Amelia’s Magazine | Space Beads: Ancient Egyptian Artefacts Made From An Iron Meteorite

Egyptian-Meteor-by-Kit-Wags
Space Beads by Kit Wags.

It’s been awhile since I last had the opportunity to attend a lecture, but last weekend I went to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich for a talk about Space Beads – the title alone being enough to tickle my fancy.

Sarah-Gillett-I-think-I-am-an-ominous-decoration-2014
Tapestry by Sarah Gillett.

egyptian-meteroite-jewelry-space beads
The space beads in question are ancient Egyptian beads dug up from the graves in Gerzeh in 1911, the same year that a large and notable meteorite fell to the earth in the same area of Egypt. The Gerzeh beads have long fascinated archaeologists and scientists as the are made of iron, yet date from the Pre-Dynastic period some 5,000 years ago, long before the earliest example of iron work in Egypt. It has recently been confirmed that these curious beads were made from thin sheets or iron taken from just such a meteorite.

Leonid Meteor Shower over Niagara Falls, 1833
Leonid Meteor Shower over Niagara Falls, 1833.

Meteorite shower engraving, 1848
Meteorite shower engraving, 1848.

Meteor_Crater_Near_Winslow_Arizona
The afternoon opened with a wonderful talk about meteorites given by Marek Kukula, public astronomer at the Royal Observatory. I was chuffed to discover that I was the only one in the room who has visited the giagantic Meteor Crater in Arizona, on a road trip with my parents in the 80s when I lived in the USA. Our visit was notable for our idiocy – we decided to walk the enormous rim in the midday sun, not a good idea in a desert. The most exciting thing I learnt from Marek was that on very rare occasions the tail of a comet will shed a glorious meteorite shower across the entire sky as it grazes the earth’s atmosphere, as happened in 1860, and have since discovered the wood cuts to prove it (great inspiration for my open brief, That Which We Do Not Understand) Apparently we can never know when this will happen again until the occasion is upon us. I am now hoping and praying to see such a wondrous sight in my lifetime! I can only imagine how other worldly it must have appeared to more ancient peoples.

Meteoriten 1838-Keller
egpytian_museum_cairo_Bat-goddess
Which brings me back to our Space Beads. Our next speaker was Alice Stevenson, who has a PhD in the study of the graveyard where the beads were found. She talked about what life was like during the Pre-dynastic era, and the possible meaning and use of the beads, which were obviously worn by someone of some repute. They were found alongside a depiction of the horned cow god Bat with stars above her head: pure speculation could lead us to believe that the beads themselves a very special representation of the heavens.

pallasite meteor
Glorieta-Pallasite Meteor
During a break we were invited to hold sections of different meteorites, some of them older than the planets themselves (gulp, how does one even process such information?) Some of these lumps of rock were exceptionally heavy – I particularly marvelled at the sample of Pallasite Meteor, which contains fragments of Olivine gems (otherwise known as Peridot).

Engraving of the Ochansk meteorite over Perm
Engraving of the Ochansk meteorite over Perm.

Diane Johnson experimental archaeology predynastic space beads
Diane Johnson’s experimental archaeology, making predynastic space beads.

Thirdly we were introduced to planetary scientist Diane Johnson of the Open University, who has combined her love of meteorites and Egypt in an intensive study of the beads. Experimental archaeology has led her to conclude that the beads were made using thin slices of iron that were banged out of the meteorite and then rolled into tubes, rather than forged in a furnace (which shatters the delicate meteorite structure). Her modern day space bead, worn on a simple cord, was beautiful and unusual.

Matthew Luck Galpin meteorite-space beads
Lastly artist Matthew Luck Galpin talked about the use of meteorites in his series of Anvilled Stars. He agreed with Diane that the process of banging them into flattened shapes was a highly therapeutic process that was as important as the final outcome, a highly tactile object reminiscent of an astrolabe, some of which are scattered without explanation around the observatory galleries.

Meteor over Shetland Isles
Meteor over Shetland Isles.

At the end of the chat we had a chance to visit the galleries to view some amazing examples of meteorite. It was great to hear an expert talk about treasures such as the Nakhla Meteorite, which is actually a piece of Mars. The space beads themselves are housed in the Petrie Museum, which I have never even heard of. This is an Egyptian museum attached to UCL, with a super interesting roster of events. I wonder when I can get away to my next lecture…

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,1860, ,Alice Stevenson, ,Anvilled Stars, ,Arizona, ,Astrolabe, ,Bat, ,Diane Johnson, ,Egypt, ,egyptian, ,Experimental Archaeology, ,Gerzeh, ,Kit Wags, ,Lecture, ,Marek Kukula, ,Mars, ,Matthew Luck Galpin, ,Meteor Crater, ,Meterorites, ,Nakhla Meteorite, ,Ochansk meteorite, ,Olivine, ,Open University, ,Pallasite Meteor, ,Peridot, ,Petrie Museum, ,Pre-Dynastic, ,Royal Observatory, ,Sarah Gillett, ,Shooting Stars, ,Space Beads, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,UCL, ,Year of Meteors

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Many Sides: An interview with founder Rita Sheth

The Many Sides Fashion Illustration By Toni Morris
The Many Sides Fashion Illustration By Toni Morris.

You come from a corporate background – why did you decide to branch out and set up The Many Sides and what were you able to bring to the process from your former career?
I set up the business because I found I was no longer excited by what was on offer on the high street – I wanted to bring more unique, well made clothes to people that were also frustrated by the high street as well as the ‘slap on a monogram’ ethos which we see from established labels. As such it was kind of a labour of love! Basically I wanted to connect creative designers with women who wanted to express themselves through creative fashion!
I think from my former career I am able to bring a level of professionalism and attention to detail which is important. It also helps to be able to structure a deal which is important when thinking about different ways you can do business.

The Many Sides Swim
I like the thinking behind your name, can you explain a bit more about what The Many Sides means to you?
The Many Sides references the many sides of a woman. I found as a corporate professional I would have a persona at work and then lots of different other sides for all the other roles I play and the many interests I have. I wanted to develop a brand that resonated with a similar kind of woman. A woman that has many sides and many interests – one of which desires creative self expression and uses fashion as a vehicle to do that.

The Many Sides floral lookbook
Where are your designers from and how do you discover them and bring them on board?
My designers come from a variety of countries from South Korea, Denmark, Greece and the UK among others. I discover them through various means, trade shows, desk based research, instagram…. and now designers get in touch with me too as they like what I am doing and want to be featured on a platform that is selective and well curated. I won’t sell anything I don’t like or where the quality is sub par. I always look for a story behind the designers inspiration that cohesively carries through to their aesthetic. Though each collection may vary, there needs to be something distinctive and ‘signature’ about the designers concept.

The Many Sides Spring Sterling Silver Neckpiece
The Many Sides sterling silver lookbook
Please could you introduce us to a few of your designers…. and let us know a bit about why you have chosen them.
The designers are an eclectic bunch – each with their own distinctive style. A few of the designers we stock are:

The Many Sides Chichia Jumpsuit
The Many Sides ChichiaJacketandTrousers copy
Chichia – Her designs are influenced by African print and in particular she uses the local Khanga fabric to make the clothes. She makes the clothes using local labour in Tanzania to give back to her homeland. I really like the colour and the unique use of cut outs as well as the representation of the culture via the fabrics used.

The Many Sides leather skirt yohan kim
Yohan Kim – Our South Korean designer. He has a rock and roll, gothic style. He uses a lot of leather, studs and heavy detailing, embellishment and embroidery. I really love the intricacy of the pieces. The pictures online don’t do the items enough justice! The pieces are very handcrafted and deeply worked – for example one of the leather skirts is texturised on one side and has studs on the other side. No regular leather skirt!

Tuxedo Jacket
Alice’s Pig – Our London based designer who is influenced by Alice in Wonderland and girly vintage tea party looks. Lots of 50′s style dresses and feminine cuts. I love this designer as the pieces are very wearable but have a subtle twist that still makes the items unique. The kimono trousers and tuxedo jacket are a case in point – they are both staple pieces but not boring and each have a little something extra to make them memorable.

The Many Sides kimono lookbook
What have been the biggest difficulties and triumphs in setting up your own business?
The biggest difficulty is in bridging the gap between online and offline. I am currently looking at ways to make the clothes more accessible offline as its still important to some customers be able to touch and feel the clothes. The main thing I am proud of has been in getting so much positive feedback from customers, bloggers and designers. People in the industry as well as the customer seem to really like the clothes and more importantly are willing to spend their hard earned money buying them – its so rewarding when someone genuinely loves a purchase.

The Many Sides - Spring Edit Bag2
Can you tell us more about your spring edit selection and what informed your choices?
It is a mixture of clothes good for the current weather – florals and light weight fabrics. However as the weather in England is so changeable there are also some jackets on there too. Having said that all of the clothes can be worn any time of year – I don’t approve of the fast fashion movement and want to slow things down by always having clothing on there for all occasions and all weather.

The Many Sides Spring Edit Ceramin Necklace
I also included some colourful accessories including some contemporary jewellery pieces that would go well with day time spring/summer looks to reflect the new season and hopefully the beginning of sunshine! Looking ahead we also have a great new swimwear designer that does very unique designs to flatter every shape which also comes in made to measure sizes.

The Many Sides slate_crag_ring_on_hand
The Many Sides Spring Ceramic_Ring
What next for the Many Sides?
As I mentioned I want to explore different ways to bring the clothes to customers in a more direct way. This is something I am looking at right now. I also want to carry on delighting customers with the unique product offering which I intend to keep growing with time. Essentially, I hope to grow the business through word of mouth – that’s the dream!

Check out Rita Sheth‘s unique selection of clothing and accessories for yourself on The Many Sides. Rita Sheth was a contributor to my 10th anniversary book That Which We Do Not Understand.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Alice’s Pig, ,Chichia, ,fashion, ,Global Fashion, ,Indie Fashion, ,interview, ,Rita Sheth, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,The Many Sides, ,Toni Morris, ,Yohan Kim

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Porridge Cafe opens in Old Street, featuring TWWDNU and True Romance prints on the walls

Porridge Cafe Review
The much hyped Porridge Cafe opened at 70 Paul Street in East London this week: the healthy antidote to the equally hyped Cereal Killer Cafe which is just a stones throw from where I live on Brick Lane. The Cereal Killer Cafe has been ridiculously successful, with queues around the block on busy days, but surely Londoners would like something a bit more tasty and nutritious for breakfast? Step forward Nik and Elly of the Porridge Cafe. Their street food business began in 2013 as the Bow Street Kitchen, specialising in feeding the hungry tech hordes of Hoxton and the surrounding environs. Having concentrated on the provision of modern ‘British’ comfort food: think bacon butties and steak and mash, they decided that a logical next step would be to set up a (slightly) more permanent base with a pop up cafe dedicated to the most healthy comfort food of all. Plus they knew it might be a savvy move, what with oats and porridge so much in vogue.

Porridge Cafe-TWWDNU artwork
We went along to check out the cafe today, which is housed in the same pop up space where our TWWDNU prints were on show just a few weeks ago, and I am delighted to report that the very finest artworks (our A2 prints featuring 24 carat gold leaf by Cristian Grossi, Daria Hlazatova, Niall Grant and Mateusz Napieralski) are now on the walls of the cafe alongside some of the True Romance alternative cinema prints commissioned by East End Prints.

Porridge Cafe-parsley aubergine caper risotto
I tried to tempt Snarfle with some porridge mixed with a tiny bit of apple, to no avail, so I ended up paying for another plain portion which luckily he ate when liberally topped with honey (it’s his usual breakfast but we abstained this morning). For my lunch I opted for the parsley, aubergine and caper risotto (above), a colourful and intriguingly flavoured affair. I was left a wee bit hungry – maybe I’ll blame that on being pregnant – but the portions are relatively small, so make sure you top up with one of the delicious sounding fresh smoothies if you visit for lunch.

Porridge Cafe-pepper chorizo chilli barley
Roasted red pepper, chorizo and chilli barley porridge for lunch.

The porridge options for breakfast come with an assortment of fresh fruit, nuts, berries and milk: all of which sound delicious. Busy Londoners are used to splashing out on tasty food so I hope this place will become a success. If the Cereal Killer Cafe can do it surely Nik and Elly can? Make sure you check out our beautiful limited edition prints when you visit.

The Porridge Cafe offers a rotating menu that includes 11 different grains and is open until the end of March. The full menu can be found here. Read more about the story behind the TWWDNU prints here.
Opening times: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,70 Paul Street, ,Bow Street Kitchen, ,Brick Lane, ,Cafe, ,Cereal Killer Cafe, ,Cristian Grossi, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,East End Prints, ,Food Review, ,Mateusz Napieralski, ,Niall Grant, ,Opening times, ,Pop Up Cafe, ,Porridge, ,Porridge Cafe, ,Restaurant, ,review, ,Snarfle, ,Street Food, ,True Romance

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Cristian Grossi: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Cristian_Grossi_ver_sacrum
Cristian Grossi lives in Italy, where he works on a plethora of art, design and fashion projects. He studied computer science and his bold graphic style is influenced by modernism, art nouveau, a love of nature and magical folk stories. Ver Sacrum was inspired by a night spent in hospital, when Cristian began to relate the behaviour of the human body to the Turing Machine. He imagined two demiurges implanting apparatus to combine with body parts, the unknown becoming part of the known in our flesh.

cristian-grossi-ver-sacrum-zoom
Your image was inspired by a night spent in hospital, how has its creation helped you heal?
About a month ago I was in the hospital, my dad had very delicate surgery. I thought about how fallacious the body is, and the perfection of the mathematical modeling of the inorganic systems that I studied at the university. Take for example the Turing Machine, it’s complete. My demiurges mysteriously assemble a perfect body, a system that is in balance. Maybe they are creating the perfect body for my dad.

cristian-grossi-ledas-myth
cristian-grossi-mostrum-horribilis
How long did it take to put together and what elements does it contain?
The image is made of more than 300 anatomical drawings showing human body organs and membranes (among them pancreas, lungs, brain, testicles and yet the liver, intestine, bone and fetuses). I am celebrating the Jugendstil (art nouveaux) style, affected with contemporary digital contaminations. 33 working days were required to develop my allegory for the creation of human beings. Ver Sacrum features two female demiurges putting together a newborn.

the-madras-adventure-cristian-grossi
the-blue-sea-comes-tropical
What is your working process?
I start my drawings using pencil and Chinese ink on paper, then add elaborations to them on the computer. I believe that the transition to digital is a mandatory step for all contemporary designers because scanning images is a key step to fix ideas.

cristian-grossi-the-blue-sea-comes-tropical-isadora
cristian-grossi-the-blue-sea-comes-tropical-flora
What is your favourite subject matter and why?
I’m attracted to all that is kitsch. The surplus has always attracted me, and I think that is part of my Jugendstil nature. The strange thing is that I’m passionate about everything that goes beyond, and all that’s missing: the moment before death, of a sneeze, the cavities of the times in the dialogues of a conversation. I believe that the completeness is not interesting.

cristian-grossi-madreperla
cristian-grossi-minimondi
You have recently had an exhibition – can you share some of this work and explain what it was about?
Yes, I have just had an exhibition of video art and textiles. I design fabrics for some Italian fashion brands and themes always stretch into other artistic projects such as video art, books and installations. The latest project is a study of the roots of the Liberty style typical of my city, Salsomaggiore Terme, with an attempt on my part to recover and re-elaborate the details in a new artistic language.

cristian-grossi-insekta-phasmatodea
cristian-grossi-insekta-moodboard
cristian-grossi-insekta-blattodea
You are a very busy designer: what other jobs have you completed recently, and what are you most looking forward to working on in the coming months?
Yes, I am very busy. This Christmas around 18,000 Italian families will receive my ball which has been illustrated for a non-profit, so I’m very excited. In a few months my new collection of scarfs and bags for a big fashion brand will be released, and I have been involved in mood boards, ideas and stylistic direction. I have also designed a series of posters to promote art exhibitions in Italian museums and festivals and a series of limited edition stationery.

cristian-grossi-die-jugestil-organico
cristian-grossi-pinko-scarf
Where are the best places to go for creative inspiration online in Italy?
Italian creativity is very special. Fashion, architecture and design are born in Milan, and it is there that these are processed. But Milan is a city sad and cynical, so I think the source of true creativity is in the provinces. The typical is very genuine, if you can hang out for the provinces to discover new enzymes, you understand the genuineness of color, flavor and shape. So if you want to take a shower of true creativity Italian go to festivals in Emilia, eats local food, meet local people. Check out online projects such as gnambox which covers food that is typical of the Italian tradition, or weloooooveit (www.weloooooveit.com) which celebrates all that is cool of Italy, or Dolce & Gabbana’s Swide, which offers the best of the sweet life.

cristian-grossi-the-god-03
cristian-grossi-the-god-02
Read more about Cristian’s Ver Sacrum here and secure your gold leaf fine art print here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Anatomical, ,art nouveaux, ,Cristian Grossi, ,gnambox, ,illustration, ,Italian, ,Jugendstil, ,Salsomaggiore Terme, ,Swide, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,Turing Machine, ,Ver Sacrum, ,weloooooveit

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Emma Farrarons: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_Magazine_ TWWDNU_Emma_Farrarons
Emma Farrarons is a children’s book designer who recently returned to illustration when she began contributing to Amelia’s Magazine. Since then she has hosted a solo exhibition called Hidden Folk in Shoreditch, contributed to Okido kids’ magazine, been part of the 100 Cats exhibition and completed illustrations for her first book. Her contribution to my 10th anniversary limited edition book (and also available as a limited edition gold print) is called Moon Rabbit and features the Chinese legend of Chang’e. ‘By overdosing on a magic pill that grants immortality, poor Chang’e floated all the way to the moon only to reside there for eternity with her companion the Jade Rabbit. That is why you can see the silhouette of a rabbit on the moon.’ The colour way was inspired by Klimt’s bold use of gold and ochre and the dress pattern (featuring a few hidden rabbits) reflects a love of printed textiles.

Gabby-Young-by-Emma-Farrarons
Hiroko-Nakajima-one-model-by-Emma-Farrarons
How did you research your idea and come up with a way to illustrate the Moon Rabbit and how did you create the artwork?
When reading your brief I was instantly drawn to the words moon and folklore. I remembered hearing that the Chinese saw a rabbit on the moon. This is how I came to learn about Chang’e, the moon goddess. In a few words, Chang’e overdoses on a pill of immortality and drifts into the sky. She floats into darkness until she lands on the moon only to live there forever with her companion the Jade Rabbit. That is how the Chinese came to explain that there is a rabbit on the moon. I found this tale beautiful and wanted to share it through illustration.

Moon-Rabbit-portrait-by-Emma-Farrarons
What was the most enjoyable part about creating this piece?
Working on the colour, texture, detail and composition have been enjoyable parts. The element of gold influenced my choice of colour. I searched for a palette that would compliment gold in a subtle yet impactful way. I remembered being fascinated by Gustav Klimt in my school years. His father was a gold engraver which is perhaps a reason for Klimt’s ‘Golden Phase’, when he applied actual gold leaf on his paintings. This encouraged me to use warm ochres, yellows and midnight blues.

Burberry-by-Emma-Farrarons
Un-Petit-Blog-2-by-Emma-Farrarons
One could say that the illusionist and filmmaker Georges Méliès was another source of inspiration for his film A Trip to the Moon. In my mind, I have a vivid image from his film. It is of a beautiful woman perched on the moon as as though she’s sitting on a swing. Working into the textures and the detail of Chang’e’s dress was great fun. It was a great excuse to buy gold paint! I love textile design and pattern. If you look closely, can you notice the constellation and hidden rabbits on her dress? A printed pattern can also tell a story.

Painting-Moon-Rabbit-by-Emma-Farrarons
Who do you think would most enjoy this artwork, and why?
I’d say someone who likes the moon, folklore, when an illustration tells a story, the female form in art, textile, fashion illustration…and rabbits!

Un-Petit-Blog-by-Emma-Farrarons
How did you end up living in London, and what route did you take into the publishing industry?
I’m originally from Paris. I studied illustration at the Edinburgh College of Art and l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. After Scotland I moved back to Paris to start life as an illustrator. These were very early days, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do just yet. One day, I took the Eurostar to London, loved it and stayed. After an internship in a publishing house, I’ve since worked as a picture book designer and freelance illustrator.

Itch-Ouch-Okido-2-Emma-Farrarons
What was the spark that reignited a love affair with drawing?
There had been a time when I had lost a bit of my confidence as an illustrator. With social media, I started to connect with other like minded creatives, including Amelia’s Magazine. You were doing illustration call-outs via Twitter and one particular call-out was the spark that reignited my curiosity to draw and to get out of my comfort zone by using more colour.

Hidden-Folk-map-by-Emma-Farrarons

Since then, it’s been a busy year of drawing. I’ve collaborated with producer and director Joanna Arong to design a canvas bag for Eskwela Haiyan, a non-profit organisation which raises to help children victims of typhoon Haiyan finish school. I have worked with Fika to create Hidden Folk: A Scandinavian Folklore collaboration around art and food. I’ve completed a textile printmaking course in Sweden and joined the illustration collective Bat Country Collective with illustrators Åsa Wikman, Dani’s Drawings and Karin Söderquist. The last two are also Amelia’s Magazine contributors.

Mindfulness-Colouring-Book-by-Emma-Farrarons
I believe you currently have a book in the pipeline, can you tell us a bit more about that?
I certainly can. In fact, it’s very exciting to tell you more about it. It’s called The Mindfulness Colouring Book: Anti-stress art therapy for busy people. It is published by Boxtree and comes out in January. It’s a 100 page colouring book filled with black and white floral, geometric, wavy, animal patterns designed to calm and de-stress a busy mind with mindful colouring-in. The book is at this moment at the printers, but I can show you a sneaky peak of some of the pages.

Okido-Itch-and-Ouch-by-Emma-Farrarons
What can we expect from you in the coming year?
Bat Country Collective are planning to exhibit at Fika in the coming year. We are currently brainstorming interesting themes. In the coming year, I’d like to give a bit more time and broaden the content of my blog Un Petit Blog. I’m enjoying connecting with other bloggers and learning more about blogging. It’s an empowering feeling to be ‘all-in-one’ the publisher, editor, curator and illustrator of your own online platform. The latest is that Un Petit Blog has just launched Un Petit Newsletter which will be packed with interesting news including: Exclusive doodles, Favourite finds and tips when out and about, The very latest news on my illustration projects, And much more… The 1st newsletter my subscribers will receive will feature TWWDNU!

Un-Petit-Blog-3-by-Emma-Farrarons
You can read more about Emma’s process here and sign up to her newsletter on Un Petit Blog. Click on over to my Kickstarter campaign to grab one of her stunning Moon Rabbit artworks featuring faux gold leaf. There are only 10 available, so snap yours up fast. Only £45!

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,100 Cats, ,Asa Wikman, ,Bat Country Collective, ,Boxtree, ,change, ,Chinese, ,Dani’s Drawings, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Emma Farrarons, ,Eskwela Haiyan, ,Fika, ,Georges Melies, ,Golden Phase, ,Gustav Klimt, ,Hidden Folk, ,illustration, ,interview, ,Jade Rabbit, ,Joanna Arong, ,Karin Söderquist, ,Kickstarter, ,l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, ,Moon Rabbit. Moon Goddess, ,Okido, ,paris, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,The Mindfulness Colouring Book, ,Un Petit Blog, ,Un Petit Newsletter

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Karin Soderquist: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

K Soderquist - The Magicians Assistant
Karin Soderquist studied at Camberwell College of Art and first captured my attention at her 2011 graduate show. She is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden, has contributed to numerous exhibitions and publications, and is a member of Bat Country Collective with Emma Farrarons. The Magician’s Assistant was guided by a subconscious instinct to make an image with a little bit of magic. ‘As I started working on the image the woman turned into a cyclops. I added more details such as the pigeon, the gloves and the apple, but the final question remains: who’s the magician and who’s the assistant?

K Soderquist - Mermaid
Your artwork is the result of a conversation with your subconscious… is this a common way for you to work and if not why were you inspired to work in this way?
When working on illustration commissions there are usually a lot of planning before sitting down and actually making the illustration. You have to send sketches and roughs to the client to show them your idea so that they can say if they like it or not. Therefore, when working on personal projects, I sometimes like to take a different approach where I don’t plan ahead as much. I usually start out with just a rough idea of what I want to do and start drawing. I find it a very relaxing way of working. That’s how I created my submission for That Which We Do Not Understand. And I felt like letting my subconscious guide me was very much in keeping with the theme of the brief.

K Soderquist - Dancing Cats
How do you put your illustrations together?
Over the past couple of years I’ve developed a way of working that I really enjoy. I start off by drawing the image out in pencil. Then I cut out all the pieces of the image in coloured paper, scan them and reassemble them in Photoshop where I add the colours. I like the hand made feel that working with paper and scissors gives the illustrations and finishing the work digitally gives me a lot of freedom to play around with colours and composition.

K Soderquist - Akademikern
You have done a lot of work for Akademikern, what kind of magazine is this?
It’s a magazine for the members of the union SSR. It’s for people who’s studied HR, economics and behavioral sciences etc. It’s always a lot fun getting commissioned by them, the art director and the editor are great to work with and the articles are always interesting to read. I love the challenges that doing editorial illustration can bring!

K Soderquist - sexy pastries
I adore your Lets Fika pastry images… can you tell us more about the deserts featured? what is your favourite?
They’re all traditional Swedish pastries, I did them for an exhibition at the swedish cafe Fika on Brick Lane about two years ago. It’s a chocolate ball, a princess cake, a semla and a cinnamon bun. I made them into pin-ups to add a bit of swedish sin. My favourite Swedish pastry is actually not included. It’s called a Dammsugare (which means vacuum cleaner) or Punchrulle. It’s flavoured with arrack and covered in bright green marzipan, yummy!

K Soderquist -Atomic Love
Why did you decide to study in the UK?
I wanted an adventure and I’d been daydreaming of living in a big city for a while, so studying was a good excuse to move there! It’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve made. After about four years I got home sick and moved back to Sweden but now I feel home sick for London!

K Soderquist - Marie
I first came across your work at your graduate show, what is the most important thing you have learnt about working in illustration since leaving uni?
Everything, haha! In hindsight I think there are a lot of really important things you don’t learn at art school (at least not on the course I did). I’m still figuring a lot of stuff out. But I think the most important thing I’ve learnt is how to work quickly and how to make an illustration I’m happy with in a couple of days or sometimes a couple of hours!

K Soderquist - Freak Fruits
You can read more about Karin’s work here and buy her fabulous gold leaf art print on my Kickstarter campaign page here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Akademikern, ,Bat Country Collective, ,Camberwell College of Art, ,Dammsugare, ,Emma Farrarons, ,Fika, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Karin Söderquist, ,Kickstarter, ,Punchrulle, ,stockholm, ,Swedish, ,That Which We Do Not Understand

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Katie Ponder: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Katie_Ponder_Weather_Witches
Katie Ponder graduated from Falmouth University and was one of my favourite new illustrators discovered at New Designers this year. She was the winner of the 2014 AOI book category award and took part in the recent exhibition at Somerset House. The Weather Witches was inspired by the change of seasons, and the design of tarot cards. In this image the tempestarii (who control the weather) exchange summer for winter, as the leaves fall and the starry nights draw in.

Katie_Ponder-Rite-of-Spring---growth
Rite of Spring, Growth.

Your illustration was inspired by ideas you first discovered in childhood… can you remember how you came across them and what effect they had on you then?
Whilst considering the theme of That Which We Do Not Understand, the seasons changed from summer to a very sudden winter. Dramatic changes in the weather always bring to mind a song I learnt at primary school about a weather witch, when she was happy she would make the sun shine, but when she was angry there would be thunder and lightening. There is a lot of folklore about witches some times referred to as tempestarii, who control the weather. Inspired by this, I imagined the seasons personified by two witches, who are sisters. The changing of the seasons happens when one sister passes her reign onto the other sister, so that she may rule for her share of time. My image is about autumn, when the sisters exchange places and the weather changes from summer to winter, the leaves fall off the trees and dark starry nights draw in. I am interested in how changes in seasons and the lunar cycle impact the world and also our physical and mental wellbeing.

Katie_Ponder-Titantia-and-Bottom
Titania & Bottom

What in particular appeals to you about Tarot?
I read my own tarot cards on a regular basis, and collect different packs. I find it intriguing me how a picture can reflect some kind of personal truth, and can inspire different ways of thinking about a situation. I also love the symbolism within tarot cards; in particular I love the Rider Waite deck, which has very bold graphic colors, and mysterious symbolic landscapes and scenarios.

Katie_Ponder-Reflection
Reflection.

How did you put together The Weather Witches?
To create my image The Weather Witches, I started of collaging using old papers, self made textures and found images. I then scanned the collage into Photoshop and played around with the composition until I felt there was an aesthetic balance. I added new textures and tweaked the colors and contrasts to create the final image.

Katie_Ponder-Rite-of-Spring---Arrival
Rite of Spring, Arrival.

What was the most challenging part of the process and what was the most satisfying?
I found it a very enjoyable project to work in response to ‘that which we do not understand’ as mysticism and the occult fascinate me and have inspired a lot of my work. Composition is really important to me, and I really like an image to feel balanced. The idea of portraying two sister witches allowed for me to make a fairly symmetrical image, which I find very satisfying to work with.

Katie_Ponder-Pisces
Pisces.

Falmouth University consistently turns out top illustrators, why do you think that is?
The illustration course at Falmouth is well known, the tutors are available to talk to all the time and they are absolutely amazing, and very inspiring, I miss them so much! All the people I studied alongside were very ambitious and had lots of drive, which created a very motivating atmosphere in the studio. I also think what makes Falmouth a really good course is how they prepare you for industry. As part of the course we had to arrange meetings with leading professionals in the industry to have our portfolios reviewed. Knowing that the best art directors and agencies are going to look through your portfolio pushes you to work at the highest standard you can. Also attending these meetings teaches you how to handle and be confident in intimidating professional scenarios.

Katie_Ponder-Words-have-wings
Words have wings.

You only recently graduated this summer, what has happened since then?
I was very lucky to be awarded the new talent award for books by the Association of Illustrators as I finished university. Over October my work was exhibited at Somerset House in London, which was a wonderful experience, and now my work is on a touring exhibition at different venues around the UK. Since graduating, I have moved back to central London where I am originally from and I have been really enjoying being back in the city, seeing lots of art and ballet. I have set up a small studio to work from, and I have been working on commissions as well as meeting people to talk about projects to work on in the future.

Katie Ponder Women Who Run With The Wolves
Women Who Run With The Wolves.

What are you currently working on?
I am working on a couple of ideas in between commissions. The project closest to my heart is some work that has been inspired by ballet and classical music, and is the catalyst behind a book I am developing at the moment.

Kaite_Ponder_Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?
In December I am taking part in a stop motion animation course, which I am very excited about. I did a project in 3D whilst I was at university and I am eager to see how that might translate into stop motion animation. I am also pursuing my other long-standing passion next year and training to be a yoga teacher, which I plan to have as a companion job alongside being an illustrator. There is also some travelling I really want to do that I am currently working towards and dreaming about.

Visit Katie Ponder‘s website here and pledge for a limited edition gold leaf fine art print of the The Weather Witches on my Kickstarter campaign page here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Association of Illustrators, ,Falmouth College of Art, ,Falmouth University, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Katie Ponder, ,New Designers, ,Rider Waite, ,Somerset House, ,Tarot, ,tempestarii, ,That Which We Do Not Understand, ,The Weather Witches, ,Weather Witch

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Laura Wilson: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_Magazine_TWWDU_Laura_Wilson_FORTUNAAmelias_Magazine_TWWDU_Laura_Wilson_FORTUNA
Laura Wilson is a recent graduate who runs a collaborative creative blog and illustrates for online feminist magazine Bitchtopia. She has a deep interest in neo-Paganism and ancient symbols of the divine feminine. Fortuna was inspired by the use of tarot cards for divination, and the Pagan triple Goddess of the Moon. ‘I wanted to depict the ways in which opening our minds to mystery can enhance our souls and enable us to embrace a fuller spiritual life. As a feminist, womanhood and matriarchal ideas have a big influence on my life and my art.

Laura Wilson-Do No Harm
Where did you source the imagery used in Fortuna, and what inspired your choice of what to include?
I was inspired by divination, particularly tarot cards, and had a look through my own deck for some ideas. The artwork on tarot cards is always so beautiful, even if you don’t believe they hold any kind of power, they’re still a gorgeous collector’s item. I wanted to illustrate the idea of divination opening a person’s ‘third eye’ to the possibility of magic, and allowing them to access their spiritual intuition. I was also inspired by images of Hindu deities such as Vishnu and Kali, which prompted the many-armed character.

Laura Wilson-Pastel I
How do you create your illustrations? What processes do you use?
I like to use both traditional and digital methods in my work – for Fortuna, I started with an ink and watercolour painting, which I then added more colour to digitally. I tend to use a lot of pencil, inks and watercolours in most of my illustrations, but recently have been pushing myself to create more work just digitally, as it can be a lost less time consuming! I think I’m still in a phase of experimentation with my art; I haven’t found the process that works best for me yet, so I’m still trying out new things and finding my feet.

Laura Wilson-Pastel II
You describe yourself as a Neo-Pagan, how would you define this?
I’m not sure if I would really call myself a Neo-Pagan, but I am definitely very interested in and inspired by the culture of Paganism. It was something that I was very involved in for a while, but over time I’ve moved away from believing in one thing and I’m now in a state of just being very open to the possibilities of spirituality while at the same time being aware that we can’t really be sure of much in this world. That’s one of the things I admire most about Paganism; it acknowledges the mystery and mysticism of the universe and never tries to claim that it has the one right way of thinking; Paganism accepts all beliefs and understands that there’s no single right path through life. Generally speaking, it just believes in the importance of Nature and our ties to the earth, and that everything in the universe is connected.

Laura Wilson-GEEKED cover
What do you most like to illustrate and why?
One thing that shows up a lot in my work is mermaids; I think of them as sort of my creative muse. I’ve always loved the idea of these beautiful, terrifying creatures, who can be so alluring but use their appeal to cause shipwrecks and drown sailors. The femme fatale is a very interesting concept to me. I also tend to work with fashion illustration; but in a way that is body positive and inclusive. I think that fashion has got stuck in this rut of only representing this tiny demographic of skinny white people, when that doesn’t accurately represent society at all. I want to push for more diversity in fashion illustration, and depict more variety in body shapes and sizes, skin colours, disabilities and people outside of the gender binary.

Laura Wilson-2cute 2care
As a recent graduate of illustration what is the biggest thing you have learnt since leaving university?
That you have to keep pushing yourself to create new work and keep looking for opportunities. And that you have to force yourself to make time for art! It’s been a bit of a shock suddenly being away from art school and not having the support of my tutors and classmates anymore, and having to fit creating work around a job. But I’m very lucky to live with two of my ex classmates, and share a studio together, which helps keep me motivated. The three of us also run a blog together, theonethreethree.com, to keep us creating new work every week.

Laura Wilson-Whispers
What kind of work do you contribute to Bitchtopia?
Bitchtopia is an awesome feminist culture magazine which covers current events, art, music, fashion… and loads more. It’s written by an amazing community of women from around the globe, and I’m really honoured to be a part of it. I create feminist artwork for them to post, as well as illustrations to go alongside their articles, and have recently designed some prints for them which will be going up for sale in their store.

Laura Wilson-The Deep
What are your hopes for the future?
I’m looking forward to hopefully more collaboration with Bitchtopia and other feminist collectives, as well as working on some personal projects. I’ve also been meaning to create a zine for a while, so will hopefully get that moving forward soon – it will be a visual mash-up of feminist fashion illustration, alternative culture and Neo-Paganism.

Read more about Laura’s work here and buy her stunning limited edition Fortuna print here. It would be so inspiring to have you on your wall!

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Bitchtopia, ,Feminist, ,Fortuna, ,Goddess of the Moon, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Laura Wilson, ,neo-Paganism, ,Pagan, ,That Which We Do Not Understand

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Liv Bargman: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_Liv_Bargman_dark_matter
Liv Bargman was featured in my first book, Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration. She is drawn like a proton to scientific ideas and theories, which she tries to untangle with felt tip pens and hand drawn type. Dark Matter was inspired by a recent collaboration with astrophysicists and science authors on a project in Bristol, which sought to explore this cosmic gap in our understanding. ‘Dark matter makes up about 27% of the known universe, yet it is a huge hole in our current understanding of the cosmos. Is it something allusive, strange and or is it perhaps golden light?

Liv Bargman-moose
Liv Bargman-dino
Your image was inspired by the mystery of Dark Matter: what do you find most fascinating about this idea?
That it’s still an undetermined idea which is baffling scientists and it deals with philosophy as well as hard physics, so theoretical and experimental physicists are working together on space science projects. They know what dark matter isn’t rather than what it is. So it might be made up of weird particles like axions or WIMPS (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles), but it isn’t antimatter.

Liv Bargman-Scribby Science
Liv Bargman-geology rocks
Your image was inspired by the mystery of Dark Matter: what do you find most fascinating about this idea?
That it is still thought of as an idea, a concept, a mathematical equation and not real hard particle ‘stuff’. Which it is, in some form – we just don’t know what form it is. Madness really, as it makes up for most of what the universe is made from.

Liv Bargman-planes
Liv Bargman-entertainist spring2
How did you get to work with scientists on the recent project that sparked this interest?
I am just really interested in being involved in science illustration projects. I contacted At-Bristol (the science learning centre), Showed them my portfolio, and a year later I was able to take part in a project to inspire 14-16 year olds to learn about physics. Learning, education, science and design all intermingle, and it’s totally great. Jim Alkhalili has provided the voiceover for the animation we created.

Liv Bargman 1
Liv Bargman 2
What else did you learn about the cosmos that would perhaps boggle our minds?
That there’s a theory expounded by mathematical physicist Sir Roger Penrose that the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning, and this universe was preceded by another, preceded by another – so we are just one part of a long chain of Big Bangs stretching into infinity. His thinking stems from evidence in data taken from the Cosmic Microwave Background (old light photographed from the big bang 13.8 billions years ago). When a universe expands to its limit even the black holes themselves evaporate and it collapses back in on itself in a highly ordered way, to start the process of creating a Big Bang all over again.

Liv Bargman-colours
How did you create your artwork and what elements relate to the concept of Dark Matter?
The artwork features drawings made with Pentel felt tips and Staedtler black fine liners combined with scans of some textures in Photoshop. The fragmented particles are highlighted in gold and the guy in thee middle constitutes what Dark Matter might possible look like.

Liv Bargman-water cycle
What kind of space do you use as a studio?
At the moment I work at a fifties desk in my living room as I’ve just moved back to London. I used to have a studio space when I was living in Bristol (Drawn in Bristol). My new job as a full time book designer takes up a lot of my time and I’ve had to squeeze my illustration projects in between, which is not ideal.

Liv Bargman-asarabacca
You’ve led an eclectic design career since graduating in 2008, what has been a highlight so far?
Yes, it’s been eclectic. I loved working for Wild & Wolf, and Paper & Cloth and I would love to develop more design product gifts. I currently work in publishing so it’s very interesting to see behind the design process.

Liv Bargman-DNA
I hear you love Brutalist architecture – what is your favourite Brutalist building and why?
Obvious choice, but I love Ernő Goldfinger’s Balfron Tower (and Trellick Tower) and Bluevale Tower in the East End of Glasgow. They are deeply divisive, pared-down, segmented, geometric, textured designs: terrible social housing was made real in social experiments after the Second World War. I find mid 20th century history fascinating.

Liv Bargman-joyeux noel
What other projects have you got in the pipeline?
An upcoming collaboration with Wild & Wolf in the new year. Tis still a secret.

Read what Liv says about this project here and secure your copy of Dark Matter on my Kickstarter campaign page here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, ,Balfron Tower, ,Big Bang, ,Bluevale Tower, ,Cosmic Microwave Background, ,Dark Matter, ,Drawn in Bristol, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Kickstarter, ,Liv Bargman, ,Paper & Cloth, ,science, ,Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, ,Wild & Wolf

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Lorna Scobie: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Lorna_Scobie_black_catsAmelias_Magazine_TWWDNU_Lorna_Scobie_black_cats
Lorna Scobie has contributed to Amelia’s Magazine for many years. She was one of my top picks at her graduate show in 2012, and since then she has designed for multiple clients, illustrated children’s books and won many awards for her wonderful animal illustrations. Black Cats was inspired by the superstitions associated with these creatures. ‘Whether they are the bearers of good or bad luck, black cats are subject to our superstitions from England to Japan. Here I have confronted this prejudice, and filled the viewers vision with silent black felines. Are they evil omens, or are they just like any other cat?

Cat_2_Lorna_Scobie
What inspired the personalities of your black cats?
Cats have great personalites – they are all so individual. I love the confused face you see on kittens so much, and I think most of these black cats have that face! I hope I’ve managed to portray that black cats aren’t just black cats, and that each one is as funny, quirky and silly as other cats. It’s funny to think that some people see black cats as devilish!

Cat_1_Lorna_Scobie
Apparently you don’t actually like cats yourself, so what drew you to these little furry beasties?
Although I don’t like the sneakiness of cats, I love drawing them. Cats have such great characters, they make it so obvious when they are miffed! I like the way they can contort their bodies when they lick themselves and it’s really fun to draw all their limbs. There’s just something about cats!

Tiger_Lorna_Scobie
What are your favourite animals, in real life, and why?
I love tigers – which is ironic as they are just big cats! The orange and black is so striking.

Dogs_Lorna_ScobieDogs_Lorna_Scobie
You’ve contributed to Amelia’s Magazine for years, what keeps you coming back?
I love the variety of content in Amelia’s Magazine. Sometimes I find myself drawing the same sort of things everyday and so it’s really refreshing to take part in one of Amelia’s live briefs and try something new. I also have SO much respect for Amelia. When I was in my second year of university Amelia was kind enough to give us a talk about her career and since then I’ve been a huge fan of everything she has done. Hearing Amelia speak inspired me start my own blog and social media pages.

Reindeer_Lorna_Scobie
What has been you favourite commercial client since you left university, and why?
I will always have a lot of love for Stella McCartney Kids as they were one of my first commercial clients, and it meant a lot to me that they trusted me despite it being fresh out of Uni. I really enjoyed the project – creating animal masks – as it was unusual and I was allowed a lot of creative freedom. I’m yet to have a bad experience with a client, perhaps I’m really lucky, but I think it’s because the majority of people out there are really lovely!

Jungle_Lorna_Scobie
What one top tip would you share with a new illustrator?
The best tip I’ve ever been given is that there is no rush! There’s so much pressure on new graduates to be instantly successful and it’s not fair to put that on yourself as it rarely happens. I firmly believe that if you are creating illustration that you like and if you work hard, you will get to where you want to be. It’s unlikely this will happen over night, so relax, don’t rush, it’s not a race!

Dalmatians_Lorna_Scobie
Have you got any exciting projects in the pipeline, and if so can you share a few details with us?
I feel like I’m constantly working on developing some picture books so hopefully some of these projects will come into fruition! I’ve also been working a lot with a big Paris fashion house recently, and lots of that illustration will be out in December.

Birds_of_paradise_Lorna_Scobie
Find out more about Lorna Scobie‘s working process here and buy her lovely Black Cats print – complete with super shiny gold leaf on the cats’ eyes – on my Kickstarter campaign page here.

Categories ,#TWWDNU, ,animals, ,Black Cats, ,cats, ,Gold Leaf, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,Kickstarter, ,Lorna Scobie, ,Stella McCartney Kids, ,That Which We Do Not Understand

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