Button Up! (well not really ...)

Sorry I have been neglecting the blog! Sometimes I find it hard to get back into after so long.... It's not like I've completely let go of all things creative though, honest! So, I was bought a really cool present for my Birthday - basically a more grown up and creative version of those crafty kits you used to get when you were younger :P It's called The Button Factory which is pretty misleading if you like buttons...because it is actually a badge-making kit! I love it! As well as providing some samples of patterned material for you to use to make the badges, the instructions offer up other ideas to get your creative juices flowing....So obviously I am beginning to experiment (as that's what I do best :P), which is lots of fun :) Here are my first three badges: hope you like..

The kit was bought by my graphic designer boyfriend (some of his great work can be seen here if your interested!) So many thanks to him for such a great prezzy and hours of entertainment! If you see anyone with a lot of badges on ...then it's either me...or you can guess they got bought a similar present!

As Christmas is creeping up...

Last month I happened upon a little competition to get my teeth stuck into. I have been a fan of the Cornish company Seasalt for a while now and their website, clothing, designs and window displays are always brilliant! So they had a Christmas card competition running in aid of a charity called Fishermen's Mission, the theme was a Coastal Christmas! I initially thought that this theme was quite a tricky one ..but I reckon I was over thinking ideas. So one night ten minutes before bed I decided to just blast some ideas down on paper, it worked a treat and after those ten minutes I had numerous ideas! So i'll be sure to use that technique again :) and so the fun began.....

As you can see, I don't think I could have fitted much more on my desk if I tried! Can you spot the Seasalt bag I was using as inspiration for colours? 

I went for a quite conceptual idea in the end and made a departure from printmaking, using acrylics to paint my design. But texture is still an important part of my work, in any medium. Here is the finished work:

Unfortunately I never met the deadline. But I still sent my entry. I'm not sure I would have got anywhere with it anyway as all of the winning designs were more decorative and Christmassy! My design was more coastal with a nod to Christmas :P However I was pleased with the outcome and idea behind mine. An improvement I would consider making would be to try and make the sand castle more prominent against the background. But it was a great little brief to keep my creative mind going....

I recommend checking out the company Seasalt and the winning entries here:

http://www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/blog/10/2012/winning-christmas-cards/

Time for an update!

Finally I have found some time to post! I have been meaning to do this for so long... one advantage though (of time passing), means that there are many things to post to my blog and update you on :)  So firstly over the summer I managed to submit three pieces of work in for a local North Somerset Arts Showcase Exhibition. Each of the works had to be framed, which was great experience... finding and selecting frames, colours, deciding on mounts etc. I was really happy with the results, after framing. Oddly, I have never had any work framed until now and it seemed to add something to my artwork.  As well as framing, pricing had to be calculated, which is always a tricky one.....but again good practice! Two of my prints were selected for the walls, which was really exciting news! The Showcase Exhibition was up for one week and featured many local talented artists. It was great to go and see all of the diverse artwork and exciting to be part of something after completing Uni! (Above and below: my two prints that made it in and me! Notice the frames and mounts...think it sets them off quite well?!)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Here is one of my original thumbnails, from a selection I chose this idea to develop into a cover.

As you can see there have been various changes and developments along the way. 

So this was my final entry to the Penguin Design Award.... Combining both printmaking and digital technology. This was obviously an uneasy task as printmaking takes much time and planning. I also find that once I  convert a purely hand rendered and crafted piece of work into a digital file, a new perfectionist kind of view of my work appears. Daunting me with new worries and issues that I had never considered before, but I think that this is all down to the sudden unrestrained freedom found in using a computer. However I am pleased with the simplistic design, and hope that it conveys what I was initially attempting to achieve. I added colour after etching, using the offset machine, which was very exciting and efficient... once I had made the stencils!! 

Thanks for taking an interest :)

For the love of printmaking!

Antique Key:

Handmade rubber stamps of keys:

Collagraph of various keys:

Collagraph of single key:

Catch up time!

Hello,

it has been a long while! After handing in for yet another deadline yesterday, I have decided to regain control of my blog! Recently I haven't been able to do much practical work.. due to a dissertation and a big report. However before Easter I was concentrating on a book cover for Penguin Design Award... Spending time in the print room on the offset machine, which was lots of fun! Prior to this I have produced many prints, so I thought it was about time I started posting some of my creations.

TTFN x

Plymouth Uni Christmas E-Card Competition

Well hello, haven't posted in a very long while! I thought it was about time I should make a contribution to my blog, which has been sadly neglected due to a hectic first term of third year. Anyway here is just a quick idea I had for the University e-card Christmas design. The brief was 150 Years with Plymouth University, which began as a School of Navigation in 1862. My design is fairly simple, using a compass as a symbol for the School of Navigation, with a christmas tree pointer, in the direction of the South West. It didn't take too long, once I had come up with the idea. Hope that you like it... and have a merry advent :)

Thanks for reading x