week and plenty of pubs. We made our own entertainment (lots of parties and dancing). Like myself, Gill and Andrew have pursued other directions over the years but I am very pleased that like me they have both been getting back to artistic pursuits. I was inspired to search out some of Andrew's artwork that I knew I had kept in a safe place - huh - how many safe places can there possibly be in a person's life - it has taken all day but several boxes of papers (lots of reminiscing) and I found the stash of art cards from my former creative life !! One of my favourite things is hand-made cards and we all made them for each other in those days.