Floral Pattern Design - Drawing in the nature with the nature

Nature has always been my inspiration. I picked up some leaves from my garden and started drawing away...

Kalo Make Art Hand Sewing and Illustrated Greeting Cards

My dad found a lovely sewing machine from the cupboard a few days ago. It is a vintage as it is more than 30 years old! He taught me how to use it and here are some cards I created with this sewing machine ...

Kalo Make Art Recipe Tote Bag

This is my latest design - Kalo's Recipe Totes! The idea sparkled while I was cooking one night.  I was thinking of things to make as a present for a good friend, who once asked me for the recipe of Chicken Chow Mein. (I cooked this for her once,  she loved it and after the meal, she took down detailed notes of the recipe!) So that was how the RECIPE TOTE IDEA came out! 

 

Travel Drawing Series - Venice | Berlin |

Travel drawings in Venice. 04-09 August, 2011
Yuko, thanks sooo much for your surface pattern book. I love it!
Tor, thanks for being so fun and friendly. I enjoyed our evening out together.

Travel drawings in Berlin: 01-04 August 2011

Thanks Jon for a fun, cultural and artistic trip to Berlin. It was great fun playing blind drawing (drawing and not looking at the paper) and cycling around the city.

I am glad I learnt a lot about the holocaust which I didn't in high school !

| Blind drawings outside the American Embassy |

// Blind drawings at the outdoor garden at Jewish Museum //

15 hours of Surface Pattern Design Course, London

Do you know that there are four types of repeats ? Block; Half drop; Brick and Mirror !
If you are not sure what I am talking about but interested to find out more, I would highly recommend the Surface Pattern Design course at the City Lit, London.


Please (!!!) make sure the course is taught by Rachel Gornall. Besides a well structured course outline, Rachel is inspiring, passionate, super helpful, dedicated and always full of energy! One of those great teachers who would stay behind class to help and discuss with students if we have any queries. 


Fortunately, I met a bunch of creative friends in the class too! They all have interesting careers, from art tour guide at the Courtauld Gallery, art restorer, Thomas the tank engine licensing lady, editor at ELLE deco, a girl who owns her own ceramics cafe  ...


My theme is 'circus' and I am particularly interested in the movements of acrobats!
Human forms are just incredible! I am amazed that in 15 hours (3 hrs per class, 5 classes in total), we all learnt how to design, create, form and PRINT our first pattern design, all from scratch! Here are some snapshots of my work and my classmates' work:

// mood board - circus theme full of acrobats! //

// sketches //

// polystyrene stencils on cardboard //

// colouring stencils with fabric paint //

// printing on paper //  

 // printing on paper //  

 // printing on fabric //  

After my surface pattern design course, I went home and continue playing around with the concept ...

// Fran in action //   

 // Fran's printed work //  

 // Fran's handpainted pattern //  

 // Charmin in action //  

 // student's pattern //  

 // student's pattern // 

 // student's pattern //