In Conversation with Derwent

We sit down in the Jackson’s Studio with Tom Lewington, Global Sales Director, and Adam Gaskell, Technical Manager at Derwent, to hear the story behind the brand. From its roots in England’s Lake District, the historical source of the world’s richest graphite, to its modern innovations in pencil making, Derwent’s journey spans nearly two centuries of craftsmanship. In this interview, Tom and Adam share how the company’s heritage and deep connection to artists continue to shape every product they make – from raw materials to the finished pencil. Above image: Tom Lewington and Adam Gaskell of Derwent     In Conversation With Derwent Contents 0:00 Introduction 1:38 Can you tell us about the very beginnings of Derwent? 2:59 What was the first Derwent Product Made, and who was it aimed at? 3:55 Derwent are a world-renowned manufacturer of Artist Pencils. Tell us more about how your brand achieved this. 6:50 Can you tell us about Derwent’s production? Walk us through the steps in producing a pencil. 12:41 How do you colour the outside of a pencil? 14:57 Can you tell us about the wood used for your pencils? 16:15 What is mixed with graphite to make a pencil lead, and …

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Inside the Sketchbook of Noemi Conan

Polish-born, London-based painter Noemi Conan discusses her lifelong impulse to gather inspirational fragments of data, and how she curates these visual mementos within her sketchbook as a way to process her busy mind. Noemi’s sketchbook serves as a creative receptacle for her collection of found materials and snippets of inspiration compiled from films, exhibitions and long journeys. Through this process of visual journaling, Noemi is able to explore the themes of migration, womanhood and identity that are central to her work.     Inside the Sketchbook of Noemi Conan I’m Noemi Conan, a Polish painter based in London for the time being. In my work, I explore the ways visual storytelling can aid me in talking about my conflicted experience of migration, self-image, and womanhood. I paint women, cats and conifers, smoking after dark, and extended hangouts at roadsides.     I arrived at what I would call a sketchbook by combining my lifelong obsession with collecting visual data – labels, dried plants, napkins, stickers, a particularly tasty typeface or logo, a ridiculous headline in the daily newspaper – with the written scaffolding I was encouraged to build by tutors at art school. My brain is a messy, overstuffed attic …

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