Card found - Seven of Hearts

I did a short talk at Foyle's bookshop Gallery last night as part of Illustration Rules!, an AOI, Varoom sponsored event. It was a good evening. Helen Thomas from AOI, who organised the evening, found a card on her way home, right outside Tottenham Court Road station. Darn it. Why didn't I find it? - Especially since it was the seven of hearts, a particularly significant card with a long history of coincidences and story connections attached to it, (but which I don't have time to go into at the moment). It's always nice when, after talking about finding cards on the street, someone finds one.

RULES - Event at Foyles Bookshop

I'm giving a short talk next Thursday at Foyles Bookshop. It's organised by Varoom. Here are the details.

Thursday 11 April, 6.30pm

The Foyles Gallery, Third Floor, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB

Illustration Rules?! As illustration becomes ever more varied and diverse in its output and working methods, does it follow any given ‘rules’ or launch itself off down the yellow brick road? To launch Varoom issue 21: Rules, at Foyle’s Bookshop in London, Graham Rawle, Viviane Schwarz and Phoebe Halstead will discuss illustration work that is exploring new areas and challenging rules. Will illustrators become the future guides of our blended, augmented-reality environments? The debate is chaired by Varoom editor, John O’Reilly.

Card Find by Mags Swift after my lecture

I've been meaning to put this on my blog for ages. This is the 8 of hearts found in Brighton by Mags Swift, a student on our MA course, the day after I gave my talk about The Card and card collecting. Those are her daughters crouching in wonder at the find. I love the beam of light shining on it.

What Are They Like? exhibition

There's an exhibition from the What Are They Like? project initiated by House of Illustration at Swiss Cottage Central Library, 88 Avenue Road London SW3 3HA. (I did a picture of David Baddiel for an auction at Sotheby's some weeks ago - see earlier post). The PV is tonight, but I'm too busy trying to finish the first draft of my new book to go. The exhibition continues until 25th May.

Varoom

In the latest issue of Varoom (issue 21) there's mention of Diary of an Amateur Photographer, which John O'Reilly says 'feels thoroughly contemporary' and 'uncannily of the moment'. - And he's a man who knows.