Megan's Art Space

I first saw Sophie's work on Instagram, she has recently graduated from Falmouth University. I love her use of colour and shape combination in her collages. She has a great eye for combining these to create striking pieces of work. I caught up with her to learn more about her influences and why she loves to create work.  What have you learnt about yourself while studying at Falmouth University? I found out what really drives my art. Before I started, I was very confused and didn't really know what I was trying to communicate. The second year of uni came around and I suddenly felt I knew what it was all about. Collage just kind of erupted everywhere.  This is my favourite piece of Sophie's work. I think the combination of found imagery and colours works so well together.  What artists/designers influence your practice? Well, lets start with the big names... Kandinsky, Josef Albers... Bridget Riley.  Composition , colour... they're just all so inspirationa...

Earlier this year I got the chance to have a trial day at the Rob Ryan studio in London. I have always been a huge admirer of Rob's work and his ability to create charming paper cut outs that have great appeal. His intricate designs are translated into print, ceramics and original works and he has collaborated with brands such as Liberties and Tatty: Devine. He studied Printmaking at the Royal College of Art in London and his work really appeals to me because of the diversity of his practice and how he makes his work within so many different mediums and how he is successful in doing this is something to aspire to as an artist. Rob Ryan in his Studio When I first arrived at Rob Ryan HQ in London I was excited at the opportunity to learn more about the business and meet Rob. I met people who are all part of the company and involved with different areas such as marketing and creating products in the print studio. I first helped the technician in the print studio prep boards...

This is a new feature of my blog where I aim to talk more about artists work I come across and am hugely envious of. Part of my problem as a creative individual is being highly visual and inspired by things around me constantly. I am always on sites like Instagram and Pinterest finding new people who inspire me with new ideas about how I can develop my practice. The first post in the Artist Envy series is illustrator Joshua Goymer. I first came across his work on Instagram. He sparked my interest in narrative and illustration in recent months, and since then have been really intrigued by illustration and how different people interpret a narrative to their audience. As someone who comes from a Fine Art background, discovering his work and illustrations has made me persevere with more representational drawing and expanding my style. My Favourite Place, Joshua Goymer This is one of my favourite pieces by Joshua just because of how the piece made me feel and how I was able to...

Liberty Rowley first introduced me to the London Arts Board a couple of weeks ago. I think the concept is brilliant but wanted to learn more about her thinking behind the project and how it is helping emerging artists. How long has the London Arts board been running and what’s made is so successful? The London Arts board has been running since 2011. I moved into a flat on the Peckham Road and was drawn to the piece of waste-ground next door. It had a dis-used notice board on it facing on to the main road, so eventually I commandeered it for my own gallery. I tested it first with a drawing of my own, I deliberately chose an image with plenty of white space, to see if it would attract graffiti. It didn’t so I deemed it safe to show other people’s work. It has caught the attention and imagination of quite a few people. I’ve been amazed at how respected it had become amongst those who know about it. I’m not sure exactly what has made it so successful, I hope it’s the same things t...

I have always been interested in how galleries promote emerging artists. I was recently introduced to the London Arts board. The London Arts Board is a dis-used municipal notice board on the corner of Peckham Road and Vestry Road, Camberwell. It is now a gallery dedicated to giving emerging artists the chance to have a solo exhibition in London. London Arts Board I think the idea of brining an art gallery outside so people are able to engage with it on their commute into work of visit to London is absolutely brilliant. Some people can feel a bit intimidated by going into a gallery but this is a great solution as is it something people can interactive with as part of their everyday life. Each month an emerging artist gets the chance to showcase their work in a solo exhibition. On the blog this is documented. All the work on display varies from collages to paintings. A recent piece, Ram Raider (Fugitive) a Mixed Media Collage by John Bunker caught my eye because of how he had co...

Phoebe Atkey is a talented artist whose work I first saw on Instagram. Her commitment and enthusiasm for the arts is very inspiring. Her detailed drawings and attention to detail is what makes her stand out. Phoebe currently has over 25,000 followers in Instagram where she often uploads work. I interviewed Phoebe to gain more of an insight to her interests and how she creates such beautiful works using a variety of media. How often do you draw?  I try to draw everyday, even if it is just 15 minutes. What artists influence you?  I have always been interested in children’s book illustrations especially those of Quentin Blake and Ernest Shepherd. These two artists inspired me to draw from a very young age. As I have got older, I have also become interested in the works of Saul Bass, Herbert Leupin and Paul Rand. Do you see yourself going to Art School?  I would like to try getting into the industry without going to uni. However, I am lucky to live near an ex...

When I was up in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago I finally had the chance to visit the Edinburgh Printmakers. This is something I had wanted to do for ages, I follow their page on Instagram and artists always seem to be producing a variety of prints where the boundaries of the medium are pushed. The work of Faisal Abdu’Allah’s work first struck interest with me because of how he was using print in an unconventional way. I saw pictures of the process I was intrigued to find out more behind the meaning of using hair within the creations. Within the exhibition and expressly for this show the artist has created 12 portraits of Squad members. The exhibition explores the idea connectively and exponential relationships. 12 individuals are represented, who on the surface may look ordinary but in reality they represent the latent common hero in all of us.  I think it is making the viewer look at people in a new light. It presents an awareness of self and made me as the viewer questions my...

Mimi Robson is an artist based in Cornwall. Her work is powerful in creating a sense of calm and tranquility for the viewer. Saying this though, the energy and movement in her work really captures the sea. I admire how she is able to create such beautiful mono prints. Her use of a minimal colour palette combined with interesting shapes and layering to create an atmospheric print is beautiful. In the nature of mono prints, in my experience, is not really knowing quite what you are going to achieve with a print, she uses this to her advantage as I think this captures the movement of her subject matter. Mono prints can be created quite quickly and are spontaneously. She produces work that has a real fluidity. It is not static, I have only really experimented with some elements of mono print. I have often struggled with the idea of layering. In my own practice some pieces appear muggy and disjointed. However looking at Mimi's work, it shows that with patience and precision (which I ne...

Nature has always influenced my work, It is just something I have always been able to get great inspiration and source material. While I like to draw to study aspects of a subject matter I also really enjoy photography. I have a Nikon D5100 and am still learning how to use it but I love to experiment with composition and lighting. I follow blogs and people on Instagram who I always find inspiring for my art. A lot of these photographs are of interiors which combine nature in an interior setting. I always find this calming and tranquil because of the way to photos have been edited and composed. The visuals are often simple but beautiful. Some examples of the people I follow on Instagram include: Mimi , who is an artist at Falmouth. Her use of colour palette is stunning. I also really resonate with how she connects with printmaking as a process. I also follow Toro Studio in Falmouth, whose plants are always so beautifully displayed. When I go back to Uni in September I am going to m...

Held under the patronage of the Royal Society of British Artists as part of their commitment to supporting young artists, The National Student Art Exhibition features work by gifted and talented students from Schools, Colleges and Academies across the country. The artists range in age from 11 to 18 years old. This is a unique opportunity to see artists at a very early stage in their careers. I am not able to see the exhibition but I interviewed some of the successful artists who got the chance to show their work in the Mall. I was very interested to see how they felt about getting the chance to show their work in London and to learn more about where they are off to next year. I interviewed Will, Charley and George and it was great to talk to such enthusiastic artists. How does it feel to have your work shown in London? Will: It feels great to have my work shown in the Mall Galleries for the National Student Exhibition. It's not only exciting to see my own work in the exhibitio...

I first saw the work of Kate on thestudentartguide, where her work was featured. I was amazed at her technical ability and skill in showing narratives and emotion. I'm the same age as Kate and I think the way she has built up a following and how she chooses to showcase her work is something to aspire to. Her confidence and willing to change as an artist is something that I think people should respect. Since finishing her foundation she now has a place to study Illustration at Edinburgh, which I am very jealous about! Kate has very kindly answered some questions about her practice as I wanted to learn more about her working method and artist inspiration. What has going to art school taught you so far about you as an artist? It taught me that I was wrong about wanting to do fine art and that I'm much more suited to illustration, it's taught me not to take art so seriously, that things don't always have to be perfect and that if everyone's happy with what you...