Second Draft

Part of Khaled Hafez's Tomb Sonata in Three Military Movements (and Overture). Photograph: Khaled Hafez Source: The Guardian The Guardian's piece on the art of the recent revolution in Egypt caught our attention this morning, especially as we were all concerned during those fraught weeks for the artist John O'Carroll who was in the country. The Guardian is running a very interesting piece on an exhibition being held from the 6th July at the Mica Gallery, Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture , presented by the mayor of London and encompassing all the arts, until 24th July. During this time, John was unreachable by any means, so we were very happy to finally hear from him when the dust settled. His work in Egypt takes him deep into the desert where he catalogues finds on archaeological digs. Two of his drawings are below. This work translates into his art in many ways. One of his new pieces is below. John had plenty of tales to recount when he visited ...

On Friday 1st October, Pickle Design's studio became an exhibition space for artist John O'Carroll. The evening was a collaboration between Pickle Design, John O'Carroll and Wadebridge Wines who gave a wine tasting on the night. The exhibition consisted of fourteen pieces of John's recent work from his 'Ambient Light' and 'Shadow' series'. Our studio, cleared of its clutter and furniture, created a great space for his huge wax pieces - particularly his large circle piece which was lit on the back wall. The evening consisted of an informal and fun presentation of four wines from Tamsin at Wadebridge Wines within the relaxed setting of John's work. Following this, John gave a presentation on his experiences that has inspired him to produce these fine pieces - The Egyptian and Cornish landscapes are a source of his inspiration along with a keen interest in iconography, time and space. The exhibition was attended by clients, friends and ass...

The new showcase on the Pickle Design features work we have completed for an exceptional international artist, John O'Carroll. The project involved all of our creative team, below, Emma Julian talks a little about the design that she and Marie developed, bringing John O'Carroll into the process as well. The book contained both a English and Dutch translation. “A favourite of our portfolio is the book we designed for the Padstow based artist, John O'Carroll. This project involved both Marie and I, and was an enjoyable challenge. John O'Carroll is an exceptional artist who is inspired by the natural world around him. He draws influence from the rugged Cornish moors and coast, the gentle Dutch landscape and his time on archaeological digs in Egypt. Our task was to take this varied body of work and put together a book showcasing John's paintings, sculptures and installations. We worked with John to create a mark to represent him as an artist, influenced by his sketches ...

At last we have it, John O'Carroll's first book! We have been working on it for quite some time, and now the finished product is in our hands, and we are very pleased with the result, as is John himself. He signed a copy for each of us. Later this month he will be presenting the book in Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, along with an exhibition of his work. This is an excellent setting to see the presentation, as much of his work is influenced by Egyptian archaeology. The design of the book is carried over into his new websites we are currently putting the finishing touches to, with strong leanings toward Dutch design practices. The book will be available to buy from his new site.

John O'Carroll brought Florence in on Friday, freshly back from Central London where he took her for a charity dog walk with the Duchess of Cornwall in Green Park. The story was covered in the Telegraph with a picture of Florence after the Duchess had hung a garland on her, these are traditional Nepalese marks of respect. The walk was to raise money for the Kathmandu Arts Centre and Animal Treatment Centre. John was also in the studio to enjoy a bottle of champagne to celebrate the printing of his first book, although we are still waiting for it to be delivered at the moment. Still, any reason for a glass of champagne!

We are very pleased to have started work on two websites for John O'Carroll, one featuring his work and some of his recent exhibitions, the second based on his gallery in Cornwall, Padstow Contemporary Art Gallery. Both sites will have a common layout based on the designs we have produced for his new book and exhibition invitations. Check back to see some of our early designs, I will post them here to give you an idea of how the site will look.

The book for John O'Carroll is just about finished, just a few minor touches left and it is set to be printed. It features his work from the last ten years, and has been created throughout the world, from the East to West and taking in Egypt and Canada. He has a very distinct vision on how it should be presented, and we have worked with him closely to ensure that this is represented in the book. The book has grown from its initial concept, to its current state of over twice the size, giving a very comprehensive view of his work and approach. We are all looking forward to seeing the finished project, and hope that the exhibition in Holland that it coincides with is a great success. He is setting off from North Cornwall to the Netherlands for the exhibition the book coincides very soon, the exhibition is called Archaiolgia, and features his drawings and paintings. It is to be held in Galerie Roger Katwijk in Amsterdam. The exhibition will run from 6th September to 4th October 2008