Coming soon new collection

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Louise

I have been working on a new collection for Autumn Winter 2014 using my signature style of lovely organic movement using repetitive marks and textures in delicious colours.

This A/W 2014 Hallyburton Collection is inspired by the abundance of inspiration on my doorstep where I live on a Perthshire country estate. I’m continually inspired by the changing seasons and fascinated at the harmonisation of the flora and fauna blending together. I’m often found exploring knee deep amongst the grasses and dotted wild flowers, wandering through the woods of dappled trees and patchwork fields. I hope my designs perfectly capture the essence of my surroundings.

This new Autumn/Winter 2014 Hallyburton Collection uses a palette of greens and a hint of warm chestnut. Pattern artworks include my fascination of pheasants as I follows their footprints, textured of stacked logs and expressive dotty marks of the nature’s elements.

Collections can be licensed or I can be commissioned to create something bespoke for your products.

Full collection to be revealed soon. If you would like to be emailed a copy of my new collection or sent a hardcopy in the post please email me with your details. hello@louisekirby.com

Lets go on a journey together…

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Louise

I was lucky to be selected to take part in the coaching with Cultural Enterprise Office with Lynn O’Neill. I really enjoyed the bespoke personal service and allowing myself the time to develop. I was encourage to think BIG, so I wanted to showcase my patterned artworks on a product that would dispel the myth that my artwork was only for scarves. So I started an self initiated project, for my all time favourite car the Land Rover Defender.

I think the brand really matched the essence of what I’m about and my love of the great outdoors. I wanted to use my patterned artwork and signature style of delicious colours, patterns, and expressive mark making with a rhythmic flow capturing the essence wilderness of the landscape to create sophisticated, natural and beautiful designs suitable for Land Rover Defender.

land rover section by louise kirby

So I set about creating some hand painted paper designs using imagery of the landscape, fields of pattern and animals. My visualisation was that I see the Land Rover Defenders as something that can go anywhere with no obstacle and I wanted to capture this in my artworks by merging and blending a variety of terrains into one another to give the feeling that Land Rovers can go anywhere, with spontaneous marks the emphasise the thrill, and adventure of the Land Rover Experience through the rugged British countryside.

I could imagine my patterned artworks on – exterior bodywork, spare wheel covers, interior upholstery, promotional leaflets, collectable toys, and water bottles to hoods.

From there I needed to visualise the artwork on a product, so without getting my hands on the real thing I tried putting my designs on simple line drawings. Here are some of my samples.

I searched for the biggest model I could afford and got this lovely toy and set about applying my design idea on the product. I also made a hand printed silk wheel cover too! I loved the little model so took it to the park to do a wee photo shoot. Here are some of the photos from that day.

I hope you like my creation; do you imagine driving about with my design on it?

I’d love to go on an adventure with Land Rover where I bring the creativity and they bring the wheels!

wheel commission louise kirby web

Drawing with Stitch in St Andrews Museum

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Louise

I spent a lovely morning in sunny St Andrews at the St Andrews Museum running a Drawing with Stitch workshop to go with the Botany Cultivating Collections exhibition. We had an inspiring wander round the gallery looking for shapes and images we would want to use in our own hand stitched drawstring bags. I was taken by an enlarged model of a pea in the pod. Here’s my wee sample below.

There was a lovely mix of images, painting and objects to choose from. Everyone was taken by something different for their design from seaweed, still life painting by Peploe, daisies to the table cloth in the activity room. We used a mix of stitches from running, daisy, chain and embellished with buttons or added applique in a relaxed atmosphere. Here are a few samples.

The exhibition finishes this Sunday 12th May so pop along if you can. This exhibition was set up by the Museum and Gallery Students from St Andrews University. The proceeds of the participants fees went to the St Andrews Botanical gardens and there’s a donation box in the gallery too.

New year and new products – cushions, cards, art prints and canvases

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Louise

Stripy Fields Framed Art I’ve signed up to Society 6 that allows designers to have a range of products. I have 3 of my designs Fields of Pattern, Stripy Fields and Spotty Fields on this website producing cushions, cards, art prints and canvases for me.

Cushions come in 3 sizes 16″ x 16″, 18″ x 18″, 20″ x 20″ and you can choose to have the cushion pad included or not, available in all 3 designs. Please click on the cushion and you will be taken to the website.

Cards come in a pack of 3 of the same design and are available in all 3 designs. Please click on the card to be directed to the website.

Art Prints come Framed or Unframed and in various sizes in all 3 designs. Please click on the card to be directed to the website.

Canvases in various sizes on white canvas using the latest Epson archival inks, are also available please click here to see.

All products are available directly through Society6, the website is in dollars and it ships to the UK for a small fee. Enjoy shopping! Part of my mission to cover the world in my patterns!

for your tootsies, hoofs, trotters, paws or feet

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Louise

I’ve moved to the countryside allowing me to be surrounded by my inspiration of Scottish wilderness and thousand of pheasants! After days out exploring the area I would come home with muddy welllies or walking boots, so I decided to make myself a doormat to keep my house nice and clean! Here’s some examples of my hand painted doormats.

Hand Printed Doormat

Indoor use only

Helping to keep your home clean

Each one unique

Material – Coir Mat, PVC backed.

Introductory offer of £25, only available for collection from my studio, please email me if you would like one hello@louisekirby.com

I also had a little play with some other silhouettes and patterns I like!

Sneak + Peek

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Louise

I’ve been creating some one-off, hand printed scarves in my studio. The Sneak + Peek collection is inspired by the pheasants hiding amongst the fields. Where I live there are thousands of pheasants but it’s not till you come close that they reveal themselves with their distinctive call warning all there pheasant friends to look out. The mono printing technique that allows me to capture the textures of the fields and no two scarves are the same. Each scarf is reversible to allow you to change your look and get two scarves for the price of one!

Material – 100% Silk Crepe de Shine

Dimensions – 32cm x 180cm (aprox)

Price – £120

Scarves are available to buy directly from me, please email me hello@louisekirby.com I will include free postage and packaging to any UK address.

Lovely Day Stitching in Anthropologie Edinburgh Store

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Louise

I’ve spend Saturday in the Anthropologie Edinburgh store doing a Stitch Workshops for Anthropologie customers. We were located in the lovely garden area downstairs, with lovely plants, paper tree trunks from the window display and surrounded by lovely Anthropologie products- perfect!

My workshop uses stitch and embellishment to decorate little bags. I brought along some stencils of things I use in my work – trees, leaves, pheasants, words and a wee Christmas pudding for a bit of festive cheer. I made some samples in advance to give people the idea of what to do and we used a range of wool, buttons, beads and ribbons….

I love it the window display at he moment! Pop along to see the giant paper owl!

Lots of passing people watching us from the windows and shoppers interested in us doing crafty stuff.

It was also great to be in store where my artwork is being used on Anthropologie wool scarves, with one of the style now half price – you’ll need to be fast to get one! And I’ve got such a connection with the store with originally doing the temporary storefront which is now being featured in store on the stairs area and I’ve also created collections of hand printed scarves for them.

Lots of happy makers with their finished bags!

We had lots of great finished products – cute elephant, button trees, dashing dog, leaves, christmas pudding and festive cat…… to name a few.

All the money raised is going to The Woodlands Trust Scotland (once I know the amount I’ll update you!) Thanks to all that came along and enjoyed the workshops!

Christmas Craft in Edinburgh Anthropologie Store

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Louise

I’m going to be in the Anthropologie Edinburgh store on the 17th November doing a Christmas Craft workshop. Using Drawing with Stitch and embelishment, where you can create you very own little cotton bag. I’m sure there will be a pheasant or two sneaking and peeking amongst the stitches and some woodland inspiration and of course some christmas cheer!

This event is for Charity and all the proceedings will go to The Woodlands Trust Scotland. I wanted to pick a charity that fitted with my work and thought they fitted perfectly.

This event must be pre-booked in advance, see above flyer.

Looking forward to it!

All Wrapped up…..

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Louise

It’s that season, the leaves are changing colour and their is a chill in the air!

I just wanted to let you know about my artwork being used on 2 Anthropologie scarves called Wings of Braemar. They are only available through Anthropologie stores and online.

They are a lovely quality of wool and I love wearing mine! I’m really proud that my logo features on the edge and sold in their stores all over Europe and USA and online. It’s great having my work reaching a wider audience and with such a high profile that I really admire.

I hope you like them!

Thanks for reading my blog!

Come and have a peek!

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Louise

Hello there!

Come along and have a peek in my studio, see what creatures are hiding amongst the colourful marks.

I’m opening up as part of WASPS OPEN STUDIOS on Saturday 3rd + Sunday 4th November on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor of an old jute mill in bonnie Dundee. Where 50 creatives will open up their studios in the one building. And we have a new fandangled lift to take you to all the floors!

We’ve all settled into our newly refurbished spaces and lots of fab new artists and designers – such as Nikki McWilliams and her great biscuity cushions, Vanilla Ink and her jewellery studio with 8 jewellers always something that’ll take your fancy, Islay Spalding with jewellery that I think looks great in my lugs, Mhairi Wild and her lovely colourful textiles………. lots of new artists, designers and makers to really makes it worth a visit. And of course some of the folks that have been creating in there for years such as Paola McClure and her wacky soft sculptures, Garry Brown and his wooden driftwood sculptures, artist Louise Ritchie and her expressive artworks, Lindsey Gardiner and her great illustrations that now fashion themselves on cushions and bags……….and many more!

I will have a range of scarves and have some samples on things I’m working on. My lovely mum will be holding the fort for me on the Saturday afternoon and I’ll be there in person on the Sunday. Come along and say hello!

Full list of Open Studios Artists, Designers and Makers taking part – Jonathan Hood, Simon Dwyer, Volker Rosenberg, Peter Mansfield, Tracey Stewart, Nikki McWilliams, Lyndsey Gardiner, Vanilla Ink Kate Pickering, Sally Fenton, Leanne Evans, Scarlett Erskine, Victoria Kelsey, Robin Bell, Audrey Reid, Ruth Morrison, Filipa Oliveria, Joanne MacFadyen, Lynda Watson, Jen Robson, Liz Myhill, Neil McIntee, Islay Spalding, Penelope Anstice, Susie Johnston, Garry Brown, Shona Adam, Louise Kirby, Robert Macmillan, Alistair Evans, Nicole Baudon, Luiza Ramazzotti, Genna Delaney, Madeleine Mackay, Mhairi Wild, Jonathan Burns, Marianne Wilson, Vivien Moore, Paola McClure, Dougie Paterson, Louisa Lewis, Astrid Leeson, Cally Booker, Gearaidh Mac Griogair, Gerard Menzies, Casey Campbell, Claire Anne Grant, Holly Wilcox, Lauren Leiper, Nicola Morrison, Pamie Bennett, Jill Skulina, Emily Inns., Louise Ritchie.

Louise Kirby

creative process and projects of Louise Kirby

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