pop culture Archives - Crafty North Londoner

June 3, 2019

Makers Corner: Kate Louise Copsey

Hello! We love showcasing the amazing talented designer-makers London has to offer and today we caught up with an illustrator whose work is truly mind blowing!

Who is Kate Louise Copsey Illustration?

I’m Kate Louise Copsey, a London based Illustrator and Graphic Designer, who specialises in pop culture imagery, and book illustrations.

What inspired you to become a maker?

I’ve loved to draw for as long as I can remember. As a child, if I ran out of paper, I’d start doodling on the walls, much to my parents chagrin! So it was a no brainer that art and design was going to be my future. I started my Etsy shop about a year ago, mainly out of curiosity and now I’m absolutely thrilled that it seems to be thriving!

Please describe the making/designing process.

I try to keep a genuine authenticity with all my work. All images I create are of something I care about in some way- a musician I love, a politician I believe in, or just something that I think is beautiful. It usually starts with a sketch, developed into a finished drawing – then scanned and coloured digitally. The good thing about digital, is you can change your mind over and over again – tweak it until you’re really happy, make it perfect!

What is it like juggling your passion whilst holding down a day job?

I’m currently juggling a day job, an Etsy shop and a Masters in Illustration, so I’m a pretty busy bee! I’d love to be busy, so it’s all good! I think it’s really important as an illustrator/ designer to constantly be developing your skills, trying out new things, and expanding your portfolio – so I find it quite easy to stay motivated.

After a long day designing and making, what do you do to switch off and relax?

I’m an avid reader, and always have time for a good book! I’ve turned a little pom pom crazy lately, making them is a good way to feel productive when in front the tv! And of course, I love to see friends, have dinners, go to exhibitions, and drink a cheeky bit of booze here and there!

Thank you so much for speaking with us.

Catch a variety of local makers this 6 July at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Tottenham, N15 4RX

Kate Louise Copsey Illustration

Instagram

February 12, 2019

Makers Corner: Claire Hill

Each person’s journey is a different one down the long road of creativity. It’s important to acknowledge great achievements, and challenges we might face and overcome.

We are delighted to share with you an artist who produces the best enamel pins, patches t-shirts and a variety of other items, Claire of Cobalthill

What inspired you to become a maker or, please describe the making/designing process?

I work as a conceptual 3D designer in my day job which is great, I get to draw and sketch most days, but I miss the final production stage of design. It’s so great when you design something from concept stage, develop it, and manage it all the way through production to turn it into an actual physical thing which people interact with. So, I kept coming up with ideas for products, mainly pun-related (ha!), on my walk to work in the morning, and then I just thought, well why not design my own products on the side!

I started off small, quite literally, with a couple of pin designs, and from there I’ve designed patches, laser cut jewellery, screen-printed clothing…all products which are in some way a reflection of my own personal interests. I’ve been running Cobalt Hill for about 2.5 years, and I now know that I get the most enjoyment working on products that are pun or pop-culture related so that’s the direction I’m going to keep taking Cobalt Hill forward with.

After a long day of designing and making, what do you do to switch off and relax?

I absolutely love going to gigs and music in general, which you might be able to tell from some of my products! I just love it when the whole crowd is singing back at the band, the sound of reverb, the post-gig chat, I just love it! I’m also a fan of going to the movies…it’s a couple of hours of being totally transported somewhere else, you’re not looking at your phone or getting disturbed- it’s just proper zone out time.

What has been your biggest achievement?

I’ve wanted to learn how to screen print for years, and this year I actually did it, which has made me very happy!!! I’ve still got a while to go, and I’ve made so many mistakes throughout my learning process to the point sometimes where I’ve wanted to give up (!!) but I stuck with it and I’m really happy with how my screen printed Tiger Shark collection has come out. It’s nice to have a hands on skill away from the computer screen, which can also benefit my business and creative ideas!

Can you impart a quote or words of wisdom to inspire?

‘If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.’ (Don’t know who said it) You’ve just got to jump in sometimes, tackle something new, put something out there, and accept that perfection isn’t possible all the time if ever, but the doing and the progress is so so important and rewarding.

Thank you so much for speaking with us!

You can find the lovely Claire on Day 1 of our Spring Makers Market taking place on 2 -3 March 2019 at The Beehive Pub , N17 9BQ along with many other talented local makers and don’t forget, this is a two-day bumper handmade only market. See you then!!

Cobalthill

Etsy

November 20, 2018

Makers Corner: Cquared

We love sharing the work of our amazing makers and today we bring you Cquared who will join us at Etsy Made Local Tottenham on 1 December at Tottenham Town Hall.

We’ll dive straight in, what inspired you to became a maker?

As ‘The Csquared’, we are mostly inspired by space, nature and mostly music in our designs. This trilogy is basically the essentials in our lives. We are two close friends both named Cansu and one of us is a natural born maker in Istanbul.

She was my tile art tutor in Turkey, and that is how our relationship started. When I started Cansu’s tile art course in Istanbul, we both didn’t know that it would take us to where we are now. It’s about the passion of the creative process and the sacred energy between us I believe.

Since I’ve moved to London, the city itself has triggered me so much to be a part of this creative world with its diversity, dynamism and also the unity of different cultures. What I feel with that is a perfect harmony without bounds.

We love to research the areas that inspire us, or what we are curious about, depending on our moods. Sometimes it can be a lyric of a song, or a phase of the moon. We put a story behind what we feel at that very moment. The outcome of this story forms the basis of our sketches and the design process. That’s how we start to put all the best that we can into our work.

What is it like owning your own business or like many, juggling multiple jobs?

This is probably the most complementary act of our lives. It takes a lot of hard work and a non-stop thinking / brainstorming process. So along as we can reflect this in our art, we feel the most energetic and alive. It’s a total blessing.

What is it like owning your own business or like many, juggling multiple jobs?

After a long day designing and making, what do you do to switch off and relax?

We’ll answer separately to this question 🙂

Cansu in Istanbul:

Since I’ve loaded with such motivation and adrenalin after the making process I prefer hanging out with my friends for a drink and socialise, either at home or outside.

Cansu in London: Taking a shower and lying down on the sofa for hours without doing anything with a cup of tea or booze.

Can you impart a quote or words of wisdom to inspire?

We as a humankind have the desire to leave a mark and share the most overborne parts of our souls in this world by nature. Use creativity as a tool to reveal these basic instincts and keep on doing whatever you are into no matter what.

Thank you so much for speaking with us. You can find the lovely Cquard on Day 1 of Etsy Made Local Tottenham (Tottenham Town Hall) along with many other talented local makers and don’t forget, this is a two-day bumper handmade only market! Find us on Day 2 at The Beehive Pub on 2 December. See you then!!