A royal visitor.

I can't believe it's been a month since, it's been a busy one- but I had the pleasure of meeting (and painting with) HRH The Prince of Wales at the official opening of Gloucester Services. What an experience, I'll be telling the grand kids about this one! 

The first jar of honey from the site's beehives was presented to the Prince, and the plaque I designed now sits happily on the honey mural I painted for the occasion on the southbound services situated on the M5. It has been nothing but adventures since the Westmorland lot came into my life! 

All work and a lot of play...

The play area at Gloucester Service's new south bound site is now open- kids (and adults) GO WILD! I had so much fun painting my illustrations onto the walls of this amazing creative play area. Children's play spaces usually ensue raging headaches for the design conscious among us, but hopefully we've provided both children and adults with a space both can enjoy in harmony. Parents can soak up environmental stats and site info that may surprise them whilst sipping (a very good) coffee and watching the little ones play. The kids are treated to a host of my local wildlife illustrations and the best play ground I've seen anywhere, let alone a motorway services- by Flights of Fantasy. You simply must drop in!

There's still more to come here! I'll keep you posted... 
S x

South Bound

I've been back at Gloucester Services, (part of the Westmorland Family) once again painting the walls of the stunning eco-build - this time for the opening of their South Bound farmshop and kitchen on the M5 between J11a & 12. It's so great to be back! Here's a little of so far...

(Mark Lord Photography)

All previous photos and content ©Stephanie Cole, 2015. (It is not ok to reproduce my designs. If you like them please just get in touch and we can discuss what I can do for you!)

Phew!

Hi all, and a very belated happy new year...! It's been a little hectic over here, and all change over Christmas- will try to make it brief! 

I moved back from Finland to the UK in November, very suddenly as my partner landed a new job in Britain, and I was due to fly back to the UK in the next few days anyway for work- cue ginormous scramble to get as much stuff packed and home as possible! ...No matter how much I try to plan and organize, life always seems to have a spanner chucked in the works, just for fun! Christmas is only my busiest time of year anyway...

Of course, I'm really going to miss Finland and the friends we made there, the place we made our home and where I found what I wanted to do creatively. I learnt a lot about myself in that cold-icey-beautiful place! We'll go back to visit, though I am so pleased to be living in the UK again after two years of flying back and forth. It'll be great for work- I've already got lots for this year planned and am excited I can commit myself to just being in one place and throw myself into everything! 

I'm now happily living in Farnham, which so far seems to be a lovely, creative little place (though we currently have only a couple of pieces of furniture and it's pretty much rained non-stop). If you have any tips and recommendations for living in this part of the world, look me up!

Some other things that happened along the way...
I was over at Gloucester Services again painting murals, this time in the butchers and some finishing touches on the shelves in the petrol station. Not visited there yet? You really must!

I was at home in the Cotswolds, where I herald from originally. I did a couple of stalls, did plenty of my favourite walk down to the post office with Christmas orders, saw lots of family and friends, and ate lots of good food. I love being at home.

I found time to do some stitching and making, something I was very happy about. I plan to do lots more...

Here's to a really great 2015, new home, new adventures! S x

Mural work at Gloucester Services Petrol Station

I didn't show you what I was up to before coming back to Finland a couple of weeks ago. More mural work at Gloucester Services, this time across in the petrol station...

I worked with Westmorland and came up with the above design, a story about the company, the site and architecture of the building and surrounding area, and the stream of traffic from the M5 which will use the station. It took me a week to paint onto the till area of the build...

I've had real fun over in the services as I've been slowly bringing different areas some colour and life, mural work is my absolute new favourite pastime! It's so rewarding to see a large area transformed, and also feels the perfect paring as we share the same 'eat-well' and local, green values. You can read about some of the other projects I've painted at Gloucester services by clicking on the photos below...

The A-Z of Gloucestershire, cafe area at Gloucester Services

The Anatomy of an English Picnic, Deli area at Gloucester Services

Map of South-West Suppliers, Shop area at Gloucester Services

Do get in touch if you'd like me to paint something on a wall for you! 

Project: The A-Z of Gloucestershire at Gloucester Services

I've been back at Westmorland's Gloucester Services on the M5 working on an illustrated A-Z of Gloucestershire for the restaurant area there. They interviewed me last week about the project over on their blog...

How did you begin the design process with the A-Z?

I worked with Westmorland on creating an A-Z of 'their Gloucestershire', including local landmarks, species and charities they work closely alongside. I wanted the designs to be simple but informative so they'd make a real impact from a distance in the services, and not too obvious- conversation starters! My designs start as hand-drawings, which I then place together and visualize on my laptop. The designs are finalized and I've now been busy on site painting them onto the walls of the cafe. Working on a project about home in Gloucestershire was a real pleasure, and cured a little pang of homesickness as I started the design work for it whilst I was still over in Finland!

There's no rest for the wicked, I'm onto the petrol station and butchers over there this week! You can see and hear about the rest of my mural work here. Will keep you posted...

Project: Artwork at the new M5 Gloucester Services

I finally got around to taking some photos of the completed artwork I painted onto the walls of the fantastic new Westmorland's Gloucester Services, situated on the M5. The mural commission saw a gigantic map of the suppliers which stock the services (me included!) across the southwest of the UK, plus the illustrated 'anatomy of an English picnic' in the deli area. I'm going to be going back to complete more areas of the services over the next few weeks, so if you stop by and spot me, do say hello! Will of course keep you posted along the way...

Westmorland's Gloucester Services Illustration project

You would be excused for thinking our UK service stations rather uninspiring, transitional places only good for a quick loo stop, an OK coffee, some greasy non-descript something from a fast food joint to ease the boredom, or relief from the queuing in motorway stand-stills on the way to wherever you're trying to get to. Bear with me. 

If you follow me, you'll already know that I've recently been working with Westmorland on the new Gloucester Services project situated on the M5, which, if you've stopped at their Tebay services further north will know is quite the opposite from the scenario described above. More of a destination than an appropriate stop, the services are farm shop-inspired with isles filled with jars of homemade marinades, chutneys and jams, championing artists and designers from the area, a deli and butchers stocked with local produce and even locally grown bunches of flowers and fresh, hot food from the area served up in the canteen. Just my cup of tea. 

The illustration project has seen me design and paint by hand directly onto the walls of the shop, deli (and soon I'll be doing the butchers, take-away coffee and fuel station area too), creating a large illustrated, chalk board-style map of the south-west of Britain. The map will be covered in colourful vinyl stickers to show a key of the 130+ suppliers within 30 miles of the project, and a further 70 within 50 miles. You can see a few photos of the process below, before I get back in there and take some photos with the building up and running properly (the services open this Wednesday, excuse the boxes and building work happening around me!)

It's been a dream to work on something with values so close to my own, and so satisfying to see come together after working the design on a much smaller scale for some time. I'm a Gloucestershire girl through and through, so flying back from Finland to be involved with this was a real treat, and the perfect antidote to my on-going longing for the west country and all it's glory! You can also pick up my tea towels, aprons, cards and such which will be for sale in the services (along with a good bit of cheese, a local brew and a pie for dinner!) It doesn't come much better than this...