Meet the Artist: London Block By Block
Cierra Block loves London, illustrating and keeping things neatly organised. Her company, London Block By Block is the perfect culmination of all three; a detailed journey through London’s unique culture, history and sights, all conveniently presented in beautifully illustrated squares.
Of course, being coffee lovers, we were drawn in by her map packed with London’s top coffee shops. But whether you’re a caffeine addict, museum buff, cyclist, royalist or hopeless romantic; you can learn all sorts of fascinating facts and travel tips in the capital city. Regardless, Cierra’s map-based designs are fascinating and eye-catching. In fact, we liked them so much we instigated a Best Coffee x London Block By Block collaboration!
During the collaboration you can find our favourite London Coffee Shops print available to buy in our web shop. The design is also available on prints and cards.
Cierra says she created London Block By Block as a way of organising her favourite things about her home-town of 8 years. Each map is created to provide something both beautiful to look at and informative, aiming to answer a question each time eg, “where are the best pancakes in London?”
Cierra says that her biggest joy in creating her maps is that “they are artistic and lovely to look at but also offer functionality and utility. I think this is why so many people are drawn to maps. Maps help us make sense of the world around us, and all the better if it leads to a hidden corner of London or a delicious bakery.”
London Block By Block offers inspiration, insight and beauty for London residents, day visitors or overseas tourists, perfectly celebrating the multi-faceted appeal of this iconic city.
Ironically, when we asked Cierra about her favourite place to drink coffee, we found she doesn’t drink it! Instead her inspiration for the design came from advice from her coffee-loving friends. Cierra adds, “I also have a lot of coffee shop meetings over the years, and some of these places are my favourite places given their atmosphere and ethos. And I love a small business, so I tried to include coffee shops that are doing things their own special way.”
So, despite not drinking coffee herself, Cierra still loves a good coffee shop. She lists her favourites as any place that sells a delicious brunch as well as drinks. “I love Beany Green in Paddington Basin, right next to the canal. I love brunching here with my husband and daughter as after brunch we can find the Paddington Statue, dance under the rainbow bridge, and say hello to the ducks in the canal. I also love popping into Intermission Coffee; they make delicious hot cocoa as well as coffee.”
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