Hayley Potter

A new collaboration begins with Hazel Evans

2012-01-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

An exciting new collaboration began between myself and Hazel Evans, resident artist at The Lighthouse last week. Hazel and I have previously worked and exhibited together at events such as The Bookshelf at Poole Literary Festival and The Monochronium at The Lighthouse in Poole.

We identified cross-overs in the ways that we approach our creative practice and our inspirations which include ink, magic, fictional worlds and storytelling so it seemed only natural that we would create some work together and 2012 seems to be our year!

Our collaboration began in a woodland where we responded to our environment and each other's output. We intend to showcase our collaboration later this year.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this collaboration may lead us. Heres a few photos of our first meeting...

The Royal Arcade, Boscombe

2012-01-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

Drawing of The Royal Arcade, sample for an open brief.

Collaboration with Anna Morgan

2012-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

I was very lucky to have my studio documented by the photographer Anna Morgan last month.

I haven't let a photographer snoop around my studio before! But it was a pleasure to have Anna highlight the beauty in objects that I use everyday and to capture the quirks of my own character so well. Here are a few of Anna's photos. More will be showcased on my new website when it is launched this month.

Anna and I plan to collaborate on an enchanting outdoor photo shoot this year so watch this space for that!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T08:44:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. December always seems to be the fastest and busiest month of the year!

I've been visiting friends and family in London and Kent over the last couple of weeks and am currently working away on a couple of longer projects and my new website and on-line shop that will be launched this month. (Exciting!)

So...whilst you wait for me to reveal all of that, heres a picture of Mr Bumble in his new coat...

Night Train

2011-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

I usually end up drawing the reflections in the windows if I'm traveling by train at night. Last night I decided to draw only what I could see outside over half an hour on one page.

Ragamala: Paintings from India - an exhibition in Brighton

2011-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

I visited Brighton yesterday and went to see the Ragamala exhibition at Brighton Museum. "This collaborative exhibition show with Dulwich Picture Gallery is based around 24 key ragamala paintings owned by collector, Claudio Moscatelli. His love of these Indian miniatures originated from a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum when he first moved to England from Italy."

This is a very enchanting exhibition of miniature artworks. You are handed a magnifying glass as you enter so that you can truly appreciate their intricate detail.

I was particularly interested in the narrative behind each painting. They are very carefully composed using lots of different elements but the use of negative space and limited palette stops the images from becoming hard to read or too busy.

I really recommend seeing this exhibition if you are in Brighton between now and 8th January 2012.

The Cockle Trail

2011-12-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

I took some students from AUCB to Poole on Wednesday to collect drawings along the Cockle Trail there. The Cockle Trail is a route around the older part of Poole that highlights the town's history. It was a great way to get to know a part of Poole really well, and I enjoyed joining my students and doing some sketches myself.

From my sketchbooks

2011-12-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

I keep sketchbooks quite religiously - I try and keep one on me at all times to record fleeting thoughts or ideas, to fill a gap in time or to record something I've seen. To write down new story ideas...I also use them as a way of trying new things out and learning through drawing. I've always thought that its important to keep drawing whether you are working on specific projects or not. Its important to keep drawing for yourself. So you can develop you way of working and push yourself. I have to draw or write something every day otherwise I don't feel myself.

I've always been quite secretive about the contents of my sketchbooks but a good friend and fellow illustrator encouraged me to share them more this week.

So heres a few pages from my most recent sketchbook.

Christmas Cards

2011-11-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

This year's set of Christmas Cards are now available to purchase from my Folksy Shop whilst my website is being updated.

I wanted to create a set that can be added to in the future and decided to think about every day places that are magical in the winter and that I have sketches or photographs in my reference collection to work from.

I settled on a few places that I always went to during winter when I lived in London.
Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common.

The snow globes came about from trying the scenes inside different shaped viewfinders - settling on round.

These cards are all blank inside, so can be used for any occasion during this season.

sketch for an illustrated story

2011-11-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

I Love Autumn

2011-11-02T15:06:00.001-07:00

We went back to Kent last weekend, which is where I grew up. Kearsney Abbey was a common feature in my childhood, but I think I appreciate it more as an adult.

Love in London

2011-11-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Live Art for The Monochronium at The Lighthouse in Poole

2011-11-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

I was invited to take part in The Bookshelf at The Lighthouse in Poole again this year. This time for The Monochronium by Hazel Evans and as last year I was given a pile of random books to make an artwork from in three hours. This year was much more challenging than last year. It was very busy and there were many other artists, spectators and musicians to be distracted by. It takes a lot of concentration to stay in 'the zone' whilst so much is going on around you, but I'm pleased with my new lady character and the composition of the first collaged drawing I created. I'm not so sure about the second drawing, but I would like to see what adventures this new lady and I could go on and where her story may develop in my sketchbook.

The Monochronium has been such a pleasure to be involved in and has encouraged me to step out of the studio and to make more art in front of an audience which is quite an unusual process for an illustrator. I'm keen to plan more live art events, as I always create something unexpected, inspired by my surroundings and the books and equipment I happen to have that day.

The artworks I created last Wednesday evening can be seen at The Lighthouse until 9th November 2011 and you can also view more pictures and videos of this event on Hazel's facebook page

A few pics that a friend of mine took, with more to follow when I get the 'official'ones...

Props for The Monochronium

2011-11-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

Hazel Evans asked me to make some newspapers for The Monochronium exhibition which is on at The Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset until 9th November 2011. I used extracts of her poetry to create the headlines and to inspire the images I sourced and drew.

2011-11-02T14:22:00.001-07:00

I love discovering magic in every day things. Heres some pics from a recent trip to Westonbury Mill Water Gardens in Herefordshire. I'm not sure that my photos do the place justice. The colours are just beautiful and the playfulness of the design of this garden is really inspiring. I'd love to set a story there one day.

A new drawing studio

2011-11-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Monochronium

2011-10-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am currently collaborating with artist in residence at The Lighthouse in Poole - Hazel Evans.

You can get involved by coming to the following events:

Live Artathon - Wednesday 26th October 2011- 6-9pm
The Bookshelf
Come and watch five artists (including me) create a spontaneous works of Art from a pile of books we've never met before in the Monochronium theme and in just three hours.

27th - 29th October 2011

The Monochronium exhibition and live art event will continue and our artworks will be on display in The Lighthouse Gallery

For more details please visit Hazel's Facebook page or get in touch with me...

Come and take part in The Big Draw, Exeter!

2011-10-18T09:46:00.001-07:00

It was a busy summer! I moved to Dorset to start making more regular appearances teaching at the wonderful Bournemouth University College of the Arts, explored some of the UK and have been working on some books and writing as much as I've been drawing which has been very exciting, and something I will share over the next few weeks.

If you are in Devon or would like to pop to Exeter for the weekend of 29th October please sign up to my Big Draw Event at
Exeter Phoenix!

More details and booking info can be found here: http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/education/art-courses/big-draw-exploding-drawing.html

Collaborative Drawings

2011-08-16T10:58:00.001-07:00

I mentioned a little while ago that I was working on some collaborative drawings with Illustrator Chloe Regan from Ink Illustration.

You can see some of our experiments on her website...

(My new website is still in progress, but I hope to launch it again in September.)

Explosive Drawing at Exeter Phoenix, Devon

2011-07-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to run an Explosive Drawing workshop at Exeter Phoenix in Exeter, Devon on 23rd August 2011, so please sign up if you are aged between 11 and 16! I'll be running another one for all age groups and for The Big Draw in October, so if you don't fall into the age bracket this time then please keep an eye on this blog for further info later in the year!

You can find out more and book a place for my summer workshop here:

http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/education/young-people/visual-art-workshop-2.html

Hope to see you there!

Imagined Forest

2011-07-25T02:28:00.001-07:00

Elderflower Poster - WIP

2011-07-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Another Brontë Cover

2011-07-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Zoo!

2011-07-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

I've really missed London Zoo since I left London last year, I spent days and days drawing there. Luckily we have Paignton Zoo in Devon so I've been able to collect some photos, which will be used in a new book I'm working on.

Time flies when you're having fun...

2011-07-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where the last couple of months have disappeared to. Suddenly its summer (well sort of!), the bluebells in our local woodland have gone, and its been warm enough to spend a few evenings after work at the beach.

Heres a very quick re-cap of some of the things I've been doing over the last couple of months...

Since January this year, I was fortunate enough to be commissioned as a Creative Partner for Victoria Park Nursery in Newbury and Creative Partnerships. This has involved answering this question:

“How do we create a shared language
so that we are able to talk together about
learning so that we can create a community
of confident successful learners?”

This question has been answered in several inventive and creative ways, inspired by the values of Reggio Emilia and keeping Illustration skills, risk-taking and a process led solution at it's core.

Here are a few photos of what we've been doing over the last seven months...

If you would like more information about this collaboration, then please get in touch.

Imagined Birds Series now on-line

2011-05-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

There are now some prints and books (and a few originals) of my Imagined Birds series available to buy on-line from only £2.00, you can find them at the following links...

Folksy

Etsy

Dawanda

Wuthering Heights Book Cover

2011-05-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

"A love that hurt everyone it touched"

Andersens Fairy Tales

2011-05-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Cover for the complete and unabridged version of Andersen's Fairy Tales. I prefer the original versions of these fairy tales, they are gritty and often dark, and haven't lost the original messages that they were intended to communicate.

I decided not to use a character for the cover, as most versions of this cover usually do. As this particular version was aimed at adults, I decided to keep it fairly abstract, hinting at the colours, forests and settings of the fairy tales rather than the narratives within the book, I think thats been done a few too many times already.

This drawing was created in brush and ink, in several layers, from a photograph I took of the woodland here in Devon, just down the road. There was beautiful lighting that day, that had awoken a medley of colours I'd never noticed there before, so this image somehow seemed perfect for this cover.

The hand lettering was inspired my a typeface of the same period.

Victorian Diaries Book Cover

2011-05-06T08:33:00.001-07:00

A book cover for 'Victorian Diaries' which shares excerpts from genuine Victorian Diaries, giving insights to the lives of men and women of that period. I've always found the Victorian era to be an inspiration. I love the literature of that time, the costume and the beautiful handwriting. I bought a genuine Victorian Diary at an auction a few years ago and used some of the pages as background texture for this design, and imitated the style of handwriting for the titles and author.

The people are drawn from my own collection of Victorian photographs.

Cakes and Canapes Magazine

2011-04-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

something from this week...

an illustration for an article called 'Bread is Rubbish' for Cakes and Canapes Magazine.

New website on the way...

2011-03-28T03:41:00.001-07:00

My website is currently being re-designed and built to reflect the progression in my practice to date. Its something I've been trying to sort out for over a year now, but have had to bite the bullet and start from scratch with a brand new website. Unfortunately the last one was really difficult to manage and reduced the quality of my illustrations when they were uploaded, so I'm looking forward to a fresh start!

There'll be a holding page up there until its ready.

Drawings for Chloé

2011-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've just put together my first little package for the wonderful artist Chloé Regan.

We will be sending each other pieces of our work and other paraphernalia that the other can react, collaborate on and respond to. We've so far decided to let the work develop quite organically via post and some meet ups, seeing if a theme arises naturally, and possibly resulting in an exhibition later in the project.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Feature in MISC magazine

2011-03-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to MISC magazine (USA) for featuring me in their Spring issue.

Imagined Birds Exhibition

2011-03-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Heres a few pictures of my exhibit in Yate Library, Gloucestershire which is on until the end of April. The work is up until the end of April. I'm also selling prints of the original drawings on-line at Folksy, Etsy and Dawanda or directly from me of course. (I'm in the process of having my website re-designed and built so at some point this year you will also be able to purchase and order artworks from my website.)

The Exhibition is divided into Imagined Sea Birds and Imagined Forest Birds, with little books of illustrations of the same name.

The Outsider

2011-03-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of January/end of last year I had a go at The Outsider brief that was set by The House of Illustration and The Folio Society. I had never read the book before so I enjoyed getting to know the characters, researching the location it was set in and the atmosphere and themes within the story. The competition asked for three illustrations and a cover image.

I tried to keep my personal voice as an image maker in my drawings, whilst still being sympathetic to the author's intentions. I created several images before I edited back into my set of three. In this instance, I don't think my set was entirely successful, and this is partly down to limited time to dedicate to an unpaid project at the beginning of the year. I would have liked the luxury of another week or so on these, to expand my set and nurture my character development. However, I'm glad I entered and I learnt a lot through the process of tackling the brief, especially as this sort of book isn't something I would normally illustrate out of choice. My colleagues were very suprised to see me abandoning my recent drawings of imagined landscapes and birds, to draw a revolver sparkling in the sun!

I really enjoyed this challenge, it took me out of my comfort zone and stretched my capabilities which was very rewarding. I'm looking forward to seeing who did actually win this competition and the angle they took on the book that wowed the judges.

Cover....

Imagined Forest Birds

2011-03-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Imagined Sea Birds

2011-02-17T06:49:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I have a little show of Birds on at Yate Library in March and April.
Heres one of the images that will feature...

Forest Birds

2011-02-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

I've just finished putting together a little book of Imagined Forest Birds, in time for my exhibition in a library in Gloucestershire in March. Now working on one about Sea Birds...

Birds, Snow, Books & Farmers

2011-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

Very belated happy new year!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We had lots and lots of snow here over the festive period and I was quite snowed it for a week or so. Fortunately there were some very friendly farmers about to help dig our car out of the snow and plough roads so we could all eventually get out and about again. Its amazing how much work you can get done when you can't escape your house!

Some of the work I've been working on recently has been for a pitch to illustrate a book that I am very fond of. I can't reveal too many details of pics just now, but I will in a couple of months.

I've also been taken on as a Creative Partner for a wonderful Nursery in Newbury which I'm very much looking forward to. I love being able to use my creative skills in different ways, especially when it is for such a wonderful organisation as Creative Partnerships. Its amazing how much those sorts of projects feed and inspire my studio work. Ages 3 - 5 are a wonderful age group to work with, so I'm sure they will give me lots of ideas for the children's books I've been working on, and in return I will be researching the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and discovering ways we can implement it there in partnership with the nursery team.

Below are a few images from my sketchbooks. I'm having a little exhibition at Yate Library in March so I've been working on a new body of work, that will work well in cabinets. At the moment, I'm expecting it to be a combination of 3D, hand rendered type, books and flat artwork, presented in an installation format....but as with all projects, they almost always lead to something more adventurous than you'd intended.

Sea Stones

2010-12-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

I've been adding many little handmade things to my on-line shops this month.

This includes a new line of illustrated gifts.

SEA STONES

Now that I am lucky enough to live near the sea again, I've started collecting some beautiful and unique stones. I've been enjoying the new surface to draw on, and taking inspiration from the natural contours and lines of the stones, and the environment that they came from.

They can be found and bought by following these links:

http://www.folksy.com/shops/HayleyPotter

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HayleyPotter?ref=seller_info

http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Hayleypotter

Prices start from just £3.00 and they all come boxed.

Exhibition at The Lighthouse in Poole

2010-11-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

Heres a picture of my handmade book for Poole Literary Festival (please see previous posts). Its on exhibit at the Lighthouse in Poole, Dorset until the end of this month.

Many thanks to Craig Coady for this photograph.

Its that time of year again!

2010-11-09T02:43:00.001-08:00

Its that time of year again where my Hooded Warbler changes his cloak for a more festive one, and I add lots of new cards and gift ideas to my shops...

http://www.folksy.com/shops/HayleyPotter

http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Hayleypotter

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HayleyPotter

All buys will come with lots of lovely little extras...

Pics from Poole Literary Festival

2010-11-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I'm back from Poole Literary Festival. Lots of fun was had there (I always get over excited about anything to do with books!)

If you were one of the people that came to say hello to me, then thanks very much for taking the time to pop in - much appreciated!

After contemplating my pile of books (please see previous blog post) I decided to make a concertina book that was made from, and inspired by the books that I had. I had three hours to complete the book, whilst contained within a 1m x 1m space.

After considering the amount of time I had to complete the book, and the contents of the books I'd been given, I decided to make the book a manageable size and length, that could be viewed in it's entirety on the display plinth. Originally I had hoped to illustrate part of a story, but all of my books were reference books, so I decided to produce a sequence of images that explored a new and imagined forest.

If you missed out at the weekend, but would still like to see what was produced by me, and the other nine artists that took part, then you can come and see the work in the reception area of the Lighthouse in Poole from now until the end of November.

Photos of how mine progressed are below, with more to follow from the Festival's official photographer later on.

Poole Literary Festival this weekend

2010-10-28T02:54:00.000-07:00

This is where you'll find me this Saturday...

From 2-5pm in The Lighthouse, Poole, I'll be sat on a 1m x 1m plinth (Trafalgar Square style, but thankfully not so high up!) creating a new artwork from a pile of books I've never met before!

New things in my on-line shops & Mr Bumble's hair cut

2010-10-25T08:35:00.001-07:00

I've been having a bit of a sort out after the move, and have now added a selection of new things to my shop, some end of line things, and some I'd decided not to part with, but then changed my mind!

I'm having some problems with my own on-line shop, so you can find these goodies on the following websites instead...

DAWANDA

ETSY

FOLKSY

If you don't like using these sites, and you'd rather pay me by paypal or cheque for something you like on there, then just send me an e-mail and I'll sort that out for you.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday - its beautiful sunshine here in Devon, with an unusual amount of sea gulls flying over head. Oh, and Mr Bumble had a hair cut today - he seems quite pleased with it.

Goodies for Poole Literary Festival

2010-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

I've been making some little things for my stand at Poole Literary Festival next week. I'll be making a book for Bookshelf at The Lighthouse in Poole from 2-5pm on Saturday 30th. It will be exhibited for a few weeks afterwards.

If you might be attending the literary festival, then pop into the Lighthouse and say hello and pick up one of my complimentary bookmarks or little books to take home with you!

All Butterflies Dream

2010-10-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

A little handmade concertina book made from mixed media about butterflies and what goes through their tiny antennae...

I'll be making a limited edition of some printed versions of these for my shop very soon. If you'd quite like one, then let me know and I'll put one aside for you.

Cowboy cushion!

2010-10-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

Envelop have produced a cushion with my cowboy on it. They come in a few different sizes and you can get yours at http://www.envelop.eu/shop/articles/details/p/cowboy-2

The Biddenden Maids

2010-10-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm producing a small series of black and white illustrations about British Folk Tales, this is one of them. Apparently these unusual ladies once lived in Kent, where I grew up.

"Perhaps the most famous conjoined twins of the pre-medical era were Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, the so-called Biddenden Maids, born in 1100 to a wealthy family in the little village of Biddenden, Kent."

Book Cover - Goblin Market

2010-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

After trying this cover out amongst my own books, I decided to opt for a white title. It stood out better amongst the other covers but still worked with the limited palette.

Book Cover - work in progress

2010-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

For a new exhibition...

2010-10-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

A little glimpse of one of the pieces that may feature in a little exhibition I've been designing...

Theres some interesting people in Devon...

2010-10-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Illustration of Exeter Quay

2010-10-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

...for a promotional leaflet

Cupcake

2010-09-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

New limited edition book now available on Folksy and Etsy

Where I live now...

2010-09-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hello - sorry I know its been a while, thanks for continuing to follow my snail pace blog! Things have been a bit quiet at my end whilst I re-located out of London to the countryside in Devon! I'll still be popping back to London for exhibitions and what not, but now I live in a beautiful little village, surrounded by rolling hills, animals, woodland and by the sea! A perfect place (and pace) to be creative.

Heres a few pictures of where I live and work now...

view from our studio (above)

Dartmoor in the distance

...and my studio assistant seems to be settling in well

Giant drawing equipment, organic collages and a Hedgehog that visits the Pyramids

2010-07-13T03:14:00.000-07:00

Heres some pictures from a recent commission I did with Bishops Castle Primary School. I worked with the wonderful year 4 & 5 & Mr Harris (Captain Enthusiasm) to produce some hand made illustrated story books, organic collages, and some gigantic drawings. The theme was 'Indoors Outdoors' and this was a Creative Partnerships project. If you would like more information, please get in touch.

A big thanks to everyone at the school for making me so welcome, and for being so enthusiastic and ambitious with their work! I was very very impressed! Definitely one of the most friendly schools I have ever worked with.

Whilst spending some much needed time in the countryside up in Shropshire for this project, it helped me to come to the conclusion that I miss trees, fresh air and the sound of sheep very very much and that I would like to move my studio somewhere greener and closer to the sea. Its been a difficult decision to make, as I've got some wonderful colleagues and friends in London, but I will be moving to the West Country in August. Watch this space to find out how I get on!

How kind!

2010-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

I was recently voted one of the Top Ten Illustrators in London by Spoonfed Magazine.

More info soon including pics of the last few commissions I've been working on, and my new cute and furry studio assistant. (Woof!)

Hope you are all enjoying the crazy hot weather its been 30°C in London today. Wish I was by the sea!

x

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

2010-05-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the cupcake craze occurring all over the UK and beyond is this limited edition book 'Cupcake.'

"The life of a cupcake is usually short and sweet. This is the story of what happens when one little cake wishes to be something more important."

Also included is a recipe so you can make your own cupcakes - kindly provided and specially designed and tested by the Queen of cakes herself Miriam Nice.

This is a limited edition of 100 copies and will be available for sale in a couple of weeks. If you would like to pre-order a copy or might be interested in stocking it then please get in touch via my website.

Why not make a windmill?

2010-05-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently its hotter in London this week than it is in Athens. Luckily I've been working on a commission that involves making paper windmills! So I have been sitting in front of a fan testing them out.

I'd forgotten how fun it was to make windmills, and wanted to share the fun with you. So if you're sitting at your desk and would like a distraction then below is my windmill worksheet. All you need is paper, scissors, a drawing pin, glue and a pencil with an eraser on the end of it.

If you do make one - please send me a picture!

PS. I got the proof of my new book this week. Will let you know when its available for sale :)

Design for an artist's hotel room.

2010-04-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hello - sorry for the delay between posts. I'm working on a few longer projects at the moment that I'm not ready to reveal to the world yet, but heres a few things I've been doing recently to prove that I'm still working hard and not lying on a beach somewhere!

Design for an artist's hotel room. Fingers crossed this will actually become reality and you can go and stay in my Midnight Forest later this year!

Splice

2010-03-05T04:05:00.000-08:00

splice
- verb (used with object)
1. to join together or unite (two ropes or parts of a rope) by the interweaving of strands
2. to unite (timbers, spars, or the like) by overlapping and binding their ends
3. to unite (film, magnetic tape, or the like) by butting and cementing
4. to join or unite
5. Genetics. to join (segments of DNA or RNA) together

This is my submission for Ruben Cooke's Splice Mail Art project.

You can find out more about it and enter your own artwork here: http://splicemailart.wordpress.com/guidelines/

The Left Hand of God

2010-02-19T10:53:00.001-08:00

I've been feeling very anti-computers this month and needed some time with my sketchbook and pencil, so sorry for the lack of posting!

I've just finished working on this Illustration for an open entry competition. Its for The Left hand of God, published my Penguin, its a little darker than the usual kinds of books I like to work with but Paul Hoffman's descriptions are so evocative I just had to keep reading, and found myself being drawn to the dark side...

Anyway, as with all Don't Panic competitions its a voting by the public only scenario so if you'd like to vote for my drawing then please click here

Many thanks in advance if you do.

Limited Edition Valentines Prints

2010-02-01T02:14:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Happy February!

Some very special limited edition prints of my popular Valentines designs are now on sale in my Etsy shop. (They can also be ordered via Dawanda and Folksy)

They are A3, ready to frame or mount, an edition of 250 and all come signed and numbered.

I've just listed the first editions - so be quick if you want them!

"...your love makes me float up, up and away!"

Will make a great gift for that special someone.

New little book in progress...

2010-01-20T04:06:00.000-08:00

I'm finishing off a new book I've been working on. Inspired by all of those cake fairs and weddings I've been invited to. I've decided to publish this one myself so it should be available to buy on-line and in selected stores by Easter.

Heres a little peek...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T10:48:00.001-08:00

I've been taking some time out to do some sketching and photography the last two weeks. Material for a new story I'm thinking about and the recent winter wonderland has been very inspiring!

JUMBLE MONTHLY presents.....It's a jammin' Christmas

2009-12-12T09:38:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting over the last few weeks, I've been super busy working on lots of different projects, including making things for this sale which is tomorrow (Sunday 13th December)

I'll be sharing a stall with Cheeky Beak selling lots of lovely cards and gift ideas. We'll also be showing you how to design and make your own unique Christmas cards.

12:00pm - 6:00pm

Liquid Nation 161-165 Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, London, W10 6HJ

Revive back to the 1950's as the Christmas wrath is amongst us.

GET YOUR GIFTS BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS DRIFT!

JUMBLE moves to the West in its new venue Liquid Nation on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. It is the first of many of newly introduced themed parties that we will be holding. December's theme is focused on 1950's Christmas. Back then in the 50's the festivities of Christmas was all about bringing everyone together!so dig those pennies behind the sofa, at the back of your pocket and lets get-a-rockin'..

WHAT TO EXPECT???

ENTRANCE FEE WILL BE FREE....!!

15 DIFFERENT STALLS OF LOVELINESS...from different walks of shoppingness, 15 dedicated stallers will present you with many gifts that are waitin' to be bought. from vintage clothing to jewellery to illustrators to cake makers, antique collectors to prop hirers....

feat. RAG & BOW, FRANGIPANEHONEY,LIL & ALF'S CLOSET, EMMA COWLEY ILLUSTRATIONS, aJOURNEYYETTOCOME,KELLY-MARIE'S KNICK KNACKERY and loads more

dress attire**- COME dress in 1950's.its encouraged that guests dress up in 1950's altho optional

*CHRISTMAS TREE PINATA - take a hit and grab some treats
* PICK A MISTLETOE - go under the mistletoe and kiss the one you love
* SNOW BALL THROWIN' - throw a snowball and win prizes

* BOXFUL OF VINTAGE TREATS - ((NOTE: Please bring any item of clothing or accessories that you may not use anymore )) rummage through the box of goodies for a £1 (1 item per person). Leftover clothing will be donated to a local charity shop so its send to a better owner!:)

* MAKE A CHRISTMAS CARD WITH HAYLEY POTTER- design your own christmas card on the spot

* POST-eCARD - armed with a gold frame, we set the christmas scene (with the help of computer graphics OF COURSE!)so its like with the blue scene but with added special effects and send it to your loved ones abroad or just to those you want to send through christmas. It will be send via email on CHRISTMAS EVE, 1 E-CARD per person!

REMEMBER ALL DRINKS ARE £2.50 unless stated otherwise

and loads more fun tba..........

***********************

we also have LIVE PERFORMANCES from influenced 50's style acts from:

COCO MALONE
'JAZZ SONGBIRD & CABARET PERFORMER' coming all the way from the north will sing her soul to the jazzy blues of the 50's
- http://www.myspace.com/cocomaloneburlesque

WILLOW BLUE
the ravishing blackburn beauty who will be performing her very sexy BURLESQUE routine and strut her glamourous sexy poses.
http://www.willowblueburlesque.com

HELEN ARNEY
- describes herself as an "elfin ukulele-playing musical comedian in a rockabilly dress"..Helen will be providing musical numbers from the 50's with the likes of elvis and chuck berry on her ukulele!
ALSO she will be providing a STALL/WORKSHOP where she will teach you playing ukulele and making up 3-line songs about yourself..
http://www.helenarney.com
http://www.youtube.com/helenarney

SHADOWLANDS UK
- Rock & Roll duo Amanda & Dave will be providing easy listening rockin' music to go with the whole 50's theme.
http://www.myspace.com/shadowlandsuk

TRACEY CHIN
- Tracey will be our HULA DANCER for the afternoon dressed up to her nine's in her gladrags. She will always be doing a teaching session after her performance to all those who would like to shake their hips and try out the hula way!!!There will be an opportunity to purchase customised hoops that Tracey does also..
http://www.hoopandglory.co.uk/

******

ALSO DJ'in for us are the MESSYFINGERS DJ's JOE DANGEROUS & LEON LEON (http://tiny.cc/messyfingers) who will on the decks mixin' tunes old and new and all things christmassy...

**************************

PLUS:

we have our very own mobile VINTAGE PARLOUR provided by LIPSTICK AND CURLS (http://www.lipstickandcurls.co.uk)
where theses lovely retro ladies will provide their services and transfer you into a 1950's pin up, a starlet or a rock and roll girl...

so COME down show your support, travel back in time and relive the good times, don't you dare miss out...or YOU'LL miss all this..christmas only comes once a year!!!so get ur gifts from all this thrift :):)!!!!

FOR MORE INFO EMAIL ME ON: charitoc83@googlemail.com
or go on our website: http://www.jumblemonthly.co.uk

Festive Warbler Cards

2009-11-21T11:41:00.001-08:00

Just to say that I've added a limited supply of hand stamped and illustrated Festive Warbler cards to my Etsy shop

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34987177

Christmas Cards!

2009-11-18T07:40:00.001-08:00

You can now buy some of my designs as Christmas Cards in my Etsy Shop. They are made from sustainable materials and come with beautiful festive red envelopes!

http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

My Artist's prints have been recommended in the Spoonfed gift guide!

2009-11-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Spoonfed for recommending my artist's prints in their Christmas Gift guide!

To see more gift ideas please visit my Etsy shop www.hayleypotter.etsy.com or the shop on my website www.hayleypotter.com

The Minimalist

2009-11-03T02:28:00.001-08:00

Possibly the simplest bird I have ever made. You can find him in my Etsy shop.

'Whiskers' the mouse

2009-10-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

'Whiskers' has just leapt into the shop. He is very teeney and is looking for a good home with someone who wouldn't mind stroking his felt ears from time to time...

http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

Christmas Tree Decorations

2009-10-28T03:49:00.001-07:00

Just a little note to say that more Angel Rabbits, Rockin Robins, Penguins and Snow Birds have been added to my Etsy shop for just £5.00/$8.00 each.

What I Wore Today

2009-10-27T10:44:00.001-07:00

For Gemma Correll's 'What I Wore Today' Flickr group

Cheeky Chiuaua for sale

2009-10-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to say that this new Secret Creature can be bought in my shop. http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

(He likes being the centre of attention and milky tea)

Another bird with a hat

2009-10-23T12:32:00.001-07:00

You can find him here:

www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

Birds with Hats

2009-10-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to introduce one of my new birds with hats, she is looking for a loving home and can be found in my Etsy shop.

http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

T-SHIRT GIVE AWAY!

2009-10-21T06:23:00.001-07:00

I'm having an autumn clear out to make room for all of the Secret Creatures I've made for the shop.

If you buy anything (thats anything! Even just a postcard!) from one of my shops you may choose one of the limited edition T-shirts from my website.

They are all hand printed in California and being limited edition, its unlikely you will run into someone with the same one!

Simply select something to buy from:

http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

or

http://www.hayleypotter.com/shop

and leave me a note at check out to tell me which t-shirt you would like (and your size) from here: http://www.hayleypotter.com/section/shop/t-shirts

Lucky Black Cat

2009-10-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Someone said to me recently that black cats are unlucky. I didn't agree with them and to make a point I've made some lucky black cats!

He is hand made from shrink plastic and comes hanging from a piece of organic hemp thread.

He will enjoy hanging from a door knob, above your desk, on a notice board or maybe even nestled in your bag for job interviews or exams so he can spread his lucky vibes around the room!

Whatever you use him for, he will do his absolute best to bring you lots of luck!

You can find him in my shop here: - www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

and don't forget to add your free pack of postcards to your basket!

Secret Creatures are now available to buy!

2009-10-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

My Secret Creatures have previously only been exhibited or featured in books and on cards but now you can own one of your very own!

The first few I have added to my shop come in a little vintage matchbox, so perfect as a good luck charm, miniature mascot of companion on your travels, or maybe just to sit on your desk and keep you company.

Please take a look here: http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

New exhibition opening this week...

2009-10-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be dropping my artwork at the Mall Galleries today for the Art for Youth Exhibition...

If you would like to come and have a look here are the details:

The exhibition will be held in The Mall Galleries which is close to the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Buckingham Palace.

Click here for directions

Wednesday 7th October
Drinks 6pm-9pm
Auction 7.30pm
£12 in advance (please contact me for details)
£15 on the door

Thursday 8th October
FREE ENTRY 11am - 3pm
Drinks & Music 6pm-9pm
Raffle draw
£10 in advance (please contact me for details)
£12 on the door

Hope to see you there!

£2200 raised for Shelter

2009-10-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a little while ago that my work would feature in the House of Cards exhibition in aid of Shelter. My work was in collaboration with several other artists for Amelia's Magazine and our card was auctioned off and raised £2200 which is above what was predicted.

You can see pictures of the exhibition by visiting Amelia's Magazine's website.

...and you can buy a limited edition pack of the cards featuring our card and artists such as Vivienne Westwood and Damien Hirst from the super Shelter website here.

Textiles...

2009-09-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to see my illustrations on textiles so I was very excited when Envelop got in touch with me.

The first thing in my collection is this oven glove... (click here to be taken to the Envelop website.)

Look what I found...

2009-09-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a stock take for my on-line shop. I found this limited edition print hidden away. It was the first to sell out when I created the set of eight prints and I've just added it to my Etsy Shop for a very cheerful £6! There are only twenty of these in the universe. (Mister Rob Ryan was the first to buy one of these. Thanks Rob!)

I hope the last one goes to a good home.

http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

ART FOR YOUTH

2009-09-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've been framing and labeling some work today to feature in the Art for Youth exhibition in London in October. The aim of Art for Youth is to enable promising artists to show their work and to raise funds for the national youth work charity UK Youth.

Over 20 years of successful exhibitions in London and smaller venues such as Yorkshire, The New Forest and Oxford, Art for Youth has given art enthusiasts the chance to buy works from contemporary artists at the beginning of their careers. Its a great way of picking up some original art at an affordable price. This year I have also been asked to contribute to the 'mystery art works' - so if you can spot mine you can pick it up for just £30! Thanks to Ann at UK Youth for inviting me to exhibit once again this year.

Since it started Art for Youth London alone has raised more than £826,000 for UK Youth.

To find out more about the charity you can visit:

http://www.ukyouth.org

If you would like to come and have a look here are the details:

The exhibition will be held in The Mall Galleries which is close to the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Buckingham Palace.

Wednesday 7th October
Drinks 6pm-9pm
Auction 7.30pm
£12 in advance (please contact me for details)
£15 on the door

Thursday 8th October
FREE ENTRY 11am - 3pm
Drinks & Music 6pm-9pm
Raffle draw
£10 in advance (please contact me for details)
£12 on the door

Hope to see you there!

Happy National Cupcake Week!

2009-09-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Its National Cupcake week and I've been making cupcakes, eating cupcakes and drawing cupcakes. I've been developing a story about cakes for a little while now which I plan to self publish and distribute far and wide very soon. There will even be a wonderful cupcake recipe in the back created by Mim the Queen of Cakes.

New book...

2009-09-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a picture book in every spare moment I've had for quite a few months now (thats one of the longer projects I keep mentioning and then not revealing anything!) I've sent it to a few publishers and am awaiting feedback. (If you have ever had anything to do with publishing you will know how long that may take - so don't worry, I will tell you if I hear anything!)

Heres a preview...

In the meantime... I'm adding new things to my Etsy shop quite regularly so please take a look. If you are one of my followers you can have a happy 15% discount from anything you choose!

http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

Have a good evening! I'm off to bake some cupcakes...

Wish You Were Here?

2009-09-11T00:58:00.001-07:00

I had a day in Whitstable recently, it made me want to buy a beach hut.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS HAPPY! has just been added to my Etsy Shop

2009-09-09T00:57:00.000-07:00

You can now buy this illustration as an A5 or A4 digital print here:

Take me to the shop!

I Have Never Been This Happy!

2009-09-08T02:36:00.001-07:00

Creature Magazine will be publishing this in their next festival issue. I'm thinking about doing a run of prints of these, so if you would like one please leave a comment and I'll be in touch.

If you are attending the End of the Road festival be sure to pick up a copy!

Lolly the Butterfly in her new home

2009-08-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Looks like Lolly the Butterfly is having a wonderful time in her new home, and she also raised money for The Rainbow Trust! If you want to share a photo of something you have bought from my shop, please send it to hayley@hayleypotter.co.uk and I will share it with the world!

To see the remaining Rainbow Trust drawings, take a look at my website or visit my Etsy shop here: http://www.hayleypotter.etsy.com

These are not marrows!

2009-08-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Whilst staying with a friend in the Cotswolds recently, we discovered she had a rather unusual infestation. Giant courgettes had taken over her garden! There was only one thing I could possibly do to help...design a sign and hope that kind passers by would take them home where they would get the love and attention they deserve. I'm happy to report we re-homed around thirty courgettes.

Happy Days! Grab yourself a fabulous 15% discount if you are one of my Facebook fans!

2009-08-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

It pays to be one of my Facebook fans this week. I've just added some lovely zoo themed original drawings to my shop and until the 3rd of September you can get 15% off anything in my shop if you are one of my Facebook Fans.

Click here to become one.

and click here to visit my shop!

(Just send me a little message and I'll refund 15% of your total.)

Happy Days!

Wedding Picture

2009-08-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

This was my wedding gift to my friends Naomi and Andrew who recently got married.

Congratulations you two!

DRAW ME A STORY

2009-08-12T03:02:00.000-07:00

Although this blog is usually only about my work, I wanted to share with you some of the results of a course I taught at Islington Arts Factory last week.

It was for ages 6-11 and some of the things we explored included researching picture books and graphic novels, character design, writing short stories, pagination, endpapers design, and storyboarding.

Attempting to create a book in a week is an extremely ambitious thing to do but the children worked really hard, had fun, helped each other, learned some new techniques and also made some new friends along the way. At the end of the week they presented their ideas and books to their parents.

This is the second time I have taught this course now and I hope to run another one this year. If you would like to be notified when this will happen, please e-mail hayley (at) hayleypotter.co.uk or visit the contact page on my website.

Amelia's Magazine's Quilt for Shelter

2009-08-08T01:04:00.000-07:00

You may remember that I had submitted a design to be featured on the quilt Amelia's Magazine were making to be auctioned off in aid of Shelter. The brief was to design a playing card for the 2 of Hearts. Well - it was picked! You can see the quilt below or on Facebook by clicking here

I really hope that the quilt makes a lot of money for the charity so please let as many people you know about it as possible. To view the full campaign that this is involved in, go here

The Quilt:

The quilt will be hung alongside the other artists' work at the Haunch of Venison gallery in London’s Piccadilly, where the House of Cards exhibition will run from Thursday 24 to Monday 28 September 2009.

My Design:

New Etsy Shop!

2009-07-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop is open again with a brand new look! It will feature similar things to the shop on my own site - with a few added 'Exclusive to Etsy' extras!

Take a look, and if you like what you see maybe 'Heart my shop' - that would be very nice of you.

Click here to start shopping!

I'm back from my Italian adventure!

2009-07-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I recently went on an adventure exploring southern Sardinia climbing into Nuragic tombs, visiting Pagan villages and underwater cities...I was also lucky enough to get close to the very rare Sardinian miniature horse in the Gia de Gesturi. It was all very inspiring and I'm looking forward to using some of the material I collected in my work so watch this space for that.

I took hundreds of photos but heres a few of them...

more soon...

NEW ORIGINAL DRAWINGS IN AID OF THE RAINBOW TRUST

2009-05-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Limited Edition Drawings are now available to buy at an affordable price from my on-line shop*. By purchasing one of these you will be making a valuable contribution towards the fantastic work The Rainbow Trust does.

Each drawing is a genuine original, one of a kind, signed and dated.

To take a look at the drawings: http://tinyurl.com/knou7c or click the link to the right.

To find out more about The Rainbow Trust: http://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/

Only 9 available so be quick!

*All payments go through Paypal's secure server. If you would like to pay using another method then please e-mail sales@hayleypotter.co.uk.

New Drawings to Raise Money For Children's Charity

2009-05-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am currently framing these drawings and will be selling them in my on-line shop in aid of Rainbow Trust /www.rainbowtrust.org.uk

These cheerful signed and dated original drawings will be set at an affordable price and for each one sold a donation will be made to this fantastic charity.

If you see one you like and would like to reserve it then please just e-mail hayley@hayleypotter.co.uk and I will keep it aside - if I haven't framed it yet you can also choose the colour of your frame!

I hope some of you might support Rainbow, and get a colourful creature for your living room in return.