Tell us a bit about Hadley Paper Goods
I’m Jo Waterhouse, the artist behind Hadley Paper Goods! We’re a small operation which has been running about 5 years now, I know that because the business is the same age as my oldest child. Hadley Paper Goods was one of those ‘I know what I can do with my maternity leave’ projects, which are usually quite doomed but miraculously this one has rather thrived.
Tell us more about your studio and ways of working
I have a fantastic new studio that I’m in love with, it has big windows and isn’t too cold, which is quite a departure from previous studios. I work a lot with paper, paint and pencils and try to minimise the amount of computer work for my designs. It feels important to work in a more hands-on way – I love the wonkiness and flaws that you get when you work with your hands instead of a screen.
My studio is full of plan chests which are full of all sorts of scraps of paper loosely organised into categories: bright colours, marbled textures, metallics, recycled/flecky paper, 1950s magazines, old wallpapers etc. It easily starts to feel chaotic, I have to hold back the tide of ever-shrinking scraps while I’m creating.
I have a trolley full of paints, pencils and glue which I wheel around to be near whichever piece I’m working on a that time.
What inspired your Kettle’s Yard range / product?
I had such a lovely time sketching and being in the Kettle’s Yard house by myself, it was such a pleasure. I bought a notebook especially and filled it up over the course of two visits then went away to hone it all down in to some designs.
I was very inspired by the ceramics and plants. I like the way Kettle’s Yard celebrates everyday items and presents them beautifully – it was that idea I tried to capture in my Finds card. I really enjoyed designing my own Kettle’s Yard-ish ceramics for the two concertina cards. I hope Jim and Helen Ede would like them.
Why did you want to collaborate with Kettle’s Yard?
Because it’s the best place in the world. My mum used to be a tour guide in the house when I was a teenager and sometimes I would get to pick her up from the house at the end of the shift and peep in, I just found it so magical. It definitely holds a special place in my heart.
If you had to buy yourself a gift from the Kettle’s Yard shop, what would you choose?
Gosh, I already have some of the lovely lemon earrings from I Am Acrylic so maybe I should get a lemon brooch to match and the paper flower kit by Wild Hive would be the perfect tonic after a busy week I think.
I’d get some books too: A Way of Life, Winifred Nicholson and an Alfred Wallis one. I like to own art books, I find them very inspiring.
How big is this gift? Who’s paying? I could carry on forever, I’d love to just take one of everything ideally. Actually two of everything.
