Colours of the month - July

You may have heard - it rains a lot here in the U.K. We may or may not discuss the rain a fair amount as a nation - but one thing's for certain, thanks to the rain it's a very verdant landscape! Highlighting a few favourite greens from my July seasonal notebook.

Meadow grass green picked from high upon the coastal cliffs; A whisper of pink and a magical green from the Clover; Tart Gooseberry greens; Summer's blue and dune green of a Sea Holly; and just had to include lots of Mint green - looking as fresh as it tastes...

If you like this post - you can subscribe to Planet Sam by email :) here.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

The little things - new old specs

The little things in life that make the difference...

...discovering that my dad's old specs are the
perfect magnification that I've been needing for
drawing has really made my day - (my week probably)..!

Table runners - Rosetta table runner

Thrilled to bits with the first prints of my china tea rose table runner - here's one of the first - hot of the print bed !

First screen - looks black but in fact is a deep smokey blue/grey...

Pure natural Irish linen - sustainable as well as beautiful...

That's real sunshine !!!! (I think I've been sad without the sun)...

Detail showing 2nd colour paler china grey/blue...

"Rosetta Glory"

Back to work!

Colour from the season - Gooseberry green

If you're looking for a lively addition to your greens palette then look no further. Sampled from a Gooseberry (in the flesh), and trending this month - this bristly berry green has a tartness about it that might make your mouth water...

(p.s.Summer's finally here!)
...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the season - Red Clover pink

I picked this Red Clover in a magical place. An old quarry flooded to make a fishing lake, Carp lazing on the surface, the brilliant flash of a Kingfisher, Deer tracks at the waters edge, no traffic noise, no people, just quiet stillness.

The petals of the clover are (up to 300) tubular florets with zygomorphic symmetry! Though it's called Red Clover, there are in fact only pinks in the floret. Not that interesting on their own, but put them next to the warm brown of a fading flower and the deep green of a leaf and you have a colour palette which is also quite magical...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Cornwall Design Fair

I'm exhibiting at the Cornwall Design Fair in August - set
in the grounds of Trereife House, a beautiful Queen Anne
country manor house. I'm feeling quite excited because
I've been selected to exhibit my work inside the house
itself. More to come on this over the coming weeks...

In the meantime I've had a Monterey Pine cone moment... 

(more to come on this too!)

(re-posted)

Screen Printing - Twine table runners

I've been screen printing in the studio the last few days as I've needed to re-print my Twine table runners, so thought I'd share the print process.
I love screen printing, as soon as I'd learnt to print at Camberwell Art college I was hooked. More recently I've used digital print production as well as laser etching in my work, but for the past year I've been screen printing almost everything I produce again and yes it is labour intensive, but I'm not planning on mass production!

Twine table runner in green colourway... (one at a time)...


Printing the green dye first - the runners are 180cms long so I have to print them lengthways down my print table.

Successful first colour printed.

Lining up the second screen to overprint a black outline.

Printing the black.

Lifting the screen is always a great moment!

detail of a perfect print !

Colour of the Season - Moroccan Mint green

This green might not be the colour we think of as mint green, but it's exactly the colour of Moroccan Mint (Mentha Viridis) growing in a pot in our garden.

4th July, 2012 is a very special day as my son Josse (who's studying Graphic design at Central St. Martins in London) has reached the grand old age of 21 today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Green's one of his favourite colours and Mojito's his favourite cocktail ...so Happy Birthday to the lovely José xxx

and Happy Independence Day..!

hand painting (1992)

hand painting (Barack Obama 2009)

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.