Paradiso...

My new design for dinner plates... I call it Paradiso

Make Art that Sells- Part B

Five weeks came and went! Where did they go? I was having too much fun to notice! I didn't notice the heat rising, the power outages, the late nights... I didn't notice that I was going through a growth spurt while I worked. I didn't notice that I was forging a bond with my class mates and developing an eternal love for my teacher Lilla Rogers! I didn't notice that I was perhaps standing at the precipice of a new and wonderful beginning as a designer, illustrator, artist.

My work during the weeks as follows:

WEEK ONE:

The assignment was to design greeting cards with gingerbread houses as inspiration! I went with my gut and sketched. I couldn't get the two girls hugging picture out of my mind so I brought them out of my head...

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WEEK TWO:
Baby apparel! Yay!! I love designing clothes for my girls and I loved this assignment. The theme was to be pirates! I did some pirate portraits and then a radical groovy pirate girl :D

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WEEK THREE:
Scrap-booking! This week I discovered textures... and loved it. The assignment was to use vintage ink bottles as inspiration for scrabooking material...

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WEEK FOUR:
Rediscovery! This week was one of my favorite as it was very personal. We were asked to design a map of our city. No one (in my knowledge) had done a fun map of Karachi ever! And while thinking of how to do this one, I discovered so many things about my city and my latent love for it. My city is crazy, wild, dangerous, multicolored, multicultural, and beautiful and welcoming! Its a city that doesn't sleep (much!). In the little time we had to finish this, I only managed this... but I plan to revisit this and do much more!

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 WEEK FIVE- FINAL WEEK:
Coming full circle! This week I ran on all cylinders! I poured it out and had the most fun ever! I loved what I created and I was satisfied with it. I really was. The assignment was a delight to study (Ukrainian/ Bavarian Folk Art) and the market is something I think I am going to delve more deeply into - party paper!

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So that wraps up my MATS experience! And boy I know its going to be a life altering one! I have made a vow to my teacher to keep creating art and have fun with it. I hope you will join me in my journey of self discovery!

Ciao for now!

Some latest work in progress

This past week, I've been messing around with some doodles, and flowers... still work in progress but I'm having a great time moving things around :)

Take a look!

Some black and white designs:

Taking the same icons and giving them some color:

Ciao for now!

My journey in surface pattern design!

I probably sounded like an obstinate kid and frustrated my father when at 15 I told my father that I was going to pass on the chance to go to med school. I threw my chances of a secure career and chose the path less traveled.

But the same voice triggered and played with my brain all these years, even after I did a 'respectable' MBA and went on to work with some big names in the corporate world.

While I have been doing what I love slowly and steadily, in the shadows, now I'm ready to delve in with a more organized approach.

Here I share with you my journey so far:

2000/02:
Hand painting boxes and trays:

2005/06:
Children's furniture:


2007:
Experimenting with printing art:

2008:
Ceramics!

2009/11:
Wall decals!

2012:
Trays and lamps:

2013:
Cushions and wall art:

2014:
Coming soon: Dinner table linens, home accessories and more...!

A new brand is born, a new dream is dreamt!

For a really really long time, I have wished to see my work printed on fabric. A week ago, this dream of mine came true, in the blessing of digital printing!

My friend Farhana and I have been besties since we were 8 years old! Grade 3! She went on the become a doctor (and go to Harvard) and I went on to do my MBA and graphic designing. We both shared a love of art and I remember we used to take sketching classes together at various places. Well, recently she and I shared a wish. A wish to make products for the home. She has a keen esthetic sense and she can sew and paints REALLY well! So we partnered together and bought a stall at the British Women's Bazaar at a local hotel in Karachi on December 15th. I thought we should promote our 'brand' hence Teacup was born! (within 15 minutes, through a couple of text message exchanges!)

While she had Rulli (rull-ee) bed spreads, baby quilts, and cushion covers, hand painted frames and artwork, I took out out my collection of work from MATS and re-worked them as best as I could in ten days. Then I chose a few icons and ran with it. I also recycled some of my older designs to finalize 8 designs for digital printing on synthetic silk. Found some great material for the back of the cushions and viola I got this:

 

And now for some well deserved rest! :D