Trade Shows come in all shapes and sizes, and cover every industry you can imagine. What is your dream show? I always thought mine would be a stationery trade show, where you can see what is on the horizon, meet suppliers directly, get ideas and inspiration and generally spend hours walking around a massive hall of gorgeous stationery. And I was not disappointed when I visite ISOT 2012 as research for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. It was huge, exciting and eye-opening.
If you like the sound of a city centre closed to traffic, ancient wooden festival floats lit up with hundreds of traditional lanterns, street stalls selling fried noodles and other delicious offerings, and tens of thousands of people strolling in beautiful summer kimonos, then you want to take yourself to Kyoto for the Gion Matsuri. Here are a few pictures from a hot hot night here!
This month’s theme was Summer. Very appropriate – it was baking as I made my way from the little train station to my Sensei’s house.
I have never noticed the colour and texture of blueberries in a way I did when photographing them for this session.
And all the little tricks – the water spray, the fanning out of stray berries, the reflection of light with a white foam board – are all so good to know. I am learning a lot!
My monthly photostyling sessions are like a marker in my calendar for my time in Kyoto. Six months. Six lessons. And it’s time for lesson three already.
Last month’s theme was Spring (above and below). My teacher inspired me to buy a new lens for my camera and it has made a huge difference.
The tricky thing with photostyling is that you need props, which would be fine at home with my studio full of interesting things, but more difficult here with a minimum amount of ‘stuff’. I guess that means I just have to be inventive, and look to nature (and supermarket packaging!)
Sunny days are made for picnics, and no-one makes a packed lunch quite like the Japanese! (Check this video out to see what I mean!) I have never seen such a variety of lunchboxes – fabulous products for surface pattern design (you can tell polka dots are big in Japan this year!) Here are some I found in Loft Kyoto.
The Kyoto Botanical Gardens is a perfect place to chill out in the sun, as well as shake up the routine. We have been experimenting with lots of picnic goodies from the supermarket. No cucumber sandwiches here – delicious fried noodles and weird vegetables instead…
When was the last time you took a picnic outside? What’s your favourite picnic food?
Digitally manipulated ‘Painterly’ by Ange Yake
Recently Rachael Taylor and I wrapped up Module 3 of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, and celebrated with our first cohort of graduates! We are so proud of them all – as they go out into the world of professional design, we have already celebrated licensing deals, features in books, launches of new studios, exhibitions at top trade shows and top prizes in national design competitions. We cannot wait to see what is next for them!
Perhaps even more importantly, we have seen the impact it has had on people’s lives. Here are some of the testimonials our class have shared:
“Life changing and inspiring. This course should be included in the 5 year plan of anyone who is interested in a career in Surface Pattern Design!”
“This course teaches you what is really important to become a surface pattern designer. It provides the overview you don’t have as a beginner, full of incredible insider tips and fun exercises, that keep you going. If you only manage to do a third of its content, it’ll change your life!”
“It’s a course that gave me all the information and inspiration I need to make my dreams come true. Now it only depends on me!”
“Amazing! Life-changing and addictive.”
“If you’ve always wondered how to get your art and designs on home goods, wallpaper, clothing, etc, this is the course that helps you achieve this dream.”
“Yesterday I said to friend: “This was the best thing I have done in years”.”
“It is intense and very exciting, inspiring and stimulating.”
“You poured yourselves into this. Every thought and consideration was made. The course was full of personality and passion and I can’t believe how much Rachael shared. It was beautifully designed, communicated really well, and really well managed. I really couldn’t have made the life change that I have (given up my job! yikes) to follow my heart. This course has given me knowledge and confidence to get going. “
“This course has blown my mind! I feel like I can take ownership of my own destiny. No one has ever said to me that I have a right to do this before! I have had some negative influences so I think that the positive energy that Rachael radiates and the way that the course is structured is the best part. I don’t have the words but above all this course is a bargain!! Nothing is missing…it’s perfect. It’s challenging enough to make you think and deal with stuff you would rather put aside (eg legal, finance, being pro-active, networking) and inspirational to get you creatively motivated. “
“The Art and Business of Surface Pattern design course has changed my life. It has provided me the opportunity to go after a long time dream. I have always been surrounded by design in my professional career but never formally trained. Now, I feel this course has provided me the necessary skills and opportunities to make my dream a reality. Rachel and Beth, thank you so much for creating an amazing course.”
“This course helped me gain confidence, as an artist and a person I am very shy and have had many moments of doubting myself in the past. Sharing my work with other creative, kind and encouraging people helped me realize that I do have what it takes as long as I assert myself. If you are shy like myself I say take this course ! It has helped me so much, Rachael and Beth you really have created something very special. I am fully committed to working towards my dream and thanks to this course I am one step closer. “
“It’s full of vital information and a very strong support group. It’s a vital course to help give new surface pattern designers and ones that want to set up business the confidence to just go for it.”
“Inspiring, full of detail and dedication, total value for money.”
“This is an INtense, INdepth, INspiring and FUN course about surface pattern design! Get IN! Not only is the coursework great but there are many opportunities to take advantage of that could open doors for you.”
“It has provided me with a structure to beginning my life as a freelance designer and going back to the basics of creating. It is so important to do all 3 modules if you can, because it gives you a real sense of community and support along with great advice and resources, links and things that I would never had found on my own. It’s a special journey designing your own way…but even more special to share!”
“Not only business facts, but an amazing insight into the industry, encouragement to seek out which path is right for you and the support you need to actually make it happen. “
“Life changing! Content-rich, insightful and inspiring. Not just a course but a place to make friends. “
Layered ‘Blooming Day’ from Rachael Bright
“I just can’t thank you both enough for making this wonderful course happen. I wish there were another 3 modules. I would sign up now! It has been the best decision I ever made, completely invaluable to the start my business.”
“I honestly don’t think I could have made so much progress in a year had it not been for this course and the framework it provided me to get back into doing what I love. There are so many good things about it; it is so accessible – there is no snobbery; everyone is encouraged and nurtured no matter what stage they are at. There is so much invaluable information and insight, so many tips, realistic briefs and amazing live briefs and other opportunities.”
“I know several people who are unable to study surface pattern design at degree level because of financial and practical reasons. This course would definitely be an alternative route for them.”
“Being a self taught printer and homeware designer, the modules have given me the technical background and creative permission to believe in my potential and my future in this field. Thank you so much Rachael and Beth for showing us how to do what we love for life!”
“WAAAAAHHH. It’s over! I think the fact that you helped get our names out in the real world is an amazing aspect that I never anticipated. “
“This course should be added to every art degree syllabus! “
“This course is the best thing that happened to me for years!!! I love the incredibly supportive, positive and motivating creative atmosphere! This is so rare. Thanks so much for your hard work behind the scenes and for sharing your knowledge with us. I’m on a mission to make this world more happy and beautiful now! “
“Thank you for being so thoughtful in every aspect. As I’m Brazilian, I found the audio transcripts really helpful! Thank you, you’re helping me to change my life for the better! “
“I can only say how grateful I am for all the educational material, the links, the insights, the energy and the love I felt through the whole course. “
“LOVED IT!! The course has empowered me to start my own business and makes me excited about what the future holds. “
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If you want to join us for the next module (Module 2 Creating your professional identity) you’d better be quick! Find out more and register here.
One of my favourite things about Kawashima Textile School was being surrounded by colour and texture – on the walls, on the desks (works in progress of other students), in the teachers’ rooms… esepecially the rows and rows of silk threads lining the shelves. A colour feast for the eyes… (and perfect for testing out wedding colour palettes!)
More posts from school here: Preparing and dyeing the thread / Preparing giant bobbins / Preparing the warp / Preparing the loom / Time for weaving! / Lessons in weaving, lessons in life / Silkworm encounter
My time at Kawashima Textile School was much more than a lesson in weaving. I truly felt like it was a lesson in life. There were times when I actually swore out loud at my loom, having spent an hour happily weaving away and then noticing a mistake which meant I had to undo it all and start again. This was a regular occurrence throughout the day, and one morning I made about 1cm progress. There was a point when I was questioning whether it was really a good use of my time and I got really frustrated. I struggled to fathom how a ‘creative pursuit’ could be so prescriptive, with everything being black and white – you were either doing it right or you were doing it wrong. This is a whole world away from the teaching style of all the artists and designers I work with in Do What You Love, and I found it really tough.
But eventually I realised that sometimes we have to take instruction and learn the basics strictly and carefully in order to build the foundations for freedom of creativity later. If you don’t know how to weave evenly, how are you ever going to design and create a beautiful kimono? We need to know the rules in order to break the rules. It is so obvious, but it took a lot of huffing and puffing for me to realise this in the context of weaving.
I am not the world’s most patient person – I like to be doing stuff. But Kawashima was so good for me in that it made me slow down and take care with each detail. When I got into the rhythm of it I was almost in a trance – which opened up my mind for dreaming of other things.
The vocabulary was also a whole new world for me. I had never heard of ‘sericin’, ‘tussah’, ‘throstle yarn’, ‘dobby cloth’ or ‘heddles’ in English, never mind in Japanese. The 16-page (very helpful) vocab list made me feel like I was back at university! It was a great opportunity to learn lots of specialist textile terms, with the gentle support of my lovely bilingual teacher Emma Omote.
Some important lessons in weaving and life…
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More posts from school here: Preparing and dyeing the thread / Preparing giant bobbins / Preparing the warp
And now it’s time to finally get weaving!
(oops – that’s a bit wonky!)
I learnt a whole host of different basic weaves – from twill and herringbone to satin and waffle (my favourite – above). By the end I had woven more than 3m of samplers (scarf or place mat anyone?)
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More posts from school here: Preparing and dyeing the thread / Preparing giant bobbins / Preparing the warp
