Collections Corner: Teapots, teapots and more teapots!

'Collections Corner' is a new and exciting feature to Creative Sketchbook. I will be sharing beautiful imagery in collections of my favourite things with you, to provide lots of creative inspiration. It's up to you what you then decide to do with it..... doodle, pin, sketch, paint, stitch, print, stare in awe, collect, scrapbook or even shop away!  

Tea, in it's many, many varieties is a very important part of my life and what better way to pass the time away by sharing it with others in one of these stunning teapots!

'Coffee & Tea' Pink Pip Tea Pot by Pip Studio 

Quote of the Week!

Sourced

"Be your own kind of beautiful" 

The Bookshelf: Ruby, Blue and Blanket by Jane Hissey

I was sooo delighted when I found out that one of my all time favourite illustrators Jane Hissey had published a new children's book entitled 'Ruby, Blue and Blanket'. Amazingly it has been ten whole years since Jane last published a book, it has been more than worth the wait and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I originally fell in love with Jane's first book 'Old Bear' as a child and you can read my previous feature on it here.

Jane's enchanting children's classics are richly illustrated in coloured pencil and her attention to detail amazingly brings her little soft toys to life. Jane skillfully captures interesting textural details, from the chunky knit of Ruby's jumper to the blanket stitching around Blanket's tartan saddle. 

Jen Skelley's Fun Spring Time Illustrations!

I thought sharing the fabulous work of Jen Skelley with you today would brighten your day. With a refreshing colour palette of lime, turquoise, coffee and raspberry Jen cleverly creates a modern yet retro vibe to her surface pattern designs. Simplistic shapes and clean lines result in contemporary illustrations with a distinctive hand drawn quality. I love how Jen combines lots of different variations of the same image together to create a placement print with the effect of an overall repeat. 

Glam! The Performance of Style

Sorry about my absence last week but I was up to my neck in business! I am back and will be back every Monday. This week I have chosen to talk about the current exhibition on at Tate Liverpool called 'Glam! The Performance of Style' which is on until 12th May 13. I work as part of the Tate Collective, a group of young people who work around the exhibitions to produce a programme for young people. It is a fantastic opportunity and enjoy every second!

The Glam! exhibition is full of what you would expect of an exhibition with a name like that. Bowie fans especially will love this (if like myself you don't have time to go see 'David Bowie is' at the V&A in London yet) and the exhibition contains a fantastic collection of musicians and artists from the 70's. From the androgyny of Andrew Logan's work to the sexualised Warhol films, right down to the glitz and glam of a room full of glitter balls (I don't want to give too much away) it is an exciting and fun exhibition. Here is a selection of work I have found  from the exhibition, however I don't want to tempt you with too much!

Quote of the Week!

By Cory Say

Matthew 6:34

"So do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself" 

Timeless Iconic Scenes by Gery Luger!

The works of Gery Luger are a recently new discovery for me and more iconic in style than my usual choice. It is evident that travel has a strong influence on Gerry's work and key cities around the world have provided a rich source of inspiration to base his artwork on.  Like snapshots in time, Gerry captures timeless images with a vintage feel, collaging photos together with scratched, layered and blurred graphic effects.

Fanelli Cafe

Legenden VI

Quote of the Week!

Inspirational and creative quotes often catch my eye and get me thinking, so I thought I would share the odd one with you!

Sourced

"being creative is not a hobby, it is a way of life"

Claudine Hellmuth's Mixed-Media Collages!

I have been a lover of old maps and vintage atlases since my kind mum bought me an old, thumbed world atlas from a charity shop a couple of years ago. It was the quirky combination of mixed-media papers, photos, maps, paints and drawing based techniques that instantly captured my attention. Her vintage collages contain iconic imagery from victorian types of travel to the Eiffel Tower combined with bold key dates. Claudine's work has provided a rich source of inspiration for my students, so I thought I would share some of my favourite designs with you today.

Elizabeth Willow's Paper Stories

My first official feature on creativesketchbook is an artist that came into my college, a past student, to present a lecture on her work. Elizabeth Willow is a Liverpool based Artist who appreciates a book more than anyone. Personally I am fascinated by narrative and storytelling in work, something which Willow captures perfectly. A picture my paint a thousand words, however nothing can beat what your own imagination can do with a few simple words. I have become extremely interested in artist books recently, and this was perfect inspiration for me!

Scandanavian Illustrations by Petra Börner!

I thought I would share a little bit of Sweedish design with you today. I think it's this distinctive and stylish retro style that makes Petra's designs so refreshing and distinctive.

Pertra Börner spent her childhood in a small town in Sweeden before studying fashion at the renowned Central St Martins in London. Petra fell in love with the city and now lives in London full time. Petra now works as a freelance designer creating commissions and her own exciting product range.

Kirsten Jones's Sweet Memories!

One of my students is currently studying old fashioned sweets and chocolates along with vintage wrappers and packaging, so we were delighted when we discovered the yummy work of Kirsten Jones. This first image with row upon row of glass jars filled with every sweet you could imagine fondly reminds me of my childhood and my ever so sweet tooth.

Kirsten beautifully captures a range of feminine imagery from cupcakes and girls shoes to extravagant birds in ornate cages and tiered cake stands. It is clear to see she takes her inspiration from collections of everyday objects which are intended to "evoke memories of the places objects were found or bought". Sourced

A New Monday Blogger!

Today will not be a regular artist feature. Gemma Robinson, the creative mind behind the blog has so kindly invited me to write a post for the blog, every Monday, featuring artists and exhibitions that I like.

My name is Christian Watts, and an ex student of Gemma's. I am currently a student at Liverpool Community College studying a foundation course in art and design, and come September 2013 a student at Goldsmiths, University of London, studying BA Design. This is going to be an amazing opportunity and through here and my own blog (which has yet to be made) I hope I can share some of the fantastic arty experiences with you all!

As my first post I have decided to share a small snippet of my work, past and present. This blog is a treasure trove of illustration and art, which was shared with me first hand during my time as an A Level Student.  I haven't really settled down with what kind of designer I am, so my work over the past 2 years has been varied and ranged from illustration to contemporary practice!