Here's to a little extra romance this weekend...

3 of 5

I thought of the Tom the cartoon cat, drinking coffee by the barrel and propping up sleep-heavy eyelids with buckling matchsticks, as I rushed to complete a short-notice commission this week.

Loosely billed as valentines from abandoned pets to prospective owners, I'm not really 100% sure who the final client is… but I'm hoping the US agency don't mind me reproducing these here (their copy, clearly).

Hope everyone gets good lovin' today. And if you're single... cherish it.

A Close Watch

Like most long-term lovers, all industry interests aside, Valentine's was never writ particularly large on our calendar. This year I almost understand why couples might need a designated date to ignore the day-to-day drone and focus afresh on their spouse. If only momentarily.

I've spent more time than ever with my partner these recent months, but parenthood and bereavement means I've missed them exponentially. Of course there's a whole new level of intimacy, not just the visceral stuff, but the stream-of-consciousness baby talk; spontaneous and improvised songs and characters that sometimes take you so far beyond the realm of sense, you wonder if you'll ever come back.

Maybe today we can recall the calm constant centre of our very minor maelstrom. Or maybe not.

Happy Valentine's, boot-face.

Mr Loverman

There's a whole new generation out there who'll have missed the towering misogyny and unrepentant homophobia that is Shabba Ranks, and yet I still hope to inspire some Champion Lovers with our latest Valentine, Mr. Loverman. Any affinity with the West Indies ends there though, visually this design's all Eastern Block.

The Write Stuff

Well, what with The Bard's birthday and World Book Night #2, it's been one belletristic week. Also on the subject of writing, it's been National Stationery Day... no, honestly. Keen to stress the tactile, visual or creative aspects of old-time communication in the age of email, National Stationery Day arrives alongside a 30% hike in postal prices that should ensure the letter's luxury status, and maybe seal its fate.

Making Eyes

There's quite a large series of these studies from Francis Picabia's mid-career and they're all equally astonishing. If you care to, you can see more here, here, here, here, or even here... though my personal favourite can be found here.

Hope you have your own ecstatic embrace this Valentine's Day.

• Francis Picabia, The Kiss, 1923

• Raymond Peynet, Persia, 1955 (from L'Amour, Penguin Books, 1964)

In the Pink

This year we made a 'Valentine Edition' of our Lovebirds print in a deliberately dirty pink. The posy of Ranunculus in the picture put me in mind of Barney Bubbles consciously kitsch artwork for 1979's Do-it-Yourself. So I put it on. Apparently Stiff records released the LP with 30-or-so designs from the Crown Wallpaper Archive. A lurching Dickensian figure barking risqué lyrics over an impeccable Jazz-Funk soundtrack still sounds pretty odd today.


• Colin Fulcher (aka Barney Bubbles, 30/06/42 - 14/11/83) and Crown's X36434

Valentine's

Clearly, different lovers express themselves in very different ways. Lisa's folks yearly exchange the same (cellophane wrapped and unwritten) wedding anniversary cards. February 14 is not ringed red on their calendar. Conversely, my mum's had the same Valentine hanging framed since I can remember... a sentiment that's outlived the marriage by 30 years already.

This romantic plate was a great little find. Revisiting the shop a year later, and hopeful of another rewarding rummage, we found only empty walls of white peg-board (save for the inverse-shadows of long-gone goodies).

• 'Spring' by Bjørn Wiinblad for Nymolle, diameter 27cm, undated, Denmark

Valentines

Foolishly, I cast a critical eye over my portfolio before sending it out recently and so began a weekend of rushed/radical update. Ransacking the archives (a bag in a box in a cupboard), I came across these valentines; some of 12 completed last year for Otto Trading in Japan (a curiously beneath-the-radar company considering they licence both Barbapapa and Curious George). With full-colour outside-and-in and a complete Pantone choice on envelopes, they certainly do things differently… such a pity then that our Japanese agent is soon shutting-up shop.

Love/Hate

The drying rack was creaking beneath the weight of pink card this week as we geared up for Valentines. Sometimes it’s easy to forget, but printing any design for the first time reminds me why I started doing all this in the first place.