Jackdaw & Raven was launched in 2019 by me, James Keniston, after building a portfolio of illustrations and translating them into paper products for sale over a number of years. The name and logo are a nod to a more traditional kind of shop or business – perhaps with a wooden floor and lettering on the windows, a stripy canopy and a friendly owner who wants you to stay a while and visit. Jackdaws, Ravens and other types of bird in the Corvid family are resourceful, industrious and full of character, in some cultures a symbol of transformation.

I am a creative entrepreneur and in my shop you will find a selection of paper goods as well as the occasional original artwork. You also have the opportunity to commission an original all of your own! I really enjoy client work and being able to provide a unique service. I sell a range of goods that suits all budgets as I believe that art should be enjoyed, and accessible, by everyone.

My practice is concerned with exploring the possibilities of painting and illustration through a variety of subjects as starting points, including human and animal forms, landscape and architecture. I am interested in the formal concerns that painting can convey so well: line, form, shape and colour as well as the development of technical and material processes. I enjoy the many inspirations that I find in the world around me as I journey through life and my work has been exhibited widely in Europe and North America.

I gained my Diploma in Foundation Studies from Byam-Shaw School of Art, London and a BA in Fine Art from Bath Spa University, Bath, UK. Alongside my own practice I have worked in the non-profit and arts arenas for a number of years as a gallery preparator and administrator, alongside artists in the studio as a technician, and also for museums as a docent and media content developer.

I live and work in southern California, with my wife and aquarium.