Pictured is my reason for the lack of blog posts, I had a real life one of these!
I have been very busy being a mum and building my art practice which now includes doll making and puppetry!
More blog posts on this to follow but for now I will just show you a few pictures of me in my new studio at banks mill derby.
A small studio but it is the ideal space for me to develop my ideas and run one to one art tuition classes.
I may be loved up and happy but not with February, I am looking forward to racing through the next month towards spring.
The first few months of the year are never my favourite mostly due to the colder weather and short days. Although the days are slowly getting longer and there are signs of spring with colourful flowers popping up to say hello, No doubt a cold snap will try it’s best to kill them off though.
I have been keeping busy with the more craft related projects recently. I desperately want to continue drawing and churning out imagery for my story but have developed quite the literal neck ache. Giving the studio a spring clean and setting up a proper area with an easel of sorts will help and support a more effective posture ready for completion of the rag doll fairytale story.
For now though I have gone off on quite a tangent with an idea I have had in my head since the start of my rag doll project. I have painstakingly painted, designed, hand and machine sewn a ‘real life’ version of one of the characters from the story. I describe it in this way because I did not realise how much work the outfit would take to create. Sewing tiny clothes is far harder than I thought!
I am pleased with the outcome though and think I did a good job of sourcing bits of fabric scraps from my storage to remain complimentary to the original illustration.
Wings can be made at a later date along with more characters and creatures in this style. I will need to draw more of the story before this idea can be explored further.
My sister’s birthday has been, celebrated and gone but I brought this book from a charity shop before Christmas with the intention of making it into a clutch.
I don’t usually enjoy doing crafts on my own, I think I will but it may be because a lot of the exemplars I need to create are craft related so I prefer to draw in any spare time I get. I find ‘Crafting’ is usually always more interesting when done with someone else or in a workshop setting.
I discovered many online tutorials on how to make one so I took inspiration from a few and developed my own, somewhat messy, version.
A few paper cuts later I had paper mached and super glued my way to something I was thankful to have finished. I hope my sister will like it even though there is pretty much only room for a lipstick and phone, but what else do you actually need in your bag!? #firstworldproblems
My partner in creative ‘crime’ has been colouring my art nouveau updated images beautifully, I am so excited to see them all completed and perhaps will draw more.
We are thinking of created enough to exhibit. When, will be decided once we discover the right location to host the exhibition.
March is just around the corner which means lots of exciting projects happening. I am really looking forward to Derby’s international women’s day festival which I am always happy to be involved in, so watch this space.
I won the bronze award for my entry into eco creates exhibition Time and tide waits for no man with my entry ‘tide and tide waits for no one’, this kicked off a great start to what has already been a busy creative year for me.
‘This is a metaphorical Illustrative textile piece. I chose to use a mix of embroidery, machine sewing and appliqué to ‘colour in’ with a small amount of fabric painting added for good measure. Pictured is a female dressed in her wellies, rain coat and mittens, she represents human kind, and struggles to hold onto a clock ‘umbrella’ with ocean waves crashing down upon the top. The umbrella is decorated to look like a clock which depicts time and that it is running out. A gold, slightly wonky, umbrella handle that she is clinging to signifies those of us who are trying to prevent the inevitable. Admittedly a future that won’t necessarily happen for hundreds of years yet. After all though shouldn’t we begin to realise that eventually mother nature (the tide) will do as she wishes. As the theme of the exhibition suggests ‘Time and tide’, really wont, wait for no man or indeed woman’.
My aim for this year is to have a clear out of unsold art work I have stored for years now cluttering the corner of my studio. I can’t keep hoarding them any more so I am having a 60% reduction off the original price which will run until the end of February, I am hoping at least this way, my work can go to new home where they will be out on display and seen.
Follow this link https://en-gb.facebook.com/ElizabethBladesArtist/ to my facebook page to grab a bargain and own some hand printed art that is worth so much more than what you will be paying for it.
This January saw the start of my new venture, life drawing evening classes. The classes are in such a beautiful space, with chic and inspiring surroundings at the Smallprint Co http://www.smallprintcompany.co.uk/
I am keen to see if this will grow in terms of attendance numbers but for now at least I will wait and see what happens.
I found time over the festive period to work on my art nouveau collaboration project, here is a sneak peak at some of the drawings awaiting colour.
My ragdoll panel imagery is slow in progress but still coming along nicely. I will have to stop myself from posting too many of these so I don’t give the whole story away. It is still early days yet but I am rediscovering my love for just drawing in pencil, atmosphere and tone is so fun to create and perfect for setting the mood.
I have begun to experiment with a new medium for an exciting job opportunity I gained just before the end of last year. Mosaic will be a technique I am determined to master.
I will be running a series of mosaic workshops in schools throughout the first few months of the year so I have created this exemplar because I teach better when I have visual aids. The mosaic’s the children will produce will be large mural size intended to adorn the school walls.
I have many more exciting projects planned over the coming months and I am looking forward to documenting it here in my blog.
This is the first winter I have properly settled into a place I now call home and I am ready to celebrate the end of this year and took toward the next.
I have been busy making my own decorations. Bunting and garlands are quick and easy when skipping the sewing machine and reaching for the glue gun.
I am especially pleased with the garland crafted from last years Christmas cards. This did actually take ages to make though and I started it a few months back, left it, and kept doing little bits of it right up until this picture.
At least I have these to reuse every year though right!? This is what I keep telling myself, I must remember to wrap them around a spool once the festive period is out the way and not toss them into a bag to be stuffed into the attic.
My skills with paper mache decorations are never as good as what I think up in my mind. A little gingerbread house I did a few years ago is still standing strong though.
The poor excuse of a twig tree needs lots of work, on reflection, wire should have been used from the start but time was limited and it appears to hold these tree ornaments okay. For now.
A festive fabric printing workshop I ran last month resulted in the perfect reason to create my own Christmas day dinner table runner and place matt’s for exemplars.
One of my favourite new Christmas ornament’s is this mini empowerment doll gifted to me by fellow artist Rita Kappia https://twitter.com/ritathedolllady
One of my last commissions of the year was to illustrate and design the Instruction kit for this doll.
It was such a fun doll to draw too!
Amongst all the excitement and relaxation this holiday will no doubtingly bring I will continue to draft imagery for my rag doll Fairytale. I will endeavour to make 2017 the year that this book comes to life.
I am feeling proud that I have successfully kept a monthly blog over the course of 2016. It has helped me develop my writing skills and as a working artist in documenting my progress. I hope to continue this process throughout the on coming year.
I am pleased to announce lots of new projects are planned for 2017, so watch this space.
Merry Christmas!
During November I celebrate my birthday and past years I have never really enjoyed myself, for many different reasons which are not of importance right now. This year I and my partner really needed a break and so a planned short trip to London had been arranged.
There are always many exhibitions I want to see in London and sadly miss, especially if the timing is not right and I do not have any free time for a journey to the capital.
This trip really would be a quick visit though so we did not have much time to see a whole lot. I decided on the fashion and textile museum’s1920’s Jazz Age fashion & photographs exhibit. This seemed an ideal theme for my recent interest and obsession with this era’s style.
The museum is fairly easy to find from the London Bridge tube stop. Interestingly though we stumbled upon a building on our way which is painted in the exact same colours as the museum which confused us somewhat.
The museum inside is quite small so dedicates its whole space to each display. It is Lovely and spacious to walk round and for exploring the delights presented. These 1920’s delights did not disappoint either. I took a few photo’s of dresses with fabrics and designs that appeal to my style the most. In fact the gold looking velvet garment looks very similar to an outfit I already own.
A gallery gift shop is always a must for me to, more often than not, purchase postcards which I add to my growing collection.
This time, because in a birthday treat buying mood a small pack of Fashionary mini sketchbooks found their way onto my person.
These sketchbooks are pretty helpful for the budding fashion designer and would make a great gift for a student I imagine. Each page has a template with a very handy textile dictionary and measurement end pages.
I can highly recommend a stop in their cafe too, I follow a gluten free diet so had been happy to discover a few cake treats I could actually eat.
A stroll through China town, for dim sum and baked goods followed by the Lion king (a musical I had wanted to see for years) marked the perfect evening and rounded off the days activities nicely.
A sketchbook touring exhibition opportunity (www.sketchopen.co.uk) has fired my passion to get creating and produce a completed sketchbook/journal.
I am, sadly, not the type of artist to keep sketchbooks other than during my college student days. Most of my work is drawn on loose paper and filed into folders.
The mini fashionary sketchbook is an ideal size for me to realistically complete one to a standard I will, hopefully, be content with when submitting to meet the deadline (28th feb 2017)
So onto another daily drawing challenge I go. Follow my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elizabethblades/ to keep updated on my #18daysoffashionillustration.
Inspired by inktober I have thought up 18 prompts/themes with suggested mediums which I will endeavour to keep too.
I have begun a drawing project, on a topic which I have wanted to explore through my art for a while and have not found time due to a full year of planning and teaching workshops.
I am making time now using Christmas as a perfect excuse to create some beautiful gifts. I have always adored art nouveau and the strong style which artists such as Mucha adopted as his technique.
The general white washing, to put it bluntly now, in everything from Hollywood films to children’s illustrated books is something that is far from representative of today’s society. I find this trend boring and think changes are desperately needed, especially considering the political year the west has had.
Notably when looking through past art nouveau designs they are always depicting females who are European in appearance and largely fair haired.
If you have read any of my previous blog posts you will already know I have a very mixed heritage including white and brown nationalities. I don’t relate to a typical blond and or blue eyed female, so why should I only draw them. I am also wondering why do we tend to draw face’s that are not too different from our reflection? At least that is what I had been doing. Only really having reference from life model’s, magazine’s and other publications which are most of the time prominently European looking faces. I think this is very limiting and is another way for us to not further progress as a society.
I am also an artist who is fascinated with faces, a variety of beautiful shapes and structures. Beginning with a design for my partners mum, who is a Kenyan Goan, My composition incorporates a lions head, Lupita Nyong’o (a Kenyan actress) and vine leaves which are typically seen in art nouveau pieces.
I still don’t have as much free time on this project as desired so I have joined up with my very talented, and if I am honest more skilled colourist, partner who lives and works as an artist too.
He and I will work together I will design and do the line work, he will paint and add the colours.
I have a few unfinished illustrations that will develop over time, pictured are snippets from my previously mentioned loose papered ‘sketchbooks’.
I am feeling very inspired by imagery and patterns from this style of art So I am integrating art nouveau arrangements with the feminist symbol.
I am teaming up with International Women’s Day derby festival committee to lend my creative hand to an exhibition they are creating for the festival day in March 2017.
These symbols I have designed will, hopefully, be coloured in an array of methods and names will be written across the fists.
The IWD derby team have been researching and discovering women from derby’s Herstory archive to collate a time line and I am volunteering to help transform the findings into an exhibition.
I finally have a space in the studio at Blades McDowell HQ – The picture suggests messy chaos but there is underlying organisation, honest. Every folder is labelled, and separated into categories. Yes I had an exciting summer of tidying up! Planning for example has become so much easier and quicker.
The mess is due to the creative spell I have been unleashing recently. I should say drawing spell, which would be more accurate, but I will talk more about that in a minute.
The past two blog posts have been predominantly text based so this month I have plenty of images to visually excite.
I have been put in charge of the marketing for the writers group. I am pretty chuffed with the logo I designed and it incorporates my current obsession with Art Deco design. https://www.facebook.com/RewriteBureau/
Shorter days and colder weather aside I adore autumn and in particular Halloween! Past blog post readers may have noticed my love of Buffy the vampire slayer. So take a sprinkle of an hour or two, a dash of detailed stencil cutting concentration and a small handful of using the squeegee too pull black fabric paint onto a store brought tee and I have a new favourite slogan top!
If vampire’s were actually real it is more likely that I would run screaming but perhaps an empowering slogan t-shirt will inject confidence for a can do attitude for actual slaying of demons if they did take to the streets this Halloween.
Onto the drawing spell I mentioned above, I have taken part in #inktober for the first time this October. Much like many other artists who join in, I have found it to be very inspiring. I am using the concept of producing a daily ink sketch to kick start my imagery for my rag doll Fairytale story.
I am generally loving it and if I am being honest have been cheating a little and drawing a few to be ahead of the game on days I should actually be doing admin.
There is only a few days left but you can follow my illustrations on Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/elizabethblades/
One of my most favourite designs is a definite contender for the front page of my story. It needs some extra things added but I think it is one of my best works I have done in a while.
I have discovered, rather fascinatingly, that even though the #inktober concept was started by an artist named Jake Parker in the USA, Indonesia apparently run there own.
Rather brilliantly to help participants along with their drawings 31 prompts are listed to be used or ignored which ever is preferred.
I have found these very useful and have been using a combination of the Indonesian prompts and the one’s Jake Parker has suggested.
After all I am, sort of, linked to this area of Asia, due to my 11% south east and oceanic part. #clutchingatstraws
My partner and I are hoping to launch another new tutoring venture at the start of the new year. Life drawing has been one of my most unexpected and loved drawing techniques to teach during the past few years.
I have been wanting to set up a regular life drawing evening class in derby, UK, for a while now. It looks like the perfect location has been found and I hope to pull my slipper socks up and market this properly.
More details on this coming soon.
I will end this post with a Halloween inspired illustration and a hint towards a fashion project I will be taking part in soon.
Happy Halloween!
Photographed by Becky Ryan Photography http://www.beckyryanphotography.co.uk
Hair by Pin Up Curl http://pinupcurl.co.uk
Make up by The Vintage Beauty Parlour http://www.bethanyjanedavies.com/the-vintage-beauty-parlour
Vintage Boudoir make over shoot event review at 1960’s apartment in Nottinghamshire.
As my sister’s car drew to a halt outside the shoot location It seemed we had been transported to a different era. A truly glorious sunny day which meant sunlight streamed through the glass walls revealing 60’s fixtures and fittings inside the apartment building.
The anxiety I had been experiencing started to fade as I glimpsed movement in the upstairs window. Nervous excitement gripped on me as I noticed ladies being pampered by the hair and make up team.
The Lovely lady who owned the house greeted me at the door. She was warm and welcoming as she guided me into the house. Interestingly she told me how companies such as M&S tkmaxx and celebrities such as the Hoff have hired out her apartment for shoots.
What surrounded me can only be described as reminiscent of an American film set, I think most people entering this house would think the same.
This style is not to everyone’s taste, but it is defiantly mine and perfect for a make over shoot. The location is themed and assists in enabling you to take on a role and forget who you are for a while. It has a vintage feel, something so very different to the present day and drenched in stories of the past.
Never one to miss an opportunity to promote my work, I chose one of my favourite creations to model, a 50’s style navy and cream striped dress. It has an upcycled faux pearl collar which I have hand sewn onto the neck line and I always feel great wearing this outfit.
The hair stylist was lovely, amusing and chatted away, working quickly, displaying her obvious skill.
She also had for us to view handmade flower hair pieces for us to model and or buy.
The make up artist had a calming presence putting me (and I don’t usually like wearing make up) at ease in her care.
This may sound odd to most but it had been the first time I have worn foundation, eye make up and lipstick all at once without my face feeling ‘heavy’.
I now have a new love for false eyelashes too!
There were 8 women taking part in the shoot and we were all scheduled to spend time with the photographer after we had finished with hair and make up.
Becky, the photographer is effortlessly professional and naturally talented at her craft. Knowing how to capture your best features. I instantly felt at ease, listening to her guidance for poses, which reminded me of the times when I have to direct my model’s when teaching life drawing.
My favourite feature are my freckles, passed down from my nan and I like to think they hold all my hidden attributes to my connections in Asia and the secrets of my heritage. I am pleased to say the make up artist went back after adding foundation to expose them again. This is the main reason I don’t wear foundation.
To me, my freckles sparkled in the pictures taken and it has given me confidence in the way I look, something I thought I had lost.
The experience was even more pleasant than I had expected it to be and it is now firmly etched into my happy memory bank. I can strongly recommend that you email hellobeckyryan.co.uk to express interest and to find out more information for the next makeover shoot.
