Ohh Deer

Amelia’s Magazine | Ohh Deer Pop-Up Shop at Wolf & Badger: Review

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Ohh Deer Pop-Up

The only thing I know about Mayfair is that it’s a pretty good property to buy if you’re playing Monopoly. In reality, this pretty ‘n’ posh street is filled with people wearing suits standing outside clubs in the afternoon sun and, as far as I can tell, looking (or at least trying to look) as though they make lots and lots of dough. The cash kind, not the squishy kind.

It is strange but sort of perfect that the latest Ohh Deer Pop-Up is on Dover Street. As I head to the launch I notice that skinny jeans, hipster glasses, tattoos and dyed hair are dotted amongst the briefcases and Oxford shirts, as people make their way to the opening of this creative hubs latest temporary shop. These arty folks are a stark contrast to the suited up worker bees hanging out for cocktails after a hard day in the office.

Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up

When I get to my destination I am not disappointed. Nestled in a basement shopfront, in independent retailer Wolf & Badger‘s Gallery Room is a wonderful, creative celebration. Although it’s been and gone now, this illustration extravaganza took place between the 21st June and 4th July, with the launch event I popped along to falling on Thursday the 20th June.

I’ve written a lot about online shop and illustration collective Ohh Deer lately. I interviewed Co-Founder Jamie Mitchell a few months ago, I wrote a strange and slightly creepy love letter about them which you can read here. Bearing all this in mind, I was understandably pretty excited to be heading to their pop-up launch.

Ohh Deer Pop-Up Ohh Deer Pop-Up Ohh Deer Pop-Up

The night was filled with the latest contemporary illustration talent and general creative peeps and all sorts of products were on hand, from tee’s to cushions. With free illustrated badges and neon cupcakes on the menu as well as plenty of tipple all ’round, this was a pretty cool pop-up (and my first). Complete with a goodie bag to end the night, and artwork projected onto the wall, this was an illustration spectacular at its best.

Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up

Wearing Rosita Bonita seahorse earrings, I bumbled my way inside with a friend and got myself a drink and some cake. Tired after work, this was the perfect way to get my spirits up as well as meet some creatives and browse some great products. Laura Gee‘s beardy cushions and Jack Teagle‘s comics made a particular impression on me, and I also met Drew Turner and saw his spectacular tattoos. The night was a mesh of bright My So Called Life style dyed locks, quirky outfits and plainly clothed artists and arty types too. My friend having abandoned me for her book club down the road, I spent the second part of the night getting to know the amazing Yasmin Dilekkaya of Yas-Ming Ceramics and her lovely mum as well as getting an eyeful of the latest in contemporary illustration.

Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up
Ohh Deer Pop-Up

One of the especially exciting things about this pop-up was seeing a whole bunch of Ohh Deer products up close and personal. Although I spend a good chunk of my wages buying out their stock and have everything from t-shirts to a notebook myself, there’s something special about seeing it all laid out. As one of those annoying hipster peeps that spends their evenings hanging out in Paperchase until it shuts, I can imagine myself spending my time lingering in permanent Ohh Deer stores one day. Fingers crossed they open one.

Ohh Deer Pop-Up

As an illustration junkie living outside London, this Ohh Deer Pop-up was one of my first real introductions into the illustration world. Meeting some of the collaborators and hearing them talk about the brand was great too. With workshops spread over the pop-up to help build skills and get creative in a flock, there was not much more you could ask for from this young, fresh, determined creative company. Pretty impressively the pop-up also kicked up quite a buzz with Elle, Time Out, The Evening Standard and The Telegraph all giving it a mention, as well as the workshops being completely booked up.

Once all the fun and games was over at the end of the night and and after a long journey home courtesy of National Rail, I realised I had left my cardigan on the train (again). ‘Ohh Deer‘ I said to myself, smiling.

Ohh Deer Pop-Up

To find out more about Ohh Deer and get your hands on their beautiful illustrated products check out their website here www.ohhdeer.com.
Pictures courtesy of Ohh Deer and Yas-Ming Ceramics.

Written by Jessica Cook on Tuesday July 16th, 2013 11:25 am

Categories ,Alice Potter, ,art, ,ceramics, ,cupcakes, ,cushions, ,Dover Street, ,Drew Turner, ,Gemma Correll, ,Homeware, ,illustration, ,Jack Teagle, ,Jamie Mitchell, ,Kris Tate., ,Marc Callaby, ,Mayfair, ,Ohh Deer, ,Pop-up, ,Rosita Bonita, ,T-shirts, ,Wold and Badger, ,Wolf & Badger, ,Yas-Ming

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Amelia’s Magazine | Wrap Magazine: An Interview with Co-Founder Polly Glass

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Polly & Chris by Gemma Cotterell
Christopher Harrison and Polly Glass by Gemma Cotterell

When I open Issue Seven of Wrap, I’m thinking of Princess Clara, Wooldoor Jebediah Sockbat, Foxxy Love, Toot Braunstein and the whole gang. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this wondrous cast of visual mockery, these are characters from animation parody Drawn Together, a TV show which pokes fun at our favourite 2D cartoonies, and also, the name of Wrap’s most recent issue. Wrap‘s Drawn Together puts a beady eye onto collectives, and the highlights of this issue include: Anthony Burrill, Peepshow Collective, Nous Vous, Pictoplasm, Studio Tipi, Print Club London, Hvass&Hannibal and Edition Biografiktion.

Wrap Magazine

‘Are four hands better than two?’ is the question at the nib of the latest installation of this illustration celebration. This “people power” issue not only explores the relationships between happily ever after collectives, but also plays matchmaker to a few of its own new ink-birds. There are some familiar faces here, making me think that the illustration world is pretty incestuous, but the overall effect is inspiring. This isn’t the first time I’ve had my mitts on a copy of the mag, and around Santa-time the Nordic Lights issue was like a security blanket for me; I carried it everywhere. There’s something very tactile and natural about yanking out the pages of a mag and the concept of this little magazine has me completely infatuated.

Wrap Magazine

Ripping a magazine is usually a painful, accidental and clumsy affair, caused by careless turning, or perusing in the tub. Wrap is meant to be ripped. With 5 pull out, reversible pages of double-sided illustration goodness, you can artwork-coat your gifts with this lovely ‘zine. Wrap seems to be everywhere I look these days, having stumbled across it via STACK, I’ve also found it hidden in a nook of the Ohh Deer online webshop. What could be better than dressing up your gifts in beautiful outfits before handing them over to your loved one? Undressing presents is half the fun of getting them after all. That and the ‘gift shake’; the little dance move you do when you first grab hold of a present to assess its potential insides.

Wrap is more than just an illustration magazine, it celebrates design and creative culture as a whole. Created by Christopher Harrison and Polly Glass it’s on the way to proving that print hasn’t passed its use-by date. I spoke to co-creator Polly Glass about how the pair got the mag off the ground and what they’re looking for in new contributors.

Wrap Magazine

What did you get up to before Wrap?
Before, and also during the early stages of Wrap, Chris and I both worked as jewellery designers in London for a fashion jewellery company – that’s how we met actually. We worked with a whole host of British brands including Mathew Williamson, Agent Provocateur, Ted Baker and Cath Kidston which was a great experience, and really helped us to see how bigger designs brands like that function.

Wrap Magazine

Wrapping paper is something many people overlook, has it always been a passion of yours?
I wouldn’t say it quite like that, no – although I do take pleasure in a beautiful wrapped present! For us, the wrapping paper element to Wrap is about it being the best way to show off the fantastic and hugely impressive work of our contributing illustrators, because the sheets are so nice and big. Also, as one of the main purposes of Wrap is to share illustrators work with other people, if our readers can pull out a sheet that has one of their favourite designs on, and use it to wrap up a present for their best friend, then they are carrying on that sharing process.

Wrap Magazine

How did you get the funds to publish the first issue of Wrap?
We funded issue one ourselves through savings – our print run was quite small, and we created a much simpler version of what Wrap is today, which made it relatively affordable to test out as an idea, and see how people would react. Luckily, people seemed to really like the concept of the magazine, and so from there, sales of the magazine have funded all future issues.

How does the financial model of the mag work now? Do you both work on it full-time?
Yes, we both work full time on the magazine, and we also have a team of brilliant freelancers who we couldn’t do without! Wrap is now 80 pages (compared to 24 in issue one!), so it takes a great deal of energy from all involved to make it what it is. Financially, magazine publishing is a hard industry to crack, but essentially the model is to make and sell lots of magazines! At the moment we have very minimal advertising in Wrap, so revenue comes mainly from sales, and we run nearly all the distribution ourselves in order to maximize profit and insure that Wrap is sold to the best shops possible, and ones that really understand what we’re all about. We also work firm sale (meaning they buy the magazines out-right) with our stockists, as this means every magazine that goes out the door has been paid for, which helps to reduce wastage and over-printing.

Chris from Wrap, by Karina Jarv
Christopher Harrison by Karina Jarv

Wrap uses vegetable based inks and 100% recycled paper, was making the mag environmentally friendly always a priority for you, despite cost?
Whether it’s the magazine, or our range of wrapping papers and prints, we always try to produce things in a considerate and environmentally friendly way – there’s no reason not to really. Printing can be a hugely wasteful industry, so we are very careful to only make things that we really believe in, and we only work with UK printers – a manufacturing industry we’re keen to support and promote.

Wrap Magazine

Issue Six focussed on Nordic lights, and Issue Seven on collaborations, how do you go about picking a theme?
There’s no particular method to our theme selection – really, it’s about delving into a subject or area that we think is interesting and relevant to the field of illustration at the time. We do also of course consider the time of year, so with the Nordic Lights Issue (our Winter 2012 edition) – we thought the idea of ten illustrators from across Scandinavia sharing with our readers their impression of a snowy, Nordic winter would be wonderful! And our new, seventh issue celebrates creative ‘collectives’ and collaborations – a way of working that seems to be growing in popularity and that we wanted to find out more about.

Polly by Alys Jones
Polly by Alys Jones

You mentioned that you visited Berlin for research, what’s been your best research trip so far?
Ooooh – we’ve been very lucky to go on a few research trips now. I loved Berlin, and our trip to Helsinki for the last issue was brilliant, if not a bit chilly, but for me, going to spend the day with graphic designer Anthony Burrill in sunny Rye was the best! He gave Harry (our editor) and I a super tour of the coastal town, including visiting ‘Simon the Pieman’ – his favourite cafe, and Adams of Rye – the traditional letterpress printers who he collaborates with to produce his famous posters, including the special one he’s made just for Wrap 7!

Wrap Magazine

I found a beautiful illustrated postcard inside my copy, is this something you’ll be doing in future?
Oh yes, we always try to include something a little special with each issue, like the postcards. Our subscribers all received a set of exclusive patterned stickers by illustrator Ed J Brown (who drew our title typeface in issue 7), with their delivery of issue 7 – we hope they liked them!

Who do you imagine as your typical reader?
From what we’ve seen, our readers can be pretty wide ranging, but typically, they are practicing creative people, and around 70% are women.

Wrap Magazine

Anthony Burrill produced a poster based on the latest issue, is it important for you to make Wrap more than just a magazine?
Wrap is about celebrating some of the best and most vibrant artists of the moment, and the more we grow, the more we find exciting ways to do that through the magazine and the Wrap brand! Last year we worked with four of our favourite illustrators to develop our first range of commercial wrapping papers, and so far this year we’ve worked with Anthony to produce his fantastic poster for Wrap, and the six illustrators in our ‘Make a Good Thing Happen’ project to produce a range of 3 limited-edition notebooks. We’ve had lots of fun, and have lots more ideas to work on!

Wrap Magazine

Your latest issue featured a whole host of illustrators, including Nous Vous and Peepshow Collective, how do you go about finding illustrators to work with?
We’re always on the lookout for new illustrators and designers to work with, whether it be through exhibitions, events or twitter and social media channels, but we’re also very lucky to get a lot of people contact us through our submissions email which is great. I suppose the more and more you’re immersed in an industry like illustration, the more you hear about, and know what’s going on. However we also love to go to the summer student shows by universities like Brighton and Kingston – they’re a great place to spot potential new stars.

Wrap Magazine
Do you think that “print is dead”?
This is a question we are often asked! No, I don’t think print is dead – but the industry is obviously changing and evolving, like lots of areas at the moment. I like that it’s actually making people more considerate and careful about what they print, which can only be a good thing.

Wrap Magazine

Photographs were provided by Wrap Magazine

Written by Jessica Cook on Friday April 26th, 2013 12:34 pm

Categories ,art, ,artists, ,collaboration, ,Collaborations, ,creative culture, ,design, ,drawing, ,Drawn Together, ,features, ,Gift, ,illustration, ,jessicasrcook, ,journalism, ,mag, ,magazine, ,Nous Vous, ,Ohh Deer, ,paper, ,Polly & Chris, ,Shellsuit Zombie, ,STACK, ,Stack Magazines, ,Subscription, ,Wrap, ,Wrapping paper, ,writing, ,zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | Ohh Deer Illustration Collective: an interview with Co-Founder Jamie Mitchell

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Ohh Deer , Jamie Mitchell illustration

Ohh Deer is more than just a site that sells cool graphic tees, it’s a collective of young creatives featuring some of the most talented emerging illustrators out there. Founded in 2011 by Jamie Mitchell and Mark Callaby, Ohh Deer offers everything from greeting cards to homeware. In fact, Amelia ear-marked one of their lovely cushions (designed by William Branton) in her Christmas Gift Ideas 2012 post. More than just a quirky online shop, jam-packed full of juicy illustrated bits ‘n’ bobs, they also function a bit like a creative agency, working on briefs together (for clients like Universal Music) and helping promote each others work.

The band of merry pens that make up this fresh-faced brand have proven than two leads (of the pencil variety) are better than one with their great products and impressive roster of clients. Rather than brave a tough industry alone, Mark and Jamie decided to work together, bringing a whole host of other bright young things they admired on board too. There’s now a whole range of pencils involved, including Nicholas Darby, Alice Potter, Ruben Ireland, Miguel Mansur, Jamie Mills and Kris Tate. The site also stocks products by various other illustrators including Jack Teagle and Emma May to name but a few.

Ohh Deer, Jamie Mitchell illustration

The result is Ohh Deer, the equivalent of a sort of ‘super-freelancer’ with more time, talent, range and skills than one illustrator could muster alone. Fun, fresh, beautiful, honest, scary, relevant, Ohh Deer illustrations cover a lot of bases with their vast range of styles. Complete with a young, contemporary vibe, the company is straight out of the dreams of many a creative-type.

If you don’t already follow Ohh Deer on Facebook then you should, as it quickly becomes obvious that their brand-name gives them an edge for cracking all manner of social media-friendly and meme-happy jokes. This isn’t just a collective that follows visual culture, they’re part of it.

Ohh Deer , Jamie Mitchell illustration

Last year, to give my wardrobe an injection of all things illustration, I took out a subscription to the Ohh Deer T-shirt Club. This, like my Stack Magazines subscription, is one of my monthly indulgences. Whether it’s a design featuring a lemon with adorably bulgy eyes or kitchen utensils with attitude, these staples give my wardrobe, and my creativity, a boost each month. There’s so much stuff on the site I want that it would be impossible for me to list it all here, but currently I’m drooling over some lovely wooden neck-creatures , wishing I could buy ALL the stationery as well as lusting after a whole batch of other penned goodies that make me shiver with creative delight. They even have copies of Wrap in their shop, an illustration magazine which comes with 5 sheets of illustrated wrapping paper each issue.

With all this in mind, I spoke to co-founder Jamie Mitchell about how he came to setup the business and what Ohh Deer has in store for 2013.

Ohh Deer , Jamie Mitchell illustration

What gave you the impetus to start Ohh Deer?
The business was founded as a means to support myself and Mark. After a while we added several Illustrators to our collective and since then it’s blossomed. We’ve realised the potential to help other creatives and we’re determined to create something synonymous with contemporary Illustration.

What philosophy do you think is at the heart of the business?
The business feeds back a direct proportion of profit to the artist who’s work it is, and that’s how we like to do it. Ohh Deer as a business needs enough profit to grow, and be able to launch people to a higher level of recognition but our core aim is to support illustrators, and a lot of support for freelancers comes financially.

Ohh Deer
Ohh Deer
Ohh Deer

What kind of plans do you have for Ohh Deer in the future?
We’re now on the highstreet, and hopefully will be in Topshop and Paperchase nationwide soon. Our next step is to get the brand recognised internationally, and the same process will hopefully be applied to several amazing countries.

How did you go about picking illustrators to collaborate with?
The original selection of Illustrators were picked from people who’s work we admired on Twitter, these were people we were in regular contact with and whose work we would love to own. Since then we’ve added Illustrators and Artists to the roster who embody everything we love about the field. We all have a contemporary feel to our work, and we all work differently.

Ohh Deer, Jamie Mitchell illustration

You started Ohh Deer with Mark Callaby, do you both run the project full-time?
Me and Mark founded the company in 2011, and we run the company from a HQ in Loughborough. Full-time there’s also Laura and soon to be Ricky who will be doing lots of tech related wizardry.

You originally pursued a career in Architecture, is this something you might look back to in future?
I might drift back to Architecture for small projects, I still love to design space, but never for anything permanent, I imagine my career will be very varied, as design can change so much from one project to the next.

Hannah Richards, Ohh Deer

What are the influences of your own personal illustration style?
A childhood diet of David Attenborough.

What other projects are you working on right now?
Ohh Deer is where the majority of my time is spent, I’m completing Album artwork for a very talented Musician at the minute. I’m doing a piece for an exhibition in Oxford about ‘contemporary fairytales’, I’m doing some work for a company called Kigu, who make brilliant onesies. I’ve just started a collection of Dinosaurs (because I love them) but also because I’ve been asked by the Natural History Museum to produce contemporary Dino products. I had an interesting email in my inbox this week about wallpaper design, so that could be happening too soon. Ohh Deer products will soon be on sale in Topshop and Paperchase as well as Scribbler and hopefully some other high street chains – so our mission to create a ‘launchpad’ for the artists is definitely taking shape. Next it will be the world.

Drew Turner, Ohh Deer
Rebecca Potter, Ohh Deer
Kris Tate, Ohh Deer

How often do you put pen to paper?
I don’t get to draw all that often, I don’t have any free time at all, I’m working to be able to do more, by hiring a PA to manage some of the details, but I normally output a single Illustration every two months or so.

What’s the best aspect of starting up your own business?
Being your own boss. I’m unemployable – and by that I don’t mean I’m not professional, I just get restless, bored and disappointed with an unvarying list of jobs to do. I also love the ability to help support and nourish the careers of lots of awesome illustrators – our online following allows us to showcase work and host public facing competitions to see what other brilliant work is out there.

And the worst?
Not having enough hours in the day.

Jaco Haasbroek, Ohh Deer

What advice would you give to budding illustrators?
Say yes to everything – Don’t expect to make any money to begin with, and when you’ve got some projects under your belt, don’t let big companies bully you for cheap labour, you’re a very talented individual and don’t you forget it!

Ruben Ireland, Ohh Deer


The beautiful illustrations in this piece were provided by Jamie Mitchell. The Ohh Deer products are by a range of illustrators and you can find them all on the Ohh Deer website.

Written by Jessica Cook on Thursday April 11th, 2013 10:06 am

Categories ,Alice Potter, ,architecture, ,collective, ,contemporary fairytales, ,cushions, ,David Attenborough, ,dinos, ,draw, ,Emma May, ,Graphic Design, ,greeting cards, ,Homeware, ,illustration, ,illustrators, ,Jack Teagle, ,Jamie Mills, ,Jamie Mitchell, ,Kigu, ,Kris Tate., ,Mark Callaby, ,Miguel Mansur, ,natural history museum, ,Nicholas Darby, ,Ohh Deer, ,onesies, ,Online Shop, ,Paperchase, ,Ruben Ireland, ,Sandra Dieckmann, ,Scribbler, ,shop, ,T shirt Club, ,topshop, ,twitter, ,Universal music, ,William Branton, ,Wrap Magazine

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Sophie Corrigan: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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Sophie Corrigan - anatomy of a fox
Illustrator Sophie Corrigan is known as @ladyaxolotl on instagram, where she has gained a huge following thanks to her images of Puggles and the like. Her super intricate artwork featuring oodles of cute critters and alluring animals will be featured in my upcoming colouring book… read on to find out more.

Sophie Corrigan
What are your favourite characters to draw and why?
I always gravitate towards drawing animals, as I’m a huge nature-lover! Any and all are really fun to draw. As a warm-up when sketching, I tend to draw canines, bears and birds, as their shapes are so simple but leave lots of room for experimenting – i.e., gangly legs, wonky eyes, and silly stances!

Sophie Corrigan - both pages small
What drew you to the theme of leaf litter for the colouring book pages?
I knew I wanted to base it upon a woodland or forest theme, as there’s lots of scope for including different creatures and floral shapes. In the past I’ve drawn woodland scenes, but I quite liked the idea of zooming in a bit this time to get a different perspective. That would allow me to draw some of the smaller critters such as squirrels and hedgehogs (which I love!), and also explore intricate details that might be found on the ground in a wood – which I thought would be great fun to colour!

Sophie Corrigan - anatomy of a hedgehog
Why have you decided to head back to college for a masters?
Since leaving Uni in 2013, I knew I wanted to go back and study on the Children’s Book Illustration MA course! My dream is still to have a children’s book published, and this is just another step towards that goal. I met a lot of inspiring people at Uni, and really felt that my work improved a lot while I was there – and I know there’s still so much to learn. There were visiting lecturers and lots of opportunities for feedback that I’ve really missed. I decided to wait a while before heading back, to build up my portfolio a bit and see if I could work as a freelance illustrator for a while. I really can’t wait to be a student again and improve my work more!

Sophie Corrigan - abeagle commission
Sophie Corrigan - sassage
How come you live in a sweet shop, who does it belong to and do you get any freebies, what is your favourite sweet and why?
I grew up in it! It’s a little corner convenience shop owned by my parents, and they’re quite known locally for their traditional sweets in jars. It was fantastic as a child (as you can imagine) as my parents weren’t at all strict, and I even got to help pick and test the stock. I still get freebies now, but growing up with it gives you a bit self-control! Plus, I pay my lovely parents rent for the privilege now. I still get excited visiting the sweet stockists. As for favourites, we sell the best fudge I’ve ever had anywhere (not biased), and I’m a huge chocolate fiend (Nestle is probably my favourite), and leftovers from Easter and Christmas are probably the best things ever.

Sophie Corrigan - ocelittle ocelot
I love your needle felted characters, how did you learn this art?
I was browsing the internet one day and a cute tiny cat caught my eye. After looking more closely, I saw that it was actually a felted ornament made by someone! I had to learn the skill for myself, it just looked so lovely. After looking up tutorials on YouTube, I found that it couldn’t be simpler – all you had to do was poke wool with a barbed needle, and magically it becomes a shape! Stitching in the little beady eyes is my favourite bit, though – that’s when the creatures sort of come to life!

Sophie Corrigan - crocodiles arent evil
Sophie Corrigan - puppy totem
What kind of Plush designs do you hope to make for christmas, any sneak peeks you can share?
It’s not for certain yet that anything will happen with them, but I’ve been designing some plush ideas for Christmas next year. Can’t give away too much about them, but they’re quirky and festive! Most of my work at the minute is in the top-secret stage, and it’s really difficult to not share details as it’s all rather exciting!!

Sophie corrigan axolotl shapeWays
I love the 3D printed axolotl, how was it made and what for?
The 3D printed axolotl I have is not only magical and adorable, but also has a little story behind it! I was contacted by 3D designer Eric Ho on Shapeways (a website that creates lots of different items through 3D printing) via Twitter, asking if I would like to collaborate with him to create a 3D printed Pugtato – which is one of my designs. I’d seen that he had the axolotl for sale, and it looked amazing, so of course I said yes to the collaboration (and ordered one of his axolotls for myself)! So, thanks to axolotls, the Pugtato is now available as a 3D printed sculpture too! It’s turned out just as magical as the axolotl, and they both now happily live together on my shelf.

Sophie Corrigan - pugtato
Can you tell us more about your collaboration with a crochet artist? Can we expect more 3D creations from you?
I was contacted by crochet artist Abigial Lim of My Backyard Monsters on Etsy. She’s based in America, but was really enthused by the idea of collaborating, and when I took a look at her work I knew it would be the perfect match, despite the distance. I could never pick up crochet myself so I was overjoyed to see the prototype of my Pugtato created perfectly by Abigail! The first order of Pugtatoes sold out in a matter of hours – I’m just waiting on the next batch to arrive, as I’ve had lots of people asking if they’re still available! I’m sure we’ll work together on more of my characters too. I really love the idea of collaborating, and have a few other exciting collaborations lined up! (Which are, again, top secret at the minute).

Sophie Corrigan - raccoon on bongos
Sophie Corrigan - cardinals
Why do you think you have attracted 10,000 followers on instagram, any tips?
I’ve been totally blown away by the support I’ve had on Instagram! I loved the setup when I first joined, and realised quite quickly people seemed to respond to my work on there really well, and my followers gradually increased over time. I just kept uploading my sketches, and my final artworks, and anything that was quite interesting to me. It’s just a perfectly simple setup, and it’s the social media site I update most often because of that. I’ve discovered so many great artists through it, and it’s such a lovely community! Since I started producing work for larger clients, and through wonderful support from sites like Ohh Deer and Redbubble, my followers just exploded. I never thought I’d get so many. I’m quite touched that people appreciate both my artwork, and photographs of hot chocolate! As for tips, I’d just say upload images that you really love, make use of hashtags, and if you’re an artist it’s always lovely to see a sketchbook!

Sophie Corrigan - dogs hallmark card
Read about more of my featured artists as they are decided! I can’t wait to share all the talent I have found through the #ameliasccc open brief (check the hashtag to see examples of all the submitted work).

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday September 16th, 2015 10:55 am

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,@ladyaxolotl, ,Abigial Lim, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,axolotl, ,Children’s Book Illustration, ,Coloring Book, ,Colouring Book, ,etsy, ,instagram, ,interview, ,Lady Axolotl, ,My Backyard Monsters, ,Ohh Deer, ,Puggle, ,Pugtato, ,Redbubble, ,Shapeways, ,Sophie Corrigan

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Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Yasmin Dilekkaya of Yas-Ming Ceramics

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Yas Ming ceramics by Lauren KellyYas -Ming by Lauren Kelly

I’m a big fan of collaborations and the wonders they can produce, and Yas-Ming Ceramics is no exception. Begotten from a project between Yasmin Dilekkaya and Ming Wai Sun during their time at University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, these animal mugs, bowls and other items could give the Urban Outfitters homeware section a run for its money. Talking-pieces as well as beautiful kitchen thingymabobs, their handcrafted ceramics are slip-cast, with press moulding and hand building also used in their creation.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming (1)

Fun is vital part of the brand and the product lines are named accordingly: Moo Cups, Rawr Bowls, Oink, Squeak and Nay. The mugs are my fave, available with an animal head or a bum on the mug instead of a handle, you can choose from a delicate giraffe, fierce lion, stern horse, cute pig, grumpy cow and majestic ram. There’s all sorts of other stuff too including bowls with animal faces and posteriors, dishes with adorable characters patiently watching you munch down your nosh, and even little ceramic chopstick holders that let your eating implements have a quick rest.

Having bumped into Yas at the Ohh Deer Pop-Launch and spent an evening with her talking about ceramics, I can confirm that not only are the products from this exquisite little brand lovely, but the people behind it are too. I spoke to Co-Founder Yasmin Dilekkaya about mugs with bums and getting a creative company off the ground.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming

Can you tell me a little about both yourself and Ming?
We met while we where studying on an Applied Arts degree, Ming Wai was born in Hong Kong and is now living in the UK with her husband and daughter. I have a Turkish Cypriot background, but born and grew up in England. Our multicultural backgrounds were a stimulus and inspiration to us while designing and making at university.

Yas Ming by Lilly Allen
Yas-Ming by Lilly Allen

How did you get the idea for the mugs? 
In our final year at uni, as a year group, we had to raise money for our end of year Graduate Show. At this point I was making a set of Turkish coffee cups and Ming Wai was making beautifully elaborate 3D ceramic picture frames that had animals coming out of them.  We had the idea of attaching the animals to the cups so we had a product that we could sell around university.  The cups were really popular so after Graduation we decided to see how much further we could push the idea.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming ceramics by Lauren Kelly
Yas -Ming by Lauren Kelly

Why did you start making the mugs with ‘bums’?
In the beginning we experimented a lot with cutting the animals in half and seeing where they worked on the cups/bowls and we thought it was a fun idea to have bums as handles as well as the heads.

Which events have you been at in the last year, and what do you have planned for future?
In the past year we have been part of lots of great events from trade shows to markets and pop-up shops. We have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic organisations. Highlights include being selected by The Secret Emporium to be part of their Christmas Market and their Boxpark Pop-Up. Also, exhibiting in Launchpad at Pulse, getting to meet lots of new potential stockists and being part of the Ohh Deer Pop-up where we have been asked to run a ceramic workshop. We have another pop-up with Crafty Fox and Brixi next month, with lots to look forward to in the coming months.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming

What kind of reactions do the pieces usually get? 
They generally get a great reaction, sometimes it takes a while for people to register what they are looking at, and you can watch as their face goes from confused to a smile. There are always lots of smiles, laughter, and people love to pick them up and try out holding them.

Can you explain the process that goes into making the mugs?
We use moulds to cast the animals and moulds to cast the cups/bowls/dishes, once they are out of their moulds the two pieces are carefully attached together by hand and put into the kiln for the first firing. They then get glazed and put into the kiln for a second time.

Yas Ming by Lilly Allen 2
Yas-Ming by Lilly Allen

Is handcrafting your products important to you, or do you think in future you would consider mass-production? 
It is important to us, we use traditional techniques and are proud that each piece is touched and crafted by the hand of a skilled craftsperson. It gives the work personality and quirks that you would not get from factory mass-production.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming

Do you have a favourite animal?
That’s such a hard question, I have favourite animals for different products. I like the Rat Oink because I like the way he looks when he has sauce in the dish. The Cow Rawr is also a favourite, I use it for my cereal most days. The Giraffe Moo I also love as it’s is beautifully elegant.

What’s the greatest challenge of setting up a business? 
Like a lot of new businesses we have had a huge amount of challenges, ours were mostly kiln problems and production issues at the start. Now we have some great people in Stoke helping us produce the products, the challenges have changed.

How do you take your tea? 
Two sugars and not much milk.

Yas Ming
Yas Ming by Nikki Miles
Yas-Ming by Nikki Miles

To get your hands on these Baa-utiful ceramics, check out the Yas-Ming website at www.yas-ming.co.uk

Written by Jessica Cook on Friday July 5th, 2013 11:28 am

Categories ,animals, ,Applied Arts, ,Boxpark, ,Brixi, ,cast, ,chopsticks, ,Clay, ,Crafty Fox, ,glazed, ,Graduate Show, ,graduation, ,Homeware, ,jessicasrcook, ,Lauren Kelly, ,Lilly Allen, ,moulds, ,Mugs, ,Nikki Miles, ,Ohh Deer, ,Pulse, ,The Secret Emporium, ,trade shows, ,workshop, ,Yas-Ming, ,Yasmin Dilekkaya

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Amelia’s Magazine | Christmas Gift Ideas 2012: Cushions!

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ooh deer pictor_cushion http://www.williambranton.com
Pictor cushion in super soft faux suede by William Branton for Ohh Deer.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be blogging all my best suggestions for a range of gifts, from homeware to jewellery to fine art prints to kids’ clothes… and to start off my round up I bring you my pick of cushions…

As a surface to display design in the home cushions are hard to beat, which is why you will find so many illustrators and textile designers currently churning them out. And they’re a great way to cheaply dress up your living room – so why not splash out on one, or two, for your loved ones. And then you’ll get to enjoy them too. Perfect!

ben the illustrator greenland multicoloured cushion
Ben the Illustrator believes that ‘good places make people feel good‘, whether you’re on the coast watching birds, or on the couch watching TV. His artwork is inspired by nature and his new homeware range is printed and hand-made in the UK, aided by his wife Fiona and manufactured ‘using unlimited volumes of colour and love‘. I love this Greenland design, inspired by Arctic dwellings.

kate marsden park hill cushion
The iconic Park Hill housing estate in Sheffield inspired this large square cushion by Kate Marsden, which is digitally printed on the front with black felt on the reverse.

Imogen-Heath-Dahlia-Cushion
Imogen Heath combines traditional artistry with digital technology to create print designs such as this bright Dahlia design.

shake the dust cheetah cushion
Shake the Dust is a new ethical design brand which sources, commissions and sells hand-made, luxury homeware and accessories: traditional skills are reinterpreted through modern eyes. This gorgeous Cheetah design was made in the Kingdom of Swaziland by Baobab Batik.

constructive studio faces_cushion
Craig Yamey of Constructive Studio created this beautiful calligraphic face print from his studio in Cockpit Arts, Holborn. Read more about the Constructive Studio collection here.

Donna Wilson oak tree cushion
No blog on cushions would be complete without mention of the all conquering Donna Wilson – I particularly like this shaped woollen oak tree. Something a bit different for the sofa!

Darkroom cushion Camille Walala
A little bit 80s, a little bit tribal,what’s not to love about Camille Walala‘s brilliant double sided cushion which was inspired by the wall paintings of South Africa’s Ndebele tribe? Part of the T-R-I-B-A-L-A-L-A collaboration with Darkroom.

howkapow white bear paul farrell cushion
I adore this White Bear/Black Bear two-sided cushion by Bristol-based illustrator, Paul Farrell, available from the great Howkapow design website run by husband and wife design team Cat and Rog.

ooh deer big_chill_jack teagle cushion
On Culture Label I found this characterful cushion designed by the inimitable Jack Teagle for Ohh Deer, who work with a host of illustrators to create lovely things.

Soma Ben Javens drum major mini cushion
Is it a cushion? Is it a plush toy? I’m going with the former for the purposes of this fab creation by Ben Javens on Soma Gallery. Each Drum Major cushion is carefully screen-printed in the UK using eco-friendly water-based inks, then stuffed and sewn by hand by Beast in Show in Oxford.

poppy and red ditsy flower cushion
A search of Society6 brought me to this lovely ditsy design by Irish design duo Poppy & Red.

Lu Flux Alphabet A cushion
For patchwork lovers: check out these fab alphabet cushions by ethical designer Lu Flux. They are all made from vintage fabrics sourced in Britain and no two are the same.

Urban-Cross-Stitch-Floral-Skull-BUST
For those of you who prefer to create your own: I’ve already bought one of these as a present – an amazing floral skull cushion by Urban Cross Stitch. Meet them in person at the Bust Craftacular.

lorna syson Bullfinch cushion
Finally, for a festive feel that will work all year around, how about these plump and handsome bullfinch adorned cushions by Lorna Syson, discovered last weekend at the Cockpit Arts open studios.

Look out for my next gift blog, coming soon.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday December 3rd, 2012 8:37 pm

Categories ,Baobab Batik, ,Beast in Show, ,Ben Javens, ,Ben the Illustrator, ,Black Bear, ,Bust Craftacular, ,Camille Walala, ,Cockpit Arts, ,Constructive Studio, ,Craig Yamey, ,Culture Label, ,Cushion, ,cushions, ,Dahlia, ,Darkroom, ,Donna Wilson, ,Drum Major, ,eco, ,ethical, ,Greenland, ,Holborn, ,Homewares, ,Howkapow, ,illustrator, ,Imogen Heath, ,Interior Design, ,Interiors, ,Jack Teagle, ,Kate Marsden, ,Lorna Syson, ,Lu Flux, ,Ndebele, ,Ohh Deer, ,Ooh Deer, ,Park Hill, ,pattern, ,Paul Farrell, ,Shake the Dust, ,Skull, ,Society6, ,Soma Gallery, ,T-R-I-B-A-L-A-L-A, ,Urban Cross Stitch, ,White Bear, ,William Branton

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Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Illustrator Jordan Andrew Carter

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Jordan Carter

A self-proclaimed ‘illustrational hustler/graphical wizard’, Jordan Andrew Carter uses detailed pencil drawings and contrasting block shapes to ‘mystify and amaze your human see-globes’. This rising star graduated from Norwich University of the Arts last year and has just started to pencil a name for himself in the biz. While illustration is one of his big life aims, he also mentions his other aspirations: ‘my current life goal is to own a pug and live near the sea. I also have a HUGE weakness for biscuits, and believe if you replaced money with biscuits the world would be a happier place.’ Dividing his time between ‘Northamptonshire’ and Essex, pencils and Poscas are his ‘weapons of choice’.

Jordan Carter

Jordan paints what can only be described as ‘fairytales high on Posca fumes’. His detailed wildlife pencil drawings (which remind me of the work of Ohh Deer’s Jamie Mitchell ) are mixed with bright, block colours. Delightfully over the top and topped off with a sprinkling of humour, Jordan‘s illustrations are visual jokes with lashings of both elegance and fun. There’s a touch of Discworld in there too, in the sense that worlds that are balanced on top of animals crop up more than once. There’s even a smidge of Narnia in another of his drawings. Whether it’s a whale with the weight of the world on his shoulders, an orangutan on a pink bicycle, or a leopard wearing a headdress, the images all bring to mind a fantasy land with a dash of urban life. I can’t help but think that stories would have been much more fun when I was a kid if Jordan was involved. I spoke to this new kid on the block about his latest projects and love of desk clutter.

Jordan Carter

What kind of projects have you worked on recently?
I recently took part in Inkygoodness and Ammo Magazine‘s beermat character/ Poop Deck Exhibition at the Coningsby Gallery in London which was amazing. It was pretty awesome to take part and exhibit alongside some of the illustrators that I really admire like Hattie Stewart, Yema Yema and James Burlinson. I did a piece for Creative England‘s One Thing I Know publication which sold out last week! I’m also working on creating my own clothing shop/ brand called Woodless.

Jordan Carter

There’s a definite storytelling element to your work, were you a big reader as a kid?
As a kid I preferred to be outside causing havoc like a little ruffian rather than sitting inside reading. I’m one of those people that need visual stimulation so I don’t really read a lot. If a book doesn’t have copious amounts of imagery then my mind wanders so I tend to stick to magazines. Articles are usually short and sweet with killer images, which is perfect for me.

Does what’s happening in your life affect your illustration?
In terms of inspiration: definitely not. When I sit down to draw it’s a getaway for my brain so I would rather focus on anything except what’s happening in my life. Time and money are the things that affect it most; I can’t currently spend all day everyday drawing even though I would love to so it’s just a night-time pursuit at the moment.

Jordan Carter

Is there a singular moment that sums up why you decided to become an illustrator?
Originally I wanted to become a Fireman until I realised I was scared of heights and my dreams were dashed. I don’t think there was a specific moment when I knew I wanted to become an illustrator. I’m not really a planner, I studied Fine Art at college and then Games Art at university so I guess I only knew I wanted to be an Illustrator when people started calling me it. It’s something I’ve always done and enjoyed so I’ve kind of naturally fallen into being an Illustrator.

Jordan Carter

You use mixed-media a lot in your art, is there something that compels you to mix-it up a little?
I’ve always been able to sort of adequately draw things and people but I became a massive fan-boy of various print processes and anything hand printed when I met my Graphic Designer girlfriend at university. My abilities and influences just seem to lend themselves to creating something that is a blend of everything I know or have learnt; also, it stops me getting bored because I can play about with more ways of making an image.

Jordan Carter

There’s a lot of humour in your work, do you think funniness is important in contemporary illustration?
For sure! I think if you can make someone smile, then you’re really connecting with them, so I would rather do that as opposed to just creating something that looks nice. Humour is one of the most important things in life, I think it naturally filters through into your work if you want it to or not.

Jordan Carter

What is your dream commission?
I’d love to do some larger scale mural work in a shop!

Do you really enjoy long starlit walks along the soggy shoreline and apple bobbing in baskets of kittens?
Don’t tell PETA, all the kittens consented.

Jordan Carter

Describe your desk
My desk is pretty standard to be honest, it’s white and surrounded by clutter and illustrative trinkets. There are shelves next to it filled with cardboard elephant heads, vinyl toys, paper toys, books, a skull, Lego people, zones and vintage illustrations. There is also a cube man called Earnesto Cubeman the First that sits on top of my iMac.

Jordan Carter

Jordan Carter

What’s your strangest influence?
Anything on the dark side of Youtube, if you just keep clicking you will eventually come out the other end feeling weird and questioning what you just watched. One time I spent an hour flicking through videos of hornets fighting wasps…

Is there a font you love to hate?
There are a lot of fonts I hate but none that I love to hate. I’m a huge sucker for pretty much anything hand-drawn, it all looks so fresh and natural.

Jordan Carter

All illustrations courtesy of Jordan Carter. You can view his portfolio here www.jordanandrewcarter.co.uk/

Written by Jessica Cook on Tuesday May 28th, 2013 7:44 pm

Categories ,Ammo magazine, ,art, ,artist, ,Coningsby Gallery, ,Creative England, ,graphic designe, ,hand drawn, ,Hattie Stewart, ,illustration, ,illustraton, ,inkygoodness, ,James Burlinson, ,Jordan Carter, ,newcomer, ,Ohh Deer, ,Poop Deck, ,Woodless, ,Yema Yema

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Lorna Scobie: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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Lorna_Scobie_zebras
The super talented Lorna Scobie published her own colouring book Jungle Paradise yesterday (read more here), so I am very happy she was also able to create an animal themed page for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion.

Lorna_Scobie
Where is your day job and how does it feed in to your illustration career?
I’m a designer at Macmillan Children’s books. A lot of the skills I use as a freelance illustrator have been super useful in my work as a designer at Macmillan, and vice versa. My day job requires me to be very creative and to be able to use photoshop and indesign well. It’s also very useful that I am used to working to deadlines and have learnt how to plan my time efficiently, as there is always a lot to do! It’s really useful to know how the publishing industry works from the inside, and to understand why some things take a really long time to move forward, and some things are needed urgently!

Lorna_Scobie_pets_1
Where did you study and how did it best set you up for a career as an artist?
I studied illustration at Kingston University and it gave me a great starting point for my freelance illustration career. We were lucky enough to have regular talks from people in the industry and also a variety of projects taught by visiting lecturers. It was really useful to hear so many different opinions and pieces of advice.

Lorna_Scobie_African_wild_dog
What do you do to destress? Are you a colouring aficionado or is there something else you prefer to do after a hard day’s drawing to unwind?
I do enjoy colouring in as it takes my mind off the stresses of the day. In the evenings I find that nothing makes me feel more relaxed than a luxurious bath, but at the weekends I love going on long walks in London’s parks. I find being around nature and wildlife a fabulous remedy, and I’m a country girl through and through!

Lorna_Scobie_pets_2
You have oodles of fans on instagram in particular – how did you build such a large following, any tips?
I don’t really know how that happened! I didn’t consciously take steps to get more followers on Instagram – I’ve always just posted what I like and hope other people like it too. I think people like to see a balance of work and the person behind the work. The informality of Instagram is really great, and perfect for showing behind the scenes shots, and work in progress. I love seeing inside people’s studios and sketchbooks, it’s really interesting to see how people approach their work.

Lorna_Scobie_fox
What is your preferred way to work when not creating purely black and white images?
Watercolour paints are my preferred medium as they are fast to use and dry, so I can build up layers of detail on top without having to wait too long. I work quickly and quite spontaneously, so rather than planning a drawing I will just use whatever pen or pencil that feels right at the time. I love colouring pencils as it’s an easy way to add quick bursts of colour.

Lorna_Scobie_colouring page
How did you decide which animals to include in your celebration of the animal kingdom for my colouring book?
I chose to go with a range of different sized animals, and ones with different patterns so that someone colouring them in could enjoy colouring in different textures.

Lorna_Scobie_sketchbooks
What did you do as part of the recent Pick Me Up challenge at Somerset House?
Earlier this year, the lovely boys from Ohh Deer kindly invited me to hold a one-day workshop at Pick Me Up, an illustration festival in Somerset House. I decided to do a huge colouring-in sheet, where I drew lots of animals on enormous pieces of paper. Whilst I drew, members of the public were invited to come and colour in the animals. It was a really fun day, and inspired me to do my own colouring book!

Lorna_Scobie_animals
I believe you have a large collection of succulents and cacti, any tips for raising these successfully?
Try not to give them too much attention! Sometimes I do accidentally kill my plants by overwatering them, I think the trick with the succulents is to water them a little bit, but quite infrequently. And the cacti I water only a few times a year. They seem to be happy with that! I try to just let them be, but every few months I will repot them if they need it, and cut off any dying bits.

Lorna_Scobie_bear
Lastly, what is your favourite animal to draw and why?
This changes all the time, but at the moment I’m really enjoying drawing lizards! I think they have funny expressions, and I like their long tails.

Find Lorna Scobie‘s fabulous animals to colour in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, available from Kickstarter exceedingly soon…

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday October 23rd, 2015 8:25 am

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Coloring, ,Colouring Book, ,illustration, ,instagram, ,interview, ,Jungle Paradise, ,Kickstarter, ,Kingston University, ,Lorna Scobie, ,Macmillan Children’s Books, ,Ohh Deer, ,Somerset House

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Lydia Coventry: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

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LYDIA_COVENTRY_FOLK
Lydia Coventry contributes a super fun bird-filled image for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion. She tells us more about life as a designer at Macmillan Children’s books, and the colourful influence of Oilily.

LYDIA_COVENTRY_PORTRAIT_
Why did you choose to study at Plymouth University and what was the best part of your course?
It’s a funny story actually, I had never visited Plymouth before applying – I knew it was by the sea and that was a bonus alone! I applied to a range of different universities and when I was called for an interview at Plymouth that was my time to explore. Not only did the Illustration course sound fantastic, Plymouth itself just felt . . . right. I think the best part was probably the skills, knowledge and confidence I developed there but also the people I met. I met my boyfriend and some of the best friends I’ve ever had there. To have like-minded people studying with you is just the best feeling!

LYDIA_COVENTRY_LOVE_
How did you get your job at Macmillan Children’s books and what is most enjoyable about your job?
I just finished my Illustration course, and my boyfriend had just started working at publishers Profile Books in London. So I had an extra month alone in our Plymouth flat before I would need to move out. I was constantly looking online for design jobs (well any job really!) and then I came across an amazing advert on The Bookseller for an Assistant Designer. I love absolutely everything about my job, I’ve learnt so much since I started and not just in terms of software but the actual production of a book. You never realise how much hard work and how many people are involved in the production, it has been such a fantastic experience. It’s also incredibly rewarding working with talented Illustrators, which has really helped me develop – every day I’m inspired.

LYDIA_COVENTRY_CATTERPILLAR_LYDIA_COVENTRY_CATTERPILLAR_
How have you been building up your portfolio in the past year?
It sounds silly but I’ve been trying to draw exactly what I want to draw and when I want to draw it. The nice thing about finishing University is the freedom. I was so used to working on a brief, researching and drawing constantly to meet a deadline – it felt a bit robotic and at times forced, I didn’t have time to develop my drawing skills as much as I wanted. When I finished I wanted to get control back and just doodle away without thinking which is exactly what I have been doing this year. My next step is to take my doodles and develop them into a project or final stand alone pieces, which I’m really looking forward to.

LYDIA_COVENTRY_THOR_
What is your favourite way to work?
I love being as free as I can when drawing. I don’t really think about anything else whilst doodling and I have found that approach to be the most effective. I love using collage and ink brush pens, I find that they really help with the looseness of my lines and colour. I also love using colouring pencils and wax crayons. I tend to work in layers then combine them in Photoshop, I think experimentation and playfulness is key, I love not knowing exactly what the end result will look like.

LYDIA_COVENTRY_OHHDEER
What was the brief for the recent Ohh Deer competition that you entered and what was the outcome?
Ohh Deer always have such fabulous competitions! Recently they were on the look out for designs which they could add to their greeting card collection. They were looking for something fresh but something that would also fit in with their cute and quirky brand. I remembered a little doodle I did while at Uni; it was something a bit soppy I did for my boyfriend and I thought it was something cute that other people could relate too, so I entered it! I was very lucky to win along with 9 others whose cards have been added to their collection.

LYDIA_COVENTRY_HOLIDAY_
Where and how did your love of colour and pattern begin?
My mum has played a huge part with my love for colour and pattern! From a young age I grew up with her love for the gorgeous Dutch brand – Oilily. She dressed myself and my siblings in it for years (until we got to the age when we wanted to just wear denim to her dismay). I have always been incredibly fond of their eye for detail, and their wacky colour combinations are so quirky and inspiring. I have been very lucky to inherit her love for the brand, which has really helped my confidence for using colour.

LYDIA_COVENTRY_COLOURINGPAGE_
What inspired your artwork for my colouring book?
I absolutely love colour, texture and character design so this was the perfect brief to fuse them together. This piece focuses on my love for nature depicting beautifully coloured birds of paradise allowing for the ‘colourer’ to explore any combination of colours they wish. Within this scene nothing needs to be an ordinary colour, not even the plantlife, as a rich diverse Jungle can offer a huge variety of colours!

LYDIA_COVENTRY_DINO_
What do you find most exciting about the prospect of your work appearing in the colouring book?
I’m really thrilled to be appearing in the colouring book. I am eager to see what colours/patterns people use when they colour in my page. I love not knowing what the end result will look like so that is something to really look forward too!

LYDIA_COVENTRY_LONDONMAP_
What do you do to unwind and does it ever influence your designs?
Oh it definitely influences my work! I love watching old movies and cartoons I grew up with like ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys’ and ‘Madeline’ (based on the original illustrations by Ludwig Bemelmans). I am constantly on the look out for inspiration whether it be the clothes they wear, the expression in a face, the flowers in a certain scene – it all pops up in my work one way or another. It’s also a must to take time out of work and just relax, I love going to the cinema, watching old movies, sewing, and spending time with my family and friends.

Lydia Coventry is featured in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, jam-packed with artistic talent, and available on Kickstarter soon!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday October 28th, 2015 12:44 pm

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Coloring Book, ,Adult Colouring Book, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Coloring, ,Coloring Book, ,Colouring, ,Colouring Book, ,illustration, ,Kickstarter, ,Ludwig Bemelmans, ,Lydia Coventry, ,Macmillan Children’s Books, ,Ohh Deer, ,Oilily, ,Plymouth University, ,Profile Books

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