Here's the stress...

For a while I have been wondering why Ive not really been stressed this semester. Normally Im pulling my hair out by now and although Ive had a few tantrums and cry's I still didnt feel to bad. Until I looked on Moodle this morning at the weekly break down...Now I am stressed! Im really worried im not going to have enough work, ive been to buy developing my ideas and not drawing enough! This morning I have drawn myself out a plan for the week. Exhibition lists, drawing ideas, research lists, things i need to buy and order. Im hoping that by this weekend will be more on track! As for now, im off to whip up a few paintings! 

In the meantime...

Inspired...

After being inspired by my research into 'Ferm Living' wallpapers and a piece of work i found from last semester i decided to combine the things i loved most and combine them to create some of my own geometric leaf print designs...

Inspired by the colour and line in this piece of wallpaper, by Danish company Ferm Living.

Inspired by the line work and bold lino effect in this piece of work i created last semester..

Final design, possibly for wallpaper or ceramic decal printing. I love the colour and line and feel this is a successful piece.

It’s all very Scandinavian and Gorgeous...

I love these wallpapers by Danish company Fern Living. The colours are very on-trend and I love the natural and graphic forms they have used. It’s all very Scandinavian and gorgeous!

 

'Retro Leaves' & 'Gracewood' Wallpapers...

Window Shopping...

I was walking through Bridgemere Show Room on my way to Hobbycraft yesterday and spotted this lovely bedding! I had to take a sneaky picture! I love the combination of colours and the slightly graphic and bold block florals!...Its that gorgeous green again!

Wendy Bray...

Last year for my mums birthday I bought her a 12 month subscription to Homes & Antiques, a Vintage, Antiques and Interiors Magazine. The magazine is obviously for my mum to read, but she always saves me articles of which she thinks might be of some interest to me. I came home from Uni last weekend and she told me about an article she had read, about artist Wendy Bray. I sat down and had a read myself and found her story truly inspirational!

 Bray, a lady of many talents, has managed to raise four children, work as a textile designer, art dealer, ceramics restorer and painter. Four or five years ago her daughter found some of her old art work from her days at Croydon Art School 1948-51. Brays daughter showed off her mothers designs to a friend (a carpet manufacturer) who then ended up buying one Brays designs. Ever since Brays career has gone from strength to strength producing collections for Warner Textile Designs, Sanderson and the Curwen Studio. 

I recently attended the International Spring Fair and saw some of Brays more recent designs for stationary and notebooks. I loved her clean cut and slightly graphic designs, and think they work really well on these modern products. The colours and the shapes used really compliment each other and overall i think the collection is stunning, i might even treat myself to a new notebook for Uni! Click on images below to see and purchase more products in the range...

Click on the link below to visit Wendy Brays Webpage...

No thanks, Im just browsing...

I was just browsing at the stationary and gift ware at my local Sainsbury's today and I came across these lovely line drawn note and address books. I love the illustrative style and the way that one simple line drawing has managed to give such an impressive and stylish effect.

I would like to try some line drawings of my own using my autumnal theme...

Hallmark...

Whilst I was in the area on Wednesday I managed to organize an impromptu visit to Hallmark's Creative Studio. I was shown around the main design studio by Emma, who kindly took some time out of her busy schedule to give me a tour. The studio was inspirational. It was like a huge Hallmark shop, with high ceilings, big windows and bright spaces. There were also cards and products on display, within themed areas. It seems like a really lovely and colourful place to work within and im really looking forward to completing my placement there in May!

My Hallmark Visitors Pass...

Hallmark Head Office, Bradford.

Herbert Walkers Ltd...

Last Wednesday I attended a study visit to ‘Herbert Walkers Ltd’ a production company in Shipley, Yorkshire. The company mainly specialize in commercial print and produce, single sheets of gift wrap, greetings cards, magazine innards and general packaging for a variation of industries. 

Herbert Walkers Ltd Head Office...

I was guided around the factory by Chris, who took me down to the factory floor and showed me around the huge variety of machinery that the company use during production. Unfortunately due to rules within the factory I was unable to take any photographs inside the factory or of any of the machines, however Chris’s tour was very informative and he gave me a list of the machines that the company use at the end of the visit.

Herbert & Walker use a huge variety of finishing techniques , which were explained to me by Chris…

Techniques/Machinery:-

Embossing: A machine that creates several multi-level raised images on different layers. The machine then enhances selected areas of the design to give them more of a defined finish. The process doesn’t actually differ that much to the screen print process.

Die Cutting: Used to cut out ready-made shapes within completed designs/products, used a lot within food packaging.

Foiling: A coloured foil is selected. A layer of glue is then placed over the selected area of the design, the foil is then added to give the illusion of either a flat or raised image.

Flitter: It sounds like glitter…that’s because it is! Flitter actually stands for ‘fine glitter.’ The glitter is suspended within a translucent clear solution creating a light and delicate glitzy effect when dried. Mostly used on greetings cards, gift wrap and gift cards.

Cutting and Folding: Machinery folded the packaging saving the company time and the extra cost of labor.  

Overall I really enjoyed my study visit. I feel like I know a lot more about production methods and production processes within a factory environment. At the end of the visit I was kindly given a huge amount of samples from around the factory to take home. The sample pack included examples of flitter, embossing foiling and die cutting used on greetings cards produced within the factory..

A selection from my Herbert Walkers sample pack.

Bad Day...

Today I have been trying to make some 'friends' for my rabbit painting. It us not going well. So far I have a duck and two foxes, but i feel that they're starting to look a bit 'babyish??' Maybe its the animals im painting, but I don't like the way its looking...

 

 I think my geometric fox works well and i like the general feel of the piece, but i dont feel like the block fox works quite as well? So im going to paint some geometric patterns up and leave the animals for now, otherwise I will start getting depressed and I'll convince myself I cant draw anything.

Strange week...

Wow, haven't blogged for a week! Apologies. This week has sped past! I managed to get quite a few paintings done over the weekend last week, but i haven't done anything this week! Must get my head down this weekend!

After being inspired by my visit to the Spring Fair last week, i worked on my collection of animals and geometrics. My favorite piece is this rabbit I painted. I love the bright and bold colours and think it would look great on ceramics. After painting it i thought it looked a bit like something you'd see on a Whittards mug...which made my day, because i love Whittards!

  

Its wild out there...

Today im sketching and painting birds and rabbits, developing on my animal theme, trying to stay away from the realistic style of drawing and so far i feel its going well! Im just using a simplistic block paint technique and dry brushing over the top to give the animals texture. I was particularly inspired to carry on with my animal theme after viewing the works of 'Magpie' and 'Helen Minns' a company and a designer maker i saw at the Spring Fair. I still need to research there work further, but here are the links to their websites below. Il post up my pictures when im back from work tonight...

Spring Fair Update...

So yesterday was the Spring Fair! Unbelievably it snowed....again!! We still managed to get there though! Im really glad I went, the show was much better than last year and i felt really inspired by all the huge range of things I saw. Hallmarks stand was great, much better than last year. There was a wider range of products and it looked much more modern than the collections we saw last year. There were plenty more small businesses at the fair compared to last weeks trade fair franchise bonanza! Which was nice, because it gave me an idea of where I might be in a few years. Some of the stand members were really friendly, others...not so much! Its understandable, because they are there to trade and make a profit, but it does make you slightly weary when admitting that your a student. Overall i was really impressed with the fair this year, my favorite stands were 'Fox &Lark' 'Helen Minns' and 'Prey.' I plan to research further into these businesses and get some visual research for my folders. Unfortunately photography is not permitted at the Spring Fair. However I was so in love with this gorgeous espresso set, by a company called 'Magpie' i just had to sneak a cheeky picture!!

Spring Fair 2013...

Tomorrow is the Spring Fair at the NEC Birmingham. Another trade fair! I visited this one last year, whilst doing my Hallmark project, mainly for market research purposes. It was HUGE and i constantly felt like i was going around in circles...which isnt actually that bard at the NEC! Despite my lack of spacial awareness, I'm still looking forward to it this time around because i feel slightly more experienced in Trade Fair visiting and I now know that a schedule is necessary! Id like to mainly focus on viewing Greetings & Stationary and Contemporary Gift & Home. Theres a lot of major companies exhibiting at the fair including Harrods, Selfridges, House of Fraser, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Next, Oliver Bonas and Hallmark. WGSN even have there very own trend bar, which im looking forward to seeing. I cant wait to see whats on offer and whats new! 

Crazy Mushroom Lady...

Bonjour! Sorry its been a busy weekend! I haven't had five minutes to post! So here are the pictures I was talking about the other day...

I started off drawing and painting up a few geometric patterns, which was actually really hard (mainly because there so precise!) I then experimented with printing with natural form, inc. potatoes and mushrooms! I was aware that i probably looked like a crazy woman whilst printing on paper with a big field mushroom, but luckily i was alone in my flat! I really like the overall effect of the mushroom print, i feel it adds texture to the surface of the paper and is a simplistic and effective way of creating a different shape to work with.

The rabbit drawing was a bit of a daunting task. As you know im not the best artist, especially when it comes to drawing things realistically, so i started off with just a basic pencil drawing. I like the sketchiness of the rabbit and how it looks slightly illustrative. I'm quite happy with the final image and i feel it suits my slightly graphic style. After sketching with pencil, i then traced over my original drawing and made a duplicate image to paint over. I mixed the rabbit head with various graphic/geometric patterns, trying to keep my colour palette muted and adding in one single bold flash of colour...Which in this case happens to be that gorgeous green im obsessed with!! 

Geometric Bunnies

Today after waking up and realizing i have no paper i went out and bought some nice coloured watercolour papers to paint and draw on. I've spent about 4 hours painting and drawing this afternoon. I haven't done a great deal of work, however I do feel that the work I have done looks like the start of something that could develop into a great final collection. I have to go to work now, so can't post up pictures, but I will when I get home!!