Fail We May Sail We Must - Preorder the New Special Edition
The preorder for the new special edition of my classic print ‘Fail We May, Sail We Must’ is now open! The edition will go into production in October and then your print will be delivered to you by mid November.
I’ve made myself blue here to make it clear that these photos are just mockups. When we come to print it I’ll spend a couple of days sampling different palettes with Mansons Press to make sure we have the balance and feel exactly right. As usual there will be a limited number of this special edition that have been hand finished with 23.5 carat gold leaf.
One of the hardest things about releasing screen print editions like this is paying for the costs of production up front. It feels like walking into a bookies, pulling out a couple of grand and putting down a massive bet. Its very scary. And you only find out if you’ve won the bet several weeks later. In the interim there’s a constant background buzz of anxiety, and it often leaves me with no cashflow to buy materials for new artwork ideas and I end up feeling stuck.
So, to say thank you for helping me avoid this paralysing anxiety and cashless state, you can order one of these special new editions at 25% less than what they will retail for. There are just a handful or preorder slots available for both the gilded and normal editions at this price, so secure one while you still can.
I’ve taken inspiration from the timeless elegance of blue and white pottery for this new version. This style of pottery, which originated in China, uses just Cobalt Blue Oxide mixed to different shades to create beautifully intricate designs. Unsurprisingly this simple yet calming technique spread across the world and became ubiquitous. In many examples of this classic style you see illustrations of mythical creatures, fantastical scenes and figures. Here are some of my favourite examples:
Fail We May Sail We Must Mini Lecture
Speaking of fantastical scenes earlier this year I made a short lecture explaining the origins, myth and symbolsim in the Fail We May, Sail We Must design. Every wondered why that seagull has an arrow through it? (spoiler alert, its an Albatross) or why that cherub in the corner is blindfolded and holding a mirror? Or even just where this phrase originated, then this video is for you. Watch on YouTube below: