“Katherine’s superb, high quality drawing of Dyffryn House perfectly captures the very essence of Dyffryn and its Grade II listed mansion house. It brings to life a family home that was once at the heart of a thriving estate and community. We are proud to showcase Katherine’s stunning collection in our gift shop.”

- Retail Team, Dyffryn Gardens

It’s been over a year since I first dropped off my National Trust commission to Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale of Glamorgan. Back then, I worked closely with the retail team to produce a drawing of the beautiful house and gardens that would be sold in their gift shop, and of course on my website.

Dating back to the 16th century, the house at Dyffryn began life as an extravagant family home. Sold in 1891, it was transformed by wealth coal merchant John Cory who had a passion for horticulture and developed the majestic grounds. Over the following century, the house was used as a police academy, dog training facility and an educational conference centre before being acquired by the National Trust in 2013, leasing it from the Vale of Glamorgan council. Now, after years of restoration and conservation, it is now enjoyed by children and adults alike, for family days out and special occasions.
 
I recently went back to re-stock the Dyffryn Gardens shop with more of the commissioned print, along with a selection of my wildlife drawings, and used the trip as an excuse to spend a while enjoying the grounds with my greyhound Lili.

Read about more of my commercial collaborations here.

I’ve shared snippets before, but I’m thrilled to now be able to share the final edit of the film I had made to document the creative process behind my memory boxes. The film shows what inspired me to make my first box, and also explains my love for creating something so unique and special. Huge thanks to Jonny Campbell who used his talents and creativity to document my work in so much detail.
 
Click the image below to watch the short film, and read on for the transcript. A subtitled version can be found by clicking here.

We went travelling for five months through Central America and Mexico and that’s really when I knew that I wanted to do something with these boxes. I collected something small from every place that we visited and then when I came back, I assembled it all into a big old printer’s tray and that’s really where it started.
 
I feel very humbled when I’m asked to create these beautiful, special pieces that will be with people for the rest of their lives. They can be about everything - I’ve done lots for weddings; I’ve done quite a few for bereavement, in memory of somebody that they’ve lost; I’ve done ones from holidays, trips abroad, boxes that celebrate childhood, all sorts.
 
It’s always a really interesting process at the start because there’s always lots of back and forth with people sending me photos and saying, “Oh do you think this will work, do you think this will work?” It’s always a process of dialogue, and they want to tell me the stories.
 
Once we’ve agreed in principle which objects are going in, I ask everybody to send me the objects or drop them off to me. Sometimes people will package everything up in a tiny little box; other clients have dropped off two suitcases full of stuff. It’s those everyday things, all those little objects that don’t necessarily have monetary value; they’re not hugely special or significant to anybody else, but to you they’ve got so much sentimental value, they’ve got so many memories.
 
Every single object has its own space. When you curate all of them into a holistic piece they become so reminiscent of a person, a place or an event. The objects bring a whole sensory experience - you get the tactile elements because you can reach out and touch the objects. That’s why I purposely don’t cover the boxes with glass. You can also smell the objects which is amazing, because smell is so evocative.
 
I think quite a lot of people have a sense of guilt that they keep them but also, they would have guilt if they threw them away. The process of doing something purposeful with these really ordinary objects is really cathartic and quite therapeutic.
 
There’s always an act of celebration, celebrating the moment that your child is about turn 11; celebrating the life of somebody that you’ve lost; celebrating an amazing holiday; or, celebrating a wedding. There’s a whole story around celebrating with the boxes and it’s a privilege to be trusted to be a part of that celebration.

Delighted to announce that my Tower Bridge prints are now stocked in the Tower Bridge gift shop in London. 

Katherine Jones' intricate line drawings reflect her architectural training but also her deep love for Wales

From picturesque Portmeirion to the rugged beauty of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Katherine Jones' artwork reflects her love of Wales and its buildings. A Cardiff-based artist and architect, Jones has become known for making three-dimensional bespoke 'memory boxes' - framed boxes intricately filled with items by which to remember a loved one or a precious time. However, this is not her only chosen medium. 

Her latest exhibition, in Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw, focuses on pen, ink and watercolour drawings that reflect her architectural training. Lovingly drawn in intricate detail, these works focus on Welsh places, in particular north Wales.

"I use my work to help others connect with the people, places and moments they love," she says.

"I enjoy creating the artworks with so much detail and giving these recognisable places a new lease of life.

"I love hearing people's stories about why they like a particular drawing or what resonates with them about a particular place. I hope people will find new layers of meaning in these drawings and a reminder of happy times and special places."

Katherine's show is running alongside Oriel Plas Glyn Y Weddw's summer exhibition, featuring work by over 80 artists from all over Wales and beyond, and Anghysbell by Manon Awst, a multidisciplinary artist, working in performance, sculpture, poetry, site-specific intervention and works on paper.

The show runs until the end of September. 

My exhibition 'Grounded' will be at Plas Glyn y Weddw from July 21 until the end of September 2021. Read about the exhibition below:
​
Grounded

We all have our favourite places. The ones that ground us, make us feel at home, or take us down memory lane. Katherine's intricate drawings bring these cherished landscapes, towns or buildings to life in a stylish, unique way.

In the last two years, she has been featured on Radio 4 and has been commissioned by the likes of the National Trust, Microsoft and the National Museum of Wales.

Katherine's exhibition at Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw brings together her collection of drawings across Wales, with a focus on North Wales. From the whimsical town of Portmeirion to the rugged beauty of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Katherine's artworks have a commonality to them. Through intricate linework, unique hatches and tiny details, her drawings capture the essence of a place. Each artwork is anchored by the ground or sea beneath them and connected by the sky.

Yet, they are all recognisably different, grounded within their specific locations, and their individual identities are perfectly captured. Katherine's unique style creates a recognisable, yet unusual take on some of Wales' most treasured places.

​Earlier in the year, I had the honour of working with year 1 from Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff. Their teacher contacted me to ask if her 5 and 6 year olds could produce some drawings based on my humpback whale tail print.

As I couldn’t visit in person because of Covid restrictions, I sent them a video showing them how I created my image and they used it to make their own wonderful drawings.

Afterwards, I put the class in touch with www.uk.whales.org who offer free talks about whales and dolphins to schools, in the hope the children will continue their exploration into whale conservation and further their knowledge of the majestic beings they were drawing.
 
Read more about my work with schools here.

Article Written for Dog's Today, February 2021

“Collect memories, not stuff” the saying goes. But our memories are often intrinsically linked with the stuff we accumulate. What would you put in your own mini museum – and what’s the betting it includes something doggie?
 
The collection of objects we have around us are unique to every individual. The items we’re drawn to, or are gifted, are an expression of our identity. I could identify friends by a selection of contents from their homes or even from inside their handbags. Our choice of lipstick or perfume; meaningful photos; a favourite mug; a well-worn keyring; travel knick-knacks or much-loved heirlooms – they all tell a story of who we are.
So I was very excited to chat to an artist who has specialised in curation creations.

Katherine Jones from Cardiff is an animal-loving architect turned artist. Her distinctive pen, ink and watercolour drawings feature cityscapes and buildings, as well as animals and Welsh landscapes. But memory boxes have also become a large part of Katherine’s work.

The display boxes contain items unique to a person, place or event. Whether it’s a Mamgu (grandmother in Welsh) box, commemorating a much-loved family matriarch, or to celebrate an anniversary or a special trip, each collection is unique. While most can be wall mounted, one of Katherine’s commissions was made to be a central piece of furniture. The one-metre-diameter coffee table for a holiday cottage was formed from an old window frame and filled with objects that had been collected from the site of the cottage – including a 17th century button and an old rare coin.

The coronavirus pandemic has seen the cancellation of many of Wales' annual Christmas markets, forcing traders to adapt to new ways of selling.

Before Wales brought forward its level four national lockdown - meaning only retailed selling essential items can remain open, some markets went ahead with smaller, ticketed events.

Others moved to newly established online marketplaces.

Some traders said the restrictions hit them hard but others said through adversity they found an 'amazing community' of shoppers and sellers.

​To read the full article, please click here.

The festive season is a busy time for Cardiff-based artist and architect Katherine Jones, not least because her unique advent calendars are so much in demand.

She will be selling these and other work including drawings, Christmas decorations, cards and memory box commissions from her stall in Cardiff's Christmas Markets from December 6-12 and at other events, as detailed on her website.

Katherine's memory boxes are a type of 'object art'. They are made with sentimental items collected by the client - for example items linked to a deceased relative. They are then arranged to make a unique piece of art. Her advent calendars are similar, but they contain Christmas-themed objects, each of which is revealed by opening a window. 

"It's the perfect gift for Christmas that you can use time and time again" she says. "Christmas is a very important time of year for me because people are actively looking for beautiful gifts to buy for their loved ones. A big proportion of my takings for the year usually comes through Christmas markets.

"Things will be different this Christmas and based much more online. However, I really do feel that this year in particular people are thinking much more about where they shop and they want to support local businesses.

"I love selling my work on stalls and in person because it gives me a chance to meet the customer. I meet so many lovely people and have so many great chats. I've made some good friends from doing the stalls too - both other makers and customers alike.

"The physical stalls also give customers the opportunity to ask me questions and to see my work up close, which I think is particularly important for the memory boxes."

This will be Katherine's second year selling as part of the Maker's Arcade Pop Up Shop in Morgan Arcade, Cardiff.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to sell in the city centre with around 20 other extremely talented local makers', she says. "It's a great way for people to support small businesses all in one place."

Katherine continues to work as a self-employed architect alongside her career as an artist. Her most recent architectural project has been to design Greyhound Rescue Wales' kennels and reception wing. 

"Being an architect is great and offers a different side to my career - it's extremely rewarding," she says. "The architecture has informed my drawings and memory boxes through their precise nature and attention to detail. The drawings, in particular, are obviously influenced by my training as an architect.

"Many of my architecture clients now come through my artwork, which is something I hadn't previously anticipated, but it's lovely to be able to develop that relationship with a customer further".

Like most artists, she has found 2020 a challenging year, but has been buoyed up by the loyalty of her customers - and in April, one of them shared a photo of the memory boxes she had create in memory of her late grandmother on Twitter, sparking an enthusiastic reaction with more than 25,000 likes.

"Following on from this, I was invited to speak with my client on Radio 4 about my work. This has meant a surge in memory box commissions, some of which I feel extremely humbled to have been asked to do," she says.