This is the flyer I've made for the exhibition 'Curious Creatures' I'm organising. It's of black and white illustrations by 23 artists from all over. For the last few weeks I've been spraying up frames lots of different colours, and also putting all the submitted artwork into a zine. Really looking forward to the show. It starts on 14th Aug, so will post pics up of it after then. Here's the flyer:

One of my favourite artists is the late Margaret Kilgallen. I found a short YouTube film that was part of a documentary about her work. Really interesting to hear her talking about her influences and seeing her paint her huge murals.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=04ejN8ZlX4U

We bought this original drawing from UK artist Kev Grey, from his recent show at Spine.

Kev has just started a new blog at http://www.kevgrey.blogspot.com

He's also one of the artists in the new book and has submited a piece for the Curious Creatures show.

Artist and friend Log Roper had a show called 'Flyin' The Flannel' that's just finished at Spine Skate Shop & Gallery, the space I co-curate. It was a great show on the themes of personal nostalgia and featured huge paintings of his grandparents:

Click on more info to see more photos and details of the show.

Spent all of this afternoon putting up the Curious Creatures show at Spine. The show is of black and white illustrations/doodles/drawings by 23 artists from the UK, France, Sweden, Australia, the US and Canada. Had been spraying the frames for the show over the last few weeks in my garden, so it was nice to see it up finally. Will post up more pics over the next few days..

Here are a few more pics of the CC show. I also got the zine back from the printers yesterday and I'm really pleased with it. I've started a Flickr page where I've put up all the photos from the show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinegallery/sets
Click more info to see more pics

My other half is lino cutter extraordinaire Chris Bourke. I find myself in the privileged position of witnessing his work manifest from initial concept to finished print and all the hours of bad shoulder inducing, lino scraping that go into it.

It's interesting how many people, unfamiliar with the medium of lino printing, have little idea how the prints are produced, even believing they are somehow painted or drawn. This gave me the idea to document the entire process of making a print.

In general I find it really interesting to see artists 'behind the scenes', to see them work and to glimpse their techniques and the process involved. Over the next few days I will put up new photos until print is completed.

First photo: the original drawing. Click more information to see the next few photos and explanation...

Okay, the next installment of the lino print creation. The first pictures are the progression of colouring in the design in the style it's to be cut. The black stays and the non-black areas are to be cut.

Click more information to see more images...

This is the final part of the lino printing extravaganza that's had me hovering over Chris's shoulder all week with a camera.
Here he's inking up the finished lino block. Click more info for the rest of the images and to see a very basic little movie I cobbled together on the whole process.

I had a little idea to catch up with some of the artists from the first Concrete to Canvas book and see what they've been up to in the few years since. First up, good friend and pencil pusher extraordinaire Simon Peplow. Click on more info to see more pics and read what else he had to say for himself...

JW: Hello Mr Peplow, how're things?

SP: All's fine and dandy thanks Jo, can't grumble. I've just relocated from Birmingham (UK) with my fairmaiden to the city of Exeter, located in the County of Devon...it's more country than city, just remote enough for it to be peaceful but not too cut off from civilization altogether. I've actually just returned from Green Nan which is a festival my good friend and Outcrowd Collective co-compadre Log Roper holds each year in a field on his Nan's farm out in the sticks; cider was swigged, baked mind expanding treats were munched and a fire was constructed to keep us snug after Sammy sun left us. I unfortunately ended up vomiting over my better half inside our tent, sometime in the early hours, she wasn't best pleased...prior to that though good times, stories and jovial cackles were experienced by all!

Dave the Chimp sent me some photos of his recent trip to Berlin, where he painted a huge wall as part of the Backjumps exhibition, partook in a workshop for kids and painted another massive wall with Nomad. He was also kind enough to answer a few quick questions about what else he'd been up to since the first Concrete to Canvas book. Click more info to see more words and pictures.

JW: How's it going?

DtC: Pretty good, apart from a bruised tail bone - fell off a bouncy castle onto
concrete yesterday while filming as an extra for the new series of The
Mighty Boosh!