The weekend is what you make of it - there's endless opportunities whether you're at work or play. Today's Weekend Review comes from the talented Sarah J Coleman - who lives in Leicestershire but whose illustrations have been published throughout the world.
What do you do for work?
I am an illustrator and lettering artist, who goes by the name of Inkymole.
What do you love most about your work?
It's very varied and I never know what's coming next. I love pens, pencils, paper, stationary and colours, so using them every day is extremely pleasing!
What's been you proudest career moment so far?
There have been several! The show my partner and I put on in 2006, called If a Girl Writes of the World - a collection of work rooted in the words of writer, rapper and artist Sage Francis. We'd been fans for a long time and his words are incredibly visual, very rich and writhing with imagery. We opened it at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, before Brick Lane became too expensive to exhibit in, then a few months later took it to Manhattan where again we secured a massive downtown site for a fraction of what you'd pay now! Then it went to Rhode Island, home of Sage Francis himself - and I'm proud to say he not only flew to the UK to open the original show, he opened the next two as well. The show led to some significant and long-lasting opportunities and friendships.
Another one was getting the cover of US Playboy, one would be my covers for Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set A Watchman and another would be my work for the Robert Burns Museum. There are a few - maybe I'm easily pleased!
What's your passion outside work?
I suppose there isn't really an "outside work". My partner and I are always working on something and whether that's music related, chocolate related, show related or something else, we've always found it difficult to work out where the humans stop and the "work" starts.
We do weight training - love the gym - work on our cars (it's getting into show season now), we have always had music coursing through our veins and we love eating. Oh yes, we love eating. And films, but we don't watch enough. We also love to read, but again don't really do enough of that!
When is your weekend?
It depends what projects are on! It might not be a weekend, sometimes it can be three days in the week - or none at all.
How did you spend the last Saturday and Sunday?
We went to the gym twice. We saw off a mate who was leaving his job. I did some work and caught up on a bit of paperwork.
We looked at potential carpets and we had a meeting about the sofa we're having built to fit our strange and wonderful top-floor living room (it's not as posh as it sounds, it's just that our house is upside down!)
I drove to Rickards' Farm, about 10 miles away and got a box of organic veg. Talked to my sister in Blackpool who's just had a baby, then Leigh went out and saw a mate - while I had a quiet night to myself with a sea mud face mask, some drawing work and Demolition Man on iTunes!
How typical was it for you?
Very typical in that it was different from all the others! The only consistent thing week to week is the gym. We always go Saturday and Sunday and have got into a habit of building everything else round it, and the protein shakes that follow, ha ha!
What would your dream long weekend away?
Not keen on the phrase "dream" as I always reckon that makes it seem like you could never achieve it. I love visiting my sister in Blackpool - it's so ornery up there, chilly, gusty, robustly cheerful and very northern. Leigh and I have found ourselves in London of a weekend killing time which is excellent; "no agenda".
I think going somewhere not so far away that the travelling ruins us, with plentiful vegan food to choose from, knowing no clients are after me and being with Leigh, just about describes it.
What is your ideal Sunday menu?
THE REAL SUNDAY MENU
We tend to only eat two meals at weekends, and it usually looks like this...
Breakfast: Organic deluxe muesli - a special mix from Leicester Wholefoods - mixed with cocoa nibs from Cocoa Amore, dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, soaked almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and Udo's oil, with soya or oat milk. I have less muesli and chuck in a Weetabix and a handful of cornfalkes - a sort of 'can't make my mind up' cereal bowl. Leigh has mint tea and I have Brew Tea Company's loose decaf in a pot.
Dinner: Something we've cooked. On Sunday I made a dinner with homemade red onion gravy, roast red potatoes, carrots, white sprouting broccoli and roasted tofu.
THE IDEAL SUNDAY MENU
It's all happening in New York. We have left SO much money behind restaurant tills there...
Breakfast: Avocados on toast, tofu scrambles, hash browns, free coffee, pancakes with maple at Earth Matters in Manhattan. Sadly it closed down about a year ago, so it is only a wonderful memory now!
Lunch: Sacred Chow, near Washington Square. Anything from their menu, but it must include a stout ice cream floater.
Dinner: Either a full-on fake-meat hog-like session at Red Panda, where the vegan meats as so lifelike you have to check everything twice to make sure you haven't wandered into the wrong place (I don't even like meat, but I like whatever they make this stuff from). Or something more ladylike at Mogador, East Village - fresh hummus and bread with olives, really good Turkish coffee, and more bread with olive oil.
I'd like to be eating all of these meals with Leigh and my family, including the new babe who'd probably enjoy all the lights and sparkle!
What's in your fridge?
Gherkins, two jars of Indian lime pickle, oat milk, soya milk, unmayonnaise, sprouted mung beans, "cheese" (including fake parmesan which is really good - and I never liked real parmesan!), tofu, tofu wieners (kind of hot dog things), Udo's Oil, Vitalite, half a lemon, cocoa butter, organic face cream, a bottle a Cava (gift from a client), vinegar, ketchup, brown sauce, soya and oat cream for puds, Booja Booja ice cream in the freezer section with peas and pies, greens, kale and purple sprouting broccoli in the salad section.
What are you currently listening to, when you draw?
It's quite varied - early in the morning I do BBC Radio 1, switching to 6Music, then Rinse FM or some albums or mixes we've found online. Today from 1pm, I will be diving into a massive archive of rave and jungle mixes that have been unearthed recently and put online - who knows what they'll be like!
How can people see more of your work and get in contact?
At inkymole.com - I can be emailed at sarah@inkymole.com or you can always tweet me @inkymole - alternatively I like hanging around instagram, find me @inkstagram.ink