It has been a very busy week in preparation for Surtex in May, which is really just around the corner. At this time of the year I wish I had already completed more work although I have some 10-15 new collections to show. So many ideas, so little time...!
One of my pleasures when attending a trade show is to promote my design work through magazine ads, emails, postcards, blog articles, press releases, and most recently YouTube videos! This year my theme is mostly focused on nature, with florals and Alpine woodland paintings on the main stage. My postcard image below illustrates one of my collections called Wild Roses.
 |
| © 2014 Alessandra Colombo |
Nature is a source of inspiration for many artists who create their own unique style of work. Recently I came across an artist who is similarly inspired by all things natural and whose work itself is also inspiring to me.
 |
| Artist Kiran, her dog Daisy and her design work in the background |
I invited designer and printmaker Kiran to tell us more about her design and print making process. Her style is defined as naïve and she creates lovely yet bold botanical prints.
Kiran is from Leicester, England, where she lives with her husband Ben, their two daughters, and their dog Daisy. She says, "I carve my designs on lino and handprint them directly onto fabrics. I started printing about 4 years ago and my work has since grown to include single hand printed cushions, bags etc. and in 2013, I produced a range of printed fabrics and wallpapers."
 |
| © Kiran |
Kiran's creative work starts with a design being transformed from a sketch to being transferred to a block, to carving it, then inking it and printing it and finally, for her fabrics and wallpapers, transferring it to the computer and manipulating the image.
"My main source of inspiration is nature but strong bold graphics are also very inspiring to me along with interesting colour combinations."
She is currently working on a very exciting project that includes a new set of designs. "I'm not sure if they'll come to anything but it's fun trying something new and different to what I normally do."
 |
| © Kiran |
Kiran uses Twitter and Facebook to interact with other creatives and to find out what is going on in the industry. She adds, "There are journalists and stylists on Twitter whom I've followed who have gone on to feature me on their blogs and so on. I also love using Pinterest for inspiration and it's also a great way for people to discover my work.
My work has been featured in a few magazines lately. I have never approached any magazine due to a lack of confidence more than anything else and thinking everything needs to be perfect before I even think of approaching them. I think perhaps they like the idea of 'discovering' someone new but I know sending them an email with an introduction and a few photos or a link to your website can be useful." So true!
 |
| © Kiran |
An important tip she shares with us is to keep it at. "Try and work on something new as often as you can. Sometimes being an all-in-one person where you have to do almost everything can be very draining but it takes a few years before people start taking your work seriously. If you're good at what you do and if you believe in yourself, then so will others!"
"I hope to be able to continue doing what I'm doing and to expand my product range!" - Kiran concludes.
Find out more about Kiran:
And be sure to check out her video of her printmaking process, where she also shows some of her designs...as well as introduces us to her dog Daisy!
 |
| Visit Kiran's studio and see her at work! |
No comments:
Post a Comment