There's something rather soporific about the sound of rain outside your window, especially when it's so welcome after all the dry heat we've been having. I have definitely got watery themes on the brain still and am excited with ideas on what to paint next in my ocean collection. Although, I also have other projects steadily gathering which I must give some attention to. So for now, here's a little pattern of my tropical fish...
The Beauty of Our Oceans
Gradually I'm developing a body of work around life in our oceans. My hope is that in some small way, my paintings illustrating the beauty of our marine life, may cause us to pause and think of the irreversible impact pollution, climate change, and over fishing are having. By changing our habits even slightly, each one of us can make a difference.
Etsy On the Horizon ...
It has been absolutely sweltering hot in my little studio and since my windows don't actually open I have been slowly melting, add children's school holidays into the mix and the result is not a lot has been getting created! However, I have been managing to rework some of my existing images in the cooler evenings while mulling over the idea of preparing to open an Etsy shop in the near future. For now, here's my little folk tin with an update all of its own, including a new background!
Under The Sea
I've been getting a little bit carried away with my underwater themes of late... perhaps it's all this hot weather we're having! I've just been taking a class with Stephanie Fizer Coleman over on Atly on Texture and Pattern in Photoshop. It's opened a whole new world of texture in my illustrations and in this piece I've been trying to incorporate some of what I've learned. I really like the depth that the textures add to my layers when I'm digitally collaging hand rendered pieces. In the meantime, my workload is piling up while I've been getting so absorbed and I've really got to get back to finishing that mermaid journal!
Here's A Little Fishy...
Ok so now I've got that tune on slow repeat in my head, although I only remember the first two lines! Anyway, I'm joining in with the Folio Focus Summer Reboot over at Rise Design and Shine. It's giving me a chance to revisit some old work which was previously quite rushed and unfinished. This project is based around nautical theme and needs to end up as a journal cover design. I've reworked the mermaid completely and found the time to paint some of the hand drawn motifs I'd previously created. Taking my time really with this one as it's giving me the opportunity to really think about building layers and texture when I collage the hand rendered pieces together in photoshop. There'll be more to come, but this is where I've got to so far!
The Pattern Curve!
At last, I have made the commitment to finish the final year of my degree, my youngest will be starting school in September and now seems like the right time! After much thought and deliberation, I've chosen to pursue Textiles and Surface Pattern Design. While I'm incredibly excited at the prospect, I'm also slightly nervous and a little apprehensive. Having already done the first two years with a young family in tow, I am under no illusions of how tough it's going to be, despite my wonderful and supportive family. Plus, oh my goodness I have got so much to learn about pattern! So in an attempt to start as I mean to carry on, I've been going slightly pattern crazy by starting with some of my existing work and getting to grips with creatine pattern repeats in photoshop. Hopefully, with some practice my pattern designing will become a little more sophisticated. I'm really intrigued at the thought of looking back in a years time and seeing how my work has evolved!
