interview

Amelia’s Magazine | Artist Beccy McCray introduces her new poster series Make Friends With Food In 5 Easy Steps

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grow stuff with border_beccy mccray_amelia
Artist Beccy McCray has created a new poster series titled Make Friends With Food In 5 Easy Steps… fun images that challenge our perceptions of food waste.

bake more with border_beccy mccray
I explore playful, socially engaged art and design using a diverse approach that includes intervention, installation, participation, print, paint or whatever media necessary to create imaginative acts of resistance and more human moments in the world.

small is sweet with border_beccy mccray_amelia
Through my work I seek to break down boundaries between art, activism and every day life, ultimately aiming to spread joy and inspire positive change, using creativity to raise awareness of environmental issues and social ideals.

eat more biscuits with border_beccy mccray
I’m also slightly obsessed with food – not just eating it but sourcing, growing, making and composting it …and I do like to play with my food too..!

compost it with border_beccy mccray
My latest series of self-initiated posters, ‘Make Friends With Food In 5 Easy Steps‘, is a fun call to arms and a friendly reminder of some of the simple sustainable actions we can all take when sourcing and disposing of our food. Using 3D type made from sugar cubes, sandwich crusts and live mustard sprouts amongst other things, I’ve spelled out playful solutions such as ‘Small Is Sweet – Steer Clear Of Supermarkets‘, ‘Eat More Biscuits – Bid Adieu To Beef‘, and ‘Grow Stuff – Give Packaged Products A Miss‘.

You can see more of Beccy McCray‘s work on her website here.

Written by Beccy McCray on Thursday June 18th, 2015 11:18 am

Categories ,activist, ,art, ,artist, ,Beccy McCray, ,Food Waste, ,interview, ,Make Friends With Food In 5 Easy Steps, ,sustainable

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Amelia’s Magazine | A Million Cats: An interview with adult colouring book author Lulu Mayo

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A Million Cats front cover by Lulu Mayo
I’ve spoken about my love of A Million Cats in my previous post highlighting my favourite colouring books of 2015, and now I am finally able to bring you an exclusive interview with the artist Lulu Mayo. This is Lulu’s debut book but the reception has been so fantastic that she is set to release another book geared towards dog lovers, called, yes you guessed it, A Million Dogs. Both books feature a plethora of cute animals in ridiculous situations, inspired by a childhood love of the infamous cat bus in cult Japanese animation My Neighbor Totoro. A must have for all the animal loving colorists out there.

A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo in a tree
A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo

I believe your first career involved numbers – what did you do and where?
After graduating from university, I worked as a sales and marketing personnel in a technology company in Taiwan. However, I quickly realised that it was not something I would like to pursue for my future career. So while working, I undertook a product design course to prepare for entry into art school. I was glad I did it and was happy to say it was the best decision I ever took in my life!

qubee-strawberry by lulu mayo
Strawberry by Lulu Mayo

Why did you decide to pursue your passion for illustration?
I had an amazing opportunity to undertake an Erasmus exchange program in France while studying international business. However, I wasn’t inspired by business management courses but arts and amazing architectures there. After I came back from France I decided to purse my love for arts. It wasn’t after a lot of trials and errors did I decide to purse my passion for illustration. Originally I thought I would be a product designer as I loved the idea of creating something practical and artistic. But later on I realised it was drawing that brought me the most joy. I am happy to say I don’t regret it at all now.

A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo adult colouring book
A coloured scene from A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo

Why did you decide to study in the UK and why did you chose Camberwell College of Arts?
I was drawn by hustle and bustle of big cities and London perfectly fit the bill. Tutors at Camberwell always gave us free rein to experiment with new themes and techniques. I have absolute creative license to produce artworks, so it was an obvious choice.

A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo townscape
A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo

How did A Million Cats become published? Did you take the concept to a publisher or did they approach you and if so when and where?
It all started when I received a fountain pen as a gift from my Dad. The pen itself was a gift from his senior officer dating back 40 years. I started to create a lot of hand drawn black and white ink artworks ever since.

A million cats cat mushroom field by Lulu Mayo
A coloured scene from A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo

Then one day I thought,“Why not combine my love of cats and ink?” So I came up with an idea of creating a colouring book, A Million Cats and started to approach to publishers. Luckily, the publishing director at Michael O’ Mara loved the concept and the rest was the history. They got many positive responses from their clients so I was commissioned by them with another project – A Million Dogs. I was very grateful that they took a chance on me.

A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo sofa
A Million Cats by Lulu Mayo

Your book features a lot of Japanese influenced patterns – why did you add this to the mix?
I have a profound interest in Ukiyo-e, pictures of the floating world. It is a genre of art that flourished in Japan from 1680s up until the year 1900. I love its unique characteristics, including its imaginative cropping of figures, exaggerated foreshortening, amazing storytelling and intriguing patterns. My artworks are deeply influenced by it. I think A Million Cats is a marriage of the quirky, the idiosyncratic and Ukiyo-e.

A-Million-Dogs-Cover by Lulu Mayo
When does A Million Dogs come out, and can you share a sneak peak of the artwork with us?
Of course, my pleasure! The publication date of A Million Dogs in UK is 14th of April. Inside are over 30 spreads of funny dogs, decorated with stress-relieving Japanese patterns and motifs, including cherry blossom, waves, hearts, maple leaves, and paisleys in various forms. It features different breeds of dogs in a range of surreal situations; riding a carousel, playing music, sneaking food, and flying a hot air balloon. I hope it can provide readers an escape from hectic modern life to a relaxing world of quirkiness and imagination.

A Million Dogs balloon by Lulu Mayo
A Million Dogs by Lulu Mayo

What do you love most about the craze for adult colouring?
What I love the most is that I can share my imaginative world with others. It’s amazing to see how others interpret my artworks in their own creative way. It is absolutely thrilling!

A Million Dogs 2 by Lulu Mayo
A Million Dogs by Lulu Mayo

What is your favourite animal and why?
My favourite animal is English bulldog and it has appeared on many pages in A Million Dogs. It descended from fighting mastiffs. Today, however, it only slightly resembles his ancestors in appearance. He is not ferocious any more, but of a sweet, and loving disposition. Such a contradictory makes him my favourite. He really inspires me with his goofy look.


Obviously you love cats, when did this interest begin and have you ever had a pet cat that has inspired your work?
When I was five years old, I watched my first Hayao Miyazaki’s film called My Neighbor Totoro. There was a magical cat character. Every time when Totoro summoned him, he transformed into a cat bus and drove people to their destination. As a child, it completely rocked my world and I always dreamt that I could be the passenger one day. Ever since I became an advocate of cats. I want to create whimsical cats that sparks people’s imagination. Unfortunately, in reality there is no such cat that inspires me… it’s absolutely impossible to have a pet as my Mum is a neat freak!

effiel-tower by lulu mayo
Eiffel tower by Lulu Mayo

What else are you working on?
I am working on an animal-themed colouring book. It will feature more than 20 different animals in a range of different circular patterns. I will infuse it with my love for Japanese patterns, flowers, and plants. Unlike A Million Cats and A Million Dogs, this time I will colour it up with readers. So watch out, animal lovers!

St-pancras-station by Lulu Mayo
St Pancras Station by Lulu Mayo

For my personal project, I am working on a rabbit counting book. It’s not just about 1, 2, 3 but a story of having a loving family and friends!

A Million Dogs mandala by Lulu Mayo
Thank you so much for answering my questions Lulu, I love your work! Follow Lulu Mayo on Twitter and Facebook.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday February 23rd, 2016 4:43 pm

Categories ,A Million Cats, ,A Million Dogs, ,Adult Coloring, ,Adult Colouring, ,Animal Colouring Book, ,Camberwell College of Arts, ,Cat Coloring Book, ,Cat Colouring Book, ,Coloring, ,Colouring for Adults, ,Hayao Miyazaki, ,interview, ,japanese, ,Lulu Mayo, ,Michael O’ Mara, ,My Neighbor Totoro, ,pattern, ,review, ,Taiwan, ,Ukiyo-e

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Hannah Rollings: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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Hannah Rollings
Hannah Rollings recently published An Artist Once Said with Michael O’Mara books, a beautiful interactive art book. Her piece for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion follows on from this idea, taking the style and ideas of Henri Rousseau as a starting point.

Hannah Rollings portrait
Your PhD thesis is extremely interesting – can you tell us a bit more about it in layperson’s terms?
I am looking at developing illustrated interactive books or digital outcomes for children aged 8-11 on the subject of woodland stewardship specifically communicating the carbon cycle. I hope to work with children themselves to co-design narratives and resources that they find meaningful.

Dev Hannah Rollings
What draws you to educate youngsters about the natural world, and where did this interest start?
I’ve always enjoyed animal documentaries and used to have a WWF filofax that I used to study and draw from. The outdoors has always been a massive part of my life and has come to mean more to me as I begin to think about what is important in my own life. That natural childlike fascination of learning about things you see or find on a walk in the woods is very liberating and gives me a great sense of freedom that I hope I can communicate to big and small explorers.

Hannah Rollings
You also teach, what do you enjoy most about the engagement with students?
Teaching is a very inspiring conversation as you often question your own thoughts on subjects and it is always a privilege to see someone develop their work and to have a small helping hand in that is very rewarding. It is about asking the right questions at the right time, not necessarily having the answers.

Development Hannah Rollings
Why has academic study in general been so important to your artistic process?
Illustration can be quite an isolated working environment so I have always found that study has given me a good balance to broaden my work and gain critical discussion. Academic study has allowed me the structure and collaboration to develop a more reflective practice, giving me the space and confidence to shape my own direction. I also quite like certificates.

Hannah Rollings
As part of your research you coppiced an ancient woodland – what did you learn from this process?
It was a rollercoaster of an experience: amazing discoveries coupled with the practical difficulties alongside general misunderstandings about coppicing such as often being asked why are you cutting down trees. It was beautiful to see a small coppiced area come back to life through the seasons; the bluebells come up as you’ve given them more light and the butterflies and insects take over while new shoots of tree come up doubling the trees capacity to grow and live on.

Hannah Rollings
What inspired you to create your recently published book “An Artist Once Said”? It’s a beautiful tome.
Whilst lecturing in the studio staff and students would often put on the wall their favourite quotes from artists they admired – each unique and fitting to that persons work – and I thought what a lovely idea for a book. As I often need a creative nudge to get over the blank page.

Diary of a Redundant Cow Shed Hannah Rollings3
What is your favourite way to work?
I love the looseness of inks and watercolour but also find I want to create a little friction and contrast and then that is when collaging on the computer can be very exciting as it allows you to bring very different elements, scale and textures together to experiment and surprise yourself.

What made you want to take part in my colouring book?
My work is focusing on building in interaction and the refreshing menagerie of illustrators and approaches I thought would be very exciting to see and be apart of.

Double Page Hannah Rollings
How did you decide on your theme and realise the image for the colouring book?
I wanted to lead on from an ‘An Artist Once Said’ and had been looking at Henri Rousseau as part of my research in depicting foreign lands that people may not have first hand experience of but have magical naive images of. So I looked at this idea of travel and exploring to discover, as Henri Rousseau himself did to produce beautiful images, through the medium of colouring.

I am so excited that Hannah Rollings is part of Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion. Available to pre-order as soon as my Kickstarter campaign is live!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday October 6th, 2015 8:26 am

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,An Artist Once Said, ,Coloring, ,Coloring Book, ,Colouring, ,Colouring Book, ,Hannah Rollings, ,Henri Rousseau, ,interview, ,jungle, ,Kickstarter, ,Michael O’Mara, ,PhD

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with María Andrea Miranda Serna: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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Maria Andrea Serna
María Andrea Miranda Serna is a Colombian illustrator and artist inspired by the minutae of our personal environments. Her delightful artworks are chock full of intricate detail from contemporary life and she has even imagined a wonderful story for the illustration she has made for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
You have said your work is inspired by every day objects and spaces – where do you find inspiration for your intricate environments?
I believe artsits have naturally wide open eyes, I mean we are always looking at the things are around us. So most of the spaces I create for my illustration are collages of things that I have at my house, that I see in movies, in magazines and books, in the internet and basically wherever I go. I’ve realized I’m also interested in achiving that kind of eclecticness on my images, not only because I like it but because I think its important to connect with different audiences. I want my images to work elsewhere the same way they work in Colombia.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
How do you like to work?
Most of the time I work at home in my bedroom where I have a table full of things I need to produce my images: paper, pencils, watercolors, brushes, etc. This means that my room is the place where I spend most of the time and it’s always completely full of different other things. Not only the things that I use to draw, as I’ve said before, there are also things from my everyday life, like hair brushes, shoes, my clothes, and of course my bed. Maybe that’s why I’m so interested in objects and details in every of my images, because most of the time I feel exactly like any of the characters of my illustrations.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
What is happening in the illustration you have made for my colouring book?
In the case of your colouring book I thought it would be nice to write a story and give the image a kind of narrative sequence. So to answer your question I would like to share the small story I wrote for it:
“Mary’s mom was impressed. She was in the first floor of the house washing the dishes, when she suddenly heard her daughter making the sounds of the animals that she was always playing with. That wasn’t the weird part, Mary always makes those sounds when she plays but this time they were not the same, they were extremely life like. She could even hear the paws and claws knocking her ceiling. But after a few seconds of amusement and a tiny smile she went back to those dishes. What she didn’t know was that those noises didn’t come from her girl, in Mary’s room the pieces of plastic that look so much like the thing they represent were becoming real right in front of Mary’s eyes. In fact, she couldn’t make any sounds, she was just sitting there hopping for them not to turn back to what they originally were.”

María Andrea Miranda Serna
Why do you think you are so drawn to images of solitude?
I’m not quite sure but I believe it must be related to the fact that in our generation (or maybe just me) we spend a lot of time alone and specifically in my case I’m always working in my room/studio. It might be because it is the way I relate with space and that is reflected in every image I create.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
What was the best thing about your BA in Visual Arts?
Well, I think the one of the best things about my BA in Visual Arts was that the program is extremely open to different disciplines within the art world. In my particular case, especially at the beginning of my career, I was able to learn about audiovisual art and I learned how to think in terms of narrative and in images with full details and characters. Later on I became interested in drawing and illustration, and in the multiple techniques of this discipline, such as screen print, engraving and etching. So I have been able to combine everything to create narrative images full with detail and atmosphere.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
María Andrea Miranda Serna
How easy is it to make a career as an illustrator in Columbia?
It is not easy because there are a lot of young talented artists to “compete” with and not so many scenarios to show your work. Even if you’re able to publish your work in books or magazines it is not common to be well paid. Non the less, there are new small spaces that are trying to show emerging and young artists and illustrators, so the scene is growing.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
How important is it to make contacts abroad for work and how do you set about making them?
I think this question is connected with the previous one due to the fact that the market in Colombia is really small and it’s barely growing, artists like me always have to be pay attention to what’s going on around the world. Luckily for us nowadays that task is much easier since the whole world fits into the little screen of a computer and phones. So I’m always connecting with people around the world through social media and the internet. Just like you and I; you invited me to submit to this project through Instagram.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
María Andrea Miranda Serna
Can you tell us more about your “dduoo” project? The images you have shared online are beautiful, but very different to your illustration work.
Thank you! dduoo is a project that I founded with my partner and because of this collaboration we try to combine our different styles and interest to have one unique and balanced result. Anyway, I believe that there’s a lot of me and my work, not literally in the images, but within the use of colour and palettes, composition and design. I’m trying as well to explore new and different things: sculpture and 3D objects plus screen printing and textiles.

María Andrea Miranda Serna
What other projects are you pursuing at the moment?
At the moment I’m trying expand my BA thesis project called ‘Universos Domésticos‘ (Domestic Universes), it’s more of what I’ve been doing. New scenes, new characters, new situations where I hope people can see a reflection of their own reality, their own everyday life and objects.

Artwork by María Andrea Miranda Serna is found in my new book Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, available now on Kickstarter here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday November 4th, 2015 11:03 pm

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Bogotá, ,Colombia, ,Coloring Book, ,Colouring Book, ,dduoo, ,Domestic Universes, ,illustration, ,instagram, ,interview, ,Kickstarter, ,María Andrea Miranda Serna, ,Pontifica Universidad Javeriana, ,Universos Domésticos, ,Visual Arts

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Amelia’s Magazine | All I Want for Christmas is cards!

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AllIWantIllustration by Peskimo

The Christmas festive season is now upon us and many artists are selling festive products. However few are initiated to help the poor, physician the downtrodden and the destitute. All I Want For Christmas Cards 2009 is one such group of creatives whose latest project is in support of the Bristol based charity ‘Young Bristol’. 20 local artists’ and illustrators’ specific works for the project are being used to create a limited edition run of Christmas cards that will be sold as packs containing each of the 20 cards.A competition, information pills with the brief to create a piece of work based on the phrase ‘All I want for Christmas’ took place and after receiving an overwhelming response, information pills the final 20 artworks were chosen, each on their individual merits and included in the final 20 cards. Initially created with the idea of promoting the charity Young Bristol, All I Want For Christmas Cards has also brought together artists and illustrators local to Bristol for this exciting illustrative project. Here is an opportunity to support those who need! We are today interviewing a few of those illustrators who very kindly lent their creativity to a good cause.

4061092197_f3b40cd591_oIllustration by Sam Bevington

Valerie Pezeron: Hello all. I would like to know who came up with the idea for such a wonderful project and could they tell our readers a little bit about themselves?

Creator/Organiser Ben Steers: The idea for a project like this had been rolling around in my head for a while but I just didn’t know how to best implement the concept. After moving to Bristol to kick start my illustration career and spending some time building contacts with local artists and illustrators I realised the huge concentration of talent that Bristol had to offer and after doing some voluntary work for Young Bristol I saw the opportunity to launch the idea and bring established and aspiring artists together and at the same time help benefit a really worthwhile cause. We have been really blown away by the response from everyone involved and have thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and having the pleasure of meeting so many positive and friendly people.

VP: There are many charities out there? Why pick “Young Bristol” charity for this project? What is the aim of the charity?

Ben Steers: I have recently helped Young Bristol put together a quarterly magazine on volunteer work and events in the area. There are so many great charities out there doing outstanding work every day but I think in the case of Young Bristol I felt that I could offer my creative services in some way and they also focus on helping disadvantaged individuals of my sort of age through media and arts courses. They aim to give those who didn’t have the opportunities that a lot of us take for granted, the chance to further themselves in creative fields and I think that is really something.

VP: The competition was very popular. Was there a jury and how did you select the final 20?

B S: It was a really difficult selective process as we didn’t want to turn any of the designs away simply because people had made a real effort and in the end we had over 40 design submissions to choose from. We both sat down and went through all the designs trying to select 20 on their individual merits and on how well they would sit against the other 19 as a collection. We were very aware of how all 20 cards would look if we sat them all next to each other. In the end we were very lucky in the response we got and selected 20 great designs which are varied in both style and content.

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BenNewman1Illustration by Ben Newman

VP: What motivated you to apply for the competition?

Ben Steers: Ben’s enthusiasm made it very difficult to say no and it’s always fun to take part in Bristol projects especially when it’s for a good cause.

VP: Have any of you ever been involved with charities before?

Illustrator Ben Newman and former Amelia’s magazine contributor: I’ve been involved in a few charity projects raising money for hospitals and endangered animals but my involvement always depends on whether my other projects allow me enough time. I’m really pleased that sometimes I can use a skill to help raise money.

VP: It is so easy to fall into cliches when coming up with a concept for Christmas cards? Those cards are truly original and infused with humor. How did you find inspiration for those cards?

BN: My card was inspired by some of the designs on Record company advertising banners from the 1950’s.

VP: I know what I want for Christmas and it is to welcome lovely kittens into my home. What about you, lovely people?

BN: Booze, food, friends and lot’s of sleeping.

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BjornLie

Illustration by Bjorn Lie

Name of Illustrator: Bjorn Lie

VP: What motivated you to apply for the competition?

BL:  The fact that it was for a local charity. I normally do work for clients in other countries, which is nice, but makes me feel a bit detached from where I actually am, Bristol. This was a chance to be a part of something positive, by just doing my own thing.

VP: Have any of you ever been involved with charities before?

BL: Not actively, no. I would like to do more of it in the future though.

VP: It is so easy to fall into cliches when coming up with a concept for Christmas cards? Those cards are truly original and infused with humor. How did you find inspiration for those cards?

BL:  I’ve been doing a lot of wintry scenes recently for a picture book, so I was already in that frame of mind! My card features a guy on a “spark støtting’, which is an old school means of transportation back in Norway where I’m from.

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Rich T

Name of Illustrator: Rich T

VP: What motivated you to apply for the competition?

Rich T: I thought it was a great idea for a project, a good brief and most importantly fun. If you want people to do stuff for free you have to make it fun, you can’t rely on good will. Kids today….

VP: Have any of you ever been involved with charities before?

Rich T: I have donated artwork for charity auctions in the past.

VP: It is so easy to fall into cliches when coming up with a concept for Christmas cards? Those cards are truly original and infused with humor. How did you find inspiration for those cards?

Rich T: I didn’t want to draw anything to do with Christmas so for me the opposite of Christmas is probably Pepsi, always forgotten in the festive period along with Jesus, job done.

VP: I know what I want for Christmas and it is to welcome lovely kittens into my home. What about you, lovely people?

Rich T: All I want for Christmas is loads of expensive gifts, preferably ones I can sell on E bay, and a dog but I don’t want it forever, just Christmas.

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Name of Illustrator: Chris Dickason

CD: More than anything else the brief sounded like a fun way to spend some time away from commercial work and a chance to get a little Christmas over nostalgic whilst I looked for inspiration. There’s a fantastic wealth of talent in Bristol and consistently the artists and designs here produce work that’s as innovative as it is clever, funny and engaging. I’m really interested in being involved with projects that help promote the city as a creative hub. And obviously it’s great to be involved with a local charity as well.

VP: Have any of you ever been involved with charities before?

CD: I’ve worked commercially for charities and raised a bit of money from sponsorship for just about plodding myself around some marathons but I’d been looking for a project that consolidated my own discourse and a worthy cause. The ‘All I Want for Christmas’ project ticked a lot of boxes in my head when I received the email. It’s very much a win-win situation for the artists. Projects like this offer creative freedom are chance to see work viewed along side your contemporaries as well as providing a healthy dose of the ‘feel good factor’ as you get to support a charity to boot.

VP: It is so easy to fall into cliches when coming up with a concept for Christmas cards? Those cards are truly original and infused with humor. How did you find inspiration for those cards?

CD: Christmas is a great time of year because it provides some very personal memories but these experiences are similar to that shared by most other people. I was motivated to create an image that was based on occurrences that are typical of my Christmas experiences (over indulgence, goodnatured gluttony, sharing & caring) and hoped that these ideas would resonate with the audience.

VP: I know what I want for Christmas and it is to welcome lovely kittens into my home. What about you, lovely people?

CD: The main thing I want for Christmas is in fact free and that is a nice chunk of uninterrupted sleep. If I had my may I’d turn into a big grizzly bear and snooze all winter long and wake back up when the temperature is back in double figures. Alas I’m yet to master this skill.

shop

So now you know what these chaps all want for Christmas. How about you? You might just want to escape the usual uninspiring, tacky and overdone festive art on display this season and treat yourself to fun, cheeky and sustainable charity cards. The Christmas card packs are a limited edition of 500, each containing 20 cards individually designed by 20 of Bristol’s finest illustrators, litho printed on 100% recycled card, 20 envelopes and an A2 poster. They cam be purchased on www.alliwantforchristmascards.com. Price per pack: £15 + £2.99 p&p

Written by Valerie Pezeron on Tuesday November 24th, 2009 6:51 pm

Categories ,art, ,charity cards, ,craft, ,exhibition, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,london, ,Young Bristol

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Harriet Plaskitt: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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HARRIET PLASKITT RECIPE 2
Harriet Plaskitt contributes a fabulous tableaux featuring food for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, inspired by her own travails. She tells us more about this, and gaining a brilliant commission for the Stereophonics thanks to Instagram.

HARRIET PLASKITT PORTRAIT
I believe your are most interested in 3 areas of illustration, what are these and why do they interest you the most?
Yes, I tend to draw three main areas, buildings and maps, food and recipes, and hand drawn typography. I enjoy travelling, and like to capture the places I have been by drawing the buildings there. And not just the ornate landmarks, but the ordinary terraces and high streets. Having been recently diagnosed with IBS, I enjoy exploring what meals I can make with the limited and unusual list of foods I can eat. When I was researching this I realised there was a gap in the market for illustrated IBS friendly recipes. Hand drawn typography has always been something that I’ve enjoyed doing, I like creating my own fonts and experimenting with what can and cannot work.

HARRIET PLASKITT - TOWN
What is your preferred way to work?
I like to work at my desk, so that I have all my materials and laptop and printer readily available. I work mainly with a set of Rotring Isograph pens with black ink. I usually draw all the components of my illustrations separately, and then scan them in and compile them on photoshop. If I colour them I either do it with colouring pencils, or on photoshop.

HARRIET PLASKITT HOUSE PORTRAIT
What was the best part of your course at the University of Gloucestershire?
I really enjoyed the independence of being at university. We did a module about promotion and I liked creating a brand for myself, and making promotional items, making sure everything you do looks like it is done by you.

HARRIET PLASKITT DOUBLE PAGE
In what way has your personal life inspired your artwork for my colouring book?
Due to being on a restrictive and unusual diet called FODMAP, I have to be creative and inventive with that I eat. The two pages for the colouring book show what I can eat on one side, and what I can’t eat on the other.

HARRIET PLASKITT STEREOPHONICS 2
How did you get your first commission from the Stereophonics and what was it for?
The wife of the lead singer found my instagram page and commissioned me to do a house portrait. She then showed her husband Kelly my website and he liked my work, so they contacted me to design their logo and do drawings which they used for the album cover and inside the album booklet. It was all very lucky and an amazing experience.

HARRIET PLASKITT QUOTE
How have you become skilled in hand lettering?
I spend a lot of time practicing and experimenting, with different fonts, different materials and different subjects. I also really like discovering other people who do hand drawn typography, and often look through Instagram for inspiration.

HARRIET PLASKITT COPPER CARD
What project have you recently done using the Adana Eight Five printing press?
I recently created a range of hand printed letterpress greetings cards. These are now all in my Etsy shop and include birthday cards, thank you cards and various hello cards. I’ve used colours that you can’t print with digitally, like gold and copper.

How do you motivate yourself to work on personal projects and why are these important to you?
When I get stuck on a commissioned project, I like to do something personal to reinspire me. I think it is really important to keep going with what you want to do, not only because it expands your portfolio, but because you can develop and experiment with your style.

HARRIET PLASKITT - CITY
What quotes from pop songs are you likely to illustrate, and in what context?
I liked the idea of creating a series of ‘motivational’ quotes, that when initially looked at appear to be the normal “live laugh love” etc which are popular at the moment, but instead are quotes from cheesy pop songs, for example S Club 7. I’ve got some ongoing commissions at the moment so this has been put on hold, but I look forward to getting back to it!

Where can we find you online?
Instagram is where I am most active @harrietplaskittillustration. My etsy shop is here and my website is www.hpillustration.co.uk.

Harriet Plaskitt is featured in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, alongside 40 other fabulous artists, funding now on Kickstarter. Make sure you get a copy or a few as soon as possible!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday November 11th, 2015 12:52 pm

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adana Eight Five, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Coloring, ,Coloring Book, ,Colouring, ,Colouring Book, ,etsy, ,FODMAP, ,Food, ,Harriet Plaskitt, ,IBS, ,illustration, ,instagram, ,interview, ,Kickstarter, ,Rotring Isograph, ,S Club 7, ,Stereophonics, ,University of Gloucestershire

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Nanae Kawahara: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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06-Nanae-Kawahara
Nanae Kawahara is yet another talented Camberwell College of Arts graduate who has produced art for my colouring book. Her imaginative underwater scene features mermaids and all the creatures of the sea… Find her art in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, funding on Kickstarter now!

01-Nanae-Kawahara
Why is Japanese culture so full of images and tales of the sea?
I never thought about how Japanese culture is full of images and tales of the sea… maybe because I am Japanese? I guess Japan is full of nature and technology and it has never been dominated by other countries, so Japanese people have a very different character… it’s hard to answer this!

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What is happening in your fantastical colouring book artwork?
Firstly I started just drawing like brightness on the surface, and then… I could see this is in the ocean with star lights of water. Then I started seeing mermaids like ‘The Little Mermaid’. I imagined a girl… a mermaid who is shy. The ocean is so colourful, with lots of creatures living in there. There is a festival in the ocean, they enjoy dancing, eating, singing… it is a very peaceful world. A shy mermaid is so quiet, but her friends try to make her join in… the mermaid diva calls her and then they enjoy all day… I just had a dream that everyone welcomes everyone, and it makes happiness. I coloured it in like a watercolour painting to illustrate ‘in the ocean’, and the drawing is tidy to show sensitive creatures.

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How would you describe the style of your work?
At first, I can say it is vividly colourful and sweet cutie characters. Recently I recognised my works are loved by each different type of people, according to attend to art events. Adults, young, kids, men and women… some of my fans gave me the comment which mentions first impression of my works is cute, and then other aspects permeates like pleasure, fear, anger etc. I gather my feelings and memories then express them on my works, so there are full of my mind to communicate with people.

04-Nanae-Kawahara
In what way do your feelings and memories manifest in your illustrations?
Be positive whenever I feel fear.
Keep going whenever I am sad.
Remember everyone around me.
Remember everyone around me died.
Keep my feelings when I am impressed.
Do not forget what I feel.

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It sounds as though you like the cute and the Kawaii but also the dark and the gothic – in what way do you try to combine both these inspirations in your artwork? 
I quite like fashion illustration (but I am now on Fashion Illustration FILE here), and am often inspired by artworks in fashion magazines or on cosmetic products. I was very shocked when I saw art by Rene Gruau, Hiroshi Tanabe and Antonio Lopez a long long time ago (maybe I was 12 or 13) because they were so refreshing to look at. On the other hand, I was attracted to cute works by Rodney Alan Greenblat and Dick Bruna. They give me lots of fun and happiness to live. My dream is that my illustration could be loved by many people and categories – I know it is difficult, but I try to show something special in my illustration. I am also influenced by my feelings and memories. As you can see by my favourite artists and my work, I love colourful stuff, shiny stars and some kawaii imagery like animals and girls. On the other hand, I also like the dark side of gothic, horror, suspense and monsters. I recently noticed they are related to death as I have experienced deaths of my relatives and pets (also animation characters – e.g. the final story of Sailor Moon) from my childhood. I often felt weird someone suddenly died as he or she was alive just a short time ago. I don’t want to think about the deep meaning of death, I believe that everyone is always alive and glowing.

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What work featured in your recent exhibition Colourful Colourful and where was it held?
Yes I have just had my exhibition in Tokyo, the title was ‘Colourful Colourful’ and the theme was colourful elements in a negative scene. Lots of feelings compared with monsters and scenes. The artworks were darker than my previous work, but I want you to enjoy my new world. And also… I have just taken part in a group show called ‘Imo Hori’ with Hiromi Kado and Natsuko Oshima. (Imo=Potato / Hori=digging – so it means ‘Find good arts!’) If someone is in Tokyo, please visit us!

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Is the big white poodle yours? Is she/he a muse? What is their name, can you tell us more?!
Yes! I sometimes post photos of my dog Nana, she is a Standard Poodle, coloured white with a little brown, female, age 7. Actually this dog is the third in my family, the previous dog was also called Nana and she came from a divorced couple. She was mixed breed and had black hair so we call her Black Nana as opposed to White Nana. We gave the same name because Black Nana was so kind and beautiful but suddenly dead by cancer, and I hoped the next one would also be a good dog. Muse..! I do not think Nana is a muse. But thanks for that. She is just normal and my best friend! Her power is so strong and she always punches me.

05-Nanae-Kawahara
Why did you head to the UK for your MA in illustration and what was the best part of studying at Camberwell?
After my BA I still wanted to research illustration with an MA, so I thought I should go to another country to study and chose the UK for its mixed culture. Art and design in London are similar to Tokyo (but Japan is more chaotic and closer). I also think there is a quite friendly and mysterious atmosphere which Japan does not have. I chose Camberwell College of Arts because it gives great freedom for creative works and it has an illustration course. I felt I had enough of graphic design as I studied it for my BA at Tama Art University, Tokyo. Camberwell gave me the freedom to re-think how to create my illustration.

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Why do you feel it is important to raise your profile abroad and how do you set about doing so?
I longed to go overseas to see the reaction to my illustrations in another country. I think there are no borders in the creative world, but it is not possible to feel another place by just communicating on the internet. I needed to be in there.

07-Nanae-Kawahara
What do you hope for in the coming year?
I hope I can do more new things; challenges and find new opportunities for work. This year I have done illustrations for books and magazines, fashion and greeting cards. I wish I could do covers for magazines, books, and also illustration for advertisements. I think there is no limit for the possibility of illustration. I want to try anything, so my work can keep developing.

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Nanae Kawahara is featured in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion alongside 40 other artists, make sure you grab your early bird copy for just £12 on Kickstarter now!

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Written by Amelia Gregory on Sunday November 8th, 2015 1:27 pm

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Antonio Lopez, ,Camberwell College of Arts, ,Coloring, ,Colourful Colourful, ,Colouring, ,Colouring Book, ,Dick Bruna, ,Fashion Illustration FILE, ,Hiromi Kado, ,Hiroshi Tanabe, ,Imo Hori, ,interview, ,japan, ,japanese, ,Kickstarter, ,Nana, ,Nanae Kawahara, ,Natsuko Oshima, ,Poodle, ,Réne Gruau, ,Rodney Alan Greenblat, ,Sailor Moon, ,Tama Art University, ,The Little Mermaid, ,tokyo

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alternative Risk Transfer: Interview with Eugene Perera

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eugene-peraraPhotography by Egene Perera

Artists Eugene Perera, viagra dosage Eiko Honda and Christopher Thomas set up the A.R.T Organization or “Art Casino” in an attempt at initiating reflection on the nature of value of art, pill comodification and risk taking in the art market. Jessica Stokes talks to artist Eugene Perera about “after hours” poker sessions.

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Photograph courtesy of A.R.T

Jessica Stokes: Where did you get the idea for this casino?

Eugene Perera: The idea for Alternative Risk Transfer came out of my interest in art and poker. Poker is a game of skill, risk and chance where an experienced player, whilst having no control over the cards they are dealt, is nevertheless able to gain an all important edge through the skilful manipulation of risk in the form of bets. It struck me that this was in some way relevant to my own art practice where I was constantly assessing the risks within a particular course of action and working out what to invest in that action. By investment here I do not necessarily mean economic but time, thought, ideas, effort and skill and so on.  As an artist, I wanted to highlight this and ask whether such a way of working which potentially derisks is appropriate to the creative process and whether instead we should be working in such a way that failure is an ever-present possibility. As I began to think about the relevance of poker and how it might illuminate art practice and how artists negotiate the art market, I wondered whether it might be possible to create a work involving art and poker within the context of a wider exhibition. That is the impetus behind this show; it’s a form of ongoing research really.

A.R

Image courtesy of A.R.T

JS: What is your background?

EP: I have been creating art for around five years now following a Masters in Art History. Before this, I used to work in media where I set up a number of music and arts radio stations. Working in the media business environment exposed me to constant considerations of risk and as I progressed I noticed how I was better able to assess and manage risk, much like in poker and in art practice. The question now though is not so much how do I minimize risk but how do I explore risk. The exhibition Alternative Risk Transfer is an unknown to me and that in itself is inherently risky and my experience cannot fully prepare me for what might happen!  That’s interesting to me!

amber-cowan-image

Photograph courtesy of Mark McGowan

JS: Who are the artists that will be taking part?

EP: We have a highly diverse range of artists taking part in the show ranging from the extremely new to the established such as Mark McGowan and Anthony Gross. There is also a strong international strand to the show with Japanese, Taiwanese and US artists alongside a strong London presence.  The show encompasses video, sculpture, photography, painting and performance and there are a quite a few interactive gaming works such as the nightly poker games and a 24-hour chess performance created by Patrick Goddard. Many of the participating artists are creating work outside of their normal comfort zones that is commendable in this risk adverse environment. Furthermore, they are willing to stake their work in the nightly poker games in order to better understand how they respond to situations of risk.

JS: Is it important to be aware of the connotations of gambling and the encouragement thereof in today’s climate?

EP: I think it is important to be aware of what one is doing when you’re risking something in a gaming or betting situation. Unaware gambling is potentially harmful and we all know the consequences. With the Alternative Risk Transfer show at The Rag Factory, we are attempting to provoke discussion around what it means when we risk something so I think that has to be a useful contribution.

How about chance, skill and risk-taking in an unusual twist on the debate over the value of art? Give free rein to risky behavior at The Rag Factory 16-18 Heneage street, London E1 5LJ. The exhibition is on from the 10th to 13th of December from 12 to 10 pm. Why not come to the preview on the 9th of December from 6 to 9 pm?

Written by Jessica Stokes and Valerie Pezeron on Wednesday November 25th, 2009 1:54 pm

Categories ,Alternative Risk Transfer, ,art, ,Brick Lane, ,Christopher Thomas, ,East London, ,Eiko Honda, ,Eugene Perera, ,exhibition, ,gig, ,installation, ,interview, ,live, ,london, ,music, ,the rag factory

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Hazel Partridge: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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Hazel Partidge Image 5
Beautiful nature themed artworks by Hazel Partridge were one of my top picks at this year’s New Designers show, so I was thrilled that she took up the offer to submit for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion. Her gorgeous papercut piece was inspired by a poem from Black Country poet Liz Berry.

Hazel Partridge Image 11
I found you at New Designers, what was the best thing about that show for you?
New Designers was really inspiring and informative, the atmosphere was great and it was packed the whole time! I really enjoyed looking at the work from all of the different disciplines and Universities; it was really encouraging to see such diverse ideas and products from this year’s graduates. The most useful aspect of the show was that it gave a great opportunity to speak to representatives from the creative industry; at the Falmouth University stand we met people from publishers, agencies and design companies, all of whom were really enthusiastic about our work.

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Hazel Partidge Image 6
How did studying at Falmouth Uni inform your illustrations, it’s such a beautiful town!?
Falmouth is such an inspiring location, and I think everyone studying there would agree! Working in a collaborative studio environment is something that I really miss, it’s so useful to be able to see what others are working on, and get reliable feedback on your own work as well. Nature is a recurring theme for me, and exploring the local Cornish landscapes definitely influences my illustrations. I scuba dive and rock-climb regularly, seeing the world from a different perspective- whether it’s underwater or from halfway up a sea cliff – gets me away from my desk, and more productive when I am back there.

Hazel Partridge Image 4
Where do you like to go when you are at home in the Cotswolds and in need of inspiration?
I’m lucky to live close to so many beautiful places; I love a good long walk through the woods and fields with friends, and heading over to Wales with my family on our motorcycles. I also find a lot of inspiration through reading, I’ve recently finished The Worm Forgives the Plough by John Stewart Collis, which I enjoyed.

HAZEL PARTRIDGE
Can you tell us what inspired your double page for my book?
My colouring page was inspired by imagery from Bird by the Black Country poet Liz Berry. I caught a snatch of the poem; the lines ‘I shed my nightdress to the drowning arms of the dark, my shoes to the sun’s widening mouth’ on the radio, and jotted them down so that I could find out the rest. A little research later and I had discovered an amazing poem that was rich with themes of metamorphosis and migration, and which evoked an enticing yet slightly unsettling atmosphere.

Hazel Partidge Image 8
What are your preferred methods when making artwork?
My illustration was created using cut paper, inks and digital editing. My current favourite mediums to work in are lino print and papercutting, I really enjoy how the process flows- starting with a blank surface and then removing bits of it until the design emerges (hopefully) unbroken. Although working traditionally is by no means the fastest method of producing images in these styles, I find that the results have a warmer and more authentic quality than they would if created digitally as I have put a lot more of myself into their creation.

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You obviously have a great love for birds as they feature widely in your work, what is your favourite bird and why?
My favourite bird is probably the magpie, because not only are they intelligent and beautiful, but they have such a rich folklore surrounding them – most people know the One for Sorrow rhyme, for example. My illustrative work reflects my interests in natural history and science, and although my images are often decorative I enjoy researching the background information on my subjects and trying to keep the designs accurate.

Hazel Partridge Image 3
What new projects are you working on now?
I am currently working on a series of privately commissioned images featuring various birds in their natural habitats. It’s always hard to part with my original artworks, but it’s lovely to know that they are going to a good home where they will be displayed properly rather than sat in a folder in my studio. I’ve got a few print-based projects in the pipeline as well, but I can’t say more about them at the moment, and as Christmas is on its way I’m beginning to plan some festive projects too. I post on social media frequently, so updates can be found there.

Find Hazel on Facebook, Twitter @HP_Illustrates, Instagram @hazelpartridgeillustration and Tumblr. You can colour Hazel Partridge‘s art in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion alongside that of 40 other international artists. Funding on Kickstarter with only 10 days left, so get your copy now, it makes a fantastic Christmas gift!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday November 13th, 2015 6:38 pm

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring, ,Adult Colouring, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Bird, ,Christmas, ,Coloring for Adults, ,Colouring Book, ,Cotswolds, ,Falmouth University, ,Hazel Partridge, ,illustration, ,interview, ,John Stewart Collis, ,Kickstarter, ,Lino printing, ,Liz Berry, ,nature, ,New Designers, ,One for Sorrow, ,Papercut, ,The Worm Forgives the Plough, ,wales

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Nanna Prieler: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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NANNA Prieler - man vs crab
I discovered Nanna Prieler‘s work on instagram and invited her to submit her work for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion. I’m so glad she took me up on the offer, contributing the engaging Creative Life in her unique style.

Nanna Prieler portrait
Where are you from and where do you live now?
Originally I’m from a small village in the South of Austria. I left my home very early, so that I could attend an art school in Graz, one of the bigger towns in Austria. After my graduation I started working as a graphic designer for several agencies in Vienna. But it was not enough to fulfill me. After a busy day of 8 hours working as a graphic designer, I tirelessy developed my illustrative style. Finally in 2014 I decided to found my own illustration business in my current hometown Vienna. Now I’m very happy that I made this big step.

NANNA Prieler - strangers in the park
Who do you work for and how do you set about finding work?
I’m working for national and international clients in different fields. Fortunately I don’t have to search for work, at the moment. The projects are coming by themselves. But it hasn’t always been like this: I’ve worked a lot and tried to use the internet to spread my work all over the world. I will keep on working hard in the future, but always with a lot of passion. I really love to work as an illustrator and can’t imagine living another life.

NANNA Prieler - Horse dressed as butterfly
I hear you’ve got a children’s book on the way – can you give us a brief glimpse inside?
Yes, at the moment I’m working on a new children’s book called „Ganz schön super“ (in German), which will be published in Spring 2016. That’s quite exciting! Each book is a new challenge. Especially this one because it is a lot of work; I have written and illustrated it myself. The main character is a little cat, which meets a lot of other animals. In short it’s a book about tolerance and acceptance, of course told in a funny way.

NANNA Prieler - travel memories Norway
Where do you find inspiration?
At the beginning I was inspired by amazing illustrators like Blexbolex. He was my first hero in illustration and still gives me so much motivation. Now I’m using instagram and other social media platforms to discover the current flow of illustration. But my favourite source of inspiration is nature, I love drawing outside. There is so much beauty everywhere around, I could draw for hours and never get bored.

NANNA Prieler - Horoscope cancer
How do you put your illustrations together?
My work is a mix of the handmade and digital. For me the sketch is the start and it is the most important part of an illustration. In the next step, it gets scanned and I go over it with the path tool in Photoshop. There I can paste in my typical structure as well. Working with the computer is perfect to try a lot of different colour combinations.

NANNA Prieler - Colouring Book Preview
Can you tell us about the title of your double page and what it means?
The title of my artwork is Creative Life. It’s a composition of an artistic mind’s world.
Living together – creating and inspiring each other. Working on this project was a lot of fun, hopefully that’s noticeable in the illustration.

NANNA Prieler - raspberry
How would you describe your studio space and routine?
My cozy little flat in Vienna is also used as my studio. Working from home is a great opportunity to wear pyjamas during the day! There is no exact daily routine. The work is quite different, that’s the thing I love about being an illustrator. Generally it’s a mix of illustration work, social media, interviews and unfortunately a little bit of bookkeeping as well…

NANNA Prieler - kids
What else do you like to do in your spare time to relax?
I enjoy the amazing peace of nature, as often as possible. Cooking over an open fire, sleeping in a tent and drawing in northern woods – that’s my favorite pastime. In Vienna I try to relax myself with preparing extravagant meals with ingredients in rainbow colors.

NANNA Prieler - Animal pattern
What motto do you live by?
Try to do everything – however small it may be – with love and passion. For me that’s the simple secret for a happy life.

Follow Nanna Prieler on instagram here. She is featured in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion alongside over 40 other international artists, funding for just 8 more hours on Kickstarter today.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday November 23rd, 2015 1:15 pm

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Blexbolex, ,Coloring, ,Colouring Book, ,Creative Life, ,Graz, ,interview, ,Kickstarter, ,Nanna Prieler, ,Vienna

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