Without further ado, here are some of the new prints (plus more waffle).

The most beautiful (in my opinion) of the new prints, is this 'Garden Birds School Chart' screen print. Featuring eight British garden birds on a branch and hand printed in twenty seven (!) colours. Measuring a large 50cm x 70cm this would look beautiful on any wall, anywhere. £225.

Detail from 'Garden Birds School Chart' above.

Tom Frost joined Snap Studios, in Bristol after taking an introductory course in screen print and taking part in one of their mini print exhibitions. Screen printing suited his style of working and that started him on his printmaking journey, leading him to become the experimental printmaker he is today - twenty seven layer screen prints - I mean... Tom now lives in Wales with his partner and young family and has a dedicated studio in a converted barn.

'Seaweed School Chart' screen print is another of Tom's prints based on vintage school charts. This one is twenty six layers and features ten types of seaweed. Tom lives by the sea in Wales, so this is most likely inspired in part by that. £225.

'The Lion' is a six colour hand pulled original limited edition art screen print and is inspired by mediaeval tapestries. 28cm x 38cm printed onto buff Somerset Satin paper in an edition of 50. £90.

'Green Woodpecker' is a small screen print depicting a bird in a glass cloche case and is a partner print to the edition Tom created for our 20th Anniversary. There are three in the series to collect. £45.

'Mallard' is a mini 19cm x 19cm screen print in six colours and titles with rubber stamp lettering in a limited edition of 30. There are three ducks in the series of art prints. £45.

'The Gannet' is a seven colour limited edition art screen print of a sea bird in his distinctive mid-century style, measuring 50cm x 57cm. £125.

Some of Tom's more recent works feature depictions of taxidermy birds. His screen printed versions are sensitive and ethical versions where no animals have been harmed. They show the birds in beautifully styled vignettes that can be appreciated as attractive compositions. The birds look like they could have just stepped into the box to pose for a moment and then pottered off to get on with flying and eating worms.

We have a great collection of screen prints by Tom available on our website. Have a look and see what we have available to make your home look wonderful. If you need any help, feel free to email.

View all artwork by Tom Frost.

These decorations are lovely objects for gifting and will make fantastic presents for Christmas: perfect for popping in an envelope and posting, a stocking filler or a seasonal gift. Printed onto thick card, these will last for many years.

Mortlake Papers is a stationery brand by Alice Lickens. Based in Mortlake, South London, Alice aims to tread lightly on the planet and create stationery and gifts, including this stunning ornament range, that the recipient will treasure for years to come. Her greeting cards are items you would definitely want to keep and not throw in the recycle bin, they are little works of art! She uses recycled papers, vegan envelopes and plastic fee and compostable packaging.

The packaging on these decorations is really beautiful. Alice has used painted elements and collage to create the starry night backgrounds and make these ornaments into an extra special gift.

They look lovely hung up on branches as you can see from the photos below!

Find the decorations here.

View all stationery and other items by Mortlake Papers here.

Certain artists seem to capture the Autumn months better than others. Graham Carter and Tom Frost seem to be quite good at this one, so they feature pretty heavily. There's a bit of Rob Ryan in there. The collection will probably change a little as the month progresses as artists deliver more work throughout the season, so do keep an eye out.

Here is our top ten Autumn artworks:

'Nature Girl' limited edition original screen print by Graham Carter. Enjoy running around in the leaves like a small child? Yes please! £200.

'Judith Kerr's Kitchen' original limited edition screen print by Pirrip Press. A cat peeking out at an autumnal scene. From Alex Higlett's series of cats in kitchens. £25.

'Early Gothic' limited edition screen print by Susie Brooks featuring Wells Cathedral. A good Autumnal trip to see Wells Art Contemporary. Part of the Soma 20 year portfolio and printed by Susie at Spike Print Studio. £30 unframed, £75 framed.

'Hidden Tiger' risograph print by Peski Studio, open edition. Featuring a tiger in some autumnal leaves. Peski Studio are David and Jodie, Bristol based illustrators, artists and printmakers who are inspired by mid-century art. £15.

'Gold Foil Fox' limited edition print by Sally Elford. Another fox, but a gold one this time. This shiny fox has been gilded using gold coloured bronze leaf. Sally is another artist and printmaker who finds her inspiration from mid-century artwork and cites Charley Harper as one of her inspirations. £75.

'Leaves School Chart' limited edition art screen print by Tom Frost. This artwork is from a series of vintage style school charts. Mid-century is getting to be a bit of a theme here. Tom is yet another of our artist-printmakers whose work leans towards more than a little bit towards the mid-century aesthetic. £225.

'Branches Gold' original limited edition screen print by Fiona Hamilton. From a small series of screen prints by Fiona based on trees in her local area. Nothing mid-century here, this is a halftone photographic image and uses a number of techniques to realise this print including blends and overlaying imagery. £75.

'Small Brain' original limited edition art screen print by Rob Ryan. Autumnal colours from master printmaker and Fine Artist Rob. This print started life as one of Rob's papercuts and was exposed onto screen and turned into this beautiful silkscreen print that has been printed in a rich brown and black. £250.

'Fluttering Moths' linocut art print by Melanie Wickham. Keep an eye out for those Autumnal moths! Melanie cuts out all the moths by hand into lino and then prints them by hand using a boxwood burnisher. £25.

Finally, 'Northern Shoveler' original limited edition screen print by contemporary artist and printmaker, Tom Frost. A single duck in an autumnal scene. Hand printed in nine colours. £220.

To see more Autumnal print and artwork inspiration from our talented artists, visit the Autumn Collection on our website.

You can browse the Winter Collection.

And you can also browse the Summer Collection.

We've been selling these very popular year planners for so many years now that I've lost count. They come folded in a brown kraft envelope that has been screen printed by hand by Crispin Finn in their Margate studio.

The year planners measures 98cm x 68cm and are two colour litho printed on 135gsm Revive 100% recycled paper. They include Bank Holidays, Daylight Time Savings, Lunar Calendar, Week Numbers and Year Quarters. They are presented folded in a screen-printed custom made recycled brown kraft envelope.

Crispin Finn is Margate based duo Anna Fidalgo and Roger Kelly. They have worked together since 2008 and make illustration, design, screen prints, stationery and homewares. All of their personal work appears exclusively in the colours red, white and blue.

You can find the year planners on our website here.

We have put together a collection of our summer picks to inspire those summer vibes: Lidos and swimmers to remind us of jumping into cool water on a hot summer's day, evening fireworks and picnics. Of course, you'll have to wait for the heat to pass before you can hang the art on your walls. But let's not worry about that for now.

'Wild Swim' is a handpulled screen print by Anna Marrow, measuring 35cm x 35cm and priced at £95. A brillliant cooling print for a hot day!

'Licking Lizard' is a fun greeting card by Lisa Jones Studio. A nice ice cream to cool down on a hot day? Yes please! £2.50.

Anyone for roast chicken? This 'Chicken Sunbathing' screen print is by Matthew Green who excels at producing beautifully hand-drawn illustrations and at the heart of Matthew's work lies an enormous sense of fun. £60.

Do you need a beach tote? This Beret Dog tote by Daisy Hirst X Soma is perfect to carry your towel, suncream and baguette. £10.

This beautiful beach scene is 'Charlestown' and is a handpulled screen print by Jude Maguire featuring silver ink detail. Perfect summer beach vibes. £40.

'Posy (For You)' by Adam Bridgland, a limited edition giclee print, bringing hazy summer vibes of picking posies and them wilting in the summer heat. A lot of Adam's work is based of English hobbies and holidays so fits into this theme well. £95.

'Colony of Black Headed Gulls' is an original screen print by Fiona Hamilton and features a familiar summer holiday sight. The Black Headed Gull are smaller and much less aggressive than the angry large gulls we get in Bristol! £60.

'Majestic Leo' for all those Leo summer birthdays. This is a small limited edition screen print by Sally Elford. £25.

'Float' limited edition screen print by Pirrip Press features a lone swan pedalo on a lake. A relaxing summer activity, if I do say so. £20.

And finally 'Hot in Here' greeting card by Stormy Knight. A bit of a tongue in cheek giggle for the hot days :) £3.

You can find more Summer Art and gifting ideas for others and yourself on our website in our Summer Collection. Visit it here for a dose of inspiration.

Annet Storm Petrels screen print

Alex and Georgina design and make their own products (greetings cards, books, artwork, and other printed ephemera) in Bristol, working at their home studio and printing at Spike Print Studio. They screenprint as ethically as they can using recycled card and paper, Earth Positive clothing blanks and water based inks, along with re-using leftovers, using biodegradable packaging where possible and being naturally opposed to waste!

Two for Joy Magpies screen printed greeting card

They like to tell stories, and know that things have more authenticity if there’s research and thought behind them so there’s invariably a narrative woven into what they produce. And they love to be outdoors, so the natural world is their biggest source of inspiration.

Pirrip Press produce a range of hand printed limited edition original screen prints. Each have fascinating stories about them including the New Cut Cormorants (at the top of the page) which Alex sees on her way to the print studio. You can read more about them here. Alex is also working on another range of prints about artists she admires and their cats, included is Judith Kerr's cat in her kitchen here.

Judith Kerr's Kitchen screen print

As well as the art prints, Pirrip Press produce hand screen printed greeting cards. Alex has got the art of printing these quickly and efficiently, as anyone who sees her produce them in Spike Print Studio will tell you, down to a T! As lovely as the art prints, they make a great greeting card for anyone, though you would want to keep and frame them. The greeting cards are printed onto recycled coloured card using water based inks.

Love in a Mist screen printed card

Badger screen printed greeting card

Pirrip Press also produce zines and artists books. Not always hand printed, sometimes printed lithographically, they make humorous and interesting books including the very funny and very useful (just ask my partner) Hiccups Be Gone zine with 6 ways to get rid of hiccups.

Hiccups Be Gone zine

I'm Bored screen printed activity zine

In summary, Pirrip Press crate beautiful screen printed artwork and it's definitely worth having a look and maybe making a purchase or two. You won't be disappointed!

Jay Planted Oak screen print

Float screen print

We've put together a little Spring collection of artwork to give you some inspiration for the spring days ahead. Featuring some blooms, birds and maybe an Easter bunny or two. Bright and colourful is the name of the game, to get us out of the Winter blues and ready for the Summer, which is just around the corner, honest!

'Peach Blossom Moth' by Tom Frost is a beautiful silkscreen print from a series of butterflies and moths. New visitors to our gardens around now, and perfect for our walls, this original print is a rather large 50cm x 70cm. £150 unframed.

'Spring Mushroom' is a die cut, shaped greeting card by Mortlake Papers. Alice Lickens is the artist behind the brand and makes cards you would keep as decorations. These won't be decorating anyone's recycle bin anytime soon! £3.50.

'Woodland Creature' screen prints by Sally Elford are a series of mini silkscreen prints and fit in with the spring theme beautifully. Chose from an owl, hare, fox or butterfly, or all four! Hand printed in three colours in an edition of 15. £25 each or £90 for all 4.

'The Rainy Season' by Andy Smith, screen printed book/zine. Well, it does rain quite a lot in the spring... also available in French. Find this and more brilliant hand made books by Andy on our website here. All limited quantities and not to be reprinted - you have been warned! £5 in English or French.

'Frog Brolly' card by Lisa Jones Studio, let's stick with rain for a moment. This is such a great card. We've been selling Lisa and Edward's cards since the day we opened our doors back in 2004! £2.50.

Final rain themed print, 'Rainy Day Optimist' screen print by Graham Carter. Lots of colours and lots of fun. What did I say about colour for spring? This one is lovely. £75.

'I Will Always Pick You' greeting card by Eleonora Arosio for Stormy Knight. A foiled greeting card with a lovely sentiment: a sweet flower for spring. £3.00.

'Cow Parsley' original screen print by Hannah McVicar makes a great springtime print. There's loads of it around, and this is a stunning illustration, hand printed at Spike Print Studio by master printmaker, Hannah, who made this specially for our 20th Anniversary edition. £40 unframed, £75 framed.

'Garden Birds' by Peski Studio is handy for spotting the returning birds. I saw a starling earlier today. This A3 risograph print is an affordable way to start a print collection. We have lots of great prints and art from Bristol based print and illustration duo, Peski Studio which you can find on our website. £15.

Finally, 'Jay Planted Oak' original screen print by Alex Higlett of Pirrip Press is a lovely spring print. This screen print is a celebration of Jays and Oaks looking after each other for centuries. Read more about this on our website here. £35.

You can find more spring blooms, bunnies, chicks and other springtime ideas on our website in our Spring Collection. Visit it here for inspiration.

Over the years, particularly when we had the physical space, we were asked for some help looking for gifts for very specific demographics of people. Let's face it - it's one of the more fun aspects of running a retail business, that face-to-face problem solving. The trickier, the more fun!

So here we have Birdwatchers/Twitchers/Birders.

Our 20th Anniversary Edition just happens to be chock full of birds and a great size for gifting. They are available both framed and unframed depending on your budget.

This beautiful print is a bit of a favourite, and definitely requires a second look. 'Bird Song' by Matthew Green, two colour screen print, 18x24cm, ed of 50, £30 unframed.

Lino cut prints have a great mid-century feel to them, even when the cutting style is contemporary like this one. 'Flock of Tiny Waders' by Melanie Wickham, lino cut, 18x24cm, £30 unframed.

The print above and also at the top of the page is 'Featherweight' by Anna Marrow, 4 colour screen print, 18x24cm, edition of 50, £50 unframed.

'The Kingfisher' screen print, ed of 50, 18x24cm, unframed £50 by Tom Frost has been one of the more popular from the series so won't hang around for long.

Fiona Hamilton's wood engravings of birds are always popular too. This sweet shrike is no exception. 'Red-Backed Shrike' edition of 50, wood engraving and letterpress, 18x24cm, £30 unframed.

'Annet Storm Petrels' is a screen print by Pirrip Press, 18x24cm, ed of 50, unframed £30. Alex Higlett is a Bristol based printmaker who created this print using hand drawn and painted stencils.

This final image from our 20 year collection is by Graham Carter and is 'Pigeon Racer', screen print, 18x15cm, ed of 50, £30 unframed.

For stocking fillers we have this Robin lasercut screen printed wood hanging decoration by Fiona Hamilton, £10.

Another by linocut is 'Lots of Birds in Pyjamas' by Melanie Wickham, linocut, 37x56cm, ed of 30, £125.

While we do have more bird themed artwork at Soma, I hope this is a really nice collection of work, or perhaps works as a little starting point to help you find some artists whose work you like.

Seb created this collection for a solo show of very small prints and original art in the smallest art gallery in the UK. In keeping with the show's title, 'Tiny,' he searched online for the smallest art gallery in the UK, which turned out to be a phone box in the middle of nowhere in the North of England. This phone box was the venue for his show.

Seb Lester states, "I'm delighted with the new work; it's some of my best to date, and the new mini-print format of die-stamped and embossed printing is extraordinary."

The mini prints are printed in gold ink which is die stamped and embossed in a letterpress process onto sumptuous heavyweight GF Smith Colorplan paper, a favourite of many fine printmakers due to its quality and rich colours.

We have seven prints which are all available for £24 each or 4 for £85.

The smallest gallery in the UK

About The Artist

Seb Lester trained in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins in London and is currently studying Heraldic Art at Reigate Art College. He lives and works as a lettering artist and designer in Lewes, England.

Seb is one of the highest-profile calligraphers in the world, with approaching two million accounts following his regular calligraphic posts on social media. He has developed logos and illustrations for some of the world's biggest companies, publications and events, including NASA, Nike, Montblanc, The New York Times, The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and JD Salinger's final reissue of The Catcher in the Rye. Lester was the first visual artist to be offered a one-year contract by Apple. Previously a Senior Type Designer at Monotype for nine years, he developed custom typefaces for many familiar brands, including British Airways, Intel, H&M, Waitrose and The Daily Telegraph.

He is passionate about letterforms, stating, "I find the Latin alphabet to be one of our most beautiful and profound creations."

Find the Things

'Find The Things' is printed in Metallic Gold Ink on Scarlet Colorplan Paper, 540 gsm. It is an edition of 130 only, measures 165 x 110 mm (approximately 6.5 x 4.4 inches).

Find the things print by Seb Lester. Die stamp with raised impression. Illustrates the text Find the things you love with flourishes and swirls in gold on red. Close up detail.

In Vino Veritas

'In Vino Veritas' is Latin for 'There is truth in wine'. Die-stamped and embossed in Metallic Gold Ink on Midnight Blue/Frost White Colorplan Paper, 540 gsm. It is an edition of 130 only, measures 190 mm X 105 mm (approximately 7.5 x 4.1 inches).

Cursive

'Cursive' is for people who are 'fancy but sweary’. Die-stamped in Metallic Gold Ink on Midnight Blue Colorplan Paper, 540 gsm. It is an edition of 130 only, measures 155 mm X 115 mm (approximately 6.1 x 4.5 inches), and was hand-printed in London, England.

Cursive die stamped artwork by Seb Lester. Featuring ornate swirls and swooshes around a swearword. Gold ink on blue paper.

You can find these prints and more from the series (seven in total), as well as other prints by Seb Lester on our website here.

GF Smith Colorplan

All limited edition prints are hand-printed in London, England.

It was really wonderful how many of our artists, customers and friends came to visit us at both BABE and Frankenstein Press. Myself and all of the artists involved in the project are really grateful for the support.

As previously mentioned on the blog, this website and through our social media, we launched an edition of 20 handmade original prints by 20 artists to celebrate our 20th anniversary in June 2024. You can read more about it here.

We launched the edition on our website on 27th June, followed by BABE on 29th and 30th June and the pop up at Frankenstein Press from 5th to 7th July.

The response to the wonderful prints has far exceeded expectations, with a couple close to selling out already! We plan to exhibit this collection further over the next few months so keep an eye on our social media to see where it will be or sign up to our mailing list for updates.

First of all I want to discuss BABE. I’m usually a visitor rather than exhibitor, having visited a number of times over the last few years. The last event, two years ago, was the first time they were at Bower Ashton, a slightly odd time while we were coming out of the covid pandemic, but a wonderful event and a bonus for me was taking part in Stephen Fowler’s spooky rubber stamp workshop. This year the biennial event was again at Bower Ashton, the campus I recently studied my MA at, so I am fond of this location.

Soma had a half table shared with Spike Print Studio. Soma and SPS have long had close links, with a number of Soma artists having printed at SPS at some point over the years, while myself and Anna Marrow are member-trustees and tutors.

There’s a limit to how much you can fit on half a table so I took the edition of 20 prints, some artists books, greeting cards and other small items, plus a small print browser.

The two days were a lot of fun and I would like to thank everyone who bought something and came to say hello!

Next came the pop-up at Frankenstein Press, a very fitting place to have a pop up at! Not only was there links with BABE, an exhibition of artist’s books curated by Sarah Bodman and Frankenstein Press in their first floor gallery space, but Anna Ruiz, one of the owners, also created a print for the collection which you can see here.

Frankenstein Press is a new workshop, event space and gallery in Bedminster, South Bristol. On the up-and-coming end of North Street, arguably the more interesting end, this space stands out with the wonderful late 1800s French etching press in the window, with many modifications made over the years, this ‘Frankenstein’ press gave the business its name. Partners in life Anna Ruiz and Cristian Zuzunaga are the business owners, having met at LCC in 2005, and celebrated the first anniversary of Frankenstein Press this summer. They run a number of printmaking workshops for both children and adults including linocut, wood engraving, wood cut and letterpress. Have a look at their website here.

We took some other popular items in addition to the anniversary editions including greeting cards from Mortlake Papers and Lisa Jones Studio, zines and artists books from Daisy Hirst and Andy Smith (available online soon), wood engraving prints from Fiona Hamilton, lino cuts from Melanie Wickham and screen prints from Anna Marrow.

Again, this was a lot of fun. Quite a few customers from Soma’s days in Clifton Village live in Southville and Bedminster so it was great to reconnect with people. We had a private view/drinks reception on the Friday evening and, although it rained pretty heavily, it was a fun occasion and lots of artists, friends and customers came along. Huge thanks to Anna and Cristian for trusting me with their lovely space!

The weekend also brought in lots of visitors and was busy. It was fun to be a shopkeeper again for a few days, but I will continue to just do occasional pop ups and fairs rather than have a full time permanent space – certainly for the time being, anyway!

The South Bristol creative community is a friendly and great place to be a part of. The East Street end of North Street is quickly becoming home to more creative independents like Frankenstein Press, Spike Island is just over the water, and South Bristol Arts Trail is later this year in September. Pre-covid I used to occasionally trade at The Tobacco Factory Sunday Market, and is something I hope to revisit in the future.

Once again, thanks to all the artists who have created a print for the edition, all the customers who have bought the prints, everyone who visited us at BABE and Frankenstein Press, the organisers of BABE, Cristian and Anna at Frankenstein Press, Mark Jesset at GF Smith, and of course anyone else who has helped out I have missed off (probably loads of you!).

The Twenty Year collection of limited edition original prints is available to view and buy here.

View all 20 Years prints here

Read more about Soma Gallery – 20 Years here

Visit Frankenstein Press

BABE 2024

Artists included in the edition are: Adam Bridgland, Susie Brooks, Anthony Burrill & Ian Sanders, Graham Carter, Crispin Finn, Tom Frost, Matthew Green, Fiona Hamilton, Daisy Hirst, Hannah McVicar, Jude Maguire, Anna Marrow, Peski Studio, Pirrip Press, Anna Ruiz, Rob Ryan, Andy Smith, Emma Studd, Melanie Wickham, and Spencer Wilson.

View the collection here.

We have invited 20 artists to create an edition of original prints. Each print measures 18cm x 24cm and is made in a limited edition of 50.

Twenty prints from each edition will be packaged in an exclusive boxed set and given to the artists as a memento of the project, and as a thank you for being a part of 20 years of Soma. The final thirty will be released to purchase.

This has resulted in a fantastic collection of artwork in a variety of media. We have screen print, wood engraving, letterpress and glitter as a glimpse of some of the processes the artists have employed.

First up is to let you know we will be taking the whole collection of 20 prints to BABE (Bristol Artists Book Event) as well as more fun items including artists books from Andy Smith and Daisy Hirst. BABE is on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June at UWE Bower Ashton campus.

We will follow this with a pop-up exhibition at Frankenstein Press in Bedminster on Friday 5th to Sunday 7th July.

In no particular order, here is the list of fabulous artists who have created a print for the collection: Adam Bridgland, Susie Brooks, Anthony Burrill & Ian Sanders, Graham Carter, Crispin Finn, Tom Frost, Matthew Green, Fiona Hamilton, Daisy Hirst, Hannah McVicar, Jude Maguire, Anna Marrow, Peski Studio, Pirrip Press, Anna Ruiz, Rob Ryan, Andy Smith, Emma Studd, Melanie Wickham, Spencer Wilson.

The artwork is all available to purchase now from our online gallery. We hope to see our fantastic local customers and friends at BABE the weekend of 29-30th June or at Frankenstein Press 5-7th July.

Read on for more information at the bottom of the page and images of the artwork below. Click on the print title to go directly to the page.

Twenty Red and Blue Balloons, screen print by Crispin Finn

Charlestown, screen print by Jude Maguire

We Used the Stars to Guide Us Home, glitter print by Adam Bridgland

Bird Song, screen print by Matthew Green

La Belle Vie, letterpress relief by Spencer Wilson

Pigeon Racer, screen print by Graham Carter

The Yellow Bellied Toad, screen print by Andy Smith

Serpents, lino cut by Anna Ruiz

Walk With Open Eyes, screen print by Anthony Burrill and Ian Sanders

Untitled, screen print by Rob Ryan

Cow Parsley, screen print by Hannah McVicar

Annet Storm Petrels, screen print by Pirrip Press

Flock of Tiny Waders, lino cut print by Melanie Wickham

Moquette Moggy, screen print by Peski Studio

Newt with Crisps, screen print by Daisy Hirst

Red-Backed Shrike, wood engraving and letterpress by Fiona Hamilton

The Kingfisher, screen print by Tom Frost

Featherweight, screen print by Anna Marrow

Kolmio, screen print by Emma Studd

BABE - Bristol Artist’s Book Event
UWE Bristol, City Campus at Bower Ashton, Kennel Lodge Road, Bristol BS3 2JT
29-30th June 11am – 5pm

Soma Gallery at Frankenstein Press
31 North Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 1EN
5-7th July
Friday 5th, Saturday 6th 11am-5pm
Sunday 7th 11am – 4pm

It just so happens that Soma Gallery turns 20 in June 2024. We will be launching our 20th anniversary project at the fair. Keep an eye out for all the exciting artists and artwork that we will be showcasing!

Find out more on the BABE website here.

Bristol Artist’s Book Event – BABE
at UWE Bower Ashton, Bristol, UK
Saturday 29th – Sunday 30th June 2024
11am – 5pm each day

Public transport information available here.

The cards are die cut and digitally printed from Alice's original paintings and collages. They're perfect for pretty much every occasion. From fairy tale mushrooms to un-wobbly jelly to stove top coffee pots and even a croissant. These cards will be hard to part with!

Mortlake Papers was established by award-winning illustrator Alice Lickens in October 2022.

Each design starts life as a drawing, collage or painting made by Alice in her South London studio. The artwork is digitised so that every brush stroke, inked line and texture can be seen in the finished product.

Every card is printed on recycled paper and paired with a vegan 100% recycled paper envelope (no animal glues or pigments used here). Their packing is plastic free and compostable; they aim to tread as lightly on the planet as possible.

Newt tote in turquoise

Some of the products took quite a lot of development. The overlays for the two colour prints (cats and newts) proved to be quite difficult to get spot on! The printing problems this caused meant that these weren't very cost effective to produce. We did, however, release these in tote bags.

Crocodile Stands t-shirt in daisy yellow

During lockdown we had a sample sale of some of our test prints. This was incredibly successful and showed that we were on the right lines with this project, and that people did indeed want to wear Daisy's character designs!

Big pile of sample totes

Sample t-shirts with a very tricky newt on top

Unfortunately during one of the lockdowns, our shared commercial print studio was closed which meant that the more complicated two colour designs were too troublesome to outsource to screen printers as we were now unable to print in-house. Fortunately at this point we had printed a first run of t-shirts, a lot of samples, and a lot of tote bags, so could use a very talented (fairly) local printer who was one of the previous occupants of our studio. We went with Georgina Hardy at Screen23 in The Forest of Dean who I would highly recommend.

Crocodile Stands sweatshirt in grey heather

We currently have cats, newts, dogs in berets and crocodile designs in tote bags, printed on several different colours and in a few colorways; t-shirts printed in two crocodiles and dogs in berets in black print on multiple coloured cotton; and in sweatshirts we have the dogs and crocodiles in black print on several colorways.

Cat tote in pink colorway

Explore the range of totes, t-shirts and sweatshirts here.

We are sending items out less frequently to minimise contact with postal workers.

We are currently not offering Express Delivery as standard within the UK. If you require a fast delivery or delivery by or on a certain date, please get in touch and we can arrange this individually, where possible.

Non-UK Customers: We currently would advise all non-UK customers to choose Express Delivery which is sent tracked. This will help to see the parcel status in the event of delayed items. Please be aware that delivery times are likely to be increased on all orders.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions of queries about the status of current orders, or any orders you may wish to place.

Please do note that these recommendations are subject to change at very short notice due to the ongoing situation. (Last updated 24/09/21.)

We would like to thank you for your custom during this difficult period. By purchasing items from us, you help to support the independent artists we represent and help us to continue to support and showcase artists and designers.

Hamster Tubes greeting card image by Lisa Jones Studio.

It features a few old favourites like the Button Tree and Leaf Buster, plus some not seen before characters like The Wanderer and the naughty bathers in Petometer!

You can find the prints on our website at Graham's page here.

Toby Rampton is an illustrator and printmaker based in Norwich, UK. Specialising in screen print, collage and drawing Toby spends his time creating giftware, posters, editorials, and picture books. Influenced by mid-century design and fuelled on coffee Toby is skilled  with creating bold and whimsical characters that are unique to his process.

You can find Chris' prints on our website here.

We have lots of new A3 prints (Blackbird print, top), greeting cards (Miner Mole above), Christmas cards, a polar bear bauble, tea towels and the return of the ornamental Christmas Robins.

The new range of affordable prints are offset litho printed onto 100% recycled archive paper. They fit into a standard A3 frame and brighten up any wall.

Find our range of Christmas cards on our website here including this great new polar bear Christmas card and the new polar bear bauble.

Finally, we have two new tea towels featuring the very popular Cat Nap and Dog Tired designs. Find them here.

Find all items by Lisa Jones Studio on our website here.

Shop the Sale here.

Alice's A-Z of Animals is a series of twenty six hand printed screen prints of different animals, insects and creatures. Measuring 60cm x 60cm and each in an edition of 30. 

Born and raised amongst the muddy fields of Norfolk, Andy Smith studied illustration at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art, London. Graduating in 1998 he established a client list of advertising, publishing and editorial clients including Orange, Mercedes, McDonalds, The Guardian, Expedia, Sony, Vodafone, Random House and Penguin Books, directing Run London a commercial for Nike in 2000.

His work combines illustration and typography to create images that have humour, energy and optimism and all are executed with a handmade, hand-printed, tactile feel. Quirky characters find themselves in absurd situations, often with a large piece of lettering nearby. When not producing commercial work for clients Andy can be found in the studio screen printing books and posters about Fatty, the Target People and the Hot Dog. He has exhibited in the UK, USA, France and Australia. He lives and pretends to work in Cornwall. His favourite colour is blue.

You can find lots more prints and artwork from Andy Smith on our website here.