Tiles installed at St James Mews

This Spring is going to be SO exciting, two of my HUGE public art projects are gradually being installed and It's SUCH a delight to see all the hard work come to life. Here's the tiles I created for St James Mews in Charfield.

After EXTENSIVE research, and a lovely community outreach project at the local school (more info here) I decided to create all the work for the development about the local diverse birdlife. There are four of these tiles creating a repeat pattern and featuring the same cherry tree branch. Each tile reflects the changing seasons and depicts the birds you're likely to find on the development at that time of year.

There's MUCH more to be installed including weather vanes, paving and sculptures so stay tuned!...

HUGE thanks to the brilliant London Mouldmakers for all their hard work and (as always) the lovely Emma from Studio Response for such a great commission x

Visit to Scribble Stone

Hello you!

I had THE BEST visit to my favourite fabricators Scribble Stone on Wednesday with my mentee on the project (the BRILLIANT Ross Bennett). They are making my 6 way marker pillars and 2 LARGE paving slabs ready for the Barrett Development and new country park in Laverstock near Salisbury.

They are all inspired by Medieval Tiles found in the area and reflect the contemporary flora and fauna that will be found in the area. I'm SO SO happy with how they're looking and excited to see them installed later this Spring.

I hand draw all the designs (both the cut outs of the two stones AND the hand drawn details) then have them converted to vectors by the WONDERFUL Josh. These files then go to Scribble Stone, who use a powerful water jet machine linked to a computer to cut along my drawn lines in the two coloured stones. These are then slotted together and glued. The final part of the process is sandblasting the hand drawn detail. (My drawing is fed into a plotter which cuts out a adhesive mask ready to protect the areas that won't have the sand blast detail.)

I have tried to simply explain how this process works but in reality the team at Scribble Stone are INCREDIBLE as it's FAR more complicated. We have worked together on multiple projects and I am ALWAYS asking them to achieve things that shouldn't really be possible (just look at how narrow the bud stem on the poppy design is!!) They are a dream to work with and help me to achieve EXACTLY what I have in my head.

That's all for now A MOUNTAIN of work to do today!!!

Have a LOVELY week and I'll be back soon x

Walworth hoardings

Hello all!

Cor what a week, I've had a LOVELY new rush job in for Waitrose, finished off the final designs for Charbonnel et Walker's new packaging, worked on the projects for Coworth Park AND... my 95 meters of illustrated hoardings surrounding Walworth Town Hall have now been installed and I'm DELIGHTED!

There is LOTS of juggling in the studio at this time of year! Trying to finish off projects before the Christmas break, balanced with seeing all my BRILLIANT friends and family AND keeping up with rehearsals for my Charleston Dance Troupe which I LOVE (xmas social/ secret Santa next week WHOOP WHOOP!). We're off to my parents for the weekend as it's my sister's birthday and I'm SO excited as they've decorated the house (they do SUCH a beautiful job of this EVERY year!)

I am Christmas OBSESSED! (my decorations have been up since the start of November!) and I've already promised myself that I can keep up the new fairy lights all year as they are SO PRETTY! My tree isn't real BUT... I have a Jo Loves candle in 'Christmas Tree' which is DIVINE! We keep feeding our Christmas cake (and smelling it LONGINGLY!). If it tastes ANYTHING like it smells then I will eat the ENTIRE thing at great speed! Really looking forward to decorating it next week x

Have a lovely weekend whatever you're up to and I'll be back soon x

Exciting sample

Had a LOVELY weekend (including meeting Al's parents eeeeeek! but they were SO nice). 

It's been MUCH the same as the week before, bonkers juggling of a billion projects. BUT, I'm DELIGHTED with the new sample from Scribble Stone (see above) for the way finding pillars and paving I'm designing for Laverstock nr Salisbury inspired by Medieval tiles (BIG thanks to Emma at Studio Response for the lovely job!)

In other news... I am OBSESSED with a book I've read recently about the power of mornings, and have started getting up at 5am each Friday to paint for 4 hours. IT IS BLISS. I'll share more next week, particularly because it is 10.20pm on Thursday night and my alarm is set for 5am!

Have a SUPER weekend! I have some BRILLIANT girlfriends coming for the weekend and the only plan we have is to eat far too much and gossip WHOOP WHOOP! I shall be cramming all of them into my studio flat for the sleep over (and have popcorn and biscuits ready for the midnight snacking) xxx

The Civic Trust Awards

Hello you lovely lot!

More good news this week as I found out that The Lexicon development is a regional finalist in the Civic Trust Awards HURRAH. 

I'm super proud of all the work I created for this development... the plaque below, paving, gobos, lanterns, gates, cladding, a light beacon, benches, window vinyls and tote bags PHEW! (more info and images here)

It's been ANOTHER bonkers week, juggling LOTS of projects but all rather exciting so no complaints this end. Also, VERY happy to report that the weekend in Clementine the camper van (with the dreamy Alan) was super. Electric hook up + electric heater = toasty Kerry!

Right I'm off to finish up, three more deadlines before dance class tonight... wish me luck!... x

HRH The Queen!

NOW THEN.......

Eeeeeeeeek!! 

I had THE MOST AMAZING time meeting the Queen last Friday. It was SUCH an honour to speak to her about the artwork I had created throughout The Lexicon development. Delighted to report that she was warm and kind and funny, and I remembered all the scary etiquette stuff!

Memory of a LIFETIME! 

HUGE thanks to Stuart Turkington for the BRILLIANT photos x

In other news am having a mental week in the studio (mostly because I keep skiving off to gossip with friends - Autumn is THE BEST gossiping season!) I'm juggling TOO MANY projects at once, but I am self medicating with Christmas Spiced tea which is a MARVELLOUS help.

Be back soon (curtsy's and wanders off to boil the kettle...) x

WALD

Bad news... VERY bad news.....

The building I've spent the last 3 years working on (and my ABSOLUTE DREAM PROJECT) hasn't received planning permission, we've appealed and been rejected again and so it is not going to get built. I'm SO disappointed.

The good news is that I LOVED working on it and can now EVENTUALLY share what I've been up to!...

I was approached by GS8 Developers 3 years ago with a VERY exciting proposition. They wanted me to design a small block of luxury apartments in Epping (Essex, UK). I was OBVIOUSLY thrilled. The plan was for me to create a conceptual design for a sculpture containing seven apartments. I would then collaborate with the talented (and ever patient!) Lynas Smith Architects to adapt the idea and fully realise the concept into a working building.

I started out exploring the history, landscape and culture of the site and surrounding area but quickly began to focus on Epping Forest. As time went on the concept developed to create a forest refuge featuring a secret forest garden in the roof, open to the sky. The building would be clad in corten steel panels (to reflect the colours of the surrounding brick buildings) and feature the plants and animals found in the historic forest.

It was a WONDERFUL project, and although I'm SO DISAPPOINTED it won't be realised I LOVED the opportunity to work on such an ambitious and large scale commission and I'm really proud of the work we produced...  ONWARDS xxx