Seven Stories Studio Takeover

In January this year, I was invited by the Seven Stories team to run a Studio Takeover based on my award-winning illustration in the Over the Hills and Far Away book. You can see my illustration currently displayed in the Seven Stories Rhyme Around the World exhibition.

Families were invited to discover how to create African and Maori inspired art in a printmaking activity. We used this artwork to create a large African and Maori art installation in the studio.

We also had a star creation station were families could get involved in lots of cutting and sticking, write a wish on the back, of their decorated star and hang it in our 'night sky'.

Learning how to Letterpress

With Verity and ready for acton in the print room.

Jen putting the next plate in place for print.

Over the past few weeks I have started joining Jen and Verity in the letterpress room learning how to letterpress on a beautiful Heidelberg machine.

Letterpress has become the go-to printing technique for greeting cards, business cards and wedding invitations. Invented in the 15th Century, it was the most reliable and widely used method of printing. This printing method originally involved manually arranging words and images before pressing them into high-quality paper.

Although this is still common practice for many designers, at Paper Dove, we create card designs digitally and have metal plates made from them to then print onto beautiful paper. 

It is great to design for letterpress, but it is even better now that I am learning to print for it as well.

Sara Ogilvie Workshop at Paper Dove

Sara showing the group her prints and explaining about her working process.

Paper Dove designer, Caroline Gordon getting stuck in with mono-printing. 

My experimental mono-prints based on Sara's beautiful Russian Dolls.

Sketchbook development from Sara's new book 'Meet the Parents'.

Last week at Paper Dove was full of fun and excitement with a visit from my favourite illustrator, Sara Ogilvie (the illustrator of 'Dog don't do Ballet'). 

I first met Sara at the 'Take Five Illustrators' exhibition opening in 2012 at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, whilst studying for my masters degree at Edinburgh College of Art. Since then I have been fortunate to work with her at other talks and workshops at both Seven Stories and Edinburgh College of Art. This time I'm lucky enough to work with her at my new workplace.

During the morning session, Sara gave an inspiring talk about us where she finds inspiration, her creative process, her approaches to different creative projects and creating books for children.

After lunch we had a messy session in the print room, experimenting with the potential of mono-printing and screen-printing. As a group we came up with some interesting characters based on some observational drawings of Sara's collection of old toys.

I am looking forward to arranging her next visit soon!

Paper Dove Studio

It has been a tough start to the year with completing my first picture book for Frances Lincoln Publishers. Whilst it has been a wonderful experience working with such amazing people, I must say that I am happy to finally be catching up on some sleep! 

It has obviously been a while since I updated my blog, so I thought I would start by sharing some of the recent artwork that the design team have been creating in the Paper Dove studio. Here are a few visuals of sketches and original artwork made in a variety of different media.

Geek Squad range for Cherry Moon

Four of the cards from my Geek Squad range

Jen changing the ink on the letterpress machine

Verity in production 

Here is a sneaky peak at 'Geek Squad', which is my very first range for Cherry Moon.

These brightly coloured designs showcase familiar retro objects and games that we've all loved. They have been beautifully hand printed by my friends Verity and Jen using one of our amazing letterpress machines. This old printing method is perfect for this range, adding to the retro feel.

This NEW range of twelve cards, is set and ready to go to the Spring Fair at the NEC in Birmingham next month.

Over the Hills and Far Away Competition

I am very happy to announce that I have just WON the Seven Stories and Frances Lincoln national illustration competition, 'Over the Hills and Far Away.' My artwork will be included in a new nursery rhyme collection to be published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books in the Autumn of 2014.

This anthology is a fresh and inclusive collection of nursery rhymes that has be gathered together from cultures across the English speaking world. Children and families will be introduced to the many diverse voices that speak to the very young in verse - offering readers new sounds, new sights and new ways with words.

The double page spread that I chose to illustrate was an African American and a Maori lullaby. Elizabeth Hammill (Co-founder of Seven Stories) stated that my artwork 'subtly and distinctively wove the two verses together by capturing a night that, like the father's embrace, is immersive and comforting and a place for imaginings of the possibilities that the galloping horses offer. There is a tenderness too in the father/baby relationship that is true and moving. The father/child are both specific to these rhymes but absolutely universal too.'

The collection will also include some 70 illustrators from across the English speaking world including: Michael Foreman, Robert Ingpen, Shirley Hughes, Jane Ray, Bob Graham,
Nick Sharett, Eric Carle, Axel Scheffler, Shaun Tan, Emily Gravett, Catherine Rayner,
Polly Dunbar, Sara Ogilvie, Jessica Ahlberg, Mini Grey, Yasmeen Ismail, Joel Stewart,
John Lawrence and Kevin Waldron.

Bouncy Bounce!

Here is an illustration that I have created using the textures that I have been making over the past few weeks. Hope you enjoy it!

Christmas Range, 2012

Christmas Cards, 2012.

Christmas Badges, 2012.  

Mono printing in the ECA Print Room

I have recently been making a product range for Christmas using these four little characters. They are all interacting with a different coloured snowflake that has been created using mono printing. There are cards and badges on sale for the very first time this Saturday at the Arts Centre Washington Craft Fair, followed by the launch of more exciting products at the Christmas Fair (Saturday 1st December).

Hope to see you there!

Illustration Friday - Water

The weather in Edinburgh has been very very wet recently and I have realised that I need to invest in a new umberella. Someone else had the same idea!

Rubber Stamps

 

I have had lots of fun printing my homemade rubber stamps this week. Here is a peak at some of the textures that I have made... now to make them into something even prettier...!!