the magic circle

The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse.

Happy Halloween!

i am listening to...

wish list: twentieth century watercolours and drawings

'Paul Roche' by Duncan Grant.

'Last Act. Queen of Spades' by Oliver Messel.

'Reunion in Vienna' by Rex Whistler.

Study for 'Saloon Bar' by Edward Le Bas. Inscribed by Duncan Grant 'For Duncan Grant from Edward Le Bas, 1940'.

All from Abbott and Holder on Museum Street, which happens to be my favourite place to browse pictures in the whole of London. No trip to the British Museum would be complete without a visit to this charming gallery. Taking up three floors of a pale blue townhouse, a stone's throw from the museum, Abbott and Holder specialise in British watercolours, prints and drawings. I could happily stay and riffle through the available sketches and paintings for hours on end...

To provide beautiful and interesting pictures affordable from income was the aim of Robert Abbott and Eric Holder’s partnership when they first dealt in 1936 during the Depression. For over over three quarters of a century it has remained their policy to stock pictures that are within the means of as broad a section of the population as possible. Most of their stock which includes work from 1750 to the present day is priced between £100 and £5,000. Possibly my favourite thing about Abbott and Holder? Should an attribution prove inaccurate, they will offer not only a complete refund but also a box of Black Magic chocolates by way of compensation.

art on a thursday

Portrait of the Judge as a Young Activist by Alice Neel.

inverallan

I'm well and truly smitten with Inverallan's colourful, chunky, hand knitted knitwear. The company have been making premium knitwear for the fishermen of Scotland for generations and are one of the few true 'cottage' knitters still in existence today. Come the bleak midwinter, when I'm cycling to work on a dark and freezing Monday morning, one of these jumpers could be just the ticket. That perfect mustard hue alone is enough to put a smile on my face...

meanwhile at the cushion factory...

I made these special edition dark gold on yellow Coral Cushions for Bridie's pop-up shop (which was a brilliant success). I think they've almost all sold out now, but they can still be made to order through my shop.

Bespoke bright orange on grey Coral Cushion for a Canadian customer.

White Tiger Cushion in teal/mustard photographed last week at my friend Piers' house.

I've been working on ideas for new print designs too... More on that soon!

in the press... elle decoration nl october 2014 and a little bird 01/10/2014

Read the full article here. I'll be writing a Guest Blog for A Little Bird ('Vogue meets Radio 4, online') in the coming few weeks - watch this space!

hatfield house

Last Saturday morning I took the train from King's Cross to Hatfield in Hertfordshire. Stepping out of the station, I came face to face with the gates to Hatfield House, the very place I'd come to visit. Hatfield is the home of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury and their family; the Estate has been in the Cecil family for 400 years. Recently I had seen a few pictures of the house floating around online and knew I had to check the place out. (A particular picture I'd seen of a gilded ceiling set my heart aflutter.) This is the King James Drawing Room - Hatfield's principal reception room. Recently acquired tapestries have been installed as a background to the many splendid pictures; the whole effect is quite magnificent. I spent a good half an hour taking in the riot of colour and texture created by the layers and layers of fabrics, paintings, lighting and furniture.

The Armoury began as an open loggia in the Italian Renaissance style, until the 2nd Marquess filled in the windows in 1834 and laid the marble floor. The 3rd Marquess completed the alterations by putting up the panelling. Most of the armour on the walls was purchased by the 2nd Marquess from the Tower of London in the middle of the 19th century. I love the row of (possibly much newer!) toy cars.

The chimney piece in the Chinese Bedroom has been repainted to resemble red Chinese lacquer. How utterly fab. Until this point I hadn't realised that one day I would definitely love a lacquered fireplace.

A Long Gallery was an essential feature of every large Jacobean house. The one at Hatfield runs the entire length of the south front (170 feet). That incredible ceiling, originally white, was covered with gold leaf by the 2nd Marquess who had been impressed by a gold ceiling he had seen in Venice.

A very lovely gilded chair and matching stool in the Long Gallery.

The tranquil gardens...

I spent Saturday afternoon back at home, sketching. This is the Casino at Marino in Dublin, designed by the Scottish architect Sir William Chambers for the 1st Earl of Charlemont in the late 1750s. It's a small and perfect example of Neoclassical architecture. I hadn't realised that the name 'Casino' is the diminutive form of the 18th-century Italian word 'Casa', meaning 'House', thus 'Little House'. It really is the most charmingly handsome small building.

I travelled to Hampshire on Sunday to spend time with my family. We visited The Vyne, as we sometimes like to do when I visit. I worked here every Sunday as a teenager with a big group of friends from school, serving tea and sandwiches to visitors. It's always nice to pop back for a look around. It was actually rather warm and pleasant last Sunday - the ideal weather for a stroll in the grounds, which were looking particularly wonderful in the soft late September light. Bliss.