Tag Archives: Dundee Designer

Illustration to support connection

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Delighted to create the illustrations for Hello In There Wee One book that will be gifted to parents to be in Dundee at their 16 week appointment. This book is to help them imagine and relate to their baby before it arrive to help build a bond.

This project combined my love for Dundee, highlighting the positives as well as working with families and partners to create and identify imagery for the book that helps to support positive wellbeing.

Within the book there is an eight page story to read to bump.  Illustrations were inspired by the conversations and sketches with families and stakeholders at the creative consultation, I distilled the information and developed a concept.

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I also managed to sneak in added extras like the monkey stealing the letter off the information board that you might spot in the city centre and the wooden elephant made up of cubes at the Botanic Gardens.

Creative consultation

I designed and delivered creative consultation workshops with families from Home Start Dundee, Dundee International Women’s Centre and Coldside families plus workshops with healthcare stakeholders. I used a mix of creative engagement techniques to gather all the information I needed in a way that was fun and engaging.

Front Cover and end papers

For the front cover I created a medley of imagery in a repeat pattern that reminded me of the cute baby textiles.  I was keen to include as many of the participants drawings in the book so designed a simple circle design filled with their line drawings.

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Activity/Advice Part

Penguins became a theme within the story and to make it more readable I developed icons for tips for parents using a penguin character with an egg at its feet and tips from the baby with an egg with a fluffy penguin bursting out.  

The book offers advice and places to add your own personalised record of pre-birth bonding. Illustrations helped echo some of the advice and act as prompt for activities. A mix of participant drawings and my quick drawings fill these pages.

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People involved

Being part of this project allowed me to work with international author and illustrator Natalie Russell who supported the project from her role as lecturer in Illustration from DJCAD, University of Dundee.  We worked together on the words of the story, and it was a delight to be able to show my work at development stages for feedback. Gavin Reid helped place all words and illustrations together and Winter & Simpson produced the books on lovely quality of paper. Vicky Armstrong (University of Dundee Psychology and Art At The Start) was instrumental to making this project happen with fun and enthusiasm.

There were many professionals were involved across Midwifery, Health Visiting, Family Nurse Practitioners, Infant Mental Health, Speech and Language Therapists, and Social Work teams from across different organisations, NHS Tayside Infant Mental Health, NHS Maternity, Dundee Health & Social Care Partnership, University of Dundee, Dundee City Council, Art At The Start. This project was funded by UNCRC Innovation Fund and the CORRA foundation.

I loved this project as it aligns to my core values of nature and wellbeing, connection to the world around us and enjoying the simple things in life right here on our doorstep, linking with play, curiosity and gratitude. You can see a full copy from the NHS Tayside website

THANK YOU for reading my blog. If you’re interested in my mission support positive wellbeing by playfully applying colour and pattern to help connect people to the world around them and some of my previous commissions for public art commissions for hospitals, cultural venues and public spaces.  You can see more about some of my projects here.

Decorative gates for Broughty Ferry Castle Terrace Gardens

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I designed decorative gates and panels for the two entrances at Castle Terrace Gardens, part of the Broughty Ferry active travel enhancements. I responded to the site specific space by hearing the history of the gardens from residents and their desire to reflect a tranquil and relaxing space.

The final designs have a mix of flora, fauna and creatures with a nod to the fern and thistle that link past resident Mr Gilray who represented both Scotland and New Zealand at rugby.

To appeal to families with young children I highlighted some snails trails, ladybirds and butterflies that might be spotted in the gardens. I hope the gates encourage children to look closer and discover the magic that is around us. There are 2 entrances, each entrance is unique with a similar feel.

Design Process

With a project like this I have an abundance of ideas and use traditional methods of sketching to think through the process. Then I select and reject ideas to create clear concepts for feedback. As the project developed it was agreed that panels leading to the gates would be designed to give a coherent look. Designs were mocked up to help visualise and a classic bottle green was chosen. Designs were then developed fully to suit the manufacturing process and safety guidelines.

Accessibility

Part of this transformation includes a sloped accessible path into the gardens and decorative gates that open both ways. Broughty Ferry esplanade has been transformation to help improve active travel, part of a much bigger picture you can find out more here. I particularly love working on strategic projects that encourage people to get out and about and improve places.

Local Fabrication

Local fabricator (AS Fabrication) worked on the technical aspect of the gates design and the bottle green colour applied by Tayside Powder Coating Services. I love when ideas become reality and seeing my work applied to different surfaces and situations and working with experts in their field.

I have a vision of the world full of creative interventions to bring more joy to the spaces we play, live, work and travel through.  My aim is to uplift and connect people and highlight the positives by creating artworks that capture a sense of place which creates a sense of belonging.  I love to do this by playfully applying colour and pattern to site specific spaces with bespoke designs.

I designed gates for Windmill Gardens just next to Castle Terrace Gardens which have a different look to suit the space, you can see a link with the stripes and circles. You can see them here

Windmill Gardens Gates

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Great to see three new decorative gates I designed for the lovely public gardens in Broughty Ferry called Windmill Gardens. Gates were commissioned to enhance placemaking part of the new re-development of the esplanade.

Site Specific Inspiration

I took inspiration from the history that a wood-turning windmill stood on the site of Windmill Gardens around 1850s. In my design work I like to capture a sense of place and linking the history of the windmill helps to reconnect the name of the park to its past .

Design Process

I went through numerous iterations of composition, imagery and colours with consideration to the technical aspect of producing final designs that would be fit for purpose and meet the brief. I wanted to capture the movement of the windmill blades/sails and I playfully tested different compositions and imagery mixing my love of circles and stripes.

The three gates works as a series but each is individual with linking imagery and work visually inside and outside the gardens. It took many iterations from the bright gates I mocked up (below) to the final designs.

The new decorative gates were to replace 2 old gates that were not fit for purpose and to add a new entrance opposite Castle Green Playpark. I worked with local fabricator AS Fabrication to fabricate and install the gates and used Dundee based Tayside Powder Coated Services to apply the colour and Ieva to work on vectors. Gates were designed to be opened both ways to help with accessibility and consideration was made for the best material and processes for for the site. Colour is important to me and my initial thinking was to have sunset inspired colours but as the designs developed and the choices of colour palette was limited I chose this pigeon blue.

Bigger Picture

For me I want to create a welcoming and uplifting feel for locals and visitors by creating meaningful designs that re-connect people to the place and help highlight the gardens that are for public use.  I highly recommend this little secret garden, always something lovely to spot!

Broughty Ferry esplanade is going through a transformation to help improve active travel, part of a much bigger picture you can find out more here.

I designed gates for Castle Terrace Gardens just next to Windmill Gardens which have a different look to suit the space, you can see a link with the stripes and circles. More info here

Photo above from Dundee City Council

Explore. Play. Create.

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DCA Windows Inspiration and Process

I was delighted to be commissioned by the DCA to create an exciting, vibrant window design that celebrates all the activity, energy and sense of community found across all the programme areas of DCA.  Bringing the inside activity and energy to the outside of the building in the window areas.

The process involved research, development, prototyping and good communication with the DCA team and fabricator to creating the final designs on display.

Research

I got a feel for the building by visiting all the different departments, taking lots of photos that I could refer to in the studio.

I found lots of geometric shapes within the building from the angular windows, step shaped walls, winged gallery roof plus so many circles, from the vintage projectors, printing press wheels, pegboard, retail display units, circular fairy lights fittings in Jute Café Bar to products in the shop.

I am naturally drawn to seeing pattern and texture and loved the overlaid wire racks in the print studio that created modern checks and the negative space of the screen-printing racks full of irregular stripes.

I found colour references from the bright cinema seats, pots of ink in the print studio, participant artwork on display in the creative learning store, bright colours of the Riso print samples to the more subtle cladding of the building. 

Development

To process ideas, I created sketches in pencil and ink then found visual connections.  I created rough thumbnail sketches of designs in situ and mocked them up digitally to test various colour combinations and played with different juxtaposition of textures within shapes.  I played with rotation and scale of the spots to capture the energy from the activity from inside of the building.  I referred to the brief, discussed technical details with the local fabricator RobertSign and worked within design constraints so that the design would work practically.  I selected and rejected elements to create coherent concepts for presenting to the DCA team.

The final designs are inspired from the bold geometric shapes with a playful feel using my signature style that retain the hand drawn feel of my linework and confidently uses a vibrant colour palette with clashing and contrasting of patterns bringing together all the activity of the building. I wanted the circles in the top windows to have a lot of movement the capture the energy of the building and connect to the shop windows below. 

With my design work I like to capture a sense of place by creating bespoke designs that are meaningful and unique to the space and I hope these designs help people to connect to the DCA and remind past visitors to come inside and entice new visitors to see the variety of things it has to offer, from a trip to the cinema to taking part in a workshop to grabbing a bite to eat with friends or seeing the latest contemporary art exhibition.

You can find out more about my work here

Light the North trail

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This 2.5 meter tall lighthouse was great to paint!

My design Shimmering Shoal was inspired by shoals of shimmering mackerel swimming amongst the stripes of the Scottish Sea. I love that each silvery shimmering mackerel has beautiful distinctive tiger like patterns. I have them swimming together round the lighthouse. In my work I love to capture a sense of place and retain the hand painted quality of wonky lines and subtle mark making to give added texture and movement in my work. 

Work in progress

My lighthouse is part of Light the North in the north east, Moray, Shetland and Orkney raising money for Clan Cancer Support. Big thanks to Anderson Anderson Brown LLP for selecting my design. If you spot Shimmering Shoal in the Rose Garden (Cathedral Walk), Seaton Park in Aberdeen, please tag me in on social media or send me a photo by email hello@louisekirby.com Here are some work in progress photos

painting the mackerel

I love taking part in the Wild In Art trails as they allow me to use my skills of applying colour and pattern to 3d shapes. They raise money for charities and the trails themselves are great at encouraging people to get out and about and explore the area.

I popped up to Aberdeen to see it in person on a lovey sunny day and I’m delighted on the beautiful location of Seaton Park, it’s located in the Rose Garden on Cathedral walk. If you’ve got kids there is a great playpark next to it and a wee snack van.

Seaton Park, Aberdeen

You can check out my other Wild in Art Sculptures on my website along with other examples of my work here.

You can check out all about the Light the North trail here with maps to download or theres an app to download to see where they are all postitioned.

Thanks for reading and happy hunting!

Provincial Penguin Loving Local Foods

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Hello! I’d like to introduce you to Provincial Penguin!

I’m delighted to have painted a penguin on the Maggie’s Penguin Parade.  Number 64 on the trail map, next to the 5 penguin sculptures.  It’s great to be part of the trail of 80 penguins to find in Dundee and surrounding areas and the money raised is for Maggie’s Dundee.  You can find out more about it here.

Provincial Penguin is inspired by the delicious visitors’ offering for tourists visiting the area.  Filling its tummy up with local produce such as Dundee marmalade, Dundee cake, strawberries, shortbread, salmon and fresh fish.  You may even find something from a hotter climate on it’s tummy inspired by my sponsor.  Big thanks to Nandos Dundee for picking my penguin design. 

Here’s a few photos of the process of me painting my penguin in The Wellgate, I enjoyed painting along with other artists and designers. Continue reading →