Monday, September 30, 2013

Artist showcase-13 .... Little Pip Designs






Hello,


       I love cute patch works on kids' dresses, and on tote bags, and on pillows, pencil cases, stoles, belts.... And I know that you all love it too... isn't it ? Yes, I hear 'yes' ... after all we are still a kid ( although a little bit grown-up ) !

So, today I thought of taking a break from my surface designing and taking time to watch these cute birds, butterflies and bees.

Introducing Little Pip Designs, where you'll find handmade textiles, gifts and accessories which are lovingly made for you and your home. Yes, that's true !

Please scroll down to read about the founder and designer of Little Pip Designs ...


How would you describe yourself?
I find it quite hard to describe myself but I would say I am since setting up Little Pip Designs I have realised the even more the rubbish thing with big companies and some high street stores is you do not always know the person behind that business/brand/their morals/ethics/inspirations... (and sometimes they are just sitting in a suit in an office with no direct contact with the customers). This may suit some people down to a T but not me. My actual name is Sarah but got the nickname Pip whilst studying my degree a few years ago and now I respond to it more than my actual name. I am 25 years old and live in North Devon (but it is a myth that everyone in N.Devon surfs )...  I wish I could but I can't !

 It is just me who works at Little Pip Designs, I do the designing, sewing, photography, drawing, paperwork, posting orders- you name it.... (but I have the lovely support of my other half, family and friends who help out sometimes with lil and bits.) I set up Little Pip Designs in October 2012 after two lots of surgery/treatments and diagnosed with a condition which left me unable to continue my jobs of working with early years/special needs children. I love to bake and victoria sponge cake is the best thing ever. I love the television program "New Girl" very much.







What do you like to do when you are not creating anything ?
When I am not creating I love to be outside in the garden. Last year I set myself the challenge of growing as much as my own vegetables, fruit and flowers as possible. It went really well and this spring/summer I have been sowing more new seeds, eating lots of yummy salad, peas and strawberries. Lots of time outside inspires my designs too and relaxes me. I also enjoy swimming, yoga, spending time with loved ones and walks in the countryside.




What's your favourite color ?
It is hard to choose between two of them -- pink and blue but I will have to go for pink. I have blonde hair and you will often see me with a pink hair dye in my hair.


Anything you want to share to your readers about setting up his/her own business ?
I would say that you definitely have to be passionate about what you do. Pricing is one of the hardest parts of selling your own work but do not under price yourself especially if you are doing this as a full time job. I think be yourself, be original and be prepared to work harder than you have ever worked before,(whilst making sure you have some time off to relax too).




Who is your dream client ?
I do not really have one, every customer I have is amazing for supporting me and buying my work. However if someone who is an artist or designer who I look up to bought a piece of my work, that would be amazing. I would love one day to design for a big company but I am more than happy right now doing what I do.


Tell us a bit about your biggest challenge in your career, and the way you handled it ?
I think starting the business was the hardest part of my career. It is as if you have a huge blank canvas in front of you and step by step you need to fill it in. It is a challenge but I love that and I am constantly learning every day. I handled it by taking each day at a time, ''you can not run before you can walk''....  I have always been told, which is so true. It takes time, patience and lots of hard work but it is very much worth it.


Your greatest inspiration is?
My great inspiration is my mum. She has supported and encouraged my creativity since I was very a small child. When I was little we would do lots of art projects and my favourite time of the day was painting on lots of pieces of paper in the garden.


How would you describe your work place?
I work from home in my spare room on a wooden desk, it is filled with lots of my favourite things, fabric and creativity. Once I have drawn in my sketchbook, I often tape the pages on to my wall in front of me to work from. I have boxes of buttons, ribbons, threads, lots of fabric – I may need a studio extension soon ! To the left of my desk looks out over the garden, down to the bird feeders and vegetable patches.






Where can people contact you ?
I am currently building my website: http://littlepipdesigns.com/new/index.html  and all new updates about work are always first on my facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/littlepipdesigns . I take orders directly through my facebook and my email which is :  hello@littlepipdesigns.com . I also take orders through my folksy and etsy shops:
http://folksy.com/shops/littlepipdesigns
  https://www.etsy.com/shop/littlepipdesigns

I have previously had a stall at craft fairs but at the moment I am concentrating on selling on the internet.




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Thanks Sarah for this lovely interview !

So, next time if you are in search of some cute patch work designs to gift yourself and your friends too... don't go anywhere --- just mail to Sarah, who is proud to say that ...'' all of my work is designed and made by me, Little Pip from my studio based in North Devon.''


See you soon !




TWIGS in purple



Hello Monday,

         Continuing my posts on wall art... !  You can purchase these beautiful 'TWIGS' wall art (in purple) from  MODERN MURAL












Watch this space for my artist's feature post in the evening !





Friday, September 27, 2013

Artist showcase-12 .... Suman Sharma




Hello everyone,

         Please meet Suman Sharma, a surface pattern designer. Suman is from India and now she lives in Hordaland (Norway), with her hubby and a cutie daughter !

 She describes herself as,'' a woman with strong will power and hard-working when it comes to my first love, Design. Designing is part of my life. I am a Fashion and Textile designer by profession, a mother of a sweet princess, a loving and caring wife and Bachelor  in  Arts from University of Rajasthan (India).  I have a professional qualification in Textile and Fashion design....''








Just a sweet interview with her to know more about her as a designer and a mommy ... and how she handles her work and home together in a great balance... So--- HAPPY READING !




 What do you like to do when you are not designing ?
In my spare time I like to spend time with my family and to go for a walk with them, where I can  enjoy  the nature, fortunately, I live in a beautiful city with an abundance of natural beauty.

 How would you describe your style ? 
I love to design traditional Indian patterns in a unique style which can be mixed and matched with both traditional and  modern styles. I always try to make feminine and youthful designs in my prints.

Any favourite colour ?
I like all colours according to trend and fashion. But black, white and green are my favourite colours these days !





Tell us about your first collection and your first show ?
My first collection was computer aided fashion illustrations. This project was inspired by Erdem Moraligue prints used in dress designing, this prints were created using Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator.

 During the project of working on prints and referring the work of different successful designers, I came across the work of Erdem Moraligue. His unique style of designing dresses with the selection of bright colours and floral prints struck me at my first sight and I explored more. I fell in the love of beautiful colours he uses, his imaginative collection inspired for my colour selection and prints on my dress designing.

My first show was I * Designed made-ups for an International Exhibition. Held at Pragati Medan (Delhi, INDIA) The work was quite traditional with beads, patch work and embroidery...   





 When did you get the idea that 'designing' was the thing you love ?
I was good at drawing and painting since childhood, I used to create greeting cards for my sisters and loved ones when I was 12 yrs old and this passion grew as I grew and I took on designing as my profession.

 Anything you want to share with your readers about setting up his/her own business ?
Let your passion for designing always drive you, never let it die. For me it was love for designing and never say die attitude which brought me where I am today. There are bound to be low and high times in your journey.

Who is your dream client ? 
I don’t really have big dreams, but I am working hard  to establish my own brand and be one of known designers in the industry.

Besides patterns designing what are your other interests ?
Beside pattern designing I really enjoy doing fashion sketches, business logos and business cards, and greeting cards.

Tell us a bit about your biggest challenge in your career, and the way you handled it ?
The biggest challenge I dealt in my career was not at professional front, it was the balance of professional aspirations and personal life. I had to wait and still keep the passion alive for almost six years while upbringing my daughter. I utilized this period to enhance my skills by learning new technologies in designing. And now when I can focus on my profession, I am using the skills and techniques learnt.

 Your greatest inspiration is ?
 My greatest inspiration is my own imagination that draws me to design, I am always inspired by my environment and my imagination always helps me in my designs. Due to the effect of youthful colours and designs on my mood, it make my work effortless, I never feels tiresome.






Where can people contact you ?
People can contact me here :

Mail ID sumdelhisharma@gmail.com


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Thanks Suman !!!

It is really great to know that each and every person has a different view about life and work ! Balancing personal and professional lives together, facing challenges everyday, keeping his/her creativity alive... there are so many places where we have to show our best ! We can't dare to compromise at any single role --- but that's what is called life ... isn't it ?


Have a lovely weekend, I'll meet you on Monday... ( ahaa... taking a quick and short holiday --- a two-days holiday !!! )




Tulips !



Hello Friday !


           'Tulips'--- colourful and beautiful !


My new artist is just getting ready for the showcase... !!!  If you want to meet her then keep watching this space ...



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

AQUA- wall art !





Hi,

           As you already know that now you can shop my new work on Modern Mural as wall art !
This one is 'AQUA' --- ocean, water, anything that gives you a sense of ESCAPE from the monotony of our day-today lives !


AQUA by   MODERN MURAL







You can visit MODERN MURAL to choose the size of the wall art you want for your home !!!

See you !



Monday, September 23, 2013

'TWIGS' in blue !



Hello,

          Another wall art from MODERN MURAL ! 'Twigs- in blue'...
















 See you all soon !



Sunday, September 22, 2013

Artist showcase-11..... Deepa Gopal Sunil




''She is what she is with art! For her, Art is a world in itself that transforms her whole being. She is blissful and it transports her to a world where there is peace, joy, self assertion and lots more...''


Hello dear friends,

          Today I would like to introduce Deepa Gopal Sunil--- a jovial, sometimes extrovert and sometimes introvert ‘girl' with a whole lot of dreams, a will to achieve it… eternally optimistic. She describes herself as...'' the right-brained dreamy Piscean who enjoys the artsy work and I am organized where my work is concerned I am a perfectionist which is not always good I suppose, my dear ones often complain.''

She is a home-maker, a self-taught freelance artist and a mom who enjoys the simple pleasures of life... In her own words, ''I see art in almost everything around me...everything inspires me - people, places, nature, customs, traditions, culture...I love everything that's Indian when it comes to theme. I love to express through art! I use various mediums like acrylics, glass, watercolor, oil, fabric, ceramic etc. It's fun to experiment and to come up with something one had not imagined! I design and create art digitally too.''

Read more about Deepa in this small interview !

What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to read and listen to some soulful music. I like to spend time with my daughter creating some artsy stuff together






 Describe your style?
I don’t adhere to any particular style. Some may feel it’s a drawback; I used to feel that too. I like to try out all styles and forms. Then I got to think that that’s my style…not adhering to a particular one. I like using bright and warm colours though. At times, I consciously try to use cool colours. I like Indian themes with detailing (folk art forms etc), painting women (especially faces) and abstracts. I love the fluidity of watercolours too.





What's your favorite color?
I love all the colours…it’s difficult to place a finger on one. As mentioned earlier I end up using warm, bright colours in my paintings though.






Tell us about your first painting, and your first show ?
I started painting as a child and honestly I don’t remember the first one. The one I remember as my first accomplishment was ‘The Garden with a Fountain’ which I painted in my school in one of the competitions and which was my first Great win. 
My first show was in 2009 with ARTE – Artisans of the Emirates at Times Square Centre in Dubai. That however is an Art and Craft Souq which takes place every month. My first proper exhibition was in a Yacht in Dubai, it was a group exhibition called Artists Against The Tides-Save The Planet.






When did you get the idea that 'art and painting' was the thing you love?
I think it’s something that’s ingrained deep within. I have always been in love with art but unfortunately I couldn't take up fine arts as my Major and that is something I regret.



Tell us about the mediums that you use in your artworks?
Currently, I love using acrylics…this again is an ever-changing phase. Earlier I used a lot of glass paints. Sometimes I use watercolours and then oils and yet again at times…I go digital. It depends on my mood.







Tell us a bit about your biggest challenge in your career, and the way you handled it?

The biggest challenge…to get to the right place at the right time. I lack a steady flow of work…as one needs to update ones work regularly. I used to work almost daily at a specific time until I moved back to India. Since I have taken up a teaching job right now, I am unable to make time for art on a regular basis. The job is a temporary one so presently I will start working on my art again.





Your greatest inspiration is?

There are many of them…each artist has inspired me in some form or the other. Whether it’s a folk artist from some corner of the world to the world famous artists or the Masters…everyone inspires me.








How would you describe your work place ..? 
I don’t have a workplace as such…I usurp whichever place I like and feel comfortable at that point of time. It  is usually a mess…I need everything before my eyes so I just spread it across the table and sometimes it overflows and covers the floor too !


Where can people contact you ?
You can find me here:



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Thank you Deepa ! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful views and beautiful paintings with us...




'TWIGS' in rust colour !




                 Hello dear friends,


Some more variations in style and sizes of wall art to decorate your favourite walls ... You can purchase these from my new wall art store MODERN MURAL...















And yes, single pieces in rectangle and square are also available in different sizes too !




Please visit me later today to read about my new artist !!!

See you all !