In the dark of the night … In der Stille der Nacht …

Here's my submission for the Global Talent Search by Lilla Rogers Studio.
I wasn't chosen to go on in the next round, but enjoyed working on it anyway. I think it will look good in my portfolio!

Good luck to the 50 artists that were chosen for the second round!

To explain it a bit, the theme for this assignment was "Little Terrariums", and we were to do a design to be used as wall art. After an initial moment of disbelieve I totally loved the brief, when I found out that in english a terrarium is not a cage for crocodiles and lizards and such (as it would be in german), but a little garden planted inside a big glass jar. It's mainly succulents and cacti and plants like that, and while doing my research I already realize that I was going to love this. The forms of these plants are amazing, and to me they called out load and clear to be cut in paper and to be printed. Although I initially planned to do something painted, but ok, change of plans …
First I sketched out loads and loads of plants, only simple sketches, to get a feeling for the forms. Then I cut them in thick paper. I did far too many, I think it's more than 50 cutouts, I just got carried away. I'll probably do a whole series of them later on … here's some of my cutouts, together with the prints I did with them.

Papercuts and monoprints for GTS

Then I dwelled a while on the question wether I should print them as original monoprints. I even started mixing the colours. But then decided to do my composition digitally and scanned in what I had printed in just one colour. Good move, I am happy that I did, as this way I had much more possibilities for choosing the colours and composition.
Originally I didn't think to include figures or characters at all, but when I put the printed elements together they looked so magical to me that I went back to my scissors and did a fairy … not sure why I did the winged horse … it just came about. I liked the way these figures were not too literal and not too detailed, so that there's still room for the viewer's imagination. And with the figures came the story: I was going to do a night time scene with a little secret garden coming to life.
 

When I look at it today I would maybe only include the horse … or two horses? And keep the fairy for another illustration, which would work well as series. Not sure about the text either … I think it needs something that tells more of a story … will think about it!

You can see the gallery of all submissions to GTS  here and the gallery of the 50 artists chosen for round 2 here. Enjoy! It's a visual feast :-)

"Artists around the world" bloghop

Now it's my turn now in this bloghop, linking artists around the world :-) We have been asked 4 questions about our work and work process and post our answers on our blogs, then linking up to the next artists.

Let me quickly introduce myself first, I am Eva Marion Seyffarth, a surface designer and illustrator from Germany working under the studio name "Eva twinkles".

I have been invited to this hop by my friend and collague Vivayne, a freelance artist from Las Vegas. Please check out her lovely work here and blog here!

Here's a set of plates she did, which I love for it's softness and dreamy atmosphere:

"A joyous time", copyright Vivayne.

And here are my answers to the 4 bloghop questions:

1. Why do I do what I do?
Well I felt drawn to be an illustrator and designer as long as I can think. The creative process is something that comes very naturally to me, creating is just what I do, as simple as that. But if you dig deaper I guess it's mostly the freedom that comes with it: you get to create your own world, and I LOVE that.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Ok, the good old style question … I think what sets me apart is textures and translucency. It's as well my foundation in traditional art, married together with all the digital possibilities we have nowadays. I am a very haptic person and love to make a mess with paint or handprinting techniques. I have a background in handprinting, and have been painting with watercolours since childhood. My father is a landscape watercolour painter and often took me out on painting trips into the forest or the fields, and  I guess that really has shaped me.
On subject matter, I am mostly inspired by nature – often by organic structures in plants and landscape but as well by flora and fauna and landscape in general. Next biggest inspiration is words, storytelling and folk tales.

"Seed", plate design, part of the "Essential Garden" collection,
done with monoprints + Illustrator

Papercut motifs, which then were monoprinted
and used for the "Essential Garden" collection

3. How does my creative process work?
Like said above, I always start by hand, with pen on paper or scissors or paint or printing ink. I nowadays work with gouache rather than with watercolour as the colours are more saturated and I love that you can go from translucent to pastose colours with it. When it comes to printing, I often work with papercuts and print them as monoprints. I am a classic case when it comes to sketchbooks too. I take mine everywhere with me, and scribble down ideas or inspirational stuff. Very often it's a sketch from my sketchbook that is the starting point for my work. I usually just start working on single motifs and bits that come to my mind for my theme till I get to saturation point. I then scan everything in and do my composition and additional elements in Photoshop and/or Illustrator.

"Moonseeds", seed pot drawings in my sketchbook

Painting with gouache for the "Folk Song" collection

Plate design for the "Folk Song" collection

4. What am I working on now?
I have just finished my piece for the first round of Lilla Roger's Global Talent Search. Unfortunately I can't show the piece yet … but you can see some work in progress pics in my previous blogpost.
I am as well working on editorial illustrations, to build up my portfolio. Doing Lilla Rogers' MATS courses has rekindled my love of this field and I would like to get more commissions in that market.
Last but not least I am working on a makeover of my website. So much has happened since I first published it about a year ago! My work has changed and evolved to be more "me" and I will be tearing down almost all the pieces I had on the site, replacing them with new work. It's totally scary, but feels good too. It's about time!

Why do we garden? Editorial Illustration

for an article about gardening in the city

And now let's travel on up to the north of Europe … please check in on the following monday, the first of September, to see what my collagues from Scandinavia have to say on their blogs!

Sanna Väätänen is a painter, photographer and illustrator from Finland. I love this inventive cuckoo clock design that she has done for a phone cover, it is a witty and very unique interpretation of the theme:

Cuckoo Clock Phone Cover, copyright Sanna Väätänen

See more of her illustrations here and please check in at Sanna's blog for her "Artists around the world" post on the first of September!

Simi Gauba is a pattern and product designer originally from India, but now based in Sweden. Here's a print that is available in her Society 6 store – I have to tell you it was a difficult choice, there's so much beautiful designs in that shop! But I especially love this print for it's boldness and inventive typography:

"Be Brave" art print, copyright Simi Gauba

Please make sure to take a look at the Simidesign blog for more beautiful things to see and for Simi's  "Artist's around the world" post on the first of September!

Thank you for visiting!

P.s.: You'd like to read more blogposts of this hop and to meet more creative souls form all over the world? Tasha Goddard is collecting them here on her blog, please take a look! Thanks Tasha for creating this linky, it's a fab idea, and I will sure be browsing the links as well!

Just a quick note, or two … eine kleine Notiz, oder 2 :–)

Dear readers, if you're looking for a blogpost in the "Artists around the world" bloghop … sorry, the schedule has changed. I will be here with my post for this hop next monday, 25th of August. So please check in again. Thanks!

This week it's my friend and collague Vivayne's turn, have a look here for her lovely blogpost!

Liebe Leser, wenn Sie jetzt hier eine Blogpost für den "Artists around the world" Bloghop erwarten, muß ich mich entschuldigen … der "Fahrplan" hat sich etwas geändert. Meine Post für diesen Bloghop wird nächsten Montag, also am 25. August, hier erscheinen. Schaun Sie doch nochmal rein! Danke!

Diese Woche ist meine Kollegin und Freundin Vivayne dran, ihre Blogpost finden Sie hier.

Global Talent Search 2014 – work in progress …

On another note, I am taking part in this years Global Talent Search by Lilla Rogers Studio. So far I didn't dare to post this as I was not sure if I would make the deadine, but I did :–) No chance to win this though, with so many fabulous artists from all around the world taking part in the competition. But it feels a bit like the designer's/ illustrator's Olympic games, and I sure want to be part of this! 

Althoug time pressured, I loved to work on the first assignment, it was fun to experiment with handprinted stuff again. More about this later on … as soon as the happy participants of the next round are announced. Speek to you soon!

Global Talent Search – choosing colours … Farbwahl

Und die zweite Notiz: ich nehme dieses Jahr an der Global Talent Search vom Lilla Rogers Studio teil. Bis jetzt hatte ich mich noch nicht getraut, das hier zu posten, ich hatte nämlich Bedenken, daß ich die Deadline nicht schaffen würde. Aber ich hab's geschafft :–) Ok, nun rechne ich wirklich nicht damit, diesen Wettbewerb zu gewinnen, nicht, wenn so viele interessante Kreative aus allen Teilen der Welt teilnehmen. Aber das ganze fühlt sich ein bißchen an wie die Olympiade der Designer und Illustratoren, und da möchte ich natürlich mit dabei sein!

Die erste Aufgabe hat mir viel Spaß gemacht (auch mit Zeitdruck …) – es war einfach schön, mal wieder mit Handgedrucktem zu experimentieren. Später mehr dazu … sobald die Glücklichen feststehen, die es bis in die nächste Runde geschafft haben. Bis bald!