Amelia’s Magazine | Tent London 2013 Review: Best Soft Furnishings and Homewares

plate by Louise Wilkinson
Bone china plate by Louise Wilkinson.

As usual there was a plethora of new and exciting designers to discover at Tent London 2013, showing alongside some familiar favourites that I look forward to catching up with each year. Here is my round up of the best soft furnishings and homewares brands I found. Wall art, furniture and lighting will follow in my next blog, though this delineation is pretty arbitrary since many brands happily encompass all aspects of interior design.

Tent London Cushions Melanie Porter
This outrageous outsize knitted cushion is by Melanie Porter, who was trained at Central Saint Martins and turned her hand to soft furnishing design after ten years working as a designer for international fashion brands. Melanie became a mum in July, so good on her for staying up to speed and putting on such a great show at Tent this year. Those of us running our own brands don’t get much time off!

Chocolate creative cushions Tent
Geometric prints were everywhere at Tent London this year. I love these cushions by Chocolate Creative.

Tent London Melody Rose plate boxing
Tent London Melody Rose plates
I spent some time chatting with Melanie Roseveare of Melody Rose ceramics whilst Snarfle marvelled at her new collection of printed plates. Melody started out upcycling vintage fine china – adding her own designs on top of vintage ones such as the blue plate above (which features a picture of her dad, an amateur boxing champion). Now she has launched her own bespoke range that includes this artfully placed classical nude. I love the way she has arranged these plates to make the most of the design.

Honeycomb geometric print cushions from Room 39
These honeycomb geometric print cushions are by Petra Green of Room 39, a Slovenian designer now settled in the UK who excels in the use of bright colours and eye catching prints on unusually shaped cushions. Some of her designs are made up in a family run factory in Slovenia, some are made up by the Working Well Trust (which provides opportunities for those with mental health difficulties) and some are manufactured in her East London studio space. She aims to marry craft techniques and modern technology in as sustainable a way as possible – I like her production style!

Tent London Sian Elin Thomas abstract cushions
Tent London Sian Elin Thomas cushions
I first admired work by Sian Elin at New Designers this year, but didn’t cover it at the time because my photographs did not do the collection justice. Her wonderful cushions feature abstract designs (and the fab peacock patterned design above) in a range of luscious colour combinations.

elephant print cushion Rachel powell
Since I discovered her at New Designers in 2011 Rachel Powell has gone from strength to strength, and it’s so nice to see a recent graduate doing well commercially within a few years. My favourite thing in her new collection is this bold retro inspired elephant print that would look lush in a kid’s room. The design also comes on fabric that can be purchased by the metre – what a brilliant idea for all those crafters out there!

Magnetic porcelain train - Reiko Kaneko
What fun – this magnetic porcelain train for eggy soldiers is by the Japanese born designer Reiko Kaneko. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2007 she set up her own studio in London’s east end, but has since relocated to Stoke-on-Trent in order to integrate design and production in the home town of English bone china.

The Staffordshire University Flux ceramics
Speaking of fine bone china, the Staffordshire University student collaboration Flux Stoke-on-Trent continues to impress with beautiful ceramic designs. This project is an example of collaboration between a teaching establishment and industry – forging new bonds that will lead to viable careers in an industry which can be notoriously difficult to infiltrate successfully.

Brushes by Swedish brand Lofstrom
These beautiful brushes by Mikael Lofstrom of Lofstrom skilfully make use of the natural shape of tree branches, which are paired with upcycled thistles.

Etelka Meixner of Hungary; pearl embellished chinaware
Etelka Meixner of Hungary has tapped into a very current theme with her luxuriously decorative pearl embellished chinaware.

Townscape design by Maxine Sutton
I had a long chat about the joys of living in Thanet with Ramsgate based designer Maxine Sutton, who has recently overhauled her shop in the centre of the newly vibrant Margate to become a stand alone store for her homewares range. This graphic townscape design perfectly showcases her style.

Kristine Five Melvaer -Norwegian design showcase
Over at the Norwegian design showcase I was most taken by these jewel coloured stripe pots from Kristine Five Melvær. Kristine works in glass and china to produce objects of exquisite beauty.

Fine china by Louise Wilkinson
Ceramic jug by Louise Wilkinson
Finally, I am just a little bit in love with fine china by Louise Wilkinson, an illustrator and fashion textile designer turned homewares designer who is inspired by Japanese design. I think her unique creations also owe a slight debt to the cute animals so often featured in 40s and 50s children’s book design: no wonder I find them so delightful. In fact we promptly bought a jug and matching mugs for some soon to be married friends and I am just a little bit envious.

You can share my discoveries as I find them by following me on instagram here.

Categories ,2013, ,Bone China, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Chocolate Creative, ,Etelka Meixner, ,Flux Stoke-on-Trent, ,Homewares, ,Hungary, ,japanese, ,Kristine Five Melvær, ,Lofstrom, ,Louise Wilkinson, ,Margate, ,Maxine Sutton, ,Melanie Porter, ,Melanie Roseveare, ,Melody Rose, ,Mikael Lofstrom, ,New Designers, ,Norwegian, ,Pearls, ,Petra Green, ,Porcelain, ,Rachel Powell, ,Ramsgate, ,Reiko Kaneko, ,review, ,Room 39, ,Sian Elin, ,Slovenia, ,Snarfle, ,Soft Furnishings, ,Staffordshire University, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,Tent London, ,textiles, ,Thanet, ,Upcycled, ,Working Well Trust

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Amelia’s Magazine | Tent London 2013 Review: Best Soft Furnishings and Homewares

plate by Louise Wilkinson
Bone china plate by Louise Wilkinson.

As usual there was a plethora of new and exciting designers to discover at Tent London 2013, showing alongside some familiar favourites that I look forward to catching up with each year. Here is my round up of the best soft furnishings and homewares brands I found. Wall art, furniture and lighting will follow in my next blog, though this delineation is pretty arbitrary since many brands happily encompass all aspects of interior design.

Tent London Cushions Melanie Porter
This outrageous outsize knitted cushion is by Melanie Porter, who was trained at Central Saint Martins and turned her hand to soft furnishing design after ten years working as a designer for international fashion brands. Melanie became a mum in July, so good on her for staying up to speed and putting on such a great show at Tent this year. Those of us running our own brands don’t get much time off!

Chocolate creative cushions Tent
Geometric prints were everywhere at Tent London this year. I love these cushions by Chocolate Creative.

Tent London Melody Rose plate boxing
Tent London Melody Rose plates
I spent some time chatting with Melanie Roseveare of Melody Rose ceramics whilst Snarfle marvelled at her new collection of printed plates. Melody started out upcycling vintage fine china – adding her own designs on top of vintage ones such as the blue plate above (which features a picture of her dad, an amateur boxing champion). Now she has launched her own bespoke range that includes this artfully placed classical nude. I love the way she has arranged these plates to make the most of the design.

Honeycomb geometric print cushions from Room 39
These honeycomb geometric print cushions are by Petra Green of Room 39, a Slovenian designer now settled in the UK who excels in the use of bright colours and eye catching prints on unusually shaped cushions. Some of her designs are made up in a family run factory in Slovenia, some are made up by the Working Well Trust (which provides opportunities for those with mental health difficulties) and some are manufactured in her East London studio space. She aims to marry craft techniques and modern technology in as sustainable a way as possible – I like her production style!

Tent London Sian Elin Thomas abstract cushions
Tent London Sian Elin Thomas cushions
I first admired work by Sian Elin at New Designers this year, but didn’t cover it at the time because my photographs did not do the collection justice. Her wonderful cushions feature abstract designs (and the fab peacock patterned design above) in a range of luscious colour combinations.

elephant print cushion Rachel powell
Since I discovered her at New Designers in 2011 Rachel Powell has gone from strength to strength, and it’s so nice to see a recent graduate doing well commercially within a few years. My favourite thing in her new collection is this bold retro inspired elephant print that would look lush in a kid’s room. The design also comes on fabric that can be purchased by the metre – what a brilliant idea for all those crafters out there!

Magnetic porcelain train - Reiko Kaneko
What fun – this magnetic porcelain train for eggy soldiers is by the Japanese born designer Reiko Kaneko. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2007 she set up her own studio in London’s east end, but has since relocated to Stoke-on-Trent in order to integrate design and production in the home town of English bone china.

The Staffordshire University Flux ceramics
Speaking of fine bone china, the Staffordshire University student collaboration Flux Stoke-on-Trent continues to impress with beautiful ceramic designs. This project is an example of collaboration between a teaching establishment and industry – forging new bonds that will lead to viable careers in an industry which can be notoriously difficult to infiltrate successfully.

Brushes by Swedish brand Lofstrom
These beautiful brushes by Mikael Lofstrom of Lofstrom skilfully make use of the natural shape of tree branches, which are paired with upcycled thistles.

Etelka Meixner of Hungary; pearl embellished chinaware
Etelka Meixner of Hungary has tapped into a very current theme with her luxuriously decorative pearl embellished chinaware.

Townscape design by Maxine Sutton
I had a long chat about the joys of living in Thanet with Ramsgate based designer Maxine Sutton, who has recently overhauled her shop in the centre of the newly vibrant Margate to become a stand alone store for her homewares range. This graphic townscape design perfectly showcases her style.

Kristine Five Melvaer -Norwegian design showcase
Over at the Norwegian design showcase I was most taken by these jewel coloured stripe pots from Kristine Five Melvær. Kristine works in glass and china to produce objects of exquisite beauty.

Fine china by Louise Wilkinson
Ceramic jug by Louise Wilkinson
Finally, I am just a little bit in love with fine china by Louise Wilkinson, an illustrator and fashion textile designer turned homewares designer who is inspired by Japanese design. I think her unique creations also owe a slight debt to the cute animals so often featured in 40s and 50s children’s book design: no wonder I find them so delightful. In fact we promptly bought a jug and matching mugs for some soon to be married friends and I am just a little bit envious.

You can share my discoveries as I find them by following me on instagram here.

Categories ,2013, ,Bone China, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Chocolate Creative, ,Etelka Meixner, ,Flux Stoke-on-Trent, ,Homewares, ,Hungary, ,japanese, ,Kristine Five Melvær, ,Lofstrom, ,Louise Wilkinson, ,Margate, ,Maxine Sutton, ,Melanie Porter, ,Melanie Roseveare, ,Melody Rose, ,Mikael Lofstrom, ,New Designers, ,Norwegian, ,Pearls, ,Petra Green, ,Porcelain, ,Rachel Powell, ,Ramsgate, ,Reiko Kaneko, ,review, ,Room 39, ,Sian Elin, ,Slovenia, ,Snarfle, ,Soft Furnishings, ,Staffordshire University, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,Tent London, ,textiles, ,Thanet, ,Upcycled, ,Working Well Trust

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Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2012 Craft, Ceramic, Glass and Designer Maker Graduates: part one

New Designers part one 2012 -Sophie Walker
At Hereford College of Arts the standard of craft design was high as always, with some beautifully original designs. Sophie Walker‘s woodcarved sculptures opened to reveal small stash spaces.

New Designers part one 2012 -Christopher Lawley
Collapsed wood stump pottery from Christopher Lawley was actually inspired by corroding metal objects.

New Designers part one 2012 -Fred Suffield
Fred Suffield showcased his blacksmithing skills in these spiky sculptures.

Katerina Christou
At Nottingham Trent University I loved these blown glass skittles by Katerina Christou.

New Designers part one 2012 -Rebecca Symons
New Designers part one 2012 -Rebecca Symons
New Designers part one 2012 -Rebecca Symons
Loved these strange potted porcelain shapes by Rebecca Symons, which were inspired by amulets carried for supernatural protection: gnarled and tumbling pots spilled golden flowers.

New Designers part one 2012 -Jade Hughes
Scattered colours in these variegated pots by Jade Hughes.

New Designers part one 2012 -Dawn van Gerven
At University of Wolverhampton this pottery by Dawn van Gerven resembled toffee honeycomb.

New Designers part one 2012 -Holly Harkin
Holly Harkin‘s nobbled glass rolled on misshapen bases in sweet shop colours.

New Designers part one 2012 -Remy Dubibe
Amazing necklace art by Remy Dubibe at Central Saint Martins.

New Designers part one 2012 -Yasmin Houghton Glasier
Gigantic petal platters were made by Yasmin Houghton Glasier for Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

New Designers part one 2012 -Anna Krengel
Blue lidded urns by Anna Krengel commemorated Joan Tindall.

New Designers part one 2012 -Catherine Russell
At UCA Farnham I was immediately pulled towards an incredible display of ceramic babygros patterned with war imagery by Catherine Russell.

New Designers part one 2012 -Freya Anderson
At Bucks New University Freya Anderson took the protests of the past year as inspiration for this installation of ceramic security cameras.

New Designers part one 2012 -Sylia Panayiotidou
At Camberwell College of Art Sylia Panayiotidou created this glowing 3D artwork.

New Designers part one 2012 -Melissa J Vogel
Uneven bases were something of a theme: rolling basins from Melissa J Vogel contained slabs of coloured glass like hardened globs of sugar sweets. Her work was inspired by ‘dead zones’ in today’s ocean.

New Designers part one 2012 -Natalia Kukiel
New Designers part one 2012 -Natalia Kukiel
Characterful embroidered bears by Natalia Kukiel.

Natalie Sampson
A lot of fun: paint roller lights with interchangeable designs by Natalie Sampson at UCA Rochester.

More fabulous crafting talent coming up soon… here’s my second blog about the best designer makers at New Designers 2012.

Categories ,2012, ,Anna Krengel, ,Bankers of the Universe, ,Bucks New University, ,Camberwell College of Art, ,Cassandra Pittaway, ,Catherine Russell, ,Central Saint Martins, ,ceramics, ,Chelsea Pink, ,Christopher Lawley, ,craft, ,Dawn van Gerven, ,Debbie Howard, ,Flux, ,Fred Suffield, ,Freya Anderson, ,Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, ,Heather Anderson, ,Hereford College of Arts, ,Holly Harkin, ,Jade Hughes, ,Joan Tindall, ,Judith Hammond, ,Kate Bell, ,Katerina Christou, ,Laura Beer, ,Melissa J Vogel, ,Natalia Kukiel, ,Natalie Sampson, ,New Designers, ,Nicola Brand, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, ,Pottery, ,Rebecca Symons, ,Remy Dubibe, ,review, ,Sophie Walker, ,Staffordshire University, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,Sylia Panayiotidou, ,The Star Sculpture Series, ,Tunbridge Wells Hospital, ,UCA Farnham, ,UCA Rochester, ,University College Falmouth, ,Yasmin Houghton Glasier

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Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2012 Craft, Ceramic, Glass and Designer Maker Graduates: part two

New Designers part one 2012 -Isobelle Ancient
Following on from my first look at the best designer makers at this year’s New Designers, here, in no particular order, are more interesting creations that I found. At Bath Spa University small creatures by Isobelle Ancient were inspired by folk art and vintage toys.

New Designers part one 2012 -Nicola Brand
At Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen Nicola Brand created knitted dolls inspired by Steampunk.

New Designers part one 2012 -Kate Bell
Kate Bell placed her spooky creations together with found objects on plinths.

New Designers part one 2012 -Judith Hammond
At Oxford & Cherwell Valley College I was drawn towards these intricately patterned plastic bags, which had been upcycled into dresses by Judith Hammond.

New Designers part one 2012 -Heather Anderson
Wonderful quilting by Heather Anderson, who loves to combine illustration with fabric manipulation.

New Designers part one 2012 -Debbie Howard
New Designers part one 2012 -Debbie Howard
New Designers part one 2012 -Debbie Howard
I absolutely adored these little ceramic vignettes and bird boxes by Debbie Howard.

New Designers part one 2012 -Flux
New Designers part one 2012 -Flux
Gorgeous indigo blue and gilded pottery from Flux, a commercial project exploring the qualities of fine bone china by MA graduates at Staffordshire University. Want the whole set!

New Designers part one 2012 -Falmouth Bankers of the Universe
New Designers part one 2012 -Falmouth Bankers of the Universe
At University College Falmouth Bankers of the Universe took inspiration from pointless consumption and the current economic climate. ‘Grow monstrously wealthy disregard the plebeians and become the envy of all your friends, with this completely non-functional, over-sized and expensive Bankers of the Universe action figure.’

New Designers part one 2012 -Laura Beer
The Star Sculpture Series by Laura Beer.

New Designers part one 2012 -Hayley Dix
At One Year On I liked these wire animal sculptures by Hayley Dix.

New Designers part one 2012 -Cabbage is King
Curious miniature sculptures by Cabbage is King.

New Designers part one 2012 -Gin Durham
New Designers part one 2012 -Gin Durham
Gin Durham‘s playful ceramic sculptures took inspiration from traditional kid’s toys. Just fabulous…

In my final round up from New Designers 2012 part one I’ll be looking at jewellery.

Categories ,2012, ,Anna Krengel, ,Bankers of the Universe, ,Bucks New University, ,Camberwell College of Art, ,Cassandra Pittaway, ,Catherine Russell, ,Central Saint Martins, ,ceramics, ,Chelsea Pink, ,Christopher Lawley, ,craft, ,Dawn van Gerven, ,Debbie Howard, ,Flux, ,Fred Suffield, ,Freya Anderson, ,Glass, ,graduate, ,Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, ,Heather Anderson, ,Hereford College of Arts, ,Holly Harkin, ,Jade Hughes, ,Joan Tindall, ,Judith Hammond, ,Kate Bell, ,Katerina Christou, ,Laura Beer, ,Melissa J Vogel, ,Natalia Kukiel, ,Natalie Sampson, ,New Designers, ,Nicola Brand, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, ,Pottery, ,Rebecca Symons, ,Remy Dubibe, ,review, ,Sophie Walker, ,Staffordshire University, ,Stoke-on-Trent, ,Sylia Panayiotidou, ,The Star Sculpture Series, ,Tunbridge Wells Hospital, ,UCA Farnham, ,UCA Rochester, ,University College Falmouth, ,Yasmin Houghton Glasier

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Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2013 Surface Design Graduates – Playful Brights

New Designers show 2013-Hannah Rampley
Next up, my review of splashy abstract brights and lovely playful designs. It’s fair to say that this is a look I will always love, but there did seem to be a lot of very beautiful surface designs and printed textiles that followed this theme in 2013.

surfacedesign by Hannah Rampley at Leeds
At Leeds College of Art I wanted to gobble up these juicy fruit designs by Hannah Rampley.

New Designers show 2013-emma cook
Emma Cook worked in ceramics to create pretty textured decorative tiles.

Dinosaurs and Octopi by Hannah Bowen
New Designers show 2013-hannah bowen
Dinosaurs and Octopi populate surface patterns by Hannah Bowen. I can see her gorgeous designs working really well for children, and her playful prints also snagged her the Harlequin Award at New Designers.

Tropical Pleating from Emily Jane Fisher
I loved the tropical pleating and glittering oversized sequins in a stunning display by Emily Jane Fisher at De Montford University.

Amy Gill textiles
At Nottingham Trent I was taken by these neon floral and graphic textiles by Amy Gill.

Fun surface design by Ozlem Djafer
Fun portraiture based surface design by Ozlem Djafer at Bucks New University was based on fashion hierarchies.

abstract print by Katie Whitton at new designers
These super colourful skeins of abstract print are by Katie Whitton at Norwich University – another understandable award winner, this time from Tigerprint.

Radishes by Charlie O'Byrne
Charlie O'Byrne
A brave move to display your menswear prints on a fruit and veg stall, but I think it paid off Charlie O’Byrne! This UWE graduate interned with Louise Gray, which makes total sense since they are both lovers of all things bright and fun.

Oxana Koroviatskaia - modernist painterly brights
Oxana Koroviatskaia‘s modernist painterly brights were immensely appealing draped across the Glasgow School of Art stand.

New Designers show 2013-Emily Chapman
At London College of Communications I liked this colourful display of patterns by Emily Chapman.

printed textile design by Rosie Cook
Mock ups for graphic printed textile designs by Rosie Cook at Staffordshire University went down a storm when I posted them on instagram. Don’t forget, many of these images first appeared on my instagram feed, where you can view my pick of design graduates as I find them. Read about my favourite designs that follow a strong 50s trend here.

Categories ,2013, ,Amy Gill, ,Brights, ,Bucks New University, ,ceramics, ,Charlie O’Byrne, ,De Montford University, ,Emily Chapman, ,Emily Jane Fisher, ,Emma Cook, ,Glasgow School of Art, ,Hannah Bowen, ,Hannah Rampley, ,Harlequin Award, ,Katie Whitton, ,Leeds College of Art, ,London College of Communications, ,New Designers, ,Norwich University, ,Nottingham Trent, ,Oxana Koroviatskaia, ,Ozlem Djafer, ,Printed Textiles, ,review, ,Rosie Cook, ,Staffordshire University, ,surface design, ,Tigerprint, ,trends, ,UWE

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Amelia’s Magazine | D&AD New Blood 2013 Review: Best Graduate Illustration and Graphic Design

Bird man by Charlotte Cox at southampton solent screenprinting
This year the D&AD New Blood graduate show was held once again in a cordoned off section of Spitalfields Market. It’s a small space with hoards of exhibiting students crammed into the tight corridors, which can make it hard to manoeuvre around when it’s busy. Most colleges had as usual opted for a simple display on plain white stands, but one in particular had pushed the boat out: Southampton Solent had hand stamped the brown boards of their Wooly Bully Illustration show stand, providing an excellent foil to large scale screen printed work, handmade badges and a high quality promotional package. Amongst a sea of stands featuring A2 printed copies of students work this was a delightfully visceral experience. One of my favourite pieces was the bird man above by Charlotte Cox. They were also handing out invites to their stand alone London show, Solstice, at the Coningsby Gallery, but I was sadly away when it took place: I hope I’ll get an earlier invite next year!

Southampton solent book
Southampton solent book
These images are from a book that was hanging on the wall, illustrator unknown.

Southampton solent - Rake
This screenprint titled Rotam Vitea features alchemical symbolism and is by the enigmatically named Rake.

Elliot Kruszynski at Bath Spa Uni - Save the forests and the animals and the wizards
And from the rest of the show, here’s the illustrations and design work that caught my eye: Elliot Kruszynski at Bath Spa University wants us to Save the Forests and the Animals and the Wizards with this wonderful atmospheric print.

Austrian folk tale by Carina Dewhurst
I didn’t get an invite to the Westminster University standalone degree show this year, which is a shame as on the strength of their small New Blood display it looks like this was a particularly talented group. This beautiful illustration is based on an Austrian folk tale, by Carina Dewhurst.

Louise Byrnes
Printed textiles by Louise Brynes
This gorgeous abstract artwork is by Louise Byrnes, who also created textile designs that reminded me of the trend for splashy abstracts that was very prevalent at New Designers. Just lush, so lush in fact that someone tried to make off with the very print shown above whilst I was there!

Carmen Lynch environmental disaster westminster uni
Carmen Lynch was inspired by environmental disasters to create this threatening yet engaging image.

UCLAN
These cute animals are by someone at UCLAN – unfortunately I didn’t note who as there were no labels. Then the artist responsible tweeted me, but I failed to to take a note of her name then. If it’s you, let me know!

Lunchtime atop a Tree by Rhiannon Izard at plymouth uni
Lunchtime Atop a Tree features a trio of monkeys, by Rhiannon Izard, a paper artist and illustrator from Plymouth University.

Sophia Viney's ghost
Sophia Viney goes under the name Littleinkstain – I like her ghost, which is part of a story about a dark forest inhabited by pixies, created for the BimbaGirls Comic Anthology.

New Blood design show 2013-Saif Chowdhury
Saif Chowdhury‘s fantastical characters are inspired by Japanese video games and bizarre worlds – this image was created for a story about a child on a quest to find their dead father, whilst overcoming monsters and obstacles.

Children's book by Lucy Wooler at norwich uni
This colourful children’s book by Lucy Wooler at Norwich University was inspired by a Victorian morality tale.

Bumble bee by Tori Gray at Dundee
Behold, a humble bumble bee made of type by Tori Gray at the University of Dundee.

Marco Galloway abstract dundee
Marco Galloway researched colour theory to make this great abstract illustration.

Danielle Smith ceramics
These ceramics by Danielle Smith were inspired by mysterious tales of the traveller community.

New Blood design show 2013-Dictionopolis by jame wilson
Dictionopolis by Jamie Wilson at northumbria uni
Dictionopolis tells the tale of a city of words: this beautiful hand printed concertina book by Jamie Wilson of Northumbria University simply took my breath away. I wasn’t sure where to find him online, since Jamie Wilson is apparently quite a common name for an illustrator. This seems most likely to be his home though.

Flower print by Sarah Baskeyfield at Staffordshire Uni
Shells, pineapples & flowers by Sarah Baskeyfield
These hyper colour flower, fruit and shell printed patterns are by Sarah Baskeyfield at Staffordshire University, and were standout pretty amongst all the angular graphic designs on show.

Pottery ampersand by Helen Player at staffordshire uni
This giant pottery ampersand by Helen Player was created as part of a design brief for the V&A.

Dominic Kesterton at ECA
Dominic Kesterton at Edinburgh College of Art based these designs on the linguistics of a fictional seaweed picking culture.

Alex Tait at bucks new uni
Lastly these brilliant black characters are by Alex Tait at Bucks New University.

There were lots of other interesting things on show, but I’ve been writing (or am still writing) stand alone reviews about a number of illustration degrees, so you’ll find their best work elsewhere on my site.

*Many of these images first appeared on my instagram feed, where you can view my pick of design graduates and other inspiring finds as I see them.*

Categories ,2013, ,Alex Tait, ,Bath Spa University, ,BimbaGirls Comic Anthology, ,Bucks New University, ,Carina Dewhurst, ,Carmen Lynch, ,Charlotte Cox, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,D&AD, ,Danielle Smith, ,Dictionopolis, ,Dominic Kesterton, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Elliot Kruszynski, ,Helen Player, ,Jamie Wilson, ,Littleinkstain, ,Louise Byrnes, ,Lucy Wooler, ,Lunchtime Atop a Tree, ,Marco Galloway, ,New Blood, ,New Designers, ,Northumbria University, ,Norwich University, ,Plymouth University, ,Rake, ,review, ,Rhiannon Izard, ,Rotam Vitea, ,Saif Chowdhury, ,Sarah Baskeyfield, ,Save the Forests and the Animals and the Wizards, ,Solstice, ,Sophia Viney, ,Southampton Solent, ,Spitalfields Market, ,Staffordshire University, ,Tori Gray, ,University of Dundee, ,va, ,Westminster University, ,Wooly Bully Illustration

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Amelia’s Magazine | Best of D&AD New Blood Graphic Design Graduates 2011: Typography

New Blood show review 2011-Maria Rajka
Edinburgh Napier University boasted a wall of screenprinted handkerchiefs by Maria Rajka, visit this site each with imaginative new designs overlaying the traditional motifs and patterns that I remember from childhood. (Yes my mum really did try to get me to use an old fashioned hankie. Needless to say she failed.)

New Blood show review 2011-Maria RajkaNew Blood show review 2011-Maria RajkaNew Blood show review 2011-Maria RajkaNew Blood show review 2011-Maria RajkaNew Blood show review 2011-Maria Rajka
Maria believes in ‘bicycles, carrots and thoughtful design.’ Sounds good to me!

New Blood show review 2011-john ellisNew Blood show review 2011-john ellis
Fakery by John Ellis at Staffordshire University featured some wonderful old school usage of type, as did his record sleeve History Repeating Itself.

New Blood show review 2011-RSA award
New Blood show review 2011-RSA award
One Staffordshire student won the RSA Student Design Award for stamp design but had failed to pin any information near her exhibit so I had to squeeze it out of her tutor. I’ve since lost it. *update* I’ve found it! She’s Charlotte Lench.

New Blood show review 2011-Lilly Blythe
Lily Blythe envisaged the typeface for a book cover of James and the Giant Peach in beautiful calligraphic style.

New Blood show review 2011-Josephine Kibuka
Josephine Kibuka at Buckinghamshire New University also designed this popular book in a hand drawn style with a giant peach head.

New Blood show review 2011-emma kingNew Blood show review 2011-emma king
Emma King‘s delicate typography wowed at Sheffield Institute of Arts, part of Sheffield Hallam. She has been snapped up as an intern at Grafik magazine. Good choice!

New Blood show review 2011-James Rogers
Hull School of Art and Design students were particularly strong for typography; James Rogers took inspiration from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

New Blood show review 2011-ben keith
Ben Keiths bird is intended for a fashion label but I think it works in its own right.

New Blood show review 2011-james watkins
New Blood show review 2011-joe stayte
Hereford College of Art was also very strong for typography. Especially by James Watkins and Joe Stayte.

Categories ,2011, ,ames and the Giant Peach, ,Ben Keith, ,Charlotte Lench, ,D&AD, ,Emma King, ,Grafik magazine, ,Graphic Design, ,Hereford College of Art, ,History Repeating Itself, ,Hull School of Art and Design, ,James Watkins, ,Joe Stayte, ,John Ellis, ,Josephine Kibuka, ,Lily Blythe, ,Maria Rajka, ,New Blood, ,RSA award, ,Staffordshire University, ,Stamp Design, ,typography

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Amelia’s Magazine | Best of D&AD New Blood Illustration & Graphic Design Graduates 2012: part three

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Alex Young
Following on from my second review of New Blood comes my final write up. Lots of students illustrated the cover for Grimm’s Fairy Tales – at University of Central Lancashire the rough energy of this woodcut by Alex Young stood out.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nicola Jones
At Norwich University College of the Arts Nicola Jones screenprinted the open market.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nicola Jones
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Stacey Knights
Stacey Knights worked in simple colourways to create illustrations of the market and for a brief to design for the cover of Little White Lies (another popular project which featured throughout the exhibition).

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Gina Pape
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Gina Pape
Gina Pape‘s Sympathetic Magic was inspired by the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Perryman
Sophie Perryman created a collaged monster that was the antithesis of the Kawaii (cute) phenomenon.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Jack Cullis
At the University of West England Jack Cullis created a series of stunning illustrations for classic Penguin book covers.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sami Al-Adawy
Sami Al-Adawy‘s grid town appealed to my love of repetition in design.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Jamie Jones
This harbour by Jamie Jones would look great in a kid’s book.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Rebecca Clemson
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Rebecca Clemson
The Great Barrier Reef in paper quilling by Rebecca Clemson at Staffordshire University was a huge hit with visitors – she’s also a potter who has secured funding to set up her own business in the potteries. I wish she had a website.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Melanie Milne
Melanie Milne had also dabbled in ceramics and had created this wonderful typographic textile design as an ode to the humble sprout.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Elora Taylor
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Elora Taylor
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Elora Taylor
At Plymouth University I loved beautiful character illustration of jazz monkeys by Elora Taylor.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Jenny Cox
At University of Cumbria Jenny Cox illustrated The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Shorty Lee
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Shorty Lee
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Shorty Lee
Cute illustrations for a touchy feely children’s book called The Magic Sheep by Shorty Lee at Edinburgh College of Art.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nikki Wei Guo
New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nikki Wei Guo
Mother Worms by Nikki Wei Guo; illustrations to accompany self penned folk stories about desire for life and fear of death.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Cara Holsgrove
Creepy but beautifully realised imagery by Cara Holsgrove is part of a handmade book of poems about distorted reality.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Sophie Hargrave
Sophie Hargrave‘s recycle week and gender equality posters at Loughborough University.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Camilla Perkins
I missed this year’s University of Westminster illustration exhibition at the Ambika P3 Gallery so Alia Gargum covered it. Here’s what I liked at New Blood: Above, super colourful portraits of David Bellamy and Jaques Costeau framed in wreaths for plate designs by Camilla Perkins.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Angelina Ioannides-Beer
Like Alia I picked up on the geometric work of Angelina Ioannides-Beer. And what a marvellous name!

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Emma Black
Intrigued by overlaid monoprint work by Emma Black.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Holly Monger
Narrative scenes by Holly Monger.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Olivia Henry
Cute character work by Olivia Henry.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Nina Jorgensen
Beautiful abstract patterns from Nina Jorgensen

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Josie Shenoy
Intricate patterned work by Josie Shenoy.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Rikki Hewitt
Collaged work by Rikki Hewitt.

New Blood graduate show 2012 -Paul Hickey
Paul Hickey‘s work combining photographic imagery and a painterly blocks of colour.

It’s hard to pick out the finest graduates from such a busy exhibition which is why I always prefer to see individual college’s shows. I will always be most attracted to narrative illustration and typography over digital or advertising led work, and in those areas these three blogs should give a taster of the huge amount of creative talent heading out into the marketplace this summer. If you like what you see why not give them a job? I wish them all the best: whilst design becomes ever more important in our consumer led world it’s undeniably tough out there and only the very talented, motivated and lucky will end up doing exactly what they want to do.

Read my first and second reviews of New Blood 2012 here and here.

Categories ,2012, ,Alex Young, ,AMBIKA P3 gallery, ,Angela Carter, ,Angelina Ioannides-Beer, ,Camilla Perkins, ,Cara Holsgrove, ,D&AD, ,David Bellamy, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Elora Taylor, ,Emma Black, ,Georgina Pape, ,Gina Pape, ,graduate, ,Graphic Design, ,Great Barrier Reef, ,Grimm’s Fairy Tales, ,illustration, ,Jack Cullis, ,Jamie Jones, ,Jaques Costeau, ,Jenny Cox, ,Josie Shenoy, ,Kawaii, ,Little White Lies, ,Loughborough University, ,Melanie Milne, ,Mother Worms, ,New Blood, ,Nicola Jones, ,Nikki Wei Guo, ,Nina Jorgensen, ,Norwich University College of the Arts, ,Olivia Henry, ,Paul Hickey, ,Penguin, ,Pitt Rivers Museum, ,Plymouth University, ,Rebecca Clemson, ,review, ,Rikki Hewitt, ,Sami Al-Adawy, ,Shorty Lee, ,Sophie Hargrave, ,Sophie Perryman, ,Stacey Knights, ,Staffordshire University, ,Sympathetic Magic, ,The Bloody Chamber, ,The Magic Sheep, ,University of Central Lancashire, ,University of Cumbria, ,University of West England, ,University of Westminster

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