Blue

It has been so hot in the office today (we really need an air conditioner). I'm sure we can't be the only ones in a hot office on this baking day so I thought I would post some refreshing blues to cool us all down.

Above is my Mughal patchwork painting, featured in our Patchwork range of cards.

Yoshigo on Flickr, via English Muse

Even though I love blue, for some reason I hardly ever paint in it unless I'm feeling a little fedup ( literally a case of the blues!). It's strange because blue is my favourite colour. I love the ever changing blues of the sea,

the vivid lilac blues of a bluebell field (I went to a small village school and this was pretty much the view from our classroom during May),

the soft grey of a Wedgwood blue as on this Anzu dressing table card,

the deep intense blues of Iznik tiles,

the clear blues of a Canaletto sky,

the Ming porcelain blues of a Cavalli dress,

the incredible underwater blues of a David Doubilet photograph (my favourite)

or a more pale turquoise blue as on the neckline of this Anzu turquoise dress painting.

More Pret-a-Portea in NY

The Pret-a-Portea is now over, but it was so exciting to see what a success it was and how much it has grown since the Berkeley first called me in six years ago. With a full page editorial in the New York Post, a feature on Fox news (see the link below) and with tons of magazine features, it attracted lots of attention.

Above is another illustration I did for the project, of the Bergdorf Goodman china and portea cakes.

The Berkeley and Bergdorf took inspiration from these dresses and accessories, and below is a small selection of how they were translated into cakes by the talented chefs. 

Click on the link below to watch this clip on Fox News, which captures the sheer fun of this event.

Video: Pret-a-Portea on Fox News

My illustration was in all the lifts of Bergdorf Goodman and I loved the way the menu ended up looking (below).

My friend Claire also managed to pop by and enjoy the tea, and kindly sent me this snapshot below. Don't worry if you missed it yourself though, the Berkeley in London serves Pret-a-Portea daily from 1pm to 6pm!

Jackie Kennedy

I read so many blogs, that try as I might I can't recall which blog I saw this photo on. Anyway, I love it. It's so Jackie - the headscarf, the low pumps and the obligatory sunglasses.

The above illustration is inspired by Jackie O's accessories, her pillbox hats, Kenneth Jay Lane faux pearls, and classic shift top. It is a popular card in the anzu So... range.

Anzu for Wellicious

The Wellicious tea has arrived, in packaging designed by Anzu! I couldn't make up my mind which picture to upload so I decided to put all of them on in the end. There are three teas to choose from - relax, invigorating, and beauty detox.

I chose a different colour palette for each of the teas, with illustrations of the different ingredients on each be it rose petals, cornflowers, or lavender. Each tea is topped with the signature Wellicious bow and packaged in manilla bundles, reflecting the natural 100% organic quality of the teas and I love the way it has turned out! Go to www.wellicious.com to buy