STUDIO DELIGHT

At 6pm last Thursday evening, London's most curious and creative seekers flooded through our studio doors. It was the hottest day of the year so far, and we weren't sure if this was to be a positive or negative for the turnout, so stocked up on loads of ice cold Bud in preparation. Fortunately, the warm weather allowed for a brilliant alfresco evening, and after taking the winding route through each of the Hackney Downs Studios, guests were rewarded with pale ale from onsite brewers, delicious barbecue feasts and a buzzing market atmosphere in the Village Green space out front. 

I talked to many people about my work, and received a fantastic response from the public, a great boost for my upcoming modern calligraphy classes, for which I am very, very grateful. It was the first time I've ever displayed samples at an event like this, and though I wasn't quite sure how much visitors would interact, I was soon in conversations about the evolution of modern calligraphy, design and business with many other enthusiasts. 

One of the aspects of the evening I was really excited about, was meeting all our neighbours and exploring other studios within the refurbished print works, and I managed to sneak off for a quick look round later in the evening. Residents on our floor include photographers, jewellery makers, fashion houses, post-production teams, a magazine publication, film makers and graphic designers, which was a sure taste of the variation to come. We stumbled across live performance art, furniture designers, florists, a record label, a wellness centre, sculpture artists, illustrators, and to top it off a London orchestra playing to a huge audience in an onsite gallery space I'd never even seen before! The place came alive, and I honestly felt truly inspired by all the brilliant people and businesses who we work amongst.  Below are some snaps from the night. 

Heartfelt thanks to everyone that came down and took part in our fab event, and I'm so excited to work with the new suppliers and artists I met. I'm writing this from a beautiful, sunny Yorkshire valley, (see below) fresh from a fantastic weekend spent with special people watching the Tour de France pass through Leeds and Ripponden. An unbelievable atmosphere and contagious northern spirit has left us inspired, ready to return to London and get back to business, with loads of new ideas and projects. Being immersed in the brilliant colours of nature, and fresh air of the North does that somehow.

Have a brilliant week x