Best 9s of 2019

I’ve been reviewing the past 12 months and evaluating my favourite work.

Best 9s are a great way to do this. Here are my Best 9 of the year. Work that I feel pleased with as they broke new ground in terms of skills and technique progress.

It’s been great to apply art to commercial illustration briefs and to monetise my practice, as above.

Here are my painted Best 9. A real break through this year was the workshop that I did in Rotterdam with Helen Dardik. The techniques Helen shared, and the products she’s uses, are a real revelation. With practice and care my painting skills are building.

Fabric and Textiles Best 9 – I enjoy the colours and textures that I create on fabrics. Florals and birds were key themes of my work in these mediums this year.

Here’s to 2020. I’m excited to see what emerges this year. I hope your have a great year.

Please like my post, if you do. Thank you so much.

Here are related 2019 highlights…

Christmas Commercial Illustrations

Illustration Recommendations

Tennis Club Promotional Work Highlights

Bali Parasol – Instructional Illustration Work

Latest Illustrations

Gingerbread Adventures

Developed the Happy Christmas design into a 3D gingerbread model. This was the greeting card design…

I used my structural ceramics experience to plan the build and required panels.

And hand cut the pieces using the templates I created, before baking them.

And the gingerbread creation…

With icing, sweets and spin sugar the car, Santa and snow dog were a great table centre piece.

To complement the gingerbread I also baked a chocolate cake with jelly bunt and spun sugar.

Hope everyone’s Christmas is just as they wish it to be.

Kim x

Here are related stories…

Christmas Commercial Illustrations

Free Download – Christmas Card Design

Happy Christmas Illustration

Wishing you a Happy Christmas.

I created this design as an online and offline greeting. A still illustration with photographic and digital art, and also a gif with flashing fairy lights.

The design swops Santa’s sleigh for a sports car based on my favourite car design. I originally made the car in cut paper for this ‘Going to the Seaside’ Paperart piece.

Santa is joined by a little white dog, who is enjoying the ride, and a small festive robin.

The little white dog features in that artwork and those who’ve been following my work will know is the character Sam, who I’ve also painted for the Children’s book – The Dog Who Wanted To Fly

Sam – Copyright Kim

I chad created the Santa for commercial Christmas illustration I was also working on…

Using the design I created a limited print run of just 10 Christmas cards. Then my printer stopped working.

I added sparkly details with gel glitter pens and sent the fleet of greetings to family and close friends.

I next went on to bake this design in Gingerbread. See this story here…

Click on the image to see the gingerbread version of this design…

Once created I felt that the robin on the picture needed to ice skate. So I added skates and made an animated gif. A little winter sport fun for my favourite festive bird.

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas. Thank you so much for the support and to everyone who has read, Liked and Shared my work. It means so much.

Please Like and Share this post, if you wish to. I’m keen to reach as many people as possible to brighten their Christmas.

Thanks so much.

Kim x

Here are related posts:

Christmas Commercial Illustrations

Gingerbread Adventures

Latest Illustrations

September Reflection and October Direction

Paperart Originals – Ready for a new home

Free Download – Christmas Card Design

Latest Illustrations

Here are my latest illustrations and paintings. So loving creating at the moment.

The next task in #illustrationworkshop is a book cover. I thought that as I’m intending to create a book that I should use this prompt in this way.

A family gathering is always a lovely creative opportunity.

Summer Party themed illustration – developing the flower painting and trying out words and other items with the new paints and techniques.

Spot illustration for a magazine article about holiday/summer book recommendations.

Painted in watercolours and the elements brought together in @pixelmatorapp on my #iPhone

I like how this has come together and creating the woman for the glass.

Lovely time painting on location @renishawhallg with my little buddy. There are so many delightful flowers to choose from, some aren’t really in a place to stop and paint.

I’m pleased with how the floral art is developing and enjoying the paints.

I was pleased with this painting as it was a significant development on my previous painting on location at Renishaw. I like the energy and looseness of this piece though.

It’s this kind of work that o like to hold in mind and rest my subconscious on whilst trying to go back to sleep.

We’re getting the Folksy shop ready for the busy festive shopping time so if you’d like an original artwork for your loved one you can buy them here.

The tennis club needed a certificate, so keeping consistent with the illustrations I have done for club posters, social media posts and children’s colouring sheets I drew the club trophies, some are almost 100 years old, and a banner to start the build up to centenary celebrations, to create a certificate template.

I’m developing the drawing stage for my my next illustrations, I’ll share them when completed, but if you’d like to see the process and stages then pop over to my Instagram.

Thanks for spending time here, hope you’ve enjoyed it.

🎨

Happy Creating

😊🐶

Love Kim and 🐾

Posts that relate to this are…

Reflecting on a creative August

Brushed Blooms

Tennis Club Promotion Part Two

Bye for now.

Reflecting on a creative August

I’ve really enjoyed creating in August. The month started off with the Helen Dardik workshop in Rotterdam which was beautiful and inspiring. The month and art has flourished from there.

I created an illustrated map, an instructional illustration for #PortfolioClub, an illustrated Recipe prompted by Flow Magazine’s book 50 Ways To Draw Your Beautiful Ordinary Life. I also created a party invitation book cover and stitched/painted self portrait.

I added new items to my Folksy shop as we start to get ready for the busy festive period.

To learn more about this latest work follow these links❤️

Illustrated Recipe – Buns

Brushed Blooms

How to plant a tree – Instructional Illustration

How to plant a tree – Instructional Illustration

Visit my Folksy shop here to own and enjoy an original inspiring piece of art.

Thanks

Kim

Reflecting on 4 Colour Full Years

It is four years since I decide to push visual arts to the top of my priority list.

Major knee injury meant I had to pass on the opportunity that I’d been hankering for years, to manage the PR for Meadowhall. Facing months on crutches and unable to drive, life was taken up by the countless rehab exercises and everything normal took three times as long. With a recovery period quoted in years rather than weeks time began to feel different. I had so little time spare that I had to get to the nub of spending time how my soul needed and what emerged from valuable sessions with my wonderful life coach Heidi-Mai, was art… making… creating, colour, I felt like there was a whole lot of colour and creations inside me that needed to be let out into the world. And so my visual art journey changed up a gear and I began to prioritise this work, moving it from the ‘indulgent, blissful hobby’ to the ‘if I don’t have much time available I’m going to spend it on what feels great’. And with a feeling of naughty delight I signed up for an Art Foundation course.

What an exploration it has been, and continues to be. I’ve  always enjoyed a steep learning curve and staying on such a curve keeps me interested and motivated.

In the first four years I’ve had a solo exhibition, had work in four public exhibitions, have begun teaching fabric design techniques, have shared art skills in school, created commissioned artworks, designs, infographics, videos, animations and have made products from miniature pot plants to fabric birds.

I don’t know where the work is leading and when I’m in the creative moment I don’t think it really matters where or whether it leads. For me creating and making is calming, rejuvenating and present. It’s my antidote to the harrowing stories that the media try to intrude into my calm.

Here are my favourite pieces from the past four years. I look forward to seeing what will emerge from my work in the future.

I’m not stopping here. I’m busy preparing for my next workshop on Sunday 2nd June at Stitched Up and Fleeced, Sheffield.

I’m working on personal projects and strategic commercial communications. I’ve a plan for a book, watch this space, and have some exciting collaborations ahead.

Here are my favourite posts from the past four years:

Fabric Design Doll

Satin Cheese Plant…

Drawing With Silks – Cute Dog

Animating paper pictures

Here are anniversary stories from the years you may have missed. I’ve always worked on the proviso that my work will improve, although I’ve a good way to go to be at the level I aspire to, when I reflect I can see the progression. Practice makes better…

First Birthday and Art Exhibition

3 Years and Beyond

Paperart Originals – Ready for a new home

Years in the making, and hundreds of tiny details in paper, but I’m pleased to have completed my Brighton inspired Seaside Arches.

In a big move forward for me I am, for the first time, offering three paperart originals for sale in my Folksy shop. (Act quick before I change my mind).

The British seaside inspired this piece. I tried to keep to a limited colour palette, which is tricky as I love colour so much. The steam train is arriving at the seaside where the arches are a tea and ice-cream cafe, a beach paraphernalia shop and a boutique with pretty dresses, hats and handbags. The picture captures a warm sunny day with brightly coloured bunting being tousled by the warm, salty sea breeze.

This time the small white dog Sam is joined by my new little four legged friend, thanks to www.BorrowMyDoggy.com, with both wearing neckerchiefs.

There’s a deckchair and beach towel available for anyone wanting to imagine themself into the pretty seaside scene. Hmmm memories of happy days by the sea.

This winter scene is influenced by gingerbread houses, ski trips to the Alps and Russia, my love of ice skating and a chocolatier selling from a street booth I spotted in Lisbon. There’s a shift in the scene from Autumn trees into winter and the cosyness of festive lights.

Going to the seaside is all about breaking away from the norms and city to race eagerly towards the seaside, the East coast of England in this picture, the shores of Lincolnshire and Norfolk. A pretty cottage awaits the family’s arrival with a fun big wheel and ice cream van to cool down after some sunny time on the beach.

People always ask how long the pictures take to make but I’m never counting the hours as I find a happy space in cutting and placing each piece of paper to build the picture. It can be almost meditative. I most like to do this work at the table in our garden but it’s rare for sunny days still enough to work with such tiny pieces of paper; they can so easily be carried by the wind, but those rare days are magical.

More images and detail about these artworks at my Folksy shop.

I’m going to be bringing my paper art skills together with the fabric design techniques I’ve been exploring to create some cut paper fabric designs. There, now I’ve said it here I’ll make it happen. Watch this space and see more at my Instagram feed.

Here’s more about the paper part of my story.

Related posts:

Paper Art Pictures

Animating Paper Pictures

My Life in Paper

Paper Art Time-Lapses

Designer Dog Coat

Personalised Pooch Weather Proof Coat

My four legged furry buddy isn’t keen on walking in the rain. So to stop this little guy…

…ending up looking like this…

I decided to make him a bespoke coat. As he’s a Lhasa Apso with a long body shop coats don’t fit him so off the peg wouldn’t do the job.

So using his silhouette and paw print, captured on a snowy day, I designed a repeat pattern.

I painted the design in dyes using wax relief…

Then heat-pressed the design onto fabric and cut out the shapes from the paper pattern I had created to fit my furry fashionisto.

The good weather took the sewing and quilting of the layers al fresco.

I love reflective fabric so used used this for back panel of the dog coat.

My lovely Bernina sewing machine made light work of the creative quilting and edging tape sewing.

I don’t think, for me, sewing can get much better than making with fabric I’ve designed and printed myself.

After attaching the pieces and adding Velcro and a button fastening the coat was ready for “walkies”.

The collar up option for heavy rain is quite David Bowie/spacey.

The collar down option for chillier but less wet days.

You might want to see these dog inspired projects:

Drawing With Silks – Cute Dog

The Dog Who Wanted To Fly

Maltese Dog Portrait

Dog Portraits in Acrylic Paint

I’d like to thank my fabulous furry fashion model, Borrow My Doggy for the introduction and you for being here.

Make a new furry friend through Www.BorrowMyDoggy.com

For more fun makes follow my blog, my Facebook page and Instagram feed.

Thanks

Kim and Willow xx

Instagram Highlights

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 started work on a second hand sewn dog portrait. This time featuring Sam, who has been in many of my papercut paperart collage artworks and was the protagonist I’m my illustrated storybook.

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.

Sam’s storybook

Cute Dog – portrait

Paperart Pictures

Thanks for being here. Better late than never on this post. Hope you’ve enjoyed it.

Love, and peace to you, Kim xx

Drawing With Silks – Cute Dog

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.

Illustrated Children’s Book – The Dog Who Wanted To Fly

More related posts are at these links:

Art Challenge 28 –  Dog Portraits – Maltese

Sewing into Art

Have a n-ice day! Sewing challenge

I later created another dog portrait – here is the link to the story and a video of the project. 

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. 😊

Kim x