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Work experience at Rob Ryan

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 for screen printing of a new product. I have only done a bit of screen printing on my foundation but seeing it done on a larger scale taught me about the importance of quality control and prepping before starting a project. At this stage I was also given the opportunity to photograph the work we were doing for the blog. I also had my picture taken as when someone new comes to work in the studio this is done and then their photo is placed within the studio. It was lovely to only be there for a day but to have this documented made me feel welcomed and part of the team.


A picture of myself, dodgy fringe and all 

I then was shown more about the process of how different merchandise was created and was told more about Rob's upcoming show in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, which hopefully I am going to at the end of August. I also helped create badges and sorted out invitations for the private view which was at the beginning of the month.

Enjoying a tea break and making merchandise

I am always eager to learn about the process behind a company and how it has got to where it is, and one thing I learnt while I was at the studio is the important of a team. The people at the studio who work with Rob are fundamental to its success and there was a real sense of community within the workplace. This was shown when we all ate lunch together and I had the chance to tell everyone more about myself. We then all played cards for about an hour which was a surreal experience, I played card with Rob Ryan...I was welcomed from the start and hopefully in the future I will get the chance to do a longer period of work experience. I really enjoyed myself and as this was one of the first work experience opportunities I did this summer, I was nervous but it was a good start for me because each thing I have done I've gained confidence and met some great creative people.




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