Newsletter July 2021

Fresh Art Fair, in Cheltenham 6-8 August

At the fair we're going to show the work of Julia Cox, a painter and textiles artist who produces glorious landscapes and abstract work and has travelled widely to collect ideas. Some is already available on the website although not this one yet. For anyone who'd like to attend the fair, just email me and I'll send tickets.

We'll also preview Simon Bartram's new project. After a successful career writing children's books (remember Bob, Man on the Moon?) he finally has the chance to work on an idea very close to his heart. 'Bob' went to the moon every day on the strength of two AA batteries but the reality of the people of the north-east of England is even more remarkable.

They may have lost their heavy industry but not their character or their love of life. Here is a miner's son with breakfast tattooed on his head, and another painted in the style of a medieval portrait holding his battered sausage as he ponders the dancing fireflies.

Simon Bartram originals. Simon Bartram prints

We are thrilled that Neil Packer's book, One of a Kind was awarded the Bologna Ragazzi Prize which made it the best non-fiction children's book of 2021. We knew that already but it's great that the judges agreed.

Jeffrey Alan Love was awarded the Dutch Silveren Penselen prize for his second book of Norse Tales, Stories from Across the Rainbow Bridge – which means that his work will be exhibited in the Rijksmuseum.

Olivia Lomenech Gill has spent much of lockdown working on illustrations for Jessie Burton's retelling of Medusa. The result is a stunning collection of oil paintings, watercolours and etchings which has delighted everyone and which has been chosen by The Bookseller as their "Book of the Month" – a huge accolade given the wealth of new books now emerging. Many congratulations to Olivia. All that hard work will now be seen in prime positions in bookshops around the country.

The Art of John Harris - Beyond the Horizon, is selling in large numbers – so John is now gathering together the work of the past few years to put into an even bigger book. The only new piece I have to show you for now is this sketch, The Powergroves of Aquila. It's not yet for sale but there are still a few unsold sketches on the website. The new book will published by Titan next year.

Working on illustrations for 1984 in a different style has been a career highlight for Jim. The various special editions of the book published by Suntup have all sold out but Jim is able to sell signed limited editions of giclee prints of the seventeen illustrations he produced. If you'd like to know more about that just drop me an email and I'll pass it on to Jim.