Snow days:

'New' books

I've re-made two books. The Ornithologist was my first ever book, a lino print 'beak book' - the original printed painstakingly by hand and left to dry on the kitchen floor. Now I have a press at the studio, and I've re-jigged it as a concertina with hard covers, in an edition of 25.

'Sometimes I Dance Around the House on my Own' was made from a series of drawings based on photographs that I took using Photo Booth on my laptop in late 2008. I made about ten copies of the original which was printed as single sheets, Japanese bound. I was always rather fond of it, but it was quite a flimsy book, and for ages I've meant to make a studier version. This is still a work in progress, as I haven't finished the belly bands yet, but I've printed it as a concertina, and hand-finished the cloth covers. I've a feeling this will be an edition of 10, and I'll make a half-sized version, as this unfolds to 160cm long.

I drew some feathers

Bird Women photos

White Night- Brighton

I never knew how much fun soldering would be- we made interactive LED badges at the Skiff workshop; projected my 'pigeon eating cat' animation on the wall of the library, and took part in 'enlightenment' life drawing in the dark. Plus plenty of exhibitions, day of the dead processions and impromptu opera from a theatre window...

PORTRAIT Exhibition, Conquest Hospital

This exhibition is up for a couple more weeks, until 14th November. Open daily, 9.30am- 5.30pm. (Main entrance, turn right). I'm showing a number of new paintings, in junk shop frames.

Big Draw at Hastings Museum

An event I ran last weekend at the Museum last weekend to tie-in with the Hastings Rarities Affair exhibition. Children made or decorated birds to fill the tree I'd painted on the window.

Recently on Hastings promenade...

Rost: Licht- illuminated installation to mark the end of Coastal Currents 2010.

Followed less than two weeks later by the burning of the pier.

(Click HERE for a link to our Creative Coasters blog for the Hastings Observer, and my piece on the pier, last week.)

PORTRAIT Exhibition, Arts in Healthcare at Conquest Hospital- open 9th September

Hastings Rarities Affair prep:

For the exhibition at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in September- for more info see: http://www.hmag.org.uk/calendar/551.aspx (which includes the great photo taken by the Lambie Brothers, out at Winchelsea).

Christina, Ed & I at Handmade & Bound

Handmade & Bound goes to the seaside

This Sunday (4th July) Ed Boxall, Christina Borsi and I will be heading to Whitstable to take part in the Handmade & Bound artists' books fair. More info at: www.handmadeandbound.com

It falls on the last day of the Whitstable Biennale, so there's loads to do and see.

We're going to be at: St. Marys Hall, Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1DD.

11am-5pm FREE ENTRY.

Eric today- sat on my lap while I work.

New book:

Hand-printed lino concertina, edition of 10. Currently on show at White Heat, Kaleid Editions, Shoreditch.

An unexpected visitor

House of Hastings

We've taken on a new space within the House of Hastings- an empty shop on Queens Road- as our festival HQ for Coastal Currents this year. Yesterday was the launch, and my hand-printed lino pigeon wallpaper is currently on show.

Paper Art See- Rye Art Gallery

From next Saturday 22nd May- I'm showing my books 'Bird Woman' (the original, hand-drawn concertina, and facsimiles as an edition of ten), and 'Every Tree, Hedgerow & Parlour'. Also six original drawings, and a selection of new lino print cards.

Behind the Cutter news

This Sunday is Vintage Tea & Sale at Eat@ Cafe, Claremont, Hastings 10am- 4pm. I'm selling cards (see above) & books.

From next Saturday 22nd May is the Paper Arts See exhibition at Rye Art Gallery- I'm showing my original Bird Woman Book plus a limited edition of facsimile versions (to include porcelain bird skulls). Also original framed drawings, and a selections of small books and lino print cards. Further info: http://www.ryeartgallery.co.uk

Also exhibiting at Kaleid Editions, Shoreditch, EC1:

WHITE HEAT Artists’ Books, 2 - 27 June 2010
The penultimate show at KALEID project space, Redchurch Street, London E2; an exhibition of editioned artists’ books curated by Victoria Browne and Dr. Aylin Kunter.
“...in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices or for outdated methods...” Harold Wilson in 1963 laying forth an ambitious agenda that called into question values of family, work, education, male-female relations, sexuality, urbanism, science, technology and progress.
Taking inspiration from this period, KALEID will be subject to, and an object of ‘white heat’ as a beacon of light to illuminate a brave new collection of artists’ books; in order to represent our mood, ideas and the spirit of our time.

My book 'The Pigeon in the Future', inspired by bird breeding manuals of the 1960s, will be considering the absurd, or unlikely possibility of the role of the pigeon in the development of society.

Nesting gulls on the Cutter roof