I have some serious fondness for Orcas Paley, they stock my cards and are so friendly. You can tell they just love running their shop. So when they approached me to put a piece in their upcoming show entitled 'Vide Poche' my mind immediately started whirring.
For the exhibitions I made two mobiles; a little one called 'Tip of my Tongue' and a big one called 'Toe of my Pocket'.
I made cut-out illustrations of the kind of things that might gather at the bottom of a pocket: sweet wrappers, combs, twigs, pins, bracelets, pebbles and pencils and set them on brass rods with linen thread.
A coat pocket specifically.
They move beautifully and say something, I think; just softly though.
I loved seeing the trozzle rise slowly up off my desk, like a load of everyday objects had reached enlightenment.
The intrigue spanned the species.
I was having a very bad day the other day, we don't need to go into the reason but I was a mixture of massively furious and deeply sad. Do you know those days? On those kind of days I get into bed and my jaw aches from the tension.
I've been working on a commission for Dulwich picture Gallery (not the cause of any anger or sadness), I had an hour in the studio and I needed to do some leaf printing.
Leaf Printing, imagine; such an enjoyably childish thing to have on ones to-do list, and yet I was managing to feel stressed about it. Ridiculous.
I used a kids rubber roller and some waterbased Lino printing ink. It was incredibly easy and, I have to tell you . . . the most satisfying thing I have ever done.
All my anxiety melted away.
I was putting the sprigs between two sheets of paper and then adding an extra on top and using the roller to squash them down
Which meant I also got these fun extra prints. It was just so dreamy
All my anger melted away instantly, it was perfect.
10/10 would recommend.