Watercolour Portraits | Hindu Goddesses

Hindu goddess portrait in watercolour

Recently, I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to paint a lot of faces - my favorite!

This was a project for an independent client, creating illustrations for a range of distinct aromatherapy perfumes - specifically used in conjunction with yoga and to promote spiritual well-being. I was commissioned to paint the Hindu goddesses that would represent the different scents in the range, to then be used on packaging and promotional materials.

I wanted to paint goddesses in a fresh and vibrant way ; I noticed that the existing imagery of Hindu goddesses is pretty ancient and often quite surreal, so I focused on more modern characters. I wanted these to be faces modern women could relate to.

Another watercolour-ed goddess.

There was a subtle colour scheme running through the range which I used to create each goddess. Furthermore, I felt it was important to reflect the traditional characters of the goddesses - for example Durga is worshiped for her strength and empowerment, so I aimed to paint a face that was both beautiful and serene. Parvati represents love, so I gave her a wistful expression.

You can find all of the goddesses here. 

Below are some ideas I had for incorporating the portraits into some of the packaging designs, without swamping small containers.

Watercolour Flower Illustrations | A Peony and a Dahlia

 

 

A while ago I worked on some more flower illustrations for a flower arranging book proposal. They were to join an existing pair of paintings which you can see here. 

These paintings are now being sold at the Yellowstone Art Boutique in Stoke on Trent however, you guessed it, I'm still waiting on that book deal! I was paid for my time of course (I don't work for free you know), but it would be an extra treat to spend time on a whole book. I'm hopeful about this however, and have recently been working on some more proposal images, for a different book with the same publishers. Maybe this year will be my year.

My Secret 7 Record Sleeve | Watercolour Illustrations

I was involved in the amazing Secret 7 exhibition for the second year running, and this year it blossomed into a truly special event supported by some of the best in the creative industry. So many of my favourite illustrators were involved, the launch night saw some amazing live illustration being projected onto the walls, and nearly every single record sleeve was sold - meaning a huge amount of money raised for the Art Against Knives charity. In short, a massive success. Bring on next year!

Find out more about Secret 7 here.

Have a look at my design for last year here. Which do you prefer?

Farmyard Animals | Watercolour Illustrations

About a month ago I was approached by an iconic British textile brand (which shall remain unnamed) to produce some illustrations for a summer gift collection, based around the theme of 'County Fairs'. This would include illustrated crockery, prints, printed textiles and stationary.

Unfortunately, and much to my dismay, the project got pulled. I've been left with these illustrations of different breeds of cow, sheep and chickens. I actually quite like them though, despite the associated disappointment, so I'm adding them to my portfolio and displaying them proudly.

As a lovely silver lining, I have actually been working on a new and exciting project off the back of this. I can't reveal anything about it just yet, but I can tell you that it involves SHEEP!

Some of the original paintings are also being sold at the Yellowstone Art Boutique in Stoke On Trent.

Intelligent Life Magazine | Food Illustration

It's been a little while since I've updated my blog. I'm not feeling incredibly guilty about this, I'm (not) sorry to say. I feel as though these past few months, since I've returned from my travels, my workload has been building to the point where a paint brush is never very far from my fingers. And who has time to type with a fistful of brushes?

I've been working with Intelligent Life magazine for a while now, and have a bi-monthly slot illustrating a food feature - discussing the signature dishes of the world's top restaurants. It's a fun job, and I've had to paint some pretty bizarre dishes (some of which don't exactly look edible...) but I appreciate a challenge, and it's nice to have a reoccurring commission.

Intelligent Life is a really great magazine, and working with them has been a breeze. I was really flattered to be asked in the first place; the art direction is fantastic and they're using a lot of amazing illustrators. I hope I get to stay.