Tom Berry creates intricate drawings mainly with pen and ink. His original illustrations, which often feature animal and nature scenes with incredible depth and detail are then giclée printed in limited editions.
Recently, Tom launched a Kickstarter to help publish his first illustrated book ‘On The Other Side Of Town‘. The campaign was so successful that it was fully funded in just over 24 hours, and he was able to do a print run of 1000 copies! The book is in a large format, with 24 pages and 15 detailed original illustrations and short poems. Together they tell the story of a busy town and the characters that make it. Each book in this first edition is numbered out of 1000 and signed by Tom.
As a part of his Kickstarter campaign Tom filmed part of the process of illustrating the book as well as images from his early morning commutes through the city that provided his inspiration. He found that travelling at unusual times of the day revealed further layers of the city, in people and buildings than he would encounter during the day. These layers became the fantastical illustrations and poems found in the book.
We have ‘On The Other Side of Town’ and a number of Tom’s original digital prints in stock in the shop and online.
We are excited to announce the next exhibition in the shop. Ashley Amery will be displaying new prints and drawings on July 2 from 7-9pm. If you are interested in attending you can RSVP with our Facebook event.
We were able to grab Ashley for a little interview about her work and inspirations, as well as a preview of some of her pieces that will be displayed in the show. What is your artistic weapon of choice? Pencil, pen, paintbrush, printing squeegee…
A pigment liner pen, or a small paint brush.
You have studied art in California, Italy and in London. Did you find that there were different approaches to art in each place? Has that influenced your work? I think place always influences work, the landscape as much as the people. In California, I studied under artists influenced by Abstract Expressionism, who focused on the act of painting as an expression of the unconscious. California felt big and open. Large canvases layered with paint made sense in the space there. When I moved to Italy, it was a different world, packed with detail, and an extensive past. I had access to darkrooms and printmaking studios, and a library full of art theory books. I became interested in photography and how an art piece can embody a concept. I wanted to live in London partly because I read about ideas coming from the art colleges there. I loved the work of artists who used their practice as a way of thinking philosophically, often humorously. During my MA at Camberwell I began to draw about my internal struggles to define my identity. Since then I have circled back to the unconscious, approaching it with illustrative imagery rather than painterly gestures. Using the narrative aesthetic of illustration can be an unsettling way to point toward questions about limitations. Opposition within a piece creates energy.
Your pieces evoke storytelling, imagination and play, while also hinting at darker mysteries. Can you tell us a bit more about your inspiration for creating these pieces?
For me, art is play that helps me access my thoughts. I like to think of my drawings as a way of looking for the unknown self.
Swimming by Ashley Amery 420×594 mm.
You also run a business (White Wall Yellow Door) creating children’s resources for museums and galleries. Do you find it very different to create art for children than adults?
The work I do with WWYD is about creating space for children to use their imaginations, which often means having to think about bigger ideas and take away much of my own detail work. I co-direct with an artist friend of mine, Sophy Rickett, and we enjoy the challenge of getting ideas about art across to young people. Each project has a direct aim and a client, providing a nice structure to work within. It’s exciting to make something kids spend time with, giving them ways to discover their own ideas and abilities.
Story no. 1 by Ashley Amery. Gouache on paper.
Do you find yourself returning to themes with your work?
I am fascinated by the idea of the human mind, memory, and the unconscious, especially Jung’s archetypal Shadow. I have returned to this in a number of drawings and prints. How long have you been printing?
I have been printmaking in some form since 2005, and I’ve always been drawing.
We have been hearing and listening and watching the Just A Card campaign that has been moving around and making some noise recently. The idea behind the campaign is to bring awareness to how much even the smallest purchases, like a card, can make a huge difference to small businesses.
We have been thinking about how this fits into what’s happening at Of Cabbages and Kings. The shop has been in business for 7 years now. We’re lucky as enough people came and bought just a card to support us and help us grow through some extremely difficult times. Those cards add up to something more significant and we’d like to say a big thanks to those Stokey locals who kept coming back and buying ‘just a card’ over the years. While we’re now past the point where the purchase of a card can make a big difference in the daily or weekly takings, we do remember those days.
However, Of Cabbages and Kings does not exist in isolation. The truth is that selling ‘just a card’ is still important to our business, because it makes a big difference to the artists and makers who’s work we carry. Cards help spread a name, a brand, an idea or aesthetic and it is often the selling cards that allows the artist create their individual paintings, prints and illustrations. The cards that we sell are often miniature versions of bigger pieces of artwork, as in the case with Mister Peebles, who produces their illustrations in many sizes, from cards up to A3. For other brands like Mardy Mabel with her pithy text, cards are created as unique pieces and form the backbone of the business.
We support the Just A Card campaign because it supports artists, makers and independent businesses that make up the Of Cabbages and Kings shop, community, friends and customers.
Here are a few photographs from the big event. There were a lot of activities going on across London that weekend, particularly on the Saturday, and Sunday’s dreary wet weather left a lot to be desired. Regardless of this however, keen shoppers turned out in their hundreds to support our designers and makers and to gather their Christmas gifts. The hall looked proper festive (I think the paper chains just about held out to the last!) and thanks to the welcoming smiles and cheery chatter from the stall holders, a warm and buzzing, Christmassy atmosphere rang throughout.
Every so often on the Saturday, the chatter would stop, while London Acapella Choir Time At The Bar sang us a few festive numbers from their Christmas repertoire.
There was a sausage roll shortage on the Saturday, but a fried egg sandwich breakfast for the stallholders on the Sunday was an out-and-out winner. Well done Team!
TematrillaBobbin & BowHanna MelinJane De BonoDe Ja OohParasite CeramicsTickTackToe
What is your artistic weapon of choice? Pencil, pen, paintbrush, printing squeegee…
ofcabbagesandkings 