We always make a stop at the Chinatown bakery whenever we’re in London — and it’s often there, in moments like these, that the best ideas arrive…
That's where the Little Fishes of Joy print was born.
What is Taiyaki?
Taiyaki are Japanese fish-shaped cakes, traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste — though the Chinatown bakery we visit makes a custard version that is, quite honestly, one of life’s great pleasures. Too hot to eat straight from the paper bag, they almost always end in a burnt tongue. If you haven’t tried them yet, I can’t recommend them enough.
Whenever we’re in London with the kids, we somehow find ourselves back in that queue without even realising it. It’s become one of those small, joyful rituals that quietly weaves itself into your family’s story.
And that feeling — of warmth, of joy, of something a little bit magical in an ordinary moment — is exactly what I hope my prints capture.
From Sketchbook to Lino
The idea doesn't arrive fully formed. It starts as a feeling, then a scribble, then a page full of sketches — trying to find the right composition, the right energy.
For my “Little Fishes of Joy” taiyaki print, I wanted to capture a sense of fun — a tin filled with golden custard fish, in contrast to the usual (and, in my opinion, far less appealing) kind you’d expect to find inside!
The print needed to feel hand-drawn and full of warmth, so I began by sketching it out, refining the shapes until they felt just right, then transferring the final design onto the lino, ready for carving.
This is my favourite part.
The Carving Process
Linocut printing is a relief printing technique — you carve away everything you don't want to print, leaving raised lines and shapes that hold the ink. It's slow, meditative work. Every mark is a decision you can't undo and once you start its REALLY hard to stop its soooo therapeutic.
The two prints you see here — Little Fishes of Joy and Ride the Storm — actually share the same creative roots. Both feature the taiyaki fish. Both came from the same trip to London. One is joyful and food-inspired; the other is playfully resilient. Two prints, one creative spark.
One thing that surprises people is that the design is carved in mirror image — because when you press it onto paper, it flips. So every word, every detail, has to be planned in reverse. It takes a bit of getting used to!
Tweaking, Printing, Tweaking Again
Once the carving is done, the test prints begin. You ink up the block, press it onto paper, peel it back — and see what's working and what isn't. Sometimes a line is too thin and disappears. Sometimes a shape needs more definition. You go back to the block, carve a little more, print again.
It’s a tricky process — part craft, part instinct. There’s always a moment where it clicks, where the print seems to look back at you and feel right… or completely wrong, and you have to start again.
The Finished Prints
From a custard fish pastry eaten too hot on a London street, to two handmade prints hanging on someone's wall. That's the journey every piece makes — from a moment of joy, through a sketchbook, through hours of carving and printing, and finally into a home.
That's what handmade means to me. Not just the making — but the story that lives inside it.
Both the Little Fishes of Joy and Ride the Storm print are available in the shop. Each one is hand-printed by me in my home studio in the UK, signed, and comes ready to frame.