Wednesday 30 March 2016

On my bookshelf...Rufus the Writer

Rufus the Writer, written by Elizabeth Bram and illustrated by Chuck Groenink is a lovely children's book full of the joy of reading and writing.
Its main character, Rufus, creates a story stand as opposed to a lemonade stall one summer, and decides to sell his story creations to friends. 
(Well, he exchanges them for things like shells, a new kitten and a bunch of flowers...bless him)

The illustrations throughout are wonderful, and the book as a whole is great for encouraging children to use their imagination and to write and think creatively. 

You can buy Rufus the Writer here and here.









(photos above taken by me for use on loveprintstudio blog
illustrations copyright of Chuck Groenink)

x x x

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Monday 28 March 2016

Etsy shop find...a chat with Esme Shapiro!

This months featured etsy shop owner is Brooklyn based illustrator Esme Shapiro.
Utilising techniques and media such as watercolour and gouache, Esme creates such a lovely feel within each painting and uses the most beautiful of colour palettes throughout all of her artworks.
The majority of the designs featured below are for sale as prints in her etsy shop.

So, lets get to know Esme...her design heroes, her career so far, and her big loves in life...

Grab that cuppa, and as it's the long Easter weekend, 
a cheeky hot cross bun, mmmm.
(It would be rude not to no?)


1. Can you tell us a bit about you and your background... 

I grew up in the hills of Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. 
I would say my love and appreciation of illustration and story telling sprung from my relationship to my home town. 
I was endlessly fascinated by the landscape and often found that the hikes I would go on would help further my own aesthetic...the cactus studded gardens...the drying yellowed grass -  the 1920s craftsman houses with tiled mushroom roofs. 
I found myself enamored with the history of the land too, and how those stories interconnect with what is going on in the neighborhood today. 
During the turn of the 20th century, Laurel Canyon is where Hollywood elite would keep their hunting lodges. 
If you go on long hikes you can find remenants of that time, like old wooden combs, tincture bottles, and there even is an abandoned well. 
This sense of wonder cultivated my interest in multiple worlds existing at once, and I started exploring my own universes in my paintings. 

I studied visual arts at an arts high school in downtown Los Angeles called Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). 
I went on to further my studies in Providence, Rhode Island at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). It was at RISD I developed my technique, and grew to love watercolor and gouache. I devoted long hours to my studio practice and eventually opened an etsy shop while I was still taking classes. It really helped me learn to navigate the business side of art. My true love though, will always be children's books. I wrote and illustrated my first one while I was still at RISD too. That book, OOKO, will be published this July by Tundra Books of Penguin Random House Canada.



2. What books/ magazines are currently on your coffee table?

My coffee table is currently home for "The Book of Symbols" distributed by Taschen books and "JAPAN: a History of Art" by Bradley Smith. 


3. Who are your design heroes and what inspires you?

I am really inspired by the work of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the elder because they both had an ability to create dense landscapes littered with human bodies, intricately involved in various activities. 
Both painters had the ability to create some sort of visual harmony among the chaotic scenes. 
I am also very inspired by the work of Carl Jung, 
especially his writings on the human experience and our relationship to symbols.


4. Tell us about a typical day for you...

I wake up, meditate, walk my gremlin of a dog, make a pile of eggs, and then paint for sometimes 6 hours on end. 
I often wont stop until I realize I haven't eaten or left the house for a long time, and my hands are hurting. 
By that time I often like to unwind by eating noodle soup with my friends. 


5. Can you give us an insight into your creative process?

When it comes to my creative process, I am quite mystified by it and don't quite know how to explain it. 
Sometimes I gather ideas for paintings from dreams, stories I read, but most often ideas seem to come out of nowhere. 
My Mother likes to say that I have some sort of celestial antenna where ideas come and go as they please. 
I do know that I usually have an image of what I want the piece to look like in my head before I make it, but often I am surprised by how much the materials I am working with alter the outcome of the final piece.


6. What’s the most popular item for sale in your etsy shop? And your personal favourite?

The most popular piece in my Etsy shop is "The Bath House" limited editon prints. My personal favorite is a recently released limited edition print called "Paradisio." 


7. Why do you like being an illustrator/designer? (in 10 words or less)

I like being an illustrator because it is my way of feeling connected to other people.


8. Where do you work? Describe your studio/work area...
I currently live and work in the same tiny room in my birdhouse of an apartment in Brooklyn, New York. 
All of my work is very small so it works great. 
I have lots of plants, books, and tiny sushi erasers I got in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles when I was a kid. 


9. What art do you have on your wall?

My wall has a hand-cut paper mural I made of a swan on a pond. 
I also have an eerie portrait from the fifties of a little boy in an white elf hat. 
The rest of the paintings on my wall are tiny portraits of my ancestors running in the forest, as well as a small oval portrait of an unknown french duchess.


10. In three words, describe your work...

Ethereal, Babushka, Utopia


11. Who are some of your favourite illustrators/designers and why?

My favorite illustrator is Maira Kalman. I really relate to her sense of play in her work, as well as her love of stories.


12. Top 5 favourite things in life?

Soup, Buttermilk biscuits, Dogs with squishy faces, The Moon, Ghost stories


A big thanks to Esme for giving us an insight into her world.

You can follow Esme here...


x x x
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Friday 25 March 2016

Three lovely things...it's Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!
Here are three lovely things that I've come across recently that would make for one very pretty easter weekend...

2. Beautiful blossoms (unknown)



x x x

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Thursday 24 March 2016

Take Four...Easter bakes!

Ooh a long weekend coming up...yes please!
And with it comes a lot of over indulgence.
These four lovely easter bakes would hit the spot just perfectly, mmm...



x x x

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Wednesday 23 March 2016

A little break...

The boys and I had a little trip up to the Peak District last week, and my oh my were we lucky with the weather!
We had some glorious days of blue skies and lovely sunshine which we filled with long walks, village hopping and pub lunches, ooh and a cheeky Bakewell tart, mmmm... (when in Bakewell eh?!)

All in all, we had a fab few days in a beautiful part of the country and I'll be sharing some more snaps from our break very soon.


(photo above copyright of louise/loveprintstudio blog)

x x x

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Tuesday 22 March 2016

Inspired by...Gisela Graham

Gisela Graham have some lovely things going on in their Easter collection this year.
I saw a great selection of the different products in a gorgeous little shop last week when we were in the Peak District.
It looked really lovely all displayed together and would made for one very happy little decorative Easter gathering!
The colours are perfect for the start of spring and everything feels really fresh across each collection. 

Sugary pastels with blossoms, bunnies and chicks, garlands, ceramics pieces and egg trees...

The traditional country kitchen feel of  'Hen Sweet Hen' is beautiful, using grey tones, taupe and bluesy greens mixed with hen imagery. 
I need that little egg cup in my world... boiled eggs and soldiers for breakfast every day of the week if he was on the table!

Here are a few images from their website and blog, which you can visit here.








x x x







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Friday 11 March 2016

Colour crush...

I'm taking some time off next week for a bit of rest and relaxation, so I thought I'd leave you with a little colour crush post with some seriously beautiful colours.
Enjoy!

See you back here soon...


(clockwise from top left)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 

x x x

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Wednesday 9 March 2016

Three lovely things...

A little bit of mid-week loveliness...

1. Such a nice combo
2. Love these balloons!
3. Gorgeous bedding


x x x

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Monday 7 March 2016

This & That...

This clever use of tissue paper in these fun DIY fruit slice balloons
That skill required to paint teeny tiny little fruit on nails...cute!

x x x

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Friday 4 March 2016

Colour crush...

This week's been pretty grey and miserable here in the UK, 
so, a pick me up in colour crush form is required I think...


(clockwise from top left)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

x x x

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Wednesday 2 March 2016

Midweek moodboard - It's my party...

and I'll have polka dots and pom pom party hats if I want to!


1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 (unknown) | 8 | 9 

x x x



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