A Pleasant Meander.

Paperbacks, portfolios, paintings...paddling?

Hello!

Thanks for dropping by again. A dash of sunshine does help, doesn’t it? Not sure what part of the world you’re in, but London feels like it has collectively unhunched its shoulders recently, and that can only be a good thing. So, here’s a coffee, and here’s what I’ve been up to.

Barcelona.

Took a small break from manning the kiosk to wander the streets of Barcelona. My partner, (Lizzy Stewart), was being hosted there for a few days to promote the release of her book Alison in Spanish, so I thought I’d take advantage and join her for a couple of days. One of the perks of our slightly more meandering existence. Always nice to be somewhere else for a little while, even if it’s just to get some perspective of your life back home. Had some good coffee, ate a delicious sandwich, and got to meet some nice people too.

Here’s me; photographing things, looking very smug (because of getting to have breakfast in the sunshine), and peering at some books.

I was also very surprised and flattered to stumble across The Hard Switch in a couple of shops. It was on the curated table of the very elegant Llibreria Finestres and tucked onto the shelves of the delightfully independent, Fatbottom Books. Both Excellent.

Paperback Writer.

Staying on books, Ellen is back! If that means nothing to you, Ellen is the main character in my book, Victory Point, and that’s why I’ve drawn her wandering along the beach at the top of this newsletter. After selling out in hardback edition, Avery Hill Publishing decided to do a paperback and it’s finally here! It’s book I’m still really proud of and if you want a little more information, I wrote a newsletter about it.

If you’d like a copy, it should be in all good bookstores, or direct from AHP, HERE.

We don’t want The Hard Switch feeling left out though, do we? Yes, inexplicably it won’t be long until all the hardbacks are all gone for this too, so there’s a paperback (complete with lovely yellow endpapers) due out very soon, and you can get you pre-orders in HERE.

If you’re a bookstore. I think you should stock both. But I am very, VERY biased.

Portfolios.

Updating your website or portfolio is one of those tedious tasks that although rewarding once complete, there is seldom the desire to do it. Part of the problem for me is knowing that the task is never really complete. It’s an ongoing project and once updated, it is only ever updated for now. One more piece of work and it’s out of date again.

It’s also having to make nebulous decisions based on what you think clients will react to, what work you’re proud of, what work you want to make going forward…and it all swirls around in a very unhealthy way for someone who is as indecisive and particular as me.

Anyway, all this is to say, there is value in the exercise in of itself. It’s rare to have a reason to go back over your work, but I think it’s quite important. Not as a ego massage, but as an exercise in seeing what you’ve been up to from a more detached vantage point. You can think about what you did and didn’t enjoy about a project, images you like and don’t like, and all this is invaluable for charting your next course.

I recently had to update my agency portfolio for, Brilliant Artists. I like that it’s different to my website, in that it’s a really nice way to see a load of my drawings in one long scroll. Take a look HERE.

Tropical Modernism.

I went to the V&A’s Tropical Modernism exhibition the other week. On premise alone, it was like someone has designed an exhibition for me, so I was very excited to go and check it out. Perhaps it was the case that having a little knowledge of the subject meant that it had to do more work to interest me, but I did come away wanting a little more. If modernism and the politics of architecture and colonialism are of interest to you though, I’d definitely suggest dropping in, and I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.

Burnt Milk and Honey.

An exhibition I did like, was Burnt Milk and Honey by Vivian McDermid at the Blue Shop Gallery in Oval (London). A journey that is delightful, yet unsettling, and dreamlike, yet grounded. Definitely drop in if you like the look of it. All the details HERE.

Onward.

Well, that’s it or now. Don’t let me keep you from whatever you’re up to, but do make sure you head outside for a bit, because at this time of year especially, it feels like anything might be possible. Even if it’s just for a second. Or if you’re lucky, the duration of a coffee.

See you all soon.

Owen D. Pomery.