I thought after yesterday (a long day of panicking, procrastination and a final "slap me about and call me daft" decision making) I would share my inspirations for some of my work, particularly, as it is on my mind, my upcoming gallery collection.
1. The most obvious: Food. Namely British Food. The food I grew up with, the food I see every day in bakers, supermarkets, delis and my own baking efforts. The food I read about with wonder in childhood novels where lashings was a quantity of ginger beer and sardines went wonderfully with gingerbread (no...I've never actually tested this assertion). I love food. I love baking, cooking and eating. Simple as.
2. Jane Brocket's blog and book. After a morning of procrastination, that even included cleaning out the washing machine, and the hot tears of terror at the upcoming deadline I collapsed into a hot bath with her book, read 4 pages and spotted the photograph that caused the aforementioned eureka moment. I won't share which one as it is, as yet, top secret...but suffice to say it showed me not something to copy but rather the sort of path I should have been following all along. And I realised I have been trying to make a mountain out of a molehill rather than just do what I do best.
3. Felt. The colours, fell and warmth of it as well as its incredibly strong yet immensly pliable nature that enables me to mold it into what my mind sees. And the fact that my felt is recycled means it is not costing the Earth. Little is better than a new delivery, especially when it contains sheets of my absolute favourite...polka dot felt.
4. Kitchen retro. There is a huge amount of retro inspired kitchenallia in the shops and online at the moment and a wander down the shelves in John Lewis or Lakeland,picking up molded plastic measuring cups, scales, bakeware and pinnys in cotton candy pink, lilac and baby blue just sends me down all sorts of random directions as my mind plays my own form of chinese whispers with food and I end up thinking of toad in the hole whilst holding a red, heart shaped, silicone cake tin.
5. Afternoon Tea at the Ritz. I have had afternoon tea at a few beautiful hotels...The Dorchester, The Chester Grosvener, The Savoy...but the one that sticks in mind is shockingly nonBritish: The Ritz Hotel in Paris. Sitting in The Bar Vendôme for my 30th birthday, listening to a harpist, eating tiny sandwiches and cakes from 3 tiered tea stand and drinking the most divine hot chocolate ever surely has to be a high point to be remembered.





















