A wonderful labyrinth block print - in GOLD! So - onward with our wonderful trip to discover all things design based and just so exciting in Jaipur with Colouricious Holidays Our second day started with a trip to a brilliant factory that specialises in printing with metallic paint - no surely not Kim . . something shiny!!? It is a great factory, very well organised, and helping to bring back hand printed fabrics into the high streets all over the world. Next time we go I would love to hear the owner talk about how he started the factory, developed it and how he is, almost single handedly, changing the the image of hand block printing in Jaipur. He is employing more and more block printers who in turn need more and more blocks. It is all very exiting. I wouldn't be surprised when we go back in 2 years if he is on factory number 2.  Joyce had her own young man to help her match up her repeats. You can hear the buzz of very happy ladies printing with the met

The 2 sisters, June and Joyce, on their elephant at the Amer Fort Palace.  Having met the group at Heathrow we flew to Mumbai airport then onto Jaipur.  Mumbai is a beautiful modern airport, the roof is just FANTASTIC. Seeing it was a great start to our design based course.  The Jaipur Journey Colouricious Holiday was planned by Jamie and myself to be quite different to any previous Colouricious holiday. Jamie and I had handpicked each venue that we visited. All were chosen for their particular design and or colour inspiration, as you will see. This was not the usual block printing holiday, though we did have one or two sessions that were great fun. I wanted time for the group to absorb and just be . . .  in these beautiful places. Have time to draw what they see and take photos.  Our first day had two quite contrasting venues. The Amer Fort Palace which is very ornate and highly decorative. Contrasted with a visit to Jantar Mantar which is full of very simple massive sha

Look at these lovely faces.  Little did we we know when we all met at the airport what an amazing time we would all have together. The Jaipur Journey, 8th - 18th January in Jaipur with Colouricious Holidays. I am going to have to write several posts in order to cover the range of activities and just great fun we had on this trip. The group got on so well together and firm friendships were made - almost from the start. These are just a small - very small selection of images to give you a flavour of what is to come over the next week or so. I have been working with Jayne on my new look website all day so will have more time over the coming days to write some serious blog posts about my trip to Jaipur.  The most remarkable yellow. Stacks of embroidered shoes. One of the gardens we visited for inspiration. Just fabulous. This is one of my favourite images from the trip. 3 of the group having a rest out of the sun. We visited the monkey temple