Illustrating-Finding inspiration.

Last week I got given an illustration project, to work on over the next few weeks. As soon as I saw the brief with the words '20 illustrations' I was filled with complete dread.  I have some amazing illustrators as friends and my inability is pretty obvious in comparison.  However instead of giving up I may as well put everything I have into it and Pinterest has absolutely come to my rescue with an inspiring variety of illustrations, so I thought I would share a few that I've FOUND...

Tibi

Tibi

Ekaterina Koroleva

Espirit d'escalier

Cate Parr

Chacha illustrations

Ping Zu

Liselotte Watkins

Emma Sailor

To see the full board of Illustration pins visit my Pinterest.

Fashion156 debate-Are Fashion Design degrees worth the paper they are printed on?

It's unbelievable to me that it's been a good 2 months since I last posted. What with getting back to uni after Christmas for a creative pattern cutting project, a trip to Paris, delving into trend forecasting and attempting to fit a life in there, it's been a busy 2 months.
This is a quick post before I get to what I've been doing, but I wanted to post this link to an article on fashion156's daily blog by Alexander Antoniou who is soon to be a fashion design graduate.
It's a great venting article, that is really interesting and definitely worth a read.
Whether you agree with it or not it definitely addresses a problem that seems to be more and more significant.  At the end of the day I think it's completely how you choose your university course. It certainly made me thankful to be in Bath, pushed more and more and focused towards industry expectations.  No course is going to be perfect and it would be a huge task to control fashion design courses by a governing body, but maybe one day it will happen.  I certainly think that this problem could become less prominent with a rise in tuition fees making course choice extremely important. However it definitely is up to the individual to find out everything they can about where they are applying.
Regarding Alexander Antoniou's points about Art Foundation courses, I do agree to some extent that colleges need to be brought up to what is expected at university.  I definitely wasn't prepared for my first term here, it was extremely tough and daunting and I spent most days wishing I could go home! But I'm glad I stuck it out, and I'm partly glad it was so hard, because although I didn't have much of a life and was unbelievably stressed, I am no longer in shell shock. I know what working levels could be expected of me in my future and more importantly I'm starting to really enjoy it.

So here it is, certainly a topic that should be taken notice of:Fashion156 Alexander Antoniou article

Procrastinating

I'm supposed to be writing an essay...

Illustrator and watercolours
©Keziah Newlove

So after a month of pattern cutting...

Coming home from uni means finishing the first month of pattern cutting, and this is what I have to show for it...

We were set research work alongside learning the basics of pattern cutting, to design a mini collection, focusing on the skirt. I chose to look at various aspects of the 1920's including Soviet costume and then went through several toiles before a few nights of very little sleep, to finish everything before the deadline. Fortunately no massive disasters and this is how it turned out, still not quite perfect but it's close!

These are also a few of my illustrations for the mini collection, I don't confess to be much of an illustrator, but it's better than they were a few months ago...hopefully I will get there one day!

©Keziah Newlove

©Keziah Newlove

©Keziah Newlove

©Keziah Newlove

John Stezaker

White Chapel Gallery

Arriving home, it's been so nice to have all my things around again. I have spent the afternoon under my bed pulling out old magazines finding 'inspiration' slightly less interesting than a cupboard that leads to Narnia but hopefully this rummaging will keep me going for a while at least.... I also stumbled across this, a postcard I brought excitedly whilst in Amsterdam last year, after seeing it on a blog months beforehand, stupidly not writing it down and didn't find it again until I was in the shop at the Stedelijk Museum. It's now happily residing on my wall, really love Stezaker's art.

Merry Christmas

Saying goodbye to Bath tomorrow, Christmas is FINALLY here!!!

©Keziah Newlove

The field of light.

Cobwebs have built up, and after far too long of neglecting, I break the silence with the most beautiful installation, which I visited tonight, finally managing to get out of the studio or away from my desk for a few hours.

Bruce Munro has installed this piece in the grounds of the Holburne Museum in Bath, to stunning effect.  His concept was first installed at the Eden project in 2009, visiting various locations including the V&A, and in a 10 acre display at Long Knoll Field in Wiltshire.

It will be at the Holburne Museum until the 8th of January and well worth a visit if you are in the area, for want of a better word, it really is magical.

Photos: ©Keziah Newlove