"This year I am using the Filigree Floral Ivory Journal from the Lyon Florals Collection. I lived in Lyon for a while and its history of sumptuous silks which were hand woven in the 19th Century is inspiring to me."
"I am really concerned about power and how it is constructed, and also about finding a voice for experiences that have been left on the margins of society or history."
In a body of work that is perhaps unparalleled in history, Leonardo da Vinci’s (1452–1519) sketches and copious notes allow us to peer into the mind of a genius. He was a consummate draftsman and sketch artist, and carefully...
In defiance of those who preferred sophistication over instinct and emotion, William Wordsworth (1770-1850) helped the Romantic revolution take flight. He championed the fundamental democracy of poetics and believed that the artist’s task was to delight and inspire the...
"Art allows me to live with history in the making, to understand what is new and what is changing in the world, even at my age. I hate vulgarity, banality, and sentimentality."
Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was one of the greatest of the Post-Impressionist painters. The near spiritual excitement of his swirling brushwork, contoured forms and intense colour has had a powerful influence on the development of modern painting.
Van...
"I appreciate the philosophy put into the craft and the making of each book. There really is a spiritual consideration put into the designs and a respect for the book as object of art."
William Morris (1834–1896) was one of the most celebrated practitioners of the Arts and Crafts Movement. He embraced the ideal of craftspeople taking pride in their personal handiwork, as opposed to the dehumanising onslaught of the Industrial Revolution. In...
"I believe true success is achieved by making something that you can be really proud of, and that is hard if you choose to follow the dreams or guidelines of others."
Michelangelo Buonarroti’s (1475–1564) adolescent mind was an incessant battlefield. The opposing forces of religious faith and pagan beauty warred across his consciousness. They also helped spur him to create a pantheon of artistic masterpieces. Considered one of the masters...