- it's sometimes hard to think of the right gift for a man of any age, especially when he doesn't give you any clues!
So here's a suggestion -
Thursday, 18 July 2013
This week's new blog post on Mugs, Mousepads & More
- it's sometimes hard to think of the right gift for a man of any age, especially when he doesn't give you any clues!
Thursday, 11 July 2013
E-interview with Surface Pattern Designer, Wendy Flynn
This month's e-interview is with an artist from London who specialises in Surface Pattern Design and Illustration, Wendy Flynn.
Wendy's website
Wendy's blog
Wendy on facebook
Wendy on twitter
As usual, I began by asking Wendy:
When did you first realise that you were an artist?
I suppose when i was very young, it is all i ever wanted to do. I was always drawing and making things as a child and helping everyone else with their drawings in junior school!
Have you had formal art/design/illustration training?
Yes I have a BA in graphic design from Bath Spa; I spent most of the time in the colour darkroom and on the computer and they didn't quite know how to pigeon hole me at the end of the course as none of the other Illustrators were using those processes, which seems bonkers now as so many people only use the computer! It was only 1998! You were well ahead of the rest of us then, Wendy!!!
So, Wendy, what was the most important thing you learnt from your course? Tricky but I think it was actually something a tutor on my foundation course told me which was: to subvert the brief, i.e make it my own. That was my turning point on my degree course. I was having a really hard time in typography class and had contacted my old tutor. His advice to make it my own totally changed the way I worked. And my B+ in typography that term is all down to making an illustration out of tin foil and pink fake fur! I wish we could see it!
What is your favourite medium?
I love Ink and a dip pen or a sharpened stick and adding colour in Adobe Photoshop.
Which artists/designers/illustrators inspire you, Wendy?
Orla Keily for her simplicity and Miroslav Sasek for his great Illustrations
That looks like my Early Seventies Kenwood I see there, Wendy!
Seriously, as Doris and Fred, since I graduated from the ABSPD course this year, although I was using the name before that for freelance work and my etsy and folksy shops since about 2008.
You mentioned your etsy and folksy shops - where else do you sell your work?
These are my other outlets at the moment -
Do you enjoy the business side of things, Wendy?
No! I hate talking about my work! I find it very hard to sell myself and really hate talking money! I think i need an agent!
Have you had any training in the art business?
I took the Rachael Taylor course which has been really helpful.
Why did you decide to specialise in Surface Pattern?
I worked in a trend studio for 6 or 7 years and I learned to make patterns there, I really enjoyed it and have just sort of carried on, I tried a few other artistic avenues but have come back to pattern now that i have a family as it is (I hope) something I can do from home and juggle around family life.
Do you find that the business side of things takes up more time than you would like?
Yes and the social media which seems so important takes up a lot of my time. I can relate to that completely!
Are you working alone or do you have help?
I work alone.
Do you enjoy that?
Yes actually most of the time I do although I am easily distracted so sometimes I should have someone to pull me back to what I should be doing. I suppose it would be nice to work with a few others but I also like that as I work from home, I don't waste time getting to and from a studio and can work when ever I have the time.
Do you paint or draw regularly?
Yes I draw regularly and even more so since doing the ABSPD course, I had forgotten just how much I enjoy doodling. I do need to get back into making a mess with paints and such but at the moment, I just don't have the space.
Are you still doing what you originally set out to do?
Yes, I think I am; it is just taking me a little bit longer to get there than I had planned.
That's to be expected with a little boy to take into consideration! How many hours per week do you manage to work? I would say 20 - 30 hours a week. I have help with my little boy 2 days a week and then pretty much work everytime he naps and in the evenings
Do you have regular contact with other artists?
Only online, but that is a great support. Yes, I think that's great too!
What is your biggest achievement - or the one that pleases you most - so far? Having my designs in Urban Outfitters In the US. It was only as a freelancer but it felt great to see designs that I created from scratch on their website and in stores. Wow! That IS an achievement, Wendy!
Is there anything you would like to change about your art business
I would love more time on it but while my little boy is small I need to give him my time and enjoy him, there will be plenty of time, once he is at school, to concentrate full time on Doris & Fred.
And finally, what are your plans for the future?
To find an agent and build my portfolio, then take over the world! Well, maybe not the last bit! But an agent would be beneficial to me, I think. It would allow me to focus my limited time on creating new work and still spend time with my family.
Wendy, I'm sure all our readers will join me in wishing you joy and success in all your endeavours and in thanking you for taking the time and trouble to answer my questions. I'm sure your replies will provide someone, somewhere with just the information or inspiration (or both!) that they need!
If you have enjoyed this interview and would like to get to know Wendy and her work better, here are the links to her website, blog and social networking sites -
Monday, 8 July 2013
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Mother Nature's Colour Palettes - June in my Garden
June is my favourite month in my garden!
Usually the roses steal the show in June. But this year they were far less spectacular because they had to be cut back in preparation for the cavity wall insulation in July. In a way, though, this has made me take more notice of the other flowers. I've never really had time to give much thought to the colour planning of my flower beds. In my usual happy-go-lucky (aka slapdash) style, I tend to just throw things in wherever there's a gap !
But Mother Nature has come up with some splendid colour schemes without my help so I've created three very different colour palettes from them which you are welcome to use if they appeal to you -
If you enjoy my blog, you might like to see more of what I do, in between posts -
'Judy's Art' (on facebook)
Posh and Painterly (on Google+)
My Pinterest boards
My Zazzle store
(planning to open a new 'Posh and Painterly' one shortly)
Monday, 1 July 2013
Dreaming Spires Roses . . .
As I write, the beautiful Dreaming Spires climbing roses in my garden are coming to an end.
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I've been quite thorough in my deadheading of them to encourage them to flower again in the autumn. But I accidentally removed this very much 'alive' head. And, on my kitchen table, it has provided me with a cheerful reminder of summer on days when the weather has been anything but summery!
In other years, when I've had more time, I've painted this rose in watercolour . . . read more
Thursday, 27 June 2013
Repeating Patterns for Painters - #4, Ogee or Diamond Repeat
In earlier posts we’ve looked at the various ways to categorise patterns. We then moved on to learn how to create simple block repeats from your paintings in Photoshop, including the slightly more complex ones that need some tidying up at the end to hide the ‘seam’.
Last month I gave instructions for half-drop and brick repeats and now we’re going to see how to make my favourite kind of repeat, the Diamond or Ogee Repeat. I was very frustrated by the lack of information on the internet when I wanted to make an ogee repeat. But eventually I found a way that works beautifully, using the instructions for a diamond repeat.
An ogee is simply a traditional shape for use in patterns, a bit like a diamond that has been squeezed at each end and rounded in the middle. It’s a shape that has featured in traditional architectural mouldings and so on for many years. The first time I ever heard the word was when an architect used it to describe the shape of the new guttering we would need in the refurbishment of our Edwardian home!
Here we go –
1. You will need to start with a motif that is either ogee-shaped or diamond-shaped. Scan, clean/tidy up and make the background transparent:
3. Write down the image dimensions in pixels.
4. Making sure you're working with the original, un-hidden copy of the motif:
Filter > Other > Offset – check ‘wrap around’.
5. Halve the dimensions and enter the figures in the boxes > OK.
6. Now comes the magic!
Unhide the duplicate you made by clicking on the eye.
8. Adjust image size if too big for repeat..
9. Edit > Define Pattern.
10. New file > Edit > Fill – choose the pattern you’ve just defined. Ta-dah!
One of the reasons I like this kind of repeat is that, by its very nature, it results in an evenly balanced pattern, with a slight diagonal movement in each direction - easy on the eye!
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| It's not too hard to see the Ogee shapes in this pattern |
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| But although it's hard to see the Ogee shape in this one, I assure you it's there! |
To make it easier to see the way the pattern works, some of the patterns I've shown are hand-drawn and scanned into Photoshop rather than painted patterns. But, of course, the same principle applies whatever medium you use.
I hope you'll find these instructions useful - learning to make an ogee- or diamond-shaped repeat, certainly opened up lots of possibilities for me!
Click
to download a .pdf of this post,
condensed into 4 pages
in case you want to print it out.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Surfacing Pattern Designers Showcase: Stitches and 'Also Ran's
With the arrival of summer, such as it is, everyone is getting busier and only a few people have had time to contribute their patterns to this showcase.
So, instead, I have set up a group Pinterest Board where you can browse a selection of patterns, some of them for sale on products, others linking back to portfolio websites, so that you can get a broader picture of the work of designers you like.
But here are this month's contributions to the 'Stitches' theme in alphabetical order of first name:
So, instead, I have set up a group Pinterest Board where you can browse a selection of patterns, some of them for sale on products, others linking back to portfolio websites, so that you can get a broader picture of the work of designers you like.
But here are this month's contributions to the 'Stitches' theme in alphabetical order of first name:
Judy Adamson
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| Pretty Pink Applique Flowers This one, made from a handpainted paper collage, with the 'stitches' added in coloured pen, started out as a greeting card design, . I'm working on a collection based on this motif and hope it will soon be on show on the group Pinterest board.
Mel Pope
Mel says: I interpreted stitches as sewing stitches, so I have gone along a hand made
theme, going back to a simplistic style the stitches are irregular and random to
give it a more handmade/personal feel.
Wendy Flynn
I also suggested that designers might like to contribute any pattern they'd entered for a competition but hadn't won.
So here's one from -
Lisa Rivas
Lisa says: I had submitted this pattern: 'Candlemas I' to a dress contest a few months
ago, read more here: http://lisarivas.com/blog/pretty-dress/
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I'd like to add a big THANK YOU to all who have taken part in this series of Showcases - I know how busy you all are!
And 'Thank You', too, to all who have stopped by and encouraged us with your comments!
Don't forget, there is a lot more to see on our 'Surfacing Pattern Designers' group Pinterest board:
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