Hallo friends,

I hope your Spring is coming along just fine? Snowdrops in the woods and budding leaves on the trees. I know a lot of people don’t like the cold and the wet, but it is one of my favourite times of year. Fresh shoots. Lots of possibilities. And I’m writing to introduce you to my new project!

I was unwell last year and in October I closed my Brighton shop. I was very sad about that. Little Mustard Shop was a childhood dream. A tiny shop selling little gifts I’d made, cards and prints, along with treasures sourced to complement the World of Mustard. While renovating it from a long closed sandwich shop, we found a quaint shop frontage. We picked out the iron work in gold and painted the rest a luscious shade of dark green. I planted little trees in pots either side, put in a checker board step and commissioned lovely hand painted signage. My work is sold and distributed all over the world. But Little Mustard Shop was always a small corner where I felt I could present my work in the way I wanted. Something very personal to me. Like I said, a dream come true. And I couldn’t bring myself to give it up.

During my recovery I realised I may not be able to do as much as I did before and set about deciding upon the things that were most important. Like painting, friends and family, my dogs, my health, my pottery classes. And my Little Shop.

It would be far too much work to run the shop as it was, open 5 days a week selling cards and gifts, employing lots of different staff. Instead we will open for a weekend every couple of months selling original work. Myself and my partner Graham will run it, with help from dear friends. Over the last year, I have not been producing work and the galleries have been selling the last available originals. But this year I cannot have the stress of producing lots of pictures for a big gallery show. Instead we will be bringing you a series of small collections every few months. Little Mustard Shop and our soon-to-be launched website will be the only place in the world to buy new paintings in 2020.

Whilst I have been ill I have been attending pottery classes. I have managed to make a few small pieces I’m proud of. They take me ages to do but it’s so therapeutic. They are precious, there won’t be many and due to breakages they must be collected not sent. They will be available exclusively at my Little Shop.

At time of writing I have very tight blonde chemo curls. I am told I resemble one of the Marx brothers. You have been warned.

Big love and all the best,

Sam x