Pick Me Up, a contemporary graphic art fair hosted by Somerset House, was a bit like a sweet shop for art lovers. Dave and I were both overwhelmed by the amount of talent on display and the feast of colour and creation that greeted us as we entered.
We already knew about some of the amazing designers who were exhibiting, including James Joyce (see above), Jez Burrows and Mr Bingo, but it was a delight to discover new up-and-coming names, like Patrick Gildersleeves and Jess Wilson (whose Mighty Ducks illustration was awesome).
In addition, we got to gaze in wonder at Rob Ryan's open studio; he'd shifted his entire work space to Somerset House, recreating it in its entirety (right down to setting up his printing press and filling the walls full of previous work and mementos).
It's incredible to watch the timelapse video showing how Rob and his team worked their papercut magic during the exhibition.
The other fun things about the evening were being able to drink a couple of beers whilst admiring the artwork, eating a massive pretzel for dinner, and having a snooze on the bus back to Oxford. And people say we should get out more...
