Sail into February with laurel

Here's my latest collage for Gardenia magazine. I used some
leftovers from the brilliant job I did for the Swiss company
de Sede before Christmas ( https://youtu.be/KyJ_uq9diL8 )
with Carla Mantero and Fulvia Carmagnini -
grazie ragazze (-:

December Domus

A brilliant way to finish the year has been this project
for the December issue of Domus magazine, a virtual
visit to the Paris exhibition Tutto Ponti. I immagined I
was leaving a note on the kitchen table for a friend
who was visiting the exhibition after me.

Two double page spreads and the best bit of all is
the index!!

Gardenia magazine collage

I'm working on August and September at the moment
and the monthly collage for Gardenia magazine is
definitely one of my favourite projects!
Here are some of this year's illustrations.
In questi giorni sto preparando i disegni per agosto 
e settembre. Il collage per la rivista Gardenia è sicuramente 
uno dei miei lavori preferiti! 
Ecco le altre illustrazioni di quest'anno.

Vinodromo . Milan

Do go along to have an aperitivo in this wine bar if you're in Milan
over the next few weeks, you can see my wine collages
and the food is great too!
It's open until the middle of August.
Fate un salto a prendere l'aperitivo in questa enoteca se siete 
a Milano nelle prossime settimane, potete vedere i miei collages 
con le etichette e si mangia bene! 
Rimane aperta fino a metà agosto.

Polish proverb with Pulcino elefante

Ready to go to Alberto Casiraghy's in Osnago this morning to print
the Polish proverb Colin and I have chosen for our booklet!
See it at the exhibition opening next week in Milan - details
on the way.
Pronta per la partenza verso Osnago stamattina. Vado 
da Alberto Casiraghy a stampare il proverbio polacco che io 
e Colin abbiamo scelto per il nostro libricino! Ci sarà alla 
mostra che inaugura la settimana prossima a Milano - 
dettagli in arrivo.

A chat with Ciao Lunigiana

More for English speaking friends:

http://ciaolunigiana.com/julia-binfield-graphic-artist/

David Austin Roses

This was for Gardenia a couple of years ago/Questo era per Gardenia un paio di anni fa.

My mum was a great fan of David Austin, her garden was full of his roses and there were
always several copies of his catalogue in the house, which, of course I have kept! From
time to time I've used them for commissioned work for Gardenia or my own stuff and I recently
decided to use up the whole collection, from 1993 to 1999!
I also emailed DA this summer and they very kindly put 2 of this year's catalogues in the post.
I was delighted and very surprised to see that they had arrived, yesterday, 1st October - 6 weeks
later!!
Of course I had completely given up on the idea of ever seeing them. Wonderful, like a present!
_____Mia madre amava David Austin, il suo giardino era pieno delle sue rose e in casa nostra 
giravano diverse copie del catalogo, che ovviamente ho tenuto! Ogni tanto li ho utilizzati i per 
lavori commissionati da Gardenia oppure per i miei progetti e recentemente ho deciso di fare 
fuori l'intera collezione, da 1993 a 1999, usandoli per i collages.
Quest'estate ho sentito DA via mail e, molto disponibili, mi hanno subito spedito un paio dei 
cataloghi 2014. Ero contentissima e anche molto sorpresa quando ho visto ieri, 1 ottobre che 
erano arrivati, dopo un mese e mezzo. Non ci speravo più. Meraviglioso, un regalo!

Studio 26/08

A week later and after a brief trip to France, (more about that later) the flower
theme is gelling for the exhibition in Milan this autumn.
Dopo una settimana e un salto in Francia, (dettagli tra poco) il tema 
dei fiori si sta definendo per la mostra a Milano questo autunno.

Studio 14/08

Finally getting going here in the studio - the weather's perfect,
my local bar is still open, I've bought paper and the rest,
here goes!
Finalmente mi sto avviando qua in studio - il tempo è perfetto, 
il mio bar è ancora aperto, ho fatto la scorta di carta ecc., 
mi butto!

Lunigiana print edition - edizione di stampe Lunigiana

The prints are done - an edition of 25 - the first ones have already been delivered
and anyone interested can contact me in the studio, or Giulia at the Ex-Macelleria
gallery in Pontremoli. The format is 30 x 40cm, slightly larger than A4 so they fit
comfortably in the A3 Muji frame that I often use!
L'edizione di 25 è stampata - le prime stampe sono state consegnate e chi è 
interessato mi può contattare in studio oppure acquistare direttamente da Giulia 
a Pontremoli nella galleria Ex-Macelleria. Il formato della carta è 30 x 40cm quindi 
molto adatto per la cornice Muji A3 che utilizzo spesso!

Gardens de-constructed at Villa Pavesi Negri

A one day exhibition near Pontremoli in what looks like
a rather wonderful villa.
These are the collages I did for Cristiana Serra Zanetti's
garden proposals in Gardenia magazine.
They're quite fun because they mix flowers and vegetables
in a way that's reminiscent of that most wonderful French
garden, Villandry. I remember falling in love with idea when
I visited there a few years ago, driving through France on
my way to London.

Gardenia mag again

This is rusco which translates as butcher's broom

and carrot

 Here's August, hibiscus

At the seaside!

Well, back in Milan now actually, but avoided getting burnt
with Bjobj 30 and 50 factor suncream, which I discovered
while drawing the after-sun for Gardenia in July.
Each month they write about beauty products with a
common ingredient.This is Viltellaria paradoxa from Africa,
shea or karité.

European wine

This is the piece about white grape varieties - I'd like
to do red too, but as there are none in Luxembourg,
it wasn't an immediate priority! And as I was saying before I
mysteriously deleted it, due to an airport strike in Milan, I had
a whole extra day wandering round Luxembourg, walking up to
the modern art gallery MUDAM, as well as a delicious dinner
with Marco, Andrea and Francois, a charming Parisian who was
visiting them for the weekend.

Some pictures of the opening:

Back from Luxembourg where the exhibition went really well!
Thanks to Marco, Andrea, Simonetta, Saverio, Donata, Ivana, Daniele, Vincenza and everyone else who helped make it happen.
Here are some photos, more on the way.

Life in the country_drawing it, not living it

La Repubblica today, amongst other jobs and
preparations for the Luxembourg exhibition.
Two weeks since I left the studio, never
mind the city! Still it's fantastic to have the work
and I'm booked in for a break next
weekend at Sunkyung Cho's workshop,
organised by Debbie Bibo at Signs and Lines.
It's about story telling... who knows...
I'm still feeling good after Chris Haughton's
at the end of last year!

Call for European wine labels!!

More about the exhibition in Luxemburg, very exciting!
The opening will now be around the middle of April because I'm
doing ALL new work for it, on the subject of...guess what...wine,
and I would like to ask for some help.
I need to find wine labels from 10 European countries by mid-February
so that I can finish the pictures by mid-March.
If you would like to participate please post one or two wine labels
(more if you have them of course) to me in my studio:
via Lomellina 23, 20133 Milan
and I will make you part of the project - not sure how yet, but I've just
come out of the meeting so need to work on this part ((-:
Thank you!!

Cial calendar_November + December

The last two images from the calendar,
these and more on show at Orti&Commenda
all this week!

Exhibition in Milan, still running!

This exhibition opened in Milan at Orti&Commenda
in via Orti in July and believe it or not it's still running.
Just in case you haven't been along yet, it's a really
pleasant caffè, run by very friendly people and the food,
all organic, is delicious and extremly reasonable.
There's a whole range of my work, prints and originals
the Cial calendar collages as well as some new messy
kitchens - what more can I say...

Hot chestnuts, Bric à brac, and my pictures

For anyone who happens to be in Lunigiana
this Sunday, 28th October, this should be fun.
The place is Filetto di Villafranca.

Cial calendar_October