30 Days of Creativity 2012

30 Days of Creativity is something that Create Stuff do every year in June.  In order to participate you have to pledge to them that you will do something creative everyday throughout June aka 30 Days.  It's a great project and it really tests you!

30 Days of Creativity 2011

Last year was my first year, and I found that I mainly created greeting cards along with doing creative things in the cafe I was working at, Seasons Cafe @ Rowan.  You can see photos of what I did here.

This year, when I pledged that I would create something everyday in June, I pledged also to myself that this would be 30 illustrations of buildings.  Buildings, cities, architecture...this is what I love to illustrate.  It's not always that I get to do this so I thought I'd take the opportunity (& excuse) to get on with illustrating what I love.

In the past, for projects when I've chosen to illustrate buildings, I've generally drawn whichever takes my fancy, be it one that I am near at that moment in time, or if it's one I saw on my travels at some point.  For this pledge, I decided to stick to a building that I had seen on that particular day.  Apart from one.  There was one rather dreary day when my thoughts were elsewhere, maybe you can guess which one I'm talking about?

 

To see the rest of my 30 Days of illustrated buildings please click on over to my 'down your street' blog where I keep all of my illustrations of lovely buildings.

www.downyourstreet.blogspot.com

Home from Home

A lovely commission


I recently was approached by three of my best friends (who happen to be sisters) and asked if I would illustrate their family home for their Mom for a Mothers Day/Birthday present.  I was SO thrilled that they had asked me, and was more than happy to.  

Their house is one of my favourites, and I have many happy memories from staying there over the years.  I hope I've done it justice - Happy Mothers Day/ Birthday Kelly!

Printmaking and Polaroids

Printmaking and
Polaroids












For the past couple of weekends I have been frantically getting together material for my upcoming exhibition and this has involved two sessions at the East London Printmakers.  Unfortunately last weekend wasn't so successful as my images weren't quite black enough for exposing a screen with (silkscreen printmaking).  So it was really frustrating, but I literally didn't even get one colour printed.  This weekend however, more pressure to get it right!  I went away and got my images improved and came back fighting!  Last weekend I had had my trusty helper and loving boyfriend with me, this weekend, it was just me.

I did it. I printed an edition of 27 two colour MASSIVE Amsterdam silkscreen prints.  You can see how massive in the polaroid where I'm holding it up!

I am so relieved that I managed this small feat.  If I hadn't, it wouldn't of been the end of the world but I would of been a bit disappointed.









HURRAH!


After I had finished up at the printers I headed on over to Brick Lane to meet up with my cousin Tom Wright as he'd just held a Polaroid workshop there that morning (Impossible Project Workshop)...I was a bit late for the workshop, but I did manage to get a few photos taken on my little but chunky Fuji Mini Polaroid and even a few on a 'proper' polaroid camera of Tom's.  I let Tom take my polaroids back to Manchester with him so i'll have to share those with you another time!

Myself & Tom

Me & Lauren

THE Goat

Ahem...I think maybe I need to clean my scanner.

A little something for you!

Hello All!

So since joining Twitter, Facebook and having a Blog, I have entered a fair few competitions, met loads of people (some in real life as well!), enjoyed supporting other illustrators and artists, and I am so grateful for the support that you also give me.

As a little thank you, and as it is the season for giving...for a lucky participant I shall put together a little package of goodies for you to get through the post.  If you have any special requirements then you can let me know but ultimately it will be a surprise!  And yes, I shall post to ANYWHERE!

In order to be chosen you need to leave a comment on this blog post, or tweet to me ( @charlsvallance ) which of the following books is your favourite, and tell me why, as well as why you would like to win!  I shall choose the winner the old fashioned way by putting everyones names in a hat and selecting one :-)

Row of Houses

Wake up and Smell the Coffee

(Delft) Blue

Birds, Boats & Buildings

(THE AMAZING FOLDING BOOK!)

Buildings

Statues of Europe

You have until Sunday 18th December 12noon :-)

Thank you everyone!

X

Silk Screen Printing in Uni

After being in London and doing the workshop there I wanted to get on with some actual printing!  So i developed an image from some photos of buildings that I'd taken in London and got introduced to the textiles print rooms at uni!  I managed to get done in one day more than I've done in London so far, so I'll definately be going back to develop my prints even further.  I also experimented with printing onto both material and paper, I plan on experimenting a lot more with material and how I can present it.  I used green and grey to print in rather than just black and think it worked with a pale grey paper and a cream paper.

 

This shows the layout of my screen - for next time i now know that i should of spread the two layers out a bit more!

  

The two halves didn't meet up particularly well-another point i need to work on for next time! But I like how the print worked on the fabric, it was much better than I was expecting!