Amelia’s Magazine | ELCAF 2014 review

ELCAF 2014-oval space

A few weeks I popped along to the third ELCAF held at the Oval Space, which is a trendy new venue in a semi derelict part of Bethnal Green between Hackney Road and the canal. There were abundant creative types enjoying the late afternoon sunshine on the long balcony which overlooks one of the rusting gas towers, and inside a chaotic and slightly bawdy atmosphere reigned. Here’s what I saw:

ELCAF 2014-studio hato
Studio Hato invited attendees to play comic strip consequences in the entrance hallway.

ELCAF 2014-magic capes
Lesley Barnes fashion illustration
Thereza Rowe Hearts ELCAF
Near the entrance I discovered two old Amelia’s Magazine friends sharing a table and a publishing imprint, Magic Capes. I love Lesley Barnes’ new range of fashion illustrations for the V&A, and am looking forward to reading Thereza Rowe’s Hearts book with Snarfle soon.

ELCAF 2014-isabel greenberg
Corn Dollies by Isabel Greenberg featured on a print and these cute badges.

ELCAF 2014
I was drawn like a magnet to Madalena Matoso’s amazing swimming pool print on the Planeta Tangerina stand.

ELCAF 2014-mythical creatures
There are some fantastic contributors to this Mythical Creatures zine, including Bonbi Forest’s Lee May Foster-Wilson.

ELCAF Katherina Manolessou
I love Katherina Manolessou’s reworking of the toddler’s favourite tune Zoom Zoom Zoom, featuring a fluffy red monkey and other lovely creatures.

ELCAF 2014-Otto Graphic
I was really taken by work from Otto Graphic, an illustrator and screen printer who is influenced by the Constructivists and Polish poster art.

ELCAF 2014-Inuit
Inuit is an Italian bookshop and printworks, selling knitted lungs and cacti alongside beautiful risoprints.

ELCAF 2014-el famoso
El Famoso
It was great to meet the El Famoso brothers Rich and Chris Fairhead, who work together on their illustrations – read about their recent exhibition here.

ELCAF 2014-Day Job
Day Job activity book
Next door it was a pleasure to meet the Day Job girls, who very kindly gifted me their Activity Book (above) to share with Snarfle.

Benjamin Wright badges
Benjamin Wright’s wonderful laser cut badges featured Darth Vadar and a Ninja Turtle.

ELCAF 2014-Sam Taylor
ELCAF 2014-ELCAF 2014-Sam Taylor and co
Sam Taylor and co were particularly boisterous when I stopped by, perhaps a given when you take a closer look at the styles on their stand.

ELCAF 2014-Brolly Lolly
The Brolly Lolly collective is comprised of MA graduates from the Cambridge School of Art, presumably not including the small and very industrious helper on hand – I loved these strange plant prints on a zine by Melissa Castrillon.

ELCAF 2014-matthew horse
Wonderful fruit and vegetable prints are by the inimitable Matthew the Horse.

ELCAF 2014-Babak Ganjei
And finally, but by no means least, it was ace to catch up with Babak Ganjei, who continues to turn his talents to eccentric comic strips (you may remember I featured one of his early stories in the print version of Amelia’s Magazine way back). Roll on ELCAF 2015!

Categories ,2013, ,Activity Book, ,Babak Ganjei, ,Benjamin Wright, ,Bonbi Forest, ,Brolly Lolly, ,Cambridge School of Art, ,Darth Vadar, ,Day Job, ,East London Comic Arts Festival, ,El Famoso, ,ELCAF, ,hearts, ,Inuit, ,Isabel Greenberg, ,Katherina Manolessou, ,Lee May Foster-Wilson, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Madalena Matoso, ,Magic Capes, ,Matthew the Horse, ,Melissa Castrillon, ,Mythical Creatures, ,Ninja Turtle, ,Otto Graphic, ,Oval Space, ,Planeta Tangerina, ,review, ,Rich and Chris Fairhead, ,Sam Taylor, ,Snarfle, ,Studio Hato, ,Thereza Rowe, ,Zoom Zoom Zoom

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Amelia’s Magazine | Bonbi Forest: Brand new Enamel Pendants!

Bonbi Forest - Always Together - Gold
Always Together, Gold Enamel Pendant

The new enamel pendants from Bonbi Forest feature gorgeous illustrated designs set in dainty gold and silver, and can be personalised with extra charms, making them the perfect gift for Valentines or just that someone special. I last spoke with designer Lee May Foster-Wilson in 2011, and it’s always a pleasure to catch up with her.

Bonbi Forest - Lee - Working
Since we last caught up with you in 2011 you have become a mother, how has this changed your business and inspiration?

I had my daughter in January 2012 (she’s just turned 2, time really has flown!) and weirdly since having her I have had the best two years of business yet. I was back to sending orders about a week after having her, she would come with me to the studio for short spells and would sleep while I packed orders and made things. I worked out I could get 10 scarves printed during one of her average length naps so for a long time I worked like that.

Bonbi Forest - You Hold the Key - Gold
You Hold the Key, Gold Enamel Pendant

As she got older my husband and I have been sharing her care between us (he works from home which makes life a lot easier in that respect!) and while the actual length of time I have to work is a lot less than it used to be, there is nothing like having that time limit to focus the mind and work solely on the task in hand. There is no time for procrastination any more! It actually works really well, when I have my time with her I can focus on her, and when I have time to work, I only work and I get to enjoy doing both of those things every day.

Bonbi Forest - Grazing Screen Print Close Up 2
Having less time in the day also pushed me to take the leap into getting some help with the jewellery, which I did about a year ago. 2013 was the busiest Christmas season ever and after nearly three months of flat out afternoons and working late into the night with a baby to look after, I was exhausted and realised that I really did now need to get someone in to help take on some of the making. I enlisted the help of my sister in law and good friend, Mo who is very deft with her hands and she now works for me on a freelance basis. It’s brilliant, I give her a big bag of components at the beginning of the week and she gives it back to me at the end of the week full of lovely pieces of jewellery!

Bonbi Forest - Hand Stalks Scarf
I still make a fair bit of jewellery myself and still do all of the screen printing but to date she’s made a couple of thousand pieces which has free’d up so much extra time for me to put into designing and organising. The business has never been so well planned with ideas being worked on so far in advance! It’s made me realise I should have taken the step to do that so much sooner…

Bonbi Forest - From Small Seeds Locket
From Small Seeds Locket

My inspiration has definitely changed since becoming a mother. I have realised that since 2012 when I first found out I was expecting, that my work has gradually leaned more towards an interest in relationships, connection, ambition and looking forward. I am still very influenced by the natural world and use that kind of imagery to describe these new themes but I think becoming a parent gives you an entirely new perspective on things. It happens all of a sudden too (for me it did anyway) one day you are going along as normal and waiting for this new person to arrive and then the next they are here and your perception of love, your priorities and your life has changed forever.

Bonbi Forest - Spread Your Wings Locket
Spread Your Wings Locket

I think my most recent collections reflect these changes in inspiration the most. last Autumn’s Hand pieces were to do with connecting with other people, being close to others and about personal community. The latest jewellery designs focus on close relationships and love between best friends, siblings and parents as well as romantic love.

Bonbi Forest - Always Over the Mountain Locket
Always Over the Mountain Locket

Looking back as well, the pieces I made around the time I found out I was pregnant were concerned with growing (the From Small Seeds Locket), looking to the future (Spread Your Wings), and about love between mothers and their children (Always Over the Mountain). All of which have been best sellers so those themes are clearly something a lot of people can relate to.

Bonbi Forest - Always Together - Silver
Always Together, Silver Enamel Pendant

You have just launched a new collection of enamel pendants, how did these come about?

With my wearables I am constantly striving for ways in which to put across the Bonbi Forest vibe and incorporate my own artwork and imagery. The lockets and the process used to make them has been a big success as far as this goes but I wanted to work more with different shapes and not just necessarily lockets. I have used a couple of different methods such as laser cutting and etching as well but the enamel idea has been bubbling away for a couple of years now.

I had such a strong idea of how I wanted these to look that enamel was the only way forward for these ones and after a lot of research, questions about the process, working out costing and finally finding a manufacturer that could make it happen they are here and I am so pleased with them! I loved designing these and seeing them come to life so long after the initial ideas were submitted has been really exciting…there will definitely be more enamel Bonbi things!

Bonbi Forest - You Hold the Key - Silver
You Hold the Key, Silver Enamel Pendant

How would you suggest these new charms are worn and who do you think they might appeal to?

They are designed to be given as gifts of affection or worn as a token of your love for someone else. The little stamped letter charms add a touch of the personal so you can wear one with the initials of you and your most favourite, or give one as a gift to a mother with her children’s initials. They can be worn on their own too without the personalised charms to add a romantic hint to an outfit, or can be given as an anonymous gift from a guy to a gal on Valentines perhaps?

Each design comes in gold or silver and there’s a choice of a short or longer chain depending on your style…

Bonbi Forest - Reaching Hands Locket
Reaching Hands Locket

In the past you have spoken about going into homeware and stationery – is this still a wish and if so what ideas do you have?

As I mentioned earlier, in the last couple of years I have become much better organised with the business and plan ahead a lot more now. I used to be much more carefree about when and what I designed but I have come to realise that you simply can’t do everything! I have a small range of tea towels that incorporate my scarf and jumper print designs and have a range of cards with my artwork on them but aside from that I no longer have plans to add further homeware or stationery ranges to the permanent collection.

Having said that limited edition pieces aren’t out of the question and I do have a collaboration for some homeware based items in discussion, so watch this space!

Bonbi Forest - Little Lovers Scarf - Blue Close Up
Bonbi Forest - Paint Spots Scarf - Close Up

How is life in Cornwall? Can you recommend any wonderful lesser known areas for those readers lucky enough to visit that part of the world?

I LOVE living here! I live in a very rural area in a small community which I know wouldn’t be for everyone but for me it’s perfect. I do miss the cultural hubbub of the city from time to time but when I did live there I craved to be back in the countryside again so I came to realise that it is where my heart belonged. The internet makes the world a much smaller place and it is easy to stay connected these days (as much as having a toddler around will allow anyway!) and I take so much inspiration from being in the countryside that I feel it is important to be within it.

I am lucky enough to live in a little cottage on The Roseland which is a beautiful rural area on the south coast. I can highly recommend the beaches here (Carne and Porthcurnick are large and sandy when the tide is out, Portholland is good for rock pooling and for off the beaten track Kiberick is beautiful) and the smattering of pubs around in the villages offer a good slice of local life…there are a few working fishing harbours here too which are very pretty and worth a visit for something a little different. If you do make it to this area the coastal path is a breathtaking must too.

Bonbi Forest - Grazing Screen Print Close Up 1
The Hidden Hut just off Porthcurnick beach is a gem for lunch and I always take visiting friends there in the summer (dress for the weather though, it’s all alfresco) and if you can get tickets to one of their feast nights you are in for a treat but they sell out in minutes!

I’ll stop now before I start to sound too much like the tourist board…

What else have you got planned for Bonbi Forest in 2015?

I have a long list of ideas to get working on and am currently involved in a new collection of jewellery and screen print designs that focus on ambition and dreams which I hope to launch at some point in February. The Bonbi Forest stockist list is steadily growing and I hope to get the range stocked in a few more shops this year as well as adding to and expanding the range over the year…

Bonbi Forest - Grazing Screen Print
Grazing Screen Print

Aside from that I will be fitting in a bit of painting to have some more original artwork on offer and I’d like to do some more limited edition runs of screen prints like the Trereife Horses pieces that I made last summer…before I know it I know we’ll be working on Christmas pieces and I like to use the first half of the year to solidify ideas and timescales so there’s always something good to be working with!

Categories ,Always Over the Mountain, ,Bonbi Forest, ,Carne, ,Cornwall, ,From Small Seeds Locket, ,Kiberick, ,Lee May Foster, ,Lee May Foster-Wilson, ,Porthcurnick, ,Portholland, ,Spread Your Wings, ,The Hidden Hut, ,The Roseland, ,Valentines

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Lee May Foster-Wilson of Bonbi Forest

Equus Scarf Print by Bonbi Forest
Equus Scarf by Bonbi Forest.

I fell in love with the artwork and treats of Lee May Foster-Wilson’s Bonbi Forest many years ago, look so it seemed only right to catch up and find out what inspires this talented lady.

Dark is the Night Slouch Sweater by Bonbi Forest
Dark is the Night Slouch Sweater by Bonbi Forest.

Where did your name come from and what does it mean?
Bonbi Forest is an amalgamation of a few different things. Forest is an anagram of one of my names, order Foster, information pills so I really wanted to incorporate that when I was coming up with a name. Bonbi is a bit weird, but it comes from some paintings I was making at the time of little birds with speech bubbles. One of them was saying ‘Bonjour’ and I always called him the Bonjour Bird I can’t remember why I did it but I shortened it to Bonbi and it stuck! I like how ‘Bonbi Forest‘ could be a place or someones name.

Big Cats Scarf Print by Bonbi Forest
Big Cats Scarf by Bonbi Forest
Big Cats Scarf by Bonbi Forest.
 
You’ve developed a very unique style over the years – where does your inspiration come from and why do you think your work looks so individual?
I take inspiration from nature a lot for my imagery. I have always enjoyed painting animals and plants and looking at the abstract shapes in the natural world. I also like to jot down things I have heard that interest me such as interesting facts or lyrics from songs to get me thinking about themes to draw from. My Stillness of Horses painting came about because I read something in a book about someone observing how still horses can stand for hours on end and how they seem to be deep in thought a lot of the time. I like to work with things like that.

Stillness of Horses by Bonbi Forest
Herd Painting by Bonbi Forest.

It’s something I have never really thought about but I think that what makes my work quite individual are the processes I use in creating the different things I make. Painting and screen printing require quite different ways of thinking about the final image and they both feed into each other when it comes to informing my style – the graphic elements of screen printing have crept into my paintings and drawings and painterly elements can be seen in my screen printing work. Also, I am not very good at using a very conventional colour arrangements when making my pictures. I see nothing wrong with pink grass, blue trees and purple birds!

Jackdaw by Bonbi Forest
Jackdaw by Bonbi Forest.

Why did you move from fine art into illustration?
A lot of people ask me if I am an illustrator but I never consider myself as one. I’ve never really done any illustration commissions, most of the commissions I have worked on came about for the fact that I could screen print the end result as well as supply the images!

I Love You Hand Printed Card by Bonbi Forest
I Love You Hand Printed Card by Bonbi Forest.

I was criticised a bit at art school because my work was too illustrative and I wonder if it would be the same now as I think these days there is a lot more crossover between the two disciplines of fine art and illustration.

Goodnight Locket by Bonbi Forest
Goodnight Locket by Bonbi Forest.

Your newest range uses a very clever print technique to print onto lockets and curved metal rings. Is there anything that you can reveal about how this is done?
I apply the images using a transfer technique which is a little time consuming but I love the end result. I think proper crafty types could probably work out how it is done but for the first time ever I am zipping up about exactly how I do a technique as it has taken me ages to work out how to do it. As much as I like to share I am keeping this one to myself!

Feathers Locket by Bonbi Forest
Feathers Locket by Bonbi Forest.

Not many people have successfully managed to use illustration on jewellery. Why was it important for you to find a way to do this?
It has bugged me for a long time that I haven’t been able to make that final connection between my painted and printed work and my jewellery. Although the colours I use in my jewellery take inspiration from my other work and I use little charms that pick out the themes dear to me, I have always felt this disconnect and that it didn’t really have that special unique ‘Bonbi Forest‘ edge that my other work had. It was all made with beads and charms that anyone else could find if they looked hard enough.

Dark is the Night Locket by Bonbi Forest
Dark is the Night Locket by Bonbi Forest.

I have been considering for years how to do it in a way that was a bit different to the usual illustrated jewellery that you see (such as images behind glass) and finally hit the nail on the head earlier this year. I have figured it out for pendants and rings and now I am working on ways to make it into pretty earrings and bracelets…

Blossom Pop Earrings by Bonbi Forest
Blossom Pop Earrings by Bonbi Forest.

Your products are described as ‘treats’ – why do you think it’s important to treat oneself or a loved one?
We all work so hard for what we have in this world and it is nice to be able to treat ourselves to something lovely every so often. I like using the word ‘treat’ as it implies that this is something worked for and that you (or a loved one) deserve it. Something special rather than another piece of throwaway fashion from the high street that can be bought at any time from any shop…

Locket Making by Bonbi Forest
Locket Making by Bonbi Forest.

What kind of things have you made for Bat for Lashes? How did you hook up with her?
Natasha and I lived together throughout university and are still close friends. I made her first ever BFL t-shirts which we sold at the first All Tomorrows Parties that she played at in 2005, and then I continued selling them online for her. She likes to work with lots of different artists so I haven’t made anything for her for a while but she wears Bonbi Forest jewellery quite a lot and we have chatted about maybe doing other things together in the future too…

Pegasus painting by Bonbi Forest
Pegasus painting by Bonbi Forest.

(in fact, going back to the ATP merch stand we had, I remember being very excited when the day was over and looking at the huge amount of email addresses collected on her mailing list clipboard and seeing your distinctive ‘Amelia’ signature on there. ‘Oh my god! Amelia from Amelia’s magazine was stood right in front of me and I didn’t even realise!‘ I think I said…)

Sketches by Bonbi Forest
Sketches by Bonbi Forest.

Who else do you aspire to dress? And what would you put them in or adorn them with?
To be honest it’s not something I have ever really considered! When I am making stuff I think about what sort of person would like to wear it, but I never have anyone specific in mind. I do have my ideas about how pieces look their best though and I am always intrigued to see how other people incorporate them into their own style.

Pegasus tshirt by Bonbi Forest
Pegasus Tee by Bonbi Forest.

I am always very honoured that anyone at all would like to wear things that I have created…in fact I have been known to blush when I see someone in a t-shirt or scarf that I have made out ‘in the wild‘!

Bonbi Forest custom made pleated purse
Bonbi Forest custom made pleated purse.

Why did you decide to live in Cornwall? Is it where you grew up or was there some other draw to that wild part of the world?
I grew up in Cornwall. I was born in London but my folks moved to Cornwall when me and my brother were 4 and 5 so I feel like Cornwall is my motherland (though I can never describe myself as Cornish. You can only do that if were born on the right side of the Tamar!)
Spring Cluster Necklace by Bonbi Forest
Spring Cluster Necklace by Bonbi Forest.

After studying in Brighton and living there for a few years afterwards the draw back to this beautiful part of the world was too great. Starting Bonbi Forest and making it work was the only reason I could come back as there are very few good jobs here. Thank goodness for the internet is all I can say!

Flowers Locket by Bonbi Forest
Flowers Locket by Bonbi Forest.

It sometimes occurs to me that this is a place that people move to when they have done the city thing and are ready for a quieter life. In my twenties I did worry that I was missing out on all the things that living in a cultural city could offer, but as cheesy as it sounds I feel so much more inspired here. I love the variety of the landscape here, you have the green fields and quaint villages and also the rugged and wild coast with it’s ever changing sea. I am a country bumpkin at heart it seems…

Lee May-Bonbi Forest Portrait
Lee May Foster-Wilson and her horse.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working? Any favourite activities?
Horses!!! I have been riding since I was tiny and there have always been horses in my life. I don’t own a horse of my own anymore (I sold him last year after 7 1/2 years together which was heart breaking stuff indeed) but my mum has a little black beauty mare called Pia who I go and ride a couple of times a week and compete in dressage with regularly. We don’t do too badly, this week we have just qualified for the British Dressage area festival national finals! I like how riding gets me outside on a regular basis and it’s exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise. It clears the thoughts and sets you up for the day. I am VERY lucky to be able to do it so often.

Bird prints by Bonbi Forest
Bird prints by Bonbi Forest.

Other than that I like to hang out with friends and drink red wine, go to music festivals, go for walks, pull up what I think are weeds in the garden (I have the blackest thumb…I managed to kill a cactus once which is apparently nigh on impossible), bake crazy multi-coloured cakes for friend’s birthdays, eat popcorn in the cinema, and hang out with my husband on the sofa in front of crap TV.

heart balloon tee by Bonbi Forest
Heart Balloon tee by Bonbi Forest.

How does your consideration of the environment affect the way you produce work?
I am very conscious of how my work impacts the environment and try to think about how my practice impacts on the world around me. I use water based inks for all of my printing (much kinder to everything, including me, than the horrible Plastisol inks used in a lot of t-shirt print manufacture), recycled card for all of my card stock, British suppliers wherever possible and I even cut up all of the boxes that my supplies arrive in to use as envelope stiffeners when sending out my art prints.

Mens Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip Bear tee
Mens Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip Bear tee by Bonbi Forest.

I do use American Apparel for my t-shirts which I know have a fairly large carbon footprint having had to come from half way around the world. But having done a lot of research I can’t find another company that manufacture at an affordable price in the UK. A lot of the manufacturers and distributors based in the UK actually get the garments made overseas anyway. It just seemed logical to me to use a company that I know looks after their factory staff as well as having an amazing range of goods for me to use for my brand.

limited edition Sweet Butterfly Pendant by Bonbi Forest
limited edition Sweet Butterfly Pendant by Bonbi Forest.

What next for Bonbi Forest?
I really want to expand my range into home wares and stationary in the not too distant future so I think that is the collection that I will be working on next. I want to continue honing my skills and developing my work to be the best I can be…Other than that, onwards and upwards as they say!

Equus tee by Bonbi Forest
Equus tee by Bonbi Forest.

Lee May is off on holiday today, but if you pop by her website you’ll get 20% off any order over £10 by using the code HAPPYHOLS at the checkout! Happy shopping.

Categories ,All Tomorrows Parties, ,artwork, ,atp, ,Bat for Lashes, ,Big Cats Scarf, ,Blossom Pop Earrings, ,Bonbi Forest, ,Bonjour Bird, ,brighton, ,British Dressage, ,Cornwall, ,Dark is the Night Locket, ,Dark is the Night Slouch Sweater, ,Equus Scarf, ,Equus tee, ,Feathers Locket, ,Flowers Locket, ,Goodnight Locket, ,Hannah Zakari, ,Heart Balloon tee, ,Herd Painting, ,illustration, ,Jackdaw, ,jewellery, ,Lee May Foster-Wilson, ,Mens Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip Bear tee, ,Pegasus painting, ,Pegasus Tee, ,Pia, ,Plastisol, ,screenprinting, ,Spring Cluster Necklace, ,Stillness of Horses, ,Sweet Butterfly Pendant, ,Tamar, ,Transfer, ,Treats

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