Pisa, Italy (2023) - a small portrait in ink, crosshatched over an original antique map of the city. Scroll for details.
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I've been working on this on and off over the last week, mostly to warm back into some of the larger maps I've been progressing.
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It's been a bit of slow start to the year, in a welcome sort of way - my partner and I were so busy towards the end of last year that we felt we could really use an extended break over the holidays. Back in the studio now though, and while it feels late to say this, I hope you're all having a wonderful 2023.
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I see lots of new followers here - welcome! If you'd like to find out more about what I do, have a look through the 'Takeover' highlight in my stories or the @mymodernmet interview pinned at the top of my posts.
2 weeks ago
A few favourites from 2022. I'm sure it's a bit early to say this, but I can't believe how fast the year has gone - you've all kept me and my partner Viola very busy, and we're so incredibly thankful!
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I'm currently working on some new offerings - new locations, new originals, new prints. A lot of our prints have sold out, and some runs are very low. It's bittersweet - wonderful, but also a little daunting as I know I need to release more.
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I'm always open to suggestions - where do you think I should go next?
2 months ago
Edit: sold out
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You may have seen little bits of this Plymouth map in my reels recently - here's the full, finished version. It's been an absolute joy to work on! I'm releasing a limited number of prints of Plymouth this Friday, December 2nd at 5pm UK time (that's 12 noon EST). There are 50 prints in total, all signed and numbered. Prints are sold sequentially, so if you'd like an early edition number be sure to set an alarm! You can view the size, price and other details now via the shop link in my bio, but you won't be able to hit 'buy' until Friday.
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On the subject of prints - just want to say a very warm thank you to all of you who have kept my partner and I busy in the packing room over the last few days and months. A number of our print runs have sold out which is just a dream for us. So really, thank you.
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Original is crosshatched in ink using a
@fabercastellglobal fountain pen (a current favourite) over an antique pocket map of Plymouth, UK. I'm really into coastlines and geographical boundaries at the moment, and this map has both. I think those constraints make an excellent starting point.
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Original sold
2 months ago
Crosshatching compilation, with commentary - an excerpt from my conversation with Steven Feldman of the Geomob podcast, episode 90. In this clip I briefly touch on the nature of my work with maps, the duality of imagery and why I chose to work with maps in the first place.
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It's been a busy couple of weeks in the studio and I'm looking forward to sharing some new work with you soon!
2 months ago
So good to see my work in December's edition of @aandimagazine - huge thanks to Niki for the feature! Available now.
3 months ago
Crosshatching over a pocket map of Plymouth - just a few areas left to go. The end stages of a drawing often morph into an exercise testing a sense of balance and self-restraint - sometimes I feel I could go on forever, a slippery slope when something should be stepped away from and labelled as finished. It can be like picking at a thread. A bit more here, a bit more there. Relatable?
3 months ago
Artwork for new Netflix documentary series "Vatican Girl" - a portrait of Emanuela Orlandi commissioned by creative agency dude.it. The series is currently trending and is using a cycle of different cover images, including my portrait.
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"Emanuela Orlandi was a Vatican teenager who mysteriously disappeared while returning home from a flute lesson in Rome on 22 June 1983. Sightings of Orlandi in various places have been reported over the years, including inside Vatican City, but all have been unreliable. The disappearance of Orlandi sparked an intense media frenzy in Italy that has resulted in the case becoming called “Italy’s most famous unsolved mystery”, as well as marking one of the few known disappearances of a Vatican citizen." (from wikipedia)
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This was a particularly moving project to be a part of, although I was glad to see that Emanuela's brother, Pietro Orlandi was included in the series. He has dedicated his life to searching for answers over the disappearance of his sister.
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The portrait itself is crosshatched over a map of Rome, and uses a well-known image from Emanuela's 'missing' poster as the reference. The underlying map of Rome is composed of two separate maps, stitched and edited by my partner Viola.
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Photo credit (3/3): my mum (whose name is not actually Velma)
3 months ago
Just a quick upload to test some new studio lighting. I feel like colour balance is always 'off' on reels but it seems to be an Instagram thing as my videos are fine on other platforms. Anyone else have problems with compression and/or colour balance?
3 months ago
Currently on rotation in my studio is this unusual map of Bradford, UK, with portrait details crosshatched in ink. This is a good example of how I form the basis of each of my works, searching for a composition through complimentary lines, gestures and shapes.
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The original map is dated 1917, and has been in my collection for a while now. It looks like the map was created following the housing and town planning act of 1909. A little research shows that this act of parliament prevented the building of 'back to back' houses, and also meant that local authorities would adopt systems of town planning.
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Town planning maps are some of my favourite kinds of map. They're often huge in size, with hand-finished touches and plenty of annotations from architects and planners, making them unique and full of history. Town planning maps also show boundary lines, which along with coastlines, are one of the more enjoyable constraints I work with.
4 months ago
Edit: sold out
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Edgware, London (2017) - ink drawing over an original pocket map of Edgware, Hendon and Mill Hill. Portrait details were crosshatched in carbon ink using an antique writing nib.
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There are just a few of these numbered prints left in my studio store, and as limited edition prints, once they're gone, they're gone - although I'm pleased to say that I'll be working on at least one new London map soon, along with some other UK and non-UK locations. To view details of Edgware, visit my studio store (link in bio) and scroll down until you see the listing.
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As always, I'm forever grateful to everyone who has purchased prints, originals, and even just engaged with my posts here on social media - it's hugely appreciated. Thank you!
4 months ago
Planisphère Céleste (2013) - mapping the constellations of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with portrait details in pencil.
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I'm releasing a new print run of this double star chart, this Saturday 24th September at 6pm UK time (that's 1pm EST). The run is limited to 300 prints, all signed and numbered - be sure to set an alarm if you'd like a low edition number! Prints can be purchased via the link in my bio. You can view the product listing now, but the option to buy won't go live until Saturday.
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Print size is 50cm x 33.3cm, slightly smaller than both the original and the previous print run. Prints are produced using archival inks on a matte 230gsm Hahnemühle stock.
4 months ago
I want to very briefly share my thoughts on space, and the importance of nothingness. The significance of an empty interval. For without the existence of nothing, we cannot experience anything. Like a brief pause between musical notes played, linework in art can only be defined by the space that surrounds it. In a binary medium, it is the emptiness that enables the fullness of the black ink. It is the tails to the heads, the negative to the positive. I think about this a lot with my topographic work - the crosshatching, yes, but especially my contoured work. The gaps between the lines are perhaps more important than the lines themselves. Is the same true for silence? For death?
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Fountains Earth (2019) - ink over an original OS map of Fountains Earth, UK. 15" x 15"
5 months ago
A (very) short compilation showing a couple of works in progress, both crosshatched in ink over old boundary maps. I love using geographical boundaries to direct a composition - working up to boundaries, without going over them. It's very similar to working within a coastline.
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I'm sure I've asked this before, but if you could choose my next location of interest - where would it be?
5 months ago
A few details of a map in progress. In some of my videos you may have noticed that I press down on the paper with my left index finger, close to where I'm drawing - this is to stop the paper from 'bellowing' or bouncing up and down. I work with original maps in all kinds of states, and as charming as folded maps are, they rarely sit flush on the table when unfolded. I love folds, but... I also hate folds.
5 months ago
Crosshatching compilation... with commentary. The audio is from a recent feature recorded for Turkish TV network @trt2 - this part of the conversation was mostly about my technical process, how and where I start each portrait, and why. You can see the full feature (with the original video) via the link in my bio.
6 months ago
I think I'll work on more of these trench maps soon.
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This one is "Stanway Avenue", finished and sold earlier this year.
6 months ago
Working on another one of those 'stuff all the important bits into one corner' compositions, using equipment sent to me by @uniball_uk - thanks uni-ball!
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Drawing is crosshatched in Uni Pin pigment liners over an original unfolding map of the Thames. Reference via #caneyo
6 months ago
"Virtually all of my work stems from a love of collecting original maps and other paper ephemera - I really enjoy the textures, patterns, history and even smells of aged paper. Maps are particularly interesting because they often tell the story of a specific place. I think my clients appreciate being able to introduce that quality to their collection, campaign or project - and for me, I certainly like exploring the concept of celebrating both people and place, together as one."
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Excerpt from a recent(ish) feature on Shoutout Colorado - this was released a couple of months ago but I forgot to share.
6 months ago
Nothing says 'map' like a coastline - the more rugged, the better. It's one of my favourite constraints to work with.
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Selection of coastal works in ink over various maps, some commissioned, some self-initiated.
7 months ago
Philadelphia prints are now live! See the link in my bio for more info.
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Here's a short sequence of some of my favourite prints, being signed by 6 year old me (sort of)
7 months ago
As promised before my recent holiday, here's Philadelphia! I finished the original last year and will be making prints available this Friday, July 1st at 6pm UK time (that's 1pm EST)
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Prints are limited to an edition of 300 and are sold sequentially according to the orders received - so if you'd like an early edition number be sure to set an alarm! For more details including size and price, follow the link in my bio.
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Original is both painted and crosshatched over an original map using Dr ph Martin's black star ink. The folds of the map were particularly challenging here. I'm used to drawing over folds, but these were very delicate.
7 months ago
NASA lunar map Chaplygin (2017)
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One of my all time favourite map finds, part of a series of orthophotomaps of the lunar surface published by NASA in the 1970s. I have a couple of these tucked away.
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The Chaplygin crater is the large circular pattern to the left, following the structure of the neck. As a key feature it forms the basis of the whole composition. In reality, the crater has a diameter of 123km, which is roughly the distance from New York City to Philadelphia, as the crow flies.
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Original is painted in Dr. Ph. Martin's black star ink (4/4) - this is the 'hi carb' version, which is excellent for covering very smooth or non-porous surfaces. The ink is permanent and dries fast.
7 months ago
Details of Paris (2022) - a private commission crosshatched in ink over an original map of the city. This post shows the uncropped map along with some close ups.
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Thank you all for the love and kind comments on my last upload - it's so uplifting to know that so many of you are interested in my process!
7 months ago
I see lots of new faces here (welcome!) so thought I'd share a short video which briefly explains my process of working with original maps. It also dispels a common misconception regarding my work - "do you see faces in maps?" (the answer is no, not really)
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Audio is from Geomob podcast episode 90 - Ed Fairburn: Topopointillism
7 months ago
I spent the last couple of weeks recharging my batteries in Italy, specifically Bologna, Faenza and further south for a friend's wedding. My partner Viola is Italian which helps me feel like less of a tourist - not that there's anything wrong with feeling like a tourist - it's just always good to experience some of the more authentic places, plus my Italian is non bene (although I'm working on that). We're now back in the UK and back in the studio, easing into one or two different projects.
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I managed to finish this private commission right before we left - these are just a few process clips although I'll be sharing some stills in a future post.
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The portrait is crosshatched in ink (0.03 and 0.05 pigment liner) over an original map of Paris. It's a unique and minimal map, part of an atlas of statistical maps of the city.
8 months ago
Detail of Denver, Colorado (sold 2015) - a throwback to an iconic USGS quadrangle hijacked in ink.
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The geography of this part of the city is a mix of elevation and urban sprawl, which allowed me to combine my two favourite approaches to generating a tonal range.
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If memory serves I used an isographic technical pen loaded with a permanent ink, most likely @drphmartins black star ink.
8 months ago
I found this aircraft service manual in an old book shop. According to the cover the contents are classified, but I'm assuming the information is no longer sensitive given the age of the aircraft.
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Those of you who know me well, know that I'm a bit of a plane nerd. For a long time growing up I wanted to be a pilot, and I was just as obsessive about that pursuit as I am about any other passion in my life (call it an addictive personality) - I learned to pilot gliders/sailplanes and flew a solo flight at 17, but dropped it soon after. I wasn't a bad pilot, but I quickly realised I was a much better artist.
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I also went through intense phases of wanting to be a meteorologist, a professional athlete (I still laugh at that one), and rather fittingly, a cartographer, or as I called it back then, a map maker. It's funny how everything plays out in the end.
8 months ago
For those of you wondering - my signature stamp is my 'real' signature, from about 25 years ago. I had the stamp made in 2012, at the start of my creative career. It was scanned from a birthday card I sent to my nan - I would have been around 5 or 6 at the time. I'm not entirely sure why I started using it as an alternative to my 'adult' signature, but it stuck! I now use it on everything including prints, originals - even invoices and other paperwork.
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This is pigment liner over an unfolding map of the River Thames (Abingdon to Wallingford section), 8" x 9.5" approx.
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Original sold
8 months ago
"Where do you find your maps?"
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Earlier this year I welcomed a film crew into my studio to record a short documentary for the Turkish channel @trt2 - my work was featured in a series of shorts looking at artists who recycle/upcycle rubbish. I've never thought of the maps I use as rubbish (and actually most of them are very collectible), but the general idea of repurposing existing (and often discarded) materials is central to what I and the other artists in the series do.
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This is an excerpt answering my most frequently asked question. For anyone interested in watching the full episode the link is in my bio
8 months ago