Hopes, Fears and Opportunities Part2

So, for this last semester and for my final major project, what I chose to do was based around the Penguin design awards competition 2012, producing a book cover for Grimm's Fairy Tales. From this I decided to produce a book cover for Rapunzel as well as the Grimm's Fairy Tales and I am also doing a children’s mural (or part of) and if I have the time I will be making some bits and bobs to go with, things such as pillows etc.

I feel over this past year that I have started to develop my own style, and I am becoming really comfortable with it and I really enjoy doing it.

I have started to experiment more, instead of just coming up with an idea and doing it, I have started to think of more ideas, sketch our ideas more and play about with them. I have also played about with media, doing a lot of screen printing, which at first I really didn't want to do, as over the years of doing a-levels and workshops, I had done so much screen printing but never really enjoyed it. But since I have started to re-visit screen printing, I am starting to really enjoy it as it works really well with my work as I work a lot with shapes and texture and this is a good way to get nice textures, especially when printing on unusual papers and fabrics!

From screen printing onto paper and scanning things in, I have also been screen printing on fabric, these came out really well so I decided to make a couple of pillows out of them which came out really well, and I decided to add some more things onto the pillow instead of having just a flat design, I added some gems, some wool and some frilly goodness around the edges of my pillows! I was really pleased with the outcomes of the pillows, especially since I haven’t played much with textiles and screen printing since I did my a-levels (which were about 4 years ago!).

I am really proud of myself for getting back into screen printing, and though there is only about 4/5 weeks left if I have time I would like to try some more things! And if not I will defiantly be trying different things after I graduate.

I have also started to research more than I have done before, I used to just look at things and shove them on my blog and never look at them again, but I have started to put together my own file full of inspiration, such as other illustrators work, old book covers and Sense of place type things (heading back to first year here!)

So far I think my FMP is going pretty well, I started off really slowly but once I knew what I wanted to do, I did it and I am really enjoying it as well. I am doing more than usual and trying new things etc, so I am hoping to move my marks up a little higher. I have always been a 2:2 girl but to get a 2:1, even just for my fmp and not overall, I would be proud. (If I got a 2:1 overall I would be so pleased with myself) But I will soon find out in a few months!

I am really scared about finishing. I know after this we will still be sorting out exhibition and other things, but once July comes I think I will start panicking. I don't want to just end up in some horrible job that I do not enjoy, but I know that this is probably what I have to do for a little bit until I get some work/commissions. 

The visit to London really boosted my confidence, I was really nervous about my visits, but they both went really really well, I wouldn't change anything about them, they were fantastic. The first one at Short Book Publishing with Aurea, we all decided there are then we would love her job. A small company, hiring illustrators, only a few people working together, cute little office spaces, it seemed like heaven!

Me, Philippa and Chloe have talked about possibly renting a space together, our own little studio, which would be brilliant. Having to get part time jobs on the side so we can afford it of course, this way people could come and see our work and how we work, and all 3 of us could help each other move forward and possibly work together and combine our talents! This would be perfect; hopefully if we can pull together we could make this happen.

I am hoping to contact illustration agencies after I graduate, try my best to get some kind of illustration work, something with children's illustration possibly, especially doing book covers! But I would also like to try out some editorial work and get some pieces in magazines or newspapers; hopefully I will just be bugging and bugging people.

A good opportunity for us is to contact Aurea from Short books so she can keep up in mind for any work she may have for us. I will also contact Tim from John Brown Media and see if he could possibly find any work for me. 

I am terrified about finishing, if I could stay in education forever I would, but it is time for me to step into the real world. 

Just So festival might be a good opportunity for me to get creative as well, it seems like a lot of fun and very interesting, so If I have the time I think I will defiantly be taking part in this.

I will carry on working after graduation, I will never stop illustrating, I would like to re-visit my Twinkle Twinkle Little Cat story and make it stronger for my portfolio and I would like to maybe write another story and illustrator it and keep coming up with my own projects and looking for new exciting competitions that are going on. Hopefully I can get some interviews or even more portfolio visits with people I may have seen before and new people.

In a way I am excited to finish and be able to stand on my own two feet, to try and promote myself and get my work noticed by people and companies. To help with this I will keep up with my website and maybe start a new blog.

My ideal job would be to create children's books or book covers, maybe not writing them, but illustration them. I would like to have my own studio or a nice little working environment which isn't too crazy or overcrowded. I will keep working harder and harder and even some day I have start my own group or agency. But no matter what happens, I will never give up illustrating; it is my love, my passion and my dream.