Some new merchandise has just landed on my website – a celebratory mug and a range of greetings cards – to join the Van Doodles colouring books that I made during lockdown.

Those of you that know me or have been following my blog – and it’s been a while, I know – may remember that in 2015 I was in hospital for three months after I contracted sepsis. The sepsis resulted in me having to have a heart valve replacement. Organic heart valves have a limited life and last year at Christmas, while I was on holiday in Spain, the valve failed and I collapsed. I was rushed back to St Thomas’s to have the valve replaced, this time with a mechanical valve that should last forever. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I’m probably not going back to shift work on the roads any time soon so I thought I’d do what I always intended to do but never had the time while I was working, and try to develop my art into some nice objects and, perhaps, even generate a bit of income.

Ever since I won the Liberty Open Call competition in 2019, people have suggested that I should turn some of my designs into fabrics, so I’m just starting to work on that, in collaboration with Linda Cole Design. Watch this space for more news on that.

Just out – and available online and from the Iron Pier Brewery and Taproom in Gravesend – is a mug that celebrates Iron Pier’s award winning Cast Iron Stout. The mug mimics the Cast Iron Stout beer can, so you can pretend you’re drinking beer while you’re having your tea!

Last year Iron Pier Brewery’s Cast Iron Stout won won the CAMRA London and South East Regional Championship Beer of Britain Session Stout and Porter Category. It is delicious, made from seven different malts, with chocolate and coffee as prominent flavours. I’ve been designing beer cans for Iron Pier for four years now and this dishwasher-safe mugs represents just one of around 20 designs I’ve done. Quite a few of them are available from my gallery as A3 or A4 prints, if you are interested.

Another thing that people have requested is greetings cards, so I’ve just produced 12 designs. That are A6 and blank inside so you can write your own messages. I’m selling them singly or as a mixed box of 12. They are available online and also from Iron Pier.

It feels good to pay a bit more attention to my art. It has been a bit side-lined since I moved to Norfolk and then it stopped altogether when I was ill. But I’m gradually getting my energy back and getting back into it.

So, I’m working with Cris Mezei from Mezei Design to refresh my website and make sure everything works properly, I’m doing a lino print workshop in Gravesend next Friday and I’ve got a few pieces exhibited in the Spring Art Show at the Forum in Norwich, alongside other artists from the East of England.

Anyway, have a look and see what you think. I’d welcome any suggestions for future projects that you might have. You might also notice that I’m sprucing up the website, working with Cris Mezei from Mezei Design. It’s not quite finished yet but will be in the next couple of weeks.