Artelier Magazine

ARTELIER

EDITORIAL LETTER

NICOLLE BRISBANE KATERYNA OLIINYKJULIA MASSIMINO

C O N T R I B U T O R S

How did you come up with Artelier?

I always saw my flatmate panicking about working in the Arts, so I thought there should be a free and creative way

to publicise student-artists.

When do you feel most free?

When I’ve got my headphones in, listening to music. It’s like I’m in my own little world.

What are your career aims?

I’d love to work in PR within the creative industry, either for music or the arts.

NICOLLE BRISBANEArtelier Founder

KATERYNA OLIINYKMagazine Director

What is your interest in Artelier?

I always fascinate by pop art and modern illustration.Ink drawing is my hobby. In fact, Artelier celebrates creative minds,

so do I.

What influences you most?

I get easily influenced by my personal emotions and feelings. These aspects hugely impact on my mood and productivity of the

day.

Who is your role model?

Tilda Swinton: aesthetic, creative, talented, and unique.

How did you get involved?

Being an aspiring illustrator myself, I thought Artelier would be a perfect addition to the creative industry.

What do you do in your spare time?

I like to watch nature documentaries and keep updated on the art world.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Ideally I would like to be illustrating for a wildlife/nature organisation. Creat-ing beautiful work with a positive impact.

JULIA MASSIMINOCreative Director

CRAZIEST ARTWORK: It’s yet to come DREAM PROJECT: Exhibition @ MOMA

IN FIVE YEARS: Wish I knew

How would you describe your relation-ship with your subject?

Any relationship is a journey; Graphic De-sign is no exception.

What sort of music do you listen to on your work process?

Subtle and low-key Electronic music. It varies from deep house to ambient and down-tempo.

Where do you find the element of discov-ery or surprise that makes the artwork?

It all comes from the process of making. Experimentation is always the element of discovery for me.

What your aesthetic inspirations are, or what has made impact on your project?

Cartier Bresson, John Stezaker, Mies van der Rohe, Malevich. These creatives have had a great impact on my personal sense

What themes do you pursue?

Geometry, Nature and Human Interaction.

What’s your scariest experience?

Finding myself to think that I have done enough.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

I am inspired by the everyday life. The Ar-chitecture surrounding us. The people I meet.

Why graphic design?

Being always interested in photography, my work was always aesthetically rich, however I was never focused on com-municating anything in particular through my work. Graphic Design has taught me to communicate ideas through my work, giving it that special layer of meaning.

ARTELIER 1 ARTELIER 2

ANATOLIY YEVDOKYMENKO




Interview with Lucy Beamont


Arts professional and founder of Pocket Arts

a community arts organisation working to create and promote local community

engagement projects and sustainable net-works for artists

What inspired Pocket Arts?

Discovering the number of creative people in the Kensington & Fulham ar-eas, through doing a Christmas pop-up in Earls Court... Plenty of culture vul-tures looking for interesting arty goings on in their own neck of the woods but it seemed there was a gap that local au-thorities just didn’t have the resources to fill.

What is your company’s ethos?

We like to bring people together and make things happen. VISION - We work to support and develop the arts and creative communities in West London, creating links and collaborations be-tween local artists and the neighbour-hood. VALUES - collaborative, support-ive, local, commercial. PERSONALITY - accessible, engag-ing, creative, exciting, professional. AUDIAENCE - culture vultures, socially

conscious, locally minded, investors in the arts.

What projects do you have going on?

Currently working towards an exhibi-tion and events in a pop-up space in Chelsea. And then opening registration to the annual Open Art Spaces in Oc-tober.

What is your favourite thing about the Arts world?

The variety. ‘The Arts’ covers so much - from film to dance, from pottery to writ-ing - but also welcomes such a variety of people.

Did you have any fears going into the Arts industry?

Yes and No... Yes, it’s always hard to project how you’ll do financially and al-ways a worry at first that you’ll not be able to pay the rent! But no because I knew

THINK BIG, THAN SMART!

It’s surprising how many people want to share their experiences - good and bad - and who want to help others. We’re a strong believer in collaboration rather than competition, so link up with fellow artists or colleagues on projects whenever you can. Cooperatives and collectives are a great way to share ideas and gain support from peers. Finally, think big, then start small - it’s easy to get carried away but its import-ant to get the basics in place and right first e.g. website, systems for contacts, filing, invoicing, accounts etc. May seem boring but starting with the prac-tical logistics will help further down the line. Working backwards from the big dream to where you are now will help put things in a sensible order.

it was right. I knew I would wake up ev-ery day excited about work and get to work alongside some very special, in-spiring people. People working within the Arts Industry tend to do their jobs out of love and passion, rather than for the money and career, and that makes it a very exciting world to work in.

How do you spend your time when you’re not working?

I love music and dance and I am a member of the City Academy Diva Dance company. I like keeping fit and being outdoors, so escaping from Lon-don to go walking or friend whenever possible.

Do you have any advice for young art-ists starting out?

Put yourself out there - try and meet as many people and pick as many brains as possible.




KYOKO TAKEMURA

“I loved origami when I was little…I was fascinated with making something appear from

a piece of paper.”

The 22 year old future graphic designer, bred and raised in Kanagawa, stud-ies in London, true origami lover. We talked to Kyoko and asked her how

graphic design became an important part of her life.


What first sparked your creative mind when you were growing up?

I loved origami when I was little. I had lots of origami books and was fascinat-ed with making something appear from a piece of paper.

What’s your current workstation like? What are your key tools for every proj-ect?

Laptop, different drawing materials, printers etc. I always keep my desk organised so I can concentrate. Muji’s aroma diffuser is essential to relax as well. It works as a switch to put my cre-ative hat on.

What would you personally constitute as success for graphic designer?

Being able to make work that not only the client but also the designer can be happy about and satisfied with.

How does social networking influence your personal and working life?

I find it useful for research purpos-es, especially Instagram and twitter. They’re good media platforms to see how other designers are working. I of-ten also go to exhibitions that Ive learnt about through the people that I follow.

How would you describe your ap-proach to design?

I try not to think and research too much. Sometimes, to just start creating and working with my own hands, allows for a completely unexpected outcome. Feedback is essential as well.

Which part of the design process do you enjoy the most?

Building a concept is the hardest part for me, but experimenting is the part I enjoy the most.

What influences your work more, con-temporary trends or historical prefer-ences on your own?

I am influenced by current trends in the field of design, but I try to be selective in order to not to ruin my style and taste.

Did you try copy things you had seen?

When I came across something that in-terested me, I tried to copy it.

When your not working on your projects what do you do to recharge your bat-teries?

I cook something that takes me a long time. Leaving my work for a while al-lows me to see it with fresh eyes.



Ethel TaweThe 20 year old Cameroonian painter, studying Human Rights with a minor in Arts History at Kings. We talked to Ethel about her

love for painting and experience with fine art

“I love that Im able to create exactly what’sgoing on in my mind, with just the use of a paintbrush.”

What is your interest in the art world?

Paintings are my favourite - I enjoy exploring different mediums such as painting with tea. I used to be scared of painting people but I tend to be doing more and more portraits. They’re realis-tic but they share a different message than just the simple image you see.

Do you have any fears about being an artist?

The uncertainty. I dont know where it’s going to go. Im not worried about whether people like my work, but rath-er if it will sustain me financially in the future.

What do you try to say through your work?

I paint mainly women. Studying human rights, I am able to explore different is-sues pertaining to women through my work. I try to empower and encourage women through my work.

I enjoy commissions - but it’s starting to feel more and more like work compared to what I personally do. On the plus side, it’s paid but I’d much rather just be painting for personal enjoyement.

Most interesting thing in art?

I find other peoples perspevtives of artists interesting. They either think it’s some kind of charity and arent willing to pay for it - or they just admire from a distance. I don’t think they really under-stand how much work goes into it.

Whats your creative process?

If I don’t feel like painting then it be-comes so hard to create. But when I’m in the mood the ideas become easy. I usually use reference photos - they don’t look like what I end up painting but they guide me. I like looking at pho-tography for inspiration or at other art-ists work

How do you handle negative criticism?

I use it as something to build off from. If I only got positive com-ments then I wouldn’t grow and wouldn’t get better. Although I don’t let people’s criticisms shape me, if it’s something I want to paint then I’ll still paint it.

Most memorable response to your work?

The prosecutor of the ICC really liked my work. It was a series based on gender violence.

What do you like most about your work?

I love that Im able to create exactly what’s going on in my mind, with just the use of a paintbrush.

Best piece of advice you’ve received?

Loosen up your work - dont try to get everything so right and perfect - which is fitting because Im a bit of a perfectionist




Interview Carmit Massimino

A professional Graphic Designer, and founder of Ink Pudding, a be-spoke stationery and paper goods design service. We talked to Carmit about her graphic design business and experience in the creative in-

dustry.


Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a graphic designer and founder of Ink Pudding – a graphic design and paper goods company. The company has two elements to it – The first is graphic design services, which include things like branding, logo design, business stationery, etc. The second is paper goods which are sold on my Not On The High Street and Etsy storefronts. By paper goods I mean personalised and custom made stationery such as notecards, party invita-tions, wedding stationery and other social corre-spondence stationery. At the moment my products are paper based only and absolutely everything is

made to order and customisable.

Why graphic design?

My choice for going into graphics was actually only meant as a gateway to something else ini-tially. I wanted to study Art Therapy, which at the time possibly now too but I don’t know) was only available as a masters degree. I’ve always been creative and loved drawing and crafts so decided I’d take either illustration or graphics as a 1st de-gree and move on from there. I guess my love for graphics started there and the second part of the

plan never happened….

How was the transition from working for a compa-ny to freelance?

Working for a company and freelancing are two worlds apart… And there are pros and cons either way. For me, the company I worked at had an ex-tremely strict style set. Everything that I produced had to be in a certain way, and it was heavily mon-itored and dependent on the company creative director – this made the artworking process very ‘samey’ and not challenging within itself. Saying that, I learnt a huge amount and the was a vast variety of areas that I was working in – I started off being an artworker but by the time I had left I work-ing along side shop fitters, designing exhibition stands, setting up the visual merchandising plans for retail spaces as well as joining photo shoots and liaising with press – these are all things I would

never have been exposed to as a freelancer un-less it was a specific retail environment I’d been interested in. Being a freelancer gives you a lot of creative freedom – within reason, as you still need to create designs that sell. You have a wide range of clients so no day is the same as the next , but at the same time the responsibility on getting those clients sits with you – if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. Personally it was something I’d always wanted to do and it worked well around family life.

How did you come up with Ink Pudding?

The idea was to work as a graphic design freelanc-er and also bespoke stationery. I was initially look-ing at wedding stationery specifically. So looking at names I was thinking of something that will hint at what do (ink/print), be memorable, and have a certain feel about it that I wanted to project for the brand. Following on the wedding stationery theme Ink Pudding was about creating every element of wedding stationery for you occasion – from start (Invite/ink) to finish (pudding) – so that was the brainstorming process, but essentially It was just one of those names on my list that stood out….

Did you have any fears going into this industry?

I expect the big fear is getting work – in Graph-ics as well as illustration, you have to be able to market yourself, essentially sell yourself and your portfolio. I don’t think I really had other fears. You do find yourself suffering ‘status anxiety’ at certain points – if you concentrate too much on what other people do you can start feeling like everything has been done before, or that you’re not good enough etc. it’s extremely important to find the right bal-ance of awareness to what else is ‘out there’ and finding your own creative language – that’s a big

challenge.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I suppose inspiration comes from everything around us but essentially I find interest in nature, plants, and pat-

terns within nature. >>>

“Use this time to really explore your cre-

ative language, to network, go our and see as many exhibitions as you can

CARMIT MASSIMINO


>>>

I love looking at surface pattern design espe-cially patterns made for fabric, and that’s an era I would be interested in branching out to

in future.

What is your creative process?

I don’t get much time to sit and play around with designs as much as I would like, so most of my creative process is solution-led. For graphics, It would start with initial research of the business, asking the clients for a compre-hensive brief and sending them as much ques-tions as possible, then visual research (what is already out there, what elements stick out, co-lours, styles etc) and then working from there. For my pattern designs the process is slightly different – it would usually start with an idea I already have in mind of something I would like

to create, and develops from there.

What do you do when your not working?

Ha ha….. As a freelancer you’re always work-ing. But I have a baby and a 3 year old to keep

me busy for the rest of my time.

How did you handle any negative criticism starting out as an artist?

What you have to remember is that everyone has an opinion – ESPECIALLY when it comes to art, because people get that ‘I could have

done this myself’ attitude.

My advice would be take everything with a pinch of salt, and if possible try to take from that criticism something positive, that will help you better yourself and grow. I’ve found sometimes the most difficult clients pushed me to make my best work, because they challenge you. If someone is negative about your work take a deep breath, and once you’re calm try to think back and see if, actually, there was anything there that you could change, or do differently next time. Sometimes people communicate in a harsh way but they actually have a point....

Do you have any advice for young artists starting out?

If you are in a university setting – Use this time to really explore your creative language, to network, go our and see as many exhibitions as you can, socialize (not just virtually!!) make connections - these things are invaluable and you won’t get another chance to be in the same environment, so don’t stay in your own

‘bubble’. As far as the art itself – make as much as pos-sible. There’s no way around it – the more you

make the better you will become.

ARTELIER 34ARTELIER 33

Julia MassiminoThe 20 year old Swiss illustrator, studying at Kingston University, and raised in Ghana for 18 years.

We talked to Julia about her love for illustration and how growing up in Ghana affected her art.

“I like art that always tries to communicate something, and illustration is perfect for doing just that.”


What are your interests in the Art world?

Growing up in Ghana, I was strongly influenced by African art, prints, kente cloth, and textiles. I am also really interested in nature and animals - they’re just naturally beautiful

and I like transferring that in my work.

What do you try to communicate through your work?

It definitely ranges and varies depending on the brief. Most of the time I try to intro-duce people to a different way of thinking or a different way of viewing things. I do this through my illustrations about Ghana, allowing me to educate people on a different

culture and open their minds to things they might not have been aware about.

Do you have any fears about being an artist?

My biggest fear would have to be not going anywhere with my career or creating work and yet no one sees it.

How does studying an art degree compare to your personal work?

Well the briefs at university push me in different directions and forces me to take risks as an illustrator. My personal work tends to be very detailed using mainly watercolour, pencil and acrylic paint. But at uni, I am forced to use different methods and find differ-ent ways to solve visual problems. Now because of that push, it is becoming more and more a part of my personal work - allowing me to not fear imperfections in my creations.

What are your future goals?

JULIA: Ideally I would like to work for an environmentally friendly company or associ-ation like WWF that protects animals and nature; creating illustrations to help spread

their messages.

What is your creative process?

: I start off by doing a lot of research - on the subject, on techniques, and different meth-ods. Which then leads to experimentation, and finally choosing one that works best and

developing it even further until Im happy with my results. >>>

>>>

What is the most interesting thing you’ve done as an artist?

I recently created a piece on the relationship between a cactus and an elephant, using water and paper as my only tools. I drew with water on thin pieces of paper, and as they dried they each created a different pattern. My tutors claimed I had created a new form

of visualising - something than many artists aspire to do.

What makes you upset?

People’s perception of the art world - that its easy and trivial, or that anyone can draw, paint and create. It’s difficult to be creative all the time but people don’t realise that.

ARTELIER: Whats the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Not to compare myself to other artists, as hard as it is. There are so many amazing art-ists out there, so it’s hard to be confident - but by comparing yourself to them, your just

holding yourself back.


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