Creating Characters Workshop Comes to Brighton

The Creating Characters Workshop hosted by Brighton's new Super + Super’s founder Miss Amy Phipps and me will take place on the last Saturday of the Brighton Festival - Saturday 26th May.


It's a two-fold workshop that combines drawing and embroidery, along with techniques of coming-up with characters and tips on sourcing inspiration.


Visit www.supersuperhq.com for more details or to book.

Looking Back to Look Forward

So it’s September. If you live in the UK that means Autumn.  A buffer month between us & Winter. The side effects of this season change already apparent, noticeably it’s getting darker earlier.

As we come to terms with saying goodbye to Summer, albeit rather heartbroken & jaded, at least there’s a bounty of food to console us in Autumn.

However, as the blackberries disappear & darkening days creep in, we have some tips at staying bright during the Winter months - taken  from Woody’s sell out Topshop collection Star Gaze in 2008:

* It’s easier to daydream when the days get darker *
Time to make plans & come up with ideas.  Be inventive & creative.

* More time to watch the stars *
Take up astrology or simply be on the look out for a falling star.

* Be a Trend Setter *
Don’t just wrap up. Dress up!  It’s a chance to wear more of your favourite clothes & style new looks.

* Be musical *
Maybe your Summer was full of Festivals, dancing and singing along. Maybe it’s time you took up an instrument & wrote your own track.

* Enjoy staying indoors *
Without the temptations of the Summer, you can be more productive.  Start writing a short story, take up drawing, knit your own jumper!

Check out all Woody’s artwork for her Star Gaze Collection here

All concepts, images & words © Zara Wood 2008 All rights reserved.http://www.zarawood.com/portfolio/project.php?id=11

Drawing in Dublin - Creating Characters Workshop

Textile designer Miss Amy Phipps & myself ran a Creating Characters workshop at the beautiful Newbridge House in Dublin on Saturday.  Thanks to everyone who made it.  Here are so photos of the day...

London. Yesterday

After some meetings in London yesterday, I went to check out the lovely new stationery room at Liberty.  Followed by a rather beautiful tartlet and pot of tea at the cafe there.  

Then it was off to Pick Me Up at Somerset House again...  

 Pick Me Up is on until 27th March...

Pick Me Up - Somerset House - 17th - 27th March

I've been very lucky enough to be choosen for this year's Pick Me Up Graphics Fair at Somerset House which opens to the public this Thursday.  It's only on for 10 days, so be sure to put it in the diary.

Here's a bit more info...

The acclaimed graphics fair Pick Me Up returns to Somerset House this week.  With Anthony Burrill setting up studio, independent publishers Nobrow, along with a host of other UK collectives & 24 international graphic artists including Woody have been selected to show at this year’s fair.

Limited edition hand-pulled silk screen prints by Woody will be on show at the Fair as well as some Woody products on sale at the Pick Me Up Pop Up Shop.

Woody has also designed a special poster exclusive for Pick Me UP –  which will be available for purchase at Somerset House for the bargain price of £20! Best to get in there quick  - there’s only 50 in the edition!

For more info + to book please follow this link

Books designed to inspire & cherish

We take a lot of care over Woody products because if you are going to produce something then it should be worth producing.  When you are starting a new sketchbook, sometimes it's rather daunting knowing what you should draw - where to start.  So we wanted to produce a range of well-made sketchbooks with emblems and characters that would inspire and comfort their owner.

The Owl, the Stag and the Ship sketchbooks are books to hold wonders, details and adventures - both imagined and real.  All cloth bound, each one is block foiled with a front design and story on the reverse.  They hold 190 pages for their owners to map out paintings, write stories or sketch out storyboards.

I think one of the biggest complements an artist can receive is when people say you have inspired them.  I hope these sketchbooks motivate all your creative people out there to make your own work...

See full range of sketchbooks here

Out of the studio. In to the Garden...

...new grown and some colour in the garden brings a feeling of hope even though we're fast approaching Winter and lots of work deadlines...

Studio Blooms

Been drawing alot in my studio at home for my new Winter exhibition.  Here's some Glads from my garden and a vintage plate that's doubling up as a palette.

Magical Beans

Check out the amazing patterns and colouring on these little beans - just given to Woody by her neighbour.  We looking forward to eating runner beans this Summer from Woody's allotment!

Quest of Adventure

Some of my favourite images from a great book called Quest of Adventure by Chris Bonington

Woody's New Years Resolution for 2010

Make More Time For Hula Hooping

Inspired by Grace Jones' hula hooping while singing (the coolest multi-tasking ever) I've wanted to help raise hula hoop awareness.

Woody Shop customers and Woody clients will be receiving a little printed version of this - a little Pocket Resolution to tuck in a purse or wallet for keepsakes.

Woody will also be giving away some Pocket Resolutions to the best New Years Resolutions uploaded here in the comments section.  You've got until the end of January to blow us away, make us giggle and/or inspire us in the studio!

Just leave your resolutions as a comment below.  Looking forward to reading them.

Pocket Resolution + image © Zara Wood 2010.  All rights reserved.

Inspiratioal Objects of the Week: Seaweed

Seaweed - it speaks for itself.