Big MAGIC

I have been working with Heartbreak Publishing who have produced three colourways of my MAGIC print as large scale screenprints with spot varnishes and diamond dust. I must say they look rather good, thanks to Coriander Studio.

The print will be launched at Heartbreak on Wednesday 16th November.

Magic (Blue)

Limited Edition Silkscreen Print with Diamond Dust

Paper size: 103 x 71 cm / Image size: 93 x 60 cm
Published in 2011
Paper: 410gsm Somerset Tub sized paper
Edition size: 35

The Heroic Book of Failures

I was commissioned by Faber and Faber to illustrate the cover of 'The Heroic Book of Failures' by Stephen Pile. 

New ANIMAL prints

I have just completed a set of nine, 2/3 colour Lino print on Accent smooth 135gsm off white paper.

Limited edition of 100, signed, numbered and dated.

Paper size 21x21cm Image size 17x17cm

£45 each available here;http://generalpattern.bigcartel.com/

West(Ham)field Stratford City

I am ashamed to admit I have been to the new Westfield Shopping centre three times so far. I went today after picking my son up from school because I wanted to show him the Olympic Park from the drive to the car park and from the viewing point on the third floor in John Lewis.
I also wanted to show him the amazing collection of London photographs in The Getty Images Gallery.
You can see a slide show of the photographs here but you really need to go and see them in the flesh and at large scale to truly get transported through time.
One of my favourite images was the one shown above, noticing it was missing from todays visit I asked where it had gone.
"We had to remove it due to complaints"
"Complaints?" I queried "Why?"
"Because everyone around here is a West Ham fan and they all objected."
.... Crazy eh?

Shiny Touch Farm

The 4th August sees the publication of my second book 'Shiny Touch FARM' published by Walker Books

Shiny Touch Farm is an eye-catching book for babies that explores animals through graphic patterns in a simple, contrasting and novel way that is perfect for young babies who are just beginning to develop their visual skills. Each animal is presented boldly on its own and as a part of a fascinating pattern, introducing rich texture and quality art to the very young.

Publication details:

Format: Board Book

ISBN: 9781406320565

Published: 04 Aug 2011

Price: £4.99

Size: 180 x 180 mm

Pages: 16

iphone portraits

I have a brilliant new hobby..... drawing my friends with an app on my iphone called Artstudio.

I never thought drawing with ones finger on a tiny screen could be so much fun. The portraits are shown in order from my first to latest, I think I'm improving.

New Prints at PULSE

I am showing some new prints at PULSE until 7th June. It has been good fun and I have met some really nice folk, existing customers, new customers and fellow designers. Below are some of the new prints which are available here.

Peep Through SHAPES

Next week sees the publication of my book SHAPES published by Walker Books
SHAPES- A visually stunning introduction to shapes for babies.
This bold, eye-catching board book explores shapes through graphic patterns in a simple, contrasting and novel way that is perfect for the youngest babies who are just beginning to develop their visual skills. Each shape is introduced as a part of a fascinating pattern and has holes in the pages to inspire interactivity.

Down to Margate

I went down to Margate to visit the new Turner Contemporary musuem. From the outside not a great building in my ever so humble, but once inside its a fantastic space.

The current exhibition centres on Turner’s painting The Eruption of the Souffrier Mountains, in the Island of St Vincent, at Midnight, on the 30th of April, 1812. (pictured above)

The six contemporary artists in the exhibition work in the same spirit of enquiry, invention and interest in the natural world that flourished during Turner’s lifetime. Just as Turner explored nature in paint and colour, so these contemporary artists play at the borders between what we can see and know and the truly fantastic. Four of the artists have made new work for the opening of Turner Contemporary. Like Turner, their work responds to the special setting of the gallery in Margate, on the North Kent coast.

Conrad Shawcross is fascinated by science and philosophy, and his work evokes the forces governing the universe. His dramatic new installation draws together a number of threads evident in his practice. A suspended rotating light sculpture fills the gallery with shadows from a large bronze ‘tree’ sculpture, taking the form of a sound wave from a harmonic chord that appears to grow from the gallery floor.

The museum shop is pretty good too but the 14,000 visitors who attended on the first day (they were only expecting 5,000) seemed to have left gaps in the shelves. I was very pleased to see a nice selection of Art Angels cards, my ABSENCE design being one of them.

A couple of days earlier in a charity shop I was lucky enough to scoop an original box of 24 rings of PLAYPLAX so it was great to find in the Turner Contemporary shop a newly reissued box.

Invented by Patrick Rylands in 1966, PlayPlax went on to sell over a million copies. 

Patrick was an art student when he first came up with the concept of these brilliant interlocking squares. PlayPlax is in the permanent collection of the V & A and demonstrates perfectly that the best toys are the simplest. 

HELP!

I am looking for some help. I need what I believe they call these days an 'Intern'. An illustration or printmaking student, or recent graduate would be great, but I definitely need someone who is keen and willing to learn. I need help with framing, printing, delivering, sending out orders and generally mucking in to the everyday tasks of my studio. I also may need help every now and then manning my stall at Designers Makers Market E8.

The work would be varied, sometimes monotonous, sometimes not but I think a good opportunity for the right person to learn and hopefully have fun!

Hours and remuneration are negotiable.

Please email a C.V and covering letter to me; james@generalpattern.net

Chats Palace art auction

Chats Palace is a brilliant arts and community space in Homerton, Hackney. They are holding an art auction on the 31st March at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green raising money for their 2011/12 arts programmes for children and families in Hackney.

Artist contributing include Cornelia Parker, Gavin Turk, Tom Hunter, Stephen Gill, Gayle Chong Kwan, Gideon Mendel, Laure Prouvost, Cedric Christie, Eva Rothschild, Pascal Rousson, Alex Hudson, Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey, Shane Bradford, Graeme Miller, Tim Betjeman, Perienne Christian, Bobby Lloyd, Greg Rook, David Fryer, Jeff McMillan, John Smith, Miranda Pennell, Colin O’Brien, Brighid Lowe, Delia Woodman, D J Roberts and Sandra Blow amongst others.

I have created this very limited edition print (only 5), please come down to the childhood museum on the 31st.