The Making
Of...
Monkeys & Buttercups
The Story...
Busy wallpapers that adhere to interior walls immediately transform a home and bring a room to life with pattern and colour. I was inspired by the living wallpaper described in the short story The Yellow Wallpaper and the intricate designs of William Morris' prints. The designs hold stories within them that are whimsical and dramatic, perhaps echoing the life within the rooms they decorate. My Monkeys & Buttercups design is a fun illustration, which was originally a wallpaper design for a child's bedroom, playing with themes of youthful and childlike mischief.
Illustration Process...
Each element is symbolic to childhood and playful youth, encorporating paintings of squirrel monkeys and yellow buttercups. The monkeys signify happiness, mischief and boundless energy only enahnced by the yellow buttercups, synonymous with joy and innocence.
Illustrations were made using watercolours and inks, then digitally scanned and edited to be made into the final scarf design.
Manufacture...
Once the final artwork is completed, the design is sent for printing. The scarves are digitally printed onto lovely silk or gorgette fabric in the UK with sustainable water based inks, with an OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certification - in other words, no harmful inks are used.
To finish them off, I hem the edges and they can now be worn all year round as scarves!
