So guys, sorry to disappoint, I have pretty much......done nothing this month. I haven't really gotten around to designing anything. I have just been adjusting to my new job and chilling out really. I have gone to a few things at a local festival. Our open house festival. I saw the Foghorn string band all the way from Portland Oregon. I also went to see Punk in the Park, where some local punk bands played. I even got my face in the paper.... TWICE! On the Left here is the foghorn string band. (worst photo ever) It was a really good gig, a little bit of a different genera than what I would usually listen to but they were so good to see live and really chilled people. On the right it'a few photos from punk in the park. I went with my brother and our dogs Louis and Sophie. It was again a really good gig. the turn out was awesome and the bands were great! And the picture that got put in my local paper.... not once.... but twice! Other than going to the local gigs in my area I also have been doing a bit of harvesting. As well as possibly...... becoming an alcoholic This year the birds actually got bored with plums, so we were able to harvest them. So much so that we are making our own plum cider and plum brandy. Here is the cider doing it's thing! I will however be designing the labels for these when they are ready to be bottled and hopefully not killing anyone with alcohol poisoning. I've also been celebrating 5 years with my partner. Ill save you all the lovey dovey stuff.So yea, this is pretty much what I've been doing this month, Also hoping to get back into the workshop to finish things off. Heres some random cars and cats I made for my partner. and below and random cat that genuinely keeps breaking into his house. .....we call him stevie.
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Small summary of this month, I have a new job, new stuff in my shop, I have made more jewelry and I've just turned another year older. So very briefly, I have started a new job, so far everything is going really well I am currently working in a local printing company and learning how everything works. The company print things from flyers, posters, cards, calendars, etc. You name it they'll probably do it.. We get a lot of wedding planner stuff come through on a daily basis as well as some estate agency stuff from all over the UK. So it's been really nice having a nosy at all the designs that come through the door. I already feel like I am learning a fair bit. I have only been there two weeks so far but yea, we'll see how it goes. New stuff in zee shop, remember my bug designs? well i have put them on my red bubble account. Now I haven't finished with the insect designs, I have just been so busy/lazy recently with everything going on I haven't yet finished the whole insect series, but I have uploaded the ones that our finished to my shop. below is some of the items you can buy my patterns on. you can get these printed and just about anything check out my shop by going to the store section on the menu. Jewelry wise I haven't done as much this month as I would have liked but I have now got my own workshop at home. If you follow me on Instagram you'll already know all the fun stuff. So I have created my own workshop, I have started making things here and there and to be honest I have been doing more research and buying tools. First 3 images are just of my workshop it's self, the view from my window and me working away on a few things. last three are the creatures I have been making. none of these are finished as of yet. The birds I and still trying to decide if I should solder the birds together to make a pendent or to link them together to make them three separate pendents. The 3rd image is of the rabbit being prepared for some enameling. I also got some jewelry stuff for my birthday like engraving tools so I am going to try my best and get a bit more work done in the studio/workshop this month. I've also had a little bit of trouble with the enameling but I got some metal work books too so hopefully I'll be able to educate myself a little more. Talking of birthday... Here is an embarrassing photo of me cutting my birthday cake. I have to admit I am also very much into the new Pokemon Go game, so much so that I have renamed my caterpillar cake, caterpie. Here are a few photos of some of my gifts: (thought I had more photos) 4 colouring in books, which to be honest I have been using and it's actually great fun! I also just gave my partner a list of just some stuff I wanted. He liked one of the T-shirts I asked for so much that he bought one for himself.... so I guess we now have to make a schedule on what days we can wear them so we don't clash. I also got some homemade elder-flower champagne which you can see in the above image of me cutting my cake. I ended just doing a Pokemon Go pub crawl in Belfast. it was..... interesting LOL anyways... I think that's everything I have gotten up to this month.
So this month a lot has been going on, I have finished my flyers for M Mahood Music, I've done a few more buggy designs, I've finished my silversmiths course, I've just come back from Glastonbury, and I've even accepted a new job offer.......yep! So this year at Glastonbury was my 3rd year in a row. Between sleeping under tables on the ferry, the traffic getting into Glastonbury and the mud. I have admit, I am thinking of going elsewhere next year. I have always loved going to Glastonbury, but this year I just wasn't feeling it. Talk about a work out just going to the toilet or even getting food. It was a bit of a nightmare..... DAMN YOU MUD! Music was however fantastic as always! here's a few other pics from the festival. So here's the two main designs I created for M Mahood Music: I'm proud of these and I do feel they reflect and flow in with the logo that I had previously created. Plus I have a very happy client. Please visit and like their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MMahoodMusic/?fref=ts I have also continued on with making some bug patterns, last month they were winged, this month I have been doing more beetles. I am continuing on with these designs and I am hoping to have these all finished and added to my red bubble shop by the end of July. shop: http://www.redbubble.com/people/kerriestuff I also mentioned that my silversmithing course has ended. I have decided that this is definitely an art form I am wanting to continue with and experiment with. In my last few weeks I began to experiment with enameling copper. So using greens, browns and even blacks we experimented with the leaf shaped copper. Although the kiln wasn't hot enough, giving the enamel this bumpy bubbly effect. I feel it really works with the piece and definitely adds texture to the piece. 2nd image here was actually the first pieces I enameled, I put Rose Pink on both pieces and due to the position in the kiln, I managed to get the top one the lightest and the bottom a lot darker. I really love how this worked out, I am planning to turn this into a necklace. The 3rd and 4th images are of an only bit of scrap metal I had been experimenting with. I had talked about it in a previous blog, I just threaded wire through, and then put silver enamel on the copper. It gave the copper this really amazing look, again planning on turning this into a necklace. Here is the original piece before threading copper and brass wire through: On my last night of my course, I started to make little rabbits. I have to admit it was mainly due to finding other little copper rabbits in my scrap box and getting this song stuck in my head: My little scrap bunny. So I started making my own little bunnies in hope of enameling them white: these also really make me laugh, I made a skinny rabbit and a curvy one, keeping up with beauty standards. So yea, didn't get these quite finished but I am thinking about doing a bit more with the white rabbit theme. That's it really when it comes to the metal work stuff I have been doing lately. I am still experimenting away with other things. Although at the moment the workshop space that I use is being moved. So it's putting a little bit of a pause on things.
I also mentioned I have accepted a new job offer, I will be working with a graphic design company, starting in July. I've incredibly nervous about the whole thing but, it's a new venture, so we'll see how it goes. Catch you guys next time. A LOT HAS HAPPENED THIS MONTH! So, where to start. Logo design for M Mahood Music is done, currently still designing flyers but I am incredibly happy with the outcome, even my client is over the moon with it! Which is the most important thing! Hopefully my watermark isn't too over powering. But yea, this is what we came up with in the end. Very impressed it I don't say so myself ;) created using Illustrator and Photoshop. Here's a few of the logos that I played around with, before coming to the final: As you can see some a lot better than others. But there are many different stages that you go through when designing a logo. I had a lot of fun doing this! My Silversmithing course, has been very off and on, as I am getting to the stage where, to be honest I don't feel like I'm learning. I have noticed there is a huge difference from being at university and doing a part time course. If you basically showed interest in learning a technique and asked tutors in university, or if it was a tutors specialism. They got super excited and were pretty much awesome with showing you how it worked. So yea, I am getting to the point that YouTube is probably a better educator that any college or university, as well as cheaper! Which is a bit of a shame, but at the same time, it has made me hungry for knowledge! I've recently been experimenting with copper. Actually been very impressed with all the amazing colours and although I'm kind of doing it to waste time, I’m actually learning a lot from it: The above is just little pieces I have been experimenting with. Still lots of other stuff I want to experiment with but I have to admit, even experimenting with the different colours that come from the copper. Is amazing, and all I am doing is applying heat in different areas and even experimenting by heating the metal through other pieces of metals. It’s all still very small stuff, but I am starting to think about making sculptures, so who knows my next course could be a wielding course, or my YouTube will be full of wielding videos. I've also been doing more patterns, I have already started my 2nd in the series. I haven't yet put these up on my red bubble, as I am wanting to have at least 3-4 different series of patterns before I do, so here's the first it all it's different variations of glory! So that's basically what I've been up to this month, I have to admit June may be a bit slow as I am mainly just finishing off work and continuing to experiment with metal work. But I am also off to Glastonbury! So I shall also be putting up lots of pictures of that when I get back, But I think I will do my June blog before I leave for Glastonbury, we will see.
Thanks guys for stopping by, keep your eyes peeled for more pattern designs coming soon and more experiments. Please follow me on Instagram, as I am aiming to try and start posting more things on there! So this month a lot of things have been happening! I have started my silversmiths course, I am branding a new business and I have started to create a few pattern designs (none of which are finished, but I started them! ;) ) So first off I suppose, my new wee course in playing with hammers, metals and blow torches. I have actually thoroughly enjoyed the course, however I still haven't really made very much. I had already made a ring out of copper, I am actually rather proud of it, although it's still very rough. A lot more practice still to go. I have to admit as well, I get so caught up in what I'm doing I keep forgetting to take photos of stages. I have to admit though after i took these images, I put the ring into the Pickler, and all these amazing browns and oranges, literally washed away. I was pretty gutted, but this is an effect that I do really like here is a few images of how it looks now: I have also started to experiment a little in class, I have started to make a bracelet, but I really liked what I had done previously with the image of the skull and sewing into the paper, the two mediums really worked. (Also still haven't totally finished that either) So I have decided to do something similar although it will all be metals still, but I am basically going to sew wire into the bracelet and see what effects I can get and even play with the blow torch and see what patterns emerge. It could look awesome or awful. Here are a few of the pieces myself and my friend Gina who goes to the class with me have been beating and slightly experimenting with. Nothing amazing, but it's the start of something. So I also mentioned Branding a local business. This is involving a logo, leaflets and even business cards. The business is M Mahood Music Tuition. Mark the owner has been a friend of mine for many years, so to be honest I was honored when asked could I design this for him. Mark plans to teach mainly bass guitar at all levels and even music theory. Here's just a few ideas so far that we have drawn up, if all goes to plan, at the end of May you'll hopefully be seeing finished designs. At the moment we are very much in the early stages of the designs.
I have also been asked to do a re-brand of another local company, however nothing is as of yet, set in stone. So who knows maybe next month I will have two new logo's to unveil. I also said I had started to do pattern designs, I have nothing as of yet that I'm happy enough to show, but as I have also been doing them in my own time, with everything else, it just takes a little longer to get around to things. That's me for this month, hopefully more to show and talk about next month So long time since last blog, I have been trying to keep this where I blog at least once a month, also due to being very busy. So lately I have been doing a bit of experimenting, I had done this years ago at college but I never really got to full experiment with it. Sewing directly into paper. I did this originally with skulls and wanted to continue on that trait. So I actually bought a little cat skull, photographed it. took it into photoshop and played about with it. I inverted the skull and it actually reminded me a bit of Damien Hurts skull: Hirst-Love-Of-God.jpg So this is still a bit of a process, I keep going back and working on it every so often but I have also started other projects. I didn't have Illustrator for a while so I was trying to do everything but really. But I have it back now YAY!!!! So I have started a new range of t-shirt designs, you may have already seen a glimpse of this on my instagram: This is the only clip I have published as of yet, the first full design is finished I have now started into my second one. I'm still not too sure how many I will have at the end but I would guess 5 and up. So I am really looking forward to this, They will be on sale on my Red Bubble shop. I will keep you up dated on when they will be coming out. Another piece of exciting news, I am student again!!!!! well... part time. I am starting a Silversmiths course next week, so it'll be interesting to try my hand and something else and something that is more hands on. I have been asked to come up with an idea of what I would like to make..... This is a screen shot from my pinterest board.... I have literally no idea what I want to do. This will be another thing in my blog that I will keep you updated on.
If you wish to follow me on Instagram, twitter, viewbug, pinterest Ect. please find in the top right hand corner, hopefully more to show next time :) Happy Valentines Day! SO! I haven't really been doing that much in the last month. Been getting a lot ideas down and been planning a fair bit of stuff to do. I have just been organizing some things, as well as being the right amount of lazy ;) I went to Scotland this month to visit my old university city, and meet up with a few friends. Even caught the opening of the six nations rugby match, watched it in the classiest weather spoons in Aberdeen. It was really lovely being back in Scotland I have to admit I've missed it! I will be planning more visits back very soon! Other than that I have done some arty farty things, like I said in my last post about Illustration Friday I did make a piece for the week of "Orbit" When seeing the word "Orbit" I automatically thought of planets and space, ect. I then remembered my old underwater photos I took and thinking that they looked pretty space agey. So I took this image into Illustrator and Photoshop and experimented with it a little. I am pleased with the out come, but I have to admit it has made me miss my underwater photography experiments..... And it's now winter :(
So yea, remember when I was saying I have been planning stuff.... I'm still planning stuff. Hopefully have more to show next month. Have a great valentines whether your spending it with someone you love or just having Netflix binge day Long, long time no speak. Firstly, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! So yea I have to admit I haven't been up to much. I have done a few wee bits and pieces designing some stuff for a few lovely people, and working my wee bum off in my none arty farty job, which suuuuuuuuuuucccckkkkkssss!!!! But we all gotta start from somewhere. So yea, I had a fantastic piece of news over the Christmas holidays that a few of my t-shirt designs sold from my RedBubble store! super happy about that! I have decided to kick my self up my own arse and get back to drawing again. Here are a few recent things I've done: One of my closest fiends went to a wedding recently and asked if I could design a wedding present for the newly weds. What I love about this is it's so different, very much keeping up with pop culture. Breaking Bad, this was a lot of fun to do, I haven't experimented with using smoke brushes in a very long time.....7 years roughly.... So this was a lot of fun to get back to. I also have been such a terrible friend, one of my oldest and dearest friends is in an amazing band and every single time he had a gig. I couldn't make it due to working. Sad faces all round :( So to make up for my absence and still embarrass him as I have been doing over the years at his gigs. I made him a cheesy fan girl t-shirt. This is probably the first one of many that I have made that looks professional I actually got this printed on about 5 t-shirts and gave them to everyone at my friends annual Christmas gathering :) it was well worth it! here's their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/paperdogsband/?fref=ts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperdogsband/ Please like, share, follow and fall in love. I've even started to experiment with polymer clay. I have to admit I was very much inspired by Amanda Louise Spayd's dolls: AMAZING AREN'T THEY!!!! So yea I decided to use polymer clay, watched a hell of a lot of youtube videos on it an thought, yea, I can sooooo do this. I even got glass eyes and fake resin teeth (Spayd actually uses real human teeth, I did hunt the web for them but couldn't find them, and then as soon as I said to my partner, 3 clicks and he found them.... had when that happens AND you've already purchased resin teeth....ANYWAY) I wanted to make my own monster. When I got my polymer clay I was actually super surprised at how tough the clay was to work with. I have worked with clay before and fully loved it, but the polymer was very much a dry touch clay. Even plasticine is so much easier to use. But anyways I persevered and created my snot monster Edger: Thought this was hilarious as the only good things about him such as his eye and teeth, I didn't even make.... LOL but yea I haven't done anymore polymer clay experiments, because of the clay being hard to work with, it has sort of put me off. I still have loads left over so I think once I come up with a better idea of a monster, Ill go back to it. Until then though I have really missed drawing and making the fan girl t-shirt made me realize that. So I have been thinking about going back to the Illustration Friday competitions.
BUT! I'm going to start off gentle, I really like the idea of a word and building on that, but due to not really having much of a social life, I don't know when Ill get it done so I make use one word for over a month, who knows. I've also been thinking back to my old art that I love and actually really miss doing. Been even thinking how I can improve on the ideas, So don't want to give too much away but, I will say that it will be more physical forms of work rather than a pretty picture. Probably more fine art actually when I really think about it. So yea. This year I will hopefully be more balanced art and work wise and who knows hopefully find another job more to do with my art :) That's all from me hope you've enjoyed, I'm not even going to make a promise of when I will keep up with the blog. But until next time Happy New Year! :) So it's been over a month since my last post, currently trying to get my life together in some way that will make sense, (big steps of being an actual functioning adult) not going to lie. This post is just a huge rant...... So I've done sweet F.A. in the past month art wise, I have had more and more ideas on things I want to do and things I want to create. I currently feel so restricted with having literally having no time to do anything and even when I do, I'm too tired from work. I’m sure a lot of people can relate! So the more and more that this goes on, I can feel myself getting more and more pissed off. This seems to be my process though, it’s pretty adultolescent to be honest, but I just get to the point where I crack and I end up doing a huge project. like my mad paint photoshoot. I'm starting to think about quitting my job, becoming a survivalist and living in the woods, winter is coming and I could totally nom on some spiders I'm sure..... Or live a hut in my parents back garden where I can still get WiFi, electricity, warm meals and can do art all day..... Although with all this ranting I have been planning a few things in my spare time when I have been able to. Currently I want to have some designs set out in the next few weeks, I have already managed to start a few but none are really at a point that I'm happy enough showing them at the minute. Even some new t-shirt designs, a few I have to admit are a bit controversial, and others are just random, But once I actually get to put my designs on paper or on illustrator, I will be selling them, please stay tuned for that! I'm also still designing the cats for the ShleepyPete Twitch profile, It has all just been a very very very very ssssssllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww process. Just a random YouTube video on how I feel right about now......weeehhh...
Adjusting to adult life after being a student for sooooooo long totally sucks! so, ok. I lied about blogging once a week. things have been a little hectic lately. I got a new job working at a call centre, I also just haven't really felt the want or need to design anything lately. still adjusting to life at home after four years of university, Aswell with the fact that I'm no longer wanting to stay in education. so, sadly I just haven't really done any design stuff..... until last night. my partner is a gamer, like most folk. he has decided to make a twitch account and for people who don't know what twitch is: twitch is basically an website/app that you can go onto and watch live streams of people playing a plethora of different games. if you find you like watching a certain player you can follow them and even donate money to them. as far as I'm aware some players are so popular that they actually are able to live off the donations. Every little gamers dream right? (I really hope I got all that info right or I'm in trouble..... I'm totally not a gamer) sooooooooo, my partner asked me to design and create his profile picture, cover photo and any buttons that he has on his profile. Now, anyone who knows my partner, knows he's uppsessed with cats...... see where I'm going with this? I actually had so much fun doing this. I have managed to get his profile picture finished, I am currently working on getting his cover photo finished, here is a few of my enitial drawings it's been a long time since I've last drawn but you get the idea, just imagine it all......waaaaayyyy less scary than my sketches. so all the little drawings were my ideas for the profile picture. As (I.probably should have mentioned earlier) My partners name on twitch is "ShleepyPete" he also sleeps more than most humans... so the idea was basically to make him into a cat, he loves both his cats which are both pure white. I think I have an image on my site, that i did a few years ago. A game of thrones style portrait. It's of my partner sitting on the iron throne with his two white dare-cats on either side of him. I'm currently on my phone writing this blog (first time ever) so I don't have the image on my phone to upload, on here. if your interested. it should be on my commissions page. here's an image however of my partner with one of his cats (hopefully I won't get murdered for putting it up) isn't he sooooooooo cute! talking about the cat here guys... :P so I based his cat on him, I however didn't include the beard. I sort of felt that the cat it's self had enough fur, never mind the beard. So here's the finished product, I am actually so pleased with this, I now just have to get the cover photo done and then the buttons that will go on his Twitch account
That's all from me today :) |