mariko jesse

Peony rugs

mariko jesse — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:50:58 +0000

Here are two of my exclusive, limited edition Peony rugs, available from faux in Hong Kong. They’re hand-made to order, and I think they’re gorgeous! Well, I would…They’re made from the highest quality silk and wool, and the designs are based on my series of Peony etchings. See my previous blogs for images of the Peony collection silk cushions also!

Wall Street Journal

mariko jesse — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:19:19 +0000

I went to visit the art department of the Wall Street Journal in New York, and got a copy of the ‘Off Duty’ section of the paper that I did a fashion cover for in December. I’m so happy with it! It features catwalk photographs of models, in an illustrated party setting.

trip to the South

mariko jesse — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:20:04 +0000

I’ve just come back from a road trip through the South of America. It was amazing. We started in cultured Savannah, Georgia, where I was super happy to see the Bird Girl sculpture, made famous by the book ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ (one of my favourites).Then onwards to Charleston, South Carolina, where we toured a few preserved historical residences,and also the Magnolia Plantation with its gorgeous swamp garden. We stayed in some lovely bed and breakfast places. Then it was on to the Great Smoky Mountains, where we saw a baby bear! In Nashville we went to a Honky Tonk in a Western bar and saw the Don Kelly Band…and watched a show at the Grand Ole Opry, and also ate the best “meat and 3s” ever at Arnolds. Mostly, this was a music and food trip, to sample all the specialities of the South. Here’s an example of local cuisine, although usually there’s a few fried somethings thrown in too! And of course, pies aplenty…The local “chess pie” was extra sweet, but the winner was the “lemon ice-box pie” from Corky’s in Memphis. Their ribs were also the overall winner!

Brooklyn Sketchbook Project

mariko jesse — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:13:16 +0000

I’ve just been to visit the first stop of the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Tour 2012, in the home of the library itself: Williamsburg New York. It was a gloriously sunny day, and I wandered in, got myself a library card, and browsed some of the delightful sketchbooks on offer. There were so many! Of course I checked that my own sketchbook (you can see some pages from it on one of my previous blogs) was there safe and sound, which was a great feeling. The sketchbooks will be in Brooklyn for another few weeks, and then off around the States, and in London in November. You can check the dates on the website. Hope you’ll make it!

yara lights

mariko jesse — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:24:14 +0000

These are the new lights by thinkgadgets, in production as we speak. They’re made of delicate ceramic, and hand-painted (my pattern design!) to give off a lovely vintage-y feeling warm glow. They’ll be available this year. But not yet…

bathroom mural

mariko jesse — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:48:08 +0000

I’ve just completed a beautiful residential mural project for NBB Design (an interiors company): it’s the fanciest guest bathroom you’ve ever seen, with hand-written & painted phrases from the client’s friends covering the walls from floor to ceiling.

Cotswolds afternoon tea

mariko jesse — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:49:22 +0000

We just spent the day in the Cotswolds, and had the loveliest afternoon tea ever at Juri’s Tearoom in the country town of Winchcombe. The crockery was a pretty blue… …and the view from the conservatory was delightful. But it’s the cakes you need to try; honestly, the cheese cake was the best I’ve ever had, anywhere. So light and fluffy. The sandwiches were beautiful too. Everything is perfect, as it’s traditional English, but with a slight hint of the Japanese, as Juri is from there.I absolutely recommend this place if you’re anywhere near…

AERIS magazine interview

mariko jesse — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:48:05 +0000

I’ve been interviewed in the current issue of AERIS, a China-based online cultural lifestyle magazine. You can read the whole issue online, or take a sneak peek at my pages here…

Chicago Tribune

mariko jesse — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 08:45:00 +0000

I did this fun little illustration for the Chicago Tribune not that long ago, that featured advice from top chefs on cooking at home. Imagine you had an army of little chefs to help you when you’re making that complicated dish…

Vienna cake weekend

mariko jesse — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:25:50 +0000

I went to Vienna recently, and spent the weekend visiting as many cafes, and eating as many different cakes, as possible. Viennese cakes are irresistable…We went to Cafe Diglas, Hotel Sacher, Cafe Sperl, Cafe Landtmann, and some other slightly less famous places, which were just as tasty…

My favourite was the Cafe Sperl, which had a beautiful quiet atmosphere, but the best cake was definately the Sacher Torte at the Hotel Sacher. The apricot jam was so smooth and light, like a dream. Tis a cake for grown-ups.