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GEORGE SWINFORD- MASTER STONEMASON, COTSWOLD MAN, HOST TO BRITAIN'S ICONIC LABOUR POLITICIANS. I moved back to the Oxfordshire border just over a year ago to get to know my father and his family properly. Now, some of you know, it sadly wasn’t a successful mission, but a remarkable story has come to light. A few months ago my friend Ben Morley offered me a studio space on his land whilst I stay in the village of Filkins. Knowing I'd been fascinated by his home, what remains of a Jacobean Manor with additions from the tail-end of Arts & crafts period, he popped-in with a photocopy of a Country Life article about it. A fascinating article that covered the disastrous fire of the 1940’s which destroyed half the building. I discovered reading the article, that the master stonemason who crafted it, along with most of the beautiful village that I walked through everyday with Daphne, was called George Swinford. Country Life didn’t just fleetingly mention George, rather the article was all about the talents of George Swinford and his patron, the one-time owner of the house, Statesman Sir Stafford Cripps. Swinford was the maiden name of my Granny, my Father’s mother Honor who I sadly didn’t know growing up, but fortunately, just before she died, I visited her a few times. A gifted pianist, I get my blond locks from her. George worked from the 1920’s for the Christian Socialist and Labour politician Sir Stafford Cripps; when Cripps and his wife Isobel moved to Filkins, Oxfordshire, the home of my paternal family, it was there Sir Stafford discovered my great uncle’s master stone-masonry skills. George had a large successful business, overseeing at it’s peak, a team of over 30 men. Cripps allowed quarrying on his land of beautiful local Cotswold Stone, much of it was used to regenerate Filkins and the surrounding villages with Cripps' splendid social vision, they began reforming it. Now considered one of Oxfordshire's most gorgeous places to live, Filkins was created with the collaborative vision of both Cripps and Swinford. Both men became great friends and I’m fascinated to have read that Uncle George entertained Clement Attlee, George Lansbury, Herbert Morrison, and Pandit Nehru at the cottage which Cripps had given him. ABOVE: Uncle George, George Lansbury, Sir Stafford Cripps and Joe Swinford, my Great-Grandfather, at the grand opening of a new village centre, Dec 28th 1935. For the last 12 months, I’ve been busy critiquing every building I walk past on my route to the studio, examining stone-mullion windows, doorways, giant keystones, quirky details and exquisite carving, and of course I picked one, as we all do, that I’d quite fancy living in. I discover, now as someone who’s life is all about buildings, design and craftsmanship, that everything around me my Great Uncle George created. And, I recently learned when my Father briefly visited my studio, that the cottage I fancied was in fact George's house that Sir Stafford Cripps gave him with thanks for his talent. I look out of my studio window now and I can see George’s cottage in the distance. I pop in to my friends house for the occasional catch-up glass of wine and see the inside of windows George crafted with his hands, lovingly, and designed with the intention to keep alive the great skills of men centuries before him. I’ve been distanced from my family since age 15, as I went off to London and pursued a subject alien to them and difficult to grasp, the distance only got bigger. I don't feel so distanced now, and I think George would have been proud. That’s pretty damn cool!

For my new guide being created BIG UP THE COUNTRY HOUSE, I visit Baddesley House, a moated manor in Warwickshire with a super book seller clive and these two, jodie & Dave who made sure I felt at home, I find out that there has been some chin tickling going on and someone hasn't been very happy about it.

For my new guide BIG UP THE COUNTRY HOUSE- A MODERN GUIDE TO THE NATIONS FAVOURITE PLACES, I'm interviewing some amazing staff and volunteers that love Britains buildings as much as we do, well, probably much more because they've dedicated their lives to nurturing bricks and mortar. Developing the guide is underway and will be uploaded on its very own page on my site, yep this one, the intro is on there for you all to read. This interview is will Paul Coveney. I had a wicked time with Paul when I visited Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, one of my national Trust pitt-stops on my UK tour this year. Paul is just such a great character and loves his voluntary job. The cheeky chappy is married to Jane, Bodiam's Support Services Manager, they make a fantastic husband and wife team for the Trust. It's a bumpy ride so be prepared.......nothing that the resident Stig can't handle. AJ

It seemed only appropriate that this year, as I tour the UK's most incredible buildings promoting my National Trust Country House Colouring Book doing colouring parties and signings, that I begin a task that has been my ultimate dream for many years, and, I thought, 'If I don't do it now then I might never do it'. That dream is to visit the country houses of Britain and create a guide, NO, not like all the other guides that exist, THIS time its going to be a modern guide composed by me; for those that don't already know me, I'm a bit silly, sarcastic and curious, artistic, a designer, a history boff, mildly obsessed with the buildings that shape Great Britain. I mean, what's not to like? The nation is obsessed with its incredible architecture, once our buildings were a hub for entire communities, hundreds of people worked on them, an estate was the back bone of a village or town. With 2 great wars and a nation of survivors with inner strength now that saw way beyond shovelling horse poo for people whose hobby was primarily to wear a bit of Ermin, or 12 of the little critters actually, the estates went into dramatic decline. This combined with rising taxes forced old families with great house of architectural significance to pack their bags, either under the shadow of a bulldozer OR if they were very lucky, under a giant telegram from James Lees-Milne of the National Trust notifying them that the nation would save their house. The fortunate family would have 10% and the nation have 90, that's just an AJ estimate but it appears to have been the deal.. Slowly the National Trust portfolio grew and so did the Nations' obsession with going on day trips to have a gander around interiors they'd only ever read about in the history books. That portfolio includes Hardwick Hall, an Elizabethan mansion built by a squire's daughter, thats a simple village man basically. The Lady was named Bess of Hardwick and she rose to be the wealthiest and most powerful woman in England other than her friend Elizabeth 1. Another property is Nymans, acquired in 1953, the majority of this mock Tudor stone mansion is a shell following a disastrous fire. It was the home of the artistically gifted Messel family, Ludwig Messel was clever in overseeing the development of the house, once it was complete is really was genuinely difficult to tell if the house was new or indeed original Tudor. He also laid out the most phenomenal gardens in the late 19th century and it remains one of Britain's most remarkable landscape designs today. The Trust also has Batemans. Batemans is one of the first of my tour this year, home of children's author Rudyard Kipling; his heartbreak over the death of his 7 year old daughter Josephine fuelled his greatest novels that include The Jungle Book. Having visited there, the property isn't depressing though, the staff who are Kipling's biggest allies and swots are the jolliest people who work incredibly hard, you can read more about my time at Batemans in the first entry to BIG UP THE COUNTRY HOUSE. BIG UP THE COUNTRY HOUSE is going to be full of everything through my eyeballs; a young and fashion-loving artist-historian showcasing unique art & design, photos, film. interviews, oh and I mustn't forget the stunning architecture and history I'll be highlighting. Think of this a bit like a stylish scrapbook...... BUT, the real highlight is a weekly work of art created by me of each property, I'll use all the research I gather to enrich a GIANT portrait of the building, embodying both the past and present. A bit like if Lloyd Grossman of Through the Keyhole had to illustrate what he was describing to Sir David Frost.... but better, You get the drift. Like my historical art, this journey involves YOU & ME, yup, just the two of us as (Will Smith style), going on a road trip snooping about a large number of National Trust properties. Let me guide you in a fun way; candidly, armed with my selfie stick and Springer Spaniel. We are going to meet some incredible people, a few inhabitants descended from the greatest figures in our history and many, many newcomers that are staff and volunteers tirelessly keeping the soul of our favourite places alive....to me these people are the modern day Lords & Ladies of the Manor. I meet some quite hilarious personalities and each exudes passion beyond any romantic mind. Here is the official intro for my BIG UP THE COUNTRY HOUSE. I hope you enjoy my refreshing overview of Britain's country houses that follow this, I know I will! AJ

This summer is going to be extremely colourful! I will be touring the UK hosting National Trust colouring parties from May 14th-November, check out my 'EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS' page on the website for a full programme, I hope to see some of you! The parties are a family event, you are all aware I'm sure of how incredible the colouring phenomenon has become, don't be shy, get involved, come and chill out and get creative with me. So, to tie-in with my COUNTRY HOUSE COLOURING BOOK release, we thought it would be fun to get me hosting the events all over the UK, many I have featured in my unique colouring book for the National Trust. I will bring along GIANT posters of my National Trust drawings, super artist materials and funky tunes and we will hang out and have fun, I'll also enlighten everyone about the history that inspired my drawings, all those lovely details that decorate the pages and give you lots to colour-in. The book signings have already begun nationwide too, I'll be signing my book at every COUNTRY HOUSE COLOURING EVENT. I am SO excited to meet endless people, many have already shown enormous support and admiration for my art online and regularly send me messages, I'd like to thank those lovely people and look forward to meeting them all at various National Trust properties this year. I'll also be researching and exploring the buildings and treasures whilst I'm visiting. My tour kicks off at Bodiam Castle 11-1 p m on 14th May 2016.

My friends and colleagues have warned me Daphne will soon be a contender, moving up in the ranks and far beyond her assistant role! Enjoy, AJ

WOOF! Morning to all my followers! This post is a formal apology for being so slack with my blogging, even the pencils are emabarrassed. It’s been many weeks now since I last did an entry; I've not been kipping with Daphne curled up in her studio wicker bed, (well, OK, I did that one day following a whole night reminiscing about life with a mate who’s a talented architect), BUT I have been absolutely hectic conquering the studio commissions, meeting bishops, visiting Hop Skip & Jump children’s centres in the South West of England, meeting both the teams and children, occasionally inspiring a friend’s little cherubs with fun art days, organising and attending my NATIONAL TRUST COUNTRY HOUSE COLOURING BOOK launch in London, acquiring a super art dealer, developing new book ideas, and of course, researching National Trust properties for juicy material that will feed new historical artwork. That’s enough of the excuses, time to update you all slightly more thoroughly….so do read on. Best, AJ

I am immensely proud and excited to announce that I am CREATIVE AMBASSADOR for the UK children’s charity HOP SKIP & JUMP. I can’t wait for a future inspiring the children of the UK and show them that creativity can be the most empowering, kind, safe, magical world. HOP SKIP & JUMP was established by Clarissa Mitchell 30 years ago and then a short-while later, the Rev Celia Carter (below right) got involved and they have been fighting and providing wonderful care for the children of Britain ever since. Hop Skip and Jump provide flexible and immediate respite care for children and young adults. HOP SKIP & JUMP has four large centres (Bristol, Cheltenham, Swindon and Wigan), providing a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to engage and inspire children with disabilities and special educational needs. Creativity can look after you; as a child with a difficult home life, it can quite literally be a life saver. Art definitely saved my life. I disappeared into a creative world; it didn't snarl at me, pinch me, ridicule me, it didn't question my flowering female vitality, or indeed punish it, wishing it locked away. Art nurtured me, gave me pride, it patted me on the back. All those hours of being a recluse in the art block at school gave me a home, a warm corner all to myself where I could pile my small paper possessions that would be safe and not thrown away in spite. I was greeted with warmth by my teachers and my passion and desire to further my talent was welcomed and praised, giving me confidence. Art, looking back to my formative years, was an emotional outlet, and then with desperation to 'get away', I realised I could use my talent to turn life around, and make a living from it if I worked hard. ART SAVED ME and the difficult times are far in the past. Creativity has enabled me to find happiness and laughter; I've made incredible friends, colleagues; it feeds me, still keeps me warm, its introduced me to a huge world, a very colourful & exciting one, and every morning when I wake it says ‘YOU GO GIRL!’. Rising, I spring into action, I see the amazingness of even a puddle forming on a miserable, soggy British day. At the end of a creative day, usually 7 p m when I lock the studio, the phone ding-dongs, it’s one of my amazing friends and we plan an adventure, probably involving a National Trust property detour (obviously); I know they love me for being bonkers, that aside, they love my creativity and for my historical mind, they love who I've grown to become. They've told me how my survival of deeply difficult times as a child makes them proud to know me and it’s the reminder that that was then, today is now….. my joyous-creative life I've carved is a gift and I pledge to enlighten the children of Britain, of HOP SKIP & JUMP, that everything shall be OK, it shall be beautiful and you will be loved, especially by art. Since March I have visited the Swindon and Bristol HOP SKIP & JUMP centres to look at the space, meet the incredible teams and children who visit for a break, to learn and have some fun. I'm beginning designs for a mural at the Swindon Centre and the children have started to colour-in my National Trust art work whilst I'm not there which is wonderful! I’d like to work with heritage tourism in order to create rest-bite HOP SKIP & JUMP centres for children with learning difficulties, disabilities or other difficulties so that they too can have access to incredible inspiring historical place in the UK, parents too will be able to have an hours break and enjoy exploring special places like those looked after by The National Trust. This is one of my missions for 2016/17. Please donate to HOP SKIP & JUMP, even if it’s a small amount, it all adds up. Follow the link to donate or find out more about the charity Thank you, AJ

Here's the worldwide version of a film showcasing how I drew Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire, UK. it's featured in my National Trust 'Country House Colouring Book', published this April 2016! View more of me in my studio on my YouTube channel!

Good Morning! Now, now, the release of The Country House Colouring Book is near; soon spring will come and you will be all inspired with bright buds around you ready to bloom and you will have invested in yet more crayons for the next chapter of great colouring! Here's a little more inspiration; I got twitchy at lunch in the studio today and thought I'd have a quick squiggle on Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire. Lacock is featured in my National Trust Colouring Book, the marvellous book I've produced for the which has nearly 90 of my unique drawings in. Each page illustrates the NT properties uniquely and most excitingly, tells the story of each place so you can explore deep secrets and wonders of Great Britain's houses. I simply love each and every one I've depicted and hope you will too. AJ