this season




a blended blanket-rex composition with YSL's seasonal magenta nail lacquer. She's on her own this week.

The Blackburn Pamphlet





Since the Summer I've been gathering material to create an edition of 30 pamphlets documenting the 'Blackburn Book Archive' project. Inspired by funny stories from local paper mill workers, sublime book recommendations from courageous men and delicate confessional mono-prints. The 16pp soft back book has been created for the people of Blackburn though I have a few copies left available.




a little bit good/a little bit bad




Too much of a good thing can make you want to consume something bad. I'm trying to only let the good things in. I'm struggling, floundering, paddling the battle of will and want.

A long armed embrace or promised eskimo kiss won't help this time. I need something more, to absorb into my weak red blood. It's turning cold in here and I haven't got a cardigan. Is there any cashmere out there.

A NeW *WORKSHOP* Announced




The Complete Bookmaker (8 evenings)
Wednesdays 26th January to 16th March 2011
6.00pm – 9.00pm
Over 8 snug evenings come to Hot Bed Press and explore narrative and sequence, form and content, text and image. Become smitten and get inspired by my collection of contemporary artists’ books and give yourself over to being taught the skills you need to make various wondrous book structures of your own. We will use print/type/stitch/folding techniques to develop your bookish creations, drink lots of tea and have inspired conversations while being exceptionally productive. The workshop is suitable for everyone, from complete beginners
to seasoned book makers, as you will dictate the pace. It will also be a great opportunity to allow anyone with an idea for a book that hasn’t yet come to fruition to dedicate the time to experiment with different techniques and get valuable feedback. Be quick to reserve your place at the workshop table and kick 2011 off with the a book case full of enthusiasm.
Cost £200 (£185*)


how hopeful


A new year, or decade, is full of potential. Start yoga (again), go to tap dancing class, draw for half an hour a day, write two pages upon waking, cycle even in the rain. Instead of implementing new regimes this time around, I intend to rid myself of the old routines that hold me back. Holding on instead of letting go, fixing the unfixable, fierce self-reliance, never calling back. A relieved exit from 2010 in the snowy highs of Heriot Toun, with whiskey, whiskers and warmth, waking to a perfect new year breakfast full of hopeful perspective and eggy bread. Happy new you.



Quality Street





Christmas Day preparations were scattered with chocolate box treats. 4 finches perched wanton in the pet shop. Brown paper hares adorning magenta wrapping. A Blackbird shadow in the bindery light. Remembering to look and saturate eyes with other visions of the season comes hard, but meditative making and a Frank Capra philosophy pays dividends.
'You can only take with you, that which you have given away' - Peter Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life. I cried harder than ever this year when Clarence got his wings. Very Merry Christmas.









Manchester to Preston to Inverness to Ullapool
Ullapool to Stornoway
Stornoway to Ullapool
Ullapool to Inverness to Edinburgh to Carlise
to Manchester.
to dinner to dizzyness to drunk to desire

1 night and 1 day of travel, 3 days of teaching, 1 day of island exploring, 1 night of guiness, 1 day of travel. What a snow-week of unforgettable wonder. Feeling Thankful.

Shufflers and Rooters



Tuesday wisdom. Apparently, according to S, I am a shuffler. She is a rooter. We need one another to exist in order to shuffle and root one another. She is one of the seasons wise (wo)men.

Berlin



Bitterly breath-took
Exhausting enormous
Recovery ripe
Linguistic luxury
Intent Indeed
Numb nipples

Anatomy Projects




Opening this Thursday 25th November at the Holden Gallery Manchester is the 'Anatomy of an Institution Project'. A stunning collection of photographic prints & stills portraiture of some of the people who make up the anatomy of the Manchester Metropolitan University. I have made a bespoke clamshell portfolio box to house a collection of the prints by Gavin Parry & Dave Penny.



Boxing Lyrical






Presentation Boxes
Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st November 11.00am – 5.00pm
Hot Bed Press, Salford.
Learn how to make a beautiful portfolio box, perfect for the presentation of prints, drawings and photographs on the first day and go on to make a slip case on day two, ideal for housing your books. These archival-style portfolio structures will add a unique dimension of professionalism and mobility to your prints, providing you with the confidence to create bespoke boxes to house any size prints, documents or photos. For more information or to book a place, email Andy at info@hotbedpress.org


Coptic Poetry






Last Saturday I made a collaborative Coptic sewn poem at the lovely Haworth Art Gallery in Lancashire. I invited visitors to mono-print a word on individual pages and then sew it to the previous contribution. 25 pages later we'd created a seasonal 'consequence poem'. It went like this,

Autumn Smile Sunshine Breeze Fluttering Leaves Whispering Scattering Wind Caught Between Love Mosaic Natural Noon Firework Life Smouldering Smoke Eyed Fox Passes Bracken Squinting Pleasure

8.19 - 00.11



Three hours 52 minutes of sublimity
Brighton to Manchester
train - tube - train - cab - bed
never left my eyes
nothing else will do though