Wednesday 31 July 2013

Baby you can drive my car..







I've been busy recently researching about where I can start having some products made and where I can sell them. I've been thinking about some fairs in Liverpool when I get back such as INPRINT and the Winter Arts Market. I need to look in to it a bit more but it has gotten me so much more excited about producing work. So I have been on the go producing lots of drawings and thinking about if they will work well for cards or prints, I've even decided how I want to package my products! 

Anyway I drew these cars as a sort of 'I cant draw today so I'll just draw whatever' kind of thing, but i think they will look so cute as a framed print for a children's room or on a card. AGHHH the future is exciting!!

Saturday 27 July 2013

Kensington palace and George.

So I'm going in to my third and final year of University which, as some of you may know, means that i will be writing my dissertation. The only thing is on my course it isn't a dissertation; its known as a G.A.R.P (Graphic Arts Research Project). This means that I get to write about whatever I want, within reason of course. The people who know me know that I am obsessed with history, period dramas and I'm in love with the royal family. As are most people at the moment. Anyway I was told to write about something that I like and will keep me occupied for a whole year so , of course, I chose royal portraiture. Que. amazing trips to palaces, museums and galleries. On Wednesday I visited Kensington Palace and the National Portrait Gallery.

Oh my goodness. It was so beautiful!... and super busy thanks to the royal baby being born. Loads of reporter tents were lined up outside the house so I think i was probably on TV in some country anyway, just walking in the background. I had gone to gain some more information on Queen Victoria and see a few paintings that I'm studying in real life, but of course I needed to look round the whole house too. Casually walking round the house pretending in wearing a full length dress and the house is mine... its what everyone does right?!? 

Queen Victoria grew up in this house and therefore she was a big part of what is shown within the house. The image below is of Victoria's wedding dress! How cute is that! It is also rather petite as Queen Victoria only grew to be 5 foot tall. 

The rooms of the house are truly beautiful. Everything you expect from a palace like huge halls, fire places, incredibly high ceilings and extravagant decorations. However, this palace had the most beautiful ceiling paintings. Not too over the top and the harmonious colours worked so well together. I found myself looking up most of the time. They weren't the most beautiful rooms that I have ever seen but wow; those ceilings.



The whole palace seemed to welcome art overall, with each fireplace holding a little art piece to do with something about the room. On the way to the Queen's state apartments there was a big art piece with paper cuts and bottles with ships in. So cute! Kensington is the first palace I've really seen that has embraced art like this within such a historical place and actually i think it made it a bit of cheeky fun. Kids loved all the art work and were obsessed with the clever whispering walls ( I was a bit obsessed too sitting down on every single bench.)



Overall I loved my day at Kensington Palace. The weather was beautiful and the gardens looked magnificent! Although rather packed full of tourists and people arriving because of the Royal baby, now prince George. I would seriously visiting Kensington Palace especially if you are like me and love this sort of thing. My next Palace is Buckingham Palace which will be just as packed! I cant wait to go though!

 Let me know if you enjoyed your visit to Kensington Palace and what your favourite part was!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

A little trip


Guess where I am today?!?- promise I'm not just here because the royal baby is! I get to go to some of the greatest and most beautiful places for my G.A.R.P (dissertation)! 
See if you can see the sneaky bee who got in to this picture. Sneaky photobomb.

If you want to see more images from my little trip go to my Instagram or my tumblr

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na BATGIRL!

So on the hottest day of the year so far i spent the whole day inside expecting thunderstorms and drawing some very lovely ladies. This is the first of 3, i've still got to edit the others. I couldn't resist drawing Batgirl with her fantastical mask.

OH AND SO EXCITED THAT THERE IS A ROYAL BABY!

Sunday 21 July 2013

In need of a Flower Pot friend..

 
Drawing some plants. Making me really want some plants in a cute plant pot for my room next year! 

Friday 19 July 2013

The Farnes Flock.

So this summer I had an AMAZING opportunity to volunteer and help the illustrator Kate Slater with her exhibition on the Farne Islands.

The Farne Islands are just off the coast of Northumbria and are a safe haven for many birds such as Puffins, Arctic Turns and Shags. It is part of the National Trust and Kate's exhibition is the first ever to be held there in its 16th century chapel.

I had come across Kate's work previously through the Internet and my local print shop in Liverpool (Nook and Cranny), so as you do I followed her on twitter and followed her blog. At about the beginning of May Kate was asking for volunteers to come and help her cut out some birds for this exhibition. I jumped at the chance and replied straight away, Kate emailed me and we got discussing about what was happening.

At the end of May/ Beginning of June I travelled to Kate's Family farm which was adorable with sheep with lambs right outside the house and chickens wondering freely. I was greeted so warmly by both Kate and her family who offered me tea and biscuits after an hours drive. The job was to help but out about 600 birds from fomex, which isn't foamy at all. As we got to work I realised how large of a task it was, however the end result was going to look amazing whatever happened. I was the only volunteer able to come to Kate's farm house as I was completely free with nothing to do. Although on two of the days we went to Sudbury Hall, which was beautiful. There in the back rooms of the house where meetings were usually held a load of volunteers packed in helping to cut out these birds! How wonderful!


Kate's birds are now finished and finally hanging inside the chapel on the island. In the end about 300 went up, suspended in the air as if flying inside. Unfortunately i was unable to visit the Farnes when the exhibition opened but i shall be planning to be going soon! I have since kept in contact with Kate who was recently on Blue Peter! and got a badge... SO JEALOUS!




 I will never forget all the kindness Kate and her family showed me and how they looked after me while I worked. I had such a great time helping out and wish Kate all the best in the future!

If you would like to see the Farnes Flock being put up inside the chapel here is a time lapse video of it all happening! 




Wednesday 17 July 2013

Virgin Queen.


So this is what I was working on the other day! Good old Queen Elizabeth I. Ive been reading a lot about her and looking at her face a lot too, thanks to my dissertation project, which has made me fall in love with all the lace collars! I mean lace is a weakness anyway but.. HELLOOOO white lace on a black background! *swoon*

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Sneaky Peak...

So this is a little sneaky peak at something I've been working on, and thinking of making it a bigger collection. Can you guess who it is?


My dissertation for my third year, which I've started researching over the summer, is about royal portraits. Nothing to do with illustration really but they told me to write about something I was interested in; I love history and I want the Queen to be my Grandmother, so its all good. I may do a bigger collection of Queens and maybe some kings to sell as postcards, cards and prints. 

Thursday 11 July 2013

My First Post!


Well my first post and an introduction to me I suppose. Im a second year illustration student.. well i'm going in to my third year. oh lord. I'll be posting projects, my summer time work, items that i'll be selling and general events on my travels for my art. So until i have some things to put up... here is a picture of me sketching in the British Museum (one of my favourite places)