Mates is a series of graphic art exhibitions run by Alex Sickling and Rob Goodall. Their first show focuses on the theme of Scouts and they put a call out to mates and future mates for contributions. I submitted my piece ‘Running Bowline’ inspired by the art of knots and was pleased to hear it was accepted.

At the opening I was happy to see I was in good company with lots of wonderful work, there was even a life size teepee and campfire. The exhibition is on at the Mexico Project Space, Leeds this weekend 12-14 April 2013 – be quick!

The 2012 Maraid Design Christmas cards are here!

We were asked by Joe Cutting to design three interactives for the newly-refurbished William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, London. As long-time admirers of William Morris this was a lovely project to work on and became even more exciting once we hired Andrew Lyons to provide illustrations. Andrew’s illustrations worked perfectly and made Morris and his contemporaries come alive.

We have finished designing the 2011 Maraid Christmas cards – a set of three bright and happy designs. All we have to do now is wait for them to come back from the printers!

I’m just back from three lovely weeks in Norway, with lots of holiday photos to sort and a few blog posts to write – I’ve made a small start by scanning my polaroids.

We have settled into our lovely new office and eventually got round to doing a 360 virtual tour. See it in action on the about us page.

Christmas card time and there is nothing like a good kick up the arse to get creative. While designing the gocco print I managed to keep it simple (I have to remind myself simple works best). A two colour print using florescent pink and gold.. slightly overlapping colours with little registration to worry about. I’m hoping the moleskine notebook ‘card’ will be a nice mini christmas gift that will be kept post christmas and prove useful in 2011.

Prints and notebooks available for sale in the Maraid Etsy shop

With the last batch of 600 film all gone from the polaroid factory prices are rising fast. Although I have some left I don’t think I will buy anymore unless the impossible project do the impossible and bring it back.. here’s hoping.

Gardens at Blois, Loire

• More polaroids taken in France

I’ve made a few unsuccessful Gocco prints since my first one. Its fustrating when it goes wrong – the wasted screens, bulbs, ink and time. But when it goes well its rewarding. Freshly printed are this year’s christmas cards.. the skating chimp.

Things I have learnt in the past few efforts. Always test inks before applying them to the screen – with some of the older inks the oil has separated and comes out the tube first – this made my paper stick to a screen. Don’t put the foam separators too close to the ink area as the will stop it from printing a solid colour. Start designing with the colours you have – I scanned in the tube packaging and made a illustrator swatch palette with the colours so I could easily experiment. I’ve found mixing colours hasn’t worked very well. Yellow hardly shows up on the off-white card I use. More complicated designs look better on screen, more simple ones look better printed.

Prints are available in my Maraid Etsy shop.