Thursday 10 October 2013

Homemade Shortbread Biscuits

What better way to brighten up a dull autumn day, than to bake some really easy biscuits? You will need:

6 oz plain flour
3 oz caster sugar
6 oz butter
3 oz fine semolina

Simply beat all the ingredients together in a warm mixing bowl, roll it out on a sugared surface and press it into a tin (ours is 20cm square). Prick it all over with a fork and place in the oven at gas mark 2 for an hour. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into rectangles and allow them to cool thoroughly on a baking tray.


And there's no better way to accompany homemade biscuits with a lovely cup of tea or fresh coffee, whichever you prefer. I like mine out of these beautiful handmade mugs that we picked up for pocket money (£5 each!) at a local cafe in Brighton from a local potter.



 Happy home baking everyone!

Thursday 5 September 2013

New images for my online shop

I've been busy again! I have had all my prints remade on beautiful Somerset 330gsm paper, so I have photographed them all again for my storefront at Not On The High Street.

Psycho Killer

Where My Childhood Was Unspent

Oh Smother Me Mother

Why Are You On Your Own?
One location I used was my good friend Gus Watcham's beautiful home in Brighton, with its wonderfully distressed walls. I'm off to another shoot today in another lovely Brighton home. Meanwhile please check out my items at Not on the High Street.

Sunday 16 June 2013

Palau de Casavells


I currently have several of my smaller works on display at this beautiful old farm in Casavells, just outside Barcelona.









They have a wonderful selection of mid century modern furniture as well as older antiques, and some great contemporary art - even if I do say so myself! 


Find all the information you need here : Palau de Casavells

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Gallery representation and new work


I have recently been taken on by a gallery, Galeria Miquel Alzueta in Barcelona. I am extremely excited, as you can imagine. The gallery is being refurbished right now, but I have sent about ten paintings over there to be displayed when the gallery is ready. I've also been in the studios a lot recently, for meetings about upcoming exhibitions at Studio One Gallery, Wandsworth Town Centre Partnership board meetings (not quite as boring as it sounds!) I have also been painting!

May Painting, oil on canvas

Square Painting, oil on canvas






I'm So Upset, I'm So Upset, oil on canvas

My Mother's Well, oil on canvas

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Art in London with Artist Charlie - Stay.com


Big Hunk O' Love (detail)

I was thrilled to be invited by Stay.com to contribute a travel guide to London for artists to their website.

You can find the link here:

Art in London with Artist Charlie - Stay.com

There's some more obvious destinations, but also some lesser known, like L. Corneilsons & Son, a wonderful shop, and Transition Gallery in East London, an artist run space managed by Cathy Lomax and Alli Sharma.

I hope you enjoy my little artist's tour of our capital.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Galeria Miguel Alzueta

I'm very pleased to announce that several of my older paintings are currently on show at Galeria Miguel Alzueta in Barcelona.

Yes There Are Things Worse in Life
oil on board







This Is How It Feels To Be Lonely
Oil on board
I Can't Help The Way I Feel
oil on board
Life Is Very Long When You're Lonely
Oil on board
  
Miguel has taken ten paintings, including these four, and is showing them in his wonderful gallery. I hope to go over to Barcelona very soon to have a look! He deals in mid century modern furniture as well as art, so it's definitely a great place to visit when you're in town. Thanks to my good friend Bernat Daviu for helping me.

Monday 18 March 2013

blue Monday

Hello there. Welcome to another week. Here at normal designs towers I've been busy with some graphic design for the Kemptown Artists Trail leaflet for the Artists Open House event down here in Brighton in May. I've been looking at a lot of blue things, and I think you'll see why


This is the design so far, with the blues coming from all over the flat:


From the bookshelves


to the blue Ikea cups against our green wall


to the quite similar aqua blues that we painted these drawers


to the quite accidental mixture of blues discovered during the boring old washing up! 

Well, I hope you're not feeling blue on a blue Monday. If you are, take a long walk, look at the blue(ish) sky and the beautiful blue sea.

 

Monday 11 March 2013

(black and) white everywhere

Well, the snow is falling here on the south coast. It looks like a black and white film outside the window, so I thought I'd look out some of our black and white images for your perusal today.




Firstly, this is our slogan in the studios.

Then these wonderful paintings by Tori Brown in (mostly) black and white.



And finally, my first attempt at some styling.


It needs more work, I think, but you have to start somewhere, don't you? So one more for you, from our print collection:

Friday 1 March 2013

au naturel

It has been a busy couple of weeks here at normal designs' HQ. Last week was the opening of Burning Bright, an exhibition of up and coming artists featured on Saatchi Online, and curated by director of the Saatchi Gallery, Rebecca Wilson.


Here we are with my painting Big Hunk O' Love in the toilet of the Saatchi Suite! Yes indeed, where better to be shown than in the throne room! Read about the exhibition here. Last week was also half term, so spent the days with the boys going to the park, even in this freezing weather. This week was my better half's birthday, so flowers and presents (brown paper packages, but couldn't find the string!) and a hand printed card from the boys.


Tulips and daffodils bringing spring indoors, in front of a drawing by the very talented Christopher Wheeler. This picture reminded me of the dinner ingredients from the other night:


and also made me think how wonderful it is to have natural things surrounding us. Be they flowers, driftwood or shells picked up while walking on the beach.




Have a great weekend all, and enjoy the mad month of March!



Monday 11 February 2013

they call me mellow yellow

The weather on the south coast has been pretty grey and miserable for days, and indoors it has been very dark and gloomy, so I decided to look out for some sunshine yellow to cheer us up a bit.



I know this year's colour is supposed to be emerald, but I needed a bit of sunshine! I found this little ornament on a shelf, the oilcloth we used to upcycle this vinyl covered chair


as well as one of a growing collection of teapots! I also gathered some other bits and pieces together to photograph


And then I had a play around on Photoshop, working on some designs which will become paper stencil screenprints! Just a little yellow goes a long way.



Have a yellow smiley face day.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

saatchi gallery exhibition

I was very pleased to be contacted last week by Rebecca Wilson, the director of the Saatchi Gallery, and asked to participate in their upcoming exhibition at the Hyatt Hotel in London's Portman Square, for three months from February.

Big Hunk O'Love, oil on board, 2010



So I took my "Big Hunk O'Love" in to the framers yesterday, The Frame Factory in Brighton. The service and the price there were both outstanding. They were wonderful. I shall never go anywhere else again!


I also worked on some new prints for normal designs. This positive message, and another:


That really is how I feel these days, after such a dreadful year in 2012, let this be the year that it all comes together!

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

I have been noticing how many bloggers have highlighted Ferm Living's new collection, with some items even appearing in Elle Decoration last month. They really do have some lovely stuff.

(c) Ferm Living

I really love this pattern, found on cushions, shower curtains and even tea trays.

(c) Ferm Living

I particularly like this tray.

(c) Ferm Living

But where had I seen that pattern before? Lo and behold I looked around my studio and found this painting I painted two years ago.


Sometimes I'm behind the times, but sometimes I'm a little ahead!

See all products at Ferm Living.
See more of my art on my Flickr page.


Monday 21 January 2013

new prints from normal

Here at normal designs we have been working on some limited edition prints of our first design there is no such thing as normal, which can be seen on our eco friendly bags around Brighton.


Here it is framed. We have also been working on some new designs, currently at the testing stage. This one is inspired by listening to a lot of Radiohead:


Here is an old favourite, which we have yet to print.


We are thinking of producing limited edition screenprints, and also an unlimited run of giclee prints for £10 each. What do you think? We are also looking at card printing. Here is a design for Valentine's day:


all designs are (c) normal designs.

Please tell us what you think in the comments section below, we always appreciate feedback! Thanks for looking.