Two New Prints from Alice Pattullo

We have two new prints from Alice Pattullo, the first in a series of baking traditions. These first two prints depict the tradition of the Cornish Hevva cake and the origins of the Bow Wow Pie of Painswick in Gloucestershire.

View all work by Alice Pattullo on our website here.



The Cornish 'Hevva' Cake is a three colour screen print printed in an edition of 30.

The tradition of the Cornish 'Hevva' cake originates from the the pilchard fishing communities. When the fishermen were out at sea, a watchman, known as a 'Huer' would stand on the edge of the cliffs to look out for the pilchard shoals. When he spotted a shoal he would call out 'Hevva!Hevva!' to help the fishermen locate the fish. When the wives at home heard the Huer's cries they knew their husbands would be home shortly. The wives would then make a quick cake full of currants and scored with a criss-cross design to resemble a fishing net full of fish, which would feed the fishermen on their return.

Find the print here.



The 'Bow Wow' cake is screen printed in three colours in an edition of 30 and explores the amusing story that supposedly defines the origins of the Bow Wow Pie of Painswick in Gloucestershire.

Once upon a time there were two sisters, each who had a lover from another town. the distance meant their sweethearts visited only very occasionally, but when they did the sisters would bake all sorts of cakes and pies for their arrival to prove what wonderful housewives they would be. However, they soon discovered the irregular visits were because their suitors were really in love with two other maidens from a neighbouring town. As revenge when their suitors came to visit they baked a most marvellous pie. As it was so tasty the men asked for the recipe, only for the sisters to reveal with malice that it was made from puppy dogs. The young men fled in horror leaving the sisters triumphant in their vengeance. These days, the first bow-wow pie, as it has since been named, is celebrated each year on feast day with a fruit pie full of china puppies and a large dog on top.

Find the print here.

The Current Exhibition is Now OPEN!

The Current opened in glorious sunshine last Saturday and was a great success. All the prints are now available to buy on our website. Originals and framed pieces can only be purchased in the gallery. The Current runs in our gallery space on the first floor until 28th June.

The Current, a group exhibition coinciding with the 10th Birthday of Soma Gallery, brings together the work of five contemporary graphic artists. Adam Bridgland, Matthew Green, Adam Hayes, Lucy Gough and Jessica Wilson have all exhibited widely throughout the UK and internationally and have completed major commissions for clients such as Nike, Uniqlo, the Guardian and You Tube. They are also held in a number of important collections like the Victoria and Albert and the British Musuem. The Current is an exciting, fresh and vibrant exhibition showcasing recent works, including a number specially launched for this show.

View all the work on our website here

View all photos on Flickr here

Next Exhibition: The Current

Next Exhibition: The Current
Featuring Adam Bridgland, Jess Wilson, Adam Hayes, Lucy Gough and Matthew Green
Opens Saturday 17th May and runs until 28th June

Jess Wilson (image top)

Jess Wilson graduated in 2006 and has been living and working in London ever since. Graduating from university with a 1st degree honours in Graphic design she started straight away getting her illustration work out there. Jess has worked with top clients producing big jobs for magazines, clothing ranges, prints, books and packaging. As well as working with clients Jess tries to get involved in as many exhibitions as possible and carrying out self initiated projects.




Adam Hayes

Adam Hayes is a specialist in hand-rendered typography and intricate, intelligent illustration.

His prolific work style has generated an impressive portfolio that reflects an interest in vernacular lettering and a fascination with urban and natural landscapes.

Adam’s creative process see’s his simple pencil sketches transformed and refined into elaborate and optimistic illustration. Each project is concept-driven, allowing his work to grow and maintain a sense of energy and sophistication.

A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Adam has since established a diverse client base which welcomes collaboration with global companies, charitable organisations and small, local start-ups.




Adam Bridgland

Born in 1979, Adam Bridgland studied printmaking at Norwich School of Art & Design and then studied at the Royal College of Art (MA Fine Art Printmaking).

Since graduating in 2006, Bridgland has used a diverse range of materials and working methods to pursue an incisive and often witty exploration of distinctively British sentiments, externalising the underlying sense of loss and nostalgia that permeates our memories.

He has exhibited widely in the UK, America, Europe and Asia. The British Museum, the V&A, UBS, Boeing Asia and Debbie Harry are just some of the collectors of Adam's work. In July 2009 Adam was awarded his first major public art commission by Commissions East. He completed his second public art commission for SmartLIFE in Cambridge in November 2011.



Matthew Green

Matthew Green excels in producing beautifully hand-drawn illustrations, his signature style is often compared to wood-cut prints and etchings. Beyond this craftsmanship and at the heart of all of Matthew’s work lies an enormous sense of fun. He creates worlds and moments where fantasy can meet the most mundane; from a voyeuristic zebra who resides in an old wooden shed to a glamorous blue tit dining for one.



Lucy Gough

Lucy Gough studied Creative & Cultural Studies at Norwich School of Art and since graduating in 2002 has exhibited extensively throughout the UK and beyond.

Lucy’s most recent work draws inspiration from a variety of sources including architecture, industry and the solar system. The stylised representation of everyday objects and use of hand drawn type are recurrent themes in her artistic practice. The content of the text varies in its sentiment from poetic to purposeful to playfully ironic.

Andy Smith New Exhibition at Soma

Four Fonts Walk Into a Bar...
An Exhibition of Silkscreen Prints by Andy Smith
Opens Saturday 1st March 2014

Our new exhibition by Andy Smith is now open in our first floor gallery space. All the prints and items from the exhibition are available to view and purchase online.

The artwork of Andy Smith has at its core a sense of optimism and humour. This new collection of work by the award winning illustrator revels in this and explores the theme of popular jokes, one liners, gags and puns.

He presents a set of images which experiment with hand drawn typography and silkscreen printing that are bold, colourful and eye popping- his most colourful work yet.

Complementing the prints on paper are some of his popular, large, wooden printed signs, books and objects all signed and numbered by Andy.

Come along and find out what happened when those four fonts went into that bar!

View all the prints on our website here

View photos of the exhibition on Flickr here

New Artist: Alice Pattullo

Alice Pattullo is the newest addition to Soma. She is an illustrator and printmaker based in London. Alice graduated in 2010 with a First Class Honours in Illustration from Brighton University.

Alice works predominantly in screen print producing limited edition prints for sale in various outlets across the UK and online. Research is at the heart of her practice and her work is often inspired by British folk tradition and superstition, 1930s American musicals and celebrity culture to name a few! She is inspired by mid-century design and strives to create a nostalgic aesthetic in her own work through colour choices and composition.

You can view all work by Alice on our website here

New Screenprinted Signs from Andy Smith

We've got some great new screenprinted signs in at the moment by Andy Smith. 'Eat Your Greens' above and 'Spill the Beans' below. Plus more 'It's All Downhill from Here' arrows pictured at the bottom. All are £100 and available on our website or in the Bristol gallery.







View all pieces by Andy Smith on our website here

Rob Ryan Valentines Print 2013

Rob Ryan has created a beautiful silkscreen print for Valentines, as he does every year. This years print titled 'There is Only Time' depicts a man and woman on a hill with a clock.

The text reads:

"There is no such thing as free time.
There is no such thing as work time.
There is no such thing as play time.
There is no such thing as spare time.
There is no such thing as the right time.
There is no such thing as down time.
There is no such thing as quality time.
There is no such thing as the wrong time.

"There is only time.

"The rarest and most precious gift I can give you seems to be the one thing I never have enough of to spare, but I promise to give you as much as I have and will make even more + more to give you. Can these seconds and minutes slowly grow into hours and days and perhaps weeks, months and years?In the name of St. Valentine can you be mine? 14th February 2013."



This beautiful print is signed and numbered in an edition of 100, paper size 68.5cm high x 51cm wide with print size 47cm high x 33.5 cm wide and priced at £150 unframed.

We are able to frame this print for customers coming into our gallery. Unfortunately we are unable to post this print framed as it is too large.

View the Valentines 2013 print by Rob Ryan on our site here

View all work by Rob Ryan here

Beautiful New Prints by Rob Ryan

We have some new screen prints by Rob Ryan in the gallery and online.

Rob Ryan was born in 1962 in Akrotiri, Cyprus. He studied Fine Art at Trent Polytechnic and at the Royal College of Art, London where he specialised in Printmaking.

Since 2002 he has been working principally within the paper cutting medium. Although he views himself first and always as a fine artist, his intricate papercut work adapts itself readily to screenprinting which have then transferred to ceramics, fabrics, lasercutting and other surfaces.He has collaborated with Paul Smith, Liberty of London, Fortnum and Mason and Vogue along with many other established companies.

His work, often consisting of whimsical figures paired with sentimental, grave, honest and occasionally humourous pieces of writing he readily admits are autobiographical.

"We all really share only the same one story, my work only tells that story over and over."

He lives and works in London UK






You can view all Rob Ryan's prints on our website here.

We have ceramics and other items by Rob in the gallery and online. You can view everything by Rob Ryan on our site here.

Konichiwa, Japan! An exhibition by Felt Mistress and Jonathan Edwards

Konichiwa, Japan!
Exhibition by Felt Mistress and Jonathan Edwards at Soma Gallery
Opening Saturday 21st July, runs til mid September

Sat 21st East meets West style afternoon tea 11am – 5:30pm

During the summer of 2011 Felt Mistress (AKA Louise Evans) and Jonathan Edwards spent 5 weeks in Japan as part of a gallery residency at Headspace in Nara and also headlined the Headspace arts & music festival in Osaka. This show collects some of the work created during their time there and also new pieces influenced by their experiences in Japan and created exclusively for this exhibition. The show will be a collection of 3D pieces, prints and original artwork featuring the character design that they've become known for. Both Louise and Jonathan will be present in the gallery on the opening Saturday and visitors will also have the opportunity to have their portraits drawn in the style of a Felt Mistress character.



Felt Mistress

Felt Mistress AKA Louise Evans is a UK based stitcher and prolific tea drinker who creates a range of one-off bespoke creatures with her partner, illustrator Jonathan Edwards. Originally trained in fashion design and millinery, Louise has brought many of the skills learnt through years of work as a couture dress maker to the world of character design. As well as original Felt Mistress characters Louise has also collaborated with a variety of other artists including Jon Burgerman, Jon Knox (Hello, Brute)and Pete Fowler. Her work has been exhibited in the UK and internationally and in 2010 was given her own window on Oxford Street as part of Selfridges' Christmas display.

 She states her main interests as sewing, Japan, buttons, creatures, cake and Mr Edwards. When not sewing she likes to dream she'll live to see the day when you can download French Fancies "off of the Internet".


Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan's work first appeared in 1993 in Deadline and Tank Girl Magazine with strips such as Dandy Dilemma, Simon Creem, The Squabbling Dandies (with Richard Holland) and one pagers about, amongst others, Scott Walker, Sly Stone, Nancy Sinatra, Kraftwerk and The Beach Boys. Since then he's worked for the Guardian, Mojo, Q, Mad, The Black Eyed Peas, A Skillz & Krafty Kuts, The Jungle Brothers, The Glastonbury Festival, etc. His comics include Aunt Connie & The Plague of Beards, A Bag Of Anteaters (with Ian Carney) and Two Coats McWhinnie (also with Carney). He's also been a regular contributor to the Guardian since 1999 and illustrated the Hard Sell weekly column in the Guide from 2002 - 2011.

Jonathan's  design work includes collaborations with his  partner, Louise (AKA Felt Mistress), and a vinyl toy, Inspector Cumulus available from Crazylabel toys.

Rob Ryan Valentines 2012 Silkscreen Print

Every year Rob Ryan produces a special Valentines print for the romantics out there! This year he has created this beautiful silkscreen print depicting a man and woman on a bridge. It is printed in two colours (burgundy brown and soft vanilla) and is signed and numbered in an edition of 400. Print size is approximately 28.5 x 35cm, paper size is 34.5 x 42.8 cm and is £120.

The print is available on our website here and in our gallery later on in the week.

We are able to frame these prints for customers coming into our Bristol gallery. Unfortunately we are not able to post framed pictures.