April was a bright and creative month, here are the highlights from my Instagram feed. Enjoy!
Better late than never!
First up was a cupcake themed cushion that I made for a close relation.
Lush pink, grey and teal design. It was a huge pattern repeat so I made a booster cushion with different parts of the design front and back. As I know I’ll be asked the question, the fabric was from Direct Knit and Sew in Sheffield.
Ta da! Here’s the finished cushion. It really was a work of love as it was for someone I love and I love the outcome. The pink ribbon edging the cushion really makes the colours pop.
I made pretty bunting for my sewing space. Dyeing the fabric using sublimation inks and then stitching into and embellishing the panels. The satin ribbon feels gorgeous.
I used trational machine stitch, love the clear acrylic foot – it’s an essential tool for me, and also used free machine embroidery.
The little boat and clouds are from fabric that I dyed at a workshop last summer at Stitched Up And Fleeced textile studio in Sheffield.
I tried something a little different with my Paperart on one of my favourite icons for a happy day, Ice-cream.
I repainted my Maison du Monde Smile sign to make it more me, white emulsion the flicked my favourite paint colours.
This large canvas happened out of a study for another piece. As it was drying we decided we quite liked it so this is how it is completed, for now. 😊
The above canvas artwork was created using a drag method I had been playing with.
The final make of the month was a peg bag using bright screen printed fabric, printed by a fellow student.
Here are stories that relate to these artworks. Enjoy seeing the backstories.
As a small sofa-friendly project over the easter weekend I decided to embark on a small embroidered portrait of the little dog that spends some days with me.
I found a high res picture that really showed the detail, and began first to represent the darkest areas gradually and carefully colour matching the different tones with embroidery silks, and representing the different textures. I took a drawing in silks approach, using drawing techniques that I use in life drawings.
I was pleased with how the embroidery began to take on his likeness and reflect some of his character. I added a paw print, from a picture I captured of it whilst walking during a snowfall.As I liked how the portrait looked in the embroidery hoop I decided to turn that into the frame, giving it a collar effect using a football boot lace (ssshh!)
The little dog is a lhasa apso with a lovely coat and sooo cute. He’s a great little guy who it is fun company.
The little dog’s owner was really pleased with the picture and how it captured the detail of his face and coat.
This is not the first cute dog that I have had the pleasure of capturing in art, I previously used acrylic paint to illustrate a children’s book about a white dog called Sam who wanted to fly.
Its been a pleasure to share this story and its fab to have you here, please share my site with friends who’ll enjoy it x
I write my blog as story by story I’m logging my creative journey and writing my book. If you’d like to read the chapters as they are created you can follow this blog. It’s presently a small and select group but it would’ve lovely to have you join us. 😊
Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been a while since I last posted but that means the highlights are sweeter.
For when we need to reach deep… and need to believe in ourself.
Paper cut seaside paradise. Tea and cake anyone?
I’m making a skirt in pretty bicycle fabric. I’ve been experimenting with sewn embellishments. Pretty sparkles and sequins.
Woohoo spring blooms popping up in my garden. 😀
A sunny break in Spain was colourful and inspiring. Here’s a juicy pic from Malaga market.
There’s something nostalgic about brightly painted bicycles and baskets. It’s a girl thing – summer days, wind in your hair, freedom of time and movement. Mmmm 😎
It’s winter, yet I’m sewing ice-creams and lollies. Bring on summer!
For more sunny posts see my Facebook and Instagram and see the posts here. Thanks for taking time out here, hope you’ve enjoyed it.
I feel like week three has been a turning point and I can start to see dividend in the daily practice of creating an ink drawing a day for 31 days.
Here are my #inktober drawings from the third week of the challenge, they are to fit the #Inktober2017 prompt words but also are created to fit the briefs of the eshortcourse in Illustration I am studying with Bill Wright, tutor at Central St Martins.
‘Mysterious’ in Bic biro. ‘Mysterious’ #Inktober Day 15. I tried to capture elements that connote mystery and bring them together in a composition.I really wrestled with how to illustrate #fat for #inktober2017. With Sweet fatty foods coming at her our girl is running away from fat by working out at the gym, as fat chases on.Graceful #Inktober Day 17. I love the feeling of dance, the physical celebration of being. Ink and brush on an old roadmap of Scotland.Have a fabulous day! So nice to be using the ink bottle again. Here’s one of my #inktober responses to ‘graceful’.Have a be you to the full day! Played with my Mexico photos to add colour to my ink line work in my favourite app PixelmatorA Good Walk – #inktober2017 – Day 18’s prompt word is ‘Filthy’ so I chose to create a series of illustrations as a reportage. The drawings follow…
‘Cloud’ – Keeping it simple for Day 19. I love clouds, do t always want to see them but they can be canvases for the most beautiful colours at this time of year.‘Deep’ made me think of navel gazing introspection.‘Furious’ was my hurry to collect my train tickets for London, with two minutes to spare.Bell Pepper Allergy Illustration to show to restaurant staff when ordering.Day 21 was ‘Trail’, which made me think of exploting the streets of London with my family. I love these Ashalak boots, they were made in Ibiza. I found them at Las Dalias market.
Into the home straight now – here are the prompt words to come.
Inktober 2017 Official Prompt Words
You can look out for next week’s instalment or see updates at my Facebook page and Instagram feed.
If you’ve not seen them here are the Week One and Week Two drawings.
I was fortunate to be able to try creating using the Harmony drawing machine created by Ryan of Bird and Bee Sheffield.
Here is the drawing I created with Harmony, the images then go back in time to show the drawing being created.
The ingenious finely tuned invention works using a combination of three pendulums to create stunning unique drawings. Bird and Bee take Harmony on the road to Festivals and shows.
My Harmony Draeing – Copyright KimHarmony creating the beautiful concentric hoopsRyan of Bird and Bee demoeing the drawing machineI appreciated how challenging a feat creating Harmony was when then trying to create a drawing machine, trying to balance gravity, weight and lateral movements to independently mark the paper.
I much prefer my drawing by Harmony!
Here’s some interesting drawing related posts you could look at next.😊
“My latest paper masterpiece, “Hot Days Eating Cool Ice Cream”. It is pretty with details and interest, always something more to see and packed with pictorial love from corner to corner.”
Read the full story:
I often have an idealistic view of what an event will be like. For instance say to me garden party and instantly an image conjures of pretty bunting flapping in the wind, smiling faces, beautiful colourful tablecloths, bright blooms, pink lemonade with ice glinting in the sun, gorgeous dresses and a cloud leisurely tracking across a vivid blue sky. My idealism can often lead to the reality being a little disappointing. I had seen this as a trait that was negative, that I was being naive and childishly silly.
But I have realised that it is this ideal world imagination that is the magic that can make my special kind of art.
My growing number of paper cut creations, finely crafted like a self-made jigsaw, come from this visual idealism.
Best seen in their original form the pictures are intricate and unique. In their creation is a calm happy place for me, one where I am in that sweet spot between consciousness and subconscious. Piece by piece, thought by thought I cut and stick to form a whole that when I step back I wonder how that came about.
When I was a youngster I would get frustrated that my art did not look like I had envisioned. That I could not recreate on paper the picture that I had in my head. But my paper artworks never start from a whole vision, it begins like a building, first the walls go in place, then I furnish the building with pretty furniture from my imagination and add personal items that belong to the imaginary owners, curated over their lives.
Ta-Da… My Latest Picture Revealed
I very recently completed what I feel is my latest masterpiece, “Hot Days Eating Cool Ice Cream”. Like the earlier smaller (A4) Beach Huts, Allotments and Ski Chalet (all in the strip above), it is pretty with details and interest, always something more to see, but this new piece is A3 and packed with pictorial love from corner to corner.
I created the Ice Cream artwork with new colour understanding after studying the relationships between colours. As a result it really pops off the page.
So here it is for your visual consumption. Have a Flake with that.
Hot Days Eating Cool Ice Cream – Copyright Kim
Hot Days Eating Cool ice Cream is a design made entirely from pieces of paper cut into shapes to make a bright, colourful work of art. The design feature an ice cream cafe on a sunny day. The ice-cream maker also sells the delicious ice creams out and about in the sparkly ice-cream van.
Two girls are at the cafe to enjoy ice-cream and a small white dog trots by to in the hope of a little chocolate or sweet treat.
In the distance people enjoy the fun and thrill of a rollercoaster ride and a plane flies overhead to spread the work about the wonderful ice-creams.
This is my first paper cut work that prominently features people. This was a challenge, at first I painted people and cut and added those, but later recreated them in paper and am happier with the paper characters.
Here are some details from the picture… (watermarked).
Of course Maltese Terrier Sam, as in each of the paper-cut pictures, is there – Copyright Kim
And now the fun starts on creating canvases, fabric and products which will take the picture out and about and on the move in the world.
Hot Days Eating Cool Ice Cream – Copyright Kim
I am seeking an art agent or art business mentor/manager to assist my art out into the world. Please share my post so that it can find its way to the ideal person to help.
If you’ve enjoyed this post here are related posts to feast your eyes and imagination on. Enjoy!
I love creating in sunlight as it makes the colours so rich on the paper.
Whilst on holiday in Costa De La Luz, Spain I drew shapes and patterns from the pool environment on A3 paper, then painted in watercolours.i chose my favourite hues and built layers of paint, which dried so quickly in the sun.
Pool Party – Copyright KimPool Party (Detail) – Copyright KimPool Party (Detail) Copyright Kim
I’m pleased with the final overall effect, it is quite different from my past work and I enjoyed creating it. 😊
At University of the Arts London Chelsea College of Art we were looking at backgrounds and I had some interesting experiences drawing a picture out of the background. So I challenged myself to work with existing pictures to draw what emerged or or occurred to me.
These are compliments to the beautiful photography and in no way are disparaging to the art workers who were involved in the stages to get them to publication .
Here are the outcomes…
Spicy Ski Slopes from ThonsonWho’s Watching You? Weeping Windows Inflight. Copyright KimMy close friend memtioned wanting a hammock, when i sae this picture i felt it was crying out for her to enjoy a hammock there. this ones for you CharWarm Love At A Winter Wedding. Melting Moments.A man in a dark place seeks an end watched on by beings there to save himA dog who likes to party. 😊
Here are other posts that are related to this and here is my story.
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The collar up option for heavy rain is quite David Bowie/spacey.
A sunny break in Spain was colourful and inspiring. Here’s a juicy pic from Malaga market.
There’s something nostalgic about brightly painted bicycles and baskets. It’s a girl thing – summer days, wind in your hair, freedom of time and movement. Mmmm 😎
It’s winter, yet I’m sewing ice-creams and lollies. Bring on summer!
