SWEET LITTLE 2016

As we tumble headfirst into another year whilst still recovering from the last one, the 'to do' list is already as long as the Yardarm. Burnt out? I feel like a bit of old crumbling charcoal and it's still only January. Still, onwards and upwards as they say.

Let's start the year with some vibrant splashes of colour from two recent exhibitions from two painters, 'John Hoyland- Power Stations' at the Newport Street Gallery, Damien Hirst's new gallery in Vauxhall, and 'Soaring Flight- Peter Lanyon's Gliding Paintings' at the Courtauld Institute.
John Hoyalnd's abstract blocks of colour have obvious Mark Rothko inspiration and the first rooms of the 'Power Stations' exhibition seem to draw heavily on this influence. These paintings are perhaps the least interesting as they lack the intensity and depth that Rothko achieved. It's the last room that really packed a punch with paintings comprised of heavy opaque abstract blocks and shapes in clashing colour combinations. Good rugs, I thought.

Above, three Hoyland paintings from 'Power Stations.

In stark contrast Peter Lanyon's gliding paintings were breath taking and glorious from start to finish. Lanyon took up gliding in the 50's and these etherial landscapes were inspired by the artist's flights over West Cornwall. 
These paintings, with their curving swirls, puffy splodges, and scribbled lines that surround, obscure and dictate the ariel view of the landscapes below, completely immerse you in the atmosphere. If it were possible to paint air, movement, energy and weather then this is what these pictures achieve. The use of colour also adds to the drama. Cold blues from the pallid pale to deep teal merge into blueish polar whites and greys which make you shiver. Whereas clear greens and yellows sing clear bright days. Slashes of tomato red repeat across most of these paintings. I came out wanting to fly.

Above, Peter Lanyon's Gliding Paintings.

Looking back over 2015 it was a bustling year. I moved to Sarf Larndan which, apart from the actual physical aspects of moving ones belongings, was more traumatic than I expected. I'm a North London girl and I crossed the river, but separating live/work put a renewed spring in my step and work has become fun again.

We launched a new collection, Ceylon, and other products at Decorex, as well as showing an instillation for Dulux Colour Futures at Tent London, during the London Design Festival in September. There were collaborations with Liam Treanor and Rachael South on a unique piece of furniture and with Bluebellgrey on an exclusive range of tassels.

Above, 

Thales' bench by Liam Treanor, Rachael South and Jessica Light.

An ash frame with a Danish box weave seat out of hand-woven linen/cotton braid

Above, trims from the Ceylon collection.

Above, one of our new outsize room trims.

The bespoke side of Jessica Light also flourished with projects from clients new and old. Below is a recent project for Knight Design for ten tiebacks to match Mulberry Home Wilderness fabric and shows the process of creating a bespoke design from working drawing to finished product in situ. 

I also went slightly off-piste as a guest on Litopia's Midnight podcast along with the horrortastic Barbie Wilde. I'd never done anything like this before and was unsure what to expect. Historically when I'm nervous I either babble like an idiot or my mouth turns into Velcro and I can't utter a word. It seems neither of those incidents happened on this occasion.

NEW DIFFUSION RANGE

Towards the end of 2015 we launched the first products in our new diffusion range, Guernsey. This collection of tassels, tiebacks and trims, all in marl colour mixes, is part Missoni, part windswept washed out beachcombers and part late 60's children's illustrations.

Above, new Guernsey key tassels.

Available from Jessica Light Shop.

New products being added over the next couple of months.

JESSICA LIGHT FOR BLUEBELLGRAY

Our latest exciting collaboration is with Scottish textile and home wares company, Bluebellgrey. We have produced an exclusive capsule collection of key tassels and tiebacks in Bluebellgrey's signature fresh and vibrant colour palate.

Above, the key tassels.

Below, the tiebacks.

Above and below,

images from Bluebellgray's recent Lets Do Lunch event in New York

Images ©Bluebellgray

I was introduced to Bluebellgrey by a mutual customer who told them my tassels would really compliment Fi Douglas's vibrant water-colour-esque abstract floral prints. They started by using our key tassels on cushions and their stand at Maison Objects, Paris. I then went on to make a bespoke tieback for the last Bluebellgrey catalogue. Sometimes good old fashioned word-of-mouth can work more magic than social media.

Above, our bespoke tieback,

Below, hanging very happily next to Bluebellgrey's Tetbury linen.

Image ©Bluebellgrey 

Key tassels and tiebacks available only from 

Bluebellgrey.

DULUX COLOUR FUTURES 16 AT TENT LONDON

There are times when amongst all the newsletters and enquires from Chinese companies asking me if I want to mass buy LED lights that something really exciting drops into my inbox and the invition from Dulux to be part of their Colour Futures 16 exhibition at Tent London was one such hurrah moment.

The premise was that four creatives would each be given one of the Colour Future trends and a small shed, and by means of an instillation interpret this trend in their own inimitable style.

I must say I was in amazing company as the other three artists/designers were Mark McClure, Anthony Roussel, and Zoe Murphy as well as the hudgly talented surface designer, Kit Miles, who was representing the colour of the year pallette by installing a dynamic vinal floor that streaked across the whole exhibition.

Above, Kit Miles' fabolous floor

Below, the space and Anthony Rousou's shed.

Below, a close up of Rouseau's  instillation.

Above, 'The Grid And Letting Go' trend by Mark McClure

Below, detail from McClures shed.

Above, Zoe Murphy's calming 'Words And Pictures' trend.

Below, a detail

Above, 'Dark And Light' by yours truly.
Below, our tassel peeking out from the dark.

I wanted to create a nightscape that used light to highlight the tones of colour darkening, and to illustrate the way dark and light affects our perception of colour and mood. I love the way the dark mutates light’s bright blaring colours into hundreds of muted dusky hues that get lit intermittently by the silvery shine of the moon and stars.

Even as a child I loved the dark. I’ve always found it a place of safety where the spaces amongst the shadows allowed one to hide and bide one’s thoughts or slumber peacefully. A warm place to hibernate from daylight’s perils.  As an adult the psychological and spiritual connotations that go with these two states fascinate me. We talk about light and dark representing good and evil, black magic, white magic, the dark arts even the dark recesses of our minds; AS Jung said ‘ To know your own darkness of your mind is to understand the darknesses of others’ but in an ever-increasing lighter world where the city’s light dims the stars and the sky never deepens past a murky violet haze the idea of the benefits of darkness are being re-addressed.

Above, my concept sketch.

Above and below, the making of our instillation.

We also gave a sell-out presentation for Tent Supertalks about our the inspirations behind our pieces with Rebecca from Dulux explaining each trend first and process of trend forecasting.

Massive Thanks to;

Rebecca Williamson , Marianne Shillingford and everyone from Dulux,

Holly Smith and Jennifer Barnes from Mischief PR

Jimmy Macdondald and the Tent team,

My amazing co-exhibitors Zoe, Mark, kit, and Anthony.

and everyone who came to both the exhibition and talk

JESSICA LIGHT AT LDF 15

DECOREX

This year, for the first time, we'll be swishing our tassels and tasselating our trims at Decorex.

Decorex is the show aimed at the luxury top end interior sector and this years theme is Future Luxury. 

We'll be launching Ceylon, a brand new passementerie collection, and Botany Bay, a new concept of outsize room trims that incorporate walnut and coconut elements, speciffically designed to decorate interior spaces. Didn't you know just trimming a cushion or having curtain ties is just so last year darling!
We will also be showcasing a tri-collacboration with Elle Decoration Design Award 15 winner, Liam Treanor and chair caner, Rachael South. This will be an ash bench with a hand-woven braid Box Weave seat which is not to be missed!

Above, braids and rosettes from our new Ceylon collection.

Stand C46,

Decorex,

Syon Park,

20-23 September

DULUX COLOUR FUTURES AT TENT

It seems very fitting in my jubilee year of making that I'm returning to the show where I launched my first paasementerie collections under my own name in 2008, Tent London.

I'm delighted to be involved with the Dulux Colour Futures exhibition at Tent where I, with four other creatives, Kit Miles, that Miss Margate Zoe Murphy, Anthony Roussel and Mark McClure will be interpreting with an instilation and talk, the four major trend stories and the 2016 colour of the year.

Tent London,

Old Truman Brewery,

Brick Lane,

24-27 September 

Talking of jubilees here are my next picks from the last 25 years…
GOLD PASSEMENTERIE
This started as a play with some passementerie techniques to create rigid forms and went on to be the staring point for other projects. One such project was with jewellery designer Lesley Vik Waddell on a colection that incorporated elements of this type of passementerie as well as Dorset Button style covered rings in subtle dusky pinks, whites and a hint of magenta . Unfortuately I have no images of this collection as it was fabulous and went on to be one of Lesley's best selling collections.