open studios

The Garden Party (c) C.Rowe 2011


What have I been doing since the end of March.... really no posts in April, what happened to my aim of at least one a month?
Work mainly. I had to hit the studio hard with some long hours of work on the lastest Birthday card range for Art Press and I've been working on two new series of work, two, yes two, it felt right and happened quite naturally. I didn't realise how busy it would make me! Oh yes and I managed to fit in a trip to Paris and London where I took SO many photographs my camera and I were fit to burst with excitement, but that's a post for another day.

These two new series of work started from drawing lots of pictures of gardens, flowers, plants, greenhouses, ponds and gardening tools and living where I do in Cornwall the seaside just crept in, as it always does, so the result is two series running along side each other. Some just feature gardens but others are of the Cornish coastline with subtle hints of gardens in them, the odd agapanthus plant, bench or hedgerow.

This work will be showcased during Cornwall's Open Studio event at the end of this month.



Open Studios Cornwall is in it's 7th year and has over 200 artists, across all art disciplines, taking part. It runs for one week at the start of each summer, 28th May - 5th June, and sees artists throw open the doors to their studios.

It is a marvellous opportunity to meet the artists behind the work, see where, and sometimes, how it's made, dicuss their influences and inspirations and buy the work directly from them, an enriching experience for both artist and art lover.

The Open Studio event really showcases the best art that Cornwall has to offer, breaking the mould of traditional Cornish art with an electic range of contemporary work from a diverse pool of resident artists. The unique event is the brain child of Creative Skills and takes art lovers on a tour of unseen Cornwall, from remote cottages and chapels to beach side studios and historic buildings often away from the well trod tourist path.

This is my 3rd yr taking part in Open Studios and it's the highlight of my year. It really is a wonderful opportunity to meet people who are interested in what I make. It can be very daunting opening up my studio space to complete strangers, but everyone who has visited me here at the studio has been lovely and always so full of enthusiam. I have started to build up real personal relationships with those who have bought my work, making so many wonderful new friends, something that doesn't happen when you sell through galleries.

My opening times this year are: 28th May - 5th June, 10am - 5pm, except the 2nd June until 7pm.

Find the studio here via my website

It would be lovely to see you if you can make it.

C x

just the card

My creative endeavour this week which i'm sharing with all those amazing folk at kootoyoo, has been involved in the making of my next range of occasion cards for the fantastic card company Art Press, who are truely eccentric about art! I've been designing for them for the last year and it has been a really wonderful experince and I feel very lucky to work with them.

Busy Baby Days (c) Rowe 2010

I feel like i've climbed another mountain today and i've actually added the beautiful Occasion cards that i've designed to my website.

Tiny Pitta Patta (c) C. Rowe 2010

I've designed and am in the middle of making the next range right now, but felt so excited about the one's that have already been published I wanted to share the moment!
I promise to post more photographs of my current work, but you know how it is when your camera is in another place in the house to you, you've a freah mug of coffee to hand and your chair is really too comfy to leave!

on the highstreet

This is a picture of me taken on Sunday holding one of my Christmas cards in my local branch of Waterstones, I've finally arrived on the highstreet! You can see some more of my textile illustrated designs along the front row of the display rack (by my knee). The card in my hand is one of my all time favorites, and of course it's a robin! This cheeky chap is stood ontop of an old fashion postcard with a sprig of mistletoe in his beak.

An enlargement of the Post-Robin in question!

More of my Christmas designs are available through my website or through Art Press.

stationery heaven

My "Congratulations on your New Baby Card" is now for sale on Paperchase's new website.


I'm so excited that it's been picked and represented on their site. I love Paperchase and have to go into any branch I come across. I love their main flagship store on the Tottenham Court Rd in London inparticular as it has three floors of the most fabulous selection of cards, sketchbooks, notebooks, wrapping paper and general stationary supplies, I love it all and now I'm part of it, be it a very small part.

Here is my card for sale in one of their stores!

I even have to go into their small platform-side booth at Paddington Station before I board any train home just to make sure I have plenty of supplies for my creative activities on the journey home to Cornwall.

new designs

http://www.art-press.co.uk/id5.html

My latest range of Birthday designs for Art Press have just been launched including these rather delightful designs. Bunting, cakes and floaty dresses form the basis of these femine and girly cards!

delicious new designs

St.Ives, Still Life. (c) C.Rowe 2010

My new card designs have arrived! Hot off the press there are five designs in the range and all have wonderfully domestic and cheerful themes to them.

All are available to buy on my website www.textileillustration.co.uk , i'm really delighted with them, you can definately can see the influence of all those days spent by the seaside in Cornwall.