Newsletter Archive

Tarot cards in February Feeling light and very airy Because we've chucked extraneous stuff Art and kids are central and they're enough ... Comfy end-of-winter slippers... …morning coffee... …and messy hair (actually this is tumbleweed based on Leonardo da Vinci's moving grass)... ...which

The India edit You'll know when you've read it Pink that is silvered Palaces mirrored Marbled Mahal Held me in thrall Taj and Rajputana Red sandstone kitabkhana Teaching sunrise and sunset  (More to come but not yet) Watching my belly As we land in Delhi... ...Iconic India: yes, part of the deal

Books and lights Light reading of the Nights Pointe shoes and ice creams Oast houses and ad dreams Axolotls and animals, the Conference of the Birds Giraffes, a Cyberdog and, although not preferred, Interest goes down but up goes the rent That's summer in England and London and Kent... ...T

May grey June gloom That's not to say All is doom Things still in play See you soon... ...lots of play and new things happening, and I'm still in the process of sorting it all out. I'll share when it's time, and in the meantime, above is an array of some of the Islamic book covers I make in

For Patrik's pen cases that you pull And tummies that are pleasantly full  For inks that are ordinary And tricks extraordinary Let's go to Bologna It's also not long now Till the Court of Gayumars is done Then there'll be prints for everyone  Lots of books Have a look Lots of clockses And magic box

A boy and a lamp Genies that float Pantomime camp And an infamous quote "If you love art, folly or the bright eyes of a child* Speed to Pollocks" - Mr RL Stevenson smiled Christmas is silliness Venice and circus  Also serious plays Which are all in a day  A merry mash-up but hey  That's the toy thea

This was a summer of Blue (A month of sunshine, it's true) Making books, seeing shows Climate change is real, don't you know Playing with tjantings  Reading Silent Spring Autumn's here all too soon And India's now on the Moon... ...Water, water, all around, and not a drop to drink (let's h

Lovers Of book covers Will find herein delight For the others (And little brothers) Copper shining in the light Let your heart expand and swell when you dwell On late spring blossoms, paintings, books and shells...   ...Here's the first shell, an homage to the humble cowrie shell that is s

Books and leather and tools arranged And theatres and shows and jars that are strange If you scroll to the end Hop a carpet, my friend To another Shahrazad exchange... ...[whistled to the tune of Disney's Aladdin opening theme song Arabian Nights]... Now let's open the book... ...this is the

My Memory Palace of 1001 Nights And many more strange and wondrous sights For October revealed With copper that's been annealed Toy theatre goes to new heights Snug as a bug In a cheerful rug Intense jewel colours that glow Research and homeschool Japanese joins that are so cool In some of London's

January was cold and felt mean and clean I'm looking forward to feeling serene From Kensal to Bethnal Thinking environmental Now we're settling in all kinds of Green ... A last January fire... …and a house cooling period as I changed my diary (and my abode), experimenting with different formats

Andy Pandy Jacarandy In the Milky Way Goodbye I say Sunset Thames Till we meet again Let you melt free And hello Delhi... ...A universe and stars. The Milky Way as part of my scroll. Light bleeding into dark. Candour ends paranoia. Andy loved Allan Ginsberg and even met him. Andy and I often com

Fire, fountains, ice and moon poo Miniatures, mermaids and Barbie too Torsos, dancing, painting and pink And Ken is having a coffee, I think... ...This is a Fire painting I started. Here's the gilding process: first paint on the gold size... ...gild... …let dry then burnish for shine. Here I'v

Gayumars done, and what a feat  I think I now deserve a treat More deadlines in May, more to be done So just for now I'll stall the fun And keep this letter short and sweet... ...this is it, in full technicolour with the iPhone only... ...(and here are all my lovely colours, collected over

If midwinter is getting you down I'll share some heat from the tropics Let teak and palms make you feel calm Enjoy turquoise island hot pics Bright colours and lights also work as a balm And look ahead to fun future topics... ...Let the green sea of heaven be a balm for you, found somewhere

Halloween scenes Prazmari dreams Pumpkins that are yoked And dragons that smoke A brush that's a peacock I'm watching the clock Aladdin is done By Christmas it should come...  ...introducing the new Peacock Brush from The Perfect Brush!... ...Two types: Eye: the round eye and the symmetrical c

July did fly by And we did tie dye Thinking about blue in the rain A Book of Hours in a day Some reptilian play Chinese type and to Wales on the train... ...It was a rare privilege to be able to apportion my time in a 24 hour period and think like a monk. Here are all the paintings across

April's news comes around Beltane A little late (please don't complain) It's already May but don't dismay There are still many things to display To keep you up with my endeavours I say better late than never... ... Most pressing news first, as the news in question happens tomorrow! Or in a few h

January Twenty Twenty Three Slippers and scarves and oh dear me The rising cost of energy Time for candles, hot soup and warm tea The Year of the Water Rabbit brings longevity We're hoping for peace and prosperity And over in the Land of Eternal Spring In the Fortunate Isles, Paradise brings Us iso

Back to school Some new oil tools Theatres of paper Childhood escapers Let's head downstairs See some gallery shares London and Kassel A pleasure, not a hassle Some rooms and a corridor In October, there'll be more... ...Let's go downstairs at Pollock's Toy Museum in Fitzrovia to see what I'm d

December downsize Perhaps you've surmised We are moving And always improving To a small little flat East London's where it's at We'll be lean, mean and clean Curated and green I'm super keen To be back in Bethnal Green... ...It feels like a goodbye to West London and to all my experiences there (A

Prints and books and desert nights Sandy futures and empty flights To start with  Some artists And art throughout As we're moving out Art at the bottom Shops I haven't forgotten A goodbye moon See you soon... ...Launched: It's HERE: the print of A Recreation of The Court of Gayumars is re

Fiery summer has come Theatrical interludes are fun Read 1001 Nights, please And enjoy the... fleas... ...The 1001 Nights reading group starts in July... ...This is it:  1001 Nights: An Achievable Artistic Reading Project for the Arabian Nights Nights 1-31 £31 per month Each week in class we d

Toy theatres, trick boxes and a magic ink or two  I've seen a few good shows and will now share them with you  Books and sculptures and hair Arches, circles and stairs Lots of inspiration for your pleasure here to view... ...Above is my ALADDIN toy theatre proscenium coloured with non-toxic in

The in-between Christmas and New Year Lull  Does not have to be necessarily Dull  Play with your Toy Theatres Things aren't as they appear at first In mazes, shell grottoes, old films and old skulls... ...What do you do in the lull between Christmas and New Year, this strange time-out-of-tim

Inspiration has flowed I'm in toy theatre mode (Seeing lots in my London abode But not in my own postcode) Islands and saris Lots of little Prazmaris Chance butterflies in Tottenham Court Road... ...Hokusai-wearing husband is holding a finished painting against a gold, gold, gold frame (mor

Play and rest Books are best Interspersed with inspiration Follies and theatrical Architectural creation July is a great time to play Summer painting event Wondering where time went And how it was spent A Book of Hours in a single day From a day to many years Intergenerational cheers Chi

Books and more books and a carpet page spree Some options to choose from; namely, three A book of carpet motifs, an e-course in analytic style Immerse yourself in patterns and let them beguile, And finally a live class, the first cohort's in May TALES classes are also here to stay Spring shifts to w

A tinselled star of the show A sparkly Shahrazad who knows End of year exhibitions And Carpet Pages QR 'commissions' Toy theatres and lots of toys Fountain heads and fountain boys Children's hair Castles in the air Research into books Deep engrossing looks 101 Important Things What wonders will 2023

The world's largest Biennale which we've seen l'll take you for some lèche-vitrines En novembre, c'est Venise Then more London, if you please Till the end of the month there's time for birds We finish the feathered then move on to the furred Last postage dates Please don't wait Business and pleasure