Musings on the new Charleston Sketchbooks!

I'm so excited to finally show you our new Charleston inspired Sketchbooks! A set of five beautiful (and slightly subversive) A5 Sketchbooks, inspired by the the wonderful Charleston, home of the Bloomsbury group - some of the most radical artists, writers and thinkers from the 20th Century.

I got to spend some time in Charleston house again, sketching and absorbing the vibes. The whole places feels so enlivening. I love the rebelliousness, freedom and subversiveness that it embodies. I really wanted to represent that in my designs.

I love how they painted on the walls and furniture so freely in a way that feels so very human - it's totally engaging. I'd always known about the love triangles and romances within the Bloomsbury group and I loved finding Duncan Grants erotic drawings so the idea of sexuality was at the forefront of my brain. 

I find it frustrating how a lot of design that draws on Charleston can feel derivative or twee. I didn't want mine to feel that way.

These new sketchbooks are super tactile, the covers feel lovely, and the covers feature bold and textural patterns which I've made using a combination of paint, paste paper and collage.

My hope is that customers will find these sketchbooks a place for creative exploration and freedom. They make a lovely set for different mediums or different projects and look really striking displayed together.